the telephone service which they could not get from the big privately owned telephone company. This farmers' company seems to have been operating very successfully although it has met with a great many difficulties and considerable opposition.

To start with, the company had a long-continued fight to get a franchise. from the city of N. The farmers alleged that councilmen had shares in the big telephone company and, hence, opposed the development of the farmers' line. The reason given by the council seems to have been that it was not desirable to have more than one company doing business in the same territory. The farmers finally succeeded in getting into N. and they now have their own central there.

It is said, however, by the members of the company itself that nonmembers have received more benefit from this farmers' organization than the members. This seems to be the case because the big telephone company began extending its line wherever there was a call for it, as soon as the farmers' line was organized. The service of the big telephone company is also said to be much improved since that time. The service on the farmers' line, on the other hand, is entirely satisfactory also. The only regrettable thing about the farmers' telephone organization is that the neighborhoods are divided up, it being necessary even now for neighbors to send messengers from one place to another where they do not have the same telephone.

All the wool-growers of this township but one have membership in the Minnesota Wool-Growers' Association. This organization was the result of the unusually low prices of wool a few years ago. After the organization was formed, its members held their wool until they got a price for it that was generally satisfactory. One man stated that "the gain made by this combined holding more than paid for the shares of the company the first year." Last year the association built a fire and vermin-proof storehouse at a town in the southeastern part of the State. They will hereafter be in a position to keep their wool indefinitely with a minimum deterioration. Every member in this township spoke with pride of the achievement of this association, referring to it as "an example of what coöperation among farmers ought to and can accomplish."

According to the apparent success of all of these farmers' enterprises, it would seem that every farmer here would be "strong for coöperation." This is not the case, however, because there have been local attempts of farmers' stock companies which have not succeeded. Many farmers point. to a venture made with a farmers' store some years ago. The business never flourished and, though "it did not fail," it was decided to sell out after a couple of years of poor support. This venture is commonly referred to as a proof that "farmers can't stick together to run a business." Another case is cited as an evidence that "farmers can't be trusted to run

a business," in spite of the success of the companies just referred to. This latest local example of failure was the farmers' elevator company at the station of S., off the northeast corner of the town. The causes of failure in this case were stated variously by the different members who had lost. It appears, however, that there was a laxness in business methods, no careful auditing of accounts or study of reports of the directors at the meeting of stockholders. Everybody seemed to think that the business was prospering as "patronage was good," but "all of a sudden we found out that we were in a hole." Proceedings in bankruptcy ended the enterprise. Many of those who "were stung" declared that they would "never again back any farmers' company with their hard-earned money.'

In spite of an undercurrent of distrust as to their own ability to run a business venture successfully, conditions of the market soon caused many of the farmers to put behind them the chagrin from one failure, and undertake another organization whose purpose it was to force "fair and equitable treatment at the hands of a discriminating milk company." Accordingly the farmers around about D. have this last summer started new creamery at the station D.

Although the starting of this new creamery was a surprise to the milk company, it was the result of years of "unfair treatment at the hands of this company that forced the farmer to take this step." It was said by the leaders of the farmers' movement that this milk company had in previous years worked up a big patronage by promoting a so-called stock company, according to the terms of which the farmer stockholders believed themselves to be shareholders in a joint local and city milk company. Once or twice a year the manager of the concern would come down from the cities and go about among the farmers explaining that he was installing the most complete outfit in the way of a modern milk-distributing plant, and that therefore it was impossible to pay any more for milk than he was paying. The farmers according to these reports began to count on their shares as being "worth anyway from a hundred and thirty to a hundred and fifty." Finally it became known, however, that they were shareholders only in the local auxiliary cooling plant at D., and that after all they had no share in the big city company, where all the improvements had been made. This naturally incensed those involved in the deal. It was not until this last summer, however, that they finally got together, and are now operating "one of the most up-to-date creameries in the State." To prevent any desertions and unjust expense for those supporting the creamery, they have provided that any member who sells his milk or cream elsewhere, must have his checks handled by the secretary of the association, so that there may be subtracted from them his share of the operating expenses of the creamery. They are agreed that it is necessary to do this, and that they

will thus keep up their equipment even if they all decide to deliver their milk to the milk companies. By keeping up their creamery they expect to get the same prices for their milk that farmers around N. and S. are getting, "even if we don't manufacture a bit of cheese or butter." Although the city milk company forthwith began to offer contracts to those who would withdraw from the farmers' pact before any shares were paid in, only two or three farmers withdrew from the deal.

