Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1884-02-28
DAIRYMEN.

~kAuN ] 1VB 6uVs
Eighteenth Annual Convention Held In
Mankato, MINI.
The following address was delivered
by w. D. Hoard, president North
western Dairymen's Association, before
the Eighteenth Annual Convention, held
in Mankato, Minn., February IL, 13, IA,
Is, 1884:
| GENTLEMEN OF THE ASSOCIATION
We have again met in Annual Convention.
The necessity that gave birth to this organiza-
tion eighteen years ago still exists. It was the
necessity of more and better knowledge.
Agriculture, more than ever, is claiming the
attention of the best thought of the land.
The evolution that has transformed the serf
OF 900 years ago into the farmer of to-day, has
been wide spread in its results. II has been a
growth of mind over matter, development
Of the power to think, to study, to reason, and
by q comparison of thought establish the
highways of knowledge, set up land marks,
avoid morasses, and bridge over difficulties.
AT last the farmer has come to consider his
high purpose, his deep responsibility and in
Innate relationship with the framework of
society.
l LAD ID UtCOtulUb dIUueeuy dlu uc ~
rapidly learning thatto know the treason Of
| things" is to him very important lesson.
Here Is scope sufficient for the profoundest
sagacity, for the strongest judgment for
the keenest perceptions for all that science
can discover or invention produce. He is no
longer content to know less than other men
concerning the primal forces of Nature that re-
qulre God to create. He desires to be .'as
gods knowing good from evil"
Society at large rejoices in his determination.
All OF Its forces are willing to enlist in his SER
wee If he will but accept their aid. The COM
posite character of this convention attests the
| truth of this last statement.
| vast deal has the farmer learned since this
organization first entered upon its work in his
| behalf:
isolation and rub against his fellows; that man
Kind brighten in proportion as they have con-
tact with each other. He has learned that he
must establish schools for himself as well as
for his children. In word, he is feeling the
necessity to provide for an expansion Of his in
tellect as well as his barns.
1t is the enlargement OF his understanding
that will give him the rightful portion OF the
labor OF his hands, his rigbtful place in the
control of government, his rightful share of
the social and educational privileges OF this day
and age
The time has passed when the hands are to
be considered the ruling factor in agricultural
accomplishment. The brain is the great force
of to-day. The farmer Of these times may, if
he will, become the true prince of the soil, and
his home the best exponent of American cvi-
cation. Surrounded by his children, he can
lay the foundation in himself and them, for a
| splendid manhood.
The demand of the times is imperative for
larger Drained farmers. The best talent of the
farm drifts into the professional and CONNER
| cial classes.
These have their schools for the promotion
| OF knowledge. The farmer must initiate their
example and step to the front in this particu-
lar where he has right to stand.
For this purpose, and to further such ends,
| have we met in convention. The Importance
OF dairy and stock farming to the well-being of
the community is indicated by the fact that
hundreds of the representative dairymen of
the entire northwest are gathered here, each
willing to contribute to the upbuilding OF an
enlightened understanding of the question.
We have right, and 1t is our duty IN these
conv ventions, to take broad ground in the scope
Of our discussions. We are not here to con-
slider alone the mere technical details of dairy
management.
But We must reach out to the elements that
make up the home life of farmer. We must
bring encouragement to the boys as well as to
the fathers; to the weary wives as well as to
the husbands.
PRESENT CONDITION OF DAIRYING.
The season of 1888 has proved fairly pros
| porous one for dairymen.
Through the extension Of the gathered
cream system very many new communities are
| brought into line, and the milk OF thousands
| of COWS rescued from an ignominious fate.
There is large class Of farmers that view all
| this with alarm. They have been waiting for
ten years for the dairy business to fail. They
have been fearful all the time that the business
would be overdone, forgetting that if every
man in the northwest could by any chance
next year suddenly become skillful dairy
man, it would not add one COW to the present
| number. Sklllful care and management would
no doubt increase the prof ableness of every
COW brought under such an Influence. 1t ls
| about time that the honest milk was rescued
from the Pogram makers and Bascom vendors
at crossroads, and for the profit of the country
given fair show for what there is in it.
| But there will yet remain ignorance and
slovenliness enough in the land for long
| time, to give intelligence all the advantage It
deserves: The only phase of the dairy buei-
ness that is seriously overdone; and that con.
| tinually, is the making of poor butter and
/ cheese.
You have seen for the last 18 years a steady
appreciation in the value of fine dairy goods.
There is a principle in this, gentlemen. It
teaches that our only salvation lies in uphold
ing and increasing the standard of excellence.
Common farm butter has the same old look.
the same SMELL the same abused, banged and
disheartened appearance that it had 20 years
ago, and it brings about the same price. Skim
that it ever was-has the same tiscouraeing
effect on consumption and depressing effect
on price. It points the same old moral that it
ever did, "What God has joined together let
no man put asunder." The makers of fine
goods need have no fears of the future
PRODUCTION FOR 1883.
1t is curious and instructive fact as shown
by the last census, that the ratio of increase IN
cows is considerably less than that of popula-
tlon. This may account in measure for the
fact that the demand for dairy products has
been, for number of years, greater than the
supply. The same fact affords also good
guarantee of the future stability of the busi-
ness, proving that bogus compounds are not
allowed to usurp the place Of the honest prod
uct of the COW. Left to natural condition
of things the dairyman need have no fears of
| the lack OF q remunerative market in the
if he allows himself to be driven from the field,
| either through his supneness or lack of con-
formity to the market demand for excellence.
he does not deserve any better fate.
In 18SOthe State of Minnesota contained
75,545 COWS. Her increase for the ten years
previous had been ut the rate of IL 1-16 per
cent annually. Measured by the same rate
the state would have in 1883 375, 567 COWS.
Allowing that the product Of each COW was
worth S35, the gross product would reach the
sum of S13, Ia, 846. Iowa contained in 1880
S45. 1877 COWS. Her annual percentage of liz
crease for the previous decade had been Is Lit
per cent. This ratio would give the state In
1883 ], 1888, 1882 cows, whose earnings at 1856
would reach the sum of 541,645,s70. Illinois
contained in 1880 165,913 COWS. The annual
percentage of increase had been only IL per
cent. Applying this ratio she would have in
1888 956. 1888 cows whose average earnings
would amount to $32, 4s9, 1856.
Wisconsin contained in 1880 AIS, $40 cows.
Her annual percentage of increase had been
1-2per cent, which ratio applied for 1888
would give her 557, $40. At s35 each her earn
ings would represent $19,505, $50. The cross
earnings OF all the COWS Of these four north
western states for 1888, reaches the enormous
sum of S107, 1856, 720.
By this it can be readily seen, gentlemen.
that the interest you represent has reached a