Thirty-sixth Annual Convention 989 



have not kept abreast of tlic growing demand. Judging by 

 statistics from reliable sources, the population is to again double 

 during the next thirty-five years, and in order to maintain the 

 present price of dairy products the cow population must also 

 double or their average production be greatly increased. The 

 breeders who funiish the blood for the improvement that is neces- 

 sary as well as for increasing the number of cows from twenty- 

 two million to forty-four million, are assured of great prosperity 

 in their business during a lifetime. 



Those of you who have traveled through districts where grain 

 farming almost solely prevails have no doubt been favorably im- 

 pressed with the place the cow fills in American agriculture as 

 a home builder, i^othing adds to the digiiity of fann life like a 

 good home, and American agriculture, no matter how profitable, 

 will never reach the plane of digiiity on which it belongs until the 

 farm home is made attractive enough so that the one farm is 

 OA\aied in one family for generation after generation. This is 

 never the case in grain farming districts where the farmer takes 

 from the soil and mai'kets the fertility with the consideration of 

 immediate gain only. He works his farm during the crop grow- 

 ing season, markets his grain and has little of interest in the 

 farm until another season, and nothing to either render it pos- 

 sible or desirous for him to provide a home on the farm. His 

 one purpose is to accumulate immediate 'wealth at the expense of 

 future generations, that he may retire and move to town. 



The dairy fanner, on the other hand, is kept on the farm and in 

 renninerative business the whole year. The interest and pride 

 that the progi'essive farmer of to-day takes in building up his 

 herd and his farm leads him to make there a home for himself 

 and his children and his children's children that follow him. 



These facts I speak of merely to refresh your minds. They 

 need not be dAvelt upon for, unlike farmers in other countries, 

 you have learned through experience the results accruing from 

 association with the cow that daily consumes that which is raised 

 on the farm and twice daily returns to her owner a product of 

 increased value. 



In too many instances, however, the producer of milk and 

 butter fat has overlooked the importance of reducing his operations 



