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English Agricultural Societies. 



to carry water, even for ordinary household purposes, over a 

 mile, and for drinking purposes even further. The cattle have 

 to be driven long distances to water. 



Bewdley, four miles from Far Forest, is the centre of an agri- 

 cultural district, and there it was felt that some useful work 

 might be done by a co-operative society. The Agricultural 

 Organisation Society chose as its medium the Bewdley Horti- 

 cultural Society, which has started allotments, exchanges and 

 purchase of seeds, &c. A meeting was held, and a committee 

 appointed to organise the society, which started operations in 

 May last. The society has rented a large warehouse at a 

 moderate rent, where fruit and vegetables are stored, sorted and 

 repacked. In respect to the cherry trade, of which Bewdley is a 

 centre, the society had this year remarkable success in keeping 

 up the price, in spite of adverse market influences, and the 

 growers were saved a loss of about 50 per cent, through the 

 existence of this co-operative society. Again, had it not been for 

 its action, the price of green peas, which were an abundant crop, 

 would have fallen so low that farmers would have had to harvest 

 their peas with the accompanying loss both of money and derange- 

 ment of crop course. In the case of apples, pears, and plums, 

 this year has been so bad that it cannot be treated as a fair 

 test, but all offered at a fair price by the society have been 

 bought. The question of suitable packages, of grading, and 

 of disposing of the lower grades of fruit, by pulping or other- 

 wise, are all matters that are being studied. In any case, 

 while it may be possible for a co-operative society to deal with 

 these problems, an individual grower, except on the very largest 

 scale, could not tackle it. Vegetables of all sorts, especially 

 potatoes, have been dealt with, and these are now being consigned 

 in large quantities to London, where a really good market has 

 been found. It will take a year or two to get thoroughly 

 organised and equipped so as to cope with the business. 

 There will be disappointments, most probably losses, but what 

 the ultimate result must be is more clearly seen every day, and 

 the strength that is to be gained through co-operation in agri- 

 culture is beginning to be accepted as a fact by those who have 

 the intelligence to watch the movement. In another line the 

 Bewdley society has made a new departure. It has established 



