60 CO-OPEEATION IN DANISH AGEICULTURE 



In order to improve the breed of pigs and give them a 

 better shape for bacon production, the Horsens Co-operative 

 Factory bought during its first year about 200 breeding boars 

 and sows from Holstebro, where the breed had been improved 

 by the use of large Yorkshire. Later on several pure York- 

 shire boars were bought in England and stationed round about 

 in the district. 



Owing to the very largely reduced export of live pigs to 

 Germany, and the good demand in England for Danish bacon, 

 the interest in co-operative bacQn factories spread, and many 

 meetings were held throughout the country during the following 

 years, at many of which P. Bojsen was an eloquent advocate 

 for building more co-operative factories. Many farmers, 

 especially among the larger landowners, hesitated or spoke 

 and voted against them. They considered it too risky to bind 

 themselves to deliver their pigs to a co-operative factory and 

 to guarantee such large sums for building and working capital ; 

 while others argued against the one-sided development of pig- 

 breeding in the direction of bacon pigs for the English market, 

 and wanted the breeding of heavy fat pigs for the German 

 market kept up so as to be prepared when Germany should 

 again admit the Danish pigs. It was only natural that private 

 curers should try to persuade the farmers that co-operative 

 factories increased the working expenses and brought less money 

 to the country and that the co-operative factories turned out 

 an inferior article, as, indeed, might well have been the case 

 during the initial stage. 



But among the smaller farmers, the peasants, there was a 

 considerable eage^^ness for the co-operative factories : they 

 formed committees, sometimes supported by townspeople, who 

 began to see the advantage to the town of drawing the peasants 

 there and of having a considerable industry established in the 

 town. The result was that in 1888 four co-operative factories 

 were built, of which two, like Horsetm; were in Jutland, while 

 one was in Funen and one in Sealand. In 1889 four more, 

 and in 1890 three more were formed, and so on. By the end of 

 the year 1897, or ten years after the first co-operative factory 

 had been built, 24 co-operative factories had been erectc d, of 

 which 8 were in Jutland, and 16 on the islands. 



