Fundamentals in Cooperation 23 



their products, or of those from whom they purchase 

 supplies. They must have had big obstacles to overcome, 

 such as long distances to transport their products, inad- 

 equate transportation facilities, unreasonable freight 

 rates, a perishable product to market, or expensive oper- 

 ating costs. In short, if an organization is to be success- 

 ful, the investment of the farmer must be threatened by 

 existing social and economic conditions before he can 

 overcome his individualism sufficiently and can develop 

 a fraternal spirit strong enough to pull with his neighbors 

 in cooperative team work. This is especially true in the 

 older parts of the country where diversified farming is 

 more largely practiced. If he is already successful, he 

 has been slow to embark on the complicated sea of co- 

 operative business. The point of view of the farmer is 

 being gradually readjusted by scientific education and 

 experience, and in time he will unite with his neighbors 

 to bring about better farming, better business methods, 

 and a richer country life. Then it will be possible to 

 inaugurate a new order of industrial agriculture, and a 

 new race of farmers will grow up like those who are settling 

 in the foothills and valleys of the newer western states. 

 Intelligent cooperation among farmers may accomplish 

 all of these things and make for progress in a community 

 such as no unorganized agricultural industry can foster. 

 But successful cooperation develops through a gradual 

 evolution, the mainspring of which, at least in its child- 

 hood, must be grim necessity. If it is born prematurely, 

 it starts with a weak constitution and expires in the first 

 encounter with adversity. It must be formed by farmers 

 who realize that agriculture is passing through a slow 



