214 ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



these will decrease in price. Our future supply of bran depends 

 upon the flour industry and will increase or decrease with it; glu- 

 ten meal and gluten feed depends upon the manufacturing of 

 starch, glucose, etc., or corn products, and will increase or de- 

 crease accordingly. Our supply of cotton-seed meal depends 

 upon the manufacture of cotton-seed oil ; our supply of oil meal 

 depends upon the manufacture of linseed oil. Besides these being 

 limited according to the manufacture of other products, these 

 foods are constantly becoming more popular among all feeders 

 and it is not probable that the supply will keep pace with the de- 

 mand. It is time then that the dairyman begin to look to some 

 other source for his supply of protein and make himself as nearly 

 independent as possible of corporations who can and will fix their 

 own prices. As I see it, our only hope for cheaper protein is to 

 produce it on the farm in the form of legumes. 



This is not all that can be said in favor of legumes. All the 

 products removed from the farm carry away more or less of its 

 fertility. The general farmer is constantly selling his farm 

 and I take it that in 4his section of the state none of you 

 have any fertility to spare. 



This element, nitrogen, found in the pioteids, is the most 

 costly part of our commercial fertilizers, and perhaps the most 

 easily exhausted from the soil by careless cropping. Potash and 

 phosphorus can be supplied much cheaper in the form of commer- 

 cial fertilizers, Such crops as corn, wheat, oats, timothy, red 

 top, etc., are constantly removing nitrogen from the soil, which 

 if fed to dairy cows is sold from the barn in the form of milk. A 

 constant drain without adequate replacement means final poverty 

 of the soil and its owner. Here again are the legumes the far- 

 mer's friend. They not only furnish him protein for milk pro- 

 duction, but they actually add nitrogen to the soil. They bring 

 to the farmer, gratis, his most costly fertilizer. No man is in a 

 better position to build up his soil than the dairyman if he uses 

 wisely the forces at his command. You cannot afford to raise 

 timothy which impoverishes your soil and buy high-priced fertil- 

 izers for your land. Raise legumes to replace your concentrates 



