DANISH FARMING

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVII, Issue 4461, 24 October 1933, Page 6

DANISH FARMING

MOST EFFICIENT METHODS. MODEL FOR NEW ZEALAND. A VISITOR'S IMPIKE'SSIONS. The high degree of efficiency reached in Danish farming methods, as compared with those in use in both Eng>land and New Zealand, and the general atmosphere of prosperity and progress in Denmark, were impressions gathered by Mi* Hugh McKellar, a sheepfarmer of Feilding, who passed through Wellington the other day on his way home after completing a six months' tour abroad. Mr McKellar paid a special visit to Denmark, where he gained much valuable knowledge of the farming practices employed in that country. He had letters of introduction from Sir Thomas Wiilford, High Commissioner for New Zealand in London, and these enabled hiilm. to be shown over Denmark. From the Lands Department of that country he received unbounded hospitality, and through its officials he was placed in the hands of a guide, who could speak English, and who spared no pains to make the fullest use .possible of the time at the disposal of the visitor.

" Dealing with dairying methods first," said Mr McKellar, " the cattle are of the red Danish breed. I found them keen to keep this type of animal in the country, and it is consequently not sold to any extent. It is more or less a dual-purpose animal, both eating and milking well. From the breeding point of view, I presume a system was in force by which stock went by its live weight. I saw one bull weighing as much as 2200 lbs, and a sow 1360 lbs. FAJRiMS WITHOUT FENCES. " Practically all the farms are without fences, and even the road frontage is open, not a- piece of land being wasted. The cows are all tethered with an iron chain and halter round the head, fastened to an iron pin driven into the ground. They seemed to be grazed chiefly on a temporary pasture of Italian rye and red clover, with a 1 corn ration fed to them in boxes, on the ground. Each day the pin is pulled up- and the cows are mloved in a line further afield.

" The dairy factories," Mr McKellar continued, " are wonderfully run. They are all spotlessly clean, and everything is subjected to constant testing Staffs of chemists are employed, and no effort is spa-red to make the product of the factory as perfect as possible.

" Another thing that impressed me was the systematic method of feeding pigs that the Danish farmer has eaopted. After the first few weeks the pigs are never allowed outside, but are kept in well-ventilated stables bedded down with clean straw. So,mte farmers allow only a well-regulated ration, with water, and no skim milk, the ration consisting of maize from South America, home-grown barley, meals, etc. The pigs are weighed twice a week, and kept in pens of some eight to ten, more or less in their respective weights and condition, thus making the balancing of feeding conditions reasonably ample. The Danish farmer aims at having the pig finished for the market at about 140 lbs dead weight. " In connection with crops, I was told by the manager of the Tune Landbrugsskole, an agricultural college ?' said Mr MeKellar, " that altough the average grain crops would show a light yield this year owing to a continued dry season, he estimated that one field of standard wheat at the college would thi-esh 60 bushels to an English acre. In a good season, the manager informed me, he had had a yie'd of 80 buslKels to the acre. " The horses used in agricultural work," Mr MeKellar went on, "are of the Jutland breed, and considerably chestnut in colour, and considerably lighter than a Clydesdale. They are active, and have good bone and sound feet. Even in the feeding of horses the Danish farmer is most up to date. In one case I noticed an electric feeding machine in use. It would be set at night, and the following morning the horses would be fed at a certain time, doing away with the necessity of getting a man out of bed." NEW ZEALAND HAS A LOT TO LEARN. Mr MeKellar was of the opinion that both New Zealand and England had a lot to learn from Denmark in farming practice. In England, in particular, the methods in use were very much out of date, although recently there were examples of progress. , While in Denmark he had noticled above all the keenness of the people to buy British, and thus patronisw the country -which formed the market for their goods. This tendency to support England was becoming increasingly ! marked as time went on. In Copen- i hagen he had noticed that while all i the old motor cars were of American I manufacture, all the new vehicles were British.

The route taken by Mr MeKellar to Denmark was from Harwich to Esb-jei-g, a 36 hours' journey, and from Esbjerg to Copenhagen, which involved all-night travel by train and ferry. To the Visitor the country

seemed to be an exceedingly prosperous one, with no apparent poverty and little unemployed. He met with hospitality everywhere he went, and was greatly impressed with the desire of the inhabitants to show the visitor everything they could. Love of country appeared to be very pronounced, for the Danish flag was much in evidence, and special "Buy Danish" days a feature.