T5he  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
Notes  on  the  Auctions 
Various  estimates  and  conflicting  reasons  have  been 
given  for  the  effect  of  the  auction  sales  of  apples.  In¬ 
somuch  as  no  one  does  or  can  sneoessfully  dispute  the 
facts  of  the  record,  it  seems  best  to  state  them  and  let 
everyone  draw  his  own  conclusion. 
According  to  the  best  authorities  that  we  have  the 
crop  last  year  was  actually  in  excess  of  the  previous 
year’s  crop.  On  the  basis  of  supply  alone  the  price 
tliis  season  would  he  no  higher  than  last  season.  As 
a  matter  of  fact  prices  this  season  have  averaged  ac¬ 
cording  to  experienced  observers  from  To  cents  to  $1.50 
per  barrel  higher  than  the  previous  season.  Some  of 
the  large  dealers  who  bought  this  season  at  the  advance 
prices  blame  the  auction  sales  for  the  high  prices. 
They  call  it  “disturbing  conditions.”  In  the  country 
districts  the  local  agents  of  those  same  dealers  tell 
producers  that  the  commission  men  sell  for  higher 
prices  than  the  auction.  An  argument  can  be  made 
to  suit  any  need. 
The  exact  facts  arc  that  during  the  month  of  August 
buyers  of  apples  and  the  trade  papers  announced  that 
$2  per  barrel  would  be  the  high  price  for  grade  A  ap¬ 
ples  this  year  and  $1.50  for  II  grades.  I  layers  in  the 
Hudson  River  Valley  bought  many  orchards  during 
August  at  prices  ranging  from  00  emits  to  $2  a  barrel. 
Growers  were  dependent  on  these  buyers  for  the  stand¬ 
ard  of  prices,  and  after  bartering  for  some  days  many 
of  them  sold  within  this  range  of  prices.  The  price 
was  fixed  by  the  grower's  ignorance  of  values,  and  the 
shrewdness  and  cleverness  of  the  buyer.  In  the  first 
week  of  September  two  sales  were  held  in  the  orchards 
of  the  Hudson  River  Valley  and  one  sale  in  Onondaga 
County.  At  those  open  auction  sales  apples  sold  at 
prices  ranging  from  $2.75  to  $5.40  a  barrel. 
In  the  city  auction  sales  which  have  been  held  regu¬ 
larly  all  Fall  and  Winter  apples  of  all  kinds  and  grades 
and  conditions  have  been  sold  to  the  highest  bidder. 
The  best  apples  were  naturally  put  in  storage,  and 
growers  with  medium  grades,  and  those  without  cold 
storage  facilities,  shipped  to  t In*  auction  sales.  The 
prices  realized  were  uniformly  the  high  level  of  the 
market  for  the  quality  and  grade.  This  does  not  mean 
that  a  barrel  of  apples  may  not  have  been  sold  a  few 
cents  less  than  another  barrel  of  equal  grade  on  the 
same  day  by  a  commission  dealer.  It  does  mean  that 
taking  the  sales  for  the  day  against  the  dealers’  total 
sales  grade  for  grade  the  auctions  have  averaged  the 
high  level  of  prices.  This  gave  small  growers  an  open¬ 
ing  they  never  had  before.  They  could  not  get  and  did 
not  expect  fancy  prices.  They  did  not  have  fancy  ap¬ 
ples.  but  they  had  a  sure  market  and  they  knew  they 
got  just  what  the  fruit  sold  for. 
Under  present  conditions  the  expense  on  these  ship¬ 
ments  is  more  than  it  ought  to  bo.  The  Xew  York 
Central  Railroad  allows  dealers  to  sell  apples  on  the 
Barclay  Street  dock  in  their  way  of  selling  at  private 
sale.  It  refuses  to  allow  the  Department  to  sell  there 
in  its  way  at  auction.  Yet  the  auction  system  is  quick¬ 
er,  more  systematic  ami  less  expensive  to  the  company. 
