66 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. 



A. B. Cook, resident of the State Association of Farmers' Clubs, in 

 the chair. 



Prof. H. C. Adams. read a letter of greeting to this joint meeting from 

 the American League of Civic Improvement. Prof. Adams also explained 

 the work of the Political Science Association, and said he would be glad 

 if many farmers would become members. 



Mr. Cook, in introducing Mr. Horton stated that perhaps the topic of the 

 ^'Need and Possibilities of Farmers' Organizations" suggested that there is 

 a need for them that is not supplied, but such a conclusion is erroneous. 

 We have in Michigan two such organizations which are living examples 

 of the possibilities of farm organizations. Together the granges and 

 farmers' clubs have 600 local organization. This cooperation among 

 farmers has reached large proportions, but there is need for still more 

 of it. 



NEEDS AND POSSIBILITIES OF ORGANIZATION AMONG 



FARMERS. 



HON. GEO. B. HOKTON. 



I am asked to contribute a few thoughts for the consideration of this 

 assembly on ''Need and Possibility of Organization Among Farmers." At 

 the outset I desire it understood that whatever is given here on the sub- 

 ject will be practically free from quotations from the thoughts and writ- 

 ings of others, and however homely I may express myself you will at 

 least have the benefit, if any is to be derived therefrom, of originality. I 

 am aware that you will interpret this statement as meaning a lack of 

 reading on my part, and I will frankly acknowledge that constant activity 

 in business and in guiding to success various matters of trust accepted 

 by me to perform have had precedence on the time allotted to man for 

 labor. 



It may be said that it is impossible for a man in this age of books, 

 magazines and specialty writings by scholarly people to be entirely free 

 from their direct or indirect influence, and such statements would doubt- 

 less be true. All these are valuable contributions to the world's discus- 

 sions on pending questions. People who can or do take time for much 

 reading extra from current events and general views must in turn impart 

 the results of such reading and study to those with whom they come in 

 contact. But the results of this reading and study are given to others in 

 either a concurring or may be a non-concurring way with observations of 

 an analytic character. Thus busy men receive new theories with their 

 possible fallacies exposed to a considerable degree. The information 

 thus received from the crucible of public analysis tends to a division of 

 the practical from the unreasonable, the real from the visionary. 



