LECTUEES AND ESSAYS BEAD AT INSTITUTES. 313 



<3anopy of heaven to shelter them. Brother farmer, these things ought not so 

 to be. 



When the tax-gatherer comes around we are apt to think that the burden of 

 taxes is very grievious and hard to bear; and yet I believe the farmers of 

 Kalamazoo county place upon themselves willingly, a burden greater than the 

 tax-gatherer every year in neglecting to properly care for their agricultural 

 implements. And what is true of Kalamazoo county is true all over the country. 

 Every farmer should be the owner of a few tools known as carpenter's tools, 

 and have some knowledge of their use ; then have a small lot of lumber of 

 various kinds and sizes, so that if an implement breaks he can repair it, many 

 times in less time than it takes to go to town and get it repaired, and then have 

 the satisfaction of knowing that it is paid for when so repaired, without taking 

 the money laid by for other necessaries, or luxuries, even — without going in 

 •debt for it, either. 



A few more thoughts and I leave the subject with you. Our country is 

 flooded with smooth-tongued men with teams drawing almost every conceiv- 

 able kind of implement to our very door, and urging us — yes, begging us — to 

 try their implements; we need not buy if we do not wish to, only just try 

 them; they "would like our opinion of their merits." You tell them that 

 you do not wish to buy. ''Oh ! that does not make any difference; you cer- 

 tainly will have no objection to trying it." And just as soon as you consent, 

 they know that in nine cases out of ten the battle is more than half won. 



Now everybody knows that the cost or expense of keeping this army of 

 agents in the field is added directly to the price of the article^ and that this is 

 fiometimes about one-half of the cost. 



A manufacturer of fanning mills told me that it cost him about seven dol- 

 lars on an average to sell one mill. If it costs seven dollars to sell a fanning 

 mill, what will it cost to sell a reaper, or self -binding harvester? 



No one knows better than the manufacturer and dealer in agricultural 

 implements that by this means they can induce us farmers to buy many imple- 

 ments that we have no more use for than a cow has for standing collars. I 

 once knew a farmer — and he not a very wealthy one, either — to have four and 

 sometimes five fanning mills in his barn at one time, and all new, or nearly so, 

 either one of which would have done his work in a satisfactory manner. And 

 right here let me say that in the course of time an agent came along with, not 

 a fanning mill, but an order from the circuit court, and instead of selling 

 him a fanning mill, sold his farm. 



I wish that every farmer would positively refuse to buy any implement of a 

 traveling agent, and insist and demand that they be kept in some store where 

 we can go and buy them, just the same as we go and buy our tea, coffee, and 

 sugar. 



And now I leave this subject in your hands, hoping that you will thoroughly 

 ■discuss it. 



