Year: 1879

VIII.


COOPERATION AMONG FARMERS.


| cannot close these papers without say
j. ing something of tho benefit to be derive,


from cooperation and association in farm


life. In the address of the Hon. W. P
t Harris, before the State University, th


benefit of Association in all the affairs o
. life, was forcibly presented. My object il
to present its benefits when applied to agri


culture, and to show some of the methods
in which it can most easily be put into op-


Grafton.


Its most primitive and simple manifesto,


ton is the old time practice Of mutual hid
: in rolling logs, and in building the log


cabins, which were the dwellings of our


people in earlier times-when each neighbor


was expected to assist the other in the work


which was beyond the ability of any one


of them, and to receive this aid in turn. II


is also seen in the friendly practice, yet pre-


vailing in the country, of exchanging one
portion of beef or mutton when killed in


hot weather, whereby fresh meat is furnish
ed TO all the neighbors without cost, each


in turn butchering his stock at an agreed
time, SO as not to conflict with the like ops
Grafton of his neighbors I believe these
simple operations are all that is practised or
understood among the farmers, of the prin-
ciple of association or Co operation. What


methods the Grangers may have introduced
do not know, but whatever they may have
been, it is clear that in large portion of
the State at least, they are not now prac-
| ticed.


| The first association 10 which l would ill.,
vite farmers, is what would call farmers
club-being a meeting of the farmers of
certain defined neighborhood- districts at
stated periods, for the purpose of intelli-
gent converse about agriculture, and the
reporting to the meeting of experiments
which had been made by the members,
whether successful OF unsuccessful. There
is no such thing as a priori knowledge in
agriculture. Everything that is known or
can be known must be the result of ex~
perience an observation. A careful obsers
walton of the results of certain methods in
agriculture and the reporting of what is
thus learned, are the only true means of ex-
tending and improving knowledge of this
business. Sometimes method which in
the main must be wrong, will from excep-
tional circumstances be successful This
imperfection could hardly fail of detection
by discussion of it among intelligent
farmers. Sometimes a method which in
general IS correct, has failed from neglect
to observe some circumstances necessary
to success.


There is no class of people who abandon
old ways and adopt new methods with such
reluctance as farmers. In many of them
have thought all their knowledge was hered-
had acquired nothing and fore
gotten nothing since their first entrance in
to the business. farmers club would
destroy the conceit of those
who supposed they had learned all that
could be known, by bringing before them
the successes of those who had improved
upon hereditary lore, aud had by intelligent
observation and intercourse, added to their
store of knowledge. A club confined to
the reporting and discussion of rosults-not
to speculations as to what ought to be the
outcome of untried theories, could not fail
to be useful. have heard the complaint
made that such and such an agricultural
paper was worthless-it was book farming
mot practical. My reply to that observa-
ion has always been that if an agricultural
paper be worthless, it was the fault of the
farmers themselves in their failure to make
,areful observations and experiments, and
report the results to the paper


Another method of association and cO>
operation within the reach of farmers and
and which has been successful
n England, is tho


COOPERATION STORE.


This has been found there to be not only
good investment to the stockholders, but
he means of furnishing its customers with
better articles at very much reduced rates.
To reach this point, the farmers must
laye made in the particular locality that
progress in which they are, in the main,
,ut of debt, and when they make their pur- i
,hases for cash. The Legislature should
.mend the general incorporation law so as
o include within it associations of this {
character. The association, being corpo-
ration, its shareholders only risk their |
stock, which should always be paid up. [
The purchases should be for cash, and the [
,ales for cash, or the stock of the corpora>
ion exclusively. At first the articles dealt {
n should be only thUse of a staple charac- {
or, and universally in use among stock &
holders. Let its beginning be unambitious {
md humble-being dealer in things of 8
prime necessity, where thete could be no |
emnants. 1t should have an Executive Com
nittee composed of the most intelligent 6
members; and one of the best business men {
n the Association should be the manager. At '
irst the store might be located on a farm
n the center Of the neighborhood, or it {