It may seem strange to some, at first thought, that that 

 body of men which has in it the greatest possibilities for 

 associative or cooperative effort, should be the last to ef- 

 fectively cooperate — and this, too, after it had suffered as 

 much or more than any other from lack of such cooperation. 

 I speak of the farming class. But on second thought 

 we remember that the farmer is a strong individualist. 

 And that the very independence which has developed this 

 individualism, has kept him from cooperation with his fel- 

 lows. 



Among the few, individuality is a potent factor, but in 

 large classes its influence is not so strongly felt, owning as 

 they do, the essentially productive part of the earth, farm- 

 ers control the world's vital supply of food and clothing, 

 to say nothing of many of ils luxuries. But this undoubted 

 great power can only be exerted through organization and 

 cooperation. 



Unorganized farmers are weak and the prey of the 

 other strong individuals and organized classes. Organized, 

 they can exert to the full their vast economic and social 

 power. Now, as Prof. Bailey points out, practically every 

 farmer stands alone in his farming, and attempts single- 

 handed to contend with all the cooperative interests of the 

 business world. The result is that for the most part he is 

 a negligible factor in the trade. 



Some of these facts are not pleasant, but we might as 

 well recognize them. Indeed, we are recognizing them. 

 All over the country, from Maine to Florida, and from New 

 York to California, are signs of the beginning of a new era. 

 Parts of the West have been organized for some time, but 

 the fashion is now spreading to the East, also, so that one 

 can hardly pick up an agricultural paper without noting 

 that some new local association has been formed. These 

 vary from apple shipping associations in western New York 

 to potato associations in Kentucky and Maryland. 



The fruit industry in particular seems to have reached 

 the point where it can no longer be carried on in the hap- 

 hazard way which has heretofore been the general rule. 

 System must be introduced and with it cooperation. Com- 

 petition even at home but more especially with the West 

 has become keen. The regions of the West which are now 

 selling their fruits in our eastern markets, are cooperative- 



