it. He recommended that other dairymen 

 include it in their ration. 



Three years ago, Mr. Howard returned 

 from a Farm Bureau meeting late one 

 night. "I was tired and went straight 

 to bed," he said. "No sooner had I 

 closed my eyes than a hailstone large 

 as a hen's egg crashed through the win- 

 dow. '\ 



"Hail, the like ofAwhtcn you have 

 never seen and I hope'never see, shattered 

 every unprotected window of the house," 

 he explained. "And wind, Boy, how it 

 whistled! Then came the tornado. It 

 ripped the top off of every building on 

 the place! TTirew the livestock around! 

 Shook the house! Rocked the founda- 

 tions! Turned the yard into a junkpile! 

 Then, away it went, just as it came, leav- 

 ing destruction in its path." 



It was later learned that the heart of 

 the tornado had torn its way through 

 the center of the Howard farm. Luckily, 

 everything was insured, but the insurance 

 couldn't pay for the terror of the moment 

 and the inconvenience which followed. 

 Slowly but surely, Mr. Howard, with the 

 help of his charming wife and family, 

 built the farm up again. New roofs were 

 built where old ones had been torn away. 

 The debris was cleared. Order and peace 

 were again restored. 



Mr. Howard joshed Mrs. Howard 

 about going to Home Bureau meetings. 

 When she was asked what took place at 

 the sessions, he kidded before she could 

 answer: "Gossip, mostly! When she 

 comes home, the rest of the family learns 

 all the news and dirt which happened 

 since the previous meeting." 



A firm believer in insurance, Mr. How- 

 ard carried life insurance, fire, wind and 

 hail insurance on his buildings, and auto 

 insurance in the lAA — Farm Bureau 

 companies. He was a loyal member of 

 Pure Milk Association. "It's the only 

 thing for a dairy farmer," he said. 



"I can't understand why all farmers 

 don't join the Farm Bureau," he added. 

 "Don't they realize that the Farm Supply 

 company alone will pay back their dues 

 if they co-operate.' The more members 

 that join, the more influence the organ- 



ization can exert to benefit farmers." 



When asked what farmers need most, - 

 Mr. Howard replied without hesitation, 

 "parity prices." "The farmer must have 

 a fair price for his products. He can't 

 pay the prices others ask unless farm 

 prices are on an equal basis. " 



I asked him what he would do dif- 

 ferently if he had the chance to start all 

 over again. 



"I would certainly stick with dairy cat- 

 tle," he answered. "It's a sure living if 

 handled right. I would test all my cows 

 regularly for milk and butterfat produc- 

 tion. I didn't used to do that." 



Sticking close to his purebred cattle, 

 Mr. Howard didn't seem to think his 

 farming was so imjjortant. In an . off- 

 hand manner, he told me that this past 

 season he had 40 acres of corn (netting 

 45 bushels to the acre), six acres of bar- 

 ley, 13 of oats, 18 of hay and 12 acres 

 of soybeans. The rest of his farm he 

 used as pasture. 



The conversation shifted around to 

 Mrs. Howard, the former Louise Brown. 

 They met in Wisconsin and married 29 

 years ago. TTiey moved to Illinois two 

 years later and to their present home in 

 1927. Satisfied with the simple things 

 of life, these two fine people enjoyed life 

 as few of us do. 



Mr. Howard will be missed in Farm 

 Bureau work. He was a staunch supporter 

 of the Kane County organization. 



"Why shouldn't I be for the Farm 

 Bureau," he ^old me. "I have always 

 gotten what I wanted from it. My div- 

 idend check from the county supply 

 company was nearly double my dues — 

 $27.00 to be exact. All farmers should 

 belong." 



When asked about soil conservation, 

 he frankly stated it didn't make 

 much difference to him. "Never used 

 all my land anyway!" he remarked. He 

 said he always had rotated his crops in a 

 corn-small grain-clover or alfalfa rota- 

 tion. His entire farm has been limed. 

 A pile of it is kept handy in the barn. 



"Crop control is all right to a certain 

 extent," Mr. Howard stated, "but crop 

 storage is much more important. If 



crops were stored, there would be no 

 reason to import from other countries in 

 case of drought or crop failure." 



Mr. Howard was a firm believer in co- 

 operatives. He didn't know so much 

 about consumer co-operation, but he said 

 what he had heard sounded good to 

 him. "It should bring farmer and coq- 

 sumer closer together, " he said. 



"Trouble with the dairy business is 

 that a man can't get away and have any 

 fun out of life," he laughed. Anyone 

 could see he enjoyed everything right 

 where he was. "I'd like to have taken 

 young Arthur down to the Sports Festival 

 at Urbana, but we couldn't make it." 



Arthur Howard enjoyed life most 

 when he was with other Holstein breed- 

 ers and dairymen, Mrs. Howard revealed. 

 In a meeting of any kind, he would get 

 some cattleman off in a corner to com- 

 pare notes and exchange ideas. Farm Bu- 

 reau meetings gave him the best chance 

 for this, she said. 



Proof that the world will beat a path 

 to the door of a man making a better 

 mousetrap is Mr. Howard. Personally, 

 he would have b^n content to stay on 

 the farm with his family, friends, and 

 purebred cattle and let others hold otTice. 

 He was sought out, however, and per- 

 suaded ,to become a Dundee township 

 school trustee. He was also elected a 

 director of the Illinois Holstein-Friesian 

 Association and vice-president of the Tri- 

 County Holstein Association. His fine 

 Holsteins have won numerous awards in 

 county, state and national competition. 



At that afternoon I climbed in my car 

 and drove away. As I left I knew I 

 would always remember the kind and 

 sincere treatment I received at the home 

 of Arthur Howard. 



"If you should ever pass by this way 

 again, drop in" was his parting invita- 

 tion. A half hour later, I learned the next 

 day, an aged Holstein bull turned on Mr. 

 Howard and killed him. 



He will be missed by a host of friends. 

 His simple, honest life and willingness to 

 help others made all who came in con- 

 tact with him remember and love him. 



MR. HOWARD AND FAVORITE COW 

 "Her record 560 lbs. butterfat In one year." 



LOTS OF BARN HERE 

 'The photographer had to back up.' 



