Co-operation in Purchase of Manures. 29 



example of a slightly different form of co-operation. Several 

 useful purposes are kept in view by this club, but its main 

 object is to afford protection to members in connection with the 

 purchase of manures and feeding stuffs. Its membership is 

 about 100. Members occupying over 50 acres pay an annual 

 subscription of 10s. Those occupying less than 50 acres pay 5s., 

 and all expenses of analysis are paid out of the club funds. 

 Members of the club are obliged by their rules to give the club 

 information as to their individual purchases of manures and 

 feeding stuffs. Samples for analysis are selected by lot at the 

 club meetings, which are held monthly. At these meetings the 

 results of previous analyses are read out and discussed. 



The following rules are worth quoting : — 



(5). " Every member shall use his best endeavour to give such 

 information to the society as shall promote the interests of the 

 society and its private members." 



(33). " Any member having made such purchases shall be 

 obliged, if asked, to hand over two fair samples of the article 

 purchased to the club, and the club, if they see fit, shall submit 

 the same for chemical analysis." 



These two rules illustrate the manner in which the difficulty 

 above mentioned, i.e., risk of giving offence to the seller, may 

 be to a great extent removed by co-operation. If the club 

 insists on the production of an invoice under Rule 5, or the 

 taking of a sample under Rule 33, the merchant whose goods 

 are sampled cannot make the sampling a personal matter 

 between himself and the member who complies with the rules of 

 the society. 



The samples taken by this club are submitted to a private 

 analyst. In the case of a society forwarding samples to the 

 official analyst of the district, Rule 33 would require modification. 



The Central Cornwall Farmers' Association, which has about 

 150 members, exists for the co-operative purchase of manures. 

 The only subscription is a fee of is. 6d. per ton on the quantity 

 of manure ordered. This fee is intended to cover the working 

 expenses of the association. 



The procedure is as follows : — In November each year 

 a circular letter is sent to the subscribers of the previous year 

 announcing the date of the annual dinner and meeting of the 



