FARMERS TO THE FRONT 139 



tised. The result is that the market fluctuates every- 

 day, and often several times a day, until the poor 

 bewildered farmer sells rather than holds against 

 uncertainties. The government reports, from the 

 very conditions under which they are obtained, 

 can not be more than reasonably good guesses, 

 and consequently they are not held in good repute. 

 So much discredit has sometimes been placed upon 

 them that the market has been known to have acted 

 in exactly the opposite way from that in which the 

 reports should have influenced it. 



So, the American Society of Equity will see to it 

 that the farmers have full and accurate reports of 

 conditions and crops. The size of the yield, and the 

 character of the product; the nature of the season, 

 whether favorable or unfavorable — all this will the 

 members of the society get. Each member will be 

 in a position to report the exact condition of grow- 

 ing crops on his own farm, and also yields and quan- 

 tities on hand. He can also give a correct report of 

 his neighbor's crop, if that neighbor does not belong 

 to the society. These reports will be given to the 

 secretary at each meeting, to be forwarded, or will 

 be sent to headquarters, direct by members, where 

 they will be tabulated by statisticians, and in this 

 way more accurate results will be secured than could 

 be obtained in any other way. The crop reports and 

 market conditions will be sent to each member, and 

 thus all will be able to cooperate in asking and ob- 

 taining uniform prices. This is not only one of the 



