The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-02-13
How Farmers May Cooperate.

Farmer Jones invites farmers Smith, brown
and Robinson to drop in of an evening" and
they have chat. Of course the subjects dis
cussed are those in which they hold common
interest-stock, crops, the results Of labors and
experiences, and their hopes and plans for the
future. The interchange of ideas is mutually
entertaining and instructive, and they desire
that the conference may, like Ledger story,
be continued, so farmer Smith asks the compa-
ny to meet next week at his house. Other
friends drop in, and thus it comes about in q
very natural way, that the farmers club is
Instituted with no parade or noise-grows, in
fact, like Topsy. This is the whole affair
rules, bylaws, places of meeting to accommo-
date growing numbers, are mere matters of con-
yenence provided for as the occasion may ar
rive. Three years ago club at Elnira, n. T.,
was commenced with seven members. 1t has
100 members now, who meet weekly during
Winter, and at longer intervals during Sum-
mer; who possess already 1000 volumes and
add yearly to the library fund $500. The re-
suit is that this Club has introduced improved
stock and new seeds and implements that val-
liable experiments have been tried and their
issues noted and discussed. A farmers club in
Connecticut has kept up its organization for IA
years continuously another on Long Island
has, during the past few seasons, purchased at
wholesale over $4,000 worth of fertilizers for
the use of its members, saving thereby third
of that large sum.
A recent convention of farmers club in
Illinois had delegates from II local associa-
tions whose members aggregated 1000 ranging
from 80 to 800 for each. Several of these
clubs cooperate in buying supplies at large
saving in cost. Now these are illustrative ca
ses of the thousands of associations among
intelligent and enlightened farmers But only
a commencement has been made as yet. This
cooperation is not exceptional, and not until
there is a farmers club in every township
throughout America, or possibly several, will
the work attain completeness. Think of the
business to come before the farmers in these
associations. Our English brethren have
found vast profit in them, and many .compa-
MES own engines and plows worth $4,000,
with which their fields are plowed at an ex-
pense Of 50 per acre, and dividends 25 per
Our stock is in an immediate need of I'M
provement. Horses, COWS, sheep, and hogs
pay now not half the profit they might if the
best and most suitable breeds were used. Thor
oughbred animals cost much money, but by
cooperation may easily be procured, as has
been done by the Elmira Club, before referred
to. Insurance against fire by such cooperative
associations is common thing throughout
Pennsylvania, and in that way is established
the cheapest and most trustworthy insurance
company possible to conceive Of When there
is no loss no premiums are paid when there is
q loss it is divided among the whole number
insured, and the veriest triAle from each builds
up the brothers. barn again, or pays for his
stack of grain. 1t is needless to say more
but we urge farmers to think of these things,
see how they are done, and "act accordingly -