2i 4 AGRICULTURAL ORGANISATION 



Branch of the Agricultural Organisation Society, and only 

 formed in October, 1911, opened a grinding and crushing 

 mill which is to be operated on co-operative lines and is 

 fitted up with machinery equal to meeting a large demand. 

 The necessary capital was advanced to the society by its 

 chairman, Mr. W. T. Spark, on terms advantageous to the 

 co-operators, who hope to pay off the purchase-money in a 

 few years and so have the mill as their own, while in the 

 meantime they will get their milling done at lower terms 

 and participate in the profits made. 



There is scope for much more to be done in one or other 

 of these various directions. A revival of milling in English 

 villages would mean the revival of a decayed industry for 

 which there is still much scope alike in the direct advantages 

 offered to farmers or small holders and in the provision of 

 another means of rural employment. It has been found 

 that within the area of the Southern Branch of the A. O. S. 

 there are about 250 water mills, namely, in Wiltshire 145, 

 Hampshire 50, and Dorsetshire 55 ; and these figures 

 suggest a considerable range of opportunities in the country 

 in general of which agricultural co-operative societies, 

 whether specially formed for the purpose or otherwise, 

 might take advantage. 



K. CO-OPERATIVE CREDIT. 



By agricultural co-operative credit is to be understood a 

 system of credit which assists persons already in occupation 

 of land to cultivate it efficiently, or otherwise to command 

 capital designed to meet exclusively reproductive purposes. 

 Agricultural credit societies, though often confused with 

 them, thus differ essentially from " land banks " designed 

 to assist persons in acquiring the ownership of land. To 

 the former object the Agricultural Organisation Society 

 has paid much attention ; the latter is one that does 

 not come within the scheme of its own particular opera- 

 tions. 



As regards agricultural co-operative credit proper, what 



