ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 83 



Tnan. Now, in conclusion allow me to say that while southern 

 Illinois may have disadvantages in regard to dairying, not found 

 in some other locations, it has some points in its favor also. 

 During our winter season blizzards are unknown and even zero 

 weather is an occurrence of such rare character that it rarely 

 happens more than once in a season, this of itself is a very 

 favorable point. And allow me further, gentlemen of the State 

 Dairy Association, to thank you for bringing your annual gath- 

 ering into southern Illinois, and it is our hope that the dairy- 

 men of southern Illinois may gain great inspiration from this 

 meeting and by the interchange of ideas the dairymen from all 

 over the grand state of Illinois may go home from this meet- 

 ing and in this new year of 1898 may enter into business 

 with renewed zeal and that we may all find it to be a year of 

 that often promised, but long deferred era, prosperity, of which 

 we have heard so much, but experienced so little. 



DISCUSSION. 



A Member: Is not the condition of the roads for quite a por- 

 tion of the year a drawback to dairying in this section of the 

 country? 



Mr. Lyons: Occasionally it is, considerable of a drawback, 

 but for several winters past we have experienced very little dif- 

 ficulty in that regard. Sometimes the roads are nearly impass- 

 able, once in several years for a few days. We have had no 

 trouble in getting our milk all in. 



Mr. Willson: Would not the use of separators on the farm 

 obviate some of the difficulty with the bad roads^ 



Mr. Lyons: That would be all right for farmers who have 

 twenty cows, but when they have only five or ten cows, it wouldn't 

 help them out. The farmers have got to come to town any- 

 way. The trouble with using separators is that the creameries 

 have got to drive all around and collect the cream. 



Mr. Willson: Is the objection from the creamerymen's or 

 the farmer's standpoint.'' 



