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the increased number of the non-producing class who would be cash consumers of the. 
corn, wheat, meat, eggs, fruit, veget ables, butter, wood, &c., of the farmer. 
Juneau, Wis.—If farmers would form combinations or associations, and appoint 
some of their best practical business men to sell their produce, instead of being sold 
in little lots and parcels, in this way paying prices might be obtained. Three-fourths 
of last year’s hop crop was sold for from 18 to 20 cents per pound through the unscru- 
pulous combinations of a few merchants and speculators, by their rings and corner 
operations. 
Appanoose, Iowa.—I do not believe that combination or co-operation can cure thése 
evils. Nothing but individual effort, good judgment, and hard sense, learned in the 
school of experience, will do it. We cannot legislate money into our pockets. Our 
western products mnst seek a market in a concentrated form, or middle-mén and rail- 
road freights will eat us up. 
Clinton, Iowa.—The difficulties that farmers have to complain of are exorbitant freight 
charges, middle-men, and bad legislation. In our legislature every man is offered a 
free pass over the railroads, and probably not half a dozen refuse them; furthermore, 
the leading spirits in the legislature are lawyers, and the laws are made to foster liti- 
gation, otherwise their vocation would be gone. Our whole legislature is bribed to the 
interest of railroads, and a purging of it is neéded. The fact is, our leading men, or a 
majority of them, the judges, lawyers, and leading politicians, all have free passes over 
every railroad in the State, and these have to be supported by the farmers, by hook or 
by crook. If the farmer could receive one-half the price the consumer has to pay, hé 
would be much better paid than he now is. 
Jackson, N. C.—If we had the moral sentiment to sustain and enforce the penal laws, 
millionaire thieves might in the penitentiary be turned to some benefit to agriculture. 
They could be taught to make plows, axes, and hoes. 
-Lawrence, Ill.—The farmers could perfect the most successful combination that ever 
was efiected, if they would work together. Amid all the discouragements and diffi- 
culties there is a constant gradual advancement in the art of properly cultivating the 
soil—an advancement that is clearly seen each year, that is telling on the resources 
of our great country. The Department of Agriculture and the agricultural press are 
the agents through which this will be accomplished. 
Ellsworth, Kans.—I can see no cause of discouragement, if farmers will protect them- 
selves by electing men of their own class to the offices within their power to elect. - 
If a majority of our Congressmen were farmers, sent there by farmers, our interests 
would not suffer for proper protection. 
Box Eider, Utah.—No special causes of discouragement exist here. The farmers and 
others have adopted a co-operative principle, and have built a good woolen factory, 
tannery, store, shoe-shop, dairy; and all, as well as the sheep-herd and farm, are 
flourishing finely. I think that when farmers can thus co-operate it is @ power in 
their hands which has a modifying effect upon the markets, preventing in a great 
measure monopolies in the staple articles of life, as combinations of this character 
could open up business relatious with manufacturers and foreign dealers direct, thus 
cutting off all intermediate dealers and merchants who thrive and get rich out of the 
farming community. 
Weber, Utah.—The stock of this county is in a co-operative herd, and is kept upon a 
herd-ground some seventy miles away. The company declared a dividend last November 
of nearly 40 per cent. on the capital invested. 
The word “combination” seems to have acquired a wicked signifi- 
cance, in view of some farmers. Let them use instead “co-operation” 
if they prefer it; but they must remember that there is no human being 
entirely independent of all others. Without association there would be 
neither churches nor schools, government nor social institutions. In 
other industries a large portion of the work done and profits made are 
through associated effort. There may be association for duty as well as 
for deviltry. There is no reason why comparative isolation should lead 
to positive hermitage. A great enlargement of American dairying has 
come from association; the monthly gathering for sales of farm animals 
in Madison county, Ohio, have saved immense sums from the clutches 
of middlemen; the inauguration of market fairs should be general; as- 
sociation for importing or buying animals of the best blood should be 
more numerous; there should be a farmer’s library’ in every township 
in the land; farmers should join to build fouring mills, saw-mills, and 
woolen factories, if they cannot get them otherwise; and they should 
combine en masse to enforce upon politicians, railroad directories, and 
all others, justice and equity in their dealings with agriculture. 
