A CO-OPERATIVE ENTERPRISE.
It was refreshing in the midst of the Worcestershire fruit. growing country to come upon a flourishing co-operative association of fruit-growers and cheek by jowl with it a large canning factory. Further inquiry into the co-operative endeavour revealed some unexpected virtue. Expert and far-sighted marketing has indubitably brought bigger returns to the members. The association sells their fruit and also buys for them such necessaries as sprays and artificial manures. More than this, it becomes almost a factory itself and is busy With the making of baskets. Nor is this all. It is concerning itself with active research and experiment into varieties of fruit and, especially, vegetables most suitable to the neigh- bourhood. Its members hold also a certain number of shares in the canning factory with whiCh they are in 'sympathetic alliance. Such organizations are extremely difficult to conduct ; but their salvation—both in Ireland and Denmark— was the corporate spirit of their members ; and examples could be quoted from Worcestershire of extremely generous fidelity to the association, even the sacrifice of private interest. A little more of that spirit would du more for co-operation than any amount of compulsion by government.
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