480 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



to tell you all about it. People in the cities too often lose sight of the 

 importance of the dairy industry. Now in the farm districts they hold 

 their farmers' institutes, and these matters are all talked over and edu- 

 cation in butter making is going on every year. But usually in the larger 

 towns and cities they do not have that interest in it. I know in some 

 places they are getting for butter what they call butter, but the 

 Lord save the butter makers that made it, for they couldn't save them- 

 selves. I wish to impress upon you that the dairy industry is one of the 

 greatest factors in producing wealth in the state. The cow does not 

 only produce the cream to make butter, but she produces the young 

 beef which supplies the tables of the land with steak. We have in this state 

 nearly 4,000,000 cattle, 1,500,000 cows. The cows are valued at $30.00 per 

 head, which makes $45,000,000 worth of cows. We produce in this state 150,- 

 000,000 pounds of butter per year. We produce twenty-five per cent of all the 

 creamery butter made in the United States, and ten per cent of all the butter 

 made in this country. I am not here before you to praise you, I am 

 here to tell you the conditions. That is why the dairy association meets 

 in this city; that is why it meets in other cities each year, to try and spread 

 this knowledge among the people of Iowa. We are not perfect. I have 

 not found a business yet in the state of Iowa, or any calling which I 

 consider perfect, and when we do think we are near the point of perfection 

 and load our minds with that thought, then we are treading on thin ice 

 and do not understand ourselves. We manufacture millions of pounds 

 of butter, but there is a possibility of greatly improving the quality of that 

 butter and it is the duty of every dairyman in this state to improve, from 

 the cow on up through all the various stages of converting cream into 

 butter, to make still better butter. Now then we can never be successful 

 unless we keep hammering at this proposition all the time. We take it 

 up voluntarily because it is a pleasant task. We are all interested in the 

 advancement of the dairy industry in the state of Iowa, and we want to see 

 Iowa butter take front rank and be at the head of the procession of the 

 states. It has been made possible for the Dakotas to blossom like a 

 rose. Minnesota. Kansas and Missouri have learned their tricks from our 

 state. They learned how our progressive men have conducted profitable 

 dairies and made butter. Why, it has made the Dakotas rich. They have 

 made a bid for the national convention. They are ready to come down 

 with thousands to help pay premiums on the butter the men may bring. 

 Now I trust I have not bored you with these remarks. But it is a great 

 industry; it represents many millions of dollars in butter and cheese; it 

 does not impoverish the land ; it eats up your roughage and builds up your 

 land at the same time. These men who have exhibits in this hall display 

 their improved creamery appliances. We recognize them. We are not 

 back in the ages when men put their milk in a goat skin and put it on 

 the back of a camel and churned it. I trust this meeting may be a success 

 ful one. We have many good and instructive papers to be read which will 

 be of interest to all of you. I thank you for your attention. 



