48 ILLINOIS STATE DAIR1 MEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



tion of his great success lay his faithfulness and painstaking in the every- 

 day duties of life from his youth to the present time, he now being presi- 

 dent of the Elgin Board of Trade, whose business practically fixes the price 

 of the best butter in all the leading markets of this great nation, and other 

 nations to a great extent. Successful dairying or stock raising depends 

 then largely upon the manner and skill with which the details in either 

 business are executed. 



By stock raising I suppose is meant the practice of those who allow 

 the calves to run with their dams and take all the milk until they are 

 six to eight months old, and tnen wean the calves, and let the cows go dry; 

 ,or perhaps make some show of milking them (I think it usually matters but 

 little which). I must confess to ignorance as far as personal experience is 

 concerned, but I very much doubt tne successful practicability of such a 

 course, unless in the far west, or localities where grazing land is very cheap 

 and winters are mild. But for the men occupying land worth from $25 to 

 $100 or more per acre, who, in order to make an honest living and have a 

 competence for old age, is willing to ,f orego the pleasure of going and com- 

 ing when he pleases, because he is not tied up to milking the cows twice a 

 day, I believe there are several chances for such a man to succeed in dairy- 

 ing where there are one in stock raising. I wish to mention a few of the 

 advantages that the dairyman has that the stockman does not have, under 

 five propositions. 



First— He can raise as many or more calces from the number of cows 

 kept as he could when in raising stock only. 



Second — He can raise nearly as good calves by substituting other foods 

 in place of the butter fat, taken from the milk, and at a very much less cash 

 value. 



Third — Value of skim milk as human food. 



Fourth — The by-products of the dairy furnish a healthy, cheap, and 

 profitable food for swine, chickens, and other live stock. 



Fifth — Where the market is available the skim milk and buttermilk 

 may be sold to some extent to good advantage, as such, or the former made 

 into cottage cheese or skim cheese. 



