96 Cooperation in Agriculture 



The money required to purchase the bull and for other 

 association purposes is paid in by the members in propor- 

 tion to the number of cows each has registered in the asso- 

 ciation. The annual expenses are provided by membership 

 fees, service fees, the premiums at fairs, and by government 

 aid, the latter amounting to an annual average of about $40 

 for each association bull and $67 for each cow-testing asso- 

 ciation that conforms to certain regulations prescribed by 

 the government as a condition to receiving state aid. In 

 1909, the Danish government appropriated $136,000 to 

 assist the breeders' and cow-testing associations. 



In 1909, there were in Denmark 270 horse-breeding 

 societies with 21,500 members, 1259 cattle-breeding so- 

 cieties with 31,300 members, 253 pig-breeding societies 

 with 6430 members, and 102 sheep-breeding societies 

 with 850 members ; receiving in total about 400,000 

 crowns from the state. In Germany there were 2000 

 cooperative dairy societies in 1908 with a quarter of a 

 million members, and a large number in Austria, England, 

 and other European countries. The influence of the 

 cattle breeders' associations on the Danish dairy industry 

 is set forth by Rasmussen l as follows : - 



"1. By organization and cooperation it became pos- 

 sible for the smaller farmers to obtain a rapid improve- 

 ment in their herds, which otherwise would practically 

 have been impossible ; 



"2. They have constantly and forcibly demonstrated 

 to the farmer the value of a pure-bred bull of recognized 

 family in the improvement of the herd ; 



1 Bulletin 129, Bureau of Animal Industry, U. S. Department of Agri- 

 culture, Cattle Breeders' Associations in Denmark. 



