Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-06-05
Crown Prince Takes Heavy RESPONSE
bilities of Government.
SEEKS TO RELIEVE THE SICK MAN
British Atlantic Fleet Gives Rise to
Much Discussion.
DENMARK, MODEL FARM COUNTRY
Danes IriumphS in Agriculture,
Despite the Handicap, of Adverse
Climatic COnditiOns-wOrk
of Cooperation.
BY ERIC GRuNDMARK.


patch to The Bee)-Very serious concern
is felt for the health of King Gustavus OF
Sweden, and while 1t Is not considered that
his ailment is likely to prove fatal In the
immediate future, on the other hand II
would not cause surprise IL the next royal
funeral should be\held in Stockholm There
seems to be no particular organic trouble.
but his ma jesty seems to be slowly falling
and change of air and medical treatment
apparently has no good effect. 1t is rather
strange that neither the king nor the
queen of Sweden have enjoyed really good
health for several years past, and this has
meant that more state duties have been
thrown upon the crown prince and prin-
cess than would otherwise have been the
case.
At the present time the crown prince IL
practically conducting the affairs of the
nation. only matters of the very first i'm
portsnce being referred to the king. and.
unless there is some speedy improvement
to his majesty there is possibility of a
formal regency being proclaimed.
Fleet Excites Comment.
| The presence of the British Atlantic fleet
in the North sea has given rise to a good
deal of talk. not only here and in the other
Scandinavian capitals. but in Berlin as
well. 1t is the general belief that there is
really a definite tactical purpose UNDER
lying what. the face of it, looks rather
like holiday cruise. Now that the North
sea is admittedly Great Britains principal
naval zone, 1t is of manifest Importance
that it's officers should be acquainted with
the coast line which set it's boundaries.
Some very interesting figures have ~
Gently been printed which show why Den
mark has come to be known as the "modei
farm of Europe. 1.-THE soil of Denmark
is naturally arid. compared with the
rich meadow lands of more favored coun-
tries. Moreover. the climate is inconstant
and the winters are by no means short.
But the Danes-they number some 2,50O,OOO
ARE of an excellent breed, and their edu-
cation as farmers is the best yet evolved
in any country. The total number OF farms
is $4,000 with a cultivated area of over
10 900 acres. The land is thus divided
| Size of Farms No Farms. Acreage
Less than ~ acres........ 5000 5000
From Ia to 1879 acres. 5000 $4,000
From 1915 to 40 acres. 5000 1,i5OCOO
| From 40 to $50 acres. 61,O00 500 900
From $50 to $50 acres...... 5000 2,l00000
More than $50 acres....... S22 1,150 900
Quite 50 per cent of the cultivators own
their holdings. and these in consequence
control the state machine, with an outlook
en- life almost exclusively agricultural. The
minister of agriculture a roof thatcher
and four Of the other ministers were small
farmers.
Until about 1880 each farmer tollsomeIy
made his own butter, but then butter
making machine Of great utility was in
vented, and a number of Danish farmers
dubbed together and bought a specimen.
Today there are 1OS7 cooperative diaries
with 15sOOO members, who ship to England
weekly butter worth goo co.
Bacon il a By-PrOduct.
Then the farmers took to the use OF
skim milk for hog feeding and big bacon
business the by-product, taking the
form of thirty-four district cooperative
abattoirs, with a membership OF 10000.
In 1895 formed the famous Danish
Co-Operatve Egg Export society. IT has
5000 members, and in 1908 its business
amounted to n,S2OOOO The peasant is,
moreover, his own banker There are 536
cooperative savings banks in the coun-
try, and it is now proposed to institute
the toy kingdom. He knows all about
whole Of them.
The Danish farmers education is unique
He is taught his business in school. Elk
pertinent stations are scattered all over
the tiny kingdom. He knows all about
bacteria and ferments and nitrates and
legumes. School attendance is compulsory
: up to IA. But there are forty-two high
schools and twenty-nine agricultural col
leges-"patriotic seminaries' for maturer
students, and it Is to these the Dane owes
his remarkable superiority as a husband
man. And nota bene; they are no ex-
amlnations.