214 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



cow, or, in other words, we do not appreciate today the possibility of 

 the individual cow, and I do not believe I make a misstatement when I 

 say to you that we should just double the amount of money we are 

 receiving today from the products of the dairy, without the addition 

 of a single cow. This may seem to you a broad statement, but the fact 

 of the matter is we are no different in our conditions in the State of 

 Iowa than in other states. Agricultural and dairy schools have demon- 

 strated the fact to us that the dairymen of the country are only receiv- 

 ing one half of what they should from the individual cow, and it seems 

 to me, while it is necessary for its to do a certain amount of work in 

 spreading the doctrine of good dairying throughout the country, the 

 principal part of the work, the principal effort that should be made by 

 this association; that should be made by everyone interested in dairying 

 in Iowa during the year to come, should be made along the line of in- 

 creasing, as far as possible, the production of the individual cow. 



We are laboring under the same conditions we have always had to 

 contend with, the difficulty of reaching the man that milks the cow. 

 This is one of the greatest obstacles we have to contend with, for the 

 great mass of the farmers do not attend the Iowa State Dairy Associ- 

 ation meetings, they do not come to our butter-makers' meetings, they 

 are not students of agricultural papers. The fact is it has been dis- 

 couraging to try to reach that class, and we have given the matter a 

 great deal of thought. 



I want to say a word here which I properly should say to the butter- 

 makers when I talk to them a little later, for I believe it is within the 

 province of the butter-makers and it should be a part of their educa- 

 tion today, to take up the question of educating their patrons, and I 

 believe they should become to a certain extent instructors. I know 

 the only thing for the butter-makers to do is to start this educational 

 campaign; it is within their province to do it, and although the im- 

 pression and gains they may make will be slow. I can see no other way 

 to get at them unless they do this. 



One year ago I stood before your convention and advocated the 

 creamery picnic. While I advocated it a year ago, in the light of one 

 year's experience I stand before you today and urge it. The experience 

 we have had along the line of creamery picnics shows there has been 

 more benefit reaped from them than anything we have been able to do. 

 The reason is because there is always something associated with the 

 word picnic of having a good time. — there is always a horse race, a ball 

 game or something to attract people— and it gives the speakers a chance 

 to get before them when they come for the other attraction, gives us a 

 chance to talk to them' and interest them. We have made great progress 

 in this direction and I want to refer you to a little place in northern 

 Iowa, at Manley, where the creamery gave a picnic last season. The 

 farmers were so elated with the success and the pleasure of the enter- 

 tainmnt that, immediately after having held the first one, they began 

 to plan for another for next year. Mr. Kieffer. our assistant state dairy 

 commissioner, informs me that there is not a creamery today in Iowa 

 that has made as good progress from beginning to the end as the Man- 



