°^ Illinois State Dairymen's Association. 



we agree on dogs, running horses and the beef cattle, and I 

 expect that we will agree when we come to the dairy animal. 



The Dairy World Needs Better Cows. 



Now I want to speak briefly concerning a remark made here 

 yesterday, which lays stress upon the food question as the all 

 important question with you in this dairy district. I differ with 

 this statement. It is not only the food, but it is the animal that 

 you feed. 



There is where you are weak. I have already seen this 

 morning enough to satisfy me that you are feeding a lot of stuff 

 here that I would not take upon my farm as a gracious gift, 

 and yet I raise grain in abundance under circumstances that 

 enable me there to do it, while you have to pay high prices for 

 the same. 



There is your weakness today in this dairy district. Your 

 own teacher from the agricultural school has made that point 

 very strong. Do you not remember what Professor Frazer said 

 last year at Joliet concerning the great number of poor and un- 

 profitable cows that he has found in your dairy district of Elgin ? 

 I am always glad to find a man like him who seeks after facts 

 that are needed to be known in the work of dairying. 



How are you going to fill the gaps that will be made when 

 you reject the poor cows? You cannot buy the dairy cattle 

 that you want — they are not being bred. I have traveled for 

 twenty years, have had great facilities for traveling. I have 

 visited a great many breeding farms. I was thoroughly inter- 

 ested in this breeding question, having suffered as I did, and hav- 

 ing seen as I have men of bright ability tied down to a lot of 

 cows that jwere not worthy of their feed and care. Prompted 

 by such reasons I have visited breeders and as far as I could I 

 would go without a card, but if necessary I would take my card 

 and that would give me a good introduction, and then I would 

 try to get their ideas about breeding, and afterwards I would 

 submit the case which I will submit to you, as far as time will 

 allow. 



Good and Bad Breeders of Dairy Cattle. 



I will divide the breeders in America into three classes. 

 There is one class of conscientious breeders, men who know their 

 business ; they do not know everything, I do not know every- 

 thing, but they are seeking to know. There is another class of 



