238 ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



years of our lives to make these farms a home, want our children 

 to think of that farm this way, and if they are to do that it must 

 be left so that they can produce profitably. 



With the dairy business we feed the stuff upon the farm and 

 the flow, if she is a good cow, pays us a splendid profit ; then we 

 take the resultant excrement from that cow and apply it to the 

 land to still go on paying a larger per cent of profit. 



I believe the American farmer is a little too much inclined to 

 speculate; I believe the American people are, and possibly most 

 any other people, and it is all right, but I think you will agree with 

 me that it is the part of wisdom to have some line of business that 

 we can depend upon, not only this year and not only today but for 

 all the years to come and every day o fthe year. Now I ask you 

 my friends do you know of any business (let me say right here, if 

 anyone does not understand me, if he will ask I will stop any- 

 where. I am used to interruptions and don't mind, and I don't 

 want to make any statement here that is not positively true), let 

 me say what I am going to say about this dairy business, and the 

 conclusions I have reached have been because I have asked the old 

 cow and she has given me these answers. 



I was saying that it is a good thing to have a business that 

 pays a good profit every year, and goes on paying it; that not 

 only pays a good profit every year, but returns a quick, steady in- 

 come. I am going to tell you why I believe the dairy business 

 will do that better than any other line of live stock husbandry. 

 Start today with a drove of swine; you cannot get those swine 

 upon the market in less than six months : It is a matter of spec- 

 ulation ; you are giving feed to them that is worth dollars and you 

 know not, when that product is ready to go on the market, wheth- 

 er it will pay for that feed and the initial cost or not! On the 

 other hand, when I go before my cows and give them a feed I 

 simply step right around and draw my pay, and there is no specu- 

 lation in it. You get your pay the same day ; I can feed my cows 

 generously, draw my pay and I know what business I am doing — 

 that is, if I know the value of the stuff I am feeding them and the 

 value of the stuff they return, and if a man does not know that he 



