which the United States was divided for that purpose. Through the
organization provided by the board and the banks, a farmer may now
borrow money on more favorable terms, but only on condition that
he agrees to use the money for the purchase and improvement of
land or for equipment, and to engage in the actual cultivation of
the farm for the development of which he desired the money.

The provisions of the Federal Farm Loan Act afford an excellent
illustration of how government promotes citizen cooperation. The
government does not lend the money to the farmers; it merely
provides the machinery by which the farmers may cooperate among
themselves, and also secure the cooperation of investors in all
parts of the country, to obtain capital necessary for the proper
development of the land. As a rule the farmer can borrow money
from the land bank only by being a member of a local "national
farm loan association." His dealings with the bank are through
this association. His membership in the association gives him
better standing and secures for him better terms than he could get
if acting separately. Moreover, the money that the bank lends to
the farmer comes from the farmers who belong to the association,
and from investors in all parts of the country, who buy shares of
stock in the bank and bonds issued by the bank on the security of
the farmers' land and equipment. The whole scheme is one of
cooperation which would be impossible but for the legislation,
financial support, and supervision of the government at
Washington.

PARTNERSHIP IN THE NATION'S BUSINESS

It will be seen then that much of the capital that a farmer uses