LESSONS IX AGRICULTURE 



wives and daughters be admitted on full equality with 

 the men, and from the first, the organization which fol- 

 lowed has made no distinction on account of sex. Mr. 

 Kelley unfolded his plans to a number of gentlemen in 

 the Department of Agriculture and elsewhere, who be- 

 came interested in the matter. 



Patrons of Husbandry. " The first meeting was held 

 in the office of William Saunders, the horticulturist of 

 the Agricultural Department at Washington, on the 

 evening of December the fourth, 1867, which has ever 

 since been known as the birthday of the order. The or- 

 ganization was named, 'Patrons of Husbandry,' and 

 the word, 'Grange,' which means a farm home, was 

 substituted for 'lodge' as used by other organizations. 



Officers. "There are Subordinate, Pomona, State, 

 and National Granges, each one of which is represented 

 by delegates in the next highest body up to the National 

 Grange which is the supreme authority. All Granges 

 have the same officers as follows: Master, Overseer, 

 Lecturer, Steward, Assistant Steward, Chaplain, Treas- 

 urer, Secretary, Gate Keeper, Ceres, Pomona, Flora, 

 and Lady Assistant Steward. 



Purposes of the grange. ' ' The purpose of the organ- 

 ization is to promote the interest of agriculture in every 

 legitimate way possible, educationally, legislatively, co- 

 operatively, and socially, with a view to develop a bet- 

 ter manhood and womanhood on American farms. In 

 its forty odd years of history, the Grange has accom- 

 plished a vast amount of good for American farmers, 

 and practically every advancement made by agriculture 



