Show s a Livestock es 0 0 r r 0 Los Angeles May 17 ln 17 In all of the discussion of government aid to bring about farm relief it is notable that citrus growers are arc doing but little complaining because the they them themselves themselves selves have worked out their own sal sal- salvation sal salvation through modern and efficient productive and marketing methods Inin view of the stron strong position of the citrus growers it is worthy of note that their present prosperity is due to the fact that the they market their product at public sale through great central markets where the mass of consuming population lives In the early days of the citrus busi business bus business ness in California just as was the case in the cattle business before cen central central central markets were established the grower depended entirely upon the country bu buyer er to come conic to the ranch at the propitious moment If the country buyer didn't show up the crop was practically a total loss be- be because be because cause there were no central markets which the grower could utilize as a means of disposing of his crop The country buyer picked the fruit and took what he wanted or what he could use to best advantage The balance bllance in c parlance were cut cut backs The country buyer of citrus pro pro- products products pro products ducts was in the business solely sol ly for selfish profit He Ho bought the fruit as cheaply as he could He lie had no constructive sug suggestions as t to how v to improve the quality of the fruit lIe merely picked what he wanted to buy pack packed it under his own brand and marketed the product the best he could competing with numerous other packers and dealers It was good business of course to cut prices to take care of extra volume if com com- competition competition competition petition warranted There was n not t tat at that time any definite method by y which to measure values and the grower was entirely at nt the tIle mercy of I the better posted buyer The uncertainty uncertainty of the country buyer arriving at the right time the uncertainty as asto asto asto to price and lack of knowledge e as ns to available supplies all tended to make citrus growing an en erratic tic and an un- un unsatisfactory unsatisfactory un unsatisfactory satisfactory business With the development of the pre pre- present present pre present sent system by which all citrus fruits are properly picked selected d dand and packed cooled and shipped to great t central markets in the con con- con suming centers production has in- in increased increased in increased creased quality improved and prices prices have been stabilized The success success- successful successful successful ful orange growers are marketing their crops in the same manner as the successful live stock people people- people through central markets at public sale They bring their oranges to the big consuming centers for sale just as the stockmen are bringing their livestock to the various stockyards stockyards stock stockyards I yards for fot sale I The orange growers have built up their demand to 10 keep pace with sup sup-I sup sup- plies supplies sup through constructive advertis- advertis advertising ling advertis-ling mg ing a lesson which the live stock producers might well consider In- In InI Instead Instead In l I stead of cutting prices prices when supplies appear littie little burdensome they spend a lit tie tle more for fOt money advertising an important step in stabilizing values After all the value ofa of a product is determined entirety entirely by the demand for it it It is is entirely well for the cattleman to remember that the citrus business was not generally profitable until the undependable system of country buying was discarded for the more efficient central methoL i eai operative co-operative marketing is smaller now being carried out by many smal smal- smal- smal ler live stock growers grO who pool their cattle hogs and md sheep in carload lots for sale under competitive bidding at the atthe central markets The day of the cut back cattle on the ranch should pass out along with the cut back fruit The orange growers rowers have found that found that there is is a market for all grad grad- grades es of oranges either cither as whole fruit or in in other forms In the same way there is is a market for all grades and glasses lasses of live stock Animals which do not yield goodenough good enough cuts and steaks for direct consumption have havea haven n a value nIue althou although h hof of course smaller in the form of tinned meats bOlogna and other such products The net return to the citrus grow grow- er grower is is the Eastern market value less expense of transportation and mark mark- markI marketing marketing marketing I eting The net return to the cattle grower rower is the central market pric prig less the expense of transportation 1 and marketing Both propositions represent a d definite finite and fixed me- me me 1 thod method of finding value based upon supply and nd demand expressed by y th the I greatest competitive purchasing pow pow- er power in one locality Centralization en- en enables en enables 1 ables comparison so that each pro ducer producer may know what his neighbor gets ets and wh why he gets cots ts it I |