96 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



plenty of cows anywhere. Milk was plentiful, and when the 

 semi-weekly cream man did not come, butter was made from the 

 sour cream. The cows were not cleaned, no clean suit was put 

 on prior to milking, no covered pail was .used, and the milk was 

 sometimes strained in the barn. Warm milk and gingerbread 

 was the supper-time relish, and the odor and taste of the cow in 

 the milk was an unheard of thing. On many of our dairy farms 

 conditions similar to those just outlined exist at the present day, 

 even though we are loath to admit it, and it is evident that we 

 have a big problem ahead. For every model dairy in the coun- 

 try there are no doubt- hundreds that have almost no redeeming 

 feature, either in equipment, character of output, in arrange- 

 ment or in management. Likewise, it is also very true that for 

 every story of tested herds, cement stables, sanitary milk houses 

 and bottling plants, there might be hundreds of stories of 

 diseased animals, poorly constructed barns, impure water, lack of 

 care and of ignorant methods. 



One might say that this should not be so, as enlightening 

 bulletins, newspapers and other agencies have placed valuable 

 information at the disposal of the farmer. Lectures have been 

 given and schools and colleges have from time to time brought 

 out the importance of clean milk, but still there seems to have 

 been a failure to reach actual producer. 



We hear quite a lot, of late, relative to the elimination of 

 the small producer because he seems to be a retarding element 

 in a general improvement, but it must be recognized that his 

 elimination would result in a serious shortage in the supply. 

 The policy of live and let live would seem to be a fair attitude 

 for those who would eliminate the smaller producer because of 

 his falling below the modern standards. 



You have heard much about the education of the producer, 

 rather than prosecuting him, and you have also heard much 

 about the education of the consumer to pay fair prices commen- 

 surate with the cost of producing milk, and of its delivery to 

 their doors. The problems of those who are concerned with 

 the business of milk production are many, and until some better 

 solution has been proved to be more helpful and more sure of 



