The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-11-21
Union Among Farmers,

Advantages of united effort have
been long appreciated and improved
among those who pursue the trades
and professions. Those especially, the
seat of whose business is in large towns
or deusely populated districts, have
made most progress in this departm cnt
of Improvement Farmers being apart
and associating with each other, or
with the world less perhaps than most
other classes of society, have been
slower than other bodies of men of
equal intelligence to see the advanta-
ges of union for their common good,
or to improve to the full, the advanta.
ges they already see. Yet something
has been done The Agricultural
Fairs, which have become 40 popular
within the last few years, have diffus.
ed vast amount of information, which
had otherwise been confined to few.
They have inspired self-respect, and
awakened an emulation and enthusiasm
for improvement, whose effect on the
agricultural interest has, along with
other favoring causes, been as life from
the dead.
Whatever processes can lessen the
number of middle men between the
producer and consumer, both ways, are
blessings to the community. The mer-
chant, we admit, performs great and
valuable service wherever he is need.
ed. But still all device--honest ones
we mean--that may lessen or remove
the necessity for his aid are blessings
They relieve labor of one OF its heavi-
est burdens the support of large
crowd of producers, who must be
paid at high rate for what they do,
and whose number, from the operation
of obvious causes. is becoming greater
every year But our object at present
is not so much to comment on the pro-
gress already made by farmers in un-
ion of effort, as to point out some 9TH
or things in which union is especially
needed, and 10 which its results would
be without doubt of the most beneficial
character.
First, among the matters which we
would commend to the notice of our
friends, is union in the purchase of
costly stock--books, implements, seeds,
shrubs, trees, and other things of a
similar kind. 1t is so easy to see the
way 10 which union may operate most
advantageously in securing improve
ment in farming implements, seeds,
shrubs and trees, that we may not
dwell longer on them at this point.
The farmers of certain neighbor-
hood are fully convinced that a certain
breed of horses, cattle sheep or swine
is the best they could have. But only
one of them is able to make the pur-
chase of first-rate male and female
that could be relied on as thorough
bred. But by uniting their means,
they may make the expense very light,
which would secure the speedy intro
duction among them of the very best
of all kinds of stock which the Ameri-
can or British stock growers can fur
nish.
In the destruction of vermin, union
is absolutely essential to success. A
gardener attempts to save his fruit
trees from the ravages of the borer, or
the fruit from the apple worms. He
uses every preventive and remedy that
a single man can use. He accomplish
es little, and but a little. For his
neighbors on all sides, neglect all these
matters and live on from year to year
unaffected by his suggestions or his ex.
| amnle Their orcharda and oardeps
are prolific sources of every species OF
vermin and insects, that flourish under
the reign of carelessness and laziness
every year he is over run with a new
swarm. He becomes discouraged and
at last gives up the struggle. Union is
essential to success in all these matters
Let whole ncighborhood be animated
by common spirit and pursue The
same effective system Of prevention
and cure, and the pests may be con
quered.