y 



846 ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



Two very noted reporters in 1903 at the State f)airy meeting held in Hartford, 

 Connecticut, tried to get Mr. Detrich's memorable address on that occasion, 

 but failed in their attempt. We publish the stenographic report, with the 

 explanation that we have given above, as being due both Mr. Detrich and the 

 reporter. 



TWENTY YEAES' EXPERIENCE IN THE SCIENCE AND ART 



OF A DAIRY HERD. 



By Ket. J. D. Dethich, T^est Chester, Pa 



I am very glad to speak this morning upon this subject. Scien- 

 tific knowledge is only attained by the rudimentary knowledge 

 given us by scientific men. It is the foundation of agriculture 

 to-day. It is folly not to make use of the present day literature 

 upon these matters. The knowledge which has been brought to 

 us by scientific men through chemistry in the last twenty-five years 

 has taught us more about the earth and Nature, and the growing 

 of crops than that taught in the whole previous history of the 

 world. That which had been done before was done by guesswork. 

 Nearly every person planted according to the signs, and it was not 

 strange to find persons superstitiously believing that if crops or 

 seeds were not planted on such a day they would not groAV, and that 

 if a cow did not have a pink string tied to its ear or its horns bored, 

 it was likely to have all sorts of evils befall it. This knowledge 

 gained in the last 25 years is invaluable to the man living on the 

 farm and handling the dairy animal according to the most recent 

 facts obtained. 



We knew nothing about the animal until we took up the matter 

 and studied it as a layman can. Books on the subject can be had 

 for the asking; but there is really no good book on feeding or breed- 

 ing, for such rapid progress is being made that no man could keep 

 pace with it and put in book form that which he had written and be 

 satisfied to see his name attached to it two years afterward. It is this 

 rapidly acquired knowledge that the Dairy Union should spread be- 

 fore the community. There is not a farmer but what would be bene- 

 fited by the knowledge given out in such bulletins. We preach to-day 

 that there is nothing so grand as the earth. It is the source of an 

 immense amount of pleasure, and strength and thanksgiving, 

 whether we study the rocks, the plants, the soil or the farm. The 

 earth is filled with wisdom by the Deity who made it, and made you 

 and made me. 



