The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-11-21
Farmers Clubs.

VIZ ~ dDoo-
clate themselves in clubs for the dis
cussion If the many new features and
improvements In Husbandry that have
been developed of late years. The
orange, while not generally adopted
IN North Carolina, owing to the high
entrance fees, has lone a very great
deal Of goodin showing the farmers
their need Of organization, and CO.
operative action not only to correct
long Standing abuses, but to bring out
their own latent capabilities and re-
sources. We are pleased to learn that
an attempt to organize a small club
Will be made at Apex this evening.
Wake county might we'll have half a
dozen. BY speci Il request. we have
drawn up an outline Tor a Farmers
club.
1st. Pass around Il paper like The
follow ing We, the undersigned
farmers Of Wake county, agree to as
semble at ---, and organize d club
for IL mutual improvement"
end. When - signatures have been
obtained, let the time be fixed.
Bird. Meet and elect "a President. As
sistant President Ito act when the for
mer is absentl, a Secretary and a
! Treasurer, To hold office six months.
If any officer be absent TWO consecu-
tive meetings, without sending a writ
ten excuse TO be READ aloud. let him
be deposed, and the place filled.
4th. 4 committee of three should
be appointed at the beginning Of each
month to select "a topic for discussion
at the weekly meetings. so that each
member may have time to think and
make experiments. But these topics,
which may be called The Set Ques-
ton" should form only a portion of
the proceedings. One hour should be
devoted to Hearing Experience"
each farmer telling of some success or
failure he has made with some crop or
stocn, or machinery. Il. A. 5.
FURTHER SUGGESTIONS.
Alexander Hyde, in the Country
Gentleman, gives some good suggos-
tionS
1t docs nor require more than half a
dozen men 10 give success to a club.
If these-three officers and three pri-
vates-make IL q matter of duty to be
present at every regular muster, and
come armed and equipped with the
ammunition of fact and thought, the
club viii conquer a success. and no
miStak, it will make an impression
on tue agriculture and social culture
of the community in which 1t is 10
Gated. There is great power in an
oligarchy. but these few must work
with Il will.
The presidency should not be con
inuous i'll one person. 1t there is
honor and advantage in the position,
II is right that others should share,
and if there il responsibility and Ia
boz, certainly these should be distrib-
uted. A society lun by one mar CON
~tinuousiy is apt to get into the ruts
and require a good deal of ''blowing''
to make it run well. We might spe-
city a noted agricultural society as an
example of this, but the principle is
obvious without examples.
As To the frequency of the meetings
of a club, no general rule CAN be LAID
down adapted TO all localities. Ii
other social gatherings are not abun-
dant, ii may be well to hold the club
meeting each week during the winter.
and once a month In the summer. 1t
is desirable that they should be held SO
often as 0 to be forgotten, and MT
so frequently as TO be a tax on the
time OF members. The club with
- .nI -. 1~-
been in successful operation for near
" a score of years, meets once a fort
night from October to April, and as
occasion may demand, at other times.
A more important matter is the
place of meeting, whether at the
house of members, or at some fixed
and convenient place. Our club has
tried both wa,s. and we are satisfied
that the latter is the better method
If the meetings are held at private
houses they are apt to become too So
cial and festival IN their character, the
refreshments occupy too much time,
and as the hostess Is AMBITIOUS to dnas
well as her ~neighbors, the festivities
finally become burdenSome. Besides,
some members are so situated that
they cannot well entertain the club,
and then feel delicate abou partaking
OF hospitality and not re~c'pfocatlng 1t:
and SO fall out of the society. 1t is
more democratic, and on the whole
more profitable, that the regular meet
ings should be he'd in some cen raj
place, and if any memb desires a
more social gathering, let hlm invite
the club to an extra meeting AT his
house. III these extra meetings TIE
Ladies are always expected to ba pres
ent-for we thoroughly believe in the
education of the sexeS-and some sub
i ct should be selected for discussion