154 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



Averill, Prentiss, and upon calling the roll it was found that all 

 the officers were present, and 47 of the unions were rq^resented. 

 The Treasiurer reported as follows : 



Cash on hand $1,849 ^^* 



Accounts outstanding 811 00 



Total resources $2,660 16 



The Manager's report covered the work in detail, showing 

 the total transactions of all the unions to be as follows : 



Potatoes shipped to the markets $238,280 



Grain purchased by the members 47,^50 



Fertilizer 52,540 



Seed 3,400 



Total $341,370 



These figures were far in excess of what we expected. At 

 the start of the shipping season there were but five potato 

 houses belonging to the unions and at no time during the season 

 were there more than 15 of the unions engaged in shipping 

 potatoes. The members of some of these unions are small 

 growers and did not ship over two or three cars. The fore- 

 going figures, however, do not cover the total transactions. 

 Two of the unions that transacted considerable business failed 

 to report, and in addition the members purchased articles 

 through other sources, made possible by the Farmers Union of 

 Maine, that would bring the grand total to over $400,000.00. 



To Maine's 40,000 owners of farms the Farmers Union comes 

 as a deliverance from many unfortunate conditions. It has 

 demonstrated to them that their attention must be directed to 

 the business end of farming as well as the scientific growing of 

 the crops ; that every grade of the product has a market value ; 

 that each grade must be shipped true to its kind ; that collective 

 buying is a great factor along the line of saving; and further- 

 more, it has demonstrated to the farmer that individually he is 

 of little importance in the business world, but collectively he 

 is a power. 



