CO-OPERATION FOR SALE OF FARM PRODUCE. 125 



operations of the association are distributed amongst 

 the members, after provision has been made for the 

 payment of the working expenses, the allocation of a 

 certain sum to the reserve fund, and the part repayment 

 of loans. Each member receives a share of the profits 

 in proportion to the weight of pork he has delivered 

 during the year. The amount carried to the reserve 

 fund is determined annually by the council. 



Returning to this country, it may be observed that 

 among the articles of consumption in which the margin 

 between farm price and retail price is largest, are bread, 

 vegetables, milk and meat. In reference to the latter, 

 Mr. Druce, in a paper read at a conference held in 

 connection with the Health Exhibition in 1884, pointed 

 out, that between the time of the birth of the beast and 

 the placing of the joint on the table there are six, and 

 commonly seven, profits to be made. First, there is the 

 breeder ; second, the drover ; third, the grazier ; fourth, 

 the railway company ; fifth, the cattle salesman ; sixth, 

 the wholesale-meat salesman ; seventh, the retail 

 butcher. This represents the state of affairs under the 

 system of sending live animals to be slaughtered in London. 

 The more economical method of slaughtering in the 

 country and sending the meat in the carcass to London 

 is gaining ground. In 1880 the quantity of town-killed 

 meat sold at the Central Market was 1,618,100 cwts. ; 

 in 1893 it was 1,227,220 cwts. A few attempts have 

 been made to establish abattoirs in country districts, but 

 these have been as a rule private ventures, and I am not 

 aware of any instance in which very notable success has 

 yet been attained. 



At Darlington, the farmers of the district recently 

 combined to establish an auction mart for live stock, 

 which has been very successful. The capital is £2,000, 

 in £1 fully-paid shares, and only farmers and butchers 

 are allowed to hold shares, and no one person may hold 

 more than twenty shares. The company manage the 



