EVOLUTION OF THE A.O.S. 121 



between the Co-operative Wholesale Societies and the Agricul- 

 tural Societies. 



The present General Secretary, Mr. Whitehead, continues 

 the policy of his predecessor, Mr. Gray. 



Farmers' Associations. 



Another feature of the good progress made was the number 

 of societies formed as offshoots of existing farmers' associa- 

 tions, — a fact which fully confirms what has already been 

 said as to the supplying of needs not met by the earlier 

 agricultural organisations, however valuable the services 

 they rendered in other directions. Of the 46 societies formed 

 between January 1st, 1905, and June 30th, 1906, seven 

 originated with existing farmers' associations, and eleven 

 more of these bodies were, on the latter date, considering 

 proposals for the formation of co-operative societies. At a 

 meeting of the Yorkshire Union of Agricultural Clubs and 

 Chambers of Agriculture on June 19th, 1906, it was resolved 

 that clubs affiliated to the Union should be urged to form 

 co-operative agricultural societies and a committee was 

 appointed to carry this resolution into effect. 



The Press. 



To the Press of the country the A. O. S. is indebted for an 

 almost general support, the exceptions being very few, and 

 including various trade papers which thought that the 

 interests of their own particular class of readers might be 

 prejudiced by the movement. The articles published from 

 time to time in London and provincial papers had a powerful 

 effect in making the movement better known, and securing 

 for it a still greater measure of public sympathy and en- 

 couragement. 



The publication, in 1904, through Mr. John Murray, of 

 " The Organisation of Agriculture," a book which repre- 

 sented a substantial expansion of a series of four articles 

 published in The Times at Easter in that year, giving details 

 concerning the development of agricultural organisation in 



