86 THE FARMER AND THE NEW DAY 



was overdone. Probably in the main it was the one 

 best adapted to the times. The American farmer con- 

 quered a continent for civilization under this policy. 



The farmers' interests for the first two-thirds of the 

 nineteenth century were largely educational and social. 

 It was an era of the development of agricultural fairs 

 and farmers' clubs. There was not much discussion 

 of economic difficulties. But the period of the Civil 

 War saw the beginning of discussions about bad busi- 

 ness conditions under which the farmers had to work, 

 and the last third of the century saw the rise of the great 

 farmers' organizations. These various voluntary as- 

 sociations of farmers have grown to perfectly enormous 

 proportions. They may be grouped as follows: 



Associations to improve production live stock, 

 dairy, horticultural societies. 



Associations to improve marketing and exchange 

 credit unions, supply associations, cooperative selling 

 societies, mutual companies. 



Associations to improve country life the church, 

 women's clubs, improvement societies. 



Associations of a general or inclusive character 

 the Grange, the Farmers' Union, etc. 



We also have an elaborate system of agencies sup- 

 ported at public expense administrative, such as na- 

 tional and state department of agriculture, boards of 

 education and of health; educational, such as special 

 agricultural schools, country farm bureaus, agricultural 

 colleges and experiment stations. 



There have arisen many urban agencies, such as 

 manufacturing concerns, banks and boards of trade, 

 which have a genuine concern and active interest in 

 rural affairs. 



