13 



sales to be made between the producer and consumer. Tlie meats and large 

 quantities of breadstutfs are sold in the months of November and De- 

 cember. 



The banks, to meet the great demands upon them for the purchase of so 

 large products in so short a time, reduce their discounts largely in the fall, 

 and thus the opening of the fall markets is in a greatly lessened amount of 

 paper circulation. The scarcity of money, the abundance of the crops, 

 with other well arranged alarms about the prospect of a European demand, 

 led to a depression of prices, which generally was not well gotten over before 

 the crops had passed from the control of the producer. 



Against this injustice intelligent farmers would remonstrate, but what 

 availed their scattered and unconcerted efforts against the influences they 

 encountered ? But with the successful formation of county and State agri- 

 cultural associations, the means of more concerted action were at hand. 



The following circular, addressed to other State agricultural societies by 

 the president of the Maryland State Agricultural Society, shows the nature 

 and the purpose of the first effort to collect speedily the returns of the an- 

 nual crops: 



Centreviixe, Queex Axxe CorxTT, Md., 



Jubi 16, 1855. 



Dear Sir: For the promotion of the farming interest of the country, we 

 are anxious to procure the earliest reliable information possible of the crops, 

 that the same may be laid before the farmer to guide him in the selection of 

 the best time to dispose of the fruits of his labors. This duty should prop- 

 erly be imposed upon an agricultural department of the general government, 

 but in the absence of such provision, and in view of the artful practices of 

 speculators and others, operating most disastrous!}' tljrough the base venality 

 of the public press, upon this leading interest, the obligation is devolved 

 upon us. 



The question arises, how shall we best discharge it ? Shall we rest con- 

 tent as heretofore to do nothing; to sit with our hands before us without an 

 effort to secure that information which by concert of action is entirely within 

 our reach; to see our brother farmers robbed of twentj^ to thirt}' per cent, 

 of the labors of their hands, by the superior information and cunning of the 

 astute purchaser, merely from an indisposition on our part to make that 

 exertion necessary to secure the important end we should earnestly labor 

 to accomplish? The answer is but too plain, and pronounces such a course 

 to be altogether unworthy of sensible men. Let this charge, th*^n, of ineffi- 

 ciency, of want of energy to secure our own interest, no longer rest upon us; 

 but if we have not already, let us at once so organize the societies of our 

 respective States as to make them efficient in procuring this information so 

 all-important to the farmers. 



Let us have gentlemen of intelligence and reliable judgment in each 

 county of our respective States, connected not only by position as officers, 

 but by interest, too, with our State societies, that we ma}' have a right to 

 call on statedly for information touching the crops of their different locali- 

 ties. They can be directed to forward their reports to some selected officer, 

 whose duty it should be to collate them and disseminate the information 

 thus deduced through the public press, and by circulars transmitted to each 

 of the State agricultural societies of the Umon. 



We will invite your attention to the organization of our Maryland Agri- 

 cultural Society as well adapted to promote the object contemplated, and 

 for your information, ask your perusal of a circular, which we herewith 

 enclose; and which we had the honor of addressing to our sister societies at 

 the time of its date. 



