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WISCONSIN DAI=Yxm's AssCAnIoN. 
THE PROGRESS AND REPUTATION OF WESTERN 
BUTTER. 
By How. H. D. SnzRMaN, Monticello, Iowa. 
Members of tAe Wiconsin Dairymen's Association, Ladies 
and Gentlemen.- I have no paper to present to you to-day; in fact 
I did not expect to be here one half hour before I took the cars to join
this meeting. I did not think I could leave, and I must leave town 
here by the first train that leaves this afternoon. I will occupy your 
attention but a short time in reviewing, as I have followed to some 
extent, the history of dairying in the west. Not here, for I cannot 
speak of your dairying, but in Iowa. I can remember, when only 
sixty-five miles from New York, when our only way to get there 
was by stage. I can remember when in Iowa the only butter that 
we gathered there was from individual dairies, not having the con- 
ditions in Iowa for successful dairying; in the earlier stages we 
gathered our butter from farmers, and selected and graded it as best 
we could. It was all kinds, as yon might say, excepting the very 
best; of course we did not expect to have that then, but there were 
different qualities and different methods of handling.  The 
time came in some six or eight years, when some of our 
eastern people were making very good butter, the best of 
the butter selected in the months of May and June; we would 
send it to New York, and although we had some very good 
butter, butter that compared at that season of the year favor- 
ably with the butter made at the east; yet you know, gentle- 
men and ladies, that we were not able to sell that butter in New 
York or Philadelphia as western butter and have it bring its rela- 
tive value. There was existing in the minds of all eastern people 
a prejudice against western butter. In fact it was known in all of 
our eastern markets as " western grease," and very much of it was
but little better than grease. It has taken a great deal of labor 
and perseverance on the part of some to break down that feeling in 
our eastern markets relative to our western butter. The first great 
step in that direction was in 1876, when by comparing our butter 
with that at the east, we all know the result was favorable. The 
medal conferred by the National Association at Philadelphia at one 
of the exhibitions in June; you all know the medal went to Iowa, 
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