988 New Yokk State Daikymen's Association 



and grasses growai upon your faruis. Of all farm animals slie is 

 the most economical and profitable producer of human food. The 

 evidence of this fact is specifically cited through an experiment 

 carried on man^^ years ago by Laws and Gilbert. It was this 

 experiment which demonstrated that tlie cow yielding ten quarts 

 of -Jr-per cent, milk daily was producing as much fat and fat 

 equivalent in seven days as the steer that was gaining fifteen 

 pounds in the same time. In addition to this, the cow's production 

 contained six times as much mineral matter and six times as much 

 nitrogenous material, which are the nutrients that render skim 

 milk so valuable in the growing of yomig animals. She accom- 

 plishes this by consuming the roughage or cheap food largely, 

 with a small amount of concentrates or expensive food, while her 

 brother, the steer, makes his gain largely with concentrates of 

 expensive food and a small amount of roughage. 



You have given consideration to the fact that the market for 

 dairy products does not fluctuate in the uncertain manner that 

 markets for other farm j)roducts do and, therefore, provides a 

 more certain source of profit without a risk of loss. The feed 

 given a cow to-day is returned to her owner to-morrow and can 

 be marketed at once. 



The certainty of dairying has been made impressive to you by 

 the fact that once a month, once a week or every day, if he so 

 chooses, the dairyman may have a check for the work his cows did 

 the month, or week, or day before, insuring pennanent and steady 

 prosperity. 



You need not be told, for you have learned from experience, 

 that the demand for productive cows has provided you as breeders 

 of dairy cattle a most profitable business, for the fanner in all 

 parts of America as well as other countries is rapidly becoming 

 convinced that there is a vast difference between the profits yielded 

 by a common cow and l)y a cow whose ancestors have been l)red for 

 economical and pro ill able produclion for hundreds of yi'ars. 



Although since 187;") the numlx-r of milk cows has doubled, prices 

 for dairy products have steadily advniiced and the price of good 

 cows has increased by leajis and bounds. I)ui'iiig this period the 

 population of this couutiy- has more than doul)led, showing that 

 rapid as has been the increase of the number of cows milked they 



