^^^ Illinois State Dairymen's Association. 



1 



backbone of the association. If he is a good man, if he is a man 

 that will call the attention of the farmers to the little points 

 about cost of production, etc., he is the one that is going to be of 

 the greatest benefit to them, and up in Michigan we have been 

 fortunate in getting good men to take charge of that work. 



Mr. Van Pelt : — Don't you find it difficult to get good men 

 at the low salary you pay them? 



Mr. Rabild:— Last year about this time we had four asso- 

 ciations that wanted men. We had a little difficulty but we did 

 get four good men. We could have organized five or six more 

 associations but we did not want to because we were afraid we 

 could not get good men for them and we did not want them to 

 fail. This year it looks a little better. For one thing, labor is 

 not as scarce this year as it was a year ago; another thing, is 

 I got in touch with the immigration bureau in Washington, that 

 bureau which directs the stream of immigrants to different parts 

 of the state, and I told them if they had any cow testers to spare 

 to send them to Michigan, that we needed them, and we have 

 the promise of two. 



Mr. Chase: — Do the farmers weigh their milk all the time? 



Mr. Rabild : — The milk is weighed one day every month, 

 morning and evening. That is how I explained they came very 

 close to getting the actual amount of milk that cow gave each 

 year. It does not vary 4 per cent. 



The Chairman : — I would like to say that a year ago, at our 

 annual Directors' meeting, this thing was talked of among the 

 directors, and we offered to any of the students that took the short 

 course at Urbana and passed a creditable examination in the dairy 

 department to give a certificate which would allow them to go 

 among the farmers and test cows for such organizations as that, 

 but I am sorry ta say no one took advantage of that offer ; and 

 I will say, in behalf of the directors, that we extend that offer 

 again this year. If any of the boys around Marengo go in and 

 take the short course next Monday, if they pass a suitable exam- 

 ination, this association will give them a certificate entitling them 

 to test cows for their neighbors, and we will assist in the organi- 

 zation of a test association anywhere in Illinois if a sufficient num- 

 ber of farmers will request it. We tried to start them this past 

 season and hoped to arouse enough interest to start at least one. 

 I would like to see that thing taken hold of. I have tested my 



