88 RURAL AL'VV YORK 



York lias always been one of the strongest Grange 

 states in the Union, and has stuck constantly to the 

 movement. It now numbers 863 local granges, 50 

 Pomona or county granges, and has a membership of 

 114,000. It has been a potent force for agricultural 

 leadership and inspiration in rural affairs. 



The New York State Horticultural Society was 

 formed from the Western New York Horticultural 

 Society and the New York State Fruit Growers As- 

 sociation in 1918 and now has a membership of 1700 

 which makes it the largest as well as one of the most 

 live associations of horticulturalists on the continent 

 and perhaps the largest in the world. The Western 

 New York Horticultural Society was founded in Feb- 

 ruary, 1855, and for many years looked after the 

 horticultural interests of the State. In 1901, there 

 was a split in its membership, largely along the line 

 of nursery interests and fi'uit production, and the 

 New York State Fruit Growers Association was the 

 outgrowth of the movement. For many years, an- 

 nual meetings and one or more field trips have been 

 held by each of these organizations. They included 

 in their membership a very large proportion of the 

 fruit-growers in the State and have been effective 

 leaders in that field. In the State Horticultural So- 

 ciety the membership of the two organizations is now 

 united. 



The third movement has to do with the dairy inter- 

 ests and is embodied in the Dairymen's League. Its 

 inception was the desire and a certain degree of ne- 

 cessity for a better price for milk if it was to continue 



