COOPERATIVE AGRICULTURE IN FLORIDA 41

regard this method of votmg as the preferable one for
cooperative associations.
 Associations that are operating over a wide territory
frequently provide for voting by mail on certain ques-
tions, and it is believed desirable to include in the or-
ganization papers of an association that is to operate
over a wide territory, authority for voting by mail on
specific questions and propositions.
 Under Florida cooperative statutes, it is provided
that the minimum number of directors a cooperative as-
sociation shall have is three. Usually some minimum
number is provided for in the charter, below which the
association would never wish to go. The by-laws may
provide for the exact number of directors that an asso-
ciation shall have at a given time. In this way, in case
it becomes desirable to change the number of directors
of an association it may be done by an amendment to
the by-laws, which usually may be amended more easily
than the articles of incorporation.
 As soon as possible after the charter has been drawn
up, the proposed by-laws should be carefully explained
at a meeting of the producers interested. They should
be given every opportunity to ask questions and make
suggestions and in this way they will feel more a part
of the association. After a vote of approval by these in-
terested producers, the by-laws should be signed by the
incorporators as the charter members.

MEMBER CONTRACTS ADVANTAGEOUS
 Many marketing associations use marketing contracts,
or agreements, and it is ordinarily desirable for a mar-
keting association to have a "firm" contract obligating
the members to deliver all of the agricultural commodity
produced by them that is handled by the association.
With "firm" contracts, an association should be able to
make better marketing and operating plans than would
otherwise be possible. A marketing contract should