1892 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
73 
A  Philadelphia  Milk  War. 
THE  NEW  YORK  SURPLUS  TO  THE  RESCUE. 
“  Things  are  lively,”  said  a  milk  dealer  in  Philadel¬ 
phia,  to  a  representative  of  The  Rural  New-Yorker, 
a  few  days  since.  He  did  not  know  to  whom  he  was 
talking  and  expressed  himself  with  great  freedom. 
“  You  see,”  said  he,  “  the  farmers  have  been  making 
us  pay  a  good  round  price  for  milk,  and  we  don’t  pro¬ 
pose  to  stand  it  much  longer — no  longer  if  we  can  help 
it.  We  have  paid  higher  rates  than  you  people  in  New 
York.” 
“Well,”  said  The  Rural,  “the  farmers  who  ship 
milk  to  New  York  complain  that  prices  are  so  low  that 
there  is  no  money  in  the  business,  that  they  can  barely 
make  a  living,  that  they  receive  no  profit  on  their  in¬ 
vestment.  They  say  that  a  milkman  with  $200  invested 
in  an  old  horse  and  an  older  wagon,  makes  more  money 
than  a  dairy  farmer  with  $10,000  invested  in  his  plant. 
Do  you  want  to  get  Pennsylvania  farmers  in  the  same 
hole  and  do  you  thinR  it  fair  ?” 
“  Say,  Jack!”  yelled  the  dealer  to  a  friend  a  few  yards 
off,  “  come  here  and  listen  to  this  Granger  talk.” 
The  so-called  Granger  moved  off  and  began  to  make 
some  inquiries.  After  some  time  spent  in  doing  so,  he 
found  the  situation  about  as  follows  : 
The  milk-producers  supplying  the  Philadelphia  trade 
are  tolerably  well  organized  ;  they  claim  that  not  less 
than  (50  per  cent  of  all  the  shippers  belong  to  their  asso¬ 
ciation,  and  that  they  are  growing  stronger  all  the 
time.  The  business  is  conducted  on  a  different  plan 
from  that  pursued  in  New  York  The  freight  is  paid 
by  the  shipper,  a  half  cent  per  quart,  and  the  milk  is 
sold  by  “dry  measure,”  so  that  35  quarts  in  Philadel¬ 
phia  equal  about  40  quarts  in  New  York.  The  pro¬ 
ducers  claim  that  the  standing  rule  for  years  has  been 
that  the  dealers  should  pay  them  one-half  the  price  at 
which  milk  retailed,  the  shippers  to  pay  the  freight. 
The  milk  is  shipped  in  20,  30  and  40-quart  cans  and  the 
bulk  of  it  comes  from  points  not  more  than  (50  miles 
from  the  city.  They  claim  that,  twice  within  the  past 
two  years,  the  dealers  have  cut  the  price  half  a  cent 
below  what  it  should  be — in  October,  1800,  and  in  April, 
1891.  The  Philadelphia  Milk  Exchange,  like  its  pro¬ 
totype  in  New  York,  assumes  to  fix  the  price,  and  it 
meets  the  last  week  in  each  month  and  then  announces 
what  the  price  shall  be  for  the  current  month.  In 
other  words,  the  members  get  nearly  a  month’s  supply 
of  milk  from  the  farmers,  before  the  latter  know  what 
they  are  to  get  for  their  product.  It  needs  no  special 
pleading  to  show  the  iniquity  of  this  plan.  The  prices 
fixed  by  the  Exchange  for  1891  were  as  follows :  Janu¬ 
ary,  February  and  March,  four  cents ;  April,  3%; 
May,  June,  July,  August  and  September,  three  ;  Octo¬ 
ber,  November  and  December,  four.  This  makes  an 
aggregate  of  42%  for  the  year.  To  compare  it  with 
New  York  prices,  we  must  deduct  six  for  freight, 
which  reduces  it  to  36%.  The  difference  in  dry  and 
liquid  measure  would  further  reduce  the  aggregate  by 
one-eighth,  leaving  the  gross  amount  for  the  year  a 
trifle  under  32,  while  the  Exchange  price  in  New  York, 
for  the  same  period,  was  31.74,  a  difference  in  favor  of 
Philadelphia  of  about  a  quarter  of  a  cent — practically 
none  at  all. 
