191 1.] Co-operative Movement in Denmark. 475 



pects one or more of his cows of being tuberculous, and, in 

 consequence, does not send his milk to the creamery. 



Formation of a Co-operative Dairy. — The capital required 

 to start an average Danish creamery varies from ;£ 1,200 to 

 ^1,500. This sum, which would cover everything, is 

 advanced to the co-operative society by a bank or other 

 institution having money to invest. The farmers forming 

 the society pledge themselves, each according to the number 

 of cows on his farm, to be liable for this loan. The bank 

 holds a mortgage on the factory or creamery, and has further 

 right of recovery against each farmer in proportion to the 

 extent of his guarantee. The farmer undertakes to sell all 

 the milk produced on his farm for a certain number of years 

 — the period varies in the different societies from seven to 

 twenty years — to the co-operative dairy, and to observe a 

 certain number of rules as to feeding of cows, treatment of 

 milk, utensils, and so on. Infringements of these rules are 

 punishable by fine, but such cases are of very rare occurrence. 

 Each member signs an agreement drawn up in the above 

 sense, binding himself and his farm to the observance of the 

 rules therein contained. It thus follows that if a farm changes 

 hands during the period for which the farmer has become a 

 guarantor, the liability rests on the new owner. 



Number of Creameries in Denmark in 1908. — The figures 

 for the year 1908 show that there were in all 1,345 creameries 

 in Denmark at the beginning of the year. Of this number 

 thirty-three belonged to private persons (Heeresgaards- 

 mejerier), 211 were communal dairies (Faellesmejerier), and 

 the remainder, 1,101, were co-operative dairies. 



Associations of Co-operative Dairies. — The greater number 

 of these dairies are again associated in various ways. The 

 most comprehensive of these associations is, perhaps, the 

 Committee of the Federated Danish Dairy Associations (De 

 samvirkende Danske Mejeriforenings Forretningsudvalg). 

 This Committee, which was founded in 1899, consists of the 

 Presidents of the Associated Dairies' Unions of Jutland, of 

 ] Zealand-Lolland-Falster, and of the Funen Dairies' Associa- 

 | tion, in other words, of the dairy associations of the whole 

 of Denmark proper. Its object is to consider the proposals 

 to be laid before the yearly meetings of the associations, and 



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