88 Agricultural Co-operation in Bavaria. 



ing at the end of the year to ^3,9 12,100. In addition to 

 these banks there were also, in 1899, 104 banks on the Schulze- 

 Delitzsch principle, with 64,445 members, of whom about 40% 

 were believed to be agriculturists. 



The Raiffeisen banks, in addition to their original object 

 of granting loans, have in recent years undertaken the 

 co-operative purchase of agricultural requirements and sale 

 of produce, but this branch of work is also performed by 

 about 600 separate associations, with 45,600 members. 



One direction in which the sale in common of agricultural 

 products, especially corn, has within the last year or two 

 exhibited considerable development, is in the establishment 

 of warehouses, in which such produce is collected, stored, and 

 prepared for sale. In 1899 there were sixty-five such ware- 

 houses in existence, while twelve more were being established. 

 The size of these warehouses varies very considerably, for 

 whilst some are provided with various machines for cleaning, 

 distributing, etc., driven by electricity or by oil motors, the 

 smaller warehouses content themselves with setting up a 

 cleaner, winnower, and weighing machine in a simple 

 wooden shed or hired room. The establishment of these co- 

 operative warehouses is actively supported by the State. 



Among the societies for co-operative production may be 

 mentioned 52 for dairying and 55 ror cheese-making. 

 Societies to the number of 491 have also been formed in 

 certain districts for the erection of dairying premises, which 

 are sublet. About 20 other societies exist in connection with 

 hops, fruit, tobacco, and other produce. 



The co-operative ownership of agricultural machinery has 

 been found very successful in Bavaria, especially in the case 

 of steam threshing-machines. Many of the loan banks and 

 other societies also possess machines of all kinds for the 

 common use of their members. 



In connection with live stock, there exist 35 horse-breeding 

 societies, with 6,500 members, and 1 1 herd-book societies, 

 with 7,000 members. These latter societies receive grants 

 from State and from local funds. There were also 976 

 smaller cattle-breeding societies, 86 swine-breeding societies, 

 and 140 societies with boar stations. 



