coKisr growers' associatiox. 257 



ADVANTAGES OF OKGANIZATION AND THE MARKET END 



OF CORN PRODUCT. 



1 am heartily in accord witli an organization of tliis kind, and 1 bf- 

 lieve you all are, judging from what I have heard here today. This or- 

 ganization is doing a great work for the fai-mers of Indiana. 



We farmers of Illinois have found that close organization has proven 

 to be of great help to us in giving us si better market for our product. 



1 believe I told you this morning that our experimental station has 

 liroven to be a great source of help towards getting the people interested 

 in this work. 



An experimental station means a great deal to men who are trying 

 to improve the corn product, and the people Hnd that the men in charge 

 of this station are always anxious and willing to carry out their wishes. 

 It has a tendency to bring about a closer organization among 'the farm- 

 ers and helps to form a sentiment for the betterment of the corn product. 



There is no plant on earth that has such a great commercial value 

 as corn. There is no other product that the people of the world depend 

 on so much as they do on corn. 



We have improved the quality of our corn and now we must tind some 

 means whereby we can increase tlie yield per acre as well as the value 

 of the corn that is produced. 



All the farmers of the corn-growing States should organize themselves 

 into an association and co-operate in pushing this important matter along. 



We held a corn show or carnival at Peoria, Illinois, and it was sur- 

 prising how enthusiastic the people all over the State became, not only 

 the farmers, but the business men and the railroads took a great in- 

 terest. The railroads offered prizes in the shape of a thousand-mile ticket, 

 etc., for the best exhil)it and gave Ioav rates so as to enable the people 

 from all parts of the State to attend. People came for miles to this car- 

 nival. The citizens of Peoria became interested and they assisted in 

 every way possible to make it a success. And it was indeed a wonderful 

 success. 



I was somewhat surprised to hear that the average per acre in In- 

 diana the past year Avas 32 bushels to the acre, as I was under the im- 

 pression that Illinois was much farther ahead of Indiana in the corn 

 product than that. The average for Illinois the past year was 34 bushels 

 per acre. 



If the farmers will form an association which will enable them to 

 hold their grain, and be able to classify it according to quality and gi-ade. 

 they will find that it would be a great advantage and that they would 

 receive much better prices for their product. 



17-Agri 



