108 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



four years old, he left my mother, my brother and I to assume 

 the indebtedness of that farm. We bought land until we had 

 more land than anything else. I never laid awake nights think- 

 ing the interest would not come due and I never laid awake 

 nights thinking the tax gatherer would not come around, but I 

 did have to lay awake nights to know where the money was com- 

 ing from to pay the interest and the tax gatherer! Death and 

 taxes are mighty sure things and interest is next. 



I looked about me to find some sort of a business that would 

 be sure to bring in an income and I lighted upon dairying. Now 

 let me ask you where can you find a line of business that will in- 

 sure you as steady a cash income as dairying? 



Let me make another comparison, we will take the hog. If 

 I had hogs I would keep them until they are eight months old, and 

 the thing to know is whether they are going to sell for enough 

 to pay for their food and a profit besides. Just now there is a 

 sure profit, but I have seen times when it was not so sure. Take 

 it with a steer, many keep that steer two years, he will pay for 

 it if he can, but supposing his carcass does not pay enough then 

 you are bunkoed. I can draw pay twice a day from those dairy 

 cows. Now my friends show me any business that you can draw 

 pay twice a day. The nearest is the old hen, but there are mighty 

 few that pay but once a day. 



I told you I would not keep you too long. I must not talk 

 any longer on this particular point. Dairying is a good profitable 

 business if it is carried on as it should be, but it takes something 

 besides keeping cows to make it a success. I know a lot of men 

 that are keeping cows that are not making a profit, it takes some- 

 thing besides. I was glad to hear this testimony from Iowa that 

 there are only a few men that make a good profit in dairying. 

 I have traveled a great deal in Iowa, and for a great dairy state 

 I think they have as large a percentage of poor dairy cows as I 

 ever saw. They are willing to feed that steer calf, they are wil- 

 ling to get along and take $30.00 less than to go into dairying. 

 That is a mistake. 



There are a lot of men who call themselves dairymen who 

 are not making any money. I will have to tell you another 



