ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 85 



Q.: I think the man that gave those statistics was way off. I can't 

 give the exact figures, but I noticed that only a few years ago there was 

 an estimate of $75,000,000 for this state only. 



A.: Well if I had a paper I could draw and give the amount of White- 

 side county on poultry. 



Mr. Johnson: I believe he ilgured on poultry, but I think the man 

 -who gave the figures on dairy was off his base. 



A.: I hope he is, because that means prosperity everywhere. 



Mr. E. H. Goldsmith. Is it a fact that the egg production of the 

 farmers everywhere in general is less than formerly, and if so to what do 

 you attribute it? 



A.: I have heard that remark made several times, and I will have to 

 attribute it to two leading force... In. the first place, years ago, before the 

 poultry business got to the extent it now is, the farmer carried only the 

 business hen; now you can't go by a farm house without seeing from 100 

 to 150 different varieties; nor can you have gained a good fowl if you keep 

 only the business hen. Another cause is also the poultry of the present day 

 are over bred in size. The American is not satisfied with stock; if lie 

 could, he would have them as large as mastodons. There is injury mover 

 breeding. Some are over bred for feathers, and that is just as injurious 

 If the farmer would go right back to first principles and breed a good strong 

 flock of business hens and keep them on the farm and no others he would 

 have better returns than he did tweney-five years ago. 



Mr. Ikert: Did you ever find the cost of a pound of poultry with 

 different feeds? 



A. That has been figured so many times and published so many times 

 that I made it no point in this paper. It depends entirely where you are. 



Q. Have you ever figured the price of a dozen eggs? 



A. I answer as before it has been mentioned so many times that I did 

 not make an account of it. I have done so but have no paper here. I 

 am living in town now, but have been on the farm and I might know it if 

 it was not for one thing, I keep cows and nothing else and take the milk, 

 but the hens have all they want. 



