Improved Live Stock Breeders' Session. 



Tuesday, Jannarij 5, 1909, 



ADDRESS OF V/ELCOME. 



(Dr. A. Ross Hi!!, Presirlent of University of ilissauri.) 



Ladies and Gentleir.en, and Members of the Convention : . 



It is a pleasure to me, as President of the University, to wel- 

 come you here this morning as you gather to discuss matters that 

 affect interests that are more or less personal to you, and which 

 are also of vital interest to the development of the wealth and in- 

 telligence of the State. The agricultural interests of the State are 

 our greatest economic interests, and you who gather here at this 

 time to take part in these discussions, have at stake in your dis- 

 cussions the most important issues that affect the State, and also 

 the nation, because our agricultural resources are the greatest re- 

 sources in America. 



Your chairman has said that I am a farmer's son. I was als3 

 a farmer myself for a good many years — during the formative 

 period of m.y life when I got my first tastes and habits developed I 

 lived on a farm. I could not attempt to speak this morning about 

 farming in detail, because I find that as I recall the days that I 

 lived on the farm_, and compare the conditions then with the agri- 

 cultural activities of today, I am already a prehistoric creature in 

 the m.atter of farming. The farming community, as I knew it, was 

 a community in v/hich not only the farming activities that you 

 know were carried on, but all the processes of manufacture from 

 the raw materials were carried on right there on the farm. For 

 instance, I used to help to take wool from the sheep's back and 

 wash it and spin it, and afterwards wear it on my own back; so 

 you will realize that I am plainly an ancient creature in the matter 

 of farm life, because today, so far as I am able to gather informa- 

 tion, t]ie farm_ers are specioMsts. They are concerned with only a 



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