Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-04-18
(By G. S. %strandyold)

2NdlAVbAol SVhoS4OAollOSo GAIN q
ly developed system Of popular edu-
cation are the factors which have con-
tributed most significantly to the sue
cess won by the farmers of Denmark
in applying the principle of co-opera-
ton to almost every phase of eco
nomic and agricultural activity.
The direct connection between the
peoples high schools and the coop
%erative system becomes apparent
when we learn that about one-third
Of the entire rural population at some
time has attended the schools, and
that more han one-half Of the lead
ers Of the cooperative movements
have supplemented their elementary
education by attending either a e
pies high school or an agricultural
lcollege.
| In the early eighties the Danish
farmers realized that the salvation of
their country-the resurrection of its
acknowledgements be brought about
by energetic and consistent organiza-
ton.
The result was that the farmers or
ganized themselves into every kind Of
cooperative business. on their own
initiative. to carry on transactions
which run into. many millions of dol
lars. They do it with the economy and
the efficiency of the most highly or
ganized private business. and-to
quote a well known American Social
ist-they do it through cooperation
and not through Socialism," The
farmers buy what they need whole
sale. and they sell to themselves in
the same way.
System Started In 1882.
Cooperation in, Denmark dates
from 1882 when the farmers in and
near the village of Oelgod organized
a dairy of their own. In was an in
slant success-and since then more
than twelve hundred cooperative
dairies have beer established through
out h country; n hundred and six
ty thousand farmers are members Of
these organizations and own a little
more than three-fourths of all the
cattle in Denmark.
What that means, is made clear
from statistics which show that Den
mark has more cattle per square kilo-
July Is. 1914, the stock Of cattle was
2,462,862-a figure which has been
considerably reduced during the war,
and the exports of butter and other
dairy products, chiefly to England.
amounted shortly before the outbreak
of the war to 100000 annually.
To fully understand the significance
of these figures the reader should re-
call that the area of North Dakota is
nearly four times as large as that Of
Denmark. and that the heads of cat
tie in this state number approximate
ly 10000 compared to Denmark's
2,462,862.
Another fact to be taken into con-
sideration is the average size of the
farms. In North Dakota and Minne-
sofa, farms of, for instance, 100 acres
are not considered very large: indeed.
there is some probability hat the av-
erage size of the North Dakota farm
is about 800 acres. The average Dan
ish farm extends over In area Of 10
"Toender Land" which is the eq1fva-
lent of 1915 American acres. Statis-
tics show that there are about 250. 900
farms in Denmark, and that 1876. 900
are Of about 1914 acres or less; only
5000 farms are Of more than $50
acres. and 10000 average less than a
half acre.
How has the Danish farmer sue
ceeded in making his country the
leading dairy producer in Europe?
BY intensive and scientific cultiva-
ton Of every square inch Of soil, and
by a sane application Of the princi-
pie Of cooperation.
How has the individual farmer ben
Gifted by the methods adopted?
HI answer-or part of the nswer
lis contained, in the information that
81 per cent of all the farmers of the
country own their farms, and only 3
per cent are enants (In the United
States, about IS per cent of the farm
ers own their farms).
Three Million Pounds Per Week.
Danish diaries export under nor
NAL conditions about three million
pounds of butter to the British mar
ket every week-and yet, this is only
one branch of cooperative activity;
there are many other kinds, for in
stance, the export of eggs.
The organization of this business is
typical Of the methods in vogue i in
Denmark and is, in effect, something
like this: