258 Agricultural Co-operation in Germany. 



At the Elizabetgrad Exhibition much attention was attracted 

 by two pair of enormous cross-bred shorthorn (British) and 

 Ukrainsky draught oxen. They caused admiration and sur- 

 prise, for in Russia shorthorn crosses are held to be unsuitable 

 for draught. Each of these pairs proved themselves able to 

 draw a weight of 400 poods (about 6\ tons) on level ground. 



Shropshire rams are increasingly bought for crossing with 

 merinos. The resulting two-year-old wethers command better 

 prices than the pure merino wethers, which give less and poorer 

 mutton. The local price in South Russia and the Caucusus is 

 yr. to yr. 50c. (14s. yd. to 15s. 8d.), and, when sold in spring, 

 delivery is generally arranged for September. 



[Foreign Office Consular Reports ', No. 2,997, Annual Series.) 



Agricultural Co-operation in Germany. 



During the last ten or fifteen years the German agricultural 

 co-operative societies have considerably increased in number. 

 They were originally founded on the principles laid down by 

 Schultze-Delitzsch and Raiffeisen, and are distributed partly in 

 the towns, partly in the country districts. 



Of the total number of co-operative societies in Germany, 

 which amounted to 16,500 in 1900, the agricultural societies 

 formed 12,736, or 77 per cent. ; in the year 1893 the figures 

 were respectively 4,975 and 59 per cent, out of 8,400. 



The following table shows the nature and distribution of the 

 different co-operative societies for agricultural purposes : — 



Description of 

 Agricultural Co-opera- 

 tive Society. 



Number and Distribution. 



Objects. 



Prussia. 



Other 

 German 

 States. 



Savings and loan banks 

 Purchasing societies . . . 



Productive and selling 

 societies 



Dairy produce societies 



4,455 

 426 



553 

 i 261 



3^99 

 578 



116 

 421 



Financial matters 



Purchase of artificial manures 

 and fodder stuffs, coals, 

 machinery, tools, &c. 



Contain many branches : — 

 (a) Sale of seed, fruit, vege- 

 tables, and produce of all 

 kinds ; {b) silo societies ; (c) 

 the German Spirit Syndi- 

 cate ; (d) sale of cattle. 



Production and sale of dairy 

 produce, 



