6o 
ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN^ ASSOCIATION. 
so generous in unfenced pastures for horses and cattle, and in mast for 
hogs, and wild fruit for man, that to procure subsistence was but a 
holiday pastime. 
All this has changed—the broad, open prairies are changed into 
rich fields, bearing grain and grass —the free pastures are gone, and 
you provide for your cows and other stock in your own fields. 
Illinois, according to the census of 1880, produced more corn, 
wheat, rye and oats than any other State in the Union. In comparing 
the productions of Illinois with those of the United States, we have 
reason to congratulate ourselves that we live in a State that produces 
such a large proportion of the entire cereal crop of the country. 
The census figures are as follows : 
Corn in the United States... 
Corn in Illinois. 
Wheat in the United States 
Wheat in Illinois. 
Oats in the United States... 
Oats in Illinois. 
Rye in the United States... 
Rye in Illinois . 
Barley in the United States. 
Barley in Illinois. 
[ 1 , 754 , 861,535 
. 327 , 796.895 
. 459 , 591,505 
. 51 , 136,455 
. 407 , 970,712 
. 63 , 206,250 
. 19 , 863,632 
3 , 121,682 
. 44 , 149,479 
1 , 229,693 
These figures show that Illinois produces about 18 per cent, of the 
entire corn crop, 11 per cent, of the wheat, 15 per cent, of the oats 
and rye, and 3 per cent, of the barley, which is certainly a creditable 
showing. 
This State also raises more horses and hogs than any other State, 
and there are but three States which exceed ours in number of cattle 
__Texas, Missouri and Iowa have more. The number of horses in 
this State, according to reports, is 918,909 ; cattle, 2,045,366 ; tons of 
hay, 3,484,242, valued at $24,184,087. 
The occasion of this Convention is to consider the interests of 
the dairy business in this State and country. This is comparatively a 
new interest in the West, and yet it has developed into great propor¬ 
tions. There is no branch of agriculture which has received more 
thought, or in which more skill is required than in dairying. The 
dairyman has learned how to extract the cream from the milk almost 
immediately, and I am informed that you have even invented ma¬ 
chines for milking. I fear the days of the maiden with the milk-pail 
are over, and we can no longer sing— 
“ There, neither slowly nor in haste, 
One hand upon her slender waist, 
The other lifted to her pail; 
And all the while she milked and milked 
The grave cow heavy laden.” 
The progress you have made in this branch of industry is owing* 
largely to your admirable co-operative system in the manufacture of 
butter and cheese. 
Your conventions have had much to do with the prominence 
your industry has attained of late years. Your discussions enlighten 
and stimulate investigation and encourage all to secure the best results 
in breeding better dairy stock, obtaining the most approved apparatus 
for manufacturing and adopting the most profitable methods for mar¬ 
keting your products. 
Butter and cheese are largely manufactured in factories where 
