164 AGRICULTURAL ORGANISATION 



hasty action in the development of schemes for co-operative 

 sale. In the course, however, of eleven years' experience, 

 the Society has accumulated valuable information and 

 expert knowledge which might be utilised in the development 

 of this especially difficult phase of co-operative effort, and 

 the question arises whether much more should not now be 

 done in this direction. 



WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. 



A few examples might be offered by way of indicating 

 what is already being done in the way of co-operative sale 

 of fruit and market-garden produce. 



The East Anglian Farmers, Limited, was originally 

 formed, in 1900, as the East Anglian Farmers' Co-operation, 

 with the object of affording an outlet for the sale of its 

 members' produce, in large or small lots, at Stratford 

 Market, in the East of London. It acquired its initial 

 experience at the price of some heavy losses, but has since 

 profited from them so well that it is now selling, not alone 

 for its own members, but for several societies of small holders. 

 It also does business, on commission, for growers generally. 

 For 1910 the society paid a bonus of 3 per cent, to all mem- 

 bers on the value of the produce sent in by them, and in 

 1911, when its turnover amounted to 28,000, one of 2\ 

 per cent. The society has now opened a branch in Co vent 

 Garden Market. The committee of management consists 

 of representatives of agricultural co-operative societies and 

 of industrial co-operative distributive societies, together 

 with individual members. 



The Federated Growers, Ltd., was formed in 1910, at 

 the instance of a number of fruit growers, market gardeners 

 and agricultural co-operative societies, with headquarters 

 at Smithfield Market, Birmingham, to provide better outlets 

 and greater facilities for the disposal of produce. It operates 

 on lines similar to those of the East Anglian Farmers, but 

 as yet is only in its initial stage. 



At Pershore, Worcester, a satisfactory local solution has 

 been arrived at in a marketing problem which had caused 



