I06 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN's ASSOCIATION. 



SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



The following is the report of M. H. Thompson, retir- 

 ing secretary, for the year ending December lo, 1879 : 



To balance on hand from last year f, 3 04 



" cash for report 25 



June II, to cash of R, M. Patrick, Treasurer 75 50 



^78 79 



CONTRA. 



June II, by cash paid for printing reports f6o 00 



" " sundry items, printing, express, telegrams, etc 340 



Cash on hand to balance ^5 39 



$^2, 79 



Marengo, 111., Dec. 11, 1879. 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON LP:GISLATI0N. 



The following report of the committee on legislation 

 was handed to the secretary since the meeting of the asso- 

 ciation : 



Dr. Joseph Tefft, President of the Illinois State Dairy- 

 men's Associatio7t — Sir : The committee of your association, 

 charged with the duty of presenting to the legislature the 

 interests of the dairy industry, for the purpose of obtaining 

 such aid from the state as its necessities demand, would 

 respectfully report that in the month of March last they 

 went to Springfield and presented to a committee of both 

 branches of the legislature the following statement : 



First, The importance of the dairy industry. 



The following statement will show the magnitude and 

 value of this branch of industry in the state of Illinois : 



From the census returns of 1870 (the last actual data) 

 it appears that the number of milch cows then in the state 

 was 640,321. Estimating the increase at 25 per cent, dur- 

 ing the last eight years (and this increase in number is not 

 equal to the increase in the dairy product during that time), 

 and we now have 840,421 cows in this state. We adopt 

 800,000 as the basis of our estimate. 



Without taking into account the men and horses 

 required for distributing milk to families in our cities, and 

 the men engaged in the manufacture of butter and cheese, 

 we find that it requires the labor and care of at least one 

 man for every twenty cows, a span of horses for every 



