SPAIN. 



THP: association of the agriculturists of SPAIN 

 AND ITS WORK. 



SOURCES : 



NUEVO REGLAMENTO DE la ASOCIACION DE AGRICULTORES DE ESPAILA, APROBADA EN LA 



JUNTA GENERAL EXTRAORDiNARLA DE 15 DE MARZO DE 1912 {N ew Rules of the Association 

 of Agriculturists of Spain, approved at the extraordinary general meeting of 13 March 191 2) 

 Imprenta de la sucesora de M. Mimusa de los Rios, Madrid, 1912. 

 BOLETIN DE LA AsociACiON DE AGRICULTORES DE EsPAUA (Bulletin of the Association of Agit- 

 culturists of Spam) Years 1912-1916, Madrid. 



The Association of Agriculturists of Spain is perhaps, in virtue of its 

 age and its organization, the most important institution of its kind in rural 

 Spain. It was formed in Madrid in 1881, that is to say before the law of 

 1887 on associations, which gave an impulse to the movement for associa- 

 tion in this country, was promulgated. In spite of the many obstacles 

 which it had to overcome, in order to reach its goal, the example and the 

 propaganda of the Association of Agriculturists caused the formation of 

 numerous agricultural groups wliich were the forerunners of the existing 

 agricultural institutions. It need not therefore astonish us that it aspired 

 to the leadership of the social organization of Spanish agriculture, that 

 it desired to regulate the progress and direct the efforts of this movement. 



One of the chief merits of this institution is that it has endeavoured 

 to adapt its organization to the new exigencies of rural development, and 

 thus has been able to fotmd for its members such enterprises as the exist- 

 ing credit fund and the mutual institution for insurance against hail 

 which will soon become active. It contains therefore a promise which 

 justifies a short description of its organization and chief activities. 



§ I. The organization of the association. 



The objects of the Association of the Agriculturists of Spain are, accord- 

 ing to its rules, a) to defend and protect the rights and interests of rural 

 producers ; b) to extend the relations and the union existing among indivi- 

 duals of this class, as among agricultural institutions ; c) to encourage the 



