oved.

As a result of this wisely planned co-operative work, at the end of the
first six months, a carefully selected, most efficient colony, of five
hundred adults and one hundred and fifty children, had been assembled
and organized; the business of the incorporation completed; the stock
all taken; the officers chosen and a general plan of the work prepared.

George Gerrish was chosen as President of the Solaris Farm Company,
Fillmore Flagg was made trustee and general manager. The members of the
company were young and strong, accustomed to farm labor, full of
enthusiasm for pushing forward the work. They were all wide awake and
progressive, quick to perceive and appreciate the importance and
advantage of applying co-operative thought and co-operative work to
systematic farming on a large scale. They were thoroughly in earnest and
equally determined to make the model farm a complete success. With such
an army of vigorous, intelligent workers, it was easy to accomplish
before the close of the first year, the magical changes which had been
effected at the farm.

The land had all been surveyed, examined and tested; the farm carefully
subdivided and platted, with a view to keeping a complete record, which
should include a debit and credit account with each subdivision. The
size and boundaries of these tracts were determined with reference to
the capacity of the soil to best produce certain kinds or crops of
grains, grasses, vegetables, vines, berries, fruits or trees. The crests
of ridges, and all rough, gravelly lands, were set apart for timber,
fruit and vineyard culture; the separate areas to be devoted to these
three classes were carefully calculated, described and marked on the
plat. The number of roads required to connect the various fields and
subdivisions with the village, were laid out and made passable by
building the necessary bridges.

The site selected for the village was quite near to the railroad, and
large enough to give abundant space for future factories, shops, lawns
and ornamental pleasure grounds. The whole was graded, well drained and
artistically laid out around the four sides of a spacious central
square. A large, well constructed freight and passenger station, of
Solaris brick, was built and established at the most convenient point on
the railroad. In this building were the post office, express office and
telegraph office, all in excellent business form and perfect working
order.

The manufac