10 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



ADDRESS OF WELCOME 



By 



Dr. T. J. Cummings. 



Chairman : — The citizens of VandaHa have done everything 

 in their power to make this meeting a success. We are deeply 

 grateful to them, and in the absence of the Mayor, Mr. Cum- 

 mings is here to extend to us the glad hand. I take pleasure in 

 introducing Mr. Cummings. 



Mr. T. J. Cummings :— Mr. President, Members of the Illi- 

 nois State Dairymen's Association: The Mayor of the City of 

 VandaHa has delegated to me the honor of representing him in 

 extending to you a welcome to the old capital city. Unfortu- 

 nately the Mayor could not be here in person today, but he in- 

 structed me to leave no doubt in your minds as to the sincerity 

 of your welcome. 



The people of Vandalia appreciate the honor you have be- 

 stowed upon them in selecting this city for your 36th annual 

 convention. We are fully alive to the merits of your work and 

 to the importance of your labor in Fayette County. We have 

 one of the largest counties in area in the State of Illinois, and 

 throughout that country we have many thousand acres of fertile 

 soil. But this soil I do not intend to speak to you about today, 

 yet on the other hand we have thin soil which is not so product- 

 ive. This thin soil when properly fertilized will produce blue 

 grass and clover, and gentlemen, the importance of your work 

 here today, as well as in the past and in the future appeals most 

 strongly to those who own this thin soil throughout the state. 

 And I believe unless a man adopts in an intelligent manner the 

 dairy methods practiced by you gentlemen, that those farms will 

 be forever unproductive. Some feel that our farmers should 

 endeavor to try the artificial fertilizer; but this we fear would 

 exceed the the value of the lands themselves. If you gentlemen 

 would not only point out the way to them how they could not 

 only bring up their lands to a higher state of cultivation, but tell 



