Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1871-01-05

FAEnERS CIus--As this is tie season |
thai farmers sL@lld be acting in the for |
nation Of clubs in their vicinity, We give
the following remarks FROM an excellent
article on the subject By the editor Of the |
New York 7rsJrn<. who is himselfdirecs-
II connected With farming in all its parts,
and viah s1niry associations Of farmers.
mechanics. &C. He says:
A true Farmers Club should consist of
all the families residing in a small town
ship. 50 far rs they can be induced to at
tend it, even though only half their menu
bers should be present a. any one meet
ing. 1t should limit speeches TO ten min
utes, excepting only those addresses or
essays which eminently qualified persons
are requested TO specially prepare and
read. IL shonld have President. ready
and able to repress al ill-natured person.
alities, all irrelevant talk. and especially
all straying into the Forbidden regions of
| political or theological disputat:on. At
each meeting the subject should be chosen
for the next. and not less than four menu
bers pledged to make some observations
thereon, with liberty to read them if un-
used to speaking in public. These hav-
ing been heard, the subject should be open
TO discussion by5al present, the hum5lest
to sts.s sa ak ess sler saSSSragss
which they deemed pertinent and eogcnt
Let every person present be thus melted
to say something calculated to shed ligh;
on the subject, TO say this in the fewest
words possible. and with the utmos. care
not to annoy or offend others, and it is
hardly possible that one evening per week
devoted TO these meetings should not be
spent with equal pleasure and profit.
The chief end to be achieved through
such meetings Is \ development of the
faculty of observation and the habit of re-
Election. Too many Of us pass through
life essentially blind and deaf to the won
F ders and glories manifes. to clearer eyes
all around Us. The magnificent phenom-
cna of the seasons, even the awakening
of Nature from death to life in spring
time, make little impression on their sen
. ses, still less OF their Understandings
There are men who have passed forty
times through forest. and yet could not
name. within half dozen, the various
) species Of trees which compose it; and so
with everything else to which they are ac-
custOmcd. They need even more thai
know an intellectual awakening, aud this
they could hardly fail to receive from the
discussions of an intelligent and earnest
Farmers Club.
\ genuine and lively interest in their
vocation is needed by many farmers and
by mos. farmers sons. Too many Of
these regard their homesteads as a prison.
in which they must remain Until some
avenue of escape into the great world
+ shall open before them. The farm to
such is but the hollow log into which
bear criwls to wear out the rigors of win
ter ane await the advent of spring. Too
many OF our boys fancy that they know
100 much fOr farmers. when in fact they
Snow Tar too little. A good Farmers
tuo' iai'i'".1} '~rnde,l, would take this
conceit out o: them, imbtn.-- thnm ;ns.c,d
with realizing sense of their issorance
and incompstsIsy, and a hearty desire
for pract
y Recordln gretary. able to state in
the fewest words each important suggcs-
ton or fact elected in the course of on
evenings discussion, would be hardly less
honored than n capable President. 4
single page would often suffice for all tina.
deserves such record out of an evenings
discussion, and this being transferred to
a book and preserved, might be consulted
with interest and profit throughout many
succeeding years. No other duty should
be required of the mcmb-r who rendered
this service, the correspondence of the
Club being devolyed upon another Scere-
tary. The habit of bringing CRAFTS, or
plants, or seeds to Club meetings. for
gra;uitous distribution, has been found to
increase the interest and enlarge the at
tendance of those formerly Indifferent
Almost every good farmer or gardener
! will sometimes have choice seeds or crafts
to spare, which he does not care or can
not expect to sell, and these being distri-
buted 70 the Club. viii not only increase
Its popularity, bat give him right to
share when another surplus is in like man.
ner distributed. II one has choice fruits
tc give away, the Club will afford him an
excellent opportunity, but would rather
not a,;rsc: persons TO its meetings by a
! prospect of having their appetitcs thus
/ gratitied at others expense. A flower
show once in each year. and an exhibition
of fruits and other choice products, at an
evening meeting in September or Oc.o-
Der, should suffice for festivals. Let each
member consider himself pledged TO bring
to the exhibition the best material result
of his years efforts. and the aggregate
will be satisfactory and instructive.
The organization of Farmers Club is
the chief difficulty. The larger number
of those who ought to participate usually
prefer to stand back, not committing them
selves to the effort until after its success
has been assured. To obviate this en-
bsrrassment let a paper be circulated for
signatures. pledging each signer to attend
the Introductory meeting and bring at
least part of his family. When forty
have signed such call success will be
well nigh assured.