The Comrade. (Winnfield, La.) 1890-1914, 1910-08-05
BENEFITS OF FARM SOCIETY
Agricultural Organization Should Be
Center of information and En-.
courage Cooperation.
(By PROF. c. L. NEWMAN, NORTH
CAROLINA A. & NJ COLLEGE.l


ished for period and then declined
and have In some cases been com
pletely wrecked. When wrecked the
element of destruction has most fire.
Quently been politics. OF late these
organizations have had more appro.
pirate 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 misconception of the good
he will get or is entitled to- Too
mally 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.
fzation. 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 its object the i'm
provement Of the farmer than ever
before, and this effort is more direct
ly aimed at the individual. The good
1t 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 a 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-
flied. Such an organization should
have an important bearing upon the
rural schools and see that agriculture
is taught by teachers competent to
give such instruction. Encourage.
ment and aid to young men in their
efforts to become educated would be-
a Legitimate field for action.
Cooperation in buying and selling
has been neglected, yet great good
may by suDh means i 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 specialization
calculated to benefit a whole COM
munlty. Experiments and tests Of
various kinds may be allotted select
members for demonstration. Hun
dreds OF these could be carried on in
the community and the results report
er to and discussed by the members
OF the organization. Demonstration
work, such as tillage 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-
ti0n~and to the community in which
1t existed. Should a community find
that a certain variety of cotton, corn,
oats, potatoes, etc, or certain breed
Of some Of the domestic animals, de-
veloped especially well, and large
Aue%ASAL1V0 w uuAuUCIS I'll IuGSS were
produced, that community would, in
the course Of time, become famous for
its specially.
Such an organization should be
center to which reports Of outbreaks
Of animal or plant diseases and pests
should be made so that concert Of &C
$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 a prominent house owned
by the society in which reading room
and library should contain literature
and records to be kept. There should
also be museum in which farm pro-
ducts are kept on exhibition to be
shown at county, state or national
fairs. The state fair would be sue.
cess beyond expectation if there were
many efficient locals. III