state Dairy Association. 219 



sides of the dairy business, men who are recognized leaders in 

 their several lines. Those who have been fortunate enough to 

 attend these meetings have been caused, by coming into contact 

 with and hearing these able men, to return to their homes and 

 take up their work with higher ideals and a better appreciation of 

 their business and with a desire, not only to make money out of 

 the business, but to accomplish something that will be of more 

 value to their homes, their communities and their State. 



Through this Association and its influence our young men 

 have been encouraged and made to look upon the farm and its 

 work, not as an irksome and undesirable task, but as an avocation 

 of which they can be proud. In fact, they have been lifted out of 

 their former selves and made to feel, that after all, the farm means 

 far more than drudgery, bent backs, aching hands and endless toil 

 of an unremunerative nature, and that which has heretofore been 

 looked upon as undesirable can be made, through proper applica- 

 tion and enlightenment, which is afforded by the experience of 

 others who have from time to time been before this Association 

 and through our Dairy Department under the able and efficient 

 Prof. C. H. Eckles, a splendid source of uplifting and upbuilding, 

 not only from the financial standpoint, but from that higher stand- 

 point which we all love to feel, that we have accomplished some- 

 thing which stands for good. 



This Association has advocated laws that have been enacted 

 for the control and the protection of a clean, pure and honest 

 product, whether it be the manufactured product — butter, or the 

 pure milk for the consumption of the thousands within our larger 

 cities. It has advocated and has succeeded in having a dairy 

 commissioner appointed, whose duties tend to the instruction and 

 uplifting of the dairy interests. 



Those interested in dairying in Missouri at this time number 

 something like 35,000, about 5,000 having embarked in the dairy 

 business the last year. 



While in the past we have accomplished may good things, it 

 seems to me that we are now just upon the eve of an awakening of 

 greater interests and opportunities, and that this Association must 

 zealously push forward advocating and protecting the interests 

 of this great business. 



I feel that the needs of this hour are educated dairymen, men 

 who understand the feeding and caring for the cow and making 

 and marketing the product, and this Association should advocate 

 a change in our present laws covering the dairy and food work, 



