The Green Forest tribune., 1911-01-20
BEST RETURNS FOR PRODUCE
To Denmark Belongs Credit for First Steps in Establishing System of
 Farm Cooperation.

In these days the problem which pre-
 sents itself to all producers is that of
 securing markets for whatever they l have to sell In all industrial countries
 there are vast aggregations of people
 who cannot be reached by producers l without some intermediary There has l thus grown up great army of mid i dlemen traders who have organized ] the supplies to meet the ends of the i consuming population, writes Edward l Brown in the Country Gentleman. | Without them the situation would have
 been very serious. For instance. iii England we draw eggs from every part of Europe, even as far as Russia and Turkey, from North Africa, and re- gently poultry have been sent to us from China, while from time to time supplies cross the Atlantic, and also from Australia.
 As is usually the case, however, the m1ddlemen have become to large ex- | tent a dominant factor. and the result has been that both producers and con sumers are dependent on them-the one to find an outlet for the produce and the other to supply the daily needs So long as the trade is organized on proper lines, and nothing more than legitimate profits are taken by these servants of the public, no complaint can be made. Difficulties, however, have arisen because the work of con- veying from the producer to the con- sumer became too complicated, and as a result expense increased, while there were great delays. In America, so far as l know it, this Is specially the case by reason of the long distances which your supplies have to be brought. From Kansas to New York is as far from the center of Russia to London
 So long as production was on a mod est scale, and, in the case of eggs espe- cially, a mere side issue the matter was not so serious; but as soon as pro- auction became part of the life work of the people concerned, they must neces- sarily inquire how they could secure the best returns, and the question of marketing became essentially one for producers. Unfortunately in a great number of cases isolation and depend ence on traders for finding market has meant that producers have not re- ceived an adequate return. This is seen in every country, and it will continue until those to whom it is a matter of bread and butter realize that on their shoulders rests the solution of the prob lem. We owe to the little country of Denmark the first steps in what is proving to be, at any rate in some parts of Western Europe, a great eff fort for placing this side of farming on proper basis.
 After the war with Prussia in 1861, Denmark was faced with a serious state of affairs. She is a small coun- try, with no great manufactures. and her interest was purely agricultural If development were to take place it must be in the production of food, and as she had not the population to consume great quantities she must look out for markets to which her sup plies could be rapidly and easily sent, and which would yield prices that would pay for her labor. That Den mark has succeeded in this is mani fest to all who know anything as to her condition, and it is an interesting fact that, pro rata to the population, she is now the second wealthiest coun- try in Europe, simply owing to the development of her dairying, pig keep ing and egg production. It was real ized that in order to accomplish the purpose in view it was necessary that the produce should be placed on the markets in Great Britain not only of the finest quality and packed in the best manner, but also as rapidly as possible. Denmark, therefore, com. menced that remarkable form of CO., operation which has been the largest single factor in the creation of her wealth.