LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR POSSIBILITIES 



137 



some of the growers of the neighborhood as accomphshing nothing, 

 but they are really doing much. It is the almost universal experience 

 that success in these smaller affairs leads to expansion, and the 

 societies of which we seldom hear today will in the future take their 

 places beside the great associations and exchanges of the far West and 

 of New Jersey and the South. 



BEGIN WITH A FEW MEMBERS 



It is well to emphasize the advantage of beginning with a com- 

 paratively small number of growers. It is much easier for a few to 

 agree than a large number. After the plan is established, any in the 

 neighborhood who care to join hands under the scheme that has been 

 adopted may well be invited to do so. Others who, if they were on 

 the inside, would only make trouble are thus kept on the outside, 

 where they are comparatively harmless. 



SOCIAL ADVANTAGES 



May we not return to the most important of all the 

 advantages to be derived from united effort exerted in any direction, 

 namely, the social advantage? The emphasis that is placed upon 

 this feature in the letters that were received is truly surprising. 

 You may say that growers are a hard headed, practical lot, that 

 they are looking out for dollars and cents and nothing more. If, 

 however, you would go through the letters, you would be thoroughly 

 convinced of their appreciation of what one might call humanity. 

 Vegetable men like to be acquainted with one another just as well 

 as anybody. Those who attend meetings of societies in different 

 sections are greatly impressed with this fact. Few societies have 

 accomplished so much for the advantage of the membership as the 

 Boston Market Gardeners' Association. After reciting a number 

 of these advantages, a letter concludes: 



"I believe, however, that one of the best features of our Asso- 

 ciation is the social side, the getting together of the gardeners every 

 two weeks through the winter to discuss all matters of interest to 

 them, to talk crops, seeds, fertilizers, and methods. Three or four 

 times a season we have our outdoor meetings held at some of the 

 larger greenhouse plants. These are usually all day meetings. A 

 good lunch is served at noon, and after a business meeting at about 

 2 p. M. we have some good speakers to discuss some question of 



