Milford chronicle., 1923-08-31
FARMERS AND FRUIT GROWERS
IN DELAWARE MUST LEARN
AND PRACTICE WHAT
OTHERS ARE DOING.
COOPERATION PAYS.

1t is rather startling to find that
the farmers who are the most pros
porous in the United States, are those
in California and the South; and in
both cases they are thoroughly organ
ized. The fruit growers of California
are especially well organized and we
know that the cotton and tobacco
growers of the South are organized as
they never were before. These two
groups are relatively prosperous. We
also find that the most prosperous
groups of the East are those which are
organized such as the Door County
Horticultural Union of Sturgeon Bay
Wisconsin, the organized grape grow
ers of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio
and Michigan and similar Organiza-
tions.
Too often we judge a cooperative
movement by the price its members
receive for their products in single
year. We forget that the best stand
ardization work done in America has
been done by the co-operatives. we
forget that they have been the lead
ers in National distribution. What
would the great citrus industry OF
Florida and California have done with
out their cooperative bodies, wh1ch
have made it possible to distribute
100000 cars of citrus fruit in one
wear? What will the gruit growers OF
the United States do without such or
ganizations as the Federated Fruit
and Vegetable Growers, which will
give them a distribution such as they
never before hoped for? What Organi-
cations other than the co-operatives
are really doing constructive advertis-
ing, which is aiding in the consump-
ton of fruit and fruit products? Very
few indeed are contributing other
than those which represent the or
ganized fruit interests.
Not only do we get the work OF
Standardization, distribution and ad-
vertising, but it is interesting to note
that nearly every strong cooperative
has contributed something worth
while to our industry. Thus the Cali
fornia Peach Growers adopted the pro-
cess of removing the fuzziness from
dried peaches, thereby making them
easier to sell. The California Walnut |
growers developed a machine for hull |
ling walnuts, and methods for picking |
out culls and utilizing the shells and
all other products. The Organized Ber-
ry Growers, developed the idea Of
packing in iced barrels for the bakery
trade. The Cotton Growers of the
South have been able to step over the
heads of four or five middlemen and
deliver their cotton directly to the
The work accomplished by coop
erative movements in agriculture
could not be duplicated in any other
way, and full credit should be given
to these bodies for their very essen
tial steps they have taken in the or
derly marketing of our agricultural
products.
The need of cooperative marketing
is great, if Delaware is
to compete with the other apples on
the market. Apples are grown in the
East, West North and South, but Del
aware surpasses all States in the
number of trees per square mile;
numbering 527. New York is second
with 284. The trees are here, the eli
mate conditions are ideal, soil is
good and the location is the best; be-
ng near the largest population cen
ers of the United States. The fruit
growers of Wyoming, Camden, Bridge
lille and Nassau could well organize
ocals as they have the necessary
lumber of trees and grow excellent :
ruit.
The grape growers of Kent county !
lave organized, in order that they may !
itandai 1ize their pack and step over !
he heads of the middlemen. The grape
industry of this State, returns the !
tidy sums and with a well or !
anized cooperative local these grow I
rs hope to make it even more sue J
essful; such as that of New York +
tate. \
Why can't the apple growers of this .
tate get together and make the an. o
les of this State famous as once was :
be peach, and be classed among the =
1ost prosperous farmers, such as
hose of the South and California? A
he dairy, grain and poultry growers. 7
re working on a cooperative DUR a
hasing basis; buying their dairy feed, n
lying mash and fertilizer through the r
astern States Farmers Exchange. n
ute a saving was accomplished by q
ne pool last year for those who ioin. 4
d. This year the saving will extend 4
those on the outside, as the feeds r.
nd fertilizer dealers will lower their "
rlces to compete with the Eastern n
tates Farmers Exchange. Let the II
'uit growers take a lesson from this h.
zample!