34 BKLGIUM - CO-OPERATIOr> AND ASSOCIATION 



These characteristic associations, which have already given excellent 

 results in Belgium, have, as we know, gradually spread over Austria, France, 

 Germany, England, Ireland etc. (i). 



The Congress presenting more than usual interest, on account of the 

 intervention of the representative? of numerous foreign States, was divided 

 into three sections, with the following programmes : 



ist. The Fammomen's Associations. Report of the work of the farm- 

 women's associations in the various countries. Organization, programmes, re- 

 sults. The various forms of association among farmwomen. Associa- 

 tions for the diffusion of instruction, associations for the defence of profess- 

 ional 'interests, co-operative societies for purchase and sale, mutual aid and 

 insurance, savings banks and pension funds, associations for recreation. The 

 various means of action of the farmwomen's associations : home schools, 

 lectures, libraries, shows etc. 2nd. The farmwomen's professional mission. 

 The care of young cattle . The milk industry, farmyard animals. The kitchen 

 garden, book-keeping. The embelhshment of the farm with shrubs and 

 flowers. 3rd. The farmwoman as mother and housewife. Training of the 

 familj'-. Health of infants. Advice with regard to sanitation and furnishing. 

 Utihzation and storage of kitchen garden produce. Means the farmwomen 

 may try for the professional education of children and for attaching them to 

 the countr3^ 



Ever>' field in which women may exert an appreciable influence was 

 therefore considered. 



§ 2. The most important resolutions and communications. 



As it is not possible to report all the decisions arrived at in the meeting 

 in regard to the various matters mentioned above, we shall limit ourselves to 

 those of the greatest importance. And above all, in relation to the subjects 

 dealt with in the first division, the Congress passed resolutions to the effect 

 that : [a] the farmwomen's associations must not Hmit themselves to turn- 

 ing out good housewives, but must also be centres of social union; {h) in 

 the training schools for young women, belonging to land owners' families, 

 who pass a portion of the year in the country, instruction in agriculture must 

 be so organized as to permit of their devoting themselves with intelligence 

 to social work connected with it ; (c) courses of domestic and rural economy 

 must be instituted for the use of the founders of farm-women's clubs 

 and the programme of the institutions in rural centres must be utilised for 

 the preparation of competent managers of these clubs. 



in regard to the problems of the second division, relating to the farm- 

 women's professional mission, all the resolutions passed substantially aim 

 at including in the school courses in,struction in agricultural bookkeeping, 



(i) With reference to their origin and organization, see also the very recent publication of 

 O. BusSARD : Les Cercles dc fermieres. Jfi Mus6c Social. November, 1913, Paris. 



