STATE ASSOCIATION OF FARMERS' CLUBS. 



SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING. », 



A. B. COOK SECRETARY. 



To the Honorable State Board of Agriculiure: 



As Secretary of the State Association of Farmers' Clubs it becomes my 

 duty to make the annual report of the work done by that association. 

 The lifth annual meeting was held December 14 and 15, and was attended 

 by about 200 delegates. The secretary reported fifty-four (54) new clubs, 

 and a total of three hundred fifty (350) clubs in the State, with a member- 

 ship of 30,000. A large part of one session was given up to the reports 

 of delegates. 



At the evening session of the first day President Cook delivered the 

 annual address, which was as follows: 



ANNUAL ADDRESS. 



PRES. E. J. COOK, OF THE STATE ASSOCIATION. 



With this meeting we place the key-stone in the fifth annual ring of 

 State Association's history. With this meeting we round out the fifth 

 of five years of associational activity. Good years these have been, 

 freighted with results beyond the hopes of the most optimistic of our 

 charter members. 



February 4, 1894, we organized under our now well-known banner'^ — 

 The Michigan State Association of Farmers' Clubs. Since that time our 

 growth has been a steady and healthy one. I have no statistics prior io 

 last year. One year ago Secretary Wells reported thirty clubs organized 

 during the year, while this year Secretary Pierce reports over fifty new 

 clubs, showing that the club movement gains strength with age. 



The number of clubs in the State is in nowise represented by the num- 

 ber enrolled as members of the State Association. It is with keen regret 

 that I make this statement. Not until every club in our State is a mem- 

 ber of the association and is represented at the annual meeting by able 

 representative delegates will we exert our maximum of influence. 



Our condition in the State today is, it seems to me, most prosperous, 

 and the reason is most obvious. The necessity of organization in our 

 vocation is universally admitted. Much as we dislike to, we are obliged 

 to admit that as a whole the farming classes have fallen behind in the 