The  railroad  pleased  the  dealers,  who  are  now  able 
to  charge  cartage  when  no  carting  is  done,  anil  higher 
commissions  than  they  could  charge  if  the  auction 
sales  were  permitted  to  compote  with  them  on  equal 
terms.  The  Department  is  forced  to  provide  space  for 
its  sales,  and  pay  cartage  and  labor  on  samples,  and 
this  enables  the  dealers  to  continue  their  excessive 
charges  to  shippers.  This  must  be  changed.  It  is  like 
all  sui'li  discriminations,  an  especial  hardship  to  the 
small  grower,  and  yet  with  these  drawbacks  the  bal¬ 
ance  is  in  favor  of  the  auction  sales.  The  two  fol¬ 
lowing  letters  are  significant: 
I  am  writing  you  to  toll  you  how  much-  I  think  of 
your  market  and  of  what  you  are  doing.  All  of  the 
115  barrels  t hat  I  have  sent  to  the  market  were  sold 
very  satisfactorily.  As  I  have  been  sending  some  of  my 
apples  to  commission  men  at  intervals  of  10  days,  I 
am  able  to  make  a  fair  comparison  as  to  prices  re¬ 
ceived.  I  have  received  at  least  25rv  better  at  the 
market  than  the  commission  man  sent  me.  although 
some  growers  near  me,  who  pledged  apples  to  the  mar¬ 
ket,  claim  they  get  better  prices  from  their  commission 
men.  JA8.  P.  hoick. 
Millbrook,  N.  Y. 
Fast  year  I  shipped  half  of  my  apples  to  Xew  York 
and  Philadelphia  and  sold  the  remainder  to  a  local 
buyer,  and  realized  $1  per  barrel  net  on  all  of  them. 
This  year,  owing  to  the  prices  established  by  your  De¬ 
partment  in  the  orchard  sales,  I  asked  $2  for  my  ap¬ 
ples  where  local  buyers  were  picking  up  most  of  the 
apples  in  this  section  at  $1.50.  Hater  in  the  season 
I  asked  $2.25  f.o.b.  ears  and  was  offered  $2.  About, 
the  middle  of  December  I  shipped  them  to  yon  and 
now  that  the  returns  an  all  in  find  that  the  1 34  bar¬ 
rels  I  sent  you  netted  me  $2.55  per  barrel,  an  advance 
of  $40.00  over  the  best  offer  I  ha<l.  In  the  10  years  I 
have  had  apples  to  sell  I  have  never  before  bad  my 
apples  net  me  as  much  per  barrel,  and  to  sa.v  that  I 
am  pleased  seems  hardly  necessary.  Up  lure  in  t ho 
country  when.  f<u'  any  reason  the  stock,  crops  and  tools 
are  t>>  be  sold  from  a  farm,  almost  invariably  they  are 
disposed  of  at  public  auction,  and  the  same  method 
seems  to  he  working  out  well  with  the  apples.  T  am 
of  the  opinion  that  (/////  oilier  hruiieh  of  the  State  Agri¬ 
cultural  Service  would  have  some  difficulty  in  showing 
where  it  had  saved  any  individual  farmer  of  the  State 
$47  on  an  original  investment  of  less  than  $500.  If 
it  eon,  it  will  he  "going  some.”  I  am.  with  best  wish¬ 
es  for  the  success  of  the  Department  and  to  you.  per¬ 
sonally.  a  happy  Xew  Year,  ciias.  c.  PEKUY. 
Eagle  Bridge,  X.  Y. 
Shippers  who  compare  returns  should  also  ask  them¬ 
selves,  “What  would  the  dealers  pay  this  year  if  the 
Department  was  not  conducting  an  auction  sale  in  com¬ 
petition  with  them V”  It  would  be  fair  to  compare 
prices  this  year  with  last  year;  and  on  this  basis  Mr. 
Perry  would  be  $1.55  ahead  on  every  barrel  sold,  or 
$180.90  instead  of  $40.00. 
While  the  Department  did  the  best  the  circumstances 
would  permit,  the  result  was  not  as  good  as  it  could 
be  with  proper  organization  of  producers,  carload  ship¬ 
ments  and  proper  terminal  facilities. 
New  York  State  Agricultural  Society 
Following  is  the  program  of  the  seventy-sixth  annual 
convention  of  the  Xew  York  State  Agricultural  Socie¬ 
ty.  to  be  held  in  the  Capitol  at  Albany  on  January  ISth 
and  10th,  in  cooperation  with  the  State  Department 
of  Agriculture.  This  is  a  strong  and  varied  program 
and  the  indications  are  that  the  attendance  will  be 
the  largest  in  the  history  of  the  society.  Make  ar¬ 
rangements  to  attend  the  convention  and  bring  the 
women  folks  with  you.  Bring  the  boys  too.  They  will 
be  the  future  members  of  the  society. 
