The evening times., 1896-11-12
GRANGE And COLLEGE MEET
Professors Call on the Farmers at
Their Meeting.
Addresses by DR.. Dabney, President
johnson and Others-RepOrts of
Grange Work for Year.

The National Grange, at the National
Hotel, this morning held an informal recep-
tion for the Agricultural College and En-
pertinent Station officials, who have been
in session here for three days.
The Grange, which is the central body OF
the Patrons Of Husbandry, began its ses
sions yesterday and will continue about
week, There are about sixty delegates
present, making up, with attendants and
friends who are not delegates, an ASSEM-
bly, of 200.
The meeting this morning opened at
9:45 a. IN. in the east dining room OF the
hotel. Tie place was bright with flowers
and fruit and with the many -colOred re-
galias and badges OF the order.
After the routine annual reports Were
heard from Lecturer Alpha Messer, Gate
keeper W. +. Harbaugi, and ssistant Stew
ard "A. Newcomb. The latter two were
formal. The report of the lecturer con-
taired much of interest to members and to
the public generally
Mr.. Messer said in part: Farmers are be-
ginning to recognize that as soon as they
step outside the narrow environment of
their partially secluded farm life to be-
come living, active factors in the world
Of thought. progress, commerce md poll
tics, by which they are surrounded, they
are met by organizations of almost every
conceivable ma. ure, which dispute the adj
vanCeS OF the farmer, single-handed and
alone. These would often make his in
terests subservient to their own. Hence
the absolute necessity of combination
"A generation has had along the lines
OF organization a most forcible object les
son in what has already been done by the
grange. All classes are forced to con-
cede the value of this. vital, active force
for the well-heing OF every community
where it exists"
Mr.. MesSer said he had in the past
year done more office and less field work
than usual. To economiZe, as has been
necessary everywhere else, the Grange
has used speakers in local oranges to
present the claims of the order. This had
a good result in bringing to the front a
number of valuable workers in the cause
Investigation has shown that the order
has been prosperous when these speakers
have been most active. Tbishas been nota-
bic in Ohio. Pennsylvania, and New York,
where energetic State lecturers have been
constantly at work.
Another important factor in progress has
been grange literature. The number of
distinctively grange papers has decreased
during the year and many farm papers have
added grange departments. Some Of the
grange papers have grown in circulation.
Grange literature in the hands of the lee
turer was almost exha usted and he issued
an eight-page circular.
The quarterly bulletin had been estab-
lished, as voted at the last meeting. 1t
bad been useful, hut had failed to take
the place of other literature, as the execu-
tive committee had hoped. The subordi-
nate oranges had failed to use it, as they
might have done Also he suggested that
members make greater efforts to furnish
grange news to newspapers.
The visitors from the convention Of
Agricultural Colleges came in about 1880.
Assistant Secretary Dabney of the Agri-
culture Department.; Commissioner Harris,
President Atherton, of the Pennsylvania
College and President johnson, of the
association, made brief addresses, and
Worthy Master brigham, W. w. Miller.
Ohio secretary OF agriculture. and others
responded.
This was followed by the appointment t of
large number of grange committees, which
prepare the work OF the organization.
No officers will be elected this year.
The place of meeting is fixed by the execu-
tive committee.