88 CO-OPERATION IN DANISH AGRICULTURE 



Among these commissioners was the poet and author, 

 pastor of a Jutland parish, Steen BKcher. Like all countiy 

 vicars he had his farm or glebe. He was fully acquainted with 

 agricultural questions, and a frequent contributor to various 

 journals in which he warmly recommended important agri- 

 cultural reforms in regard to a better rotation, reclamation of 

 heathland and moorlands, the use of fallow and similar subjects. 

 He understood and felt a great sympathy for the peasant class, 

 and has described it in his classical writings. He strongly 

 advocated the improvement of the native breeds of cattle, 

 and formulated a proposal which although it was not under- 

 stood or appreciated in his time, laid down the principles 

 which, fifty years later, were taken up by the cattle-breeding 

 societies and according to which these are still carried on. 

 In his description of the district of Viborg, pubhshed in 1839, 

 he does not agree with the suggestion of prizes. "Rather 

 would I recommend that several farmers by joint action 

 should try to imitate the good example given by some, viz. 

 by a judicious selection of breeding animals, cows as well as 

 bulls, to improve our national breed of cattle." The crossing 

 with foreign breeds had fortunately in several districts had 

 very little effect on the native stock, and particularly was 

 this the case in Sailing land within the district of Yiborg. 

 " If several neighbours, large landowners, pastors and the well- 

 to-do. peasants with large farms were to join in a breeding 

 society with suitable rules, the good results thereby acquired 

 would spread in ever- widening circles. As the chief rules for 

 such a society I would propose : — 



" (1) The best animals should be obtained for breeding 

 purposes, were they ever so costly, difficult to find and far to 

 fetch. 



" (2) The young stock should be reared well and hberally 

 nourished. 



" (3) The heifers should not be served until three years old. 



** (4) No bull calf should be castrated if anybody outside 

 the society would buy it for breeding purposes. 



'* (5) No member should be allowed to sell breeding cows of 

 the approved breed as long as they could be in calf, until 

 his entire herd consisted of cows of the improved strain. 



