333 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



oleomargarine. It is a just tax. It was put on our statute books by a 

 hard figbt and all we have to do is to stand by the men who put the law 

 in force to hold it there. Are we going to do it or sit still and let these 

 packers go down there and wipe out this tax. The secretary of the 

 treasury has advised this. His business is to carry out the law as he 

 finds it on the statute books. 



Another thing I wish to mention at this time is the silo. I believe 

 the silo is the best thing on the farm, but the trouble is our farmers are 

 scared at the cost of this silage. If they would make a comparison show- 

 ing what it cost to raise a bushel of oats, taking all things into consid- 

 eration, I think it would scare them too. The farmer of today must be 

 a skilled workman. He must understand the raising of live stock and 

 all other diversified farm operations. 



Elgin and southern Wisconsin were at one time considered the only 

 dairy districts, but I find that I can make just as fine butter in Iowa as 

 can be made at Elgin. All it takes is the right kind of men and the 

 right kind of soil, and Iowa is bountifully supplied with both. I thank 

 you. 



President : I see we are not lacking in material for our speeches. 

 I was at Marslialltown about three weeks ago. Standing on the 

 corner I saw what was one of the nicest loads of alfalfa hay ever 

 put on the market. On the top of it was our friend Merit Green. 

 He is here and will tell us something about how he raised that load 

 of hay. 



Mr. Green: I have been greatly interested in all I have heard. 

 The gentleman just preceding me has a silo and I know he speaks 

 from experience. I want to say just a word about the silo. It is a 

 wonderful thing. It gives us that succulent feed through the winter 

 and keeps up the flow of milk equal to grass. People in Iowa turn 

 away from a silo by reason of cost. It is the best investment they 

 could make, and making it a neighborhood affair is one way it can 

 be worked out with the greatest economy. I have been a pioneer 

 my whole life. I built the first silo in Marshall county. No one else 

 would build one, but I have shown my neighbors the advantage of 

 it. Last year 30 more were built in our county. 



Along this line comes the question that our president mentioned 

 — alfalfa. Silage alone will not answer the full purpose of feed for 

 the dairy cow in the winter. They must have some roughage, us- 

 ually stalks or clover hay. Then comes alfalfa as being the ideal hay 

 to feed your cows with silage during the winter. Another advan- 

 tage is feeding hogs. Nothing in the line of forage for hogs equals 

 green alfalfa. It is worth as much to hogs as silage is to cows. 



I have had good success in raising alfalfa. Anybody can raise it 

 on most any soil and in any part of Iowa. I think the best method 



