The Monticellonian., 1915-11-04
TWO CASES OF COOPERATION
Melon and Peach Growers Got To- oether. Forming Association. and
 Secured Better Prices.

Intelligent cooperation is especially needed in the selling end of the farm4 CTS business. Consider the cases of two groups of producers who have learned the truth of this statement.
 A certain number of Indiana melon growers who had been shipping their crops year after year to a single mar ket-ft was city on the Ohio river came to the point where they were disgusted with their small profits. They got together-that was the first noteworthy thing they did, writes John R. Colter in Farm Journal. Then they said to the railroad and express companies that served their territory:
 Help us find some wider, better mar kets. It 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 1t alone. The melon growers got assistance in the form of couple of marketing experts-industria agents. and within an hours conversation they had learned a great ceal.
 Following the advice of the trans portation people, the growers did what they had never thought necessary be- grading and rigid standardization. They cut out their picayune methods of putting their largest melons on top and filling in with small ones. They rather did just the opposite-if there was any vari- ation in size to speak of at ali They settled on twenty pound basket as 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 were hunger. ing for cantaloupes. It 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 32 and 35 cents basket for guaranteed, quality shipments, even though cheap CT 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. ized growers association disposed of it's goods-an average price figured S4 cents per basket against 22 cents average the year before. The getting together to sell did it. They would probably never have got out of their old marketing rut if it hadn't been for the organizing and combining spirit
 The peach growers round about Port Clinton. O., obtained extremely profit able results while ago by practically the same cooperative methods They have succeeded in standardizng their output so that people expect of them 4S-pound basket of peaches, no more, no less. They guarantee their crops, and the flood of orders received last year from satisfied customers gives proof of the soundness of their meth ods. The peaches are carefully grad ed of course-AA. A and B. By CO., operative methods they have raised the several kinds from $1.35 (AAs), $1 (As) and 90 cents (Es) to s190, $1.50 and $1.10 respectively Tn union there is strength" applies to market. ing farm products in very pertinent way.