292 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



another that I woukl like to have you carry with you from 

 here to-day, it is this one thought — and not in regard to the 

 Grange alone, l^ut in regard to the State Board of Agricul- 

 ture — which I forgot to state this morning, and that is, 

 that we have })erhaps half of our membership composed of 

 mothers and daughters ; and I believe if there is one thing 

 more than another that would raise the standard of the State 

 Board of Agriculture, it is this : that, when a man is elected 

 from an agricultural society from any part of the State as a 

 member of the State Board of Agriculture, his wife should 

 also be a member, and occupy in a measure the same posi- 

 tion. You would see this hall filled to-day wilh ladies, and 

 with gentlemen too, young and old, if every member of the 

 State Board of Agriculture had his wife with him here to- 

 day. If your invitation included the ladies, they would 

 appreciate it ; l)ut I fear they feel that it is a body of men 

 simply, and they are not welcome, — not because the invita- 

 tion has not been given, but because they feel there is no 

 place for them. If at our State Board of Agriculture meet- 

 ings we could have the ladies with us, and have such papers 

 presented as we had this morning, it would help carry for- 

 ward the work of agriculture in our State I am glad 

 because of that feature in our Grange. The power of organi- 

 zation I do not believe is half appreciated by the farmers in 

 the State ; and to-day, if the farmers would realize that they 

 can be united throughout the State, half a million dollars 

 could be saved to them in one month. Last year, by coming 

 together and buying our corn, we saved a large sum of 

 money, compared with what it would have cost us if we had 

 bought it of the regular dealers. The dealers afe not to 

 blame, for they only charge you a proper increase where 

 they deal out the grain in small quantities, and somebody 

 gets grain he does not pay for. Now, no matter Avhether 

 grain is high or low, if vou would arrange with your own 

 dealer in your county and buy it by the carload, you could 

 save three dollars a ton, and forty-five dollars a carload, 

 fifteen tons in a car. Last year we saved six dollars a ton 

 in buying as we did. You will not see this year the ad- 

 vance in grain equal to that of last year, because this year 

 there is an immense crop ; but you could make a saving by 



