544 IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 



WOEK OF IOWA STATE DAIRY ASSOCIATION. 



During the past year the educational deiDartment of the Iowa 

 State Dairy Association has carried its work into every section 

 of the state. By means of special trains, creamery meetings, 

 farmers' institutes and other gatherings, the lecturers have ad- 

 dressed 293 audiences and reached over 40,000 dairymen and 

 farmers. 



In order to come in contact with as many people as possible 

 in a limited time and complete a tour of all the railroads in the 

 state, the special train was again adopted. By the co-operation 

 of the Chicago & Northwestern and the Minneapolis and St. Louis 

 Railways, 168 meetings were held in less than four weeks. As a 

 means of making the lectures clear and practical, dairy cattle, 

 barn equipment, testing apparatus, etc., were carried and used 

 for demonstration purposes. Special coaches were provided for 

 the women and children. These cars proved very attractive and 

 were always filled to their capacity. 



At the completion of these two specials all but 32 towns in 

 which creameries were located had been visited by dairy trains, 

 and fully 185,000 of the 212,000 farmers in the State had had a 

 chance to attend one of these meetings. Of the 99 counties, 94 

 have been visited and from one to fourteen train meetings held 

 in each. The five counties not reached by this means have each 

 had a number of gatherings which were addressed by lecturers 

 furnished by the Association. 



As a result of the growing interest in dairying the farmers' 

 institutes have been giving it a prominent place on their pro- 

 grams. During the winter of 1912-13 thirty-two of these were 

 addressed by representatives of the Association. 



Permanent dairy organizations have been fostered in various 

 sections, chief among which is the Fayette County Breeders' 

 Association. This organization is self supporting in every way, 

 and is on a very substantial foundation. By establishing local 

 clubs, the State Association is enabled to carry on its work in a 

 more systematic manner. 



Several dairy short courses wiere also conducted. These were 

 in the older dairy communities where detailed information was 



