84 VERMONT AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



we want this society to be to the town what a board of trade 

 is to a city. 



A farming - town should have its live farmers' club, hold- 

 ing- regular meetings, where the farm and its needs, and not 

 politics, could and would be discussed, farm improvements 

 suggested and resolved upon and this club should hold confer- 

 ences with the improvement society. A great field for co- 

 operation for these societies might be found along the line of 

 good roads ; this is a coming improvement in which everyone 

 should be interested and should do everything in reason to 

 further the matter. A good rural improvement society might, 

 working in conjunction with the proper authorities, do won- 

 ders along this line, and do away with the jealous feeling 

 which finds expression in the words, "if the road cannot be 

 fixed in front of my house and farm first it shall not be fixed 

 anywhere." What is wanted most of all is public spirit in 

 the rural districts and the taxation necessary to carry out the 

 improvements will be less burdensome for the unity of feeling. 

 If the whole of a rural community were actuated by the 

 spirit often exhibited by the few, the results would be surpris- 

 ing and nothing could work upon the public spirit as might a 

 rural improvement society, actuated by a mutual impulse to 

 carry out plans for the good of the town ; the highway is a 

 splendid place on which to display this impulse. 



We could make a most radical improvement by a change 

 in our school system, by abolishing the outlying school dis- 

 tricts, where the attendance is very small, lessening the out- 

 lay for repairs, fuel and teachers and adopting the more mod- 

 ern idea of concentrating the scholars of the township in a 

 central graded school, establishing a full course of study in 

 harmony with the graded schools of the cities, where four 

 teachers could do better work than the eight or ten now nec- 

 essary. The high school is an educational power in which 

 every inhabitant can and should take the highest degree of 

 pride, and we owe it to every scholar in the township to let 

 him share in its benefits. The city school is only ten schools 

 merged under one roof and we have the power, if we will use 

 it, to have schools in our country towns that will stand the 

 equals of any in the state. Shall we have this or largely frit- 

 ter away our educational possibilities? 



One of our duties, as citizen farmers, is a little less active 

 observance of the Sabbath and a more general attendance upon 

 church services. Whether or not we are in accord with the 

 expressed belief of the minister, it is a valuable idea for a 

 farmer to get into his good ~1othr~ a least once a week and 

 take his place, by presence at * ast, on the side of truth, right 

 and rality. I do not wish a return tc the Sabbath of the 



