ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 185 



work in this state and have found that they have materially im- 

 proved conditions where they have charge. It seems to me the 

 system is capable of indefinite extension and would result in great 

 good to the farmer as well as the manufacturer. Every creamery 

 in the state would do well to employ a man to give at least part 

 of his time to this work. In small places the head buttermaker 

 might be given enough assistance in the creamery to enable him 

 to visit the patrons frequently and explain to them why and how 

 the conditions on their farms might be improved. Such a man 

 with a contract behind him would do more for the improvement 

 of milk on the farm than can be done in any other way. I hope 

 the time is coming when we will pay more attention to the quality 

 of our dairy product and be willing to pay the price to get them. 

 The constant struggles we make to cheapen production are always 

 tending to lower the quality of our goods. It would be far better 

 to spend enough money to insure a good article and I think we 

 will find the public willing to pay for it. 



The farmer sometimes objects to signing this contract and 

 declares that he can run his own business without dictation from 

 any person ; so said the beef trust ; so said the butterine manu- 

 facturers, and in fact, a whole army of food producers. But to- 

 day they are all inspected and are obliged to conform to establish- 

 ed rules. The farmer should consider the inspector his best 

 friend and get out of him every bit of information he can give. 

 Pump him dry and if he does not know enough, make the 

 creamery get a better one. The increase in the production of his 

 herd, the improvement in the quality of his milk, and the better 

 price paid where the product can be depended upon, will richly re- 

 pay the farmer for signing the contract. 



I wish to emphasize the fact that there is nothing in this ar- 

 rangement whereby the farmer gives up his authority over his 

 farm or suffers in his dignity. The point for which the creamery, 

 the condensery and the bottling plant are working is the same 

 thing that the farmer should be after ; namely, the production 

 of a large amount of good milk. If success conies to one it musl 

 come to the other; if failure comes to one it must also come to 



