Part I : Co-operation and Association 



UNITED STATES. 



FARMERS' CO-OPERATIVE ELEVATORS TN MINNESOTA. 



OFFICIAIv SOURCE : 



DuRAND (E. Dana) , Chief of Division of Research in Agricultural Economics at the University 

 of Minnesota, and Jensen (J. P.), Student Assistant: Farmers' Elevators in Minne- 

 sota, The University of Minnesota, Agricultural Experiment Station, Bulletin 164, 

 St. Paul, October 1916 . 



The development and working of the farmers' co-operative elevators 

 in ^linnesota ha? been the subject of special study on the part of the divi- 

 sion of research in agricultural economics in the university of IMinnesota. 



The facts we give are taken from a bulletin of this division, based on 

 certain of the reports which the co-operative organizations in Minnesota are 

 bound by law to render annually to the State university. The reports in 

 question cover in most cases business done between i July 1914 and 30 

 June 1915. 



§ I. Number and kind of co-operative elevators. 



The number of co-operative elevators in Minnesota is gradually in- 

 creasing. The line of distinction between them arid other elevators is not 

 always sharply drawn. It has Vjeen deemed proper to include with them all 

 elevators in wliich farmers own at least 50 per cent, of the capital stock. Un- 

 der this definition there were 296 co-operative elevators in the vStat^ on i 

 January 1916, that is about one fifth of the total number of elevators and 



l~ local mills bujdag grain from farmers. 



[[ The Minnesota Railroad and Warehouse Commission, to which all 



elevators and other concerns handling grain are required to report, includes 

 in its list of local establishments mills buying grain from farmers as well 

 as elevators proper. On i January 1916 this list included 1,428 concerns, 



