374 



Granaries in Prussia. 



Tyrol, but it has recently been resolved to greatly restrict the 

 practice in this district also. 



The formation of reserve funds naturally progresses slowly, 

 from the nature of these banks, of which the immediate 

 object is a reduction in the rate of interest, and not the 

 accumulation of a large surplus. In 1894 no less than 373 

 societies (36*7 per cent, of the whole number) were without 

 a reserve fund ; in which connection it should, however, be 

 remarked that the numerous new societies opened during 

 the year could evidently have no reserve. 



Granaries in Prussia. 



Allusion was made last year in this Journal (Vol. III., p. 53) 

 to a proposal to grant State aid for the construction of grain 

 depots in Prussia, and the Board have now received through 

 the Foreign Office a memorandum, prepared by Mr. W. 

 Harries Gastrell, relating to this subject. 



Mr. Gastrell states that the question of constructing 

 granaries in Germany with the aid of the State, to facilitate 

 storage in the interest of agriculturists, first became prominent 

 in 1895, when the project was much discussed and advocated. 

 The Minister of Agriculture stated in the House of Deputies 

 in April, 1895, that it was not silos, but granaries, that were 

 required, that the Government had considered the case, and 

 that an experiment in the direction of constructing such 

 buildings would be made. 



The idea of the landowners was to endeavour to obtain a 

 more direct trade with the consumers. It was represented 

 that, owing to the lack of such granaries in the hands of 

 associations of landowners, the growers were often compelled 

 to sell their corn immediately after harvest at unfavourable 

 rates, instead of being able to wait for better prices. On the 

 other hand it was urged that such associations had not proved 

 successful in speculative transactions ; and that, if they con- 

 fined their operations merely to the storage of each member's 

 grain, it was doubtful whether the profit would balance the 

 cost of erecting the store-houses. It has also been contended 



