NEW OrFlCIAL STATISTICS OF THE AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATIONS 15 



Except the Landhouwsyndikaat van Brugge, wtdch. is a profit sharing asso- 

 ciation, the purchase counting houses instituted by the provincial federations 

 of leagues are co-operative in form, and do business also with outsiders. 



The leagues likewise transact agricultural credit and insurance business, 

 promote the foundation of livestock improvement syndicates, diffuse the 

 principles of agricultural science b}^ means of lectures, educational courses 

 and papers published by their federations, work as technical and legal 

 advisory offices for members and interest themselves in finding employment 

 for labourers. On December 31st., I9ii,the leagues recognised as profess- 

 ional unions had 6,787 labourer members in a total of 42,539. 



3. Farmieomen's Clubs. — We have already more than once dealt with 

 these characteristic institutions which aim at forming good mothers and com- 

 petent housewives and in which Belgium sees a means of combating the 

 rural exodus (i). The farrnwomen's clubs carry on their work by means 

 of circulating libraries, lectures, visits to model farms and agricultural 

 shows and exhibitions. 



On December 31st., 1911 there were 104 with 13,273 members and they 

 had given in the course of the year 532 lectures, attended by 55,713 persons. 

 At present there are more than 200 farrnwomen's clubs in Belgium. 



4. ApicuUural Societies. — ^.On December 31st., 1911 there were 230 api- 

 cultural societies, with 7,492 members, that is an average of 33 members 

 per society. Under the auspices and with the assistance of their federations, 

 383 agricultural lectures were delivered. 



Tha Syndicate Chamber of Apiculture, with head quarters at Brussels, 

 has as members chiefl)'^ delegates of the apicultural federations and forms 

 a national committee for the defence of the beekeepers' interests. The pro- 

 vinces in which there are the largest number of apicultural societies are 

 those of Brabant (49), Luxembourg (31), Hainaut (30) and L,iege (30). 



5. Poultry Improvement Societies. — The 145 poultry improvement so- 

 cieties existing on December 31st., 1911, had 7,225 members or on an 

 average about 50 per society. They are specially numerous in Brabant 

 (45) and Luxembourg (29). 



Of these societies 46 are affiliated to the Belgian National Poultry 

 Improvement Federation ; 21 to the Belgian Ornithological league for the 

 Protection of Useful Birds and the Propaganda of the Science of Poultry Im- 

 provement ; 15 make up the National Federation of the Belgian Professional 

 Poultry Improvement Unions and 33 societies of the district of Brussels are 

 united in the Poultry Impr vement Federation of the District. 



In the work carried out during the year by the National Federation, 

 let us mention the revision of the standards of Belgian poultry. The various 

 associations have promoted 267 poultry improvement lectures in S2 

 localities. 



(i) See Bulletin of Economic and Social Intelliccnce, Jlay, 191 1, pp. 43 et seqq. aiul October, 

 19131 PP- I et seqq. 



