ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 195 



state to protect this interest, and I believe it will be found that 

 we can discount Klondike. 



Mr. Monrad wishes that I should tell you something about 

 the demands of the St. Louis market. I have been in the butter 

 .business there twenty-five years and I can sum up in two words 

 what we want in St. Louis. "We want good butter." 



As far as butter prices are concerned St. Louis market stands 

 frequently at the head of any of the cities of this country. Of 

 course, in order to command top prices several things must 

 enter in. There must be absolute honesty on the part of the 

 man who handles the butter, but not only that, he must be a 

 butter man, and in touch with the creamery and dairy men. 



The best results have so far been obtained by creameries 

 ^who have made a practice to make and pack their butter as 

 carefully as science and experience have demonstrated it should be 

 done and they have thereby established a reputation. Such 

 butter should always be branded and nothing but that which is 

 perfect should enter the market either at St. Louis or anywhere 

 else under that brand. 



A great deal of the butter that comes to my house and other 

 commissoin houses is never opened, we do not lift the lid off at all 

 but we know the character of the butter and of the man who sends 

 it; if it has suchand such a brand upon it, we can rely upon it 

 that it is good, it is perfect so far as any man can make it. If 

 for any reason the butter is not up to grade, the brand should 

 he left off and the commission man notified to do the best he 

 can with it, and on no account to let it go out under that brand. 

 These men must treat each other with confidence and absolute 

 honesty. 



Very little Elgin butter comes to the St. Louis market on 

 commission. We buy it, either at the Elgin Board of Trade 

 or in some other way. I would rather buy the butter nearer 

 home if I could get it from our nearby creameries, and I am 

 somewhat of an advocate of the protection idea and would 



