SMALL BEGINNINGS 97 



kilogrammes of chemical manure. The farmer 

 was reluctant to take it. He had no confidence 

 in such manure as that because it did not smell 

 strong enough. But he was induced to try it 

 as an experiment, and he used it to grow some 

 potatoes, with such excellent results that he 

 went to the cure for more. Then several of his 

 neighbours wanted supplies as well. Meanwhile 

 the cure had been reading of what the peasants 

 along the Rhine had done in the way of form- 

 ing combinations for the joint purchase of 

 agricultural necessaries, and he called a con- 

 ference of members of his flock to consider the 

 adoption of a like scheme for Goor. His parish- 

 ioners had no great faith in the proposal, but 

 seven of them put their names down as members 

 of a " Peasants' Guild " — just to please him. 

 They soon found, however, that they could get 

 their supplies cheaper and of a better quality 

 through the Guild than they could individually, 

 and thereupon more members joined. AVithin 

 a year the Guild consisted of 100 farmers. 



Considerations of health then compelled M. 

 Mellaerts to remove to Louvain, where he 

 became an active writer on agricultural ques- 

 tions, and an especially earnest advocate of 

 agricultural combination. A conference of agri- 

 culturists at Louvain, organized by M. Mellaerts 



