farmers" state congress. 393 



Discussiug the balances of trade, the Secretary shows that the favor- 

 able balance to the credit of this country is due entirely to the farmers. 

 The balance of trade in favor of farm products during the last fourteen 

 years, no year excepted, aggregated $4,806,000,000. In products other 

 than those of the farm, during the same period the balance of trade was 

 adverse to this country to the extent of $805,000,000. Our farmers not 

 only canceled this immense obligation, but placed $3,940,000,000 to the 

 credit of the nation when the books of international exchange were bal- 

 anced. 



There is one crop that the farmers have failed to supply our home 

 market with, yet surrounded with favorable conditions. That is wool. 

 In the last decade sheep husbandry has been on the decline in the United 

 States. The latest estimates show about 39,000,000 sheep, showing a loss 

 to the industry in the above named period of about 8,000,000. The cause 

 is laid, sometimes, at the door of the politician. If such allegations were 

 true, but little need have we with such that would frustrate an industry 

 of so much good to the American farmer and of such vast importance to 

 the welfare of our whole country. With our abundant resources for 

 wool-growing, the balance of trade should not be against us in that one 

 important commodity. Every farm in our State ought to have sheep on 

 it. They are the only animal that responds so readily with their annual 

 and semi-annual dues with so little attention. 



The Grange.— The grange should receive endorsement and encour- 

 agement from this organization. Yet by some it may be said its "coun- 

 cils" ai^e in secret conclave, but, notwithstanding, its influences for good 

 and its achievements, educational, industrial and political, are self-evident 

 as to its usefulness to the farmers of this country. 



Its membership is composed of the best of the yeomanry of our na- 

 tion, and its importance to agriculture is individual, collective and na- 

 tional. I do not address you as a member of this organization at this 

 time, but from past experience as a member, and being in close touch 

 with its movements during its entire existence, I know the truth of 

 which I speak. 



The great productive and distributive interests of the American 

 farmer, perhaps, are nowhere better understood and more fully dis- 

 cussed and digested than they are behind the closed doors of the grange. 



Farm labor has become a matter of vast importance to the farmers 

 of our State. The drift of labor being to cities, towns and other industries 

 — although with the advantages of improved machinery — the farmers find 

 it a difficult task to get their crops harvested and threshed on account 

 of short hours and apparent scarcity of labor. 



The potential saving of labor by the use of implements, machinery 

 and present-day methods over old-time usages amounts annually to a half 

 billion dollars, in round numbers. 



