74S BOAKD OF AGRl('UhTUl?E. 



a time until he happens to see &. Shorthorn that attracts him and he 

 begins to mix the breeds. He goes from one to another until his breed 

 is all mixed up. He then tries the dual purpose coaa-s, which have made 

 a phenomenal record, and in a short time he' hasn't as good a class of 

 cattle as the day' he began. Breeding dairy cattle is a very simple thing, 

 and yet it is very complicated, too. If you start out with a breed of 

 cattle you should select cattle to your taste, the same as you select your 

 wife. A man selects his wife according to his own taste and not accord- 

 ing to the taste of someone else, and if lie has been fortunate he tinds 

 himself quite comfortably situated in middle life, although those of us 

 who are married know that women are not perfect, although we may 

 think so before we married them. It will be just the same when. you go 

 to select certain breeds of cattle. You must go according to your indi- 

 vidual likings. Each breed ha& its merits, and you must tind out which 

 one you want before you decide wliich j'ou Avill liave. If you start out 

 with one and stick to it, after a life of toil you can look back with a 

 great degi-ee of happiness as you look back witii happiness over the 

 life you have lead with your partner. 



I might say that right around Elgin there is produced more milk 

 than in any other State in the Union. There are high class dairj' barns, 

 well ventilated, and last year there was very, very little attention 

 paid to selecting the sire, and yet he was one-half of the herd. 

 They seem to think anything will do. and they go out and select 

 their animal. What does it mean to procure a sire that will 

 produce cows that will produce over 300 pounds, and a sire that 

 will produce cows that only ])roduce 150 pounds. The difference 

 is inestimable. It can not be measured in dollars and cents. That 

 is Avhat the dairymen are doing in that State. They select very inferior 

 sires. I suppose it is becaiise they can get them cheaper. You will remem- 

 ber that it takes about 150 pounds to pay for a cow's keep one j'ear, and 

 when you get a cow that produces 151 pounds you have one pound of 

 profit, and if you have a cow that produces 152 pounds you have two 

 pounds of profit. Therefore, the cow that produces 152 pounds is twict' 

 as good as the cow that produces 151 pounds. Isn't that right? I will 

 leave tiiis question with you. How much better is the cow that iiroduces 

 300 pounds than the one that produces 150 pounds of butter? 



The production of milk and the developinent of dairy cattle is very 

 much neglected in certain portions of Illinois. In the northwestern por- 

 tion coAvs are turned out in the cornfield to feed on the dry material, 

 which has very little nutrition in it. and it takes more energy tlian it is 

 worth to go after it. It is like feeding ^vnod. 1 (bink you can remember 

 my story from yesterday. I think the barns in which the cows are kept 

 should be well ventilated, and well liglited. and k('i)t clean. I tliiidi a 

 great deal should be said in regard to vciililalion and liglit. liccause we 

 are face to face with a serious problem .iiid tli.il is tuberculosis. I lliink 

 that is the greatest eneniy we liave today. \'entilation and light are 



