Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-03-16
NEW MARKETING
PLAN IS ADOPTED
willamette Valley Fruit Ex-
change Organized at
Corvallis

The Willamette Valley Fruit Ex-
change is the name Of q new market
ing organization perfected in Corval.
lis last week. R. N. Ewing. II. G.
Eakin, Evan Viers and \. L. GUY rep
resented Dallas and Polk county grow
ers at the meeting.
The Willamette Valley Fruit Ex-
change is unique in that it does not
reach out and take in all the fruit
growers Of the valley, and yet it bars
none if their orchards. fruit and pack
are Of the standard required by the
lexchange. 1t is the plan to take in
only the better orchards or the or
chards of the better growers. The
eligibility of grower to come in TO
the exchange will he determined by ex-
animation as to his orchard practice
and inspection of his orchard in the
bearing season.
1t is the belief of those who have
engaged in the new enterprise that
the plan of organization puts every
grower on an equal footing with an
other, and the standard of fruit and
orchard practice is elevated and kept
up. There is to be Standardization of
orchard, brand, marketing, and at all
times the highest ideals will be main
tanned as to quality. Only those who
are qualified win be admitted to the
exchange, and the methods win be
such as to encourage o uniform devel-
opment of orchard industry.
1t is the purpose of the organization
to develop brand name for the pro-
ducts of the growers, sand to permit
members to sell under the brand of the
exchange. The idea of the fruit having
been grown on non-irrigated land will
be featured.
Prizes will be offered for the best
name of brand and the details of the
" brand contest will be worked out
in the near future.
The policy Of the exchange for the
present will be to contract with grow
Iers to control the tonnage, SO that it
may be in position to close cntracts
with the best selling organizations of
fthe northwest. 1t is stated the expense
of maintenance of the exchange, at
least for the first year, win be prac-
tically nil Individuals and organiza-
tions viii handle the grading and pack
ing under uniform grading rules.
That the tonnage this year win be
large is emphasized in the statement
that between 1900 and : 5000 acres
come into commercial bearing. II is
believed the organization of the ex-
change is a timely move, coming at
time when SO much fruit is coming
into bearing and also at time when
there is no organization for handling
fresh fruit.
There are number of large orchard
tracts among the new orchards of the
valley and it is argued that because
of the number of large units the indi-
vidual membership will be much small
er than in similar organizations in the
northwest, and the exchange will be
less cumbersome and unwieldly.
4. i. Klemer of Alvadere, Lane
county, is president. r. M. Ewing of
Dallas is vice president and B. w.
johnson of Monroe is seeretary-treas-
urer Of the new organization. The ex-
ecutive committee is composed of the
president, secretary and Professor c..
l. Lewis, head of the Horticultural de-
partment at 0. A. G.
Every county in the valley was rep
resented at the meeting, those present
representing total OF 10000 acres
Of young orchards, part of which are
to become commercial orchards this
year. The exchange is corporation
and the stock will be subscribed in pro-
portion to the acreage a grower owns.
A five acre tract viii subscribe to five
share Of. stock and the man having 100
acres of fruit will be asked to sub
scribe 800 worth of stock.--Dallas
Observer.