352 RURAL -NEW YORK 



Among animal interests, the Breeders' Association 

 and the Dairymen's Association are the largest, with 

 400 members each. In horticultural interests tlie 

 New York State Horticultural Society — with 1700 

 members — is the largest not only in the State but 

 also in the country. They meet once or twice a year. 



A fu-cther feature of rural organization is buying 

 and selling associations, the formation of whicli has 

 been much stimulated in the last five years and ap- 

 pears to be making marked progress. 



In addition, there is a very large number of smaller 

 local associations, such as reading-clubs, social clubs, 

 canning clubs and other welfare organizations, all of 

 which promote the spirit of mutual understanding 

 and are the stepping stones to broader work. Each 

 individual must choose the organizations and move- 

 ments that most nearly represent his interests and 

 ideals and that most effectively give force to them, 

 and it may not be practicable for him to touch all 

 of the organizations in liis community. Not to be 

 affiliated with any of these is an indication of either 

 narrowness or selfishness, and in both cases of under- 

 efficiency. 



New York, throughout its history, has been well 

 churched. It is a heritage that it derives from the 

 New England stock, as well as from colonists from 

 other sources, as indicated in the chapter on history. 

 The rural villages, which are usually the seat of the 

 church, have one to several clmrches representing dif- 

 ferent denominations, and in the aggregate practi- 

 cally all of the denominations extant in the country. 



