July, rg11 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS ili 
NO WELL-GROUNDED COMPLAINT 
AGAINST THE FARMER 
FTER presenting many details with 
regard to the increase of prices on 
farm products between farmer and 
consumer, the Secretary of Agriculture de- 
clares that ‘‘the conclusion is inevitable that 
the consumer has no well-grounded com- 
plaint against the farmer for the prices 
that he pays. The farmer supplies the capital 
for production and takes the risk of his 
losses; his crops are at the mercy of 
drought, and flood, and heat, and frost, to 
say nothing of noxious insects and blighting 
diseases. He supplies hard, exacting, unre- 
mitting labor. A degree and range of infor- 
mation and intelligence are demanded by ag- 
riculture which are hardly equaled in any 
other occupation. Then there is the risk of 
overproduction and disastrously low prices. 
From beginning to end the farmer must 
steer dexterously to escape perils to his 
profits, and indeed to his capital, on every 
hand. At last the products are started on 
their way to the consumer. The railroad, 
generally speaking, adds a percentage of in- 
crease to the farmer’s prices that is not large. 
After delivery by the railroad the products 
are stored a short time, are measured into 
the various retail quantities, more or less 
small, and the dealers are rid of them as 
soon as possible. The dealers have risks 
that are practically small, except credit sales, 
and such risks as grow out of their trying 
to do an amount of business which is small 
as compared with their number.” 
In continuation of this subject, the Sec- 
retary of Agriculture suggests that the prob- 
lem of high prices is one for treatment by 
the consumer. “Why do not consumers 
buy directly from the farmers?’ he asks. 
“A distribution of farm products in this 
simple way has already begun in England 
where co-operative organizations of far- 
mers are selling by direct consignment to 
co-operative organizations of consumers in 
cities. Farmers’ co-operative selling asso- 
ciations are numerous in this country, but 
co-operative buying associations among the 
people of cities and towns are few. Aside 
from buying associations maintained by far- 
mers, hardly any exist in this country. It 
is apparent, therefore, that the consumer 
has much to do to work out his own salva- 
tion with regard to the prices that he pays. 
Potatoes were selling last spring in some 
places where there had been overproduction 
for 20 cents and in some places for even 
9 cents per bushel at the farm, while at the 
same time city consumers in the East were 
paying 50 to 75 cents per bushel, although 
there was nothing to prevent them from 
combining to buy a carload or more of 
potatoes directly from the grower and for 
direct delivery.” 
NEW FORAGE CROPS 
Many new forage crops from all parts of 
the world are being tested every year. Only 
a few of these possess sufficient value to 
compete with the crops now grown. Four 
such plants, however, recently introduced, 
have given such admirable results that there 
can be little question that they will prove of 
great value. Experience of the last three 
years has shown that Rhodes grass is es- 
pecially adapted to the Gulf coast region. 
In southern Florida three cuttings have 
been made during the winter months and as 
many as six during the entire season. This 
grass has fine upright stems and good seed 
habits and should be extensively cultivated 
in this region. 
WEET as the lily that blooms in 
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In ten cent tins 
Also in twenty-five cent tins 
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