44 
Wisconsin state agricultural society. 
PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY AND FARMERS CLUBS. 
That organization and co-operation among farmers is absolutely 
necessary to accomplish any settled purpose, or even to protect 
their interest in this age of combination of all other pursuits, is by 
the more intelligent cultivators of the soil a conceded fact. Single 
handed and alone, the farmers can have but little influence : but 
combine them together, and their numbers, strength, intelligence and 
good common sense may be a tremendous power for good. Granges 
and Farmers Clubs are being organized in every county in the 
state, and I hope ere another year come3 round that every town 
will have one of the organizations formed and at work. The for¬ 
mer order which is now gathering great strength and power in 
the state, and throughout the Union, derived itshiame from the 
Latin word granum, signifying grain. The word grange has a va¬ 
riety of meanings, but all indicating or pointing towards an agri¬ 
cultural connection. In French it means a grain farm, and gran - 
gier means a farmer. In Scotch it has reference to grain farm 
buildings, and in English it means a farm and all that is not mov¬ 
able pertaining to it. The word grange is very old, and was not 
limited in its meaning to a mere farm, but, as Scott says, was used 
in that “ higher and more aristocratic sense to which it is fairly en¬ 
titled,” “Rotherwood.”—“In Ivenhoe ”—was called a grange. 
This was in the twelfth century. When Maurice de Bracy tried 
to persuade the Lady Roweno to consent to marry him he having 
abducted her, asks her : “ How else wouldst thou escape from 
the mean precincts of a country grange where Saxons herd with 
the swine which form their wealth ? ” to which the lady referring 
to “ Rotherwood,” replies : “ Sir knight, the grange which you 
condemn has been my shelter from infancy.” 
La Grange was the name of La Fayettes Chateau, and the word 
is said to have had about the same meaning as park, lodge or hall 
when applied to first-class residences. Thus it will be seen that 
the name grange adopted by the farmers of the United States has 
a significant and novel meaning, somewhat flavored with ideas of 
aristocracy and even of royalty; but it will be noticed that it al¬ 
ways refers and is connected with the soil, with the cultivation of 
gardens, fruits and flowers and other agricultural and horticultural 
pursuits. 
