COOPERATION 



A few years after the beginning of coopera- 

 tive dairying at Hatfield, some such sight as 

 this could be witnessed of an evening in some 

 western farming community in the school- 

 house where their educational interests cen- 

 tered, or perhaps on a Saturday afternoon in 

 the town-hall of the near-by village: 



From thirty to fifty farmers would be gath- 

 ered together to discuss cooperation, or, rather, 

 to enter into cooperation, for discussion had 

 ended and there was light ahead. An agree- 

 ment would be entered into providing, among 

 other things, for a constitution, customary offi- 

 cers, and so on, and also, that each farmer 

 should pledge a certain number of cows whose 

 milk he agreed to bring regularly to the 

 creamery, to be established. A fund of from 

 two to three thousand dollars would be pro- 

 vided for the building and equipment of the 

 creamery, or, in some cases, of a cheese factory. 

 This would be located on the railroad and 

 nearest the center of population of the farmers 

 uniting. Then the milk would be brought in 

 from the herds of these farmers to this com- 

 mon center, to be separated and turned into 

 butter. In order that perfect fairness to all 



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