enterprise is not necessarily large, unless warehouses or packing
houses are built. These are usually better rented until the
organization becomes well established.

The shares should be small so that every member may be financially
well represented, and members should be prohibited from holding more
than a small percentage of the total shares, in order to prevent
possible monopoly. Dividends on stock held should only be expected
from business done outside the association membership, interest on
money invested being obtained in the handling of members' products at
cost. Receipts should be given growers for just what they bring in,
and they should then be paid according to the grade of fruit which
they contribute, prices for the same grade being pooled. The charge to
growers for handling should be actual cost, but outsiders' products
should be handled at a small profit in order to induce them to come
into the association. The same method should be followed in purchasing
supplies.

The general result of such co-operation is that the consumer gets a
better product for his money and the grower receives a better price
for his product. It is very essential to the success of the
organization that growers stick together, even through low prices and
discouragement which so often come, until they are firmly established.
Substantial reduction in the cost of the product to consumers can only
come by similar co-operation among them at the buying end and by the
co-operation of both consumers and producers for distribution and
handling in market.

If a neighborhood does not feel yet ready to attack this problem in
this thorough and businesslike way, it will be advantageous and a step
in the right direction if they simply agree on certain standards of
quality and packing and then pool their product for marketing. This
method has also been followed with success.

CHAPTER XI

SOME HINTS ON RENOVATING OLD ORCHARDS

Nearly every general farm in the humid part of the United States has
its small, old apple orchard. For the most part these orchards were
planted in order to have a home source of supply of this popular
fruit. In fact, but few orchards have been planted on a commercial
scale with a view of selling the fruit, until recently and outside of
a few sections. Therefore, as a rule we find these old farm orchards
to consist of a few acres containing from twenty-five to two hundred
trees. These trees are usually good stan