24 . ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



Mr. Mason: What kind of cows do you keep? 



Mr. Gray: I started about 20 years ago and supplied the 

 httle town of Sidell of 500 or 600 people with 30 to 40 pounds 

 of butter a week. I started because I had to fertilize my farm. 



Mr. Mason: Don't your farms go back here? 



Mr. Gray: Yes, the yield of grain has been greatly re- 

 duced. I am glad the convention came here, because I think it is 

 more needed here than anywhere else. 



Mr. Mason: There was a man over there who said he 

 knew of an 80-acre tract that was traded off for a horse, and the 

 man said, "1 want to reserve the shoes." He got the land for 

 the horse. Seventeen years ago the same land was worth $6^ 50 

 per acre and it is worth today $250 per acre. That is the re- 

 sult of keepmg up the fertility of the soil, and there is nothinp- 

 that will do it like dairying. 



Mr. Foss: Was that 80 traded because it was unproductive? 



Mr. Mason : It was not tilled and was considered worth- 

 less. 



Mr. Smith: What is the value of a cow producing 400 

 pounds of butterfat, in other words, what would vou sell a cow 

 tor that was producing that much butterfat? 



Mr. Foss : They are not for sale. A man that has a 400- 

 pound cow IS usually on to his job and he keeps her. The best 

 way IS to put the best sire you can get at the head of your herd 

 and raise your heifers. You cannot buy that kind of a cow un- 

 less you pay a big premium and you can get them and raise them 

 m the long run cheaper than you can buy them." 



Mr. Mason : "I wish at this time to appoint the following 

 committees : 



Membership: H. C. Horneman, of Watseka; J W Sligar 

 of Effingham; N. M. Hersch, of Streator; George Caven, of 

 Chicago. 



