The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-07-18
Agricultural Les
sons From Denmark
The Danes Have Small Farms
but they Think, Reason, OBJ
serve and Farms Pay Well

read and re-read by every farmer
in Mclean county, it is written
by Joseph Wing, staff CORE
spondent for the Breeders Ga
zette. Mr.. Wing is probably the
best equipped farmer in the
United States and one Of the
greatest living authorities on all
questions pertaining to agri-
culture. Mr.. Wing owns and op-
crates one of the best farms in
the state Of Ohio, and the author
ity on alfalfa. A photograph of
one Of his alfalfa fields when cut
was shown in the Breeders Ca
zette in June, and a statement
as to the amount Of alfalfa cut
per acre. Mr.. Joseph Mann Of
Washburn cut field of alfalfa
on his Painted Woods farm which
showed better yield than did
Mr.. Wings. Mr.. Wings land in
Ohio is worth $3.50 per acre.
What is land worth here9
-Editor.)
Little Denmark has about one
third the area Of the state Of
Ohio, but much of it's soil was
poor and none Of it highly pro-
ductive. Then came the great
awakening some forty or more
years ago, with the beginnings of
installation of cooperation among
farmers, better use of better
dairy cows, the coming of the
bacon pig, the wide use Of good
agricultural schools. In 1911,
after feeding 100000 people, the
export Of butter was about $780,
$4,000 pounds. Great Britain
alone paid Denmark $5l, ,142,7l5
for butter. The exports Of bacon
for the year amounted to 252, ,252,-
600 pounds, worth $50, ,352,9G0.
Denmark is a land Of thrift and
perhaps in no other land is con
tentment and happiness found so
universally. There must be rea-
son for this.
The ordinary farm Of Denmark
has in it about SO acres. There
are also many farms as small as
6 acres. The soil is not very
good and the climate is for seven
months Of the year very bad.
There is little wealth aside from
that created by agriculture, since
no mines exist. The wealth of the
Danes consists in the character
of the Danish people, their in
telligence and their spirit of
helpful cooperation. Late in the
last century they awakened to
their needs.
Before 1875 the farmers were
growing grain and the soil was
becoming impoverished. With the
opening Of our own new West
came the competition with our
grains, prices dropped and farm
ers in Denmark faced ruin. But
they turned to the COW.
At first only the more intelli-
gent and careful men made pro-
fit from dairies. Then they be-
gan forming cow-testing associa-
tions, they taught the people
about the robber cows. In 1882
was started the first cooperative
dairy. Now they have more than
1000 Of these. Now the slogan
ii: Danish butter first in the
world, there must be no inferior
Danish butter. Study Of soils
and soil management became gen,
eral, the productiveness Of the
land rapidly increased. Eggs, butt
ter, bacon, and all three Of high
est quality for export became
h the outward and visible sign Of
the wealth Of the Danes. 5
They say that Denmark is
built upon the ideals and enthu-
siasm Of one man, Bishop Grunt-
zig Dead now for many years,
4 lis thoughts and his systems are
n as enthusiastically discussed as
they were during the first half
Of the nineteenth century, when
he was the leader in the flesh.
Gruntvig held to a cardinal prin-
ciple that education ought never
to be rendered in such q amanner
that it breeds desponde dency and
8 contempt for work, but 30 that
it .sennob obles a mans work and
heightens his ability to perform
it well, ''as some one has sue
cinctly put #. .ts5
Il Denmark IL covered over with
What might be called agricultural
81 high schools. Their terms and
N courses are 50 arranged that the
M boysSand girls get their ducatiol
1s -uop esoIo q! 4ds4 sls 9ax pEu,su