16 Illinois State Dairymen's Association. 



LESSONS FROM THE MILK TEST. 



Mr. C. B. Lane, Assistant Chief Dairy Division, Department of 

 Agriculture, Washington, D. 0. 



Mr. Chairinan, Ladies and Gentlemen: — 



It is a great pleasure to talk to you a little while about this 

 subject of milk contest and Illinois dairymen are to be congratu- 

 lated on the test they had this year. It is not a large one but 

 it is a very creditable one and the quality of the milk and cream 

 is good. Illinois is to be particularly congratulated because 

 this is her first contest. In a number of states, where contests 

 have been held from time to time, they only had three or four 

 samples the first time, while you have eight, which is very good 

 for a start. 



I have followed these contests with a good deal of interest 

 since they were first organized and I believe they are going to 

 have a great influence in the improvement of the quality of the 

 milk and cream in the future. Friendly contests of any kind 

 are a great incentive, whether it is in athletics or in milk and 

 butter, such contests as you have here, or whatever they are ; 

 when you put your product against the other fellow's you are 

 bound to learn a number of things which you never knew before, 

 whether your product is better than the other fellow's or not as 

 good you will learn a lesson in either case, for if your product 

 is as good as the other man's you know that you are practicing 

 right methods and working along right lines; if it is not as 

 good you know where you need to improve as those defects are 

 pointed out to you. As I say, I have watched these contests 

 with a good deal of interest since, the first, which was held in 

 Chicago in February 1906. This, as perhaps you know, was a 

 national contest and all the states in the Union were allowed to 

 come into it, so milk was shipped from some thirteen different 

 states. Came from the West as far as Kansas, East as far as 

 Boston, and South as far as Maryland, a good deal of it shipped 

 a thousand miles, and yet that milk kept sweet and good for 

 several weeks, and some of the cream for five weeks, which 



