the farmers in the matters which most vitally concern them. Very few 

 rural communities can be said to be adequately organized. In Mont- 

 gomery County the first steps have been taken toward this adequate 

 organization. It is not our present purpose to discuss the social organi- 

 zation of the various communities, though certain aspects of this, as the 

 organization into Farmers' Clubs, have economic importance. We are 

 here interested in those forms of organization whose primary bearing is 

 economic. 



(1) The Tobacco Growers' Association. This association, which in- 

 cludes the tobacco growers of Frederick, Howard, Carroll and Mont- 

 gomery Counties, was organized seven years ago. A large part of its 

 work has been educational. It is in no sense an attempt to pool the 

 tobacco output of these counties with a view to controlling the price. 

 It has encouraged better methods of production and care of the tobacco; 

 it has advocated honest packing, both as to weight and uniformity of 

 quality and in this connection employed a grader for a period of time; 

 it investigates market conditions and recommends to its members some 

 reliable firm to handle their output. Its effects have been almost to 

 double the crop yield through the improved methods of cultivation, 

 and to increase the price about one third by gaining the confidence 

 of the buyers in the quality of the tobacco and the fairness of its packing. 



(2) The Milk Producers' Association of Maryland, Virginia and the 

 District of Columbia. This association represents about 20,000 dairy 

 cows of which at least two-fifths are owned in Montgomery County. 

 The total membership is about 450. There is at present no attempt to 

 fix prices of dairy products. The work of the association is to advocate 

 better legislation, protest against imposition of any sort, discuss and en- 

 courage improved methods of handling the herds and in general, better 

 the conditions under which the dairymen work. 



(3) The Sandy Spring Fruit Growers' Association. This association 

 has just been formed with twenty-six members, and represents at present 

 about 15,000 trees. Most of the orchards are still young so naturally 

 its work in the immediate future must be largely educational. The pur- 

 pose of the association is described by its constitution as follows: (1) 

 To disseminate scientific information; (2) to secure advantageous legis- 

 lation; (3) to secure improved transportation facilities; (4) to secure 

 a uniform system of packing and package; (5) to develop and open up 

 markets. To this it may be added that when the orchards generally 

 begin to bear, the association plans to undertake cooperative selling of its 

 products through an agent, at which time it will probably be chartered. 



(4) The Grange. There are three branches of the Grange in the 

 county, two in the Olney District and one in the Colesville District, 

 with a total membership of about 180. Though a considerable part 



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