The  producers  are  now  demanding  4%  cents  for  De¬ 
cember  and  January.  Such  of  the  dealers  as  agree  to 
pay  the  price,  receive  their  milk,  and  those  who  de¬ 
cline,  have  had  their  supplies  shut  off.  Probably 
about  8,000  quarts  per  day  have  been  withheld.  In 
this  emergency,  a  committee  of  two  directors  of  the 
Philadelphia  Exchange  went  to  New  York  and  nego¬ 
tiated  with  the  Exchange  of  that  city  for  a  partial 
supply.  In  accordance  with  the  arrangement,  200  or 
300  cans  have  been  shipped  daily  to  Philadelphia, 
draining  the  surplus  milk  from  the  New  York  market 
and  giving  the  exchange  creameries  about  the  coun¬ 
try  a  chance  to  market  milk  of  uncertain  age  and  very 
questionable  quality. 
The  producers,  whose  organization  has  recently  be¬ 
come  ineorpoi’ated  under  the  title  of  the  “  Dairymen’s 
Protective  Milk  Association,”  assert  their  willingness 
to  meet  the  Exchange  on  the  last  of  each  month  and 
agree  on  a  price  for  the  succeeding  month,  if  the  Ex¬ 
change  can  hold  the  dealers  to  the  compact,  and  it  is 
more  than  likely  that  the  trade  in  the  city  will  be 
obliged  to  meet  the  producers  half  way  in  these  mat¬ 
ters.  The  Rural  counsels  producers  to  move  care¬ 
fully,  to  study  every  phase  of  the  question,  and  take 
fair  positions  only,  but  when  taken,  to  remain  as  firm 
as  a  rock.  The  time  may  come,  and  that  ere  long,  when 
the  Exchange  of  New  York  will  not  have  milk  to  ship 
to  Philadelphia,  for  the  purpose  of  breaking  down  the 
farmers’  organization  that  supplies  that  market. 
The  Ohio  Wool  Growers’  Association 
TARIFF  VIEWS  OF  JUDGE  WILLIAM  LAWRENCE. 
Ohio  leads  in  aggressive  action  by  her  wool-growers 
to  secure  adequate  protection.  The  officers  of  our 
State  Association  were  pitted  against  the  woolen  man¬ 
ufacturers  in  the  adjustment  of  the  details  of  the  wool 
schedule  in  our  last  tariff  bill,  and  for  what  good  there 
is  in  the  present  law  they  take  much  credit  to  them¬ 
selves. 
This  association  held  its  annual  meeting  at  Colum¬ 
bus,  Ohio,  January  12,  and  the  merits  and  demerits  of 
the  McKinley  law  were  freely  discussed  by  President 
Lawrence.  The  benefits  of  the  law  are  summed  up  as 
follows:  1.  It  increases  the  duties  on  wool  wastes, 
shoddy,  camels’  hair  and  goats’  hair,  unsuitable  for 
combing— all  used  as  substitutes  for  wools.  The  im¬ 
ports  of  these  fibers  have  considerably  decreased.  2. 
It  increases  the  duties  on  woolen  goods,  limits  impor¬ 
tation,  increases  American  manufacture,  and  so  en¬ 
larges  the  American  demand  for  wools.  3.  It  increases 
the  duties  on  most  kinds  of  wools  and  sheep;  gives 
American  wool-growers  an  advantage  over  foreigners 
and  encourages  American  production. 
Statistics  were  given  showing  that  the  duties  on 
waste,  shoddy,  rags,  etc.,  are  practically  prohibitive, 
and  that  the  imports  of  woolen  manufactures  have 
fallen  from  $55,000,000  to  $35,000,000  for  the  year  end¬ 
ing  October  1,  1891.  The  aggregate  increase  of  wool 
imports  in  the  nine  months  ending  September  30,  1891, 
was  25,000,000  pounds,  but  estimating  the  increased 
demand  for  that  period  at  45,000,000  pounds,  and  al¬ 
lowing  for  decreased  imports  of  wastes,  etc.,  the 
McKinley  law  is  credited  with  furnishing  an  increased 
demand  for  30,000,000  pounds  of  American  wool. 
In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  present  law  established 
the  condition  of  prosperity  for  manufacturers,  and  that 
they  gained  more  than  any  other  class  by  it,  Judge 
Lawrence  regrets  that  “  by  reason  of  the  opposition  of 
some  manufacturers  to  adequate  wool  duties,  the 
wool  growers  have  not  received  equal  protection.” 
