ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 15 



malice in my heart for any of the hard words that have been said against the 

 State Board of Agriculture. 



We know that we are the servants of the public, the people of Illinois, and 

 as servants we have a right to expect your criticism and your censure, and, as 

 the custom is, your cuffs and your knocks, for servants are in the habit of 

 receiving just such things. 



Two years ago I attended your convention. I was then a member of the 

 State Board. I stated to your people that I believed the time had come when 

 the dairy interests of Illinois should be known and represented on that State 

 Board of Agriculture. The time had come when some action should be taken 

 towards bringing up the fact that the dairy industry was one of the most im- 

 portant industries of the State. 



I asked your honorable body of gentlemen to send a committee to meet the 

 State Board of Agriculture at their annual meeting for the purpose of doing 

 something for the furthering of your interests. It seems that at that meeting 

 such a committee was appointed, but for some reason they failed to meet us at 

 the annual meeting. 



At a call meeting in Chicago afterwards the committee put in their appear- 

 ance. Our Board asked them to conduct a dairy show in connection with the Fat 

 Stock Show, appropriating them $500 in good money, and assuring them that 

 they would lend them their very best efforts towards securing contributions 

 amounting to at least $2,500 more, making $3,000 in all, for the purpose of hold- 

 ing a dairy show in connection with the Fat Stock Show, and to be held under 

 the auspices of this Illinois Dairymen's Association. By some means or other, 

 and even after the $500 had been assured them, no effort was made. 



In their conversation with the members of the Board it was recommended by 

 our President at the annual meeting that the State Board itself should hold a 

 dairy show at the State Fair, and the recommendation of President Landrigan 

 was considered by the Board, and instead of holding the dairy show at the 

 State Fair, it was decided to hold it at the Fat Stock Show, as the weather at 

 that season of the year was better, and the time and place both seemed to be 

 more appropriate. 



Now, my friends, you know that that Board of Agriculture consists largely 

 of farmers. Nearly all of them are farmers, and I am sorry to say that not one 

 of them is a very extensive dairyman, and in making the arrangements for this 

 show, in getting up the classifications for the premiums, and all the details of 

 the arrangements, prominent dairymen of Illinois were conferred with, and 

 some of these men are within the sound of my voice at this minute, and sug- 

 gestions were received, and were asked for, and acted upon as well as could 

 be. "We succeeded in getting out a classification, which, to my mind, with 

 the present information I have on the subject, is very unsatisfactory. It does 

 not teach us the things that were intended to be taught in that show, but we 

 believed that the dairymen of Illinois would look upon us with some charity, as 

 it was our first show, and we do believe that with your assistance, we can get a 

 better classification, we can get a better system of judges, and we can have a 

 better show in the future, with your assistance and encouragement. 



Let me say right here that I hope this Association will send a committee on 

 the 4th day of January to the annual meeting of the State Board to confer with 



