Cost of Farmers^ Supplies Increased. 65 



falls heaviest upon the farmer, for his is, and must 

 remain, a competitive industry." 



The Farmer a Large Purchaser of Manufactured 



Products. 



The agricultural masses comprise from 35 to 40% of 

 the total population. Manufactured goods to an immense 

 value are purchased by them. No other class requires 

 so great a variety of such products. The home of the 

 well-to-do mechanic is filled by a large variety of such 

 articles. In the pantry will be found boxes and dishes of 

 wood, tin, glass and iron; quite a collection of crockery- 

 ware; knives, forks, spoons; various spices and canned 

 goods. In the kitchen, sitting-room and parlor there are 

 chairs, tables, stoves, lounges, a refrigerator, looking- 

 glasses, pictures, curtains, a musical instrument, book- 

 cases more or less filled with books. In the chambers are 

 bed-steads with their mattresses, blankets, sheets, 

 springs ; bureaus ; toilet sets ; besides more chairs, look- 

 ing-glasses and curtains. In the closets hang the many 

 articles that make up the wearing apparel of husband, 

 wife and children that are not folded away in the bureau 

 drawers. Even the up-to-date workman in this land of 

 advanced civilization gives employment to a multitude 

 of manufacturing trades besides those of the carpenters, 

 masons, lathers and painters, etc., who build and prepare 

 his house. 



In addition to all this the fore-handed farmer provides 

 shelter for his hay and live stock; sheds, hen-houses, 

 barns; buys harnesses, wagons, carriages, sleighs; very 

 many small tools for general repairs and for cultivating 

 the soil; other expensive farm machinery such as plows, 

 harrows, cultivators, horse-rakes, mowing and reaping 



