THIRTY-FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION. 19 



fluence felt with great force. The value of her yearly products 

 are colossal. 



According to the recent figures of a painstaking Statistician, 

 every man, woman and child in the country consumes annually 

 over 100 gallons of milk and its products. The actual amount 

 of whole milk consumed each day averages about .65 of a pint 

 for every individual. 



The value of this product for a year, at retail, is the start- 

 ling sum of $2,500,000,000. This is almost one-fifteenth (1-15) 

 of the entire wealth of the nation, — five (5) times the wholesale 

 value of last year's wheat crop ; nearly twice the value of the 

 corn crop and over one-third (1-3) of the entire value of farm 

 products for the year 1907. The wholesale values of Dairy 

 Products last year, was estimated at $800,000,000.00 which 

 would allow a price less than ten (10) cents per gallon for milk 

 at the Dairy. An average retail price of seven (7) cents a quart 

 was assumed, which is probably a little above the average price. 

 So you see the clean milk problem is a vital one, affecting the 

 production and consumption of over 9,000,000,000 gallons per 

 year and a great percentage of this milk is paid for with cash. 

 Illinois claims one-twentieth of the dairy cows of the nation. 



Your Officers have had a busy year and I feel that much 

 permanent good has been accomplished. Since our meeting last 

 year at Marengo, we have had meetings at Washington, Havana. 

 Highland, Effingham, and at the State Fair. 



We have distributed an immense amount of literature — 

 sending it directly to the Dairymen and farmers. 



We have endeavored to stimulate interest among the non- 

 Dairymen as well as the converts. 



It is highly important that all breeders of dairy cattle learn 

 to appreciate the advantage of well bred dairy sires, those which 

 are raised from producing parents — parents whose records show 

 large yearly production. A well bred sire does not cost but a 

 mere trifle when figured in dollars and cents with the results 

 gained in breeling up a herd from native cows. 



