ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 73 



In making butter skim milk is quite an item of income when fed to pigs or 

 calves. My experience is that it is not of much value for making veal, especially 

 from Jersey calves, and I have not attempted it for several years. I now raise 

 only heifer calves, disposing of all bulls when a few daj^s old for what they will 

 bring. I consider that the skim milk from two cows will raise one calf, or that 

 the skim milk and droppings from one cow, when corn is fed, will raise one pig. 

 Some of our dairymen claim there is a profit in making skim milk cheese. 

 There may be, but I do not believe it. Skim cheese is actualby killing the 

 market for all kinds of cheese. No retailer will admit that he is selling skim 

 cheese, and you do not know what you have until you get it home and com- 

 mence to eat it ; after it has been in j^our stomach an hour or two you realize 

 that you have something, and think it is a brick-bat. After you go to bed and 

 try to rest your weary limbs you know what is the matter, and as you lie there 

 you vow that you will sell that grocer all of your rotten eggs and rancid lard ; 

 that you will make him a present of your ten-year-old turkey gobbler, and you 

 swear by the bed post never to buy any more cheese. 



I think it is more difficult to put a mone}' value on the manure pile than 

 any other item on the profit side. It has no particular market value — at least 

 there is none bought nor sold in our section of the country. Our farmers con- 

 sider it too valuable to sell. The value of the manure on a piece of land can 

 not be determined by simply the increased amount of grain or hay raised the 

 first or second year after it is put on ; the benefit may last five or ten years. If 

 a good coating of manure will keep our land from deteriorating for five or six 

 years, it is a large item on the profit side. It is said of Henry Ward Beecherthat he 

 once bought a pig for $1, and 40 bushels of corn for $20; he fed all the corn to the 

 pig and then sold it lor twelve dollars. He said he did not expect to make on 

 the com, he was making <>n the pig, and he did splendidly. When we have a 

 bad year and it takes all of our cash receipts to pay tor the feed and labor for 

 our cows, our agricultural writers tell us we ought not to feel bad, we have the 

 manure. That may be, but the manure pile is a "mighty" poor thing to live 

 on, and most of us must have something more. It will not buy goods, and even 

 the editor declines to take it on subscription for his paper. 



Another item on the profit side of a well conducted dairy is that it teaches 

 those engaged in it neatness. No dirty, slovenly, person can make fine butter. 

 The habit of neatness will grow on the dairyman, and gradually get outside of 

 ".he dairy house and show itself in his house and barns ; his hedges will be 

 trimmed and fence corners free from weeds ; his lawn will be mowed and 

 BVerything will have a thrifty, tidy appearance. 



Everything the dairyman may do to promote the welfare of his family may 

 be counted on the profit side. Mone3 T invested in papers and books is well in- 

 vested and will yield a profit in dollars. By papers and books I do not mean 

 simply those relating to our business, they are as necessary to us as feed is to 

 3ur cows. We must have other reading matter than business. We must have 

 3ur local and city paper?, our religious and literary magazines, and just as 

 nany good books as our means will allow us to purchase. There is no reason 

 Why a farmer, if he tries to educate himself and family, should not be the equal 

 nentally and socially of any business man. Do not talk and read about cows 

 ind butter and pigs and corn from the time you get up in the morning until you 



