SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL FEATURES 285 



munities. The precepts of the order were also applied to cases 

 of individual need. It appears to have been no uncommon 

 occurrence for the members of a subordinate grange to get to- 

 gether and harvest a crop for a sick brother or to rebuild a 

 Patron's house after it had been damaged by fire or tornado. 1 

 The constitution of the National Grange, as adopted in 1873, 

 made it the duty of Patrons to visit and render needful assistance 

 to sick brothers and sisters and in some states standing com- 

 mittees of relief were appointed for that purpose. 2 In New 

 York arrangements were made for Patrons to help each other 

 in the recovery of strayed or stolen property. 3 



In still another way the order of Patrons of Husbandry at- 

 tempted to help its members when in trouble. This was by 

 encouraging, and in some cases providing specific machinery 

 for, the arbitration of disputes between members of the order. 

 The object was, of course, to save the Patrons concerned the 

 expense of litigation in the regular courts and to prevent, if 

 possible, the neighborhood feuds which are apt to result from 

 trivial disagreements. No information has been found as to 

 how far this feature was put in practice; but it was recommended 

 by state granges as far apart as Vermont and Iowa. 4 



EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES 



The educational work of the order, as well as the social feature, 

 came largely in connection with the meetings of the local granges. 

 Each of these granges was a literary society in which the members 

 might train themselves in public speaking and parliamentary 

 practice. It was the duty of one of the officers, known as the 

 lecturer, to prepare a program for each meeting, and these pro- 

 grams might be and undoubtedly often were instructive to both 



1 Prairie Farmer, xlv. 100, 339 (March 28, October 24, 1874); State grange pro- 

 ceedings: Alabama, ii. 8; Missouri, iii. 16; New York, ii. 59. 



2 National Grange, Proceedings, vi. 16 (1873); Vermont State Grange, Proceed- 

 ings, i-iii. 53; Virginia State Grange, Proceedings, 7, 28. 



3 New York State Grange, Proceedings, iii. 32-40, 59 (1876). 



4 Prairie Farmer, xlv. 123 (1874); Carr, Patrons of Husbandry, 123; National 

 Grange, Proceedings, vii. 57 (1874); State grange proceedings: Iowa, iv (1873); 

 Michigan, ii (1874); New Hampshire, iii (1876); Vermont, i-iii (1872-74). 



