28 o WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
their wife’s name or elsewhere to hide it from those who trust 
them; who underdrain their land with mortgages, and top dress 
their growing crops with chattel mortgages ^as a shield against ex¬ 
ecutions, are not wanted. Honest men who pay their debts are 
aware that the merchants’ losses from trusting these bummers on 
the credit system, are charged over in the shape of higher prices 
to the good customer. Hence our association is composed of men 
whose paper is good, but scarce at the bank. 
These clubs own some articles of property in common or in 
shares, such as threshing machines, clover hullers, cider mills, 
weighing scales and thoroughbred animals for the improvement of 
stock; also books upon agricultural topics, and periodicals pub¬ 
lished in the same interest. It is found that by systematic regu¬ 
lation as regards use and care of this common property, all the 
members can derive from it the benefit of full ownership while 
paying only a fraction of the price and expense of keeping and 
repairs. 
'these clubs work in connection with a central society, which for 
completer usefulness had better be, where most convenient to the 
County Agricultural Society, though they should tend toward 
trade centers rather than political. At stated times in the year, 
each of the members of the clubs gives into the secretary a list of 
the articles of machinery he desires to purchase. These are made 
out on blanks furnished for the purpose, specifying kind, quality 
or other description, and stating terms on which he elects to pur¬ 
chase, reference being had to the contract hereinafter mentioned, 
and containing an agreement that he will be bound by the terms 
of such contract as to their purchase, distribution, receipt and pay¬ 
ment. These various orders of the members are at once consolid¬ 
ated by the secretary, and;the originals and consolidated lists are 
sent to the secretary ot the directors of the central society. He 
thereupon consolidates and classifies the orders of the several 
clubs. It thus appears that many farm implements and articles 
of machinery are to be purchased. 
The purchases are to be effected thus: The central society has 
a body of directors composed of skilled, sagacious men, selected 
for their known integrity. Their duty as regards purchases is to 
make contracts with manufacturers and wholesale dealers for the 
