m ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



Mr. Willson estimated the number of milch cows in Illi- 

 nois for 1895 at 2,000,000, returning on an average |30.00 per 

 head, or |60,000,000. 



When attempting last year to gather reliable information 

 from several Western States for the Dairy Division of the 

 U. S. Agricultural Department, I found it impossible to get 

 at any reliable result by working on the same line as does 

 the State Board of Agriculture; that is, estimating the sales 

 of the various milk products. 



For this reason I fell back on the reports received, partly 

 from private dairymen, partly from estimates given by 

 creamery men and came to the conclusion that the average 

 milk jdeld per cow for all sections of Illinois could not be 

 placed above 3,550 pounds. In placing a value on this milk, 

 I claim we have no more right to use the prices, when peddled 

 out or made into butter or cheese, than we would have to 

 credit the wheat crop at the value of flour. 



The higher price obtained by milk peddling should be 

 credited to the horse and man delivering it, and the manufac- 

 turing of it into butter or cheese to the creamery or the 

 farmer's wife. 



Without discussing the advisability of swelling the dairy 

 income by adding the manufacturing and retailing profit, I 

 have arrived at the conclusion that a more correct estimate 

 is obtained by using the cow census, estimating the average 

 yield and basing the milk value on the averages prices paid 

 by the creameries in the State. 



Thus I came to the result reported to the Agricultural 

 Department for 1895, 1,087,886 milch cows, with an average 

 yield of 3,550 pounds, at 73 cents per 100 pounds, or |25.91 per 

 cow, aggregating |28,192,565.69. But comparing the butter 

 prices for 1896 with those of 1895, we must certainly lower 

 the average creamery value of the milk to 65 cents per 100 

 pounds, making |23.08 per cow or aggregating |25,108,408.88. 

 Though some factories from Wisconsin are represented on 

 the Elgin Board of Trade, it is of interest to quote from the 

 Secretary, Mr. T. S. Taylor's report, for 1896. 



