68 CO-OPEKATION IN DANISH AGEICULTUKE 



a sufficient number of co-operators from slaughter-houses and 

 dairies were ready to undertake the loading themselves, and 

 when the dock labourers saw this they refused to go on strike. 

 Both the Union and the individual factories have taken a 

 considerable interest in the improvement of the breed of bacon 

 pigs by getting good boars of Yorkshire and of Danish breeds 

 stationed in various districts. In 1913 the Union took over 

 the charge of a special effort to assist farmers in the improve- 

 ment of the breed of pigs, which had hitherto been carried on 

 by the agricultural societies by the aid of a large grant from the 

 State. It had been found that the best bacon pig could be 

 produced by crossing pure Yorkshire and Danish pigs, and 

 " breeding centres " of these two breeds were therefore kept, 

 from which farmers could buy breeding animals. In 1902 the 

 State 1 offered an annual grant of £2,500 in support of these 

 centres, and the country was divided into seven districts with 

 a committee in each charged with supervision of the breeding 

 centres. These were herds of either of the two breeds, which 

 had been found to be of good quality and to breed true. The 

 chairman of the District Committee was appointed by the 

 Minister of Agriculture, one member by the Provincial Associa- 

 tion of Agricultural Societies and one by the Co-operative 

 Bacon Factories in the district. The Government Live Stock 

 Commissioner supervised all the centres through his assistants, 

 of which he has one in each district. By the revision of the 

 Law of 1902 the grant by the State was from 1912 reduced to 

 £1,400, and it was only given on condition that a similar amount 

 was given *' from other side." The Agricultural Societies could 

 not see their way to vote that sum ; the Union of Co-operative 

 Bacon Factories therefore stepped in, voted the money, and 

 took over the principal part of the work which is carried on, 

 on the same hues as before, by supporting '* breeding centres '* 

 of Yorkshire and of Danish pigs. The Union also supports 

 three experimental stations Avhere pigs from the various centres 

 are kept in order to ascertain which of the two breeds gives the 

 greatest increase in weight for a certain amount of food, and 

 which produces the best bacon. The District Committees 



^ By Law on Breeding of Domestic Animals, 1902. See imder Pig Breeding 



Societies. 



