912 New York 'State Dairymen's Association 



produce of untested or diseased cows. The farmer is ready to 

 test his herd and take out the diseased cows just as soon as he 

 will be paid a premium for his milk over his neighbor who has 

 never tested at all. I am glad to sav that riffht now, thiMiiiili the 

 efforts of Commissioner Huson of the Department of Agriculture, 

 a change in the hiw affecting bovine tuberculosis is under con- 

 sideration. 



There are several reasons why dairy products have advanced 

 in price to where they are now. Eapid increase in the population 

 of our cities; a small increase or no increase at all in the popula- 

 tion of the rural districts, making a larger number of consumers 

 and a smaller number of producers each year, is one cause. 

 Putting every year less butter and cheese on the market, — 

 many times less than the demand, where a few years ago large 

 quantities were exported, is another cause. Also the rapidly in- 

 creasing demand for ice cream ; this demand having increased 

 during the past five years until at present every man, woman and 

 child in the United States consumes on an average over five quarts 

 each, and still the ice cream business is just in its infancy. Think 

 of the vast amount of fresh cream and milk, or by the use of the 

 homogenizer high-grade butter and skim milk, used in the 

 manufacture of something like 150,000,000 gallons of ice cream. 

 It means just this, another great market has been opened to the 

 producers of dairy products that ten years ago was not dreamed 

 of; and the dairy farmer should stimulate and encourage the 

 manufacture and sale of ice cream as he would the manufacture 

 and sale of butter and cheese. 



To be sure 2he dairyman is much to blame for his lack of 

 profit. Many times his methods are such as would ruin any busi- 

 ness in the world. Thousands of cows are kept in X(>w "I'ork 

 State that do not make their owners a profit over the cost of their 

 feed, and still they continue to keep them because they do not 

 know they are unprofitable. Tf the owners would keep a record 

 of these cows they would see at once that they were eating their 

 heads off and get rid of them. They continue to use the poorest 

 of sires aiul expect to secure profitable dairy cows, when nothing 

 but pure-bred sires should be used on any dairy farm. They are, 

 however, rapidly learning the value of such things as the cow test- 



