26 ILLINOIS STATE DAIEYMEJST's ASSOCIATION. 



S. M. Slade said a certain piece of land enriched by the 

 use of ashes thirty years ago, plainly showed the results to- 

 'lay; in that locality they were bought by the ship-load — 

 'iree cents for leached and eight cents for unleached. 



Dr. Tefft said to know exactly how to apply ashes we 

 .nust know exactly all the constituent elements of the soil, 

 and this can only be obtained by chemical analysis. 



Heney Sheeman had destroyed foul strip by fire, and had 

 seen good results from the ashes left, by an increase of crops 

 on the lands so burned; believed in ashes. 



Hon. Wm. Patten thought that ashes, as a fertilizer, took 

 first rank; come to this conclusion by planting crops upon 

 land which had been run over by fire. E'armers were too apt 

 to continue year after year in the same old way, we must try 

 experiments and obtain information from actual experience; 

 had learned much at this convention; it was evident that 

 what was good for one farm was not good for all farms; we 

 must sift the chafi" from the wheat, holding fast to the good. 



Topic No. 5. '' The best method of improving and supply- 

 ,ng the dairy. Different breeds, and their adaptation to our 

 rlimate." 



Hon. Wm. Patten opened the discussion of this question 

 by saying he had devoted a great deal of time and money to 

 improving his dairy; considered the selection of a bull as 

 important; had bred and used the short-horn stock with sat- 

 isfactory results. There was great difference in the short-horn 

 families as to the milking qualities; often had to "weed out" 

 several each year to secure the best. Several years since he 

 introduced the Holstein blood into his herd; could plainly 

 se^ the effects yet by their excellence as milkers ; only bred 

 from the same strain about five years; thought Holsteins, as 

 milkers, stood in the first rank; also was partial to milking 

 families of short-horns. Some bulls would, if used for many 

 years, destroy the milking qualities of your herd. 



E. H. Sewaed, Marengo, thought the old Durham stock 

 ;/ould not, as a race, be called good milkers. The Kentucky 



