Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-12-07
Essentials for CO.opera ton.

Il Ocrat. faris, ne.
Essentials for Co-opera tion.
| "a portion OF Professor Hurd's paper at the an
| nual meeting Of the Maine State P0mologica
/ Society, on "Some Essentials for Successful
| Cooperation among Maine Fruit Growers.")
There is every good reason for CO
operation among farmers. All otbel
lines of business are organized except
our own class; and it is time for the
farmers of this country to realize fully
that great movements in the industrial
world to-day are not set in motion anG
maintained by individuals, but by mer
who have the power and ability to or
ganize and cooperate. Opposed tC
close combination is true cooperation
the kind which we are considering TO-
day; the kind that welcomes and does
not stife honest competition, and seeks
to obtain for the man who produces a
commodity a just proportion of the
price that article brings in the markets
of the world.
In France the cooperative societies
control the markets for many agricul-
tural commodities. The little country
of Belgium several years ago had 776
agricultural leagues, with membership
of Il, 900. There were 7S0 societies for
cooperative purchasing, and co-opera-
tive dairies increased from so to 427 in
ten years.
Holland has many agricultural unions.
Forty thousand Dutch farmers supply
milk to cooperative creameries.
The membership of cooperative dali
ries in Denmark numbers las, 900. Sew
enty-five per cent of all the COWS in Dem
mark contribute their product to these
cooperative associations. This country
also operates twenty-sever cooperative
bacon factories.
Sweden has 430 cooperative cream
cries, Norway 430 and Siberia 2,035.
Great Britain is the home of the CO.
operative idea The famous Rochdale
movement, formed by twenty-eight mill
workers to purchase the neceSsaries of
life, and after which many of the move
ments in our own country have been
patterned, has membership numbering
millions; and they enter every field OF
commercial work with their cooperative
plans. At the last annual meeting of
he cooperative societies of Great Brit
ain the records showed that during 1908
business amounting to S537 100000 was
transacted.
In America four lines of agriculture
have lent themselves to successful CO.
operative enterprises, namely, market
gardening, grain growing, the manu-
facture and marketing of dairy products
and the production and marketing Of
fruit.
The banding together of the fruit
growers of Maine or of any section Of
this state for the organizing of this great
industry in a Co operative way is larger
problem than simply organizing for the
sale of fruit. The enterprise should
also include cooperation in production,
which involves many other factors.
This brings US 10 the essentials to be
considered in the organization. 1t
seems to me that one of the first things
to be realized is that a sufficient amount
of fruit must be raised TO make the re-
gion of enough importance to draw buy
ers. When a sufficient volume of busi-
ness can be guaranteed, not only are
buyers attracted, but transportation
companies are usually quick to make
concessions in order to get business.
Cooperation in buying supplies is an
other important thing. One small asso-
citation in the Hood River region saved
it's members 81 200 on spraying material,
81, 900 on wrapping paper, $1,000 on
crates and $1,000 on boxes in one year.
To this list might be added In Maine the
fertilizers ordinarily purchased. An
association IN Maine should expect to
build eOoperage establishments for the
manufacture OF barrels and boxes.
An orchard survey Of the fruit grow
ing counties OF this state would be Of
great value. Not only could an estimate
be made of the extent OF the orchards,
the varieties. etc, bat an accurate &C
cOGnt ol the methods pFaetised could be
obtained, and, wherever necessary, ad-
vice which would lead 10 the production
of higher grade product could be given.
Il igh grade products are one OF the un-
alteTable demands Of cooperative mar
ketinT. In short, Why not cooperate
and hire a travelling fruit growing IN
siTucior lust the same As the dairy men
have travelling dairy instr0ctorsg Some
railroads already employ Just such men
10 20 up and d0Sn their lines giving IN
struction q farmers. They ind IL pays
them Ia extra volume Of freight.
A good cooperative system would
direct OaE fruit 10 the best markets.
one Of the principal objects OF the
American Fruit Growers UniOn Is To
divert and distribute the supply 50 that
mark cts are neither glutted nor without
sE NJ "a ntH
much to 90 with markets knows that at
times carload after carload Of good fruit
may come into a certain market on a
given day, with the result that the fruit
cannot be sold at any price, while per-
haps only few hundred miles away an
other good market Is entirely barren OF
that product. A good selling agent in
the employ Of q cooperative concern
could watch the movements OF fruit and
avoid such conditions.
Cold storage houses similar to potato
houses, built along the lines of the rail-
roads; fruit evaporators and vinegar or
canning factories for the utilization OF
what would otherwise be waste prod
ucts are also within the range to be GOV.
cred By cooperative fruit growing asso'
l. Z
should be considered seriously by Maine
| fruit growers.
A successful cooperative enterprise
must, first of all, have capital. This is
often not taken into serious considera
ton. Enough capital must DE available
| 10 give stability to the organization and
not cripple its opportunity for pur
chase and sale. Cooperative enterprises
must keep out of debt. They must do 9
cash business, and must keep their rat
ing and business standing first class.
California perhaps leads in the success
of it's fruit packing and shipping asso
Citations. Oregon, especially the Hoot
River region, ranks equally high. Th'
Grand Junction Fruit Growers Associa
tiou in Colorado shows remarkabl,
growth. 1t began business in 1897, will
666 stock kholders, shipped 167 cars ant
did sSS,937 worth of business. Tel
years later, January, 1907, this associa
ton had IA, 169 shares Of stock, shippe'
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