The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1911-01-19
TO EDUCATE
THE FARMERS
Is OBJECT OF GRANGE MASTER
G. r. MALONE.
APPEAL TO THE BUSINESS MEN
TO ASSIST HIM IN CARRYING OUT
THIS IMPORTANT WORK.

following letter to the commercial
clubs and business men of the state:
Il wish to call your attention to an
exceedingly practical method of build
ing up almost every city and town in
the state-a method which could be
worked in nearly every farming sec
ton with great success.
1T is well known that farming in
the northwest. so far as securing large
crops per acre is concerned, is merely
in its infancy, that England and Ger
many with no better natural advan-
tages are raising more than twice the
wheat per acre that we are in the
United States, and ii is equally certain
that by scientific farming we could
easily double and often quadruple our
ly in the dryer portions of the state.
Now it seems to me that the mem
bers Of every commercial club, and in
fact every business man in the state,
should at once arouse himself to the
point Of intense activity in the work
Of educating farmers as 10 the posi-
bilities of crop production, and inspir-
ing them to increase the present aver
age of thirteen bushels of wheat to at
least thirty bushels per acre, and
other crops in like ratio. This would
also result in every farmer doubling
the amount of plowed land and would
induce the owners of hundreds of un-
improved quarters to convert them in
TO improved farms as rapidly as posi-
bic, thus increasing at least one hun
dred fold the crops which would be
brought to your town for sale and
would, of course, increase the sales Of
every merchant in like proportion.
This would turn every town into n
vertible bee hive Of industry and
make every store and bank fairly hum
with business activity.
yet this result is within easy reach
of every town if its business men
would but actively cooperate in the
work of educating the farmers in the
principles of scientific farming.
LAS master of the State Grange !
would 'e glad to cooperate with COM
mercial clubs and business men by
visiting every town which invites me,
and by public address do all in my
power to arouse such a degree of in
terest that all have above suggested
and ever so much more-could be
accomplished as a result of the meet
ing.
Il would Of course endcavor to or
ganize a grange, as a school of agri-
culture education and a common
ground upon which both farmers and
business men could unite in pushing
this work into the rural districts till
every farmer for miles in all direc-
tons will be pouring the products Of
his farm into the elevators of your
town in quantities which will surpass
all expectations. Put a full-fedged
Campbell farmer on every quarter sec
ton within ten miles Of the smallest
village in the state and it would not
be ten years till the average county
seat would become insignificant in size
as compared with such.
yet there is scarcely a village town
in the state which could not be set
wild with a reasonable hope of secur-
ing a county seat, while not one in a
hundred is yet aroused to the import
ance of the much greater agricultural
blessings which are within easy reach
of all.
II know of no other organization at
all to be compared with the grange in
the work of educating and inspiring
farmers along the lines of larger
furnished homes, excellent schools and
all of those things which in turn Gre
ate a demand for every legitimate line
of goods. II therefore seems to me
that what is most needed now is the
wisdom, experience and enthusiasm Of
the business men Of every town in
building up and popularizing the
grange.
"Many business men look upon the
Grange as a cooperative buying in
stitution or a sub-station for catalog
houses, but this is a great mistake.
On the contrary the grange is an or
g%anization in which business men and
farmers can unite and by showing a
proper interest In, and appreciation OF
each other, be led into closer business
relationship. I trust the time will
soon come when every town will have
a grange hall which, when not In use