The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-03-12
FARMERS CLUBS.
and MEETINGS
SUGGESTIONS FOR FARMERS
CLUBS.

10 Dakota Farmer: H
1914 is here and We farmers, are
still hanging back and do not know
, our business. Never in history has
there ever been organized so many
farmers clubs for the good of the
farmer; never have such steps been
taken to help organize as there were
in 1913. Now what will the result be-?
TO be outspoken. dare say several
farm clubs are starting in wrong.
, They are drifting into business at
once. What l mean by that is, the
farmers are studying the question Of
where they can buy their groceries,
dry goods, coal and wood at whole
sale prices.
We have had nine or ten meetings
Of our club. The first and second
ones were O. X, but ever since then
there has not been a word wasted on
better farming except when a speaker
comes around and talks alfalfa and
COWS and corn, which is o. K, once
every two months. OF course, farming
is not all that an up-to-date farmer
has to know about. He must learn
and discuss different methods and ex-
periments and the best place for this
rs the club meeting.
l will mention few topics which
would be of interest as we'll as educa-
tional if taken up in farmers club
meetings. Not shipping stock until
they are fit for market. Not giving
away screenings and wild oats and
paying freight on them besides. Why
cannot farmers organize live stock
shipping associations and in old set
Elements even own their meat markets
and run delivery wagons? Why don't
farm clubs discuss the cheapest and
best building material for parns ana
sheds; the handiest way to do chores;
the best way to build cow barn to
keep the COW bed dry, and the same
thing abort the heg houses and pens.
And here we come to the fences. We
can say there is Tot one farmer out
of hundred that has nor can put
down a corner post that will not give
when the frost goes out in the spring.
The corner post is the backbone Of
the whole fence. and why not take
mere pains in anchoring it. Then
there is the road work; the different
kinds Of weeds to fight, and there are
a dozen more things to be mentioned
for the farm clubs to take up and dis
cEss. 1t would mean lot for the
future, as everybody would take part
in these discussions and there would
not be 50 many absent members. In
fact, everyone would feel that the
meetings were too short
In The present meetings the farmers
have not a word to say or ask az
there always are few leaders who
want 10 get them al! talking about
n,'"t"ess. They have the idea that the
merchant is getting too much profit,
and this may be true on SOME things,
hut II the farmer watched more care
fully the things he wastes in many
w.ys he would soon forget the few
th;"c~s the merchants are making too
lis proI.;.s en-. The farmers club and
its organi7G'iOr IS, without doubt, the
best thing for the good Of the commu
mites as well as for the country and
too good to die ont, but to keep it
alive, some different steps will have
to be taken--sH"h as to forget that
they cannot have meeting unless
they have & speaker engaged. We
hear someone ask. What viii we do
there without speaker" I would
say. for instance, have q blackboard,
write up several questions to be an
severed the following meeting and have
each member take home memoran-
dunn of it. II this were done and the
questions We're not too di"i"tlt and
carried to extremes. thee would soon
be a record that they would feel proud
of, and no member could afford to stay
away from the farmers club meeting.
Allow ME to sa y again. If such steps
were taken ut the farmers ciHh meet
ings. half OF the members could rot
afford to stay at hone as they are
now doing, for it would mean educa-
ton, they would hear all learn thin"s
they never thought Of. It would all
mean more br::tns at work IT home
On the .arnl.-,Albcr Holland. Blrnes
Co., n. y.
According 10 advices received from
the Culbertson Bureau, CHICAGO. yes
terday afternoon, Nine. Paulsen, who
wac IN have appea rod hcre on the Ar