174 THE FUTURE OF OUR AGRICULTURE. 



designed otherwise) one of our most valuable achievements. 



As regards the utility of Co-operation, the Danes have 

 practically settled that point. When their small men first 

 set up their co-operative dairies, the large farmers at the 

 outset, as a matter of course, looked rather contemptuously 

 upon the new movement, and smiled at the small men's 

 attempts to compete with themselves. However, their 

 competitor got the best of the competition. And the con- 

 sequence is that private sales are steadily diminishing, 

 and co-operative sales increasing, the large farmers now 

 willingly joining in with small in their co-operative dairies 

 and finding themselves doing well thereby. 



So, again, it has been in Siberia. In the words of M. A. N. 

 Balakshin, quoted by M. J. V. Bubnoff, in his excellent 

 little book "The Co-operative Movement in Russia": 



" Fifteen years ago nobody would have thought that the 

 Creameries belonging to private, and very often rich, people 

 could pass into the hands of the peasants working in artels. 

 At the present moment the position is radically changed and 

 the artels are rapidly ousting private enterprise in the butter 

 industry from Siberia." 



The wealthy creamery men have sought and claimed their 

 place among the co-operators. 



It was consideration for genuineness, quite as much as 

 for price, which set the Toad Lane weavers in motion. It 

 is not surprising that some of our farmers, at any rate, should 

 have begun rather early imitating their practice and follow- 

 ing their example. In the 'sixties, when manuring with 

 superphosphate became general, something near a dozen 

 co-operative societies for the collective purchase of that 

 article were formed in as many counties, acting each for 

 its county, in addition to an unascertainable number of 

 irregularly formed unregistered little local clubs. A decided 

 step forward — still only on this one line of collective buying — 

 was taken in 1868 when, under the inspiration mainly of the 

 late E. Vansittart Neale and Mr. E. O. Greening, an Agri- 

 cultural Supply Societ}^ was formed in London (the " Agri- 

 cultural and Horticultural (Co-operative) Association ") 

 for the collective purchase of all varieties of agricultural 



