Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-04-24
Operative Farm
Products Marketing
How IL rs Done In Europe and May Be Done
ir America so the Fsofit of Both
Farmer and Consumer
rNl
DAY AMONG DANISH FARMERS
BY MATTHEW S. DuDeEoK.
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farmers. Each leaves his cans of
milk on the road to be gathered up by
collector hired by the association.
The collector when he returns the
cans brings back the skinned milk.
The milk sent into the creamery is
tested and the price depends altogeth-
er upon the butter fat contained in
the milk. This results in a constant
Improvement in the breed of cows
since the members find it profitable
to keep only the best breeds.
The farmer escorted us through the
farm to stubble field where the cat
tie were grazing. 1t must be remem-
bered that in Denmark cattle are
never pastured behind fences as they
are in the United States. Every COW
is tethered with chain about twenty
feet long.
Each COW is fitted out with a thin
canvas blanket and thus protected
from flies and other annoying insects.
The increase in milk production when
the COW is thus freed from all disturb
ing insects is said to be very consider
able. The cow is spared every exer-
ton. She is not required to walk
any long distance even for her water,
but it is hauled to her The water is
stored and carried in a big horizontal
tank much resembling our street
sprinkling wagons to which is attach
ed a smaller open tank, SO that the
COW is enabled to drink as the tanks
are drawn along the line.
Fertility Maintained.
This farmer, and in fact every far
mer whom we have interviewed dur
ing the entire day, seems to have a
very thorough knowledge of the rota-
ton of crops. On this farm the plow
land is divided into nine fields among
which the crops are rotated accord
ing to carefully considered and well
defined schedule. Natural and com
mercial manures are used, the farmer
having had the soils of his various
fields analysed, so that he may know
what is needed for each field He
now purchases his manures from CO.
operative company which guarantees
the chemical content of its products
although formerly, when private deal
ers sold fertilizers, it was difficult to
get them Of assured chemical compo-
sition.
The Big Farmer.
While Denmark has been called the
land OF the rich little farmer the coun-
try is not entirely devoted to the
smaller farm. After driving some
distance we saw what was evidently
a large farm with extensive buildings.
1t proved to be farm of 600 acres.
The proprietor was away but young
apprentice eighteen years of age who
seems to fully understand the farm
and its operation very courteousiy ex-
hibited everything to us.
The buildings on this larger farm
are most substantial handsome struc-
lures. We found on the farm twenty
two horses, one hundred eighty cows,
besides poultry and pigs. There are
employed upon the farm fifteen male
hands and fifteen female Polish labor
ers. We found the barns of the latest
types, clean and fresh. The floors are
concrete and sloped to a transverse
drain. Each stall has patent head
yoke and is equipped with an auto
matic water basin. Ample provisions
there are also for flushing and clean
ing floors. The arrangement for pre-
serving the fertilizing quality of the
waste is complete. Solid and liquids
are stored in cisterns from which the
manures are periodically removed and
distributed over the farm. The bins
for all feeds and machinery and tools
for handling are conveniently ar
ranged.
A co-operator.
The owner of this farm belongs to
the Trifolium dairy, a big cooperative
association whose members are most
ly owners of the larger farms. Upon
becoming a member of this co-opera-
tive concern the farmer enters into
an agreement similar to that entered
into by all co-operators in Denmark.
He agrees to deliver to the association
all of his dairy products. The agree
ment is most comprehensive one
and he is pledged not only to deliver
what he produces. but 1t is his duty
under his agreement to produce all
that he normally can with his farm
and his equipment.
Early in the history of cooperation
in Denmark a situation developed
which Is similar to that now existing
In America. Whenever a cooperative
concern was formed for the purpose
of marketing the product of its mem
/ bers the members were at once ap
preached by outside buyers who of
fered them substantial advance ovel
| the price being paid by the co-opera
| tive concern. Many of the farmers
were led to accept the price. Thi:
might have been expected. Outside
i buyers simply increased the price un
til they had drawn off from the CO
| operative association sufficient mum
l ber of members, so that the concerr