646 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



laying dormant because there has been nothing to arouse it to action. 

 Again, you will not only be surprised but you will be amazed at the 

 number of older persons, men and women, who will flock to these meetings 

 to hear what the children have to say. Once started, they will grow to 

 be powerful adjuncts to our institute, and when we get the youngsters 

 interested the older people will be coming early to avoid the crowd and 

 push for seats at our spring meetings. Then the sidewalks will not be 

 lined with half-aroused farmers basking in the sun, who imagine they 

 know all there is to know about the business they are engaged in. 



THE GRANGE— ITS ADVANTAGES, SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL. 



BEFORE MAHASKA COUNTY FARMERS' INSTITUTE BY MRS. I. N. TAYLOR. 



OSKALOOSA, IOWA. 



I thought it would be well for us to notice the origin of the Grange. 

 The order of Patrons of Husbandry originated in the mind of O. H. Kelley, 

 a man of New England birth. In 1864 he was appointed a clerk in the 

 Department of Agriculture at Washington. Two years later Mr. Kelley 

 was commissioned by Honorable Isaac Newton, . Commissioner of Agri- 

 culture, to visit the southern states for the purpose of obtaining statisti- 

 cal and other information in regard to the south and report the same to 

 the department at Washington. It was while traveling in the south 

 that a thought of a secret society of agriculturists for the protection, and 

 advancement of their interests, and as an element to restore kindly feel- 

 ing among the people, occurred to him. At that time you remember there 

 was bitter feeling among the people at the close of the war. 



The idea of giving women full membership in the proposed order 

 originated with Miss Carrie A. Hall, a niece of Mr. Kelley's, to whom he 

 had imparted his views of the new association after his return from the 

 south. It is neither ambition nor pride that has placed women on an 

 equality with her co-worker, but a blessing which was received from the 

 human race. 



But, you say, we don't believe in secret organizations. All well organ- 

 ized families have secrets. I don't suppose there is one here. If I should 

 ask you to tell me your family secrets, you would reply, "Oh! that is for 

 the protection and interest of my family." Just so with our Order. The 

 Grange is an organization for the whole family and is based on a ritual 

 of four degrees, four for men and four for women, which is unsurpassed 

 in the English language for originality of thought, purity of sentiment 

 and beauty of diction. A constitution was formed to govern the Order 

 in 1867. The first dispensation for a Grange was granted in 1868. Nearly 

 30,000 charters have been granted. We have over a million members 

 and the organization is fast increasing in membership. It seems that 

 the Grange came to the farmer's rescue. An organization for the farmer's 

 protection seemed an absolute necessity. No influence has done more to 

 advance social and intellectual enjoyment of the farmer than the Grange. 

 A prominent minister said recently one of the happiest winters he ever 

 spent in his life was when he with his family attended the Grange. 