Frauds. — Importers  of  woolen  goods  and  of  wools 
have  devised  various  schemes  to  evade  the  new  law. 
Fraudulent  undervaluations  are  the  worst.  The 
worsted  manufacturers  of  England  during  the  last 
year  entered  into  a  huge  conspiracy  to  create  a  ficti¬ 
tious  low  “  market  value  ”  on  goods  made  for  sale  in 
the  United  States.  The  undervaluations  were  accepted 
at  the  New  York  Custom-house,  and  the  Board  of  Ap¬ 
praisers  practically  sustained  the  action,  basing  their 
decision  largely  on  the  report  of  our  consul  at  Brad¬ 
ford.  To  remedy  this  defect  .Judge  Lawrence  recom¬ 
mends  that  the  consul  be  removed,  and  that  another 
with  different  views  be  appointed,  and  that  the  Board 
of  Appraisers  be  reorganized.  This  would  seem  to  be 
a  very  effective  way  of  securing  a  new  decision. 
The  1  ‘  sorting  clause  ”  of  the  present  law  worded  by 
the  officers  of  the  Ohio  Association,  has  been  construed 
against  the  wool  growers.  The  officers  of  the  National 
Wool  Manufacturers’  Association  did  all  they  could  to 
defeat  some  of  the  essential  purposes  of  the  sorting 
clause. 
The  duty  on  woolen  rags  is  10  cents  per  pound.  The 
law  should  be  changed  so  as  to  exclude  them,  as  this 
provision  permits  fraud.  The  scraps  of  knitted  cloth 
cut  off  in  the  process  of  manufacture  are  admitted  as 
rags,  and  when  garnetted  they  form  exceptionally 
fine  stock.  Judge  Lawrence  has  information  leading 
him  to  suppose  that  so-called  rags  will  be  made  to  order 
for  importation. 
A  New  Officer  Wanted. — The  speaker  advocated 
the  passage  of  a  law  that  will  provide  an  officer  thor¬ 
oughly  learned  in  the  law  and  an  expert  in  all  that 
relates  to  wool.  His  business  would  be  to  visit  the  cus¬ 
tom  houses,  cooperate  with  the  Treasury  Department, 
and  manage  in  court  cases  growing  out  of  the  wool  and 
woolen-goods  tariff.  The  United  States  District  At¬ 
torneys  are  not  sufficiently  expert,  and  thus  importers 
and  manufacturers  too  often  secure  an  unjust  ad¬ 
vantage. 
The  present  duty  on  wool,  said  the  speaker,  is  not 
what  the  wool-growers  desired,  or  what  they  sought 
to  obtain  ;  but  it  is  all  that  could  be  secured.  It  is  a 
slight  improvement  on  the  prior  law  in  the  degree  of 
protection  afforded  by  it.  Its  worst  feature  is  its  inade¬ 
quate  ad  valorem  duties  on  third-class,  or  so-called  car¬ 
pet  wools. 
The  current  low  prices  are  due  to  three  causes  :  1. 
The  mildness  of  the  past  two  winters  has  lessened  the 
usual  demand  for  woolen  goods.  2.  Importers,  in 
anticipation  of  the  passage  of  the  McKinley  Bill,  im¬ 
ported  largely  both  wool  and  woolen  goods,  thus  de¬ 
pressing  prices.  3.  The  chief  cause  is  the  increase  in 
the  number  of  sheep  and  wool  product  in  foreign  coun¬ 
tries,  now  in  excess  of  the  world’s  demands.  In  addi¬ 
tion  to  this,  the  wool-growers  of  Australia,  or  the  wool 
exporters,  have  entered  into  a  conspiracy  to  sell  their 
wool  for  less  than  a  fair  price,  to  make  Americans 
believe  the  tariff  does  not  protect. 
Vegetable  Wool. — A  rough  Peruvian  cotton,  with 
a  strong,  rough,  wooly,  crinkly  staple  about  1%  inch 
long,  is  being-  imported  by  woolen  manufacturers  for 
the  purpose  of  mixing  it  with  wool.  Last  year,  as  is 
estimated,  12,500  bales,  weighing  180  pounds  each,  were 
imported,  and  it  should  be  subjected  to  a  heavy  duty. 
ALVA  AGEE. 
“The  Same  Old  Game.” 
SIX-ROWED  VS.  TWO-ROWED  BARLEY — “  NEW  SIX-ROWED 
BARLEY.” 
