ANNUAL REPORT—CO-OPERATION. 
47 
trust and confidence in one another, and a desire to elevate the 
profession of farming, and make it not only profitable but honor¬ 
able. Many farmers are apt to think that because other pursuits 
are often more lucrative than theirs, that because less hours are 
devoted to other professions, less physical strength required, with 
profits greater, that of necessity these callings must be enemies to 
their interests. Such, in my judgment, is not the case. They 
are not enemies to the farmer, but friends to themselves. It is 
natural for man in his individual capacity, and when associated 
with others, to reap honorably and honestly as large returns for 
his labor as possible, regardless of whether that labor be physical, 
or mental, or both, and he who does not act by this rule will find 
the balances against him when the profits of each shall be ad¬ 
justed, and a final settlement with other occupations made at the 
end of the year. To insure success in agriculture, there must 
not only be enterprise and industry, but united and associated 
effort. All great and needful reforms have been carried on by 
combined and associated agencies, and if the farmers of this state, 
who in point of intelligence and wealth equal, if not exceed, all 
others, w T ho are in fact the very foundation upon which all others 
must build and flourish, if at all, with numerical strength superior, 
with votes which make judges and legislators, and fill every place 
of trust and profit in the state, will not organize and co-operate to 
protect their own interests and profession, but scatter and divide 
their influence and power, be controlled by sharp, scheming men, 
who are seeking to appropriate to themselves the surplus profits 
of [their labor, I shall have little hope of an amelioration of their 
present condition, and a lower appreciation of their intelligence 
and manhood. 
FARMERS CLUBS OR GRANGES. 
These associations should be formed, one or more in every town 
in the state, where weekly meetings should be held, say from Sep¬ 
tember to May, and less frequent the balance, or more busy sea¬ 
son of the year, and discussions had upon topics of interest in the 
various branches of farm and household management. These 
meetings should be conducted in a systematic and methodical 
manner, questions given out at each meeting for the one follow- 