TUESDAY.  .TAXUARY  IS,  1016 
In  the  Assembly  Parlor,  10  A.  M. 
The  Year’s  Progress  in  Legislation,  lion.  C.  Fred 
Roxhart,  Lowvillc.  X.  Y. 
Growing  and  Marketing  Potatoes,  Mr.  Daniel  Dean, 
Xiohols.  X.  Y. 
The  Farm  Woman  in  the  Housewives’  League,  Airs. 
Julian  Heath.  Xew  York  City. 
Preserving  Farm  Wastes,  Mrs.  Frank  Tabor,  Pough¬ 
keepsie,  X.  Y. 
The  Farmers’  Union  of  Maine,  Air.  F.  E.  Embree, 
Watorville,  Ale. 
Appointment  of  Committees. 
In  the  Assembly  Parlor,  2  P.  Al. 
President's  address,  John  ,T.  Dillon.  Xew  York  City. 
Standardization  of  Farm  Products,  Commissioner 
E.  S.  Brigham,  Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  St.  Al¬ 
bans,  Yt. 
Lower  Cost  of  Living,  Hon.  Alarcus  Al.  Marks,  Bor¬ 
ough  President  of  Xew  York  City. 
Farm  Problems  in  Congress,  Hon.  Hatton  AV. 
Sumners. 
Xational  Alarketing  of  Farm  Products.  ATr.  Wells  A. 
Sherman,  specialist  in  market  surveys,  U.  S.  Depart¬ 
ment  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C. 
In  the  Senate  Chamber,  S  P.  AL 
Address:  lion.  Charles  S.  Whitman,  Governor  of 
Xew  York. 
The  A'ital  Issue  in  Farm  Organization.  Dr.  Ken¬ 
yon  L.  Butterfield.  President,  Massachusetts  Agri¬ 
cultural  College.  Amherst.  Alnss. 
City  Alarkets,  lion,  George  W.  Perkins,  Xew  York 
City. 
The  Educational  Policy  of  the  Agricultural  Depart¬ 
ment.  lion.  Charles  S.  Wilson.  State  Commissioner  of 
Agriculture,  Albany,  X.  A'. 
AYEDXESDAY,  .TAXUARY  10,  1016 
In  the  Assembly  Parlor,  0  A.  Al. 
Business  meeting:  Report  of  secretary,  Albert  E. 
Brown,  Syracuse,  X.  Y.  Report  of  treasurer,  I-Iarry 
B.  AA’inters,  Albany,  X.  Y.  Election  of  Officers. 
10  A.  AL 
A  Cooperative  Creamery.  Air.  John  AL  Dam,  Aliil- 
broiik,  X.  A'. 
Pasteurization  of  Skimmed  AT  ilk  and  AY  hoy  for  Feed¬ 
ing  (’alves,  Dr.  A-.  A.  Aloore,  Dean,  Xew  York  State 
A'eferinnry  College.  Iibaea.  X.  Y. 
Dairy  Interests.  Hon.  ,T.  AA\  Holme.  Commissioner 
Dairy  and  Food  Department,  Lansing,  Alich. 
The  National  Dairy  Show,  Air.  AY.  F.  Skinn.er,  sec¬ 
retary  Xational  Dairy  Show,  Chicago,  Ill. 
In  the  Assembly  Parlor,  2  F.  AH 
The  Opportunity  of  the  Farm  Bureau  Agent,  Air. 
F.  E.  Lacey.  Poughkeepsie.  X. 
Advertising  a  State's  Products,  Air.  George  Bat- 
. .  Xew  York  City. 
Progress  of  tile  Land  Bank,  Air.  B.  G.  Parker, 
President  of  the  Land  Bank.  Gouvernonr.  X.  A'. 
Agricultural  Education  in  the  High  Schools  and  Com¬ 
mon  Schools  of  the  State.  Air.  Layton  S.  Hawkins, 
State  Department  of  Education,  Albany,  X.  A'. 
Report  of  Resolution  Committee. