1905.] Agricultural Organisation Society. 311 



It is in the establishment of societies for the purchase and sale 

 of produce, of which 24 were started during the past year, that 

 the greatest development has taken place. In the purchase of 

 agricultural requirements much progress has been made, manu- 

 facturers, colliery owners, importers, and others having shown 

 an increased readiness to do business with the affiliated societies 

 on wholesale terms. By doing business in this way with 

 reliable firms, not only are intermediate profits saved, but the 

 societies are safeguarded to a very considerable extent against 

 the purchase of articles which are not always what they are 

 represented to be. Although it may be true that in the case of 

 a few standard articles the farmer who is prepared to give a 

 £50 or £100 order and pay cash can sometimes obtain them at 

 prices very little more than those at which a co-operative society 

 can at present buy, yet even such farmers seldom take the trouble 

 to see that the goods are of the quality asked for, and in many 

 cases buy articles which are certainly not worth the price paid, 

 while smaller farmers suffer both from uncertainty as to quality, 

 and from largely increased prices. 



In spite of the great improvement that has taken place 

 during the last few years in the genuineness, purity, and 

 general quality of the articles supplied to farmers, there are* 

 the Report observes, still many cases of the use of impure 

 materials, of the admixture of worthless ingredients, and of the 

 selling of articles under names and analytical statements which 

 are distinctly misleading. Many farmers have not the necessary 

 knowledge individually to examine thoroughly and compare 

 the prices and articles they are offered, but upon the committee 

 of a co-operative society there are sure to be men, one or more 

 of whom thoroughly understand cakes, while others under- 

 stand manures, seeds, &c. The members of a society thus 

 have the benefit of the knowledge of others, and in the case of 

 an article turning out inferior to that which was bought, the 

 society can take action with much more authority than an 



individual. .... 



In such matters as these the protection against fraud, and 

 the consequent reliability of the articles obtained are of far 

 greater value to the farmer than a shilling or two reduction in 

 price. For example, it has become common for cake makers, 



