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It is also proper to say that not all of our cooperators are so weak-minded as myself. Far more evil than was ever said about me has been said for years against better men than I, who go steadily on with their work, and in time have a following who stand by them and make them comfortable. This, I suppose, will in time happen to every one who does his duty and is patient. There are many such men in California, without whose aid cooperative work could not be carried on. I simply do not happen to be patient.

After all there is nothing tragic about cooperative work among farmers. It is cooperation among the fairly well to do. It does not particularly appeal to the sympathies, nor call for much self-denial that one does not feel inclined to. It is cooperation among the really suffering that stirs the blood. It is when one thinks of such men as Mitchell in England, and Raiffiesen in Germany, and men like them, that he raises his hat and is silent a moment.

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APPENDIX.

THE body of this volume is based mainly upon the experience and observation of the author, with little or no reference to the experiences of others, and no reliance whatever upon "authorities." I wished my own conclusions to go for what they may be worth. The appendix is intended to supplement my own observations with the experience and observation of others upon some of the same subjects, to illustrate more freely some topics which were necessarily treated but briefly in the text, to indicate to general readers not having access to large libraries, the sources from which, at least expense, they may inform themselves further upon any of the subjects here treated in which they may be specially interested, and to serve, in some measure, as a statistical hand-book. As will be noted, however, I have not hesitated to introduce discussion in connection with any subject upon which I thought discussion or explanation would be helpful, in which respect this differs from the usual conception of an "appendix."

All statistical and other matter not original has been credited to original sources, when known, and otherwise to the publications in which it was found. The diagrams illustrating the subject of the Currency have, unless otherwise specified, been prepared for this volume from data familiar to all students of the subject. E. F. A.

Appendix A.

ORGANIZATION OF U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND LEGISLATION IN AID OF AGRICULTURAL

COLLEGES AND EXPERIMENT

STATIONS.

[The descriptive matter in Appendix A is from a Department publication.]

LAW CREATING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

The Department of Agriculture was established by an act of Congress approved by President Lincoln, May 15, 1862. The full text of the act is as follows:

AN ACT to establish a Department of Agriculture.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there is hereby established at the seat of the Government of the United States a Department of Agriculture, the general designs and duties of which shall be to acquire and to diffuse among the people of the United States useful information on subjects connected with agriculture in the most general and comprehensive sense of that word, and to procure, propagate, and distribute among the people new and valuable seeds and plants.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That there shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, a Commissioner of Agriculture," who shall be the chief executive officer of the Department of Agriculture, who shall hold his office by a tenure similar to that of other civil officers appointed by the President, and who shall receive for his compensation a salary of three thousand dollars per annum.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Commissioner of Agriculture to acquire and preserve in his department all information concerning agriculture which he can obtain by means of books and correspondence and by practical and scientific experiments (accurate records of which experiments shall be kept in his office), by the collection of statistics, and by any other appropriate means within his power; to collect, as he may be able, new and valuable seeds and plants; to test by cultivation the value of such of them as may require such tests; to propagate such as may be worthy of propagation, and to distribute them among agriculturists He shall annually make a general report in writing of his acts to the President and to Congress, in which he may recommend the publication of papers forming parts of or accompanying his report, which report shall also contain an account of all moneys received and expended by him. He shall also make special reports on particular subjects whenever required to do so by the President or either House of Congress, or when he shall think the subject in his charge requires it. He shall

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