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Show i aud marketing. Both prop,,. represent a definite and fi.:; ' i of finding value based up01 and demand, expressed by the'' est competitive purchasing Poj j1 one locality. Centralization e". comparison so that each may know what his neighu0. and why he gets it. j it. It is will for the cattleman tc remember that the citrus business was not generally profitable, until the undcpendable system of country buying buy-ing was discarded for the more efficient effi-cient central marketing melhol. Real co-operative marketing is now being carried out by many smaller live stock growers, who pool lli-sh-cattle, hogs and sheep in carload lots for sale under competitive bidding at the central markets. The day of the "cut-back" cattle on the ranch s'lould pass out along with the "cut-back" fruit. The orange growers have found that there is a market for all grades of oranges, either whole fruit or in other forms. In the same way, there is a market for all grades and classes of live stock. Ani.nals which do not yield good enough -;uls and steaks for direct consumption, have a value, although of course, smaller, in the form of tinned meat, bologna and other such products. The net return to the citrus grower grow-er is the Eastern market value, less expense of transportation and marketing. market-ing. The net return to the cattle grower is the central market price, less the expense of transportation (producers might well consider. Instead In-stead of cutting prices when supplies appear burdensome, they spend a little more money for advertising, an important step in stabilizing values. After all, the value of a product is determined entirely by the demand ol In all of the discussion of government govern-ment aid to bring about "farm relief,'' it is notable that citrus growers are doing but little complaining, because they themselves have worked out their own salvation, through modern and efficient productive and marketing market-ing methods. In view of the strong position of the citrus growers, it is worthy of note that tbeir present prosperity is due to the fact that 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 business busi-ness in California, just as was the case in the cattle business before central markets were established, the grower depended entirely upon the country buyer to come to the ranch at the propitious moment. It the country buyer didn't show up, the crop was jiractically a total loss, because be-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, in cattle parlance, were "cut-backs". The country buyer of citrus products pro-ducts was in the business solely for selfish profit. He bought the fruit as cheaply as he could. He had no constructive con-structive suggestions as to how to improve the quality of the fruit. He merely picked what he wanted to buy, packed it under his own brand, and marketed the product the best he could, competing with numerous other oth-er packers and dealers. It was good business, of course, to cut prices to take care of extra volume if competition competi-tion warranted. There was not at that time, any definite method by which to measure values and the grower was entirely a tthe mercy of the better posted byer. The uncertainty uncert-ainty of the country buyer arriving at the right time, the uncertainty as to price and lack of knowledge as to available supplies, all tended to make citrus growing an erratic and an unsatisfactory un-satisfactory ' business. With the development of the present pres-ent system, by which all citrus fruits are properly picked, selected and packed, cooled and shipped to great central markets in the consuming centers, production has increased,' quality improved and prices have been stabilized. The successful orange or-ange growers are marketing their crops in the same manner as the successful live stock people through central markets at public sale. They bring their oranges to the big consuming con-suming centers for sale, just as the stockmen are bringing their livestock to the various stock yards for sale. The orange growers have built up their demand to keep pace with supplies sup-plies through constructive advertising, advertis-ing, a lesson which the live stock |
