June 1896.] GERMAN CO-OPERATIVE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 5 



finding reliable and capable agents. In many cases, also, it was 

 found that the members sold good cattle to the dealers, white 

 they consigned inferior stock to the societies. 



The co-operative sale of butter through the parcel post has 

 recently been carried on with some success by individual central 

 co-operative societies and also by unions of co-ope rative dairies. 

 Co-operation in the sale of field produce has also worked satis- 

 factorily in certain districts, and it is expected that this will extend 

 in the future in view of the low prices of corn. For the sale of 

 fruit and vegetables there are various co-operative societies, 

 especially in Southern Germany, and their numbers are yearly 

 increasing. 



In addition to the various forms of co-operation already men- 

 tioned, there are a few co-operative distilleries which are not at 

 present in a very flourishing condition, owing to the depressed 

 state of the trade in spirits. Co-operative mills and bakehouses 

 exist in two or three districts. There are also about a dozen starch 

 factories and some 30 sugar refineries run by associations 

 working on a co-operative basis. 



In conclusion, it may be observed that there are certain other 

 associations in Germany, which may in some respects be regarded 

 as based upon co-operative principles, such as the forestry and 

 land improvement societies, and some of the colonies or settlements 

 established in Posen and West Prussia. But as these organisa- 

 tions are for the most part supported from the public funds and 

 are subjected to the supervision of the State, or of the provincial 

 authorities, they do not come within the category of co-operative 

 associations such as have been described above. The drainage 

 and irrigation societies of the north may be mentioned in this 

 connection. The removal of water by drainage has frequently 

 been carried out by associations of this class. 



The settlements or colonies, to which reference has been made, 

 are the outcome of the efforts made by the Prussian Government 

 since 1886, to establish colonies both of labourers and of small 

 proprietors throughout the eastern provinces. In 1886. the 

 growing scarcity of labour and the alarming increase of Polish 

 immigration led to the passing of a law for the promotion of 

 German settlements in West Prussia and Posen. 



By this law the State devoted the sum of 5,000,000£. to the 

 buying of land for establishing settlements of German labourers 

 and small proprietors and thus strengthening the Teutonic ele- 

 ment in the provinces peculiarly liable to the invasion of the 

 Slavs. A Commission was appointed and empowered to purchase 

 suitable land, to select colonists from south and west Germany, 

 to mark out the land into suitable divisions, to determine the 

 proper relations of the new colony to the communal and provin- 

 cial authorities, and to give such moderate aid to the colonists as 

 should be required to establish them in their new life. Crown 

 lands were to be used where possible, but private lands suitable 

 for the purpose might be acquired, These lands were, to be 



