ILLINOIS STTE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 203 



pay their dues year after year is small, probably not greater 

 than thirty. The rest of the membership changes according 

 to the location of the annual meeting, the country adjacent 

 to the place of meeting furnishing the new blood each year, 

 to disappear from membership at the next meeting. This is 

 the direct result of a membership dependent on annual dues. 

 The money test for membership is not a good one. I know 

 personally of one association where the Secretary paid the 

 dues of enough new members to keep him in office. 



A third cause of weakness grows out of the other two; 

 namely, indefiniteness of purpose. Two great objects should 

 be kept before the eyes of the members; the extension of 

 dairy knowledge among the cow keepers of the State and the 

 protection of all the people by obtaining wise legislation on 

 dairy lines. These two objects cannot be obtained without a 

 large permanent membership. This large permanent mem- 

 bership will not be obtained so long as the dollar is the test. 



It is my belief, based on long observation, that the test 

 for membership should be business interest combined with 

 willingness to take part in the work of dairy education and 

 dairy advancement. A man should be admitted into the so- 

 ciety on a vote of the Association, or better, of a committee 

 on membership. He should be retained as long as he is will- 

 ing to help in any way. When members become absolutely 

 valueless to the cause of dairy advancement they should be 

 dropped. The member that never attends a meeting may do 

 much for the cause of dairying. He may be, in his community, 

 an "eye that never sleeps," ready to report intended fraud; 

 ready to spread the knowledge of the truth as it relates to the 

 cow. He should not be cut off because he does not attend 

 the meeeting. An attempt should be made to strengthen the 

 bond of sympath}^ between him and other dairymen. 



In the State of Illinois there are 252,000 farms. On every 

 farm there are, or should be, cows. There are thus in Illinois 

 252,000 farmers interested to some extent in dairying. Among 

 these 252,000 there are certainly some thousands that would 

 work for dairy advancement if they were brought into touch 

 with others of like mind. 



