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 lbs. of cheese and 4,500,000 lbs. 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 lbs. in 1907 

 to 2,012,402 lbs. 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 



