686 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



With all our modern improvements and opportunities for enlightenment in 

 handling milk and cream, our grade should have advanced one point at 

 least, and why should we not climb to the top? 



Formerly, any bovine was in demand and little thought was given to 

 quality, but gradually, there came about a change. Men of pluck, energy 

 and foresight, having unbounded faith in the future of the cattle industry 

 secured a few head of what was then high blooded cattle. 



It was an object lesson and for years worked marvels. Iowa's experi- 

 ment station was glad to procure some of Mitchell county's blood. At the 

 World's Fair, nine years ago, the first prize for Short-horn cow was given 

 to Mitchell county. Could we win a like prize at St. Louis a year hence? 

 Nay, verily. Most truly do I dislike to admit it and (should there be any 

 townsmen or strangers among us, I hope they will charitably close their 

 ears) but the fact remains — we are not abreast of the times in either our 

 cattle or horse industry. Fellow farmers, I ask you as you travel over 

 Mitchell county, can you truthfully say there has been one iota of im- 

 provement in the past ten years? Rather have we not gone backward and 

 I wish you might all answer audibly in the negative. , 



"New occasions teach new duties, 



Time makes ancient good uncouth, 



They must upward still and onward 

 Who would keep abreast of truth." 



The improvements made in the herds of the leading breeds of cattle 

 in the past few years is something marvelous. More particularly is this 

 true in the western hemisphere. It has been a sure and steady growth. 

 Few started as did Jamison whose first purchase consisted of 129 Here- 

 fords to which the following spring, he added forty-five more. Sotham's 

 record-breaking herd was built up by the life work and thought of its 

 owner. 



And how have the Black Polls come to the front, $9,100 with one ex- 

 ception, the highest price paid in recent years for one black animal, was 

 received by Judy at his late sale in which were twenty-four head averaging 

 $1,276.05. 



Then the Short-horn, the farmers' favorite, the dual purpose cow 

 (may her tribe increase) will take no back seat. Many breeders, patient, 

 painstaking and practical, have enlisted to do her honor. Robbins began 

 at the bottom round of the ladder and his life has been spent bringing his 

 herd to its present high standard. He paid $85 for Ruberta's mother- 

 money will not buy Ruberta. Casey has shunned fad and fashion and 

 labored for merit only. Then we have Ward of Iowa, with his St. Valen- 

 tine, and Westrope who has probably done more than any other one man 

 to build up the cattle interests of the state. A proud day it was for him 

 when at his dispersion sale twenty-nine pure Scotch struck an average 

 of $820 and Sweet Violet sold for $3,705. The Scottish breeder, Wm. 

 Marr, hesitated long before he consented to send a cow to our International, 

 fearing western breeders would not appreciate her worth. But when the 

 auctioneer's hammer dropped and she was declared sold to W. C. Edwards 



