ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN’S ASSOCIATION. * 83 
leasons they form a part of the whole, and being this in 
character, will directly influence the remainder. One means 
of applying this test, as to intelligence, is to inquire how 
much the farmers have improved their own condition ? 
What our progress has been, as a nation, in the art of agri¬ 
culture ? 
The answer is so apparent, and yet comprises so much, 
that it seems both needless, and difficult to frame it >n 
words. We may with pride, however, make a comprehen¬ 
sive statement that farming and especially dairying, is rapid¬ 
ly being reduced to a science, having its publications, 
and holding its conventions, of which the present state 
gatheiing is*a notable illustiation. Take as another the 
American Institute at New York City, which next Nov. 
holds its fiftu annual fair, where, it is said, “ one can note 
the progress of the age, especially in all that facilitates the 
work pf the farmer. Connected with this is a farmers’ 
club, which meets weekly for the discussion of its inter¬ 
ests. This Institute has 2,000 members, occupies build¬ 
ings covering forty city lots, posseses a valuable library of 
nearly 11,000 volumes chiefly on agriculture, chemistry, 
and industrial art, and is soon to have an international fair. 
National and state dairymen’s conventions have taken their 
places among the first of those in our land, both in point 
of interest and importance. 
It would be impossible to enumerate in detail the im¬ 
provements in farming and dairying utensils during the last 
fifty years, and perhaps this is more particularly marked, 
botn of utensils and their use, in the latter, brought about 
by combinations in the manufacture of butter and cheese. 
Truly the old-fashioned cheese-press, and the churn with 
the boy or girl to work its dasher two or three hours over 
a hard churning, have passed away. All this lays the 
nation under tribute to the farmers, and now let us apply 
another test, by which we may ascertain how its prosperity 
has been promoted by them, in direct service. When we 
pass into review the early history of the American people, 
we find that though poor financially, they were rich in men 
and women of rare intelligence, and those sterling qualities 
so essential to the success of any government, and espec¬ 
ially a republic. Had one the time and ability to recall, and 
