CO-OPERATION. 95 



Thus we 8oe that a desire to be independent begets co-operation, 

 and cooperation brings the necessities and luxuries of life. " Live 

 and let live," is a saying trite as true, and when we strive to pull 

 down another's occupation, character, or property to build up our 

 own, we find that we pay more attention to pulling down than 

 building up, and our building is of poor material and shabbily 

 done ; but when we set about any enterprize and seek the co- 

 operation of our fellow- men, the combined wisdom secures results 

 not otherwise obtained. The mechanic co-operates to build 

 houses, mills and machinery ; the engineer co-operates to build 

 railroads and canals ; the capitalist co-operates to form banks, 

 insurance companies and other means of investment which it would 

 not be practical for one man to do alone. So we see that other 

 pursuits, although needing co-operation less than farming, actually 

 co-operate ukmo Most o^her pursuits and occupations do not 

 require so much general knowledge as that of farming. To be suc- 

 cessful the farmer must understand the nature of his soil and the 

 adaptation of different crops thereto ; he must study the analysis 

 of each, that he may tell what crops to grow in rotation to secure 

 the best results; he must know the nature and requirements of 

 domestic animals, so that he can tell which is best adapted to his 

 wants, and yield the most profit. The various experi.iients that 

 must be made to enable tlie farmer to carry on his business to 

 advantage could not be crowded into the longest life, but by a 

 system of co-operative experiments, more can be done in a single 

 year for his benefit than he could learn alone, should he live to 

 the age of a thousand years. 



In view of the great need of co-operation among farmers, let us 

 look and see how the matter really stands. Although farming is 

 the oliest occupation on the globe, and one in which more than 

 half the people in the civilized world are engaged, yet in no 

 branch of industry is it so hard to fill one's shelves with text- 

 books adapted to their wants, as in that of farming. While we 

 see co-operation to form numerous schools adapted to the wants 

 of the professions and see them liberally endowed and supported, 

 we see but a single school in the State which may be called a 

 farmers' school, and the co-operation in this case seems to be 

 rather against than for it — an agricultural school in name — but 

 how many of our farmers know whether it really is such? It 

 should be visited, if not by every farmer in the State, at least by 

 a representative from every town, who should make himself 



