640 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



ily can be occupied in some jjrofitable way, without unnecessary 

 hardship on the dairy farm, I wish we might apijreciate the fact 

 and tell our neighbors how delightful is the Avork of the dairy farmer, 

 how life in the open air and the interest being with living things 

 gives health and vitality to body and mind, and makes hopes glad. 

 Perhaps you are not in the habit of thinking enough about these 

 things, and we forget to speak often about them to our boys and 

 girls. I wish we might bring it home to them that our occupation 

 really develops the most desirable habits of industry and economy 

 and good morals. I wish we might impress upon them 

 that surroundings most helpful to manhood are found on 

 dairy farms. I wish we could make them see how es- 

 pecially calculated is dairy farming to show that labor is honor- 

 able, and that it is worthy of all their best efforts. And standing 

 here in the State Capitol, I am imjiressed with the idea of special 

 opportunity which comes with dairy farming, of honorable partici- 

 pation in political life of the better sort. No occupation otters 

 greater possibilities of political leadership than dairy farming. 

 Your I'resident has stated the importance of knowing the needs 

 of the dairy. We should make these needs better known through 

 the newspapers. Perhaps some of you noted, as I did, the small im- 

 portance that seems to be attached by the city press to this meeting. 

 The only indication that I could find in the Harrisburg papers this 

 morning that this convention is being held, was a small item in one 

 of the papers, barely mentioning it, and saying that the program was 

 being followed; yet the Governor was here and presided for an hour! 

 Now, the daily paper has a large share in the instruction of your 

 boys, and I mention this because^ of the importance of bringing our 

 work properly before the representatives of the press. 



I will only urge a few suggestions as to the special advantages for 

 dairying in Pennsylvania, and then I Avill stop, because I know you 

 are anxious to hoav the others who are to speak at this session. 



To the dairy farmer there is no more important question than 

 that of the water supply. In this state Avith its mountain springs 

 and many streams, water is abundant. 



I was quite impressed at the creamery session this morning with 

 the fact that your butter makers seem already to have found suf- 

 ficient markets for tiunr product. Another advantage is the ease 

 with Avhich the markets near home can be reached. 



You have the advantage over men in other forms of agriculture, 

 in that you are turning the rough products which others sell into the 

 finer and more finished products less bulky and more valuable, 

 so that vou are able in selling butter and cream from vour farm, to 

 do so at a less cost for transportation, and thus, of course, to in- 

 crease your total profits. 



There is another advantage partly discussed yesterday by Prof. 

 Hopkins, in the increased value of the land which comes from dairy 

 farming. I could give you reports from other states, from Germany 

 and from Denmark that go to show this. Where they raise one crop 

 exclusively, such as tobacco or cotton, the farm loses fertility. Some 

 of the great farms of the west, once producing year after year enor- 

 mous crops of wheat, have been brought by that system down to a 

 yield of only eight or nine bushels per acre. But now, with dairy 



