The Green Forest tribune., 1910-07-22
BENEFITS OF FARM SOCIETY
Agricultural Organization Should Be Center of Information and En-
 courage Cooperation.


 courage Cooperation.
 By PROF. c. L. NEWMAN. NORTH
 CAROLINA 4. & NJ. COLLEGE)
 There lre now more farmers or ganizations than at any previous time in the history of the United States. Organizations have sprung up four ished for period and then declined and have in some cases been com pletely wrecked When wrecked the element of destruction has most ire Quently been politics. Of late these organizations have had more appro- priate and legitimate objects and are not only enduring better but doing vast more good than ever before. The average member when he joins one of the larger organizations looks too far away from the benefits he expects He has a misconception of the good he will get or is entitled to. Too many units of this character checks the progress of the organization.
 Too often the aims and objects of these farm organizations are set forth in general terms and the locals are not active enough in working out the details. These details are the life blood of the locals
 The organizations first object should be the betterment of the unit, the individuals composing the organ ization. Until special efforts are put forth to this end only part of the attainable good will be secured. One of the great difficulties confronting the local is found in the failure to hold together and their failure is due ton lack of local interest and benefit secured through the following of def mite objects
 There is no more effort being put forth which has for it's object the inn provement Of the farmer than ever before, and this effort is more direct ly aimed at the individual. The good it will do depends upon the reception by the individual.
 An important element of success in an organization of any kind is found in few progressive individuals who will devise, improvise and lead with | out selfish motives These too often are the last to put themselves for ward. They should be found and | brought forward.
 An agricultural organization should in sense be center of agricultural information. Members should be ap- pointed to seek new facts of benefit to individuals to interpret bulletins newspaper articles and other sources of information that all may be bene- | fitted. Such an organization should have an important bearing upon the rural schools and see that agriculture | is targht by teachers competent to give such instruction. Encourage ment and aid to young men in their efforts to become educated would be legitimate field for action.
 Cooperation in buying and selling may by such means be secured through the buying of seeds, plants, fertilizers, live stock, implements and many other things.
 The introduction and breeding of animals and plants by different indi. viduals of the organization, each do | ing that for which he is best pre- pared, will develop specializat ton ! calculated to benefit whole com ! munity. Experiments and tests of various kinds may be allotted select | members for demonstration. Hun I,dreds Of these could be carried on in | the community and the results report CT to and discussed by the members of the organization. Demonstration work, such as til1age and fertilizers, | the trial of new varieties of vege- | tables, fruits, field crops, poultry and I've stock, if properly undertaken, would give new life to the organiza- | tion and to the community in which | 1t existed. Should a community find | that certain variety of cotton, corn, | oats, potatoes, etc., or certain breed | of some of the domestic animals, de | veloped especially well, and large quantities or numbers of these were | the course of time become famous for | Its speClalty.
 Such an organization should be a | center to which reports of outbreaks of animal or plant diseases and pests should be made so that concert of ac- tion may be taken to combat them. State or national aid in such cases | could far more easily be secured | through such an organization than by an individual Such an organization should have prominent house owned | by the society in which a reading room | and library should contain literature and records to be kept There should also be c museum in which farm pro ducts are kept on exhibition to be shown at county, state or national fairs. The state fair would be a sue cess beyond expectation if there were many efficient locals.