SUDDEN BISE IN SACKS. 103 



Prof. E. S. Carr offered the following resolution: 



Kesolved, That a diminished demand for our cereals in foreign 

 markets being a reasonable expectation, that the Farmers Union 

 authorize the preparation of a report by a suitable committee upon 

 the relative profits of other agricultural products suitable to our 

 climate with a view to the encouragement of manufactures, a better 

 home market, a more diversified, and consequently a more independ 

 ent system of industry. 



Prof. Carr spoke to his resolution, calling attention to the 

 necessity of diversifying agricultural products to prevent deple 

 tion of the soil and to create home consumption, invite immi 

 gration, and work up home products. 



-^ Mr. Baxter was invited to address the Convention on the sub- X 

 ject of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry; and, as if to enforce 

 the views he laid down of the advantages of a secret organiza 

 tion, the sack committee, whose instructions had been to ascer 

 tain and report the best terms upon which sacks could be ob 

 tained for the coming crop, reported that no sacks could that 

 day be obtained at the rates offered on the first day of the ses 

 sion. The proceedings of the Convention becoming known, some 

 .combination had been effected by which a very material advance 

 in the price of sacks had been reached, and the farmers were 

 again at the mercy of the operators. All the sacks in the east- 

 ern markets were but an item in the large prospective demand. 

 The Convention at once passed a resolution authorizing the 

 Executive Committee to incorporate a part or the whole of itself 

 as a Branch Association, cooperative with the Farmers Union, 

 county and local incorporations, and proceeded to elect the fol 

 lowing officers: President, John Bidwell; Secretary, I. N. 

 Hoag; Treasurer, A. T. Dewey; Executive Committee, C. J. 

 Cressey, of Stanislaus, J. V. Webster, of Oakland, J. D. Fowler, 

 of Hollister, Prof. E. S. Carr, of the State University, Prof. 

 Lippett, of Sonoma. The Convention then adjourned. 



The &quot; Farmers Union&quot; never jtnet again, except for a final 

 settlement of its aflairs. President Bidwell said on that oc 

 casion, that its one year of existence had marked an era in 

 California agriculture; the lesson of combination and coopera- 

 tion had been learned, with a benefit to the farmers^pf not less 

 than three &quot;&quot;million of dollars. The continuance of this work 

 was formally turned over to the Granges, and the Union ceased 

 to exist; 



