838 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



in the spring. This plan if carried out and all the manure from the 

 barns saved and returned to the land, will give you a more fertile farm 

 fifty years from now than you have today. But you ask what may be 

 expected in return for this kind of farming? 



From reports received from 40 butter dairies in Missouri the aver- 

 age production for each cow kept was 252 pounds of butter, this at 20 

 cents per pound equals $50.40 per cow; the skim milk fed to pigs and 

 the calf sold for veal should add at least ten dollars more, making the 

 gross production from each cow in the dairy $6g, or $1,500 for a herd 

 of twenty-five cows kept on 120 acres of land. In addition to this 

 you have your ten acres for poultry, fruit and vegetables and the profit 

 of the hogs that should be kept on the dairy farm. In the face of these 

 facts I ask, what do you think of the future of the dairy industry in 

 Missouri ? 



According to the 12th census the average annual per capita consump- 

 tion of butter in the United States is a little more than 19 pounds. This 

 means a total consumption in Missouri of about 59,000,000 pounds. 

 The census figures also give the annual per capita consumption of cheese 

 3.3 pounds, or a total consumption for this State of about 10,000,000 

 pounds. In addition to this there is a large demand in all towns and 

 cities for new milk, sour milk and cream. The commission men will 

 tell you that this demand is not now all supplied from Missouri farms, 

 but a great deal of it is shipped in from other states. Another import- 

 ant thing in favor of the future markets for dairy products is that the 

 urban population of this State is increasing much faster than the popu- 

 lation in the country. From 1890 to 1900 the total population of Mis- 

 souri increased 16 per cent and during the same time the urban popula- 

 tion, including only cities of 4,000 inhabitants or more, increased 33.6 

 per cent. Therefore there is little danger of overcoming the demand in. 

 our own markets for first class dairy products, at any time in the near 

 future, and no one need hesitate on this account to embark in the busi- 

 ness. 



One objection sometimes offered to the dairy business is that it 

 takes too much time and too close attention. I would ask what business 

 is it that does not take close attention if you expect to succeed? The 

 merchant, manufacturer, the railroad man or the man of any other pro- 

 fession must give the closest possible attention to his work. TRe mer- 

 chant who gets a week oii' during the year is very fortunate, and if he 

 is not well established in business, if he is just building up a trade he 

 stays with his work every business day in the year. After his business 

 is well established and he has a son or trusted employe with whom he 

 Ccin trust the management of the business then he can take a vacation 



