ii8 The State and the Farmer 



educationalized association is now developing, 

 centering about the colleges of agriculture 

 in the form of short-courses and " farmers' 

 weeks." The continuing cooperating working 

 society is yet to come with us. 



The associations reflect the spirit of the per- 

 sons who compose them. They ought to be 

 the mainspring of all good works in the com- 

 munity. Every agricultural community ought 

 to have something like a board of trade, hold- 

 ing regular meetings in a regular place. It is 

 unfortunate that boards of trade are practi- 

 cally affairs of cities and villages. 



What agricultural societies can do. 



One of the commonest causes of discourage- 

 ment in a farming business arises from the 

 failure to utilize local or neighborhood experi- 

 ence. In every community there has necessarily 

 developed a body of experience which should 

 be of great value to the whole community if 

 only it were collected and arranged so that con- 

 clusions could be drawn. Here is most useful 

 work for any local society. In every neighbor- 



