191 1.] Co-operative Societies in Denmark. 589 



If British poultry-keepers could obtain in October 40 per cent, 

 of the eggs produced in March, many of our difficulties would 

 be solved. If that can be accomplished in Australia, why not 

 here ? 



The lessons to be derived from English and Australian 

 laying competitions are not that in the former one hen laid 

 103 eggs in 112 days, or that in the latter six hens produced 

 an average of 252*16 eggs in twelve months, but that in the 

 English contests out of entire flocks of 448 hens, 255, or more 

 than 52 per cent., produced between 31 and 70 eggs in the 

 sixteen weeks, and that in Australia 390 hens of all breeds of 

 the entire flocks, numbering 774, or nearly 52 per cent., 

 averaged between 151 and 200 eggs in the fifty-two weeks. 

 That prizes must be awarded to the excessive layers is evident, 

 even though it is probably true that these phenomenal layers 

 have comparatively less influence upon general production 

 than those which are to a lesser extent above the mean. It is, 

 however, a question for consideration whether the pens which 

 are nearer to that mean should not obtain the greater encour- 

 agement. 



The Danish Bureau of Statistics has recently published 

 some interesting figures, which may be read with the article 

 on the Growth of the Co-operative 



Number of Movement in Denmark published in 



Co-operative Societies 7 ■ ' 



in Denmark. the ] ourna ^ f° r September, p. 469. 



These figures are of value as indicating 

 the comparative extent to which co-operation has been 

 actually adopted in Denmark. These figures were obtained 

 chiefly in connection with the live stock census of 1909, the 

 occupiers being asked to name the co-operative societies to 

 which they belonged. 



Dairies or Creameries. — The increase in the number of co- 

 operative dairies during the last ten years has been small, 

 the explanation being that the existing co-operative dairies 

 embrace so large a proportion of the cow-keeping farmers in 

 Denmark that but little further extension is practicable. The 

 number of estate dairies, on the other hand, has decreased, 



