336 mSTORY OF THE GRANGE MOVEMENT; OR, 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



THE STORY OF FARMER GREEN'S REAPER. 



A Common Fault with Farmers Not in a Condition to incur Risks The 

 Danger of running into Debt The Curse of Mortgages Labor Saving 

 Machines What they are worth Unfair Prices demanded for them 

 Farmers paying twenty per cent. Interest. An iniquitous Business Danger 

 of Indiscriminate Purchases of Machinery A few Words of Sober Counsel 

 Farmer Green and his Farm Getting on in the World Farmer Green 

 buys a Reaper How he paid for it The first false Step Beautiful Calcula- 

 tions An Iron-clad Note In the Toils Arrival of the Reaper Disap- 

 pointment Second Visit of the Agent The Theory of Deferred Payments 

 How it works Deeper in Debt The Farm mortgaged New Misfortunes 

 Selling the Homestead Beginning anew What Farmer Green's Reaper 

 cost him A Lesson for Farmers. 



WE have spoken of the evils from which the farmers 

 of the country have suffered, for which they are not 

 responsible. We come now to consider one for which 

 the farmer is entirely responsible, and which should 

 receive the earnest and candid consideration of every 

 farmer in the land. We mean the recklessness with 

 which they incur debts which they afterwards find 

 themselves powerless to pay. We do not mean that the 

 farmer is the only one who thus hampers himself, or 

 that he is any more given to incurring debts than other 

 people, but we do mean that his carelessness in this 

 respect is a source of serious trouble to him. He, of all 

 men, should avoid debt, for, as a general rule, his means 

 6f discharging such obligations are too limited to permit 

 him to incur risks that are but trifles to other men. He 



