Co-operative Societies in Ireland. 495 



Agricultural Co-operative Societies in Ireland. 



According to the annual report of the Irish Agricultural 

 Organisation Society for the year ended March 31st, 1899, 

 the total number of co-operative associations of all kinds in 

 existence in Ireland at the date last mentioned was 374, 

 with a membership of 36,683 persons. This number included 

 191 dairy societies, including 38 auxiliary creameries ; 99 

 agricultural societies; 48 co-operative banks; 16 poultry 

 societies ; 18 miscellaneous associations ; and 2 federations. 



Complete returns are furnished in the report of the business 

 transactions of 100 of the dairy societies, exclusive of 

 auxiliaries. These societies received in the year nearly 

 twenty-three and a quarter million gallons of milk, from which 

 they produced 4,177 tons of butter. The farmers were paid 

 an average price of 3|d. per gallon for milk supplied to the 

 societies, the separated milk and buttermilk being returned 

 to them free of charge. The average quantity of milk 

 utilised in the production of ilb. of butter was 2-48 gallons, 

 and the average price realised for the butter was 9*83d. per lb. 

 A net profit of £6, 176 was earned in the year' s trading. Many 

 of the co-operative dairy societies have taken up the business 

 of supplying manures and other farming requisites to their 

 members ; some have introduced schemes for the improve- 

 ment of their members' live stock ; while in other cases the 

 production of eggs and poultry and the establishment of 

 agricultural banks have also been undertaken as adjuncts to 

 the ordinary business of butter-making. 



The co-operative agricultural societies, which are formed 

 mainly for the supply of fertilisers, seeds, agricultural imple- 

 ments, and other articles used on the farm, numbered 99 in 

 March last, with a total membership of 11,025. The turn- 

 over of these bodies amounted in the year to £56,263, but 

 it is stated that their influence should not be measured by 

 their business returns alone, for one result of the establish- 

 ment of these societies has been to reduce generally the 

 prices of articles used on the farm, not only to their members 

 but also to outsiders residing in districts where the operations 

 of the co-operative associations are felt. Little has been done 



