The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1914-04-30
Cooperative
CONTINUED from page ID

WHICH mas Deen most carefully Sluuleu,
he and the other members find it
necessary to breed a pig of a particu-
lar type, one which will produce good
bacon. All of the members therefore
are raising a pig produced by crossing
the English Yorkshire with the native
Danish breed. They have found also
that the best bacon is obtained when
the pigs are brought to market from
twenty-five to twenty-eight weeks old,
weighing beween 1870 and 200 pounds.
Careful experimentation has also dem
onstrated that if the hogs are mar
keted at this time the most bacon per
food unit fed them is produced. The
pigs life is a busy life. They have
only five to seven months to live and
must weigh at the end Of that time
from 1870 to 200 pounds. The hogs
are also bred for large litters since
this is an important consideration
when it becomes necessary to rush
the entire output of hogs upon the
market at an early age Experts say
that the pig so produced is ideal for
the production Of bacon.
Cooperative Creamery.
This farmer belongs to a co-opera-
tive dairy association which conducts
a creamery some little distance away.
The members are mostly the smaller
farmers Each leaves his cans of
milk on the road to be gathered up by
a 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-
Or 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 a chain about twenty
ieet 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 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
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.
It 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 courteously 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 transverse
drain. Each stall has patent head
yoke and is equipped with an auto,
matte 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 10
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