3 82 



Seeds and Manure in Ireland. 



From statistics collected by the Co-operative Union, it 

 appears that the returns furnished by 

 Co-operative forty Co-operative Farming Societies in 



United^ngdom. the United Kingdom show that 4,869 

 acres were farmed by such societies in 

 1896; of these 1,532 acres were in Scotland and the re- 

 mainder in England. Of the total area, 3,628 acres were 

 farmed by thirty-six associations of consumers, eight of 

 which owned the land, the remaining twenty-eight paying rent 

 amounting to £5,231. Farms covering 1,241 acres were 

 farmed by four special associations, paying a total rental of 

 £1,983. Nineteen of the associations of consumers reported 

 profits on their farms amounting in all to £2,993 ; twelve 

 incurred losses amounting to £3,709, of which sum £2,280 

 was lost by one society. Two of the four special farming 

 associations showed profits amounting to £309, and the 

 remaining two incurred losses to the amount of £142. 

 Societies farming less than ten acres are not included in 

 these statistics. 



According to the report of the Congested Districts Board, 

 Ireland, for 1895-96, the sale of seeds and 



Sales of Seeds manures through special agents of the 

 and Manures in _ , , . , 



Ireland Board was continued during that year 



to small farmers in districts where a 

 difficulty is experienced in procuring supplies of good 

 quality. The total value of seeds and manures thus sold 

 amounted to £1,034, of which sum only £13 10s. was 

 expended on grass, clover, turnip, and mangold seeds, the 

 remainder of the amount being spent on seed-oats and arti- 

 ficial manures. The seeds and manures were sold for cash 

 at prices which covered all expenses of purchase, freight, 

 storage, etc. ; but there was a slight loss, as some local 

 ag*ents over-estimated the quantity of seed-oats and other 

 seeds that would be purchased in their districts by small occu- 

 piers. Almost the entire supply of seed-oats was purchased 



