15 



Tlio provincial unions, however, beiiifi; of opinion that the Royal Danish Agri- 

 cultural Society does not, as at present constituted, suthcieutly rei)resent the general 

 body of agriculturists, have created a council, composed of the presidents and vice- 

 pri\>iiilents of tlie j>rovincial unions; fortius council a position similar to that of the 

 Royal Danish Agricultural Society, as adviser to the (Jovernment, is claimed. It is 

 interesting to n<jte that over half of the members of the Danish I'arliamcnt arc i)easant 

 proprietors, and many of them have been educatccl at tiie high schools. 



The Royal Danish Agricultural Society assists and acts as an intelligenc-e depart- 

 ment for the widely extended system of cooperative societies which are not yet 

 affiliated to itself. As, however, the chief members of these societies are also mem- 

 bers of the local affiliated societies and of the Royal Danish Agricultural Society, 

 these unaffiliated societies in reality form a part of the cooperative organization of 

 the country. The various local societies may be classified as fc)llows: ( 1 ) Cooperative 

 societies for bacon curing; (2) cooperative societies for collecting and exporting eggs 

 (federated in 1895 into a large central society); (.S) cooperative societies for breeding 

 and rearing cattle, pigs, and horses; (4) cooperative dairy societies (about 1,200 in 

 number); (o) cooperative l)ee-keeping societies, and (0) cooperative horticultural 

 and fruit-growing societies. These societies are generously helped by the provincial 

 unions and the Royal Danish Agricultural Society. 



SYSTEM OF EXPERTS. 



One of the most useful adjuncts to Danish agriculture is the system of employing 

 experts who have proved very elhcient in imparting scientific; knowledge to farmers, 

 and introducing uniform principles into agricultural production. In 1903 there were 

 25 of these experts in all, who cost the State over £8,000 per anntim. In addition 

 there were 27 experts appointed by the local agricultural societies, and partly paid 

 by the State. The gratuitous advice of these experts can be obtained through the 

 Royal Danish Agricultural Society. The 1,200 cooperative dairies, for instance, are 

 frecjuently visited by them and repeated tests made on the relative cjualities of the 

 butter, etc., of the various dairies, the decision being communicated to all. 



Danish experts also permanently reside in foreign countries for the ])urpose of 

 keeping the Danish societies constantly informed of the reciuirements of foreign 

 markets for agricultural jiroduce. 



As a striking instance of the advantages of organization, the following fact may be 

 given: Recently it was considered desirable to introduce Yorkshire pigs into Den- 

 mark to improve the breed there, and a swine expert was sent to England, accom- 

 panied by representatives of the local Danish societies. Large purchases w'ere made 

 on behalf of both the Royal Danish Agricultural Society and the local societies, the 

 expenses of the expert l)eing contributed to by the Cooperative Bacon Curing Society 

 and the Royal Danish Agricultural Society. Thus each Danish farmer was able, at 

 a comparatively nominal expense to himself, to improve his swine. 



MOVABLE AGRICULTURAL COURSES. 



The feature of agricultural instruction in Denmark which corre- 

 sponds most nearly to the system of agricultural institutes of the 

 United States is the movable agricultural courses. These courses 

 were originated bj^ private initiative. The following statement, fur- 

 nished by the Danish minister, shows the method of their operation: 



Every year the cooperating agricultural societies publish that they are willing to 

 organize " movable courses" if a certain payment, suitable rooms for the teaching, 

 and good maintenance for the teachers are guaranteed. When these conditions are 



