Miscellanea us. 



258 



the proper course to be pursued in the formation of local societies ; by providing 

 model rules for such local societies : and by publishing leaflets from time to time 

 dealing with the various forms of agricultural co-operation. The local societies 

 affiliated to this central organising agency already number 52, including 29 co- 

 operative agricultural trading societies or joint purchase associations, six dairy 

 associations, one for the production of cheese, three allotment societies, one basket 

 making association, six combining the purchase of agricultural requirements and 

 the sale of produce, four joint purchase societies also undertaking the improvement 

 of stock by the purchase or hire of pedigree bulls or boars, one entire cart horse 

 society, and one land association. Many of these bodies have only recently 

 commenced operations ; but as an example of the advantages of co-operation to 

 the small farmer, reference may be made to the published accounts of the work 

 already accomplished by two or three of them. 



The Muskham Agricultural Society may be quoted as an example of au 

 agricultural trading association. This was started in May, 1899, with 17 members 

 and a share capital of £10, In 1900 the membership had increased to 38, and the 

 turnover amounted to £365. One of the first steps taken by the society was to 

 purchase a reaper and binder with money borrowed from a bank on the joint 

 personal credit of the committee. The scale of charges for the hire of the machine 

 was last year fixed by the committee at the rate of 4.9. dd. per acre, the society 

 providing twine, and a man to take charge of the machine and horses. The result 

 of three seasons' work has been that the society has liquidated the debt to the 

 bank and the machine now belongs to the members, who can avail themselves 

 of its use at a nominal charge just sufficient to cover wear and tear. 



Some of the agricultural trading societies are also able to assist in the 

 improvement of the livestock kept by small farmers by purchasing or hiring first 

 class bulls, boars, and stallions. The Tregaron Agricultural Society, a small 

 co-operative body of 59 members holding shares of 5s. each, of which Is. 6rf. is 

 paid up, has, in addition to its business in manures, cakes and seeds, secured for 

 its members, free of charge, the services of a boar, which is hired out to non- 

 members at a fee of 2s. orf. 



Among the affiliated dairy societies, mention may be made of the Brandsby 

 Dairy, in Yorkshire, which is chiefly engaged in the sale of butter, cream, and 

 cream cheese on behalf of its members, but also undertakes to supply them with 

 manures, feeding stuffs, and other farming requisites. A small warehouse has 

 been rented by this society from the railway company, in which the manures, 

 cake, and other articles purchased in bulk are stored, and from which they are 

 distributed to members as a return-load for their carts which have brought produce 

 to the station. By purchasing in truck-loads and relieving the dealer of the risk 

 of bad debts and the trouble of collecting small sums of money from a number 

 of individual buyers, the society has been able to obtain reduced quotations by 

 which every member has benefited, however small his purchase. 



The local societies affiliated to the Agricultural Organisation Society are 

 registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies' Act and can therefore 

 me and be sued as corporate bodies. 



The foregoing examples are sufficient to afford some idea of the directions 

 in which farmers, and particularly occupiers of small holdings, can effectively 

 combine to their mutual advantage. Hitherto the Agricultural Organisation 

 Society has been working single-handed to encourage and assist such combination. 

 But its efforts can now be seconded by Comity Councils in rural districts where 

 co-opei'ation is likely to be useful, the Board of Education being prepared to 

 sanction the teaching of the principles and practice of agricultural co-operation 



