384 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



So it was planned that we should hold a little dairy show in con- 

 nection with the next meeting of the dairy association. The American 

 Jersey Cattle Club appropriated $175 for prizes, Mr. Barney t>ent up a 

 few of his Holsteins and Mr. Graves of Missouri sent -up a very good 

 Jersey herd. We also had the Arkansas cows from Ames brought up — 

 in all perhaps two dozen coavs and a few bulls. We advertised the show 

 and the farmers came. We had a large crowd that year and we took 

 advantage of the opportunity to go over the cows and try to show the 

 farmers the essentials in selecting cows which would produce econom- 

 ically, in large amounts, efficiently and profitably. We were determined 

 to arouse the interest in the dairy cow which was latent in the state 

 of Iowa. 



We became so enthusiastic with the results that we determined to 

 have another show on a little larger scale. This we did, and the farmers 

 came in large numbers and when we had paid our bills we found that we 

 had $300 left. Since that time the dairy show has grown until now I 

 stand before you prepared to go on record as saying that at the present 

 time you have the greatest exhibition of high class dairy cattle which 

 has ever been seen in America. I believe that the dairymen will agree 

 with me regarding that, and I also think that the buttermakers will 

 agree with me when I say that we had one of the greatest displays of 

 buttermaking. 



I feel like congratulating you as an organization (even if I am a 

 member of your association) upon the monument which you have built 

 in the state of Iowa, which monument I believe will stand long after we 

 here have lost interest in things in which we are now vitally concerned. 

 And I would state that one of the biggest opportunities which the state 

 of Iowa has today and one of the biggest opportunities of the patrons 

 of today lies in cooperation. The value of co-operation is shown by the 

 success of this great dairy show. When this show was established there 

 were but two pure-bred herds of dairy cattle in Black Hawk county; now, 

 you find them scattered all over the county. Good seed had been sown 

 and the farmers of the county began to realize their opportunities and 

 to take advantage of them. The show grew and succeeded through co-, 

 operation and because it succeeded it turned the attention of the farmers 

 to progressive dairying and what could be done through co-operation. 



There are opportunities without number for the buttermaker to sow 

 the seed of good dairying among his patrons. By taking advantage of 

 his opportunities he can do much toward making Iowa the greatest 

 dairy state in the Union. Now I, personally, am not one of those who 

 believe that the only function of the buttermaker is to make good butter; 

 I believe that he has a task far greater than that. I believe that in 

 his own community, no man can have a greater influence on the thought 

 and advancement than has the buttermaker. He should work zealously to 

 bring about better dairying. He can instill progressiveness in his com- 

 munity by preaching the gospel of better cows, the use of good, pure- 

 bred sires of proven merit, better methods of feeding and management 

 of the herd. 