Both  the  two-rowed  barley  (Hordeum  distichon) 
and  the  six-rowed  barley  (Hordeum  hexastichon)  have 
probably  been  grown  for  thousands  of  years.  Much 
more  attention  has  been  bestowed  on  the  improvement 
of  the  two-rowed  than  of  the  six-rowed  kind.  The 
reason  for  this  is  that  the  former  is  a  much  heavier 
barley  than  the  latter,  and  the  malsters  of  England 
and  Germany  use  two-rowed  barley  exclusively.  In  this 
country  the  malsters  prefer  the  six-rowed,  because  the 
kernels,  being  smaller  and  thinner,  germinate  quicker 
than  the  more  starchy  two-rowed  kind.  The  brewers 
of  lager  beer  prefer  malt  from  six-rowed  barley  be¬ 
cause  the  beer  is  ready  to  use  sooner  than  that  made 
from  two-rowed.  Probably  three-fourths  or  more  of 
all  the  barley  grown  in  the  United  States  and  Canada 
is  six-rowed.  The  two-rowed  is  a  little  later  than  the 
six-rowed.  It  also  probably  yields  a  little  more  per 
acre,  and,  if  barley  is  grown  for  feed,  the  two-rowed 
is  to  be  preferred  ;  but  the  average  market  price  is 
10  cents  a  bushel  less  than  for  the  six-rowed.  No 
wonder,  therefore,  that  the  six-rowed  is  the  commonly 
grown  American  barley. 
Our  friend,  J.  Lewis  Childs,  in  his  seed  catalogue  for 
1892,  has  made  a  wonderful  discovery,  out  of  which  he 
evidently  expects  to  make  money.  He  announces  it 
as  follows :  , 
New  Six- Rowed  Barley.— a  new  hurley,  which  we  should  judge 
will  soon  be  grown  In  place  of  all  others,  ax  it  hax  six  rows  of  grain  to 
each  head  Instead  of  two,  and  as  the  heads  are  long,  full  and  kernels 
large,  It  must  he  about  three  times  as  productive  as  the  two-rowed,  It 
Is  safe  to  say  that  twice  as  much  grain  of  this  variety  can  be  grown  per 
acre.  A  very  Important  acquisition  which  our  farmers  will  not  be 
slow  to  appreciate.  Ounce,  15  cents;  pound,  75  cents;  live  pounds,  $3, 
post-paid. 
We  insert  this  advertisement  free.  It  is  a  curiosity. 
There  are  millions  of  bushels  of  this  barley  grown 
every  year  in  this  country.  It  is  as  common  as  Timothy 
or  clover  seed.  Mr.  Childs  can  buy  all  he  wants  for  75 
or  80  cents  a  bushel.  Possibly  an  extra  sample  might 
cost  two  cents  a  pound.  He  sells  it  per  ounce,  15  cents; 
pound,  75  cents  ;  five  pounds,  $3,  or  at  the  rate  of  about 
$30  per  bushel.  Those  farmers  who  may  buy  think 
they  cannot  afford  to  pay  $2  for  a  first-class  agricul¬ 
tural  paper ! 
Business  Bits. 
PLASTERING  A  STOVE.— On  pugc  21,  F.  P.,  of  Stockport,  New  York, 
asks  about  plastering  Ills  stove.  If  he  will  take  one  half  of  pound¬ 
ed  fire-brick  and  one  half  of  kaolin  or  fire  clay,  and  mix  with  water, 
and  plaster  the  Inside  of  the  stove  the  thickness  of  a  fire  brick,  and 
allow  It  to  dry  perfectly,  then  build  a  good  coal  lire  In  It,  he  will  have  a 
good  lining  for  his  stove  at  small  cost.  w.  l.  It. 
