34 



Farmers' Co-operative Societies. 



used on the farm. By purchasing in large quantities direct 

 from the manufacturer, these societies are able to save the 

 profits of intermediaries and agents, and thus obtain supplies 

 for their members at wholesale prices. In this way they 

 not only help the small farmer to procure his manures 

 and feeding stuffs at a more moderate price than he could do 

 by purchasing for himself alone, but they also save him a large 

 part of the incidental charges usually incurred by the indi- 

 vidual buyer in the carriage and testing of the goods. For 

 instance, only one analysis is required of a fertiliser consigned 

 in truck-loads to the society to test the quality of the several 

 portions of the consignment bought on behalf of individual 

 members, while each member's purchase benefits by the 

 lower rates of carriage obtained by collecting sufficient 

 orders to make up loads of five tons and upwards. 



Co-operation in production has been applied with greatest 

 success to the dairy industry. The remarkable development 

 of the butter trade of Den mark is attributed largely to the 

 establishment of co-operative dairies and creameries, which 

 have enabled the farmers of that country to supply the 

 British market with immense quantities of butter of uniform 

 quality and consistency. Uniformity in flavour, in appearance, 

 and in quality, is the characteristic most required in butter 

 intended for general consumption in the great towns of this 

 and other countries ; and it is obvious that this is more 

 likely to be secured by manufacturing the article in 

 dairies which can manipulate the milk supplied by a large 

 number of farmers, than if each of these farmers himself 

 makes butter from the milk produced on his own farm. A full 

 account of the organisation and methods of the Danish 

 dairy societies, and of similar associations in Sweden and 

 Germany, is given in a special report published by the 

 goard of Agriculture, and articles showing the progress of 

 co-operative dairying abroad, in the colonies, and in Ireland, 

 have appeared from time to time in the pages of this Journal. 

 Except in the case of butter and cheese-making, little 

 advance has been made in the application of co-operative 

 principles to productive processes in agriculture. Danish 

 farmers have, however, associated for the curing of bacon 



