Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-04-24

the price and the famerS were just
where they were previous to the or.
ganization of the society. AS a pre-
yentive of this situation every Danish
cooperative concern pledges each
member to deliver to it his full out
put.
The Laborer Farmer.
The greatest care is taken upon this
farm to protect the quality of the
milk. The veterinarian of the coop
erative society visits the farm every
eighth day and inspects the cows, the
barns, the equipment, and the feed.
Every tenth day also the milk is test
ed for butter fat. A record is kept
and each cows history is fully record
ed, it being possible in this way to
weed out the poor cows. The mem
bers of the cooperative organization
are also under the strictest obliga-
tions to report Immediately any slight
indisposition of the COW and to sepa-
rate the milk of the indisposed COW
from the other milk.
Contamination of the milk as well
as the spread of any disease is thus
well guarded against. When the milk
is to be used for hospital purposes or
infants food the diet Of the COW is
further limited, so that all feeds
which tend to taint the milk even
slightly are excluded. The cows are
tested more frequently for disease
and are kept under closer supervision.
All milk is cooled as soon as it leaves
the cow and all bacterial growth
checked
imported Women Laborers.
There are upon this farm fifteen
Polish girls who are comfortably
housed, well fed, and paid a living,
though moderate, wage. 1t must be
noted however, that they are import
ed laborers, and are not in any sense
immigrants. They do not come to
make permanent home in Denmark,
but coming in March and April, they
return to Poland in November or De-
cember. The stay in Denmark is
usually limited to from seven to nine
months. 1t is estimated that each
year about ten thousand farm hands,
many of them women, come into the
country for the busy season. All
agree that this importation of labor
is beneficial. The farmers themselves
are loath to put in their time on the
hard hand labor necessary in raising
many of the root crops which are SO
important in this part of the country
and are glad to get the cheaper for
eign labor when it presents itself.
Quality of Milk.
Again we proceed and this time
pick out what is evidently small
farm. The owner of the farm, which
is only about six acres in extent, is
one of the eleven drivers employed
by the local creamery, it being his
duty to collect the milk and return
the cans and skinned milk each day
to the farmers. His duties are not
extensive, his wages are moderate,
and he finds it necessary to depend
largely upon his little farm for sus-
tenance. He has recently bought
three of his six acres, borrowing the
money for the purchase price from a
cooperative credit society which is
aided by the government His interest
is at the rate of three per cent. per
annum, in addition to which he is pay
ing each year a small installment up
on the principal. He had in cash
when he bought the farm only ten
per cent. of the purchase price, but he
capitalized his character, as is possi-
bic here, and made the purchase.
Originally a farm laborer he under
stands thoroughly the principles of
the scientific farmer. He appreciates
the value of rotation of crops, the nee
essity for fertilization and all methods
of conservation Of the fertility of the
soil.
Upon the next farm live an elderly
couple who own three acres from
which they obtain the major part of
their living, although the farmer
spends some Of his time in making
wooden shoes which he sells at low
price and from which he obtains only
a meager amount. In the adjoining
house we found a farmer who had
about four acres. He ekes out his
support from the farm aided by lit
tie salary received for acting as sec
retary Of local cooperative society.
None of these three small farmers
are at present wholly dependent upon
the farm although each is looking for
ward to the time when he can secure
a little more land and thus become in
dependent of the outside earning. All
realize that good farming methods are
necessary to success. All are loyal to
their cooperative societies, evidently
believing that without cooperation
agriculture in Denmark would be an
absolute failure. All have been farm
laborers and all are indebted to the
rural credit system for the opportuni-
ty to own their farms.
Helps Town Merchant.
We took luncheon in little village.
Here the hotel keeper who consented
readily to an interview upon the sub
ject, fully appreciates that the welfare
of the villages and cities as well as
that of the country depends absolutely
upon cooperation. Anything which
makes the farmers prosperous helps
u.s." he says. when the farmer gets
a krone in his pocket some of US in
the villages and cities get our share
of it before long" While there had
been originally some opposition to CO.
operation, particularly when it includ-
ed an effort to buy comparatively, the
village business men now realize that
unless the farmer receives a good
price for his product there will be no
money in the country and the pros
perity of the village as well as the
country will suffer Immediately.