228 



Irish Co-operative Societies. 



hunter class. The Government sends a commission over to 

 Ireland once or twice a year to buy a certain number (depen- 

 dent upon the state of the finances) of five-year-old, half- 

 bred horses, at an average of £60 to £70. These horses 

 when brought to Italy are sold to officers at cost price. The 

 principal private horse-dealers also import some British 

 uorses. 



Mules are bred on a large scale all over South Italy, viz., 

 in the Abruzzi, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, and Sicily. In 

 these mountainous districts, and even in the plains of Puglia, 

 most of the agricultural field work, and nearly all the trans- 

 port, is performed by mules in preference to oxen or other 

 modes of traction. 



The principal seat of mule-breeding (as regards both 

 quantity and quality) are the Abruzzi, and more particularly 

 around Solmona. Land-owners and peasants go in for mule- 

 breeding, as it is a paying business. Most of the Abruzzi 

 mules are sold in the Fcggia market, where there are 

 important fairs in May and November. 



The best known donkey stallions were at one time those of 

 the Island of Pantellaria (between Sicily and Africa) ; but 

 now the best come from the neighbourhood of Taranto. 

 They are even exported abroad, some having been lately 

 purchased for Hungary and Russia. A good stallion may 

 letch as much as £60. 



Irish Agricultural Co-operative Societies. 



According to the fourth annual report of the Irish Agri- 

 cultural Organisation Society the number of agricultural 

 co-operative societies existing in Ireland on the 31st March 

 last was 243, with a membership of 27,322. These com- 

 prised 123 dairy societies, 13 auxiliaries, 77 agricultural 

 societies, 15 agricultural banks, 13 miscellaneous societies, 

 and 2 federations. 



Of the dairy societies or creameries, which have a total 

 membership of 16,333, 54 are situated in jNIunster, 38 in 

 Ulster, 20 in Connaught, ^md 1 1 in Leinster. 



