The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-07-16
BY IRA A. KIDDER, LIBRARIAN,
Oregon Agriculture College.

shows how, by proper system of farm
ing and general cooperation they have
triumphed over the difficulties of soil
and climate and low prices, until from
a nation on the verge of ruin they have
become one of the most prosperous of
the agricultural nations. Their cooper
alton is of the most practical kind,
and every advantage is taken of mar
ket conditions. In their cooperative
dairies, the collection of the milk is
made by the dairy, that is, the individ-
ual farmer does not bring in his own
milk as in most of our cooperative dair-
les Except for one day week, in
many of the large dairies no butter is
made, the cream being exported to Ger
many, where there is a duty on butter
but not on cream.
Starting Diaries.
In starting their dairies the necessary
capital is borrowed and guaranteed by
the local farmers in proportion to the
amount of milk to be supplied by each
Of them. AS the failure of cooperat-
i've dairy factory is almost unheard of,
this guaranty IS not source of anxiety
to the guarantor. The milk is tested
once week by experts, and if farm
er's milk is below the test he is warned,
and if the deficiency continues he is
dropped, but this very rarely happens.
Many of the dairy farmers milk three
times day, as it is said the increase
in quantity of milk obtained more than
compensates for the extra labor. The
farmers in neighborhood hire cooper
atively a highly educated, expert WON,
an, who visits them once fortnight to
test the milk for butter fat, and pre-
scribes the proper amount of food for
the cows. The milking on many dairy
farms is done by machines and the
stripping" by hand.
An Unusual School.
In Denmark they have rather un-
usual kind of high chool, which helps
to account for the high percentage of
education in Denmark. This school is
nearly self supporting, that is, it re-
ceives very little government aid, and
has some private capital, but its chief
support is the tuition of the students.
These are young men and women of
from seventeen to twenty five years of
age, who ray for the six months session
t,v,t Tbn IL 30
in session for six months for the winter
term, which is largely attended. and
for three months in summer, which is
attended annually by small number of
very young women. This term Of six
months permits young people to work
half the year to pay for the schooling
the other half There are no examina-
tions, and no degrees which open doors
to career. They go to school for
learning, and for learning only, and
the surprising thing is that ten per
cent Of the population 60 through these
high schools. 1t is no uncommon thing
in Denmark to find farm hand that
speaks French and German, and reads
English. Another partial cause of the
high state of education n Denmark is
the fact that books are sent out post
age free from several of the large IL
braries.
Denmark has also an interesting sys-
tenn of schools for farmers, especially
the small land holders. There is
summer and a winter session Of six
months each. The pupils are admitted
without examination, at any age above
eighteen years. 1t costs little over
$11.00 a month. This covers instruc-
tion, board and washing These schools
are very popular, and attended often
by persons of advanced age.
Acquiring Small Farms.
The Danish system of acquiring small
farms by tate aid is interesting, but
is still in the experimental age The
system is as follows: The farmers are
allowed to borrow Of the state nine
tenths of the value of the small farm
to be purchased, the farmer being in
possession of the remaining one-tenyh
before he makes application for state
aid. He pays three percent interest
for the first five years. Af'er that
he pays four per cent interest to the
state. At first three per cent of this