The Raymer enterprise., 1915-11-04
TWO CASES OF COOPERATION
melon and Peach Growers Got To.
sether, Forming Association, and
Secured Better Prices.

Intelligent cooperation is especially
needed In the selling end of the farm.
ers business Consider the cases OF
TWO groups of producers who have
learned the truth Of this statement.
certain number OF Indiana melon
growers who had been shipping their
crops year after year to a single mar.
ket--lt was city on the Ohio river
came to the point where they were
disgusted with their small profits.
Ihey got together-that was the first
noteworthy thing they did, writes
John X. Golfer in Farm Journal. Then
they said to the railroad and express
companies that served their territory:
Help US find some wider, better mar.
kets' 1t means traffic to you and will
bring US more money"
The transportation companies lis.
tened-and right here it may be noted
that transportation companies listen
more attentively when group or or.
ganization producers ask their assist.
ance then when the individual tries to
go II alone. The melon growers got
assistance In the form of a couple of
marketing experts industrial agents.
ana within an hours conversation
they had learned great deal.
Following the advice of the trans,
portatlon people. the growers did what
they had never thought necessary be.
fore-systematic grading and rigid
standardization. They cut out their
picayune methods of putting their
largest melons oil top and filling In
with smal! ones. They rather did Just
the opposite--if there was any varl.
ation IN size to speak OF at all. They
settled on twenty-pound basket as a
standard container. gave their word to
stand firmly back of the quality and
reputation of the melons and told the
transportation people to open up the
markets OF the East that we're hunger.
Ing for cantaloupes. 1t is an actual
fact that the growers association that
year netted 50 per cent better returns
than ever before obtained. And not
only that-the cantaloupes from that
section of Indiana became we'll
known; buying clubs in eastern towns
ordered them in preference to other
Kinds. They were willing to pay 81
and 50 cents basket for guaranteed,
quality shipments, even though cheap
er ones could be had in certain mar.
kets. Fresh from the growers field"
was an attraction. Not only among
buying clubs. but in the eastern whole.
sale markets. and especially among
small town dealers. the newly organ.
ICED growers association disposed of
its goods-an average price figured
81 cents per basket against 20 cents
average the year before. The getting
together to sell did 1t. They would
probably never have got out OF
their old marketing rut II 1t hadn't
been for the organizing and combining
spirit.
The peach growers round about Port
Clinton, o.. obtained extremely profit.
able results a while ago by practically
the same cooperative methods They
have succeeded in standardizng their
output so that people expect of them
iS-pound basket of peaches, no more.
no less. They guarantee their crops
and the food of orders received last
year from satisfied customers gives
proof of the soundness of their meth
DDS. The peaches are carefully grad.
ed OF course-AA, A and d. By co.
operative methods they have raised the
several kinds from sl.35 (AAs), 81
lAsl and 80 cents lBsl to $1.90, $3.50
and Sl.l0 respectively. In union
there is strength" applies to market.
ing farm products i'll very pertinent
way