, 1935-03-10

appearing, or becoming proficient In
their respective duties. There are
still a few weak spots, but they will
be strengthened as the grower-mem-
bers Of the Associations recognize
the need. These frank statements
Of conditions within the cooperative
are not written to be discouraging,
but rather to acquaint the grower
with some OF the things he must
watch and cure. They are only in
cidental and relatively unimportant
in the broader work of a cooperative
The final results are what count.
For some reason all growers get
bitten with the "sales bug" and at
some time think they know more
! about selling citrus fruit than the
best men they could possibly hire for
that purpose. men who have studied
the selling and marketing OF perish
able products all their lives. Per-
haps. IL Is because the grower spent
his money and worked hard to pro-
duce his crop. That being so per-
haps he is right in feeling that he
can vent his spleen on some one.
Very often farmers and growers who
never sold a box Of fruit in their
lives come to meetings with the most
positive ideas as to how citrus fruit
should be marketed. and stranger
yet. until they talk themselves out.
they often meet with a most recep-
tive audience.
A great many citrus growers seem
to have some inherent characters
tics which impede the progress and
the efforts of those who are working
to better their condition IN their
cooperative: every spring indigna-
ton meetings are held on the green
fruit question. and those who ship
ped the season before are roundly
condemned: in the fall the same
growers will demand Of the Sales
Department, In the most emphatic
terms. that their fruit be shipped as
soon as II passes the test whether II
is fit to eat or not.
Returns For Crop
With nj knowledge Of receiving
marketing prices. the grower will sell
at a price offered by a cash buyer.
trusting him implicitly. or allow his
fruit to be shipped on consignment.
never taking the trouble to find out
what his ultimate returns will be.
II he gets a good price from a cash
buyer. he will lau6 the cash buyer
and himself dor his " shrewd-
ness to the high heavens. and try
to make his neighbor break his con-
tract with the cooperative: but. II he
makes a sale to a cash buyer which
does not pay him the cost Of pro-
duction. he will crawl home and keep
his grief TO himself.
In n cooperative the member who
raises the best fruit. or gets in a
fortunate pool. takes his money and
Is happy and says no more about II,
but what a holler his neighbor can
make who didn't irrigate or spray
and whose fruit va OF poor quality
or size and was a drug on the mar
ket. He curses the cooperative and
Sales Department and Is lever will
ing to take the blame himself. The
independent shipper. the competitor
Of the cooperative. will tell all the
growers in the country Of the poor
returns this last grower received for
his fruit. but did you ever hear OF
an independent stopping at a grow
er's door TO tell Of the wonderful
price the first grower received for
his fruit through his Association
and the Exchange?
The Woodworking. sincere direc-
tors OF the Exchange and the man.
agement 60 through with these
troubles every day. and they take
what action seems to be necessary
and conservative. but they do not
allow themselves 10 be rushed of
their feet. They are working fol
the growers as a whole and refuse
to be swayed by the selfish demands
Of the few. Prodded on by the hys-
terra OF a season OF disastrous mar
kets. the growers build a cooperative
and then seemingly do their best Il
tear it down. That seems to be the
history of all Of them; but with
good. level. conservative heads anc
skillful management. the cooperative
movement continues to grow FOL
the benefit Of all.