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Show TWO CASES OF CO-OPERATION Melon and Peach Growers tot Together, To-gether, Forming Association, and Secured Better Prices. Intelligent co-operation is especially needed in the selling end of the farmer's farm-er's business. Consider the cases of two groups of producers who have learned the truth of this statenlenL A certain number of Indiana melon growers who had been shipping their crops year after year to a single market mar-ket it was a city on the Ohio river came to the point where they were disgusted with their small profits. They got together that was the first noteworthy thing they did, writes John R. Colter In Farm Journal. Then they said to the railroad and express companies that served their territory: "Help us find some wider, better markets. mar-kets. It means traffic to you and will bring us more money." The transportation companies listened lis-tened and right here it may be noted that transportation companies listen more attentively when a group or organization or-ganization producers ask their assistance assist-ance then when the indi'vdual tries to go it alone. The melon growers got assistance In the form of a couple of marketing experts industrial agents, and within an hour's conversation they had, learned a great deal. Following the advice of the transportation trans-portation people, the growers did what they had nevr thought necessary before be-fore systematic grading and rigid standardization. They cut out their picayune methods of putting their largest melons on top and filling in with small ones. They rather did just the opposite if there was any variation vari-ation in size to speak of at all. They settled on a twenty-pound basket as a standard container, gave their word to stand firmly back of the quality and reputation of the melons and told the transportation people to open up the markets of the East that were hungering hunger-ing for cantaloupes. It is an actual fact that the growers' association that year netted 50 per cent better returns than ever before obtained. And not only that the cantaloupes from that section of Indiana became well known; buying clubs in eastern towns ordered them in preference to other kinds. They were willing to pay 32 and 35 cents a basket for guaranteed, quality shipments, even though cheaper cheap-er ones could be had in certain markets. mar-kets. "Fresh from the grower's field" was an attraction. Not only among buying clubs, but in the eastern wholesale whole-sale markets, and specially among small town dealers, the newly organized organ-ized growers' association disposed of its goods an average price figured 34 cents per basket against 22 cents average the year before. The getting together to sell did it. They would probably never have got out of their old marketing rut if it hadn't been for the organizng and combining spirit. . The peach growers round about Port Clinton, O., obtained extremely profitable profit-able results a while ago by practically the same co-operative methods. They have succeeded in standardizng their output so that people expect of them a 48-pound basket of peaches, no more, no less. They guarantee their crops, an ', the flood of orders received last year from satisfied customers gives proof of the soundness of their methods. meth-ods. The peaches are carefully graded grad-ed of course AA, A and B. By cooperative co-operative methods they have raised the several kinds from $1.35 (AAs), ?1 (As) and 90 cents (Bs) to $1.90, $1.50 and $1.10 respectively. "In union there is strength" applies to marketing market-ing farm products in a very pertinent way. , |