News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1910-12-14

are gong to Oregon and other Pacific
states ana paying these prices for fruit
land. There are "Acres of Diamonds in
our state, but dreams, and visions Of
orchards elsewhere make us blindto the
golden Opportunities at home The
marked success of fruit culture in the
Northwest is due largely to the develop
ment OF methods far superior to our own.
When Vermonters will exercise as great
skill ana care in the production and mar
keting OF apples as does Oregon and
Washington our profits will be as great,
for the quality of Champlain Valley APP
pies would be unexcelled, and the de-
mand almost unlimited. If we could
teach our people how to till, mulch, feed,
prune' spray, thin, pack and market in
the same way the westerners do we
could make thousands of our acres
worth from $500 to $500 per acre in
the next few years.
Every Grange in our State should be a
school for the teaching of these modern
| methods.
COOPERATION
The Grange was the pioneer in CO.
operative buying and through its con-
tracts with wholesale houses. did for
years, save its members many thousand
dollars Conditions have changed. Great
mail order houses have been organized,
and manufacturers of nearly all kinds
have combined to save to themselves all
the profits possible on their goods. The
farmer is both a producer and a con-
sumer He sells at wholesale and buys
at retail. If he has to pay 25 per cent
profit on what he buys, and gets only
5 per cent profit on what he sells, he is
working against greater odds than any
other class in our country. We have
been hearing a great deal about the high
cost otliying 1t is stated that the farm
er gets about 35 per cent for his produce,
on the average, of what the consumer
has to pay. Then again the manufac-
turers protect the middlemen so the farm
er cannot buy direct at wholesale prices
The experience of our Buying Agent
last year in trying to arrange for terti.
lizcrs or chemicals, in car lots for differ
ent Oranges, proved that we cannot do
business unless we get back of the terti-
lizer trust in some way. The farmers
chances of buying at first cost, have to-
day become very limited. His chance OF
selling to the consumer is, largely ques-
ton Oflocation
While cooperation in buying and sell
ing is one of the cardinal doctrines of our
Order, it is the most difficult OF solution
today of any question which confronts
us.
Several of our subordinate Oranges are
making a saving in buying feeds, etc, in
carload lots. Some are making special
arrangements with local merchants. We
need the local merchants and should
treat them fairly, but we do not need to
support too many of them
Farmers buy a large amount of ma
chincry Manufacturers pay Z large
amount to travelling salesman. This ex
pene should be saved to the members of
our Order, in some way, by ordering all
the machinery direct from the makers,
through central office. We believe it
worth while to try and make some such
A few of our Patrons have special
markets where they get fancy prices for
their maple sugar and syrup: A large
share of our crop is sold to local buyers
in small lots. It we could pool this and
sell it in car lots it ought to bring atleast
a cent pound more, which would mean
$500 to the producer on a twenty ton
car A large share of the states have
Grange fire insurance. We find the cost
in some of these to be about the same as
in our mutual companies, while in other
states it is considerable lower.
We would recommend that either the
Executive Committee or a special COM
mitee be elected to take up the subject of
buying and selling with
power to make such arrangements as
thought best.
LECTURERS DEPARTMENT
The office of Lecturer is as important
TO fill as any there is in the order. Like
school teachers, the ideal lecturer is born,
not made, although a proper study and
-ealization OF the work will go long
way toward making successful lecturer.
Many a Grange after reaching low ebb,
las in a few weeks developed into a
prosperous and enthusiastic body by
,lacing in the lecturers chair the right
,erson.
The Grange is designed first Of all for a
armers' organization, and the lecturer
n preparing the programs should strive
o bring before the members the most
,aluable information obtainable, bearing
N the work of the farm, or upon any
pecial line of work it's members may be
ngaged in. The experiences of the most