14 



societies, swine-breeding societies, milk-control unions, egg-collecting 

 societies, societies for the purchase of feeding stuffs and manures, 

 cooperative abattoi IS. loan societies or credit banks — all on the cooper- 

 ative plan. 



LOCAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 



There are in addition 107 local agricultui-al societies, with amem1)er- 

 ship of 64,800. These local societies hold shows during the sunnner 

 and have meetings for discussion during the winter. They also engage 

 the services of experts to give advice to their members on farming 

 matters, and some of them engage itinerant lecturers. Every tifth 

 year these societies join with the Royal Agricultural Society in a 

 national fete, consisting of a show, discussions, and excursions, con- 

 tinuing for live days. The societies of each province also have united 

 into what are known as provincial unions. These unions hold yearly 

 exhibitions. 



The State aids all of these organizations. The amount averaged 

 $450 to each local agricultural societj^ in 1903, but the subsidies thus 

 given are only in aid, and to be available must be supplemented bj- 

 private subscriptions by the membership. 



ALLIED AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS. 



The form of alliance that exists among the agricultural organizations 

 is full}' and concisely stated by Dr. Herbert G. Smith in a paper read 

 before the Cobden Club in 1901. In speaking of the organizations of 

 Denmark he says: 



Chief among tliem is the Royal Danish Agricultural Societ)-, founded in 1769, an 

 organization which best represents the general agricultural opinion of the country, 

 and which is the principal adviser of the Government in agricultural matters. It 

 administers large sums on behalf of the Government, and also controls a large num- 

 ber of expert and other officers of the State. Its members may be classified as 

 follows: (1) Individual members; (2) local agricultural cooperative societies; and 

 (3) provincial unions or federations of local societies. Varying fees are paid by the 

 members, which fees, with the Government grant, form the income of the Royal 

 Danish Agricultural Society. A covmcil of 36 members, with 3 presidents, forms the 

 ruling body; 18 men die rs of this council are elected by the local agricidtural socie- 

 ties, and 18 by the individual members of the society. The number of local agricul- 

 tural societies was (in 1895) 101, the average membership of each society being about 

 500. A whole county is sometimes represented by one society, while in other cases 

 a group of parishes form a society. The larger parishes often contain four or five 

 societies. The majority of these local societies have become federated into provincial 

 unions, of which there are four — one for each province. INIost of the members of 

 the local cooperative societies are members both of their provincial union and the 

 Royal Danish Agricultural Society. 



In each province, in the autumn, a congress is held, to which delegates from the 

 local societies are sent, and at which the agricultural interests of the province are 

 discussed, and local opinion is formulated. Resolutions relating to measures which 

 affect agriculturists are forwarded to the Government, which, as already said, con- 

 sults the Royal Daiiish Agricultural Society in agricultural matters. 



