The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-05-20
Cooperative Concern in Copenhagen.
WHY DENMARK PRODUCES BEST BUTTER, BACON AND EGGS

- d. LA, fAlSD LOO0
minister to Copenhagen and a high
authority on Denmark and all things
Danish, says: "The Danes are prob,
ably the best educated people of the
world, because the Danish farmer un-
derstands that the kind Of education
his sons and daughters get will fit
them for the work they are to do,
without limiting them in narrow
bonds. The boy begins his farm work
as soon as he car handle a spade or
feed the chickens, and his school edu-
cation goes hand In hand with his
work. He does not waste time on
things that cannot be correlated with
his work. Arithmetic becomes part
of his daily life, and he must count
the number Of eggs, weigh the slaugh-
tered pigs, calculate the profit that is
to be made upon them. The ,geogra-
ply Of England ia made actual by the
connection with the port to which the
cooperative society Of which his IA
Their is a member sends his butter,
eggs and bacon. He is bound to the
soil by both interest and patriotism,
and is DESTROYS Of following the ira.
ditions of his father. He finds every
thing in his home which makes life
agreeable. His tastes are simple. He
must be frugal to live, but this fru-
galty does not prevent farmers
houses from being cheerful homes, for
good pictures, musical instruments,
and books are found in them ALL"
From fourteen to eighteen Is an age
when Danish boys and girls r grow
ing physically and working at prac-
teal things, for the young Dane can
not enter the folk high school until he
is eighteen.
Farm Apprenticeship.
The prospective farmer, however,
has not stopped his educative proc.
esses during this period. There Is IN
Denmark a recognized system of farm
apprenticeship for the future farmer.
1t is a common practise here for the
father who wishes his son to become
a farmer to put him for a period of
three years upon some of the accredit-
ed model farms Of the country. Gen.
orally he stays on one farm for one
year, moving on to a second and then
a third in order that he may get diff
ferent and broader points Of view and
may see agriculture specialized along
different lines upon the different farms
On these farms he is given an oppor-
tunity to learn, but for the most part
his time is spent In hard labor. He
learns to farm by farming.
Folk Schools and Patriotism.
After his apprenticeship is complet-
ed he goes for at least a few months
to one of the folk high schools, which
are in the broadcast sense schools OF
patriotism. Inspiring lectures are
used for instruction more widely than
are text books. The history and liter
AZURE of the country is the theme Of
many an hour. Every class is opened
with a song, either patriotic or re-
ligious, and each day extensive read
ings upon patriotic and religious topics
are given. Practical political economy
and sociology are included in the daily
work. No one under eighteen may at
tend these folk high schools, but many
an older man or woman in later life
finds there that for which there was
no opportunity in youth. The schools
are c~o-educational, but are co-educa-
tional in a thoroughly segregated
way, for the men attend in winter and
the women only In the summer
months.
. These schools are privately owned
and not absolutely free. The cost of
five months instruction and board for
the men for the winter months is
about $50, while the women, who gen.
orally attend these schools in summer,
pay only about $50 for three months
instruction, including board and lodg-
ing. Small as these fees seem to be,
the state has various ways of re-
ducing the fees, especially for the sons
and daughters Of the small holders.
The total number of students in these
summer and winter schools the last
few wears has never been less than
ten thousand.
University Extension.
These folk high schools have, too,
an extension form Of education some
what similar to the university extern
sion courses given by some of our
American colleges. The high school
professors frequently go out to the
s%choolhouses for popular lectures upon
history and literature, and upon soci-
ological subjects. Generally a little
association is formed for the urse Of
from six to ten lectures. Possibly n
crona (twenty-seven cents) for the
wear is charged, or there may be a
charge of twenty ora flour cents) for
each lecture. Here at the high school
building they also hold in the fall a
special community meeting for three
or four days during which three lee
lures per day on subjects similar to
those taught in the school are given,
and in addition men Of learning or re-
nown from the outside are brought in.
At this folk school the young farm