in the form of new milk, about 160,000 tons in the making of cheese, condensed milk for export, and for cream, some of which is for home consumption and some for export. But by far the greater part of the milk, about 3,440,000 tons, is used for butter. On the average about 24.4 kilogrammes of milk go towards one kilogramme of butter, and the total butter production was accordingly about 140 million kilogrammes in 1924. In 1925 the butter production was 141 million kg.

During the war the Danish output of milk and butter was greatly reduced. Since 1919, however, when the production of milk was only about 2,000,000 tons, it has increased by about 70 per cent., apart from the increase which North Slesvig has involved, and in 1923 the pre-war level had again been attained.

By far the greater portion of the butter produced is exported. The domestic consumption amounted in 1925 to about 18,000,000 kilogrammes. Much of the domestic consumption of butter has been replaced by margarine, of which about 70 million kilos are annually produced and consumed in Denmark. During the war, when this manufacture had to be suspended for a time, whilst simultaneously the output of butter was restricted, the butter export dwindled to a very small quantity.

A total of about 3,766,000 pigs were slaughtered in the export slaughter houses in 1925. In addition a quantity was slaughtered, principally for the domestic use of the rural population, but this naturally plays a very subordinate role in comparison with the slaughterings at the slaughter houses. And finally, about 130,000 live pigs were exported. The total production of pigs must therefore have been about 4,000,000 head, corresponding to an output of about 240 million kilos of pork, apart from the by-products: heads, feet, hearts etc., and lard, which is a commodity of great importance to the export slaughter houses.

It is only possible to give an approximate estimate of the amount of beef produced, as most of it is consumed at home and thus eludes statistical treatment. The annual slaughtering and exportation of cattle and calves amount to about one million head. The total production of beef and veal is estimated at about 140 million kilos.

Calculated upon the stock of poultry in 1925 and the average laying per hen, the egg output may be estimated at about 65,000,000 kilos.

CO-OPERATION IN AGRICULTURE

It is the small and medium sized farms which carry the principal portion of Danish agriculture. By means of an extensive organization in so to say every branch of agriculture these estates have, however, come to participate in the advantages of large-scale agriculture; indeed, in several respects they have developed these methods to an extent only made possible by co-operation. This combination of the advantages of large-scale farming with the great advantages which the small independent farms enjoy in other respects is of fundamental importance to Danish agriculture. One essential condition of Danish agricultural co-operation is the high standard of education attained by the rural population, thanks to an old, well-arranged elementary school system and the great number of agricultural colleges and »People's High Schools<< which are annually attended by about 8,000 young men and women, especially of the rural population.

It is true of all agricultural organizations in Denmark that they have developed on a completely free foundation without public intervention of any kind, although the State has, in certain directions, given limited financial support. The democratic form of organization is also common to all: membership is, as a rule, open to everybody, and every member has generally an equal share in the management of the associations irrespective of the size of his farm or his turnover with the association.

SOCIETIES FOR THE PROMOTION OF AGRICULTURE IN GENERAL

The Farmers' Associations, The Small Holders' Associations and The Royal Agricultural Society, (which is the oldest of the agricultural societies, having been established in 1769), all work for the promotion of the general economic development of agriculture. There are 135 local Farmers' Associations, with about 115,000 members, and 1193 Small Holders' Associations, with about 84,000 members. Both the Farmers' Associations and the Small Holders' Associations are organized into local joint organizations, and in the two national organizations, De samvirkende danske Landboforeninger (The Co-operating Danish Farmers' Associations) and De samvirkende Danske Husmandsforeninger (The Co-operating Danish Small Holders' Associations). The Co-operating

Danish Farmers' Associations, the Union of Danish Co-operative Societies (q. v.), and the Royal Agricultural Society have established a joint organization, the Agricultural Council (Landbrugsraadet), the principal object of which is to represent the agricultural interest in its dealings with the Government, with foreign countries and with other Danish industries. The very comprehensive work of these associations for the promotion of animal husbandry and plant cultivation by means of expert advisers, experimental research work, live stock shows, etc., is supported by annual Government grants.

