The bankers, and all the trusts for that matter, had likewise long since loaned colossal amounts of money to the farmers.

The farmers were in the net.

All that remained to be done was the drawing in of the net.

This the farm trust proceeded to do.
The hard times of 1912 had already caused a frightful slump in the farm markets.

Prices were now deliberately pressed down to bankruptcy, while the railroads, with extortionate rates, broke the back of the farmer-camel.