STATE l^ATRY ASSOCTATTOJs^. 



525 



Mr. Drisehel: Do yon think the Pennsylvania Dutch are more ener- 

 getic in that than other people? 



Professor Decker: Why should the German people be better dairymen 

 tlmn any other people? 



:Mr. Drisehel: They have a love for the dairy business. 



Professor Decker: INIaybe it is worth dollars and cents to have a love 

 for this business. 



Mr. Drisehel: They don't get discouraged. 



A Voice: Isn't it more the man than the country? 



Professor Decker: This man over here wants to know if it is not 

 more the man than the country. There is nothing the matter with the 

 "country. The trouble is with the man. We want to find out what is ailing 

 the man, that is all. 



The President: I am going to ask a question. I believe it is a pretty 

 good idea for us to be frank with one another, and, when we go away, to 

 get something nearly as we can to the correct sentiment on questions; 

 and so I want to ask those people who are here from a distance of five 

 miles and further from Plainfield: How many of you feel that dairying 

 in your community is groAving and improving? Those of you who feel 

 that way raise your hands. There are two persons. Now, how many of 

 you think that dairying is going through a depression and not prospering 

 as it should at the present time? Those of you who feel that way raise 

 your hands. There are five. liCaving the question of high prices of feed 

 out of account, it affects all classes of live stock, and in practically the 

 same degree. 1 would like to ask Mr. Billingsley for his reason for this 

 depression. 



Mr. Billingsley: I don't know that I am prepared to ansvv'er this ques- 

 tion. I think that as far as country butter is concerned, our creameries 

 are making better butter and are standing at the head of the market, and 

 consequently the price of country butter is less. Of course, there is a 

 reason for this. As far as my experience goes, I don't suppose there is one 

 out of ten farm dairies where they give any attention whatever to the 

 smaller details of the business, that are so necessary for the production 

 of an excellent quality of butter. For instance, I don't suppose there is 

 more than one out of ten that would give any attention to the udder. 

 That is. would go over it and see that it is clean before they would draw 

 any milk frc^i the cow. I do know that it is the custom among nearly 

 all the milkers to go and set a bucket down and go to milking. All the un- 

 cleanliness attached to the udder will go into the pail, and when that 

 becomes mixed in the fluid state there is no amount of straining can 



