146 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



The second class are farmers of entertainment; they may be 

 retired business or professional men, or men yielding to the 

 desire to become producers, or who, for diversion, start a coun- 

 try place and become the laughing stock of the community. 



The third class actually makes a living from the farm. 

 Hard-working, self-denying, training the children for some other 

 business, he keeps his knowledge to himself. 



Now of these three classes we should expect nothing from the 

 first, the third is too occupied, but the second one, the center of 

 jest by the rural population, viewed with suspicion by the city 

 men, unclassified by the agricultural school, is really the man 

 upon whom our hope rests, for he has the ideal and the courage 

 to live for it. By business experience he is better fitted to con- 

 sider the problems, and financially able to put his conclusions 

 into effect. This man just needs to realize his responsibility and 

 the great opportunity outspread before him, and to be regulated 

 and directed. 



Agriculture needs, as never before, to be dominated by a com- 

 paratively few men; they must be leaders in foresight and 

 energy. But in no industry is it so necessary for success that 

 the organization is understood by all, entered into by all and 

 the profits shared by all. 



We are growing too many crops without organizing the com- 

 munity itself, including standardizing the crop and product. 

 The attempt has been made to immediately put on agriculture 

 an organization, equipment and efficiency which commercial 

 lines, though lending themselves more readily to organization, 

 have required years to accomplish. 



The farmers have reached no extremity; they are not in a 

 fit of the blues, nor are they in the last ditch of despair. The 

 fairly intelligent man has succeeded and will continue to suc- 

 ceed without an organization, but every man will succeed better 

 if organized, and agriculture as a whole can occupy its true 

 position and fulfill its service to society only by organizing. 



Select your neighborhoods in which to start; it will be many 

 years before any agricultural organization, however desirable, 

 will be universally adopted. In determining the location re- 

 member that necessity alone must be the force to draw these 

 people together. This is not abandoning the higher ideal, but 