BREEDING SOCIETIES AND CONTROL SOCIETIES*)

A large number of breeding societies and control societies have been formed all over the country for the purpose of promoting animal husbandry by means of rational breeding and the rearing and development of stock.

There are 290 horse-breeding societies, with about 30,000 members and about 370 stallions. Of cattle-breeding societies there are 1164, with about 28,800 members and 1361 bulls. There are also a number of pig-breeding societies, although a considerable part of the work for the promotion of pig-breeding is performed by the co-operative bacon factories; there are also a number of sheep-breeding and goat-breeding societies.

The principal object of the control societies is to ascertain the profitableness of the cattle stocks by means of regular examinations of food, milk yield and the fatty contents of the milk of the various COWS in the stocks of the members, and to promote the establishment of productive breeds. The number of control societies is 1092 with 28,500 members and about 410,000 cows. These organizations are for the present in process of rapid growth.

AGRICULTURAL CO-OPERATIVE ENTERPRISES

The agricultural co-operative enterprises are of the greatest economic importance, forming, as they do, the basis of the present system of Danish agricultural production.

Of the 206,000 Danish farms, about 184,000 may be regarded as being members of the co-operative dairies, of which there are *) See also: »>The Control System in Danish Agriculture<< in Denmark 1924, p. 159.

about 1,400. Membership is greatest among the small and medium sized holdings. It is only among the farms on a really big scale that the majority are not members of the co-operative dairies. About 86 per cent. of the dairy cows are under these dairies, and thus a corresponding part of the milk and butter production goes through them. The co-operative dairies are amalgamated into dairy unions, for the purpose of promoting their joint interests, whilst besides a large number of dairies are organized into export associations for the sale of the butter production. There are eleven such butter export associations, with in all 546 dairies as members. Finally, there are a number of dairies amalgamated in the Dairy Association of Denmark, which carries on the manufacture of milk powder and condensed milk. The co-operative bacon factories have attained a very high level. There are fifty, accounting for about 82 per cent. of the total slaughterings at the export slaughter houses. They represent about 70 per cent. of pig-breeding farmers and about 75 per cent. of the total stock of pigs. During the past few years the co-operative bacon factories have had their membership greatly increased.

Some of these bacon factories are also amalgamated into a joint sales company, the Danish Bacon Company, which has its headquarters in London.

For the protection of mutual interests the co-operative bacon factories are united into The Union of Danish Co-operative Bacon Factories, which promotes rational pig-breeding, protects the interests of the factories with regard to transport and sales and also represents them in relation to the legislative authorities.

Some of the co-operative bacon factories have taken up the sale of eggs as a part of their business, with a special organization of egg-collecting branches as a basis. Otherwise the co-operative movement in this respect is concentrated in the >>Danish Co-operative Egg Export«, which has about 45,000 members. In 1923, about 22 per cent. of the poultry keepers, with about 26 per cent. of the poultry stock, were members of these associations. The export of cattle is also organized to some extent on a co-operative basis. There are in all eighteen cattle export associations with about 27,000 members.

The purchases of grain, fodder, artificial manures and seeds are, to a great extent, organized co-operatively. About 31 per cent. of the agriculturists are members of the Co-operative Feeding

Stuffs Societies, and about one third of the feeding stuffs imported passes normally through these societies. The Danish Co-operative Manure Supply Society has a membership of about 74,000, and a turnover corresponding to about one third of the total import of manures. The purchase and sale of seeds is organized through the Danish Agricultural Societies' Seed Supplies, collaborating with the Co-operative Wholesale Society of Denmark. The central organization of the Danish co-operative societies is the Union of Danish Co-operative Societies (De samvirkende danske Andelsselskaber).