466 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



by a special board or committee appointed for that purpose; that such 

 committee had been appointed and was working on the matter, and 

 that they would do all they could to hurry the report so that it might 

 be gotten to the stockmen by the time requested. However, up to date 

 no word has been received intimating what the railroads intend to do. 



As to the general field work of the association during the past year, 

 I will say that, as usual during the winter, I spoke at a great many 

 farmers' institutes and other farmers' gatherings, and endeavored in 

 this way to encourage and inspire the farmers to support the associa- 

 tion more generally. I am sure that this is the most successful plan 

 for the winter's campaign, as a speaker has a better audience at such 

 meetings, and a better opportunity to spread the knowledge of the work 

 of your organization among the farmers and get them interested. I 

 believe the local officers and members should see to it that at such 

 meetings a place is secured on the program for a speaker from this as- 

 sociation. If interest in it is maintained, we must keep everlastingly 

 boosting, for we can not succeed by keeping still and not letting the 

 farmers know what we are doing. 



Regarding the summer's campaign for securing membership pledges 

 I will say that while our fondest hopes were not realized, and we did 

 not reach the goal we had worked for, yet I am glad to be able to re- 

 port a good, substantial growth, and that we succeeded in replacing in 

 the ranks of the association a number of county and local organizations 

 which had not reported to the secretary for some time past. In all 

 of the localities canvassed, we materially increased the membership 

 over what it had ever before been, which proves very conclusively that 

 the farmers are alive to the important work the organization is doing, 

 and ready to help if solicited. 



One thing that will quite seriously militate against our rapid growth 

 in the future is the fact that the territory in which we have been 

 organized has been quite generally canvassed under our pledge system, 

 and it now remains for us to branch out into new and untried territory. 

 As we have no advance guard in such new territory to assist in push- 

 ing the work among the farmers, it means increased labor and slower 

 progress. 



If some of our live local officers and members would get in touch 

 with farmers whom they know in adjoining counties which are unor- 

 ganized, and secure their assistance in making a canvass among their 

 neighbors, it would materially assist in building up the association. 

 This organization has been built up from the beginning by men scat- 

 tered here and there through the state who were willing to sacrifice 

 their time whenever necessary in order that the association might suc- 

 ceed; and we will find that the future will demand sacrifice of time 

 the same as in the past if we are to go forward. 



It may be that on account of the quiet condition of affairs affect- 

 ing the work of the association during tiie past season, some of our 

 members have felt tiiat tiic organization was not doing much, and that 

 for that reason they would withliokl their support. If such a thought 

 has been lurking in the minds of any, I would like to say for their 

 benefit that it is not the province of this association to make issues, 



