17 



rearing societies, sheep-breeding societies, and societies for 

 the insurance of live stock against loss from fire, storm and 

 hail. 



Business Co-operation in Holland. 



The sturdy Holland folk are indeed models of cleanliness. 

 The stories we read of cow stables so clean that one could 

 eat his meals in them are not exaggerated. The country is 

 truly one large " spotless town." Marvellous progress has 

 been made in co-operation in Holland, the government hav- 

 ing propagated its principles with excellent results. Four 

 forms of constitution have been drawn up, and prospective 

 associations must adopt one of these as a basis of future 

 operations. 



Rural credit associations of the Raiffeisen type have made 

 a remarkable growth. Co-operative purchasing societies for 

 fertilizers and feeds are federated, but each branch does it^ 

 own buying. Co-operative selling societies have mostly been 

 organized for vegetables and fruit, and make use of the 

 English market very largely. The dairy co-operative so- 

 cieties have been most highly perfected. These are federated 

 into an " All-Netherlands Federation." The government 

 early saw the advantage of State control of testing, and now 

 does it all, placing at the service of the farmers skilled test- 

 ers, who act also in the capacity of general advisers. The 

 product which stands the test is branded with the sign of 

 quality, " N'ederlandsch Botercontrole," which is recognized 

 as a guarantee in all markets. A form of society originally 

 established in Switzerland and later in Denmark and Hol- 

 land for recording milk yields, especially those obtained by 

 breeding for production, has shown excellent results. In 

 1897 the average yield was 812 gallons; in 1904, 1,019 gal- 

 lons. Since that time it has declined, but it still stands at 

 898 gallons of 3.5 per cent butter fat. 



Holland has about 400 co-operative horse insurance socie- 

 ties, insuring about 40,000 animals, and 50 to 60 goat and 

 sheep insurance societies, covering some 6,006 animals. 



