EARLY FARMER ORGANIZATIONS 17 



means of uniting farmers for social and educa- 

 tional purposes, to enable them to make their 

 influence felt in public affairs, and also to 

 co-operate for mutual commercial advantage. 

 The need of a commercial department in a 

 farmers' organization was as urgent half a 

 century ago as at the present day. Long credit*/ 

 and long prices were real evils at that period. 

 It was customary for store bills and blacksmith 

 bills to run for a year, and credit prices meant 

 extortionate prices. Not the least of the ser-^ 

 vices rendered by the Grange was an effective 

 campaign against this pernicious system. 



It was on the second of June, 1874, at London, * 

 that the first formal steps were taken towards 

 establishing the Grange in Ontario, and the 

 first annual meeting was held at Toronto in 

 September of the same year. When the 

 Grange first entered the field there were three 

 farmers' clubs in the township of St. Vincent in 

 Grey County, and they at once affiliated with the 

 new organization. The example set in St. Vincent 

 was apparently generally followed throughout 

 the Province. How completely the rural sec- * 

 tions were, in a short time, dotted with subordin- 

 ate Granges is evidenced by the statement that 

 there were no less than sixty-four of them in 

 Grey County alone. The rapidity with which 

 the Grange made progress is shown by the 



