SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR-BOOK— PART V. 421 



On motion, duly made and seconded, the resolutions were 

 adopted as read. 



The Chairman : The next number on our program is by 

 Mr. Alson Secor, of Kimballs' Dairy Farmer, 



RELATIVE VALUES. 



ALSOX SECOK, WATERLOO, IOWA. 



Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: — I realize this is a bad part 

 of the program as everybody wants to go home; my sympathies, how- 

 ever, are with the fellows that are to follow me so I will cut my 

 remarks in two, and then cut off half of that. We will get busy right 

 away. 



I want to see if we can find out the relative values between tho 

 cow, the feed and the care, and the man. Which do you think is the 

 most important of those three, the cow, the feed or the man? Will 

 you put it as the artist did in this picture (showing picture) the 

 cow first, feed second and man third? Well, now I ha^ it put that way 

 on purpose, but I do not agree with it. I will tell you why later on. 



Now we will begin with the foundation, — the man; next will be 

 the feed and care that he gives the cow, last will come the cow. That 

 may be the reverse of all authority, but I cannot help it. I think I 

 will prove before I am done that the cow is not the basis of the 

 proposition. She is born, comes into your hands and the whole proposi- 

 tion rests with the farmer. If he does not know enough to feed and 

 care for her right, the best cow in creation will not make a success for 

 him, so the basis of all dairy success is the man. 



I have here pictures of two cows picked up by a little stock buyer. 

 What will you give for this one, (pointing to the picture)? 



Member Thirty cents. 



Mr. Secor: How many will give $5.00 for such a cow as that? 

 How much am I offered for this one? Is there any dairy authority 

 here can tell by the form what this cow is worth? Will no one dare 

 make a bid on that cow by looking at it? Well I want to tell you 

 that this cow (the first picture shown) if you received $15 for tak- 

 ing her home you would be beat. You could not receive $15 and take 

 that cow home and come out even. I want to say that you could pay 

 $45 for that other cow (the second picture shown) and she would pay 

 for herself in one year by the milk and butter you got from her. Can 

 you tell by the wedges, angles and bumps on those two critters what 

 they are worth? Is the relative value apparent by their hides? 



