THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART IX. 527 



many a night with his books and with a vat of cream. So has every other 

 butter maker who has amounted to anything. And in conclusion, gentle- 

 men, I beg to remind you that the real source of wealth of Iowa does not 

 lie in her corn, her cows, her creameries, or her golden butter, magnificent 

 as are these possessions in the present days of prosperity; but that the 

 richest, most potent and lasting heritage lies in the brain power that is 

 back of, and directs and controls, the making of the finished products of 

 American agriculture, and if Iowa maintains her advanced rank it will 

 be by reason of the intelligence and skill brought to bear on these prob- 

 lems that underlie successful agriculture. 



Mr. James II. Hughes of Cedar Rapids favored the audience 

 with a vocal solo, which was heartily applauded and Mr. Hughes 

 was obliged to respond with another number. 



President : I am sorry to be forced to tell you that Governor 

 Cummins can not be with us. The fact of the matter is that the 

 Governor's energies are more than his physical strength, and he 

 finds himself too ill to be here this evening. We have several in- 

 teresting numbers on the program and hope you will not be disap- 

 pointed at the Governor's inability to be here. 



We have with us Mr. Ericson of Boone, chairman of the com- 

 mittee on dairy products for the St. Louis exposition. He has 

 kindly consented to talk to you for a few moments. 



ADDRESS. 



V. J. A. Ericson, Boone, loim. 



I am a little afraid that I cannot make myself heard very well on 

 account of the condition my throat is in, out I will do the best I can. I 

 am glad of this opportunity of meeting you gentlemen who are engaged in 

 this industry. I am not able to instruct you in the way of making butter 

 according to the modern methods, but I am here as a representative of the 

 Iowa Commissioners to say to you that we are interested in your product 

 very much and wish to become in touch with you as an association and 

 as individuals, and to interest you in the World's Fair that is to come. The 

 commission have been organized and the preliminary work has been done 

 to some extent, yet we have not got down to details. But I want to say this 

 to you. The commissioners will aid you in every way possible according 

 to the means at our command. I am sorry I was not here when Mr. Taylor 

 addressed you, for I do not know what he said to you in regard to this 

 department. I simply met him this evening and asked him one question. 

 I said, "Can you give us as much space as our association had in Chicago?" 

 and he assured me that he could and would. At the Columbian Exposition 

 I find by the reports that there were 120 exhibitors of butter from Iowa. 

 The butter was of course disposed of each month and a new product put 



