ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 96 



thing to be desired in a dairy cow. There may and doubtless does exist to 

 some extent that combination of good qualities in a/iorse that entitles him 

 to the appellation'of Horse of all work, but the existence of any breed of 

 cows of corresponding qualities may be gravely doubted. 



There have been many eSorts in the mechanical world to construct a 

 mrchine adapted to a variety of uses but usually with unsatisfactory results: 

 "Jack at all trades",may be a convenience at times but for best results we 

 usually prefer one of less versatile accomplishments. 



The ''Ke Plus Ultra" of cows as a distinct breed that are No. 1 for milk, 

 butter and cheese, and beef, have thus far failed to materialize. 



To my mind the practical idea underlymg this question is that which re- 

 gards the cow as a machine— a machine to convert the grosser and bulky 

 products of the farm into dairy goods; a kind of condenser that concen- 

 trates value with the least waste. 



Starting then with this as the leading thought we are at once confront- 

 ed with numerous questions such as soil, feed, climate, proximity to or 

 remoteness from market, as well as taste and prejudice on the part of the 

 owner and very many other considerations affecting the selection of dairy 

 stock. 



Notwithstanding the considerable variety of soil and climate owing to 

 the length of our State from north to south, they are of no considerable im- 

 portance in the adaptation of any breed to different parts of the State and 

 then too, the quantity of milk yield may be largely eliminated from the esti- 

 mated value of different breeds of dairy stock, since butter and cheese, or 

 quality and not quantity is largely and will long continue to be the standard 

 of excellence. 



Just here let me enter my protest against the almost universal custom of 

 weighing or measuring milk as a sufficient means of estimating value; beside 

 being manifestly unjust it constantly presents inducements to fraud. True, 

 this association has,I believe,adopted a standard,but it amounts to but little 

 so far as practice is concerned. Returning to the thought that the cow is a 

 machine with which to convert the cruder products of the farm into dairy 

 goods, it at once becomes pertinent to inquire not what cow or breed of cows 

 will under peculiarly favorable conditions yield the greater amount of 

 these products, but which will convert a given amount of such feed as the 

 owner may most economically furnish, into the most and best product. Or 

 in other words what class of cows will return ;the largest per cent on the 

 amount invested; the true measure of excellence being in net rather than 

 in gross receipts. It may frequently be noticed in localities where the 

 spirit of strife runs high as to who should produce the most milk from a 

 given number of cows that the profit does not always compare well with the 

 amount of milk produced. 



If then we find that a class of cows from their large size or grosser 

 habit on the one hand or delicacy oi constitution on the other require a 

 larger expenditure for either feed or care in proportion to the return made, 

 the average dairyman will not long hesitate what to use. 



The question abstractly may for convenience be divided as relating co 

 size and breed, but practically they so merge as to become but one. 



