ELEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VIII 459 



I had the pleasure of talking to the students of the University of Ne- 

 braska last winter, and it occurred to me while talking that the greatest 

 cow of the Jersey breed in production capacity was bred in the state of 

 Nebraska — Jacoba Irene. She made 960 pounds of fat in a year, and that 

 cow was sold from a herd to a man who was looking for great cows, 

 for $125. I said to those boys: "Boys, when they write the history of 

 Nebraska they wont write it comprehensively about your peerless leader. 

 They wont say they possessed the greatest cow of the Jersey breed and 

 that they let her go because they didn't know." 



I want to speak of the Guernsey breed. Last year I read of a cow 

 called Missy of the Glen that made over 100 pounds of fat in a month. 

 When, in the 10th month of her period she had made 100 pounds I said, 

 there is the bull I want in my herd. I got on the train and went to 

 Rhode Island where this great cow is owned, and I looked her over 

 and I believed everything they said. I investigated her ancestors; I 

 inquired of the herdsman about the calf. He said, "We sent it over to 

 the other farm." I didn't want to go there, so I thought I would inquire. 

 "Do you suppose I could buy that calf?" He said, "No, I don't think 

 you could." "Why not," I asked. "To be honest with you," he said, "we 

 didn't know how great a cow she was and we sold it to the butcher." I 

 found that this calf, for which I stood ready to pay $1,000, was sold for 

 $8 to a butcher. 



When you tell me. gentlemen, that you are wise people and that 

 you know without testing, I want to say in all kindness that you 

 don't. 



There are in this audience tonight the men who operate the creameries 

 of this state; men who buy the cream. I ask you, gentlemen, won't you 

 step over the line and help Barney and Van Pelt and Shoemaker to do 

 this mighty work for the state we love? Wont you help them make 

 this cause worthy of the pastures and the fields and the meadows that 

 God has given us? This is a great work. These men are tirelessly striv- 

 ing for the great purpose, and it is worthy of your attention. You come 

 in daily contact with these men who produce the milk and you can 

 do a great work. 



I remember well a friend of mine who drove the first trotter that ever 

 covered a mile in 2:30. I have heard Governor Stanford say that his 

 great sire never sired a colt that could not go a mile in 2:30. We can 

 do the same thing in Iowa with our cows. It will only take a short time, 

 if we realize the importance of it, to take these cows, the product of the 

 dual purpose sire, and send them where they belong and put in their 

 places Holsteins. Jerseys and Guernseys that will not only double but 

 treble our product over what it is today. I want to say, and it is a 

 serious thing to say, that the agricultural press of Iowa had a great work 

 and a mighty issue. It was to ra : se the standard of agriculture in Iowa. 

 They capitalized their issue. They did not sell stock, but they sold 

 advertising space to put dual purpose sired and milking short horns 

 at the head of our herds, and they have done more harm than any 

 mining stock ever did in the United States. They capitalized their 

 issue at the expense of the people of Iowa. 



