41 



the pigs. Most piggeries have a single row of pens with passage on one side. The 

 windows are usually small, but no dark pens were seen. The floors are kept dry by a 

 grating to take away the liquid manure to a tank. As in most old countries the farm 

 buildings in Denmark are constructed to endure; even the ceilings in a number of 

 stables were built of cement. The Commission had no opportunity of judging of the 

 suitability of the piggeries for winter, but supposed they would be damp. Plenty of 

 straw is grown and, no doubt, by the liberal use of this the resourceful Dane makes 

 his pigs comfortable at all seasons of the year. 



Co-operative Feed Buying. 



The Danish farmer is a very extensive purchaser of feed for stock, and to secure 

 this as cheaply as possible he has applied to a remarkable degree the principle of co- 

 operation. An organization known as ' The Co-operative Association for Purchasing 

 Food Stuffs ' has a membership of 30,000. The association is divided into small local 

 societies throughout the country. In addition to nine large distributing warehouses, 

 located at convenient shipping points, there are a large number of smaller local stations 

 for the convenience of members. The following translation from the report of the 

 association for 1908 explains the objects of the organization and its general system 

 of conduct: — 



The object of the co-operative association is to obtain for its members cheap 

 an3 good food stuffs, and to guard against the possibility of combines being created 

 in the mercantile world. 



The shareholders bind themselves in writing, that for a period of five years 

 they will buy their food stuffs, with the exception of grain produced at home, 

 through the association. 



Any member who agrees to carry out the above mentioned obligation is con- 

 sidered a shareholder of the association. 



Other societies who take the same obligation may be accepted as shareholders 

 when the guarantees furnished are considered satisfactory. 



The association holds general meetings when it is considered necessary by the 

 committee, or when one-fifth of the delegates demand it. 



The management have a head office and appoint a competent manager, also a 

 treasurer, both to furnish the necessary guarantees. 



The manager has the power to buy food stuffs and to sell grain, look after the 

 transmission of food stuffs, appoint the clerks and present the annual report. He 

 is also responsible that the goods are insured against fire and disaster at sea. 

 Orders are submitted through the presidents of the local associations. 

 Goods are paid for by the associations inside of a month. 

 If any shareholder purchases goods anywhere else than through the association, 

 he is liable to a fine of fifty cents per 100 pounds. 



Should the head office, on account of bad weather, etc., be unable to supply 

 shareholders with goods ordered they are at liberty to obtain what they need from 

 other sources. 



Any surplus is divided among the shareholders according to the purchases 

 of food stuffs. 



Each year 25 per cent of the surplus is added to a reserve fund. 

 Should any shareholder desire to sell grain through the head office, it is the 

 duty of the manager to arrange such a sale. 



This association is far reaching in many ways. It deals in all manner of foods 

 suited for farm animals, purchasing them in the most favourable markets throughout 

 the world. It goes to Mexico for cotton seed cake and to Manchuria for soja bean 

 cake. It secures large quantities of barley and corn from Eussia, and when cheap 

 enough ship loads of corn are bought in the United States. Oil cake stands at the head 

 of its purchases, of which considerably more than 100,000,000 pounds were purchased 

 during the year ending May 31st, 1909. Sunflower cake, used chiefly for cow feed, is 



