124 THIRTIETH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



found that it takes from $20 to $30 to pay for keeping- a co-w- 

 in Kansas. It will thus be seen that as far as milk is con- 

 cerned the cows from the poorest herds are running- their own- 

 ers in debt, the only redeeming feature being the value of the 

 calf produced. These figures illustrate very clearly the need 

 and likewise possibility of materially increasing the income 

 from the dairy cow. 



The above is quoted from Mr. D. H. Otis of the college, 

 who made the investigation and who furnished me the above 

 figures. I would be willing almost to guarantee that not one 

 of those patrons believe that it would pay him to subscribe 

 for a dairy paper costing him two cents a week, or buy 

 Gurler's American Dairying, a book costing but $1, or spend 

 money or time in making themselves better posted. There are 

 thousands upon thousands of men in the country today strug- 

 gling along under such a load. What makes it worse is that 

 they will not believe that it will pay them a splendid profit 

 to know more about this business called dairying, about this 

 animal called the cow. 



I could furnish you with thousands of examples of men who 

 started just where these men are, but who recognized at the 

 outset that the first great necessity with them was to put 

 themselves in communication with dairy knowledge. Today 

 thev are the proud possessors of herds of cows averaging from 

 250 to 350 pounds of butter per cow. They have come up 

 out of great tribulation, but they have put light in place of 

 darkness, and that has brought them hope in place of discour- 

 agement, riches in place of poverty, ownership instead of debt 

 and profit in place of loss. 



I would say to the man who is keeping cows; you must be 

 your own schoolmaster in this business, but you must be teach- 

 able. You must fertilize your mind with the best accepted 

 dairv truths. The most teachable man among us, the man 

 who is willing to spend time and money liberally for more and 

 better knowledge, is invariably the man who knows the most 

 and who is doing the best with his cows. It don't pay to be 

 indifferent. It don't pay to wrap ourselves up in a thick 

 cloak of conceit. The facts and the figures are against such 

 men. To such men, and oh, there are such a host of them, I 

 would further say: Think about this matter of self-improve- 

 ment, think about this matter of a better cow; don't begrudge 

 the small sum it costs to put better ideas and better judg- 

 ment in vour minds and better dairy blood, feed and care in 

 your herd, for only in so doing can you save yourself from 

 loss, or find the larger per cent of profit. 



Two Kansas dairymen sent milk to the same creamery in 

 1897, one receiving $12 for the milk of each cow. and the oth- 



