48o THE FUTURE OF OUR AGRICULTURE. 



overplus wherewith to start new forms of Co-operation, 

 the practice of Co-operation having been learnt, as in an 

 elementary school, at its counters and in the Committee 

 room. Therefore whoever favours Co-operation ought of 

 necessity also to favour stores. That is why it is so very 

 desirable that the two main forms of Co-operation, the 

 distributive and the productively agricultural, should be 

 closely linked together. Beyond that, our small holder 

 needs Co-operation for the supply of his agricultural require- 

 ments — seeds, implements, fertilisers, feeding-stuffs, for 

 the use of implements and machinery collectively acquired, 

 which have to serve the members in turn, for marketing, 

 it may be for the supply of electric light and power, for the 

 disposal of his dairy produce, it may be of his fruit, and 

 also other edible produce, and, not least, for the service 

 of expert advice, such as in Germany and in Scandinavian 

 countries " Control Societies " render — being general advisers 

 on everything, whereas in the United States the County 

 Agent and the Organising Section of the Federal Department 

 of Agriculture supply the need. These experts are too 

 costly to serve one small holdings society alone. But once 

 employed by a Union of such societies they are able to 

 furnish all that is required. And they have proved a sub- 

 stantial benefit. For our small holders are not likely to 

 be scientifically trained agriculturists. They are likely 

 to begin with very little scientific knowledge indeed and 

 experience of only one locality. On the other hand, by the 

 very fact of their being small holders they are called upon 

 to practise their agriculture in considerable variety of 

 forms, with an eye ever open to innovations and improve- 

 ments. But having that small holding, which brings them 

 in pence, they are likely to prove keen and ready to learn. 

 However, there is a good deal more that lies beyond such 

 economic Co-operation. We want, not only to repeople 

 the countryside : we may be taken to be " out " for the 

 regeneration of a country life, indeed for the creation of 

 a new country life, such as that of which Mr. Roosevelt 

 was, during his Presidency, anxious to lay the foundation 

 — for which reason he appointed his " Country Life Com- 



