92 CO-OPERATION L\ DANISH AGRICULTURE 



was more directly commercial, and therefore a less fit object 

 for State aid. On the other hand, it might be said that the 

 State aid given to the Breeding Societies, by creating a largely 

 increased demand, certainly did help the prominent breeder 

 to realise prices for his animals which he would otherwise 

 never have obtained. When the State stood aloof from 

 helping the Co-operative Dairy Societies in their first years it 

 was not because these were in no need of help ; there was, for 

 instance, the urgent need of technical instruction for the many 

 young men who came forward to manage the hundreds of co- 

 operative dairies which sprang up in the course of a few years. 

 The assistance given by the State to the Breeding Societies 

 was a very far-seeing and wise measure, and it has brought 

 forth fruit in abundance, being, as it should be, help to self-help. 

 By a new Law for Improving the Breeding of Domestic 

 Animals, of 1st April, 1887, the State went a considerable step 

 further than giving a grant to increase the prizes awarded at 

 shows. It placed a sum of £2780 annually at the disposal of 

 agriculture to supplement " other measures " for improving 

 the animal industry, and this was chiefly used for Breeding 

 Societies for horses, cattle, sheep, and pigs, and the greater 

 part was absorbed by the bull clubs. It was stipulated that, 

 in order to share in this help, the breeding societies must be 

 approved by the agricultural society or societies in the district 

 or by the Provincial Federation of Agricultural Societies, and 

 that the stallions or bulls bought and used should take prizes 

 at the local or district show before the grant could be paid. 

 It was also stipulated that the State grant should never amount 

 to more than half the cost of whatever measure it w^as intended 

 to supplement. This timely help had a considerable stimulat- 

 ing effect on the bull clubs. In the year 1887-88 there were 

 89 of these, and by 1891-92 their number had increased to 409. 

 This increase had naturally the effect of reducing very largely 

 the available grant for each bull, which for the year 1892-93 

 was only £4. In 1893 the grant was therefore increased to 

 about £7000, of which ^um £3330 was reserved for the bull 

 clubs. The grant was, as before, administered by the agricul- 

 tural societies. One-half could be awarded by the Provincial 

 Federation, according to their valuation of the bulls ; the 



