1 88 FINLAND 



tain for themselves what was being done there 

 in the direction in question, and on their return 

 they started a small agricultural society at 

 Helsingfors. Then in 1899 Dr. Gebhard pub- 

 lished a book in which he gave details respect- 

 ing the growth and development of agricultural 

 co-operation in France, Germany, Denmark, 

 and elsewhere. 



Up to this time the movement had been of 

 a comparatively feeble character ; but it was 

 suddenly taken up with great vigour as a re- 

 sponse and set-off to the policy of Russia 

 towards Finland, and it so happened, curiously 

 enough, that the persons who, in the first 

 instance, showed the most zeal in the matter 

 were not the agriculturists, the socialists, or the 

 clericals, but the students in attendance at 

 Helsingfors University. Whatever the particu- 

 lar studies on which they had entered, they 

 flocked to the lectures on agricultural subjects, 

 they eagerly read whatever was available there- 

 on, especially with regard to agricultural co- 

 operation ; and when they returned to their 

 homes, whether at the close of their University 

 career or only in the holidays, they did so as 

 active propagandists of the agricultural co-opera- 

 tion movement. Their own particular motive 

 was one of patriotism pure and simple. They 



