Dairying in Denmark

Hokitika Guardian, 11 August 1921, Page 4

Dairying in Denmark

COM I*l,KTl'l {SYSTEM OK t 0OPKii ATIO.V. SYDNEY, July 30. The impressions of three officers o| llie Department of Agriculture, who are now associated with tuition in dairying matters, as gained I rum a visit to Denmark, under the A.O.K. instruction scheme, were given yesterday at a meeting of the Select Committee on Agriculture. The witnesses were: Mr C. G. K. Grant, manager of the Deny Experimental Karin, and .Messrs I. 11. Atkinson and C. .1. M Derniott, dairy mistruetors, and all three indicated iiow impressed they were with the success of the co-operative movement, and the wonderful clliciency of most of the methods praet iscd by the Danes. A farmer, it, was stated, might belong to as many as ten co-operative societies, such a s the cattle-breeding society or ud! club, the control of cow-testing sobreedmg society, pig breeding society, 'lig-hreeding society, liorse-breed-ing society, creamery, bacon factory, egg-society, purchase and sale society, • redit association, and co-operative bank. In a place half the of Dismania there were 090 co-operative contesting associations, 925 co-operative bull clubs, and 1200 co-onerative crentn-ei-ies. \Tr M‘Derniott considered that the main factor in the advancement of cooperation had been the temperament of iho people. For generations the Danes bad been closely associated with community life, and under such conditions mutual trust and community confidence had developed strongly. This, one: vith close settlement, small farms, freehold tenure (90 per cent of farms wore freehold), uniformity of farming methods, and a. Government ready to aid with export advice and generous subsidies, assured the success of co-operative effort.

A s the result of testing and culling, better feeding methods, and the use of bulls of known production strain, the butter production nor cow lmd* been raised from 1201 b in 1881 to 2401 b it) 1914.

Mr Atkinson, in answer to a question, said that almost 100 per cent ol the cattle were tested in Denmark, while in New South AYalos only about 1 per cent wore so treated Our highest ’ reduction figures were better than the Danish, lvut with them general results were looked for, and the utility cow was encouraged. Discussing the various breeds used in Denmark, Mr Grant said that these consisted of the Black and White Jutland, the "Red Danish, and, to a smaller extent, the Milking Shorthorn.- and the Jersey. The Jutland cattle were what were known hero as the Friesian, and the Danes claimed that they wore of finer type than the latter. Six herds (including cows and heifers) on a two roars’ test had averaged 9031 h milk and 3741 b of butter per annum. Tndividw al cows bad given much higher results, but less attention was devoted to this than to high general averages. The Red Danish cattle were the highest ex-

ample lie had met with of breeding up to type and yield, and they were very uniform in appearance. There were no representatives of the brood out here, and lie was opposed to their introduction as it would*only he multiplying the breeds. Importing such cal tie would he a very expensive business as between £9OO and £IOOO was placed on a young bull lie had inspected. The regular introduction of new blood would also be necessary to prevent in-)»reeding. lie advocated the improvement of the breeds already proved to be suited to Australian conditions, and the use of the methods which had been so successful in Denmark. There, he said, the breeds were confined to tli ©districts which experience had shown to be congenial. and no assistance was given by the associations in cases where farmers used any other breed than the one assigned. Mr Grant explained the Danish methods of improving the pig industry by the use of State apnroved breeding centres, and the issue to farmers of certificates indicating which sows arc profitable. The fact that the Dane looked upon the pig as n. clean animal, was one of the reasons underlying the success of the bacon industry .