The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-04-18

the exact meaning of the Florida
Citrus Exchange or to keep in mind
the name as a means of identifying
the fruit which it ships In the
last season, the use of trade mark
phrase, "Sealedsweet, short and
easily remembered, as a synonym of
the name Florida Citrus Exchange,
has gone a long way to a solution
of this difficulty Many people, who
could not remember Florida Citrus
Exchange, or who did not under
stand just wherein the organization
differed from other marketing
| agencies for Florida fruit, now make
all their purchases of "Sealedsweet"
oranges and grapefruit and the dis
position in this direction apparently
is increasing rapidly. The idea of
| buying fruit grown by a co-o-pera-
tive body of producers conveyed in
the advertising, more and more each
year has been found to have a great
| deal of appeal to consumers. Still,
the grower outside the exchange re-
mains the beneficiary of its promo
ton work to considerable extent
His marketing agency can undersell
the exchange, in sections where the
latter's work has built up a demand
for Florida fruit, to the extent of a
few cents box and still, if complete
returns are made to the grower, he
will figure that he comes out as we'll
or better than if he had shipped
through the exchange and borne his
proportionate part of the cost of de-
veloping demand
| In the marketing methods of the
exchange, as little as possible is left
to chance. Every day the salaried
and bonded Representatives of tho or
ganization in all important citrus
markets. telegraph synopsis of the
situation in that territory These
wires cover the conditions, actual
and prospective, of the market, de
tail the amount of fruit on sale and
in transit for that point, etc. On
the information gathered in this
way, the salesmanager bases his Of
ferings for the next day. If in any
city the demand promises to be in
excess of the supply, fruit is diverted
from other points. Market cent RS
to which there appears to be eoinq
an excessive supply, are relieved BY
these diversions. If the deaIrs o.
any town are indisposed to pay
prices that are considered fair ant
which are in line with those prevail
ing elsewhere, fruit may be With.
drawn after it has been offered fol
sale and still further divertd # it i.
impracticable to hold it for better
market conditions. Much the sam.
methods now are in use by tho indie.
pendent agencies, though none OF
these diversions. If the dealers Of
: organization as that of the exchange
and all of them are largely depend
ing upon its pioneer work to bulls
: tn demand for Florida fruit which
they fill in part.
What of the future? Will n GER
tain proportion of the growers con.
tinue to bear the burden? May thes.
growers not grow weary in we'll do
ing, and conclude that trey will nc
longer make possible the prosperity
of their neighbors? Undoubtedl,
there is tendency in this direction
J and many exchange growers are i'm
patient with the present situation
The moment that they consider in
detail just how this can be modified
for their benefit and protection, they
come up squarely against a stone
wall however. IF they should aban-
don in any considerable degree the
educational work that they are now
doing, or theo rganization for mar
keting efficiency which they have
built, conditions unuuestionably
would revert to the former low level.
Growers now outside the exchange
as well as those in the organization
and the state at large, would suffer
alike. The industry would go on
the rocks. and there would be no
profit in the growing or oranges and
grapefruit until a new organization
of like purpose and performance
grew up. Most of the exchange grow
ers figure that in taking any such
step as this they would be cutting
off their noses to spite their faces,
hence the prevailing policy of going
ahead and trying to persuade the CO.
beneficiaries of the movement to be-
come directly affiliated with it and
assist in bearing the expense of its
maintenance. Some recent events
are considered by prominent ex-
change men as indicating that there
is reason to believe that the patriotic
appeal of the organization will not
much longer fail to be needed by at
least onehalf TO the growers of Flor
ida
What the Florida Citrus Exchange
really means to the state hardly
can be estimated in dollars and