AGKICULTUKAL COOPERATION IN DENMARK. 17 
were realized immediately by the farmers. Many new cooperative 
creameries were built. The movement enjoyed a spontaneous and 
most remarkable growth the first 10 years. In an official survey 12 
conducted in 191-1, among the 1,168 cooperative creameries operating 
that year, it was found that more than half were established before 
1890; 80 were started during the 5-year period 1881-1885; 595 
during 1886-1890; 153 during 1891-1895; and 110 during 1896-1900. 
Although the early membership came from the small and middle- 
size farms, the merits of the cooperative plan were soon recognized 
by the large-estate farmers. This is indicated by the fact that the 
number of private estate-farm creameries declined from 264 in 
1900 to 16 in 1914. 
In 1922, 13 of the 1,661 creameries in Denmark, 1,335 were co- 
operative, and these received approximately 90 per cent of the total 
milk production of the country. Among the 326 private creameries 
are a few private estate-farm creameries, but the greater number are 
small plants and many of these engage chiefly in the town and city 
milk trade. 
In tracing the development of the Danish dairy industry due 
credit should be given to the introduction of the mechanical cream 
separator. The first cream separator was introduced in 1878 by 
the inventor, L. C. Nielsen, 14 followed by Doctor De Laval's cream 
separator the next year. They came at a most opportune time and 
introduced new technical methods in dairying which enabled the 
smaller farmers to combine their milk production, and manufacture 
a standardized quality for export. 
The lack of a sufficient number of skilled creamery managers was 
the chief problem encountered during the early part of the co- 
operative creamery movement. The agricultural schools set about 
supplying this need. Special courses for training young men in 
butter-making and creamery management were started in two leading 
agricultural schools. Technical advice in manufacturing, manage- 
ment, grading, and quality improvement was given by the State 
dairy specialists, the Royal Agricultural College, and the State ex- 
perimental laboratories. The cooperative idea originated with the 
farmers holding small and middle-sized farms, and not with the 
estate-farm owners or with philanthropic leaders. It came as an 
economic necessity to meet a new marketing situation, which de- 
manded standardized high-quality agricultural products. 
FORM OF ORGANIZATION. 
The sale of shares among the farmers as a means of providing 
capital is unknown with the Danish cooperative creamery. There 
are no initial fees and there is no outlay of capital on the part of the 
members. The financial arrangement is planned on a definite period 
of years (usually 10), with a contract agreement which involves 
a delivery pledge and joint financial security among the members. 
" Statistiske Meddelelser 4 Riikke 49 Rind, 1 Hafte, 1914. 
13 Courtesy Kontoret for Mejeri-Statistik, Aarhus. 
14 Hertel, H., Audelsbeviigelsen, 1917, p. 115. 
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