Co-operation 191 



societies were in the main autonomous, but the Central Society 

 retained certain rights, mostly in regard of organisation, as e.g. the 

 right to interfere in the administration of the daughter association 

 supposing that this were badly managed. The branch societies, on 

 the other hand, received from the centre advice and help in case 

 of difficulty, information on technical questions, suggestions made by 

 means of the circulation of useful pamphlets etc. Even by 1903 the 

 number of branch societies had risen to 63. By the end of 1909 this 

 number had increased to no less than 321, a remarkably satisfactory 

 result of the efforts of the A. O. S. 1 Of these, 132 were societies for 

 the supply of .requirements or sale of produce, 134 small holdings or 

 allotments societies, and 30 dairy societies. The remainder served 

 the most miscellaneous purposes. 



In the second place, not only have the beginnings of a conscious 

 movement for agricultural co-operation coincided in point of time 

 with the growing profitableness of stock-farming and market-gardening, 

 but it is remarkable that these societies have been formed precisely 

 in the places where such branches of agriculture have so far 

 flourished most. In December 1902, of the 40 branch societies then 

 existing only one, a Norfolk association, lay in what was described 

 above 2 as District I. The remainder were all in Districts II, III and IV, 

 and in Wales, which of course is rich in pasture-land 3 . An interesting 

 geographical study, to be seen at the office of the A. O. S. in 

 London, showed on the map of England, by means of little paper 

 disks affixed, the places where daughter societies were to be found. 

 While the disks were practically wanting in the east and south-east, 

 they were numerous in the midlands and west. Thus the develop- 

 ment of co-operation coincided not merely in time but in place with 

 the development of stock-farming and the lesser branches of agricul- 

 ture. The latter are to be included, since the development of the 

 societies was rapid not merely in the pasture-districts of the west, but 

 also in such market-gardening midland counties as Worcester and 

 Warwickshire. It is thus correct to say that the development of 

 co-operation in English agriculture was conditioned by the presence 

 of small stock-farms or market-gardens. The occupiers of such 

 holdings were able and willing to organise in co-operation, while so 

 far such organisation has proved impossible among small arable 

 farmers. It remains to show why this should be the case. 



1 See Report of the A. 0. S. for the year ending December 31, 1909, p. 2. 



2 See p. 103 above. 



3 See Second Annual Report of the A. O. S., p. 30. 



