Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1909-12-30
DENMARK.

Mr.. Charles B. Cheney writes as
follows from Copenhagen In reference
to economic conditions in Denmark at
the present time. Cooperative system
in business is reaching high develop
ment In the Scandinavian countries.
The greater part Of the dairy estab-
lishments of Norway and Denmark,
creameries, as we call them in the
states, are run on the cooperative
principle. The system is quite sim
liar to that Of the cooperative cream
cries in Minnesota. where the idea has
been spread SO widely by Scandina-
vian-American buttermakers. In Den
mark the first cooperative dairy be-
are 1885 in the kingdom, with 15S,
members and an annual production Of
176,000,000 pounds OF butter. The
milk supply of the cooperative dairies
amounts to 90 per cent of Denmark's
total Before the cooperative move
ment began, the greatest progress in
dairy methods was on the large es-
tates. Now the small farms supply
ing cooperative creameries are up
with the times In everything There
Is also an association of large es-
tate diaries, however, having IS mem
bers, owning 10000 cows. In the CO.
operative dairies the members have
shares according to the number of
cows they own, and assume liability
accordingly, binding themselves for
ten years, by which time the plant
is supposed to be free from all debt,
SO any member may withdraw. The
rules for sanitary conditions are very
strict and scientific methods prevail.
One feature of the system exists in So
called control societies." which keep
track of the Individual milk yield of
every COW in the herds, SO as to deter
mine which best pay for their keep.
In Denmark's country districts the
people also cooperate In buying feed
stuffs, and In marketing eggs for ex-
port, and there are thirty cooperative
bacon factories. but in the line of CO.
operative stores everything is concen-
trated in the cities. There are 1000
cooperative stores in the country,
with 100000 members, but only 2 per
cent of them are outside the cities
and towns. They do business aggre-
eating l3,500.000 a year. In Norway
the dairy industry is also very largely
In farmers hands. They own 654 out
of 755 ALTERNATING establishments
and 40 out of 81 cheese factories A
good quantity OF cheese Is exported
by these factories, and, strange to say,
most OF it goes to the Netherlands.
Experiments of considerable impor-
lance to American farmers have been
conducted recently in Sweden, and are
also to be taken up in Denmark. The
Scandinavian dairies use large quanti-
ties of Oil cake as feed, and this i'm
portant export trade from the states
has been threatened by the soya bean,
Manchurian product now being
raised extensively in England and 60
ing into other countries. This bean,
which resembles the common pea,
yields only about 10 per cent OF oil,
and its main product is the cake left
after the oil Is extracted. 1t is found
to be very cheap food, but expert.
ments made by DIR. Rosengren Of the
Swedish government experiment sta.
tion at Malmoe have shown that when
fed to dairy cattle the soya cake gives
the butter 4 disagreeable "by-taste''
Or Favor. Even when fed In as small
quantity as one pound day the taste
ID found. The taste has not been no.
ticed In the milk. The commercial
danger from the soya bean has At
tracted attention at Washington, and
Julien l.. Br0de, q special agent OF
the department OF commerce and Ia.
bor. has been IN Europe making In.
Quiries. HE has been ia all the lead.
Ing scandinavian cities. and a. soon
Is he heard Of the Rosengren expert
ments he hurried from Gothenhury to