Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-02-14

The thirty-thira annual convention
of the Wisconsin DaiFymen's associa
ton was held Wednesday, Thursda,
and Friday of last week at the cour
house. Most of the notable men O
Wisconsin who have largely been in
strumental in making of the dairy bust
ness what it is today were present anC
the papers read all contained large
fund of knowledge valuable TO the in
experienced dairyman. So great was
the number of papers read that we car
WHAT SOCIETY HAS ACCOMPLISHED
A brief history of the society and
what it has accomplished is best told by
T its originator, ex-Gov. w. D. Hoard
in a paper read at session held
Wednesday evening Pursuant to a
call issued by MIR. Hoard in 1872, which
was responded to by only seven men,
four of whom are still living, a meet
ing was held at Watertown and the
Wisconsin Dairymen's association was
given birth. At that time there were
not more than 90 cheese factories in the
state and pure blood Holstein or
Guernsey cow was not known. Farmers
were engaged in raising wheat and
other crops upon the same land year
after year, to its destruction of fertility,
and when the soil become impoverished
they moved away to Iowa or Minnesota.
In those days COW was merely COW.
Farmers had no ideas on breeding cows
for dairy purposes. The association
has spread flood of light upon dairy
ing that has worked wonders in this
branch of farming, and this age of
chemistry has also contributed its share
to intellectual impulses of the farmer.
Since the settlement of this continent
farming conditions have been subjected
to ignorance and the farmer has been
followed by destruction of the soil.
The farmer has had the poorest facil-
tiles for gaining education along his
lines of any class. At least 95 per cent.
have never had anything better than
the district school. Law makers and
teachers should give this subject more
attention. Lands in the state of New
York alone have deteriorated in value
in 33 years to the extent of $4,000, 900
through ignorance of the farming
classes in not knowing how to care for
them. More light and not more land
is needed. An elementary knowledge
of farming should be taught in the
district schools. Farmers should exert
their efforts to secure better educational
facilities which will ensure safer and
better order of citizenship. The coming
of the COW saved Wisconsin. Farmers
associated themselves in cooperation
that dairying might be made more
profitable From the birth of the
Dairymen's association came better
order of conditions. Dairy boards
were organized, farmers institutes held,
dairy and food commissions appointed,
freight rates on cheese and butter re-
duced, prices advanced and quality
raised to higher standard. The re-
suit has been that at the expositions
held at Philadelphia, New York, New
Orleans, Chicago, Buffalo and st Louis
Wisconsin has won nearly all prizes in
her dairy products. The transition of
rural communities in Wisconsin has
been from numbering to the cow If
the association has been slow and halt
ing it has been on account of lack of
knowledge on the part OF the farmer and
it will advance when he advances. In
a third of century the farmers con-
dition has been improved and the
future progress of the association de-
pends on the boys of this generation.
They are bright enough; only give
them the opportunity and they will
lead the way.
The first session was taken up mostly
in introductions and greetings. The
address of welcome to the city was
made by Mayor Zimmerman as follows
MAYORS WELCOME.
The city of Wausau is the center OF
one of the most populous and largest
counties in the state. 1t is the seat OF
our county government, and by rea.
son of its manufacturing establish.
ments it furnishes ready market fol
the products of the farm. We there
fore depend largely on our country
folks and they depend on us. The
city's progress is identical with that
of the county, and it is more than q
mere figure of speech, wnen | say thai
Wausau is the heart of Marathon
county. Standing here as a repre-
sentative of our beautiful, enterpris
ling and pushing city, | feel that
have right to welcome you gentle
men, who are here to conduct the con-
vention of dairymen held in our
midst, not only as | am bid, in be
half of the people of WARSAW, but il
a larger sense. | think | honestly
voice the sentiment of the 1900 homes
and sturdy farmers of Marathon count,
who have made it what it is, one of th,
richest agricultural districts in th'
state, when /, in their behalf, extend Il
YOU hearty greetings and welcome.
do so especially in their behalf, becaus'
YOU are here to speak on topics, inter
esting of course to all of us, but NOR
particularly TO them, and | have n
doubt that they will soon learn the in
portanee of these gatherings and tn
substantial benefit to be derived fror
them.
We know that much of the progres
made in the last 80 years in the me
chanic al arts. in engineering, in scienc
and ia all learned professions, is du
! to the exchange of thoughts and idea
between men engaged in similar worl
The men eng aged in their professions
living In the lhickly settled commun
/ ties, in the Ia ger cities, have long az
| graspe1 the importance of frequer
meeting for the purpose OF enlargin
their knowledge by discussing and g:
changing their experience gained
many years of active life. So we hay
regular meetings of engineers,
architects, of machinists, of dentists.
physicians, yes of lawyers, which Il
some reason they call bar meetings,
ministers of the gospel, where they 3
wise as to the best method OF makir