COOPERATIVE ORGANIZATIONS 291 



protective organization to be realized with State aid, 

 even though the California Farmers Union only lived 

 long enough to send a memorial asking Congress "to 

 regulate freights and fares on overland railways and 

 protect the people against impositions and oppres- 

 sions by railroad monopolies." 



In 1873 the projectors of this Farmers Union 

 joined with many others of the same kind and or- 

 ganized the California State Grange,, a branch of the 

 national order of Patrons of Husbandry, which was 

 then valiantly attacking the old systems against the 

 farmer in nearly all the states east of the Rocky 

 Mountains. The California State Grange attained 

 large membership and influence which endured for a 

 decade or more, until much of its force was diverted 

 to the Farmers Alliance. At the time of the greatest 

 attainment of the Grange in enrolling farmers, which 

 was about 1880, there had been no equal gathering of 

 membership in any general farm organization. The 

 Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union has a 

 strong organization but is limited in geographical 

 spread in California. Other undertakings have also 

 attained limited area of influence and various lengths 

 of continuous existence. The California Farm Bu- 

 reau Federation (branch of the American Federa- 

 tion of Farm Bureaus) organized in 1919 had 

 in 1921 a larger membership than any other 

 association of all kinds of farmers has hitherto at- 

 tained in this State and is working more aggressively 

 in the general farming interests. The Farm. Owners 

 and Operators Association was organized in 1918 to 



