THE A.O.S. 59 



to the Agricultural Organization Society was 

 only 31,000.* At the end of February, 1913, 

 the various societies comprised 189 small hold- 

 ings and allotment societies, 166 agricultural 

 trading societies, 23 dairy societies, and 16 of 

 a miscellaneous character. Contrasted with 

 the remarkable numbers on the Continent, 

 this is somewhat a meagre showing. Of the 

 45 agi'icultural credit societies, who have not 

 increased in numbers since 1911, 21 societies 

 granted 110 loans for that year amounting to 

 £1,393. This is such a paltry amount com- 

 pared with the millions sterling of the RafFeisen 

 Banks, that one of the Governors of the 

 Agricultural Organization Society wrote to the 

 Times on February 22, expressing the opinion 

 that there was no demand for agricultural 

 credit in this country 1 



This deduction is unwise, and might lead to 

 much misunderstanding. It is quite fallacious 

 to assume that a demand for credit is not 

 present because no enthusiasm is displayed 

 over a particular system for obtaining it. If 



* When co-operation can be introduced it is successful ; 

 the turnover of these societies amounted to £1,331,000 for 

 the year 191 1. 



