any emergency which might arise. The great variety of
these added employments would afford a pleasant change from the monotony
and routine of ordinary farm work. They could be pursued sometimes for
weeks together, when legitimate farm work would be out of season, in
this way so greatly increasing the products and profits of the farm,
that the bonanza farm of the capitalist, which depended on wheat growing
alone for profits, could no longer successfully compete.

After much discussion by the board of management and the officers of the
company, it was decided with the unanimous consent of the membership,
that eight hours should be considered a day's work--six hours for the
farm work, with two hours additional to be devoted to such of the
manufacturing works as the member might choose. This course proved
entirely satisfactory; it soon gave to the farm an able corps of skilled
workmen, at the same time augmenting the collective power of the
membership to do more effective co-operative thinking for the
advancement of the best interests and general welfare of all.

In the matter of wages, a uniform price of three dollars per day was
fixed for each member of the company; this amount was diminished by
deducting ten per cent for the sinking fund, five per cent for the
general service fund, and five cents daily from each member for the
special fund. The special fund was for the purposes of education and
amusement. After subtracting these deductions, two dollars and fifty
cents were left as the net per diem pay of each one. The assessments
provided the goodly sum of $54,000 00 annually for the sinking fund,
$27,000 00 for the general service fund, and $9,000 00 for the special
fund.

The Solaris Farm company was incorporated for ninety-nine years, with a
provision for re-incorporation at the expiration of that period. This
provision practically made the company a perpetual institution. The
stock of the company was capitalized at $250,000 00, and divided into
one thousand shares, with a par value of $250 00 each. The number of
share holders or subscribers was limited to five hundred adults, about
two hundred and fifty couples or families; at the end of five years, two
shares of stock were issued to each subscriber, male or female, married
or single. This stock, however, could not be issued until $45,000 00 had
been paid into the sinking fund. With the issue of the stock, the
purchase price of the farm should be paid from the sin