Saint Mary's beacon., 1871-01-05

FARMERS CLus.-As this is the season
that farmers should be acting in the for
nation Of clubs in their vicinity, We give
the following remarks from an excellent
afficlc on the subject BY the editor Of the
New York Tri6un>. who is himself direct
ly connected with farming in all iss pvts.
and with sundry associations Of farmers,
&c. He says:
A true Farmers Club should consist of
all the families residing in small town
ship. so far as they can be induced to at
tend it, even though only half thu men,
bers should be present at any one meet
ing. Il should limit speeches to ten min
utes. excepting only those addresses or
essays which eminently qualified persons
are requested to specially prepare and
read 1t should have President. ready
and able to repress all ill-natured person.
alities, all irrelevant talk. and especially
all straying into the forbidden regions Of
political or theological disputation. At
esch meeting the subject should be chosen
fof~the next. md not less than four mem
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
. discussion BY ali present, the humblest
1&ysungcst being specially encouraged
to state any facts within their knowledge
which they deemed pertinent and cogent.
Let every person present be thus melted
to say something calculated to shed light
on the subject. to say this in the fewcst
words possible. and with the utmost 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 q development of the
faculty Of observation and the habit of re-
fection. Too many Of us pass through
life essentially blind and deaf to the won
ders and glories manifest 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 on 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 &C.
customed. They need even more thai
know an intellectual awakening, and this
they could hardly fail to receive from the
discussions Of an intelligent and earnest
Farmers Club.
A genuine and lively interest in their
vocation is needed by many farmers and
by most farmers sons. Too many Of
these regard their homesteads as 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 a
bear crawls to wear out the rigors of win
ter and await the advent of spring. Too
many of our boys fancy that they know
too much for farmers, when in fact they
know far too little. A good Farmers
Club, faithfully attended, would take this
coRccit out o: them, imbuing them instead
with a realizing sense of their ignorance
andeincompetency, and a hearty desire
for practical wisdom.
A Recording Secretary, able to state in
the fewcst words each important sugges-
tion or fact elected in the course of en-
evenings discussion, would be hardly less
honored than capable President \
single page would often suffice for all that
deserves such record out of an evening $
discussion. and this being transferred to
book and preserved, might be consulted
with interest and profit throughout many
succeeding years. No other duty should
be required of the member who rendered
this service. the correspondence of the
Club being devolved upon another Secre-
tary. The habit Of bringing gratis, or
plants, or seeds to Club meetings, for
gratuitous 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 gratis
to spare, which he does not care or can
not expect to sell, and these being distri-
buted to the Club, will not only increase
its popularity, but give him a right to a
share when another surplus is in like man.
ner distributed. IF one has choice fruits
to give away, the Club will afford him an
excellent opportunity, but I would rather
not astrac. persons to its meetings by q
prospect of having their appetites thus
gratified 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 Octo-
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 paper be circulated for
signatures. pledging each signer to attend
the Introductory meeting and bring a,
least par. Of his family. When forty
have signed such call success will b.
well nigh assured.