The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-01-17

farmers Clubs.
The long evenings are now at hand
and the farmer, finding little leisure af-
ter the labors Of the day, looks about him
for some means of pleasure and amusc.
ment wherewith to occupy the time. He
will find no more profitable way to spend
an occasional evening than in the meetings
of wide-awake Farmers Club. Better
by far is it than to doze the time away,
smoking pipe in the chimney corner, OF
lounging at the country store. The book
and the paper tire after while; these
organizations come in to occupy portion
of time in Just such a way as the hard
working farmer needs. Here he can in
a measure obtain that
MENTAL CULTURE
Which is so much neglected by those who
labor day after day upon their farms. 1t
is very natural for them to slide into al
most entire neglect of any intellectual
effort, and unless they have something Of
character in which they are particular
ly interested, and which pertains to the
business in which they are daily engaged,
any effort in that direction soon becomes
laborious, and finally is discontinued alto
gether. All the time, they are inclined
too much to physical exercise, while they
neglect the exercise of the mind. Even
at many Of our County Fairs, the annual
address, which once afforded little men:
tai stimulus has been discontinued, and
the time is occupied in manner which
does not, to say the least, draw out any
mental effort.
Again, much of the farmers time is
spent alone, or in company with hired
help, not in any way remarkable for their
intelligence, and the mind runs along in
the old grooves with but little to excite it
to activity. 1t becomes sluggish. Mind
needs contact with NTH to rub it in
to activity. The more we associate with
other individuals, the more the mind is
aroused we think, we study. These
Farmers Clubs then, are just what is
needed to draw the farmers together, and
to give them an opportunity to bring their
minds in contact. The exercises are such
as pertain to their every day affairs, and
therefore such as they are more or less
familiar with. While exercising the
mind, they are reaping other advantages
a. we'll.
PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE
Is acquired. However humble the indi.
viduals composing the Club, however ig-
norant in "book learning" however rough
their exterior, if they are practical farm
ers each one knows something which will
be an advantage to the others. Some
rough and otherwise ignorant men are
critical observers, and are possessed Of a
fund of practical knowledge which, if it
can be drawn out, will be of interest to
all. All farmers need share in their
knowledge, but it is very difficult to OBJ
tain. They are not public takers, and
any effort made under the formalities OF
public meeting would quite surely re-
suit in failure. | have seen such men
at farmers conventions, after the meeting
was dissolved, gather together in knots
and talk over the subject under discussion
in a manner which would have done hon.
or to the lecturer himself A Farmers
Club is the very best place to draw out
the knowledge Of such men, and at the
same time it is q good place to draw out
the knowledge of those who are accus-
toned to public speaking.
ASSOCIATED EFFORT.
Another advantage Of these organiza-
tious is in associated effort. This advaut-
age will manifest itself in many ways,
Great good will come from association
alone without combining in any effort.
When men come together and compare
notes, as the saying is, when they talk
over the work in which at the time they
are engaged, when they compare the diff.
ferent crops raised with the yield of their
neighbors, they are spurred up to the eff
fort and are led to inquiry. These, COM
parsons, this inquiry, lead to thought,
and through that to better cultivation and
better crops. They will be encouraged
in trying new experiments. They can al
SO associate in procuring new and costly
kinds of seeds, and in trying new imple-
ments to improve their value. In many
cases the members of Club have COM
bined in purchasing thoroughbred animals
for the improvement of their 1ocks aud
herds. Such efforts cannot be too highly
commended. In one instance the results
were 30 satisfactory, and the interest il
awakened was so great, that it resulted in
one Of the members purchasing the entire
herd of one of the most celebrated Short.
horn breeders in New England. Wher
such results are being realized from these
organizations, who will dare measure the
influence they are destined to exert il
properly conducted and earnestly sup
ported ?
SOCIAL INTERCOURSE.
Farmers necessarily live at considera
BILE distance from each other, aud in con
sequence of this and their habits Of STEADY
labor, con6ne themselves too much t.
their own fields and 6resides They an,
their families need recreation, need pleas
ures, need something to counteract tn
effect OF the constant labor in which the
are engaged. The mechanic in the vii
lage or city has his mind frequently draw
away from bis work by that which is 60
ing on around him, but the farmer, bein
differently situated finds nothing to breal
up the .monotony unless he seeks for
elsewhere. 1t is quite probable tina
more work would be accomplished and
better tone Of feeling be experienced, I
say nothing of the more cheerful counts
nance which would be worn, if half da
each week were given to social intel
course with fellow farmers, instead Of d.
voting six full days each week to unr'
hitting labor. After day spent plea
antlv AWAY from home. the labor is nf