28 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



it for $1000.00. Gentlemen, I wouldn't have it, not at that price. 

 Why is land over here worth $5.00 an acre and land over there 

 $450.00 an acre? Tell me why? Simply one reason, the dairy 

 cow has been kept on the $450 an acre farm for nearly 100 years, 

 and has increased the soil fertility, and upon the other farm, 

 there was a soil robber, a grain raiser. This may strike deep into 

 the hearts of some of you gentlemen here. These are facts, you 

 cannot get over. I don't mean it in the sense of contempt, not 

 at all, but when you are raising corn and grain continuously, 

 you are destroying your soil and reducing the prosperity of your 

 country. So often you expect your younger generation to do 

 the same and make the same profits you have made. I can give 

 you example after example. The northeast part of Ohio, where 

 I come from, fourteen years ago was virtually depleted of its 

 soil fertility. You could go buy land all over that country for 

 $12.00 to $20.00 an acre. But you go back there today, and you 

 can't buy it for that price, but on every farm that you will 

 visit, you will find there are dairy cows, raising the soil fertility 

 and making conditions more prosperous. 



Cow Brings Prosperity. 



It was my good fortune to visit Portland, N. Y., last sum- 

 mer, and that country 20 years ago I know could hardly raise 

 white beans as far as fertility was concerned, but it has been 

 making wonderful progress. Out of the City of Portland, 19 

 cars of milk is shipped every day, 250 cans in a car. That shows 

 you the reason why that country is getting prosperous. They 

 keep dairy cows now. Friends, history repeats itself, and you 

 are in no better condition than the people in the east in the rich 

 valleys. In particular I speak of the great Huron Valley, the 

 most fertile soil, they told us years ago, upon the face of the 

 earth. They didn't know about this great country around Clin- 

 ton. It has gradually gone down until it reached the stage 

 where they had to keep dairy cows in order to restore the soil 

 fertility. 



