The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-02-27

winch the local association is a mem
Der, through the agents and facilities
which the central exchange provides.
There are IT district Exchanges.
They order the cars and see that they
are correctly placed for loading, they
keep a record of the cars shipped by
each associations; they receive the re-
turns for the fruit sold from the cen
trail exchange and turn it over to the
local association.
The central exchange has a capital
of $4,000. and is managed by II direc-
tors, through a general manager. Each
district has one director. The central
exchange has a bonded agent in each
of the principal markets of the coun-
try, from which it receives regular
Geographic advices as to market con-
ditions and carload sales. These ad-
vices are issued to the local associa-
tons in daily bulletins. Business is
done on a cash basis, prompt account
ings being made. The exchange takes
care of all litigation arising out Of the
marketing of the fruit, handles all
claims, conducts an extensive citrus
fruit advertising campaign, and devel-
ops new markets. Every shipper re-
serves the right to regulate and control
his shipments, to develop his own
brands. to use his own JUDGMENT as
to when, where, how and at what price
he shall sell, eve in competition with
his fellow members.
The California walnut Growers as
ISOLATION renders about the same serS =
ice to the walnut growers Of southern
California as is rendered to the citrus
fruit growers by the fruit growers ex-
change. The general association is
mad up of members of local ones. The
central body has made uniform rules
for grading and bleaching. The wal
nuts must be passed over a screen with
meshes II inch in diameter. All
which pass over are NO. l" and those
which go through are NO. q" They
must be free from stains and blem-5
ishes and the crack of these nuts
must show hat at least 50 per cent
have GOO meats. r.
These two associations are typical Of
a large number of selling OF ganizations
III California. Another type Of CO.
operative organization for the market
ing of crops is the Grand Junction
(Colo.) Fruit Growers association. It
is a stock company composed exclu-
sively Of fruit growers. with a mem
bership of 1000. Its objects are to
market fruit produced by it's members
advantageously; to broaden the decid-
uous fruit market; to encourage bet
ter methods of growing, and to grade
the fruit that is shipped. 1t furnishes
it's members with all the supplies
necessary for the proper maintenance
of their orchards, such as spraying ma
chimes, spraying materials, boxes, fer
tilizer and nails. Experts are employed
to teach the members proper methods
of growing, spraying, picking and
packing their fruit. The association
handles it's own distribution and sales.
1t sells direct to the wholesale fruit
dealers through it's own broker repre-
sentatives. It's charges are made on
the basis of cost for icing, Refrigeration
and such items, ! per cent of the
net proceeds after these items are de-
Quoted.
The Rocky Ford Melon Growers as
ISOLATION markets ic~anteloupes only. 1t,
pays its distributing agency 12A per
cent on the gross proceeds of the sales,
and the office expenses amount to
about ~ per cent.
The Florida Citrus Fruit exchange
is the representative Florida co-opera-
tive organization. 1t is described as a
n~on-profit, cooperative corporation,
made up of wheels within wheels, and
having headquarters at Tampa. It's
function is to act asa the general sales
AGENT of all the local associations m
braced in its membership. 1t is or
Sanized after the manner of the big
California Fruit Growers exchange de-
scribed above, having it's local associa-
tons, its sub-eXchanges and its general
exchange. The local association picks,
hauls, grades and packs the fruit and
places it in the cars ready for ship
ment. The S~ub-eNchange takes the
loaded car and delivers it to the eX-
change, which distributes, sells and
collects the money. The United States
and Canada are divided into numerous
sales districts, each presided over by
a sales agent, who must devote himself
exclusively to the sale of exchange
products. In the big markets the ex-
change maintains salaried men, who
pfCtAC tue II UT tI lHt dutt1ol Market.
and represent the exchange until the
money is collected. 1t is stated that
bidding is usually very free, and that
this method of selling stimulates dis
tribution and consumption from three
to ten fold.
Careful attention is paid to market
conditions, and fruit is shipped north
with the understanding between the
exchange and the railroads that it may
be diverted at any time. For instance,
several carloads OF fruit have reached
Potomac yards at Washington en- route
to New York. Geographic advices
show that the market conditions in
Gotham will be very bad when they ar
rive; thereupon the exchange tele-
graphs the railroad to divert these cars
to Cincinnati or to Pittsburgh. There
are a number of diversion points where
this may be done, so that a car need
never take a long chance of running
into a glutted market.