American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1914-07-30

ia LII
Copenhagen, Denmark.-How has
Denmark, a little country with less
than fifteen thousand square miles of
area, established itself as one of the
best agricultural centers in the world?
Why is it that Denmark produces the
best butter, the best bacon, the best
eggs, that have ever been placed upon
the markets of Europe? How can this
little country export each year fifty
odd million dollars worth of butter,
owe four million dollars worth of
cream and milk, thirty odd million dol
lars worth of the finest bacon and
eight million dollars worth of eggs?
Denmark has no rich mines, no great
forests, no water power. The soil,
the one resource, is not naturally fer
tile. In fact, Denmark is a %low-lying
expanse of wind-swept sand dunes,
with here and there small stretches
of richer soil. Much of its more pro-
ductive soil is the result of scientific
drainage, fertilization and rotation of
crops. Chilling winds sweep over the
country the year around, and these.
with the prevailing fogs, render the
climate an inhospitable one.
Man has been no kinder than nature
to this little country. In the eight
zenith century the nobility and the
crown owned all the valuable lands,
while the p%easantry were either serfs
OF tenants under impossible condi-
tons. Export duties made foreign
Improbable. Early in the
nineteenth century economic condi-
tions had only begun to improve when
the Napoleonic wars again spread dis
aster and poverty over the country.
Still a little later Denmark's Ger
manic neighbors to the south took
from the already small nation the
province Of Schleswig-Holstein. Then
Germany, in the early eighties, built
up a high tariff wall which excluded
Danish products. The commerce upon
which the people depended for their
was gone, and the country
was still again grievously stricken.
Its Present Prosperity.
Yet today, in spite of all these handi
caps, Denmark is in proportion to its
population the wealthiest country IL
Europe. Eighty-nine per cent of the
agriculturists own their own land. del
farmers have been called the besl
farmers and the most skilled rura
business men in the world. Rura
Denmark produces the best bacon, but
ter and eggs ever produced; their pig
turn feed into pork more scientiical
ly than the porkers Of any other ma
ton; their hens lay more eggs, an'
their COWS are more effective as mil
and butter producing machines. ines
farmers have worked out a system o
cooperative marketing so enectv
that il is estimated that over ninet
per cent of what the consumer pay
for Danish farm products actual
reaches the pocket-book OF the ma
who produces it-a rather sisnincaI
figure compared with the general
accepted estimate that the America
farmer gets only from thirty-nve
forty-six per cent OF what the city co
sumner pays for his product.
How has Denmark reached this pos
ton agriculturally! Why Is 1t that 81
can produce the best bacon, butter an
eggs7 The answer seems to be; F1rs
because she has an efficient eouc
tional system; second. q
Is giving aid which, whi
effective, is not unduly ~paternalist'
third, because of cooperation.
Danish Farmer an Educated Man.
1t takes brains to raise the mo
aristocratic sort OF products that a
produced In Denmark. No ignora
people could take the bleak san
plains of Denmark and make gre
gardens of them, gardens supporting
splendid aggressive. progressive, pr
porous race. 1t requires a
shrewdness to do these things put
requires something more. 1t requil
in addition scientific agricultul
knowledge, a big conception OF tine az
cultural possibilities of the country a
a generous loyalty to state n &C
munity-an aggregate of qualities u
none but an educated man possess
And the Dane is indeed in very tl
in every sense of the word an educa'
man. He has been trained TO ma
the best use of himself and OF MS
vironment.
AS a boy he was compelled by
10 attend school until he was fourte