The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-25

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all Of its details.
In outlining the work that the Eastern
FruitgTowers' Association is trying to do.
Mr.. ClOhan says.
The Eastern Panhandle Of West
Virginia, where the fruit industry is be-
ing developed very largely by the local
people in the form OF cooperative ef-
forts. which have been very largely
adopted, has been directly IN line with
development Of all other kinds OF indus
try-namely. the organization OF stock
companies, who own and manage large
orchards Of from 100 TO several hundred
acres.
THE successful farmer Of to-day IS
not the hay seed formerly caricatured in
the magazines. but a business man, thor
oughIy alive to the advantages Of modern
industrial methods.
Besides, in West Virginia. not only
are our farmers interested but our local
bankers. business men. and professional
men, who are familiar with the fortunes
made during the last few years from the
fruit industry in our section, are glad
10 take advantage OF the opportunity 10
get back 20 the soil by owning an IL
terest in a company orchard.
Commercial Orcharding.
The successful development OF a fruit
orchard means the Investment of consid-
cradle capital If the orchard be already
in bearing. several hundred dollars per
acre will have 20 be invested II unde-
veloped land is secured. several years
must elapse before returns from the or
chard viii pay dividends on the invest
ment. Unless. therefore, the individual
be a thoroughly competent fruit man and
gardener, with sufficient capital to pur-
chase at least ten acres Of land we'll To-
Gated. near shipping point. having very
best soil (such land as in our section
brings from $40 10 500 per acre.. who
can truck around his young trees until
they come into bearing, he viii do better
to invest his money with other people
in a company.
In our orchard corporations, as con-
Quoted in West Virginia. our stOckhold-
ers always plan TO have at. least several
OF the directors OF each company thor
oughly experienced fruit growers. who
are entirely familiar with local cOndi
tons. All matters of general policy af-
fecting the orchard belonging TO such a
company are thus determined, not by an
individual but by the majority Of the
directors. This at once secures for a
company the benefit Of different view
points from men who have had expert
ence. so that the liability Of . mistake
in selection OF varieties for PAINTING or
any OF the other problems less liable
to occur.
again, fruit growing is one Of the most
highly specialized forms Of farming. The
active management of an orchard de-
mands a competent superintendent, who
in turn. commands good wages. A com
pany owning "A large orchard can afford
TO pay such wages, because its financial
responsibilities and the extent Of its op-
erations Justify such expenditure; where
as a private individual who is not him
self fruit grower runs the risk of com
ing to grief, because he feels that he can
hire only cheap. and, therefore, incom-
Detent help.
Another point-successfu Orcharding
requires a we'll systematized and loyal
organization of laborers to do the prun-
ing, spraying. cultivating. picking, pack
ing. and the other kinds Of orchard work.
company with a large orchard is IN
position TO develop such a loyal or
ganiZatiOn, because there will be from
time to time chances Of promotion for
the good men: modern methods Of profit
sharing for the employees can also be
introduced; the employ
ment OF considerable number of men at
one time and place, also of itself, tends
to develop an esprit-de-corps among the
men and prevents feeling of dissatis-
faction and lonesomeness which is so
often an attendant on farm labor.
"Orchardlng. in fact. all kinds of
farming operation, demands more care
full bookkeeping methods than was for
meTly in use. A corporation owning a
large orchard can have one officer. at F.
least. who is thoroughly familiar with /
and cost accounting. Where |
a number of corporations are operating /
along the same line in the same terri /
tory, and all keeping similar records of /
orchard costs, such records can be read |
ily compared and the different com /
panies will be able to stop any leaks /
from incompetent management. which, /
under other conditions, without some /
adequate system of cost accounting IT /
might be difficult to locate
a corporation marketing a large /
quantity of fruit can afford an advertis- /
ing and selling appropriation to enable 4
it TO create a demand for its fruit at top /
prices. Also its orchard organization 1
will enable company TO guarantee the |
quality of it's pack so as to reach the /
markets in the best possible condition |
Again. a corporation with adequate /
resources can put its fruit into l
storage when necessary and hold for bet
ter prices
In West Virginia our experiences /
would indicate that boards Of directors /
company orchards are less i
subject to personal jealousy and hostil- /
ity toward other companies than Is fire. /
quently the case with individual farmers /
In old settled communities. Between our /
various orchard corporations in West /
Virginia there appears 10 be a spirit of /
harmony which will in time, we believe,