THE NEW YORK STATE VEGETABLE GROWERS’ 
ASSOCIATION AND ITS WORK 
Paut Worx 
Superintendent and Instructor, Department of Vegetable Gardening, Cornell 
University, Ithaca, N. Y. 
Over four years ago a small circle of New York vegetable men 
were gathered in conversation in the lobby of the Hotel Secor in 
Toledo. These men had journeyed from the Empire State to 
attend the meeting of the Vegetable Growers’ Association of 
America. Within the circle the question arose as to why New 
York State should not itself have meetings organized on as high 
a plane as those of the national association. The idea was favor- 
ably commented upon and as a result a questionaire was addressed 
to a number of the commercial producers of the state inquiring 
as to whether they would be willing to support a state association. 
Replies were favorable and a call was issued for a meeting to 
consider the matter of organization. During Farmers’ Week of 
1911 it was decided to establish such a society and twenty-seven 
men became members at that time. About as many more men who 
were unable to be present at Ithaca joined the association within 
the first few months. From that day to this the growth has been 
steady, amounting to about 25 per cent. per year. The early 
months of 1915 point to a much more rapid increase in the enroll- 
ment, and the association seems now to be firmly on its feet. 
Two features of the development in membership have been par- 
ticularly encouraging. From the first the membership has in- 
cluded leading growers from every corner of the state, and at 
present hardly an important producing center is unrepresented. 
Even more important than this has been the marked develop- 
ment in interest on the part of members. A large number of men 
are willing to give time, thought and energy to the activi- 
ties of the organization, and a spirit of solidarity and of willing- 
ness to cooperate is developing in a marked degree. 
The association began with comparatively few and simple ac- 
tivities. Each year has witnessed the introduction of some new 
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