42 



heavily purchased, over 60,000,000 pounds being imported during the year; then comes 

 corn, barley, bran, hemp seed cake, etc., in the order named. By a careful system of 

 inspection and analysis all foods purchased are guaranteed to be of good quality. The 

 transactions of the association for the year indicated involved no less than 308,000,000 

 pounds, costing about $4,750,000. The foods are paid for by the members at the pre- 

 vailing local market price quoted by regular feed merchants. At the end of the year 

 the profits belonging to each member are remitted. The net profits for the year 1908- 

 09 amounted to about $200,000. It will therefore be seen that by skilfully managed 

 co-operation the Danish farmer gets his feeds at a comparatively low price. It is this 

 kind of intelligent thrift that has placed the Danish bacon producer at the head of his 

 class. 



The following table gives the market prices in dollars per ton of 2,000 pounds of 

 barley, corn and middlings in Denmark, Canada (Toronto) and England, during July, 

 1909 :— 



Denmark. Canada. England. 



Barley $26 50 $26 65 $27 66 



Corn . 31 46 29 00 31 60 



Middlings 33 38 26 00 .28 00 



Note. — The middlings quoted for Denmark consist of a low grade flour — a heavier 

 food than middlings quoted in Canada and England. This accounts for the great 

 difference in price between Denmark and the other countries. The values of foods 

 quoted for Denmark, Canada and England are taken from published market reports as 

 they appeared in reliable newspapers of July, 1909. Danish farmers who purchase 

 feed through the co-operative feed buying associations, secure a rebate of the profits 

 at the end of the year, as explained above. 



Co-operative Bacon Packing. 



Most Canadians to any extent interested in bacon production are more or less 

 familiar with the Danish system of co-operative curing. The subject has been dis- 

 c'Lissod and written about a great deal during the past few years. The Commission 

 visited a number of Danish co-operative curing factories and learned as much as 

 possible of the system on which they are conducted. 



The co-operative curing of bacon in Denmark dates back to 1887 when the farmers 

 found their live pigs shut out of Germany which had been the chief market. There 

 were at that time a 'number of private curing factories, but pig raisers felt they were 

 not getting full value for their stock and seeing the success that had already attended 

 co-operative butter making it required only the initiative of a few strong men to 

 set swine slaughtering, curing and marketing on a profitable basis. Established on a 

 sound basis and governed by workable regulations 'the first factory succeeded and others 

 were started until inside of three years ten such organizations were in operation. This 

 number year by year was added to until it has reached 36 besides 24 private packing 

 houses scattered over the little country, so close indeed in many places, that 90 per cent 

 of the hogs killed are brought in by wagon. For a number of years it is claimed 

 proprietory owners sought by various means to discourage the co-operative movement, 

 but the foresight, persistence and stability of the Danish farmer prevented even a halt 

 in its progress 'until it soon was able to dominate the situation. The private concerns 

 are gradually being reduced in favour of the others, and it is only because of their 

 generous policy that they can get hogs. They not only have to pay a slightly higher 

 price than the quotations of the co-operative associations but they have to bring their 

 hogs longer distances. Whereas a co-operative factory seldom has to bring more than 

 10 per cent of its stock by rail, a proprietary factory frequently gets 50 per cent by 

 train and those from districts in which the farmers have' not yet joined a co-operative 

 association. These associations have a foot hold in practically all districts where hogs 

 are reared in considerable numbers, the total membership being about 100,000. 



