CHAPTER II. 



THE' DAIEY FAEM. 



For fifty years we have heard talk of the 

 dairy belt of the United Sitates. This sup- 

 posed belt has been increasing from year to 

 year until dairying is successfully conducted 

 in a greater part of this country. It has at least 

 been demonstrated that dairying can, be profit- 

 ably conducted in mOst states of the Union and 

 in most states where it does not flourish it is 

 for the reason that the farmers can get a good 

 living without being confined to dairying. This 

 does not prove that dairying intelligently con- 

 ducted would not be more profitable than any 

 other line of stock farming. In parts of Europe 

 the cow is holding possession of the land when 

 the price has reached such a point that the steer, 

 the sheep and the pig have been driven from the 

 farm. The cow is the cheapest producer of 

 human food of our domestic animals. The 

 other animals following in this order: the pig, 

 the sheep and then the steer. We do not expect 

 to see the steer crowded off the earth, but we do 

 expect to see the dairy cow more fully recog- 



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