I  WANT  to  say,  In  answer  to  F.  M.  A.  s  article  on  “  The  Miller  and  the 
Bran.”  in  The  Rijrai,  of  January  15,  that  I  am  Interested  In  a  roller- 
process  mill  at  Avoca,  Steuben  County,  N.  Y„  and  think  that  he  either 
does  not  know  what  he  Is  talking  about,  or  else  Is  greatly  mistaken  In 
the  statements  he  has  made.  We  give  35  or  86  pounds  of  flour  and  14 
pounds  of  bran  and  middlings  for  every  bushel  of  No.  1  wheat.  We 
should  be  pleased  to  have  F.  M.  A.  visit  our  mill  and  prove  this  state¬ 
ment.  B 
Spraying  Outfits.  The  campaign  against  Injurious  Insects  will  be 
a  lively  one  this  year.  The  Insects  will  be  out  in  force  and  will  fight 
hard  for  a  share  of  the  fruits  and  vegetables.  A  man  without  a  good 
spraying  outfit  had  better  quit  and  let  the  insects  eat  their  fill.  The 
Held  Force  Pump  Company,  of  Lockport,  N.  Y.,  makes  a  complete 
outfit  of  spraying  goods.  It  can  give  you  about  anything  you  want, 
from  a  small  hand-cart  machine  to  one  that  is  worked  by  an  attach¬ 
ment  on  the  wagon  wheel.  Send  for  a  catalogue  and  see  what  you 
want. 
An  Iowa  Ice-House. — Here  Is  how  I  built  an  Ice-house,  last  winter, 
which  was  a  success.  It  Is  12x12x12  feet  on  the  Inside,  built  with  three 
four-inch  air  spaces  made  with  building  paper  and  2x4  studding  with 
common  lumber  outside  and  Inside.  It  Is  on  the  north  end  of  another 
building,  and  has  a  shingle  roof,  and  cost  here,  where  lumber  Is  dear, 
a  little  less  than  $50.  To  fill  It,  we  put  about  a  foot  or  a  little  more  of 
straw  on  the  ground  which  is  naturally  well  drained.  We  took  care  to  saw 
the  cakes  straight,  so  that  they  would  pack  closely,  and  any  holes  were 
filled  with  pounded  ice.  The  ice  was  packed  tightly  against  the  sides, 
and  when  the  house  was  full  we  put  about  a  foot  of  prairie  hay  on  top 
of  the  Ice.  The  upper  course  should  be  left  a  little  way  from  the 
sides,  so  that  the  hay  can  be  tramped  down  tightly  against  the  boards. 
The  first  cost  is  no  more  than  that  for  building  a  house  in  the  ordinary 
way  and  packing  with  sawdust,  and  the  expense  of  adding  sawdust 
every  year  Is  saved.  I  built  a  small  refrigerator  for  the  pantry  on  the 
same  plan  at  the  expense  of  $3  or  $4,  and  it  was  one  of  the  cheapest  lux¬ 
uries  we  had. 
THAT  Iowa  Farm  Boy. — I  should  like  to  say  a  word  to  my  17-year- 
old  friend  who  talks  on  page  20.  You  must  take  a  great  interest  In 
your  home  and  your  father’s  welfare!  What  If  you  can't  go  to  the 
Fourth  of  July  celebration?  Why,  you  talk  as  if  all  your  future  happi¬ 
ness  were  involved  in  that  one  day.  Now,  if  we  all  took  your  advice 
wliat  would  become  of  us?  What  would  we  have  to  eat  and  wear, 
would  we  live  on  faith?  It  would  be  like  lying  on  your  back  and  eat¬ 
ing  moonshine.  Let  me  tell  you  something,  but  not  In  the  way  of 
boasting,  remember.  I  celebrated  the  Fourth  of  July,  yet  did  notspend 
a  cent.  I  did  not  see  anything  very  interesting.  My  father  died  when 
I  was  seven,  and  mother,  with  three  boys,  one  older  and  one  younger 
than  I,  went  on  with  the  business.  She  was  Inexperienced,  but  kept 
pegging  away.  It  was  pretty  tight  pinching  I  tell  you,  and  it  hasn’t 
ended  yet,  for  a  farm  of  175  acres  needs  some  overseeing.  But  we  boys 
had  to  work,  and  the  necessity  for  doing  so  has  not  ceased  yet.  It  does 
us  good.  To  all  farmers  I  would  say :  Let  your  children  have  something. 
Give  the  boys  and  girls  a  small  plot  of  land.  Let  them  raise  whatever 
they  wish.  A  good  plan  would  be  for  the  different  members  of  the 
family  to  run  a  little  opposition :  let  all  see  which  can  raise  most  to  the 
acre.  Each  father  will  have  to  scratch  to  keep  ahead  of  his  boys,  and 
I  think  he  will  find  his  farm  Improving.  I  advise  that  Iowa  grumbler 
to  be  a  farmer.  a  19- year-old  new  York  boy. 
