92 AN AGRICULTURAL FAGGOT. 



gives brief particulars of a few typical associations. 



The following may be taken as representing a strictly 



local one of good standing : — 



South Durham and North Yorkshire Association (estab- 

 lished 1878), headquarters Darlington, has from forty to fifty 

 members, who pay an entrance fee of 2d. per acre, and 2s. per 

 ton registration fee on all manures ordered. Only manures are 

 dealt in at present. The secretary sends in January to each 

 member a list of manures, which is returned marked with the 

 number of tons of each kind required, and the month in which 

 it is wanted. All the requisitions having been scheduled, the 

 secretary advertises for tenders from manufacturers, stating 

 the quantity of each manure required, and the station at which 

 it is to be delivered. 



The committee reported that they were strongly 

 impressed, from the information laid before them, with 

 the advantages which may accrue to farmers by the 

 adoption of the principle of co-operation. With careful 

 management the risk of failure is small, as is proved by 

 the fact that, so far as they had been informed, no 

 agricultural co-operative association formed for the 

 purpose of purchasing farm requisites had failed. 



This fact, viz., that there is no instance on record of 

 a co-operative purchasing society having failed, is very 

 noteworthy. Candour compels the admission that this 

 is by no means the case with regard to co-operative 

 societies for the sale of farm produce. More than one 

 is known to have come to financial grief. It would be 

 of little avail to speculate on the causes of their failure, 

 but it may be observed that not all who take the name 

 of " co-operation " really adopt its principles. A real 

 co-operative association of producers, dealing only — or, 

 at any rate, mainly — in the products grown by its 

 members, and dividing all profits fairly among the 

 producers, has seldom, if ever, been tried on such a large 

 and well-organised scale as to afford a complete test of 

 the principle. Theoretically, the idea seems unassailable, 

 but there are considerable practical difficulties, on the 

 dealing with which success or failure depends. 



