SHORTHOKN BREEDERS' ASSOCIATION. 217 



State classes. Mr. Cotton's father said he admired his nerve, but not 

 his jiulgmont. I don't know any class of bnsiness men I have come in 

 contact with that have less assertion than the breeders of beef breeds 

 of cattle. You have a good business, but like all good things, you must 

 push it, and you can do this in a nice and quiet way through our vState 

 classes. It is one of the greatest educational opportunities that is pre- 

 .sented to you. You can begin at the county fair and come to the State 

 Fair. Y'ou ought all to come in and try it with one or two or three head 

 (if cattle, or as many as you can fit. I say it is a very great thing for 

 Mr. Cotton to go to Chicago and meet with the success he did. 1 saw 

 him there, standing AVith Robbins Brothers and old show men of that 

 class, and I was proud of him and proud of the State because we produce 

 th:it kind of stuff here. Now about St. Louis. Y'ou can not all go there. 

 I can tell you what you can do, and you can get a great deal of reputa- 

 tion for your cattle. We have better beef cattle in Indiana— not more of 

 them— but we have a better grade of beef cattle than any State in the 

 T'nion. Tlicre isn't a lot of breeders in the Union that will compare witli 

 you as a class. You are live, up-to-date, energetic, progressive men. 

 There are men here who, when they go out to buy animals, are not 

 stopped by the price. I'ou are improving your breeds faster than any 

 breeders I know of, and I say to all, go to St. Louis. Don't expect to 

 sweep the deck, but show your animals there. Y^'ou will widen your 

 accpiaintance by doing so, you will meet the best breeders in the United 

 Stales, you will learn their methods and learn to improve yoiu- own. 

 It is an educational opportunity of great value. Next year is going to 

 be a very trying year for the State Board of Agriculture. I was not a 

 inem])er of the Board at the time of the Chicago World's Fair, but 

 Indiana gave a State Fair that year and lost eleven or twelve thousand 

 dollars, and it is a very grave question whether or not we will give a 

 State Fair this j-ear. Located as I am here in the city of Indianapolis, 

 and with the business interests of our city to look after. I am in favor 

 of holding it, even if we do face a loss; but at tlie same time I want 

 you men who can go to St. Louis to take your cattle there. I believe if 

 we hold the fair here we can get young men like Mr. Cotton to come with 

 two or three head and show them. As far as Indiana is concerned, I 

 Iielicve we will get a lot of exhibitors. I think the competition will not 

 be of a kind you young men need be afraid of. I tell you to hang to 

 this State da.ss. I hope all the breeders of beef cattle in tliis State will 

 take hold of it and pusli it along. 



Mr. IJobliiiis: .My position on the State c-lass is pretty generjilly lui- 

 dcrstood. If tlicre is one tiling I have worked hard for, it is this State 

 class. I liave never regretted that work, and I am in favor of going on 

 Willi it. Tiicre are two tilings tiiat have been brought out by tliis State 

 class tliat I liave noticed particularly. It has brought out a great niMiiy 

 of our boys who would never have come here to enter an open class, 



