340 AWAKENING OF ENGLAND. 



the post offices to the parish councils is not 

 acceptable to the Government, then I would 

 suggest as the next best plan that they should 

 advance money to agricultural co-operative 

 societies, and in this way, besides helping 

 to capitalise the tiller of the soil, whose labour 

 is rendered sterile by the want of capital, it 

 would also be a way to encourage small 

 holders to co-operate. 



Credit banking, after all, is the form of co- 

 operation which finds the capital. Now, it 

 is that form of co-operation which deals in 

 buying and selling which is obviously the next 

 step to be taken in agricultural development. 

 In spite of the excellent progress made of late 

 in the creation of the new branches of the 

 Agricultural Organisation Society, England is 

 behind Ireland and far behind other European 

 countries in agricultural co-operation. The 

 largest agricultural co-operative society in 

 England is the Eastern Farmers' Co-operative 

 Association, which, with a called-up capital 

 of less than £1000, does a turnover of 

 £300,000. As the members farm on an 

 average 300 acres, we have a striking instance 

 here of how co-operation can interest the large 

 as well as the small farmer. 



