The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-03-18
From the Lecturer of the VfF-
ginia state Grange.


From the Lecturer Of the ViF-
ginia state Grange.
Brothers and Sisters. Unfortu-
nately for both of us, the State
Grange instructed me to prepare a
quarterly lecture for publication in
the Virginia Granger and Farm
and FIreside. Believing that you
are better qualified to discuss and
decide upon the best methods of ag-
riculture, the preparation of your
lands and the crops best suited to
them, shall principally devote my
self to directing your attention to
matters of equal importance to our
class. AS time will permit, howev
er, | shall attempt to collect such
matters of interest relative to the
farm and household (and present
them for your consideration and dis
cussion) as may be brought to my
attention. l shall prepare once in
six weeks an article for each paper,
and will begin the series by trying
to present plan for the application
of one feature of one of the founda
ton stones of our Order.
co, OPERATION.
1t has been said that many are too
poor to CO operate; that CASH, the
great propeller that moves the
world, is not so abundant among
farmers as to enable them, as class,
to cooperate. While at some future
time | shall discuss this very impor-
tant side of this very important
question, at this time | shall confine
myself to a side which, if acted up
on, will, in my opinion, do much to
educate the members of the Grange
up to the absolute necessity of prac-
ticing cooperation in all of its
branches.
AS Patrons, LET US CO operate in
education, not simply in our public
and private schools and at our fire.
sides, but let each Patron take upon
himself the task of teacher, not alone
for his Subordinate Grange nor for
his State Grange nor the members
in our State, but let him teach the
outside world what the Graz ge is,
what it has done, what it proposes to
do, and what it can accomplish, not
single handed and alone, but with
the cooperation of all true and good
citizens.
To properly accomplish this, it
will be necessary first to educate
each member as to the real objects
of our Order, embracing as it does
the grand principles of justice, equ;-
ty, liberty, fraternity and charity.
What | would suggest is that each
Subordinate Grange set to work to
educate its members, making, as it
were, of each Grange normal
school, to send forth teachers for the
benefit of agriculture, missionaries
in the field to advance the manhood
and womanhood of the American
people upon a plane of advanced
excellence, integrity and purity; and
whatever plan is or has been adop-
ted, be it good, bad or Indifferent, let
that plan be published and its results
be made known, so that every men,
Der in the State can have the benefit
of each others experience. Let the
work in every Subordinate Grange
be fully and clearly explained, SO
that every member can fully under
stand what is being done and how
it is being accomplished Let sue
cess be made known, and the causes
that promoted it be stated, so
that others can adopt them. On the
same principle, hesitate not to &C
knowledge failure and point out
their cause, SO that the breakers NAV
be avoided. | appreciate the mod
esty that would tend to prevent sue.
cessful Patrons from heralding their
success, and also the Discrimination
one feels in acknowledging failure;
but 1t IS duty that we, as membe s
of one Grange family, owe each
other, to assist and cheer the weak
and unsuccessful by pointing out
the way to success, by exciting an
honest emulation, and thus creating
an interest in the Order heretofore
unfelt by the failure to tighten the
fraternal tie that binds us as agri-
culturists. 1t is duty that, as Pa
irons, we owe our Brothers and Sis
ters to point out our failures and the
causes that led to them. No true
man is ashamed of failure, if an
honest effort has been made to pre-
vent it. What would be thought Of
a business man who, having hon
estly striven against adverse circum-
stances finally failed, if he should sit
down for the rest of his life and re-
fuse to retrieve his broken fortunes,
or if he should say he would not
give to Brother whom he saw
pressing the same road to ruin
friendly hand of assistance or
kindly word of warning?