190 THE FUTURE OF OUR AGRICULTURE. 



there is not likewise room for such beneficent democratisa- 

 tion of cattle breeding. The cows admitted to these 

 herds — or let us rather say, to the inner herd ; for the same 

 man often enough keeps other cows besides, which find no 

 place in the herdbook — are carefully tested and have to 

 prove their descent. They are mated with pure herd- 

 book bulls. There are periodical inspections, and annual 

 shows, at which prizes are awarded, more particularly to 

 " families," bred of the same parents, with records fur- 

 nished of their milk yields. In any case the herds are kept 

 pure. The local societies are grouped together in Unions, 

 according to the various breeds. And it is of course the 

 Union in each case which keeps the herdbook, entry in 

 which entitles to sale as a herdbook beast. Of course, the 

 business is subject to fluctuations according as demand 

 increases or declines. But on the whole the system has 

 answered well. 



There is probably no occasion to carry specialisation of 

 the various uses of Co-operation in the service of agricul- 

 tural buying and selling any further here. I have given 

 plenty of instances to the point in " Co-operation in Agri- 

 culture." ^ 



However, buying and selling is not all for which Organisa- 

 tion is with advantage impressed in the service of Agricul- 

 ture. Co-operation can effect more, even in a purely 

 material way. 



How readily Co-operation will lend itself to the business 

 of Insurance need scarcely be pointed out. The very basis 

 upon which Insurance rests is the co-operation of many. 

 And the larger the number of insurers, the safer and the 

 cheaper as a consequence will be the insurance. Accord- 

 ingly Co-operation appears clearly marked out by the 

 features of the case as the proper method for insurance. 

 Our Insurance Companies bring about a certain kind of 

 co-operation or " mutualism " by the method which they 

 practise. But they bring it about in an extravagant way, 



' "Co-operation in Agriculture." Second Impression, 1914. P. S. 

 King & Son, Ltd. 



ri 



