74 BULLETIN 
AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY AND IMPLEMENTS. 
Purchase of agricultural implements and machinery on a coopera- 
tive basis is practiced in some communities, usually through other 
local purchasing associations, but it is not so highly organized as 
with other farm requirements. The principal organization of this 
kind is the Danish Creameries TTholesale Society and Engine-Factory 
(De DansJee M e jerie rs F 'illlc sindhobs og MasJtin-fabrik, Copenhagen). 
It deals mainly with creamery associations and manufactures, pur- 
chases, and distributes dairy machinery and equipment for its mem- 
bers. It had 1,633 members in 1922. and the average yearly business 
for the past five years has been approximately 5,000,000 kroner, 
which would have been equivalent at par of exchange to $1.3-10.000. 50 
Cooperative use of agricultural machines and farm implements 
is common in the farm communities, especially with the smaller 
farmers. Many such associations own and operate steam and elec- 
tric motor threshing machines, harvesters, drills, etc. Another im- 
portant cooperative enterprise, which has developed rapidly during 
the last decade, is the community electric plant constructed and op- 
erated on a cooperative plan. 
COOPERATIVE BREEDING ASSOCIATIONS. 
Improvement in livestock effected through cooperative breeding 
associations is one of the most remarkable achievements in Danish 
agriculture during the last 40 years. The increase in number of 
livestock from 1881 to 191-1, as indicated in Table 11. was 68 per cent 
for cattle. 63 per cent for horses, and 374 per cent for swine, and the 
improvement in quality and productivity far surpassed the increase 
in numbers. According to Prof. H. Larsen. 51 the number of milk 
cows from 1881 to 1914 increased 45 per cent, while the total milk 
production increased 150 per cent. This remarkable improvement 
toward profitable dairying is further shown by the increase in the 
average yield per cow in Denmark from 3.306 to 5.730 pounds during 
this period. Similar improvement has been achieved in the swine 
industry, where a superior bacon type highly desirable for the 
English market has been developed. 
When the Danish farmers changed to livestock production they 
were extremely poor. They had no money to import improved stock 
and were compelled to improve their native stock. It was in this 
direction that the cooperative idea was again harnessed and put to 
work with a degree of success which has no parallel in other coun- 
tries. Breeding associations were formed for the purpose of bringing 
to the farms in each neighborhood better breeding sires. The re- 
markable characteristic about livestock improvement in Denmark is 
the great improvement attained on the average farm. At the agri- 
cultural livestock shows the majority of prize-winning sires are 
owned and exhibited by breeding associations. The benefits derived 
from tile cooperative breeding associations have been two-fold: Gen- 
eral improvement effected throughout the whole country, and in- 
creased demand for good -ires at good prices. This demand for 
No. 21, 1923, ". 415-21. 
I >• i l\_i. Veterinaer <>- Landbobojskole Aarsskrift, 1918, p. 286. 
