igS THE FUTURE OF OUR AGRICULTURE. 



is worth a second mention here. Because it is one of 

 the brightest jewels in the crown of Co-operation. Every- 

 where, without exception, wherever Co-operation has been 

 practised, on anything hke genuinely co-operative lines, 

 it has been found to exercise the same power. And that 

 power is forcing. And that is one of Co-operation's best 

 claims to consideration among ourselves, in connection 

 with the proposed improvement of national Agriculture, 

 by means of better Education. 



Give us Co-operation, and Education may almost be left 

 to take care of itself ! 



Even in India this stimulating effect is already making 

 itself clearly and powerfully felt. The natives enrolled in 

 co-operative societies — for the most part still for credit 

 purposes only^ — ask to be educated — educated in Agricul- 

 ture, educated generally — and to have their children 

 educated. In one district in the United Provinces they 

 have made their society secretaries hold regular classes 

 for the children, as part of their duties. And our industrial 

 co-operators spend more than £100,000 annually upon 

 Education, it is true, understanding that Education in 

 rather a wide sense. They award prizes and scholarships, 

 and send successful students to a University. In France 

 the Agricultural Syndicates, as Lord Reay has testified, 

 " work wonders " in Education. In Switzerland and 

 Italy similar societies do a great deal for Education. Danish 

 Agricultural Organisation is in very truth built up upon 

 Education. In German Co-operation the Wanderlehrer 

 (itinerant teacher) plays a conspicuous part — let alone that 

 of course society officers, inspectors, and so on, are very 

 carefully and specially trained. 



However, Co-operation in itself teaches. It brings people 

 together to discuss matters of common— more particularly 

 practical — interest, and to study them in common. It is 

 not every co-operative organisation that takes its backward 

 members in hand like the Raiffeisen societies, by careful 

 sifting of candidates for admission, by the threat of expul- 

 sion held warningly over them, should they be found to 

 have made themselves unworthy, and otherwise by the 



