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At Wisconsin Rapids owners of cran-
)erry marshes have formed a mutual
rrigation company.
Electric associations.-Loans for 27
Wisconsin electric cooperatives had
oeen made by the Rural Electrification
4dministration by June 30, 1940. A
arge majority of the plants had been
nergized and were in operation. The
ieaviest concentration of the projects
s in a broad western area of the State
extending from the southern border as
rar north as Douglas County. Other
plants are located in Rock County as
well as Columbia, Adams, Waupaca,
and Oconto Counties.
Refrigerated food lockers.-A new
cooperative development has taken
place within the last few years. A
number of creameries, cheese factories,
and other types of cooperative associa-
tions have expanded their services by
installing lockers for the storage of
frozen food. In 1939 the first cooper-
ative organized solely for this purpose
began operations. AUl told, approxi-
mately 50 co-ops were providing locker
service in 1940.
Breeding associations.-A number of
breeders' cooperative associations have
been formed in order to carry out breed
improvement programs.
  Credit is available to individual Wis-
'onsin farmers and also to their asso-
ciations on a cooperative basis.
Through more than 100 national farm
loan associations long-term loans are
made to farmers by the Federal Land
B1ank of St. Paul. The 21 production
t redit associations in the State provide
4hort-term production credit to farm-
.*rs. Cooperative associations which
the farmers have formed obtain credit
'rom the St. Paul Bank for Coopera-
tives.
Farmers' Marketing and Purchasing
  Associations Organized in Wiscon-
  sin, by Years, 1900-39.
  and before
Thity pewcent of all the farmers' marketing and
purchasing associations organized in Wis-
consin were set up during the 5 years begin-
ning with 1917 and dosing with 1921. The
peak year of the period was 1919 uwen 189
associations were formed. This uwas at the
rate of a new association for evey second day
including Sundays. Less than 50 associa-
tions a year have been formed since 1923.
Pioneers Began Cooperation
  The story goes that a pioneer woman
launched Wisconsin's first cooperative
business venture. This was in 1840;
her name was Anne Pickett. She and
her husband had emigrated to Wis-
consin from one of the States farther
east, where they had already had ex-
perience in raising cows and making
milk products. After the Picketts
moved to Wisconsin they wished to
make cheese and sell it. They had,
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