Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-04-13
Good Fruit Held
First Essential
To Industry Here

(Bv ]. +. Languer in Oregon ~Journall
The first essential for the future
success of the Oregon Fruit Growers
association. which has been organ
lied for marketing purposes, is that
the grower members produce good
fruit.
No matter how efficient is the pack
ing or selling end of the association
it can accomplish little unless quality
as well as quantity production is .
part of the program.
The grower has a real duty tot his
association. Nature has given
TO the Oregon horticuIturist q coul<
bination OF soil and climate for the
production Of fruit which is second to
none. 1t is the duty Of the grower to
spray, till, irrigate and prune in such
a way as to encourage the production
OF the highest grade and qualaity.
Professor Lewis. chief Of ~organiza-
ton of the Oregon Growers associa-
ton, in pointing out some Of the fore
going facts, cites as an example that
"Sunkist" advertises uniformly good
oranges"
1H0 OItAOl 1lVWtI6 0SoOCaUttoh -
to advertise Oregon fruit. 1t Is to
adopt a trade mark and a brand. Ne
amount of advertising or branding
will have value unless a uniform
quality is maintained.
There are many growers who have
not Joined the Oregon Growers assoc
citation. In many cases they are SELF
ing their fruit outside OF their prim~
airy market, the local ~oanneries or
manufacturers Of fruit products.
1t should be the first thought Of the
grower to see that his closest local
merchant is maintained. Many berry
growers have failed to realize that the
Phez company, Kings Food products
company and the Eugene Fruit Crow
ers' association are potent and Inn
portant factors in the %upbuilding Of
the fruit industry of Oregon.
AT this time interests inimical to the
best welfare OF the fruit growers
themselves are buying up huge guam
titles of Willamette valley fruits and
are shipping them in some cases out
iof the state to be manufactured into
Jams, syrups and other fruit products
WHICH are ltlen duNctIStu dS q RitA~
uct of California or Washington.
The effect Of short sighted policies
on the part of the growers in break
ing down their local market may even
result in big local buyers being forced
out of business because of lack Of
sufficient raw material to continue
manufacturing on a profitable basis.
The duty Of the grower seems clear.
He must support his local manufac-
turer.
Rival foreign concerns want to see
the local buyers go out Of business.
They are forced to pay high prices
; because they are in competition with
? the local buyer, but once the fruit
growers put their market solely in the
hands of foreign purchasers without
a local market to maintain fair prices
then they will quickly find that It has
, been the local manufacturer Of fruit
} products who has been the real factor
to whom they may attribute to a great
extent their present prosperity, The
foreign buyer without local compete
} tion will quickly reduce prices to far
below cost of production because he
has no local interest in keeping the
grower prosperous.
The Oregon growers association
will be perhaps the most potent fac
tor in the building up Of Oregon horti-
= cultural industry in the future. It Is
. this organization which Is taking the
Oregon banner forward, whose policy
1t will be to make the word Oregon
a household word In every home.
1t is the Oregon growers association
which will develop the horticultural
industry of this state as nothing else
I can develop it.
Eronn nrnannt In 1Inntinnn 49,. LII