716 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the charms of the younger children. He must be able to point out the 

 superior qualities of the head of the herd and of the matrons; and 

 must be able to mention them all by name when he meets the men to 

 whom he wishes to sell advertising space. 



The large expense connected with securing live stock advertising is 

 due not merely to the expense of employing solicitors, but involves large 

 expense in the way of traveling. Securing the contract requires one 

 trip; the writing up- of the herd just prior to the sale requires a 

 second trip; and where the sale is large enough to justify it still 

 further expense is incurred in attending and reporting the sale. 



Securing the advertisements of hog sales is more expensive than 

 cattle or horse sales, for the reason that the amount involved is always 

 less and hence involves a much larger proportionate cost. Furthermore, 

 it is subject to cancellation at the appearance of disease even after a 

 large portion of the expense has been incurred. 



I wish to state this frankly, because I think there is a misappre- 

 hension on the part of many breeders, and especially swine breeders, 

 on this point. If an agricultural paper was to make money-making its 

 chief end and was looking for immediate returns, the largest revenues 

 could be obtained by omitting advertisements of live stock altogether 

 and confining the editorial matter to such of the common things of 

 agriculture as would be appreciated by the largest number of sub- 

 scribers. From this point of view — when a paper is conducted on this 

 line — in order to get circulation it can afford to sell the paper at a 

 nominal price; and, if the PostoflBce Department premitted it, to give it 

 away altogether. 



If I am asked, therefore, how it comes that the editors of papers 

 that deal largely in live stock advertising are so magnanimous and self- 

 sacrificing as to forego immediate profits and incur such large expense, 

 I will give the reason frankly: They realize that by devoting large 

 space to live stock and to the illustrations which are necessary in 

 teaching the principles of animal husbandry, they lay broad and deep 

 the foundation of future success. The agricultural newspapers realize that 

 the permanent prosperity of the country will never be secured by ex- 

 clusive grain growing; that exclusive grain growing is simply soil 

 robbing, and that the art of exclusive grain growing is the art of the 

 soil robber, while successful stock growing involves a knowledge of 

 the science of agriculture, maintaining the fertility of the land and 

 increasing it as far as possible; thus making grain growing in so far 

 as it is carried on much more profitable in the end. 



In fact, no state and no country has ever been permanently prosperous 

 or can be permanently prosperous unless live stock has a large place in its 

 agriculture. Agricultural newspapers of the better class understand this 

 and therefore, are willing to take live stock advertising at rates which fur- 

 nish the minimum of profit when the expense is taken into account; be- 

 cause they know they are laying the foundation for the permanent 

 prosperity of the country and the permanent success of their patrons. 

 I think I have fairly stated the position of the agricultural papers which 

 aim at permanent success. They realize that this permanent success 

 can be secured only by the permanent prosperity of the country, and 



