FORTY-SECOND ANNUAL CONVENTION 61 



For proof that Dairying is a business builder, I have but 

 to refer you to the wonderful growth of business in Wisconsin 

 caused by the development of dairying in that state in the past 

 twenty years. The value of dairying to that state is estimated 

 at an annual income of $100,000,000.00. This large amount 

 of money, which represents the accumulation of small daily 

 cash incomes, has been the means of good business in that state 

 because it is the cash in circulation in any community that gives 

 that community a good financial rating. Even after the out- 

 break of the European War in August, 19 14, the daily cash re- 

 turns from the dairy cows enabled the farmers, merchants and 

 bankers of the dairy sections of Wisconsin, Minnesota, low^a 

 and Illinois to enjoy a good prosperous business. Take a cream- 

 ery making over 150,000 pounds of butter annually — last year, 

 191 5, the average for butter Chicago market quotations was ov- 

 er 28.4 cents, or in the above case over $42,600. With success- 

 ful creameries or cheese factories in a community you will also 

 have the developing of dairy cattle centers because the farmers 

 will appreciate the value of better dairy cows. Take districts 

 like Waukesha or Lake Mills, Wisconsin, Northfield, Minneso- 

 ta, or Elgin, Illinois ; they are known throughout the United 

 States and Canada as dairy cattle centers and buyers for good 

 dairy cattle from all over the United States, Canada and even 

 from Japan and AustraHa come to these districts to make pur- 

 chases, thereby bringing prosperity to these districts. 



Dairying is constructive agriculture. It enriches the soil 

 while grain farming or cattle ranching depletes the fertility of 

 the soil. These latter types of farming are often called soil min- 

 ing. When the farmer sells 100 bushels of corn he also sells 

 $15.00 worth of his fertility and when he sells 100 bushels of 

 wheat he sells $20.00 worth of his fertility, but when he sells 

 2,000 pounds of butter, he sells only fifty cents worth of fertili- 

 ty. In other words, when he sells $22,700 worth of butter, he 

 removes only as much fertility from the soil as there is in 100 

 bushels of wheat. 



Dairying solves the farm labor problem because it gives 

 steady employment the entire year. At present there are large 

 numbers of unemployed men in the cities. These men ought to be 



