ON AGRICULTURE TO DENMARK 49 



societies usually belong to federations. In the earlier days of the 

 movement the needs of the farmer were supplied by the establish- 

 ment of co-operative societies in his own district, each society 

 purchasing from seedsmen and manufacturers on its own account. 

 The advantage of federation soon became evident, and the societies 

 became affiliated, the federations covering a large section of the 

 country, and providing for all the societies. There are over twenty 

 federations in Denmark. The principle on which they work, 

 almost invariably, is that the members of the different societies 

 bind themselves for a period of years to carry out all purchases or 

 sales through their own society, and become jointly and severally 

 liable as guarantors for its finances, exactly the same principle 

 upon which the co-operative societies themselves are run. 



A Network of Federated Societies 



It is not necessary to mention all the federations, but a 

 few may be given as examples. There is the United Co-operative 

 Supply Association of Denmark, with its headquarters in Copen- 

 hagen. It has a membership of over 800 affiliated distributive 

 societies, divided into twenty-one districts. A Committee is ap- 

 pointed, consisting of one man from each district, and the 

 Committee elects an executive council, consisting of five members. 

 Each society guarantees a minimum sum of 100 kroner for every 

 twenty members on its register, and the members, jointly and 

 severally, guarantee the payment of all purchases made by the 

 members. This federation has stores in eight different towns in 

 Denmark. Its capital is £22,000, and its reserve fund £27,500. 

 It is the owner of the Experiment farm at Lyngby, which exists 

 for the purpose of testing seeds and ascertaining the best varieties 

 suitable aud profitable to the climate of Denmark. There is the 

 Danish Farmers Co-operative Purchase Federation, which supplies 

 feeding stuffs, seed, manures, etc., to its members. It also dis- 

 poses of its members' produce in the towns and villages of 

 Denmark, and members are bound to purchase all their require- 

 ments from the society. There are over 5000 members, and the 

 capital is £18,200. Depots have been estabHshed at Odense and 

 Nykobing. There are three federations in Jutland : The Jutland 

 Co-operative Feeding Stuff Society, a union of 250 local co- 

 operative dairies, with a membership of 13,000, and a turnover in 

 feeding stuffs of £272,000 ; The Jutland Co-operative Manure 

 Federation, with a membership of 3370 and a turnover of £5500 ; 

 The Jutland Federation of Labourers' Association, with nearly 

 150 branches and a membership of 6600. There is The Danish 

 Co-operative Manure Supply Federation, consisting of a union of 

 twenty-two agricultural societies, and with a turnover of £40,000 ; 

 The Co-operative Feeding Stuffs Society for the Islands, consisting 

 of the union of sixty creameries, with 3000 members, and a turn- 

 over of £110,000. In the Islands there are also 126 associations 

 of agricultural labourers, with a membership of over 6000. All 

 the labourers' societies of Denmark are united in one federation, 



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