CONCERNING FARMERS' CLUBS. 271 



FOURTH DAY. 



Friday, January 26, 18*72. 



The Board assembled at 10 o'clock, Mr. Scamman of Cumber- 

 land in the Chair. 



The day was chiefly occupied with reports from delegates from 

 Farmers' Clubs. To give these in full would occupy large space 

 and involve a repetition of much which has been presented in 

 former volumes. From their general tenor abundant evidence 

 appeared regardiug the exceeding usefulness of these institutions, 

 and abundant encouragement for their promotion. Plentiful testi- 

 mony was also given showing the need of them, the uses which 

 they subserve, and that a large amount of indifference and vis 

 inertia exists among many, perhaps among the majority of farm- 

 ers, which needs to be overcome, and which demands persistent, 

 earnest labor on the part of those who realize the need of elevating 

 agriculture to the position it should rightfully occupy, and the 

 consequent need of a general diffusion of both practical and scien- 

 tific knowledge among farmers. 



What Farmers' Clubs have already accomplished in these direc- 

 tions in many neighborhoods, as testified to by many of the 

 speakers, gives the highest encouragement for continued efforts 

 where they have been in operation, and for their formation in 

 other neighborhoods. It also appeared that for successful work- 

 ing there must be some who are willing to devote much more than 

 their proportionate share of time and labor to the work ; and who 

 will work on steadily after the attraction of novelty has worn off, — 

 and who by their well directed enthusiasm may leaven the duller 

 ones with progressive ideas. 



No other calling suffers so much for lack of contributions to the 

 common stock of knowledge by means of what each other has 

 gathered from experience, as agriculture. Farmers are not brought 

 together so much as mechanics and many other classes ; they have 

 less opportunity to inspect each other's work and to criticise and 

 profit by one another's operations. Whatever contributes to this 

 end serves an exceedingly useful purpose, whether it be the Town 

 Fair, the County or State Exhibition, a printed Book, the News- 

 paper, the Club, or whatever else. In many cases Town Exhibi- 

 tions have been got up by Clubs, and have brought their benefits 

 as it were to the doors of all. These in their turn contribute 

 greatly to the success of County Exhibitions, and these again to 



