262 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



Greatness in Agriculture. 



BY HON. L. H. KERRICK. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlement: 



If I should say that agricultu re is the first — the greatest — the most 

 Iionorable business of the world, I would only be saying again what the 

 best and wisiesit men of eivery age have said before. 



But a great number of people do not so regard agriculture; they are 

 prone to look upon it as a useful, possibly as a necessary business, albeit 

 a very simple one suited to the ability and uncultured tastes of plain peo- 

 ple. 



This mistaken view of agriculture is not universal, but it has been 

 and is: still far tooi general. 



In the common mind agriculture is the inferior — other callings the 

 superior. The largest case in all history of "cart before the horse,' is 

 that one wherein so great a part o f mankind have so persistently put 

 agriculture to the rear — in the less honorable place, while other voca- 

 tions are put to the front in the position of honor. 



In the whole hook-up of our civilization this "wrong end too" posi- 

 tion of things is strongly in evidence. 



This common under-estimati ; on of agriculture, and the common aver- 

 sion or distaste for agricultural pursuits, and the general trend or pull 

 of people and institutions away from the farm and farm life, have long^ 

 been noted and deplored by observing and right thinking men. 



They have profounding effected all social, political, and economic re- 

 lations and conditions. They have upset the proper balance of city and 

 rural population. There are too few peopleon the farms, too many in the 

 cities. There are not enough people on the farms to do the work well,, 

 while in the city there are three times as many as are needed ito do ithe 

 work there. There is boundless room and unlimited living employment 



