ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN’S ASSOCIATION. 73 
This, too, without the legitimate items of insurance, repairs, taxes 
and value of team labor. I come now to say something suggested by 
the supplementary part of the proposition started with, to wit : That 
the whole business is largely experimental, and because it is so, should 
receive attention from the government. Every dairyman knows that 
we are in possession of very few bottom facts, and most of those ob- 
:ained by long, imperfect and often expensive trials. 
In the nature of things the individual dairyman can only follow a 
certain fixed routine learned from books or his fellow. He cannot 
stop to analyze the milk of the various breeds of cows, and thus de¬ 
termine which is the more profitable for him to keep in view of the 
particular purpose for which he labors. Neither can he tell how best 
to treat the various soils on his farm to make them produce the best 
forage and grain, or how to secure and use the same with reference 
to the law of equivalents. The cause, cure and prevention of disease 
is to most of us a sealed book. Hence, we have to support an army 
of “ cow or boss ” doctors, that often know less of the trouble than we 
do ourselves. Only a man or institution, supported by the govern¬ 
ment, or immensely rich can do this. 
The commercial history of the common shrub, sumac, is a striking 
instance in point. A few years ago the rural population of some 
states gained a scanty living by gathering and marketing the leaves 
of this shrub ; but it was found to be inferior to the imported article. 
A commissioner was appointed, who, having his compensation secured, 
and having no other interest in the matter than that of the people, spent 
months in studying the roots, stalks and leaves of this shrub. The 
outcome was very simple ; but worth thousands of times more than 
it cost. He found that if gathered at a certain stage of growth they 
contained more value than the imported article. 
The United States Fish Commission furnishes another fine illus¬ 
tration of what can be done in this direction. Composed of a body of 
purely scientific men, it has done a work of immense practical value, 
a work that no individual or trade could do. It made experiments. 
It compared the known with the unknown, and directly the unknown 
is for the benefit of all. Much of the work done by the commission 
seemed to the fishermen themselves as idle and useless. “ What is 
the use of dragging the sea for new worms and bugs ?” “ Of what 
use are these numerous bottles filled with crawling things ?” ask they. 
But at last the dredge brings up a new fish from far down below the 
reach of longest fishing line ; but one that proves good for the market 
and to eat. 
Scientific research and experiment must be pursued without re¬ 
gard to profit. To experiment is to ask questions of nature, not to 
seek gain. Only a government can afford to be scientific, and it is 
the duty of both State and National to pursue science and experiment 
for the people. v 
This is realized and acted on by several states. Our own to a 
very limited and partial extent. Something is given to the State Hor¬ 
ticultural Society—$100, I believe, to each county “hoss trot.” I 
urge again that dairying should receive attention from the government 
because it is a branch of agriculture, and agriculture has always been 
