SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— FART VII 409 



countries will be the United States and the South American countries, 

 the Argentine and Brazil, and to a limited extent Chile, and a few of 

 those other countries; but it is not likely that they will produce more 

 than enough beef for their own needs for many years to come. 



ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT R. A. PEARSON, OF THE IOWA 

 IOWA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



Mr. Toastmaster, Ladies and Gentlemen: Up to this time, I have 

 been enjoying the program very much indeed, and I am sure that you 

 have enjoyed it also. The courses served to us have been excellent, 

 the music has been excellent, and I am particularly pleased that the 

 ladies are here. I have no sympathy whatever with that little libel 

 that is connected with the name of a great man, which involves the 

 ladies. I think perhaps it might fiirnrsh some comfort to Mr. Thorne, 

 but I doubt if anyone else in the room would approve of it any more 

 than I do. I refer to a little essay written by a school child on Patrick 

 Henry. It .was very short. It said: 



"Patrick Henry was a great patriot. When he was a little boy he 

 studied his lesson very hard, and when he grew up he got married, and 

 he said, 'Give me liberty or give me death.' " 



Now, Mr. Wallace is a very polite gentleman, and he has suggested 

 to me that I might talk as long as I pleased. But he knows also 

 that I have some courtesy, and he is aware of the fact that earlier in 

 the evening he mentioned that the ladies would have an opportunity 

 to speak after these first two talks were finished. So, in deference to 

 the ladies, I think I ought to be brief, unless the ladies themselves de- 

 sire to have me occupy the rest of the evening. (Applause by the 

 ladies.) It is very easy to see that the men are not encouraging that 

 applause. 



But I arn very glad to be here tonight, and I want to thank the 

 officers of the association and all of the members, for the opportunity. 

 If I might come to some opinion by glancing at the attractive badges 

 that you wear, I should have to think that you have the great state of 

 Iowa by the ear tonight! If you have it in that way, I am sure it is 

 a friendly grasp, because you and many others more or less like you 

 have made this great state what it is, and what you are doing is highly 

 respected throughout the length and breadth of our state. 



Over in China, every year, the emperor goes out from the capital 

 to the temple of agriculture and plows twelve furrows around that 

 temple, to give emphasis to his countless subjects that the calling of 

 agriculture is dignified. Nothing of that kind is necessary here, be- 

 cause all thinking people appreciate that the prosperity of our nation 

 depends upon agriculture. It has been well said that if the money which 

 has been put into the buildings in our great cities, which has come from 

 the farmers of the country, was to be withdrawn from the cities, there 

 would be hardly anything left; the cities would have to crumble. You 

 know that in years of big crops there is big business. It has been said 

 that the iron and steel industry is the barometer of trade; it is true. 



