ORGANIZATION AND LEADERSHIP 79 



est and soundest development since the county agricultural 

 agent came on the field. How much of this is due to cir- 

 cumstances, especially economic conditions, and how much 

 of it is due to the county agent, there is no means of 

 determining. Contrary to what is commonly credited to 

 him, the county agent usually was not the cause for the 

 unusual organization activity among farmers during the 

 past few years. The cause for the most part already 

 existed. Unless a real reason for organization does exist, 

 the organization cannot he permanent. It can be held to- 

 gether temporarily, but is bound sooner or later to fail. 



Many farmers have long felt the need of such organiza- 

 tion, but have lacked the leadership and initiative to effect 

 it. These, the county agent has supplied. He has simply 

 made it easier to do what farmers already wanted to do 

 or believed they should do. In some cases it has probably 

 been necessary for county agents to point out the need 

 for organization as a remedy for unfavorable conditions 

 that exist. If the county agent, however, is the sole cause 

 for the organization if farmers organize just to be organ- 

 ized and without a real purpose an early failure is courted. 



Some early and noteworthy examples of organization 

 among farmers are the Grange, especially in the Northeast, 

 but also in the West, and the Farmers' Union in the South 

 and Southwest. These organizations, which have existed 

 for nearly half a century, have shown farmers some of 

 the possibilities of organization and have accomplished cer- 

 tain results. In particular, the Grange has been a forum 

 for discussion and a cradle in which many other farmers' 

 organizations have been born. Other farmers' organiza- 

 tions, semi-political in character, or seeking class advan- 

 tage, or usually aimed at the correction of definite abuses, 

 have arisen, served a more or less useful purpose and dis- 

 appeared. 



