54 THE BUSINESS OP FAEMING 



ence unequaled by any in the world. We have 

 prospered mightily ajid the business of farming 

 has been given an opportunity that has pushed 

 this country to its present position. To make 

 any country prosperous and great it must be com- 

 posed of many small, well regulated, prosperous 

 communities, units or parts, and each citizen 

 composing these parts must have at heart every 

 feature of the community in which he lives, for 

 the prosperity of the people and their business, 

 the churches, the schools, the betterment of the 

 roads and the highways, contribute to his pros- 

 perity and the promotion of his happiness. 



If every citizen would take no interest in home 

 affairs and would buy all his wares and merchan- 

 dise through the mail order houses, what kind of 

 a community would his community be? The mail 

 order house contributes nothing to, nor cares any- 

 thing for, your community. Its sole care is that 

 it may get your dollar. 



To-day, and in the past, the so-called middleman 

 has not only furnished the money for the chari- 

 table institutions, hospitals, etc., but the money that 

 has led up to better farm methods. The farmer 

 has only contributed when forced to by taxation. 

 The middleman has led. Before you shake him 

 down, consider these things ; if he has grown 'ar- 

 rogant, there is a way to reach him, but give him 

 due credit for the things he has done. 



In these days we are hearing much about co- 

 operation among farmers by which they may ob- 

 tain better prices for their grain, their stock, and 

 their various farm products; that we should 

 have those farm societies whose object is to make 



