The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-11-17

ings. He pointed out among other
things in his Introductory remarks
that there is no question whatever but
that the growers of Marion county
can produce. The problem of the
farmers, he said, is to market their
products.
For the supper in the evening the
dining room in the basement of the
Methodist church had been most at
ltractively decorated with smilax and
palms and a splendid supper was
served by the ladies of the church.
Mr.. Edwards complimented the la
dies. He said he had heard of Silver
Springs and of the highly productive
lands of Marion county but that he
did not know that Florida produced
peaches.
Talks were made at the supper by
Mr.. Samuel c.. Hood, field represen-
tative, and Mr.. J. B. White, sales
manager of the Valdosta office of the
North American Fruit Exchange, and
Mr.. J. S. Edwards All three of the
speakers stressed the Importance of
co-operative marketing from the point
of view of the bankers, business men
and merchants, pointing out that the
resulting prosperity of the farmers
means prosperity for the community.
| Mr.. Edwards, among other things,
told very briefly of the raisin growers
Organization in California. He said
; that prior to the forming of the
Eaisin Growers Association, Fresno
county, California, was in bad straits.
There was poverty throughout the
county among the growers. The
ranches were mortgaged to the limit
and shop keepers were carrying the
burden. The growers were being paid
for their raisins less than it cost
to produce them and were at the
mercy of the buyers handling the1
crops. AS the result of the organiza-
tion, Mr.. Edwards pointed out, Fresno
county today is one of the most pros
porous counties in California and rails
ins are being marketed and advertised
and in a manner familiar to all read
ers of national publications. He gave
also a brief history Of the California
Citrus Exchange, telling among other
things how the exchange has been
compelled to buy its own timber and
mills for making boxes and answering
the argument that cooperative pur-
I chasing interferes with the business
< of merchants and other concerns, he
D stated, that instead of the profits
l. from fertilizer, for example, going
y into the pockets of few individuals
: in community, these profits saved
by the farmers were spent by them
and spread among. the various bust
nesses of the community. Mr.. Ed
5 wards quoted Mr.. A. R. Rule, genera
i manager of the North American Fruit
Exchange, and who will be genera
. manager of the new Federated Fruit
and Vegetable Growers, Inc, as say
y ing that potato has but four eyes
y organize, standardize, advertise ant
merchandise. Mr.. Edwards said thai
= he regretted that Mr.. Rule could nor
: be here for the meetings, but that {
u death in his family had prevented.
5 Mr.. Hood in his talk stated that tn,
T greatest problem confronting thu
e country today is that of putting thu
/ farmer on his feet. He pointed ou
that only 49 per cent of the popula
e tion of the country is now rural. II,
u said that the farmer represents 4:
e per cent of the man power of tn.
u country anad is receiving only 16 pc
e cent of the income. It is time, he said
II for business men to take an activ,
interest in the problems of the far
/ mer.
n Mr.. J. B. White told of the develop
;, ment of the Southwest Georgia Melol
a Growers Association with headquar
5 ters at Adel, Ga. The association, b.
e said, began in 1921 with a member
'e ship of 179 growers representing 270
Z acros of watermelons. The member
. of the association, he said, provide,
:" for such things as pruning in order t.
" produce large and better melons, plant
v ing only seed which were approved b.
- the association, handling the melon
y in padded wagons, packing then
:, properly in the cars, treating then
~ for stem-end rot and weighing ther
~ and labelling them, every individua
U melon with the brand of the South
&c west Georgia Melon Growers Associa
J. tion. He stated that the associatio
succeeded in reducing stem-end re
~ from IA per cent loss on all shipment
III to single car for the season. Prior t
'e the forming of the association, MI
= White said, the average net retur
to the grower was S65. In the as
- sociation for the first year tn
a. general price was s195 per car net t
" the grower. The association, he sait
" now has 1900 members who plante
l.