86 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



We are living in an advanced age. The dollar does not 

 have the purchasing power that it had formerly. This, many 

 attribute to the larger production of gold, therefore, it is diffi- 

 cult to estimate values on prices paid in the past as compared lo 

 prices paid at the present time. 



Farmers as a class are like any other people, no better or 

 no worse. They will pursue the occupation that gives them the 

 greatest returns for the least amount of labor, whether it is dairy- 

 ing or some other line of agricultural pursuit. The essential 

 thing about dairying that should appeal to every farmer who 

 has a desire to leave a heritage to his children, is, as I have said 

 before, that it tends more to soil conservation than any other 

 line of agricultural pursuit. This is why dairying is carried on 

 so extensively on, the high priced lands of Europe with their 

 dense population. 



The export of dairy products annually in Holland amounts 

 to $4.50 per acre. This little country keeps more live stock per 

 acre than any other country in Europe. In the parts of Holland 

 adapted to grass and dairying, land is held at a much higher fig- 

 ure than elsewhere. 



In the minds of some there is doubt as to whether we shall 

 be able to hold our own market after the close of the war, due 

 to competition from foreign countries. The tariff on butter 

 coming into our country at the present time is 2 1-2 cents per 

 pound. It was 6 cents per pound. Naturally we would sup- 

 pose that 21-2 cents w^ould be sufficient protection for the Amer- 

 ican producer, but it seems that this is not the case. Before the 

 outbreak of the present war, the Pacific coast states were flooded 

 with butter from New Zealand and Australia. Our Atlantic 

 coast states had butter from Denmark, Siberia and Argentine. 

 In time of peace transportation rates on water are very cheap 

 in comparison to those by rail. Take this in connection with the 

 difference in the cost of labor and we can readily see that our 

 21-2 cent tariff, under present conditions, is not sufficiently high 

 to protect our own markets from foreign competition. 



European Dairy Conditions 



It has been my privilege twice to have been sent over to 

 Europe to investigate dairy conditions. I found a. vast difference 



