386 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



I don't know of any one industry in the state that is more important 

 or more profitable than the dairy interests of the state. You can just as 

 well double the production of butter in this state as not, and you ought 

 to do it. In order to do that we must do one of two things; we must 

 vastly increase the number of cows or increase the quality of the ani- 

 mal. Which would be the easier and most profitable? We have been 

 talking of making two ears of corn grow where one used to grow, but 

 it is not always profitable to pasture two cows where one cow should be 

 pastured. It is profitable to get a cow to give two pounds of butter-fat 

 rather than one. You ought to teach the farmers that if a cow is not 

 profitable to send her to the slaughter house and put in her place a 

 cow that will produce enough butter-fat to be profitable. 



The reason that our cattle are not producing more butter is because 

 one-half of them are poor cattle. It will not take any more grain or 

 more care to feed a good cow than a poor one. I want to say to you 

 that I am going to watch with more interest next year than I have in 

 the past the progress that is being made along the lines that you are 

 working for, for two reasons — because I want to know about it, and 

 because I live here and am interested in it. And then I want to know 

 whether you were correct when you said, "if you will give us an appro- 

 priation we will produce more butter." I want to see if that is so. I 

 have no doubt but what you folks get great good out of getting together. 

 I am interested in it because I believe that the time is coming when 

 we must resort to something more profitable than simply plowing corn. 



I think I am correct in saying that every country as it grows older 

 has the same e.xperience — that the lands of the country grow more valu- 

 able. There has been a great tide of emigration from Iowa, so that our 

 farm population is actually decreasing. The time is coming when that 

 tide of, shall I say migration, is going to stop. When these lands be- 

 come more valuable the thing is going to work back on us and we have 

 to resort to something more profitable than simply tilling the soil. I 

 don't know of anything better than dairying. 



I want to say in behalf of this association that Cedar Rapids always 

 does things right, and I have no doubt you folks are going away well 

 satisfied. It is one of our most delightful cities. Cedar Rapids has the 

 ability to take care of a dairy convention, a political convention or any- 

 thing else that comes along, and do it right. I thank you. 



Adjournment. 



FRIDAY MORNING. 



Friday forenoon wa.s spent in Machinery Hall. The eow^ dem- 

 onstration by Prof. Van Pelt attracted much interest. The pro- 

 fessor passed from cow to cow among the herd in the basement of 

 the Auditorium, pointing out the strong and weak points and other- 

 wise instructing the interested farmers on the care, feeding and 



