AGRICULTURAL COOPERATION IN DENMARK. 41 
has helped solve this problem. To utilize the uniform supply of 
skim milk returned to the farm the year round, the pig production 
is uniform. When the hog reaches the required weight, the farmer 
finds it to his advantage to sell, regardless of whether the market is 
high or low. If he holds another week, expecting higher prices, he 
loses in the deductions because his hogs are too heavy. The practice 
of paying the top quotation only for hogs of a specified weight 
helps to maintain a regular supply and tends to stabilize the quota- 
tions. 
If the factory is to yield the greatest returns, the farmer must 
supply the desired quality as well as the desired weight. Quota- 
tions are fixed for three classes based on quality, with a variation 
of about one-half cent per pound between each class. 
Weekly quotation. — As previously stated, each member's hogs are 
classified according to weight and quality when slaughtered, and 
according to this classification a partial payment which is near the 
approximate market value is remitted to the owner and the remainder 
is returned to him -at the close of each fiscal year. This approximate 
market value is determined through the weekly quotation, affixed 
by the cooperative plants, at the end of each week for the following 
week, by a special committee of three in each factory association. 
The manager, who is constantly in touch with bacon-market condi- 
tions, is usually the influential member of this committee. 
Most of the cooperative factories in neighboring counties and in 
some cases in the entire Province agree upon one quotation. The actual 
prices paid for bacon on British markets, together with knowledge of 
market conditions and "feeling the market," serve as, the basis in 
fixing the quotation. The factories aim to fix the quotation near 
actual value, but they also strive to maintain a stable quotation which 
is maintained at a remarkably steady level. Naturally, the private 
factories usually fix a quotation which is slightly higher than the 
cooperative factories. However, the latter return a patronage divi- 
dend to members at the end of the year. 
FEDERATION OF COOPERATIVE BACON FACTORIES. 
Although the cooperative bacon factories function and operate 
independently, as early as 1897 they had formed a national service 
federation known as The National Federation of the Danish Cooper- 
ative Bacon Factories (Be Samvirkende Danske Andels Swineslag- 
terier) . The federation maintains offices, with a secretary, in Copen- 
hagen. It serves the common interests of the cooperative plants and 
the swine industry and represents the industry in other joint coop- 
erative activities, which aid agriculture and the nation in general. Its 
activities embrace legislative matters affecting the swine industry, 
transportation, and market and labor problems. The federation has 
taken an active part in promoting improved pig breeding and has 
given financial aid to such experimental projects. Its activities are 
financed jointly by the cooperative plants which constitute its mem- 
bership. 
MARKETING DANISH BACON. 
The Danish law requires that the Danish bacon export trade be 
handled under the common registered trade-mark, "Lur Brand." 
