THE COOPERATIVE SYSTEM. 151 



carried to market. Sending it to some reliable merchant or 

 commission dealer, who charged him ten per cent., he knew 

 precisely Avhat he would get for the article. It was represented 

 that the farmers had been well pleased willi this arrangement. 



Allusion was also made to the way in which produce is carried 

 to the New York market, a car being furnished by the railroad 

 corporation, and the farmers allowed to send their milk or 

 whatever they have to market, without being subject to the 

 multiplicity of charges to which we are exposed under the 

 present management of this trade. 



Mr. Hapgood, of Shrewsbury. I am engaged somewhat in 

 market gardening, I commenced the business in 18G5. I 

 thought I would I'aise a few things to sell, any way, though I never 

 expected to make much money. I planted some cucumbers, 

 and raised a fine crop. There was a man in our place who 

 carried some things to market, and I called on him and asked 

 him if he could sell my cucumbers for me. " Yes," he said, 

 " how many have you got ? " I told him I might have twenty- 

 five or fifty bushels. He said he didn't know as he could sell 

 as many as that. I told him I thought he could, and in a day 

 or two he took three or four bushels to market, sold some of 

 them, left some of them in one place and another, and brought 

 home some, and that was the end of it with him. "Well, I called 

 on my brother, who had had more experience than I had, and 

 he came and looked at my crop. I asked him what he could 

 do ? '• Well," says he, " you are better acquainted in Worcester 

 than I am ; take them yourself, and go round from house to 

 house and sell them." I told him I couldn't go peddling them 

 round. " Yes, you can," said he, " take them there, you can 

 sell them." Well, I did. I took a load and went to Worcester, 

 and finally sold the whole crop. Since then, I have raised 

 cucumbers largely, a hundred bushels some years, and sold 

 them too. Last year, I raised seven or eight tons of cabbages. 

 It was a very unfortunate year for cabbages, as a good many 

 here have found out, and I sold them for two dollars a 

 hundred. 



Lest I should be tedious, I will state that the cooperative 

 plan strikes me most favorably. AVe can have an agent in our 

 cities and towns, wherever we want to send our produce, and 

 send it to him — sparingly at first, but after a time I tiiink he 



