150 ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



A short time ago I was told by Professor Glover that the 

 average annual production of your cows was about 180 pounds. 

 While it is true that in certain localities the production is nearly 

 or quite 220 pounds the entire state would not average more 

 than the amount first mentioned. There are herds in the state 

 that are producing 300 pounds of butter per cow and even better, 

 and this fact proves conclusively that you also have herds that 

 are not paying for the cost of maintenance. 



Now let us compare for a moment two herds. First, if you 

 please, the average herd of 180 pounds per cow. We will sup- 

 pose the average price received for her product to be 20 cents 

 per pound, or $36 for the year. The cost of feeding the average 

 cow of the state is about $30. Then we have left as a profit $6 

 per cow. The skim milk and the manure and the increase we 

 will allow to offset the labor of caring for the animal. On the 

 other hand let us consider the cow that produces 100 pounds 

 more than the average or 280 pounds per year. Her produce at 

 20 cents per pound will sell for $56. We will admit that the 

 larger producer will consume a little more feed — say $3 worth. 

 Then her cost of keeping will be $33, leaving a net profit of $23, 

 or 3 5-6 times the profit of the average cow. As in the case of 

 the other cow we will offset the by-products with the labor in- 

 volved. 



Here we have a difference in net profit of $17 per cow, and 

 as you have something over a million in the state, it is plainly 

 seen that if the average annual production was 100 pounds more 

 than it is, your dairymen would receive the magnificent sum of 

 $17,000,000.00 more for the dairy products of the state than they 

 do now, or almost two-fifths the value of all the cattle in the state 

 aside from milch cows. The increase of 100 pounds per cow 

 would add to your revenue a sum equal to nearly two-thirds of 

 that received for beef cattle annually. Is it not a subject 

 worthy of our best thought? Why, my friends, it would be just 

 like getting " money from home," and it would so change our 

 opinions of dairying that disappointment would give way to a 



