40 



showing the ages at which many pigs are finished. Although the pigs are housed constantly 

 very rarely was seen a cripled animal. While every feeder follows a system, each one 

 varies the feeding from time to time according to his judgment. 



Housing. 



The comforts of Danish pigs are well looked after. Except at some of the breeding 

 stations all pigs are constantly housed. Proprietors of breeding stations being especially 

 anxious for the vitality of their stock, provide outside runs, more especially for brood sows 

 and stock boars. The object of the pork raiser is rapid gains, and this he believes he secures 

 by constant housing. Apart from this every available foot of land is utilized for crop grow- 

 ing, so that no stock is allowed to run about. The cattle, horses, and frequently the sheep, 

 when grazing are tethered and moved once or twice a day. 



The hog pen is a part of the general farm building, and is practically the same in con- 

 struction as the horse and cow stable. The farm-steading consists of a continuous building 

 occupying four sides of a courtyard, 40 to 60 feet across. The dwelling is situated parallel 

 with the horse stable and feed barn, while the cow stable and the piggery face each other 

 on the remaining sides of the courtyard. The court is entered by a drive-way, in some 

 cases situated between the end of the piggery and the corner of the dwelling, in others through 

 the centre of one side. The courtyard is macadamized. The buildings, usually one story 

 high, are of cement or brick. The roof is either tiling or straw thatch. The pen floors, 

 feeding troughs, and frequently the partitions, are of cement concrete. Wooden floored 

 sleeping pens were seen in a few cases and one feeder used elevated sleeping quarters for 

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

 were 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 pig- 

 geries 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 through- 

 out 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 and 

 good food stuffs, and to guard against the possibility of rings being created in the mercantile 

 world. 



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

 take 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 considered 

 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 com- 

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



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

 urer, both to furnish the necessary guarantees. 



