AGRICULTURAL CO-OPERATION IN IRELAND. 219 



recogriition of the fact that it is necessary to combine. An association, 

 which is not to be a mere debating- society, but which is to be capable of joint 

 action, must be organised on certain well-known, but rather complicated lines 

 in order to be permanent. The farmers, from the nature of their occupation, 

 are incapable of evolving" for themselves the principles which must be observed 

 in framing" such rules as will do justice between man and man, and harmonize 

 the interests of all concerned. Even when a farmer grasps the idea that he 

 ought to combine with his neighbours, he cannot put before them an intelligible 

 and working" scheme. Now, here is the point at which, without any inter- 

 ference with his business, without weakening his spirit of independence, without 

 any departure from the principles of political economy, we can do the Irish 

 farmer a great service. To bring to the help of those whose life is passed in 

 the quiet of the field the experience which belongs to wider opportunities of 

 observation, and a larger acquaintance with commercial and industrial affairs 

 — that, gentlemen, is the object and aim of this society." 



It is a curious fact that the original promoters of the programme which the 

 Society had taken over, were for some years quite unaware that they had 

 evolved out of a study of conditions at home, the industrial remedy which 

 was already being applied in foreign countries. Of course, when this 

 became known to them, and the knowledge came from the researches of the 

 Vice-President, Father Finlay, they became far more confident of ultimate 

 success, and redoubled their efforts. For it then became simply a question 

 whether the superior natural intelligence of the Irish farmer, in which they 

 confidently believed, could off-set the higher technical and commercial 

 education of his foreign competitor. 



At the time of the formation of the Society, the work of organisation had 

 been confined, for reasons not necessary to enlarge upon here, to the pro- 

 motion of Co-operative Creameries — that is, creameries owned and managed 

 by the farmers themselves— thirty having been established by the end of 

 1893. The original scheme contemplated, as soon as sufficient organising 

 help could be obtained, the extension of the co-operative principle to every 

 branch of the farmer's business. It was, However, necessary to show, before 

 practical men would support a more extended programme, that the success 

 already achieved by the Co-operative Creameries warranted the anticipation 

 of similar success in the other projected developments. A close study of the 

 audited accounts and published statements with regard to these creameries, 

 brought out some remarkable facts and figures. At the end of 1893, the 

 accounts of these 30 creameries, with their 6 branches, showed the following 

 satisfactory results : — 



Total number of shareholders _ _ _ 1,509 

 Paid-up capital _ _ . _ _ ;;^ 13,845 

 Loan capital _ _ . _ _ 7,746 

 Value of buildings and plant, after allowing for de- 

 preciation - - - - 24,872 

 Milk purchases (7,575,036 gallons) - - 123,780 

 Butter sales (1,273 tons, 6 cwt., 3 qrs., 20 lbs). - 140,780 



The farmers supplying milk to these creameries, variously estimate the 

 increased profit on the return from their cows at 30 per cent, to 35 per cent. 

 This profit, whatever its amount, could only be realized by the farmer 

 through co-operation — a lesson which he was not slow to take to heart. 



The societies were not numerous, but they were widely scattered and 



