The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1878-02-22
Agricultural Department.
BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
Farmers, Clubs.


This is the season of the year when
farmers have most leisure, and can
best spare the time for mental culture
and improve their spare time in plan
ming for the future. Perhaps there is
no institution where they can spend two
or three hours per week with more
profitable results than TO attend regu-
larly their nearest farmers club. Ev-
cry agricultural town in our land
should have such an institution, and il
should be sustained and well patronized
by the farmers of the town. In towns
where no club exists, feel that | can
not urge upon your readers with too
much earnestness the importance of
forming such for the discussion of all
matters relating to the farm. Many
advantages are sure to attend such
meetings and discussions. Such clubs
care easily organized. The less machn-
cry about them the better. Let halt a
dozen farmers start one by meeting
around at their houses, if there is no
better place; appoint chairman for
the meeting, and a secretary for Ion
ger time; say year; propose subject
for discussion, and let each man give
his experience and ask his questions.
The more familiar the meeting can be
made the better. A dozen farmers
meeting once a week or once fort
night for discussion and to inspect
stock, crops, buildings, ETC., cannot fail
TO help each other to be better farmers.
The coming together for any laudable
object, ana remaining together two or
three hours, is of itself benefit, as it
tends to assimilation, sociablity and
friendship among neighbors. 1t is nat
ural for people to associate together,
ana II elevallng, intellectual, moral and
beneficial objects do not occupy their
attention when together and stimulate
them to assemble, degrading, sensual,
immoral and injurious objects often
VIII. such clubs then are beneficial,
IN that they tend TO keep men from
getting together for worse purposes.
Farmers clubs are beneficial in that
thcy stimulate the members to study,
research ana meditation. The object
OF good common school or collegiate
educatioh has hardly begun to be real
iIeu wheh tne student graduates, or by
the boy or girl who leaves the school
room Tor the last time. The studies
they nave attended to are OF little i'm
portahce OF themselves. only as they
nave conduced to mental development
ana discipnne; and he whose mental
ana moral development and discipline
Is the most perfect, is the most useful
ana happy man, and the best prepared
10 meet, control and enjoy the stern re-
alitles OF life. Every facility for the at
tainmeht OF TINS should be sought and
embraced. Inc saying that knowl-
edge Is power" was never more true
man ,o-aay, ana hnow thyself' is
ueau ietter without study, energy and
experience. These clubs cannot be got
up ana sustained without some effort,
neither can any useful enterprise, but
the efort required is not great i'll pro-
pornon- to the value of the object.
Aside from the agricultural information
that may De gained by such association,
u VIII make 1amllles OF the same town
Detter acquainted with each other; Gre
ATE Dohd OF sympathy and interest,
ana promote those delightful social re-
latiohs which ought always to exist
among rural population.
merchants, manufacturers and me-
chahics nave their meetings to discuss1
their business analrs, and to provide
some common platform or rules by
which they may be guided, and in this
way they strengthen each others eff
Iorts, ana prolt by each others exam
pie; when practicable, take your sons
ana worKmell 10 these agricultural
meetings, ana they VIII learn to respect
all employment winch calls into active
use the talents OF all. If you have a
SICK animal, you may have the advan-
tage OF the experience ofall your neigh
DORIS, ana probably save the life of the
animal. III you have surplus of crops
such as are usually used on the farm,
or II yea are short OF others, may you
not at such meetings learn where you
may buy, sell or exchange! The same
VIII apply to live stock. Said an old
friend, now dead: 81 would sooner
forget much OF my reading than to lose
the recollection OF such practical i'm
proyements as have become acquain-
TED WIN at farmers clubs"
We have here at Woodstock live
farmers club OF three years standing,
numbering some thirty members, and
an apparently increasing interest. Our
meetings are usually very well attend
ed; order Is easily preserved, and none
but pleasant words have ever been spo-
Ken In any OF our meetings. We hold
our meetings In large hall, and usu-
ally have quite number of spectators
outside OF club members. Some attend
for the agricultural benefit, some for
the lyceum benefit, some for social ben
efit, some for curiosity, and some for
pastime. think can safely say that
most OF them get paid for attending.
One man said he did not know as farm
ers, clubs did much good, as far as he
had observed; and OH being asked how
many meetings he had attended, it was
ascertained that he had been present
but a few minutes at one meeting.
Those who have attended the most reg
ularly have been the most interested,
and received and done the most good.
Messrs. A., Is. and c. have found to
their establishment that they are really
good public speakers, though before