RURAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT 145 



ing of unsuitable food products. For instance, the egg circles have 

 almost wholly eliminated their share of the 17% of bad eggs which 

 are estimated to come to market; the result being that the producer 

 has received a slight advance for his product (one to three cents 

 per dozen average for the year) and the consumer, although paying 

 a larger price for circle eggs receives much better value. This seems 

 to be the tendency in all these producers' organizations. The advance 

 of co-operation in the province certainly points to the fact that, the 

 growth of these producers' organizations, and the elimination of these 

 wastes (and the standardization of the product through organiza- 

 tion) must inevitably lessen the cost of marketing; a gain that should 

 be shared by both producer and consumer." 



The total number of agricultural societies, women's institutes, 

 farmers' clubs, and other co-operative organizations in Ontario is 

 about 3,500, of which over 1,300 are engaged in marketing farm pro- 

 ducts. Many of the latter both buy and sell. There are about 20 

 District Breeders' Associations, and a number of the Farmers' Clubs 

 carry on co-operative shipping of live stock. 



The co-operative agricultural societies of Ontario were quoted 

 by an English writer as an example, as far back as 1898, when it was 

 stated that " 1,164 cheese factories in that province exported 110,- 

 000,000 Ibs. of cheese and 4,500,000 Ibs. of butter." 



In New Brunswick there are 121 agricultural societies which 

 co-operate in the purchasing of live stock, seed and commercial 

 fertilizers. 



Legislation is being promoted in the western provinces to 

 facilitate and encourage the formation of co-operative societies. In 

 1915 there were 261 co-operative societies in Saskatchewan, as 

 compared with 113 in 1914. Of these, 173 were Grain Growers' Asso- 

 ciations, with 5,537 shareholders. Creameries only increased in num- 

 ber from 4 to 15, but their output increased from 66,246 Ibs. in 1907 

 to 2,012,402 Ibs. in 1915. The policy in Saskatchewan is to dis- 

 courage building of creameries unless there is good reason to antici- 

 pate success. 



It has been proved that co-operation helps the public to get 

 what they want namely, good articles of uniform quality at a rea- 

 sonable price and regularly supplied. 



CO-OPERATION IN OTHER COUNTRIES 



Co-operation amongst Irish farmers, under the able guidance of 

 Sir Horace Plunkett, has greatly increased production and stayed 

 emigration. Mr. G. W. Russell, the president of the Board of Agri- 

 culture of Ireland, has stated that co-operation has done more for 



