154 HUNGARY 



it organized exhibitions, circulated literature, and 

 aimed at extending scientific knowledge on 

 agricultural subjects. In addition to this it 

 secured the formation of local branches to pro- 

 mote the same general purposes, and it helped 

 to bring about the holding of national confer- 

 ences of farmers. Of late years, however, it 

 has developed a new policy by making great 

 exertions to establish agricultural combinations 

 on co-operative lines, eventually creating, in 

 1896, a "National League of Agricultural 

 Societies," for which it acts in the capacity of 

 an executive committee. 



One of the earliest of the co-operative 

 organizations formed among Hungarian pro- 

 ducers for the promotion of special interests 

 was a union of wine-growers. Of more im- 

 mediate concern, however, to the British farmer 

 is the Central Co-operative Creamery Society of 

 Budapest. This combination was created in 

 1883 for the supply of milk and dairy products 

 of guaranteed quality, and under the best 

 conditions, to the inhabitants of the capital, the 

 business being so conducted as to yield to the 

 farmers, in their turn, a maximum of possible 

 profit. Operations were begun in a very small 

 way in a house rented for the purpose. By 

 1885 the concern had prospered so much that it 



