120 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



for that community as a Shorthorn center, and buyers would be 

 attracted without a large outlay for advertising or showing. 



Another source of great loss in animal breeding is the sacri- 

 fice of sires before their value becomes known or before their use- 

 fulness is ended. The owner seldom is able to dispose of a used 

 sire at more than common stock prices even though its value is 

 known to be very great. Every year hundreds of very valuable 

 sires are slaughtered at the packing houses long before their use- 

 fulness is ended and young and untried sires take their places at 

 the heads of our herds. By such a co-operative arrangement as 

 is here suggested a breeder having an impressive sire could notify 

 the college authorities, and a member of the staff could visit the 

 farm, inspect the get of the sire and record him for sale according 

 to his actual merits. 



The Agricultural College of each state should do all in its 

 power to promote co-operation among its people. Up to present 

 time these colleges have been chiefly concerned in matters of pro- 

 duction. Henceforth they should give as careful instruction and 

 conduct as fundamental researches in matters pertaining to dis- 

 tribution. 



At Manhattan we are trying to impress upon our students 

 that co-operation is essential to progress in any important line of 

 endeavor, and especially that it will require the closest and most 

 unselfish co-operation of all the farmers to build up a satisfactory 

 system of rural schools, to revitalize the country church, to build 

 roads, to improve the sanitary conditions of the open country, to 

 form community centers and to create community tasks. We are 

 trying to convince them that the moral effect of co-operation is 

 good, that by this means honest dealing is promoted. It is the 

 application of the principles of the golden rule to business. It 

 gives every one something to do for the common good. It pro- 

 motes democracy. 



In fact, the Agricultural College should go one step farther 

 and establish a co-operative bureau to assist the man, on the farm 

 in marketing his products. This, of course, would include fruits, 

 seed corn, grains, live stock and every class of farm produce. 



Through the efforts of the college the co-operative organiza- 

 tions now existing in each state should be brought into close con- 

 tact and encouraged to work together. Such a bureau could well 

 act as a clearing house of information for the consumer as well 



