Final answer:
Farmers primarily relied on railroads to transport their crops to market, which was costly and contributed to the economic difficulties in agriculture, such as falling prices and deepening debt.
Step-by-step explanation:
Most farmers depended on transporting crops to market to take stocks to markets. This was a significant concern for farmers who lived far from the city markets and had to rely on the expensive railroad system to sell their produce. Railroads played a pivotal role in determining the economic success of farming operations as they charged notoriously high rates for both the transportation of farm equipment and the commodities themselves. Additionally, the market price of produce declined with the increased number of farmers moving westward, leading to a situation where, despite larger crops each year, farmers faced falling prices and deepening debt. These dynamics were exacerbated by high-interest rates charged by the banks, resulting in a cycle of borrowing and inability to repay loans, which often led to farm foreclosures.