THE SPREAD OF CO-OPERATION 179 



does even this highest figure tell the complete 

 story, for the tendency is for the small dairies to 

 be absorbed by the larger ones, and so disappear 

 from the list altogether. A similar fate is over- 

 taking many of the " proprietary ' : dairies. 

 While, again, the 430 co-operative dairies repre- 

 sent only 2G per cent, of the total number of 

 dairies, they produce 50 per cent, of the total 

 output of butter in the country. 



Co-operation has further been adopted in 

 Sweden in the formation of " control " associa- 

 tions, societies for the purchase of agricultural 

 necessaries, societies for securing the improve- 

 ment of stock, societies for the collection and 

 sale of eggs, and the various other combinations 

 in vogue in Denmark, the Swedish farmers 

 being no less ready than the Danish to join 

 together for the purpose of securing common 

 benefits, whether in the way of reducing cost 

 of production or of obtaining the best possible* 

 return for the commodity produced. 



In addition to the purely co-operative or- 

 ganizations there are in Sweden a number of 

 agricultural societies which, among other things, 

 hold fortnightly butter shows at Gothenburg or 

 Malmo, such shows being subsidized by the State 

 to the extent of about £1,100 a year. The 

 dairies each send in lour or five casks a year, 



