16 ILLINOIS dairymen's ASSOCIATION. 



State. This would give them a good home market which is the best of all 

 markets where properly active. 



It may not be wholly out of place for me to say a few words bearing 

 upon dairy and cereal farming as compared with each other. The effect of 

 dairy farming is to increase the value of its lands by the constant applica- 

 tion of the animal manures annually made and spread upon the farms; 

 whereas the cereal farms are annually depreciating in value in proportion to 

 the amount of the draft upon the soil for the product sold, unless a goodly 

 number of live stock are kept on such farms or they be otherwise fed. Then 

 again the uncertainty of a good, full crop from year to year is a heavy draw- 

 back on cereal farming. While this may affect the dairy farming to some 

 extent, it does not to that degree, as we hardly ever miss a good growth of 

 grass, which is one of the essentials to a good dairy farm. 



Then again, the marketing of the products of the two widely differ in 

 freight as to their value. Suppose we make a few comparisons of freight on 

 the value of the products as they are now selling in the City of ^ew York. 

 The estimate is made on the articles as freighted from Chicago to New York: 



Butter is worth $30 per 100 pounds, and it costs 70 cents per 100 pounds 

 freight, leaving $29.30 balance to shipper. 



Cheese $12.00 per 100 pounds, freight 60 cents, leaving balanee of $11.40 

 to shipper. 



Corn 90 cents per 100 pounds, cost of freight 30 cents, leaving 61 cents to 

 shipper. 



Oats $1.11 per 100 pounds, freight 25 cents, leaving 86 cents to shipper. 



. Wheat $1.43 per 100 pounds, freight 25 cents, leaving $1.18 to shipper. 



Mess pork $12.50 per barrel, freight 30 cents per barrel, leaving $12.20 to 

 shipper for 320 pounds. 



By the above you will readily see you had better put your corn, oats and 

 wheat into butter or cheese through the machine, sometimes called a cow, 

 than to ship in bulk. 



In conclusion you will please allow me to say that dairy farming is edu- 

 cational in its results. It necessarily brings the farmers thus engaged to- 

 gether, to a greater or less extent, almost every working day in the year. 

 Here it is then that social intercourse is held between man and man; and as 

 thought begets thought it has a direct tendency to call forth discussions on 

 various subjects of interest which, if conducted in a friendly spirit, can but 

 be instructive and profitable to both parties. 



It is to the social gatherings and discussions of various topics bearing 

 upon the dairy interests in conventions like the present, and the publication 

 of the thoughts expressed, and discussions by those in attendance from year 

 to year, that have done much in placing our dairy system where it now stands. 



Education to a man about to embark in any new business is very im- 

 portant to success in that undertaking. As we are assembled, as it were, 

 under the drippings of the great Agricultural College of the State of Illinois, 

 it may be meet for me to say that I can but hope and trust that the college 

 is giving much attention to the education of young gentlemen and ladies, 

 and fitting them for a farm life which is the most independent as well as the 

 most important calling in our country. Dispense with the great agricultural 

 interest of the United States and the government would hardly survive a 



