18 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



spread of the league has been remarkable. Within the short time since 

 its foundation it has organized more than 200 local societies, among others 

 societies for insurance of cattle. Only 2 of the SO districts of Client lack 

 such societies. The league of East Flanders has great influence with 

 the public authorities. 



The province of Brabant is the center of the Peasants' League (Ligue 

 des paysans) which has branches in other provinces, especially Antwerp 

 and Limbourg. The league originated in a very modest way at the first 

 Catholic congress,on social work. In 1886 M. Mellaerts, the present 

 secretary of the league, organized an agricultural society at Goor 

 (Heyst-op-den-Berg). In 1889, alter more or less conference with other 

 public-spirited men in Louvain, it was decided that the rules governing 

 the society at Goor should be adopted by the league and that the effort 

 should be made to create a branch of the organization in every parish. 

 A federation of these societies forms the present league. A noteworthy 

 feature of these organizations is their resemblance in certain details to 

 the corporations or guilds of the Middle Ages. For instance, parochial 

 societies have a patron saint and a feast day. The societies number 

 more than 17.000 members. Each receives free a weekly journal. 1 The 

 work of the league covers all branches connected with the progress of 

 rural economy, but is principally concerned with the purchase of fertil- 

 izers and feeding stuffs. In 1895 the members purchased through the 

 agency of the league <;.">;'>.. '> tons of fertilizers and 185.7 tons of feeding 

 stuffs. In L896 7,000,000 kg. of Thomas slag and 4,000,000 kg. of other 

 fertilizers and supplies were purchased. In the season ol 1896 6,000 

 tons of potatoes were sold for the members of the league in weeks. 

 There are at present 70 Raiffeisen banks connected with the league. 

 The deposits in these banks amount to $100,000, and the premiums to 

 $40,000. There are 100 mutual associations for the insurance of the 

 stock of members, which charge 15 centimes per month tor each $20 

 worth of stock insured. 



In the provinces of Antwerp and Limbourg social agriculture has as 

 yet no central organization. The Louvain Peasants' League at present 

 seems to answer all purposes. The province of Limbourg has been 

 aided by the diocese of Liege. It has a number of credit and savings 

 banks and cooperative dairies. There are more dairy farmers in Lim- 

 bourg than in any other province, the number being 100 in the town ol 

 Gheel alone. Insurance societies are common. The II cooperative 

 dairies each handle on an average from 800 to 1,500 liters of milk daily. 

 Bach share of capital stock represents the milk of one cow. 



In the province of Liege a central agricultural association has been 

 organized, the society of Hainaut serving as a nucleus, 'flic chiet 

 object of this association is commercial. Certain sections are devoted 

 to the purchase of fertilizers, feeding stuffs, and agricultural imple- 

 ments, the sale of agricultural products, encouraging the growth oi 



1 !><■ boor and Le paysan, Louvain. 



