116 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



The next attempt was in the early nineties, when the returns 

 from the farm again had become unsatisfactory. This attempt 

 originated with the farmers' organization known as the "Wheel," 

 later known as the "Alliance," and still later as the "Farmers' and 

 Laborers' Union," which gave birth to the Populist party. This 

 movement, like the preceding one, was short-lived. 



Land was still plentiful and cheap, and as soon as consump- 

 tion had caught up with production, prices began to rise. The 

 force that held the farmers together was withdrawn and they soon 

 fell apart. Again they voted and did business as individuals with- 

 out regard to their fellow farmers. 



The third attempt of importance has not extended its influ- 

 ence much beyond the southern and northwestern states, but in 

 these states it has become a powerful factor. It is known as the 

 "Farmers' Co-operative and Educational Union." 



Those who best understand the present situation feel that 

 we are at the beginning of another general movement in this 

 direction. 



All previous attempts at co-operation have grown out of the 

 fact that the selling price of what the farmer produced had fallen 

 below the cost of production, or that the margin of profit was so 

 narrow as to be wholly unsatisfactory. In these periods it was 

 utterly impossible to get the farmer interested in any plan look- 

 ing to increasing his output, for the reason that he felt that he 

 was already producing more than he could sell to advantage, and 

 therefore the greater his production, the greater his misfortune. 



The story is told of a Colorado farmer who shipped a car of 

 fat lambs to Kansas City to be sold, and in return received a bill 

 for the amount the lambs lacked of paying the freight, yardage 

 and commission charges. The farmer replied expressing regret 

 that he had no money with which to pay the bill, but added that 

 he had several more cars of fat lambs, which he would gladly 

 send in if they would be of any service in liquidating the debt. In 

 the same period horses were not considered by the railway com- 

 panies as sufficient security for freight, and all such shipments 

 had to be prepaid. 



Then the cost of living was low, lower than it had ever been 

 before. A sufficient increase in the price paid the farmer to make 

 him satisfied did not impose serious hardships upon the consumer. 

 This is what happened in the period from 1897 to 1907, and all 

 went well. It was the period of the greatest expansion that the 



