TWENTIETH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART V 467 



to point to greater achievements during the first fifty years of its existence 

 than the great Order of Patrons of Husbandry. It has possessed the power 

 within itself to withstand all unjust and adverse criticism and vituperation 

 that was heaped upon it in its early history, and has come out unscathed. 

 We can never forget and will always appreciate the wisdom and foresight 

 of its founders, who builded better than they knew. Today we are reaping 

 the benefits of the heritage handed down to us. May we ever uphold its 

 dignity and prove ourselves worthy of the trust committed to our care. 



The work of The Grange is of such a nature that its greatest accomplish- 

 ments can never be cited only in a general way. We may state how many 

 dollars have been saved to the farmers of the country thru co-operative 

 trade arrangements, and thru mutual insurance companies, both fire and 

 life, and something definite can be stated in regard to the vast saving to 

 the farmers of the country thru wise legislation secured and unwise 

 legislation defeated thru the influence of The Grange; but when we under- 

 take to make an estimate of the moral, social and mental development 

 that has been brought to the farmer and his family thru Grange influence 

 and Grange teaching, we are lost in the magnificent results obtained. 



It is absolutely impossible to give any intelligent estimate of the 

 development of the noble principles of manhood and womanhood in the 

 minds and hearts of millions of people who have been connected with 

 this order, and of the millions of other people with whom they have been 

 associated. It is along this line that the grandest results have been 

 achieved. Thousands of farm homes have been made happier and better, 

 and the member of farmers' families have been reaping the highest enjoy- 

 ment of life thru the quickened mental abilities by Grange influence, while 

 the higher ideal in life has been reached thru the development of the 

 heart by true Grange teachings. 



In matters of legislation, among the first objects to claim the attention 

 and engage the efforts of The Grange, were the state agricultural colleges 

 of the country, many of which in their earlier days were united with and 

 became a part of classical .colleges and universities, thus in a large 

 measure destroying their identity as agricultural colleges and rendering 

 them practically worthless for the objects for which they were established. 



Thru the influence of The Grange a separation has been effected in a 

 majority of states, and district agricultural and mechanical colleges have 

 been established. In most of those states where efforts for a separation 

 have not been successful, the college authorities have been forced to 

 give much greater recognition to agriculture, and these institutions, 

 separate and combined, are now doing grand work in educating the 

 farming youth of the nation along the lines of scientific agriculture. 



It was thru the direct influence of The Grange that the additional 

 appropriations for agricultural colleges by the 1890 Act of Congress were 

 confined to instruction only in agriculture and mechanical arts. 



The Hatch Act for the establishment of state e.xperiment stations, which 

 are doing such a great work for agriculture, became a law by reason of the 

 efforts of The Grange to secure its enactment. 



It was thru the direct influence of The Grange that the Department of 

 Agriculture at Washington was raised to the dignity of other departments 



