S26 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



The event was advertised well and men who milked cows came by 

 the score to learn the essential points to be observed in selecting, breed- 

 ing and feeding real dairy cattle. So successful was the plan that the 

 next year a regular dairy show was staged in connection with the Iowa 

 State Dairymen's convention and the great show you are attending now 

 is that Infant growing and developing in its start toward maturity. I 

 can say without fear of contradiction, that this show is. one of the two 

 largest and most important dairy shows of the world and the Iowa State 

 Dairy Association founded it. 



I am certainly glad to speak to you who are present today, because 

 I am sure that there are many messages which you can and should take 

 home with you. Today the dairy sections of the world are in a critical 

 condition, but not more so than other interests dependent upon live- 

 stock. At this time there is being held in Waterloo a meeting for the 

 purpose cf encouraging the Iowa farmer to raise more hogs. There are 

 only 80 per cent as many hogs in Iowa this year, in spite of high prices, 

 as is our normal crop. 



We are feeding less beef cattle also, and just what is to beoome of the 

 meat supply of this world, when the state of Iowa, Where more meat is 

 fed for market than in any other state, fails us as it has during the 

 last few years, is hard to tell. 



The allies are crying for fat. Von Hindenberg cried for fat months 

 ago. This war will be decided by the supply of fat. It will be the side 

 which can supply this fat that will eventually win. There are two 

 great fat-producing animals — the hog and the cow'. Of all animals the 

 dairy cow is the most economical; she is the largest producer of fat, not 

 from corn only, but from corn and feeds fed in conjunction with it. 



Mr. Hoover recently made the statement that the allies would begin 

 to purchase fat from this country just as they now do the wheat, that is, 

 the fat will be purchased through the hands of one man. 



Today in the state of Iowa it is being proposed to the farmers that 

 the price of pork be fixed by way of tying it to corn. The packers have 

 been licensed and they will be asked to pay for one hundred pounds of 

 pork the value of a certain number of bushels of corn. All other ani- 

 mals will then be placed in competition with the hog because corn will 

 be based upon the price of hogs. We know absolutely that the cow is the 

 most economical producer of fat for mankind, but when we make that 

 statement we must realize that there are cows and cows, and to com- 

 pete with a steer, a cow must be a good cow. More than ever before, it 

 is going to be necessary to make the dairy industry of this country 

 profitable by encouraging the milking of good cows. I wish to send 

 this message home with those of you who milk cows, those who handle 

 the product from cows, and also those of you who deal directly or indi- 

 rectly with the man who handles cows. Disseminate it as broadcast as 

 you can because it is the most important message that can be spoken 

 at this lime. We know there has been a tremendous slaughter of dairy 

 cattle this year. In the state of New York alone there are 75,000 less 

 yearling heifers today than is their normal crop and in other states the 

 loss of young animals is comparatively as great. 