The farmers about N. have been operating a creamery for a number of years and, although they are still in the business, their association has encountered much trouble. The creamery has had its patronage diminished by a centralizing plant of St. Paul, which receives shipments of milk and cream from all points in the State. Many of the biggest dairymen, although having shares in the farmers' creamery, are delivering their milk to the local cooling plant of the centralizing company at which it is put into the company's own cans to be taken up by the nine o'clock express to the cities, where it is sold out on the route of the company's city patrons the next day. It appears that the milk companies can pay more than the local creamery during the fall and winter months, and the difference in price amounts to as much as two hundred dollars on the whole output per year for some of the big Holstein breeders.

These milk companies do not publish a price in advance for their patrons, but pay at the end of the month as market conditions in the city warrant. They are careful lest they swamp the market with an oversupply. The excess is, therefore, separated locally. The cream is shipped to the central plant in the city, while the skimmed milk is either poured out or given away to farmers.

During the spring months, however, in spite of these precautions, the city market is forced down by the great shipments from other points over the country. During this time, the farmers' creamery pays a price for butter-fat which makes the creamery the better market. Some small farmers then return to their own creamery. The big dairymen do not, however. Some say they are ashamed to, but it seems that there is a more substantial reason for this, and that is, that the centralizer concern has contracts with these big dairymen which guarantees them certain minimum prices from month to month the year around. It is certain that they are not losing any money by staying with the centralizing company the year around. One of them when asked why he did not stay with his own creamery said: "That is not a matter of sentiment with me, it is a matter of business." He added that he would be out at least two hundred dollars a year if he should haul his milk to the farmers' creamery.

In

Thus we see that the farmers' creamery is in a peculiar position. winter it would pay better to sell milk to the cities and in the summer it

pays better to make cheese and butter. The management maintains that it is necessary to make cheese the year around in order to hold the cheese patronage and it is difficult to establish good connections for distributing milk in the cities, especially if only for the winter months.

Another reason why the farmers' association did not ship its milk instead of making cheese and butter is that the dairymen with different breeds of cattle could not agree upon a proper basis of figuring returns. Although the milk is sold per gallon or quart when retailed, the state law requires a minimum test of three and five-tenths per cent butter-fat. It was held that it would be an injustice to the farmer who had herds of Durhams, Jerseys, or Guernsey cattle, to be obliged to sell milk for the same price per quart as the Holstein people, inasmuch as the richer milk of the former was necessary to bring the whole up to grade. Although the Holstein people get much more milk per cow than the farmers of the other breeds, they would not consent to sell on the butter-fat test basis. It was thus that the milk companies got the big dairies to leave the farmers' creamery.

The shareholders in the creamery were pledged to patronize it, and to pay a certain percentage of each month's milk check into the treasury of the farmers' organization if they took their milk elsewhere. This was thought to be only fair to those who continued to patronize the farmers' creamery, for the general supplementary costs or over-head operating expenses are pretty much the same whether the volume of business done be big or small. If the few who "kept by" the creamery were to have these expenses taken from their milk alone, it would cut down net prices very materially. Furthermore it was not thought to be unfair to those who sold to the milk companies because they admitted that it was only because the farmers' creamery was doing business in town that they themselves were able to get such favorable prices for their milk. Only a few of the farmers paid in their quota of "expense money" after leaving the creamery and, therefore, their shares were forfeited to the association.

A glance at the map showing the area covered by the different breeds of cattle will throw light on this diversity of interests of the farmers of this township. About fifty-three per cent of the farmers have entered into the idea of community breeding. That is, fifty-three per cent of the farmers have used Holstein sires to such an extent that their herds have taken on the Holstein markings. Only a few of these have pure-bred herds. As a result of this idea the community around about the city of N., as already mentioned, has won "a world-wide fame." Farmers who got in line and coöperated with the original pushers of this movement have in the last few years been "reaping a golden harvest." As we have seen, however, almost fifty per cent of the farmers have not taken up with the idea even by this time. Their views used to be expressed as follows: "The whole

thing is a snare and a delusion." Many of them now admit that the thing has been "a big graft for those who got in on it at the start"; but they add, "this thing will soon have to stop, won't it?" They believe that the demand for these pure-bred Holstein cattle will soon be no stronger than it is for any other well-bred animal; and therefore, "wouldn't it be a waste of money to invest in such high-priced stock at this time?"

Map showing distribution of breeds of cattle.

There is also another explanation as to why a large number of the farmers keep the Shorthorns, the old dual-purpose breed. Those who live four miles or farther from town usually prefer to skim their milk and haul the cream down to town once or twice a week. There is thus a saving of time. When skimming their milk, they naturally have a dislike for "breeds whose milk is comparatively thin." So, for their purpose, especially if