498 HISTORY OF THE GRANGE MOVEMENT; OR, 



has grown, will best be seen from the following table 

 showing the amount of sales at the stores during each 

 year of the Association's existence, viz. : 



Date. Amount of Sales. 



1865 5000 



1866 21,000 



1867 83,000 



1868 218,000 



Date. Amount of Sales. 



1869 345,000 



1870 447,000 



1871 646,000 



1872 723,000 



" During the half year ended March 31st last, the 

 sales reached 392,000, being, therefore, at the rate of 

 784,000 a year, viz. : for grocery and wine, 410,000 : 

 for hosiery and clothing, 192,000; and for fancy 

 goods, stationery, etc., 182,000. At the present time 

 about 8100 pounds of tea and about 15 tons of sugar 

 are sold weekly. 



" The articles sold at the stores consist principally of 

 groceries, cigars, and tobacco, wine and spirits, hosiery 

 and drapery, stationery, books and music, watches and 

 jewelry. But most of these articles, and, indeed, 

 almost every other article of ordinary demand, can also 

 be obtained by members and subscribers at low rates, 

 though of course -only for ready money, at all such 

 warehouses and shops as have arrangements with us. 

 The latest quarterly Price List, which, from a single 

 small sheet has grown to be a book of more than 200 

 pages, shows that the covenanting firms are not less than 

 250, while the reduction promised in prices ranges from 

 15 to 25 per cent. It is believed that this additional 

 business amounts, at least, to 800,000, and not impro- 

 bably to as much as 1,000,000 a year. Contrary to 

 what might be expected, this part of the system works 

 satisfactorily; for, though purchasers are invited to 

 complain to the committee if they ever have reason to 

 suppose they do not obtain the full discount promised. 



