464 HISTORY OF THE GRANGE MOVEMENT; OR, 



sent in to the National Grange by the State and 

 subordinate Granges of the condition and prospects of 

 the agricultural interests in their respective localities. 

 The authorities of the National Grange are in this way 

 enabled to exercise an intelligent supervision of the 

 farming interest of the whole country. Reports are 

 regularly sent to the State Granges, and by them dis- 

 tributed to the subordinate Granges. The National 

 Grange is thus a National Intelligence Office for the 

 benefit of its members, and the humblest farmer can, 

 through the system thus adopted, keep himself informed 

 as to the actual condition of the interest to which he is 

 attached. The state of the crops, the probable amount 

 of the harvest, upon which anticipations of value are 

 based, can be thus ascertained. The farmer can be 

 kept advised of the ruling prices in the various markets 

 of the country, and freed from his dependence upon the 

 grain dealers and their organs for this information. In 

 this way he is better prepared to go into the market and 

 dispose of his wares. 



But not only does the Grange keep the farmer ad- 

 vised upon these points. It recognizes that agriculture 

 is susceptible of great improvement, and it makes it its 

 business to ascertain and make known the best means 

 of attaining a high state of excellence in this pursuit. 

 From the National and State Granges information is sent 

 out concerning the latest improvements, and the needs of 

 the system. Nothing is ordered. The subordinate Grange 

 is informed that such and such improvements have been 

 used with profit in certain parts of the country, and is 

 invited to discuss the question whether they are needed, 

 and may not be advantageously introduced into its own 

 community. The local organization is free to adopt or 



