304 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



THE FARMER; HIS RELATIONS TO THE 

 MANUFACTURER AND MECHANIC. 



BY J. G. AVERY OF SPENCER. 



The farmer, manufacturer and mechanic, — a trio, — the 

 embodiment of all our manual and mechanical labor indus- 

 tries ; each dependent upon the other. The manufacturer 

 and mechanic are dependent upon the products of the 

 farmer for the sustenance of life, and every cycle of the 

 sun calls for a fresh supply. The farmer is assured of a 

 continuous demand. His risk is limited to climatic causes, 

 he is seldom overstocked, and he can always find a demand 

 for his products somewhere at a price. The manufacturer of 

 domestic articles which are for use in every-day life finds a 

 ready sale. If competition is sharp, his margin of profit is 

 small. There are many manufacturers who are subject to 

 the whims and caprices of fashion. Some are made million- 

 aires, and more are made bankrupts. The mechanic is 

 always busy studying the wants and necessities of the 

 manufacturer and farmer. If he can see wherein their 

 machines can be improved, be it a plough or a loom, he 

 is on the alert to work out the problem. His tools are as a 

 rule the best that can be made, and are kept in order. His 

 aim or purpose is to accomplish a certain object, and, if 

 successful, he is sure of his reward. The farmer criticises 

 the manufacturer and the mechanic, and the mechanic 

 criticises both the manufacturer and the farmer, and there 

 is no law to prevent it. Neither would have this blessed 

 privilege suppressed if they could. 



The oft-repeated remark, that the agricultural industry is 

 the key- stone to all our greatness, is as true to-day as it was 

 a hundred years ago. If any one can be found that doubts 

 the saying, let him take a trip to the west, north-west and 



