1008 New York State Dairymen's Association 



Pkof. Van Pelt: That is true, and it is advisable to strip 

 them out. Then, also, if anything; happens, a teat a;ets sore or 

 one is not milked out, the proprietor finds it out and the cow is 

 not ruined. 



Mil. Goojjuicji : Do vou have farm county bureaus in Iowa, 

 farm experts located in the different counties '( 



Prof. Van Pei-t : This is a general movement throug'hout the 

 United States. It is promoted by a wealthy man in Chicago. 

 We have not gotten into it far enough to know nnicli about it. 

 Our legislature appropriated money three years ago for the pur- 

 pose of stimulating and developing the dairy iiidustry. I hap- 

 pened to be placed in charge as state dairy expert. We have 

 done a great many things in Iowa to encourage better dairying, 

 the testing of cows, the putting in of good sires, the replacing of 

 poor cows with good cows, and all of those lines that would tend 

 to increase production, and as a result we are getting ten million 

 pounds more of butter manufactured in creameries than four or 

 five years ago. Whether immediately due to the educational in- 

 fluence or other causes I am not prepared to say. 



Speaking of the county farm bureau, however, I started some- 

 thing along that same line in one of our counties where there were 

 nine creameries. The officers of the creamery acted on my sug- 

 gestion to put the proposition up to their patrons and the patrons 

 voted to tax the output of the creameries one-tenth of 1 per cent. 

 per pound. That meant an income of approximately $2,000 a 

 year. We hired a man and put him in charge at $1,500 a year 

 and his expenses, and he worked among the farmers, telling 

 them how to feed cows, about breeding cattle, what feeds 

 to use, and they threshed these subjects out and the results 

 were wonderful. If my memory serves me right, for every 

 dollar spent there was a return of eleven dolhirs. That 

 little organization is still in operation in A\)rthern Iowa, and 

 I think it proved itself one of tiie most successful of the kind. 

 Your farm bureaus will certainly be very valuable to the whole 

 connnunity if the farmers themselves take an interest in tliein and 

 encourage them as they should. Their value to you will depend 



