The lateness of the season brought the bulk of our crop into market the nrst week in July.

The brewers had most of the refrigerator cars filled with beer for the 4th of July so we were obaged to send two car loads of strawberries in box cars, to Minneapolis, in one day.

The house consigned to, was notified and unloaded early the next morning, so they sold fairly well on that market; but could have made much better returns it refrigerator cars could have been used, and sent to different markets.

Another source of trouble to our manager,-who, by the way, is Mr. E. A. Richardson, doubltless well known to many of you, was a shortage in the supply of cases. The association nad decided to try the plan of furnishing crates for its members. Early in the season, the number of acres of berries and their probable yield, had been carefully estimated; but the number of new members and their acreage could not be accurately determined. Consequently, when the crop was all ready for harvesting and cases were called for our supply rapidly diminished. By using some blueberry crates and shipping in some made-up ones, we were able to save our crop.

The quality of our entire crop was generally good, better than the average. One car, containing 720 cases of strawberries sold. for $1,425, in cash; the most valuable car of berries ever shipped from Sparta, I believe. Our association handled during the season 30,556 cases of strawberries at an average price of $1.09 per case.

With the coming of the raspberry crop, business had settled down to a normal condition again, and, while the yield per acre was not quite up to expectations the net returns were very satisfactory to the grower. We shipped 3,430 cases of red raspberries at an average of $1.68 per case and 1,628 cases of black raspberries averaging $1.64 per case.

The blackberry yield was light, but quality and price good; the association marketing 7,437 cases, at an average of $1.55 per case, of 24 pts. each.

Besides these, the association handled a few currants, gooseberries, blueberries, and apples making the total receipts for the year $54,160.46 while the expense has been but .04 of this, or about $2,200.

After taking into consideration the amount of business done during the year; we feel that our losses have been small.

One carload of strawberries, spoiled by delay in transportation, about July 4th was paid for, in full, by the R. R. Company; another carload has not been settled for yet; but feel sure of getting something from that. Aside from this, a few dollars will cover all other losses.

Our association has the advantage of shipping over both the "Chicago and Northwestern," and the "Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul" R. R's.; the bulk of our business being done over the latter, however, on account of better service to Minneapolis. We also have a good loading shed on that road, where two cars may be conveniently loaded at once.

The O. and C. Department of the express companies has been done away with, as far as the association is concerned. Berries shipped by them were very apt to come in competition with some of our orders, resulting in spoiling the market at that place; hence our orders from there would be cancelled

We think the plan of making up our own boxes is a good one, as we are getting them made up easier and cheaper this year than last.

Since re-organizing the association has gained 100 new members and increased about $10,000 in business during the last year.

In conclusion, experience has convinced us that the co-operative plan, rightly managed, is the only way of marketing small fruits in large quantities at the present time; making it possible for the grower to increase his acreage, and still get better prices for his product.

DISCUSSION.

Mr. Parsons: I would like to ask Mr. Wright how many acres of small fruits your Association grows to get the amount of small fruit that you grew last year?

Mr. E. A. Richardson: We sent out postals last spring to the members of our Association and return reports received from them covered about 300 acres of strawberries, about 50 acres of blackberries and about 98 acres of red raspberries.

THE CRANBERRY GROWERS' ASSOCIATION.

MR. A. C. BENNETT, Grand Rapids.

In the organization of a sales company, especially in the fruit line, it is first necessary to select a few leading individuals in that line who, having made a success of the business, are fitted to lead others.

In all organized efforts there are some individuals naturally born to lead and others to follow. If good leaders are selected, success is well nigh assured. The next most important thing is to have something to sell that will be satisfactory to the public after being sold. No association can afford to represent or recommend an article that does not give perfect satisfaction.

In order to establish a good reputation the territory sold over should be limited so that the association can supply all its customers who are willing to pay a fair price for a good article.

When I sold our own cranberries direct to the retail merchants, some of them would say: "Bennett, we can buy cranberries of others for $1 a barrel less than you ask for yours." I said, "I know it, and why don't you do it?" They said, "We have tried it several times and lost money every time by it. There is no use talking for our late keeping berries, we have got to have your berries." Our berries were no better than others, but the care taken in picking, sorting and curing them (the curing process described by me at your last February meeting), was what brought us the extra dollar a barrel and held the trade.

