EVOLUTION OF THE A.O.S. 97 



of lower railway rates. It was expected also (to quote 

 further from the article in The Times) that " the Association's 

 agent would be a sort of technical educator, inasmuch as he 

 would point out the faults of the produce he could not 

 purchase, and would distribute leaflets and printed instruc- 

 tions as to what the Association wanted, and how things 

 should be done. Hitherto," it was added, " with purely 

 local prices, one farmer has had no inducement to offer 

 better commodities than another, but this will be altered 

 when the Association's agent practically takes the London 

 market into the country." Butter obtained from co- 

 operative dairy factories (the Association doing all it could 

 to encourage the starting of more of such factories), and sent 

 to London, would be graded and sold under a brand which 

 would be a guarantee of purity and of British production. 

 In addition to the abattoirs at which the Association 

 would kill its own meat, bacon factories were to be estab- 

 lished. 



In regard to sale, the Association was to start with a depot 

 of its own in London, to be followed by others in Birming- 

 ham, Leeds, Manchester, and other large towns. 



In the country operations were begun at Sleaford (Lin- 

 colnshire), where a local Association was formed. In London 

 some commodious premises were taken in Long Acre, in 

 convenient proximity to Covent Garden and other markets, 

 and these were fitted up on the " stores " system, with the 

 addition of a club room for the use of shareholders and of 

 members of the British Produce League, which had been 

 established to encourage the use of British products and the 

 employment of British labour. It was hoped that the 

 wholesale dealers would support the movement when they 

 realised " the practical benefits that the Association aimed 

 at securing in the interests of the British agriculturist " ; 

 but it was intimated that, if the " trade " held aloof, the 

 Association was " fully prepared to deal on a widespread 

 basis direct with the consumers." 



The Long Acre depot was opened in October, 1896, and 

 at the outset a good business was done ; but difficulties 



A.O. h 



