The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-07-03
Face the Facts.

vi uOI' luo NtW EHyJutu TuTHteF
says:
Director Cooke of the Vermont
State Experiment Station estimates the
cost of fertilizers to the farmers of the
state in 1888 at $4,000, and he says
that at least 10000 could have been
saved if the system of small purchases
on long time could be replaced by the
system of cooperative buying for cash.
In other words, if majority of the
farmers of the state would join the
grange, and use the organization as it
might be used in this direction, they
could save the thirty thousand dollars
on fertilizers alone. Add to this other
savings which might be made by pur-
chasing on the cooperative system, the
pleasures to be enjoyed and the valu-
able experience to be gained by a con-
nection with the grange"
Every word here is true, but prob
ably Professor Cooke does not under
stand the situation. Let us state how
happened with one grange. A car
load of phosphate " was bought for
cash. The money was furnished by
half a dozen members, on the assur-
ance of the rest that they would pay
when they took the fertilizer Some
did so, but the majority took their
shares away, with promise to pay at
the next meeting of the grange. Most
of these did not come to that meeting,
and good many of them never came
near the grange again. Much of that
money is still outstanding, and to
finish the thing up in good shape the
treasurer of the grange, having be-
tween $40 and $50 of the grange funds
in his possession, never could be brought
to an accounting, and he still holds
that balance. All this happened in
one of the incest, most thrifty and
productive little valleys in the Green
Mountain State. 1t is needless to say
that that grange has long been extinct.
Now of course the reader will say that
the whole proceeding was very unbusi-
nesslike. Do you belong to a grange,
reader? If so, will you tell us if any
of its proceedings are strictly business
like? Possibly they may be, if you
have in it some business men Eve mean
men familiar with business outside of
farming), but not often if not. Of
course the instance cited is exceptional,
but it is at the same time illustrative.
1t is stated, and is probably near the
truth, that not over one farmer in ten
subscribes to and pays for an agricul-
tural paper, and of those who do many
never more than glance over it. These
farmers know nothing about modern
farming. They are going on to-day
pretty much in the ways of their revo-
lutionary ancestors. This is the class
of farmers who are growing all the
time about hard times and saying that
farming don't pay, and they are a
great majority of the whole. These
are the men who are always grumbling
about their taxes, especially school and
road taxes, the taxes that every sensi-
BILE man would wish larger, if they can
be we'll expended. We truly believe
that if it were not for a little lingering
shame, and if the state as a whole
would permit it, common schools would
be abolished by the popular vote in {
good many New England towns. Thi
is what we have been brought to, il
great part, by forty years of emigra
ton, carrying off the most enterprising
energetic and pushing portion of on
population.
The grange is an excellent institution
We were the first editor in New Eng
land to print information about it, an
in the town where that information
was printed the first grange in NeN
England was started. We expecte
great things from the grange, and 500
there was one in each of more than ha
the towns in the state. The fears {
those who thought the farmers wei
going to take hold and right thei
wrongs, and do business in a business
like way, were aroused, and number
worked themselves into the organic
tions with the purpose of breaking
up They were smart, and knew ju
how to take the rural members. The
began by urging that the dues were t.
high. That plan always works. III
politician understands it when he raj
at high taxes. Yet all over the wor
the places which are the most prospe
Gus find it to pay well to have hi!
taxes, provided they are wisely e
pended for the public good. The du
were cut down, the order was crippl
for want of funds; it could do but lit
fell into contempt, and grange aft
grange dropped out of existence. II
order is now very weak in the sta
Without amember's feeling it it mig
be as forehanded as our State Agricl