When I left the road as salesman I selected two agents and let my son do the business, these agents working on a fixed price per barrel for their services. They soon found lower priced berries on the market and asked the privilege of meeting competition which was granted; the result was that for several years many of our hand picked, hand sorted and well cured cranberries were sold at the same price as the poorest, dirtiest and meanest raked berries that were offered to our trade but we did not lower our grade and our salesmen greatly increased their sales. Then we called a halt, refusing to make any price in advance of shipping time or to meet such competition, but

before shipping their order would quote them our prices and if not satisfied they could cancel the orders. The result was that we sold all our berries at fair prices.

Now with a successful sales company our berries are sold by the car load to the same jobbers that tried to compete with us with poor berries and they are willing to pay us more by the car load per barrel, than we used to get by the single barrel and the same customers prefer to pay these prices because they can rely on the quality of the berries. A good reputation it pays to keep. In forming a sales company or a stock company let no one secure more stock than another. Where stock counts for votes it is often abused. Not long ago a man held a controlling interest in a corporation, his son was a candidate for secretary; they were trying to decide whether the salary should be $1,200 or $1,500 a year, when the old man arose and said: "My son shall be secretary and his salary shall be $2,500." Can harmony long exist under such conditions? I know of another corporation, capitalized at $50,000, working harmoniously for years without the issuing of a single dollar of stock where the rich and the poor have equal privileges.

Avoid too many varieties. A friend of mine in Los Angeles, California, showed me his orchard of apples, peaches, pears, oranges, lemons, cherries, olives, dates, pomegranates, persimmons, plums, nectarines, etc., in which no two trees bore the same variety. What association could afford to handle such a lot? Nothing but a regiment of Italians could do it. Cranberries are all packed in uniform sized barrels in Wisconsin, Massachusetts and New Jersey, containing 100 quarts, dry measure. The law also requires a weight of 16 ounces for a quart, 32 pounds for a bushel, or if sold by measure, that it shall be struck or a level dry measure, not liquid measure, which gives. only about 14 ounces to the quart.

Grade the fruit. With cranberries we first take out all that will pass through a 3% inch screen and call them pie berries and sell them cheap. They are immature berries and will not keep long, but if used when fresh are like young currants or gooseberries, very tender and make nice sauce or pies. By removing these the balance of the crop keeps much better and is worth more money. We make several other grades, all of which go under different brands which are made as uniform as possible.

Anything not up to grade or imperfect is left without brand, and sold on its merits. Every barrel should be hand assorted solid packed and uniform throughout.

Bond every salesman and every officer. Sell the fruit for cash or on some short definite time, never consign it or any part of it; to do so ruins your cash customers, whom you should protect. Require every saleman to sell the goods on the open market for the best obtainable prices; to sell in accordance with the laws of the state where sold and of the United States, and that they shall not enter into any combination with any other parties in violation of such laws, giving bonds in sufficient penalty for your protection.

I was one of the delegates sent by the Wisconsin Cranberry Sales Company to New York last year, with full powers to complete, if possible, an organization which should include the New England Cranberry Sales Company, the New Jersey Cranberry Sales Company and the Wisconsin Cranberry Sales Company. These associations united for the purpose, 1st of securing a more uniform distribution of cranberries at less expense than could be accomplished by the separate acts of each. 2. To increase the demand for cranberries by judicious advertising by united effort which has been done to the extent of several thousand dollars.

3. The "National Fruit Exchange" organized by us in New York, with an office in Chicago, does the selling and collecting for us, but they are not permitted to buy any outside berries or to make any offer on them.

4. Each of the three companies retain their individual existence, distinct and transact their own business. If a member of the New Jersey Cranberry Sales Company put in poor berries, we of Wisconsin and New England have no control over him, but if a member of the Wisconsin Cranberry Sales Company puts in poor berries our Wisconsin inspector and that grower are held responsible and must stand the full amount of the loss.

The National Fruit Exchange like the California Fruit Exchange only sell fruit for our members. We do not buy or speculate in oranberries. We have no price fixing committees. The best obtainable price in the open market is where cranberries are in greatest demand and there we sell. There are many others selling cranberries, one party alone selling about