ANNUAL REPORT—CONVENTION. 77 
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neer efforts of a few far-seeing men, and to the stimulating influ¬ 
ence of an intelligent press, strengthened and reinforced by the 
progressive spirit of this wonderful age, a great change has been 
wrought since those plodding days. To-day, associations of this 
kind are almost as numerous as those of any other, while indus¬ 
trial exhibitions are the distinguishing event of the autumn season 
in every part of the country ; and, what is of greater moment, 
the wholesome, saving doctrine, that there is a true science of farm¬ 
ing, without a knowledge of the principles of which the highest 
success is impossible, is gaining ground. 
Public recognition of this is beginning to clothe the business of 
farming with a new dignity, and to create new demands for its fur¬ 
ther improvement. Colleges, in large numbers, have been estab¬ 
lished and endowed, the primary object of which is to provide in¬ 
struction in the application of science to the improvement of agri¬ 
culture. In this way, farming is gradually approaching that de¬ 
gree of development and scientific certainty that will in time entitle 
it to rank as a real profession. But, in spite of these evidences of 
progress, the present condition of agriculture and of the farmer 
himself, is far from satisfactory. Guess-work, random efforts, “ cut 
and try ” methods still characterize the practice of most farmers. 
Waste is manifest on every hand — waste of time and strength 
and substance. We see it in field culture, in stock rearing, in or¬ 
charding, in short, everywhere; while the scanty fruits of toil are 
often more than half appropriated by those who carry them to the 
ultimate consumer, or who, with very little productive labor, 
manage, by the tricks of trade, to fatten and flourish upon mar¬ 
gins and corners. Thus it has been from time immemorial, and 
thus it will continue to be until farmers shall better understand 
the situation about them, and organize in self-defense. 
One of the chief difficulties thus far has been, that farming is 
wholly individualized. This accounts in great part for its prostration 
at the feet of every interest that is organized and cohesive. All 
great human achievements are the results of united effort. Our 
whole social system is union, from the country log-rolling to the 
confederacy of states. Farmers cannot afford to ignore the rest of 
the world. We are sadly behind, and whatever may be the cause, 
a closer union can do much toward removing it. There is a want 
