1 71 



CO-OPERATION AMONGST FRENCH FARMERS. 



In the Journal ior September, 1894 (Vol. i, No. i), an 

 account was given of the working of the co-operative agri- 

 cultural associations, or syndicates, as they are usually 

 styled, in France. The action of most of these syndicates is 

 limited to a comparatively small area, often only a single 

 commune. Many of them, besides having in view the 

 general interests of farming in the district, have also 

 devoted their attention to special points, while others have 

 been formed in the sole interests of some particular branch 

 of agriculture. The French Office du Travail has recently 

 published, under the title of La Co-operation de Production 

 dans r Agriculture y the results of an investigation into this 

 subject made by the Comte de Rocquigny, and the following 

 notes on some of the less usual forms of co-operation are 

 summarised from that work. 



Co-operation among Stock-Oimiers. 

 Among the forms of co-operation of which an account is 

 given is the association of cattle-breeders for the purpose 

 of improving their herds. This appears to be a recent 

 development, and to have originated in Switzerland about 

 1888, but its extension in that country has been such that 

 there are now some three hundred societies working. In 

 practice the system usually adopted is as follows : — Some 

 fifteen or twenty peasants in a parish combine together to 

 purchase a pure-bred bull, which becomes their collective 

 property. A herd-book is opened, and each member of 

 the society is expected to register for service the name of at 

 least one breeding cow of pure blood, recognised as such by 

 a committee of experts. The finest of the calves thus 

 procured are inscribed in the herd-book as breeding 

 animals ; the others are sold. The expert committee 



