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riety and profit of rural labor, in a larger reliance for cash receipts upon 

 l^roducts of high value in proportion to weight and cost of transporta- 

 tion, but in simplifying and reducing the cost of necessary exchanges, 

 and disseminating progressive and beneficent ideas in agriculture. The 

 gradual reduction of prices from the war-rates which prevailed a few years 

 ago, with the accompanying necessity for retrenchment year by year 

 becoming more imperious and tlireatening, has compelled a thoughtful- 

 ness, a spirit of inquiry, a discovery of burdens and crushing evils, and 

 a search for a remedy, which bas led inevitably to association and com- 

 bination by societies, open and secret, rural clubs of various kinds, all 

 animated by the purpose of obtaining relief. It is only a phase of the 

 mighty impulse that is moving for the elevation of labor and its protec- 

 tion against the aggressions of organized capital throughout the world. 

 It was logical, if not inevitable, that the movement should reach the 

 great foundation-interest in productive industry, so extended and so 

 isolated, after rather than before its organization of the various forms of 

 artisan labor in the great c6nters of population. 



In the ISTew England States there is scarcely life enough in agricul- 

 ture, overslaughed as it is by the magnitude and wealth of other indus- 

 tries, and depleted by emigration to richer soils, to originate associative 

 effort; yet an active interest has been aroused in many places^ and 

 practical results have followed. Co-operative dairy enterprises, hitherto 

 almost unknown in this region, are multiplying, especially in Maine and 

 New Hampshire ; and in Massachusetts a strenuous but not yet success- 

 ful combination has been initiated against the gigantic and fraudulent 

 monopoly of the milk-supply organized by dealers and sustained by 

 railroads. In some portions of Massachusetts agricultural machinery is 

 now purchased directly from manufacturers at a saving of 30 per centum, 

 and the avoidance of the intervention of middle-men in purchases of 

 nursery-stock has saveid 33 per centum. In Vermont, something has 

 been done in wholesale purchases of corn and "other supplies from the 

 West, saving 10 to 15 cents per bushel in corn, and a dollar per barrel 

 in flour. 



?>In the Middle States there is evidence of greater activity of the asso- 

 ciative idea, and some beneficent results, have already been achieved. 

 A few extracts will illustrate the direction of the effort : 



New York. — Allegany : A saving of 20 and 30 cents per bushel upon corn has been 

 made by co-operation in buying by car-load or boat-load. The manufacture and sale 

 of cheese is also effected to advantage by combined effort. Ontario : Probably from 

 one to tliree thousand dollars was saved by grape-growers combining in shipping their 

 fruit as freight,. instead of expressing in detached lots. Olsego : Co-operation in sales 

 of cheese have saved to the farmer 1^ to 2 cents per pound, equal to tlie amount paid 

 for manufacturing. 



New J krsey. — Cnmherland : Co-operation has not benefited the farmers in this 

 county, except in tlie purchase of their guano last fall for wheat ; by combining they 

 were enabled to get their guano at wholesale prices, and it is thought saved $5 per 

 ton. In the township of Fairfield, the fiirmers and some other citizens have put up a 

 co-operative canning establishment at the village of Cedarville. Sassex : Some years 

 ago the cheese-factories or creameries were started on tlie co-operative principle, but 

 that has been abandoned, the farmers preferring to sell their milk at a fixed rate, and 

 to allow the men who run the factories to make the profit or suffer the loss as the case 

 may be. As a general rule the farmer selling milk gets the price of a pound of butter 

 for every twelve and a half quarts. Camden : By co-operation, vessel-loads of fertil- 

 izers are xiurchased, at a saving of about $5 per ton. 



Pennsylvania. — Lehigh; There is no necessity for co-operation in this county; 

 there is always a ready market for products, and ample chance to purchase supplies. 

 Cambria : A cheese-factory is about being started on a small scale to manufacture the 

 milk of 70 to 100 cows into some German style of cheese. Bucks : The inilk-producers 

 in this county are about forming a combination, with a view to selling and delivering 

 their own milk. Lthanon : We have one establishment for i^reserving eggs. The 



