ON AGRICULTURE TO IRELAND 109 



county alone there are 15 egg distributing centres which sent out 

 the following eggs for hatching : — 



There were, besides, 20 turkey premium stations and 6 goose 

 stations. 



We have seen what the Department of Agriculture and techni- 

 cal instruction is doing for the poultry industry, and now let us 

 see what co-operation is doing. In 1905 there were 25 co-operative 

 poultry societies, with a total membership of over 5000. The first 

 co-operative poultry society was registered in February 1898, and 

 the trade turnover in 1905 of all the poultry societies was about 

 £40,000. In May 1905 the Irish Federated Poultry Society was 

 registered, and 9 poultry societies have now joined this Federation, 

 which is worked on a commission basis of 2^ per cent, on all busi- 

 ness transactions for the affiliated societies, in consideration of which 

 it guarantees them against all bad debts. On joining the Federated 

 Society the Poultry Societies are required to take shares — which are 

 of the nominal value of £1 — equal to one-fifth of their own nominal 

 share capital. In the case of other Societies dealing in poultry 

 and eggs, they must hold not less than 25 shares. Five shillings 

 per share is paid on application, and the balance of 15s. only called 

 up in the event of the dissolution of the Federation. Preference 

 shares may be held by individuals only, and are payable as 

 follows : 5s. on application and the balance on allotment. Interest 

 on both classes of shares is paid at the rate of 5 per cent, per 

 annum. The liability of shareholders is limited to their shares. 

 The chief object of the Federation is to dispose of poultry and 

 eggs on behalf of Societies to the best advantage, and to procure 

 for such Societies at wholesale prices all the requisites for the 

 poultry industiy. It also undertakes to collect all accounts, and 

 guarantee payment within fourteen days of the date of the 

 Society's invoice, and to furnish account sales weekly of all sales 

 made; to advise all Societies which transact their wholesale 

 business through the Federation, regularly of the state of the 

 markets, in order to guide them as to the price they ought to pay 

 for poultry and eggs, and to do the same for any Society which, 

 although not conducting its business through the Federation, 

 is willing to pay an annual subscription for such market 

 reports. The Societies on their part must enter into an agree- 

 ment to transact all wholesale business through the Federation for 



