The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-02-18

OF the country celebrated in the his
tortcal romauces Of Mary ]. Gather
wood. The convention was . great
success II It was held "way down in
Southern Illinois,"
Like other meetings Of tn class It
brought together such a clean-hearted,
Keen-witted, jovial set Of men, and was
conducted with an absence Of restraint
that proved SO enticing that the Sec
rotary was fairly harassed by applica,
lions for membership.
Inc character Of the dairy discus
sions has changed materially since the
days when the relative merits of breeds
was the all-important topic. This SUBJ
1ect was so generally ignored at most
OF the sessions that an ignorant at
tendant might reasonably have sup
posed that ANY old COW" would do for
dairy purposes. The attention of the
convention was chiefly devoted to a
consideration of the comparative values
OF forage crops and how to preserve
them In the best, most economical
manner. All arguments for old meth
DDS or principles not sustained by the
recent experiments of the agricultural
stations were received with cynical
good nature and the professors in agri-
cultural lines Of whom liberal sprink-
ling was present, commanded at all
times the most respectful attention.
Indeed nothing was more apparent than
the growing confidence in and de-
pendence upon the work of the expert
ment stations by the progressive and
practical farmers of the state who rec
ognize their inability as individuals to
conduct such tests with the scientific
accuracy attained by the stations and
are glad to avail themselves of the re-
suits.
The most valuable contribution to the
program was generally conceded to be
the address by Mr.. r. A. Pearson, as
sistant secretary of agriculture, who
exhaustively described the work which
the department has done and is doing
to further the dairy and general agri-
cultural interests of American farm
ers. We hope to give these papers and
discussions in detail in later issues of
the Farmers Review.
Chief among the resolutions passed
ing the so-called free distribution Of
seeds, which the Farmers Review has
for many years SO aggressively OPP
posed. Another of the resolutions
passed was addressed to the Illinois
legislature and petitioned that body to
SO amend the present anti-color oleo-
margarine law as to provide for the
appointment of a dairy commissioner
and for an appropriation for the
maintenance of such an Office, the as
ISOLATION pledging itself to work by
individual vote and personal influence
for such legislation.
The following officers were elected
for the ensuing year: President, George
H. Gurler of DeKalb; vice-president,
John Newman, Elgin; secretary, ]. H.
Monrad Of Winnetka; directors, Jno.
Stewart. Elburn: R. R. Murphy, Gar
den Plain; S. G. Soverhill, Tiskilwa;
R. G. MILFORD, Red Bud, and A. G.
Judd. Dixon.
After the reading of the scores on
the butter exhibit and announcement
of awards, Mr.. F. w. Brockway ad-
dressed the convention on the ODE
mands Of the st. Louis Market" which
he summarized in the statement: est
Louis demands good butter" Mr..
Brockway was one of the judges of
the butter exhibit and explained the
points of the score card. He consid-
cred color point Of secondary i'm
portance and said that the tendency
Of the trade is towards lighter shade,
that the Chicago and New York de-
mand is for paler hued butter than
st. Louis. In the discussion which
followed, Mr.. MILFORD expressed the
opinion that the various state dairy as
sociations should unite to adopt a
standard color for butter and urge it's
general adoption.
One would think that three days of
three sessions each would have ex-
hausted the debating zeal of even such
enthusiastic dairy farmers as these,
but no, at the parting of the ways as
the trains bore them north, south, east
and west. wherever two or three were
gathered togther the discussions went
on and butter, cream, ensilage, corn,
and all the other terms in the ''bright
lexicon" of the Illinois dairyman
f1oated out upon the night air and
doubtless mingled in their dreams as
they sped across the rolling prairies
Of our beloved state.
A Land Decision.-An interesting
land case. not long ago pot in q col.