412 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



farm bureau organizations of Iowa, of which at the present time there 

 are one hundred, with 40,000 members, take a great deal of pride in the 

 accomplishment of this state, altho they are not claiming the credit. The 

 agricultural extension department was the official organization thru which 

 the federal government acted, and the farm bureaus were the ones who 

 took the burden to put this work thru. 



I might go on with other phases of this report, but I do not believe 

 I will take the time, but will make a suggestion or two here for the 

 future. 



Great things have been accomplished in this country during the past 

 two years. In the face of the common enemy we have forgotten our 

 jealousies and differences and pulled together. In my experience in the 

 extension work, I never have known a time when there was more cordial, 

 whole-hearted co-operation among the farmers of this state than during 

 the past two years. It would certainly be a pity if we permitted this 

 spirit of co-operation to subside now that the war is over, and go back 

 to the old way of "each fellow for himself, and the devil take the hind- 

 most." As a matter of fact, the farmers of this country are facing the 

 most far-reaching world's problems of their history, problems even great- 

 er than the problems during the war, and our great problem is to pull 

 together and keep these organizations going, and I want to further the 

 remarks of Mr. Howard, that the farm bureau association is not trying 

 to swallow up any other organization. It attacks farm problems in a 

 broad way — economic, educational and social. Its object is to improve 

 country life in every possible way. 



Now, in a practical way, the problem is to bring the different farmers' 

 organizations of this state together for concerted action, and the great 

 danger at the present moment is that the many farmer organizations in 

 our state, not understanding each other, will fa'il to act collectively upon 

 some of these topics, and thereby we will fail to get the results which we 

 ought to achieve. I feel that most of the misunderstandings of life be- 

 tween individuals are due to the fact that we are not acquainted with 

 the other fellow; we do not know his objects and purposes. I believe 

 the same thing is true with organizations. If you have had a difficulty 

 with your neighbor, you can nine times out of ten straighten it up if you 

 will go and talk the thing ovar, or if you are in the habit of talking things 

 over with him, the difficulty probably will never occur. The same thing 

 is true with reference to the different organizations of the state. 



I would like to suggest that the different organizations of the state 

 select representatives — perhaps the presidents or secretaries, three dele- 

 gates, we will say — who can meet three delegates from each organization, 

 who can meet two or three times a year, or as often as necessary, in order 

 to go over the problems of the farmer. You can call them an agricultural 

 council. I do not think their recommendations ought to be mandatory, 

 because of the enormous differences in interests involved, but I do believe 

 a council, acting in that way and making recommendations, would receive 

 the approval and would at least keep all the organizations informed as to 

 what each is doing. 



That is our big problem in this state, to bring the various organiza- 

 tions together, so that we can work together as a unit. I think it would 



