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the State. Many of the locals are
affiliated with one of the several whole-
sale associations, located either in
Wisconsin or Minnesota.
   There are also about 25 associations
which have developed the selling of
supplies as their major business, al-
though when most of them were organ-
ized some 20 or 30 years ago, their
chief purpose was the handling of grain.
In addition, many of the marketing
associations render the service of pur-
chasing supplies and reselling them to
their members.
  On later pages summary statements
concerning the operations of some of
these marketing and purchasing asso-
ciations will be found. For each major
type of cooperative, comments are
made on one or more particular asso-
ciations. In some cases, an associa-
tion described has at present the largest
dollar volume of business of the Wis-
consin co-ops of that type; in other
instances, an association selected may
be the oldest in a group. It would be
grossly unfair to mention these asso.
ciations by name without stating that
many others in the State are doing an
equally outstanding cooperative job.
Farmers Organized Mutuals
Many Years Ago
  Mutual companies.-Farmers' mu.
tual fire and lightning insurance com.
panies are one of the oldest types of
cooperatives in the country. Wiscon.
sin farmers are operating almost 200
such enterprises, which are located in
nearly all parts of the State. The
heaviest concentration is in the south.
eastern area.  These companies re-
ported a membership of over 240,000
in 1936.
  Farmers have provided themselves
for many years with telephone service
through their mutual companies. The
number of these companies is large,
approximately 500, although the an-
nual income from assessments or fixed
charges is small.
     Farmers' Marketing and Purchasing Associations Organized 1 in
                   Wisconsin, by Periods and Commodity
                               Groups, 1876-1939
   Period   Dairy  Fruits and      G        Poultry  Miscel.  Total  Purehas.
Grand
           products vepetablerin 2         and eggs laneous marketing  ing
   total
1876-80.        1.1
    188145     ~~~21 ...21                                          ......
      21
1886-90        52                            .    .     .        53     
        53
1891-95        62 ..     .                                       62     
 2      64
1896-00::'     110       1......   ...... .      .1..........I      112.......
     112
1901-OS        144.I       2      3       1  .....   .......      150   
   2      152
1906-10        160       9     17      21                7      214     
 18    232
1911-15...     239       7     17      54        1       17     335     
 67     402
1916-20        371      16     38      142       1       44     612     
 85     697
1921-25        174      11      3      65        2       8      263     
 50     313
1926-30...      59       6 .....       35 ......         4      104     
 45     140
1631-35        31        9             31                5       76     
 80     156
1936-39...      7        2......   .    6  ......        3       18     
 13     31
Total  ..   1 431      63     79     355       4       89    2,021     362
  2,383
X Based upon the assocations for which the Cooperative Research and Service
Division ha. records.
tIn Wisconsin these associations started an grain iarketing cooperatives
and later developed the purchasing of farm
supplies as a side line. Because the supply business became so subhtantial
that it has outgrown the business in
it is doutless more logical to oosider this group of cooperatives at present
as purchasing associations rather than
grain marketing asoato.
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