Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1911-02-16
OLD BAY STATE.
Normal Growth In Membership
and Good Progress.
Larger Interest In Agriculture and an
Awakening to Responsibility For
Community Leadership Are Two I'm
portant Features Of Prudent Effort.

Massachusetts,. State Master Gardner
says:
Our membership has steadily In
creased, oui financial strength has been
materially enhanced and growing
realization of the meaning, possibilities
and responsibilities Of grange utilization
has been increasingly borne home TO
our membership. Eleven new subor
dinate oranges and one new Pomona
have been organized since this national
grange last convened, while the lines
have been laid for several new oranges
In substantial and safe grange extern
sion. Massachusetts with her small
area now rejoices in 240 subordinate
oranges, "A Pomonas and $4,000 mem
bers, holding $500 meetings year
and reaching as total audience more
than 100000 people in those meetings
Of each twelve months. Whether neigh
borliness prevails among the Massa
chusetts patrons or not may be judged
numbers of individual visits Of mem
bers in "neighbors' night" excursions
from one grange to another exceeded
$4,000.
The most gratifying phase OF the
Massachusetts grange work the past
year has been the emphasis placed
upon two distinct objects Of practical
effort-frst more interest in agricul-
ture and more vigorous efforts to pro-
mote it, second, an awakening to the
responsibility for community leader
ship that rests upon every grange In
every rural town. For the good OF
agriculture the Massachusetts grange
meetings have emphasized in address
es, papers and discussions the extern
sive soil cultivation that means eff
cheney, the ever improving methods on
the farm that must keep pace with the
changing methods in every other In
dustry, the courage absolutely neces-
sary as an accompaniment Of efficiency
and Improvement that make the trim
ity Of success everywhere-on the farm
as in every other employment
Our oranges have taken an active
part in keeping the agricultural fairs
and have furnished some of the finest
exhibits. They have Loyalty supported
the farmers Institutes and have aided
materially in their success. The oranges
have co-operated heartily in our better
farming trains and were an energetic
factor in the great New England corn
show.
In agricultural legislation the grange
in Massachusetts has taken an active
and aggressive part. More favorable
legislation IN behalf OF the dairy in
terests OF our state followed the milk
strike, and one important measure,
changing milk transportation methods
in the state from contractors monop-
oily of cars to q fair and equal chance
for all milk shippers, passed our legis-
lature with but one opposing vote out
Of more than 200 members voting.
Other important agricultural legisla-
ton of the year which the grange
worked for and Endorsed was largely
increased appropriation for the i'm
provement Of highways in the small
towns. and appropriation for the en-
VI Nht
offering of state prizes for the best
growth and improvement In fruit on
Massachusetts farms; the establish
ment of an inspection Of apiaries, de-
signed TO stamp out diseases among
trees; strong legislation to protect from
unjust prosecution the dairymen who
produce and sell the pure, unadulter
ated milk of healthy herds; an amend
ed deer law in the interest Of the farm
err complete victory in a prolonged
fight to continue rigid protection Of the
birds, which was accomplished against
united ind heavily financed sports
mems interests positive beginnings In
a practical system of agricultural ed
ucatiOn for the lower grades of the
public schools; appropriations of $780,
600 for stamping out insect pests with
In the border Of the state: n quarter Of
a million dollars for one state agrl-
cultural colleC. and the extension Of
its work over Il much wider field of
than ever before; increased
appropriations for forestry and con-
servation undertakings, besides the
defeat, largely through grange influ-
ence and energy, of numherless meas
ues that would have brought direct
injury to the farmers If they had ever
been put upon the statute books of our
state. In all matters of legislation in
Massachusetts our grange policy has
been to strive for Il square deal for
farmers and for our rural towns, but
the always added determination that
that square deal TO the farmers must
mean also the greatest and the final
good of our commonwealth as a whole.