244 THE GRANGER MOVEMENT 



the farmers of the state were said to have saved a total of $365,000 

 and an example was given of a reaper which had been retailing 

 at $240 but was sold to granges at $140. During 1873 the 

 business of the local agencies increased by leaps and bounds 

 under the stimulus of the state agent. At the state grange 

 meeting in December of that year, the executive committee 

 reported that the agents of the order in the state had done a 

 business during the year of five million dollars, and effected a 

 saving of at least fifteen per cent on family supplies and twenty 

 per cent on agricultural implements. 1 



During 1874 the operations of the business agencies con- 

 tinued to increase, but the state grange also embarked in the 

 business of manufacturing farm machinery and that was the 

 beginning of the end. 2 In 1875 the crash came the failure 

 of the implement works bankrupted the grange, and though 

 the state agency continued for a while to do a large business, 

 it had gotten beyond its depth and was hampered by the lack 

 of capital. An attempt to provide it with twenty-five thousand 

 dollars by the sale of stock to Patrons at ten dollars a share 

 was a failure, and the rapid decline of the order after 1875 soon 

 snuffed it out along with most of the local agencies. 3 



In Illinois, also, the beginning of cooperation was practically 

 contemporaneous with the organization of the first active granges 

 in Lee and Whiteside counties and successful operations were 

 reported even before the organization of the state grange in 

 i872. 4 In this state the situation was somewhat complicated 

 by the existence of large numbers of open farmers' clubs, side 

 by side with the Grange. The members of these organizations 

 were as eager to attempt cooperation as were the Patrons and 

 in many instances county or district farmers' associations, 

 made up of both clubs and granges, were organized to manage 

 the business feature. 5 Some of these were very successful for 



1 Iowa State Grange, Proceedings, iv (1873). 



2 Ibid. v. n, 16-26 (1874); National Grange, Proceedings, x. 38 (November, 



1875)- 



3 Iowa State Grange, Proceedings, vi. 11-15, 2 9> 35. 4*> 45> 4 6 (* 8 7S)' 



4 Paine, Granger Movement in Illinois, 39, note. 



6 The purpose of these associations is clearly indicated by the following resolu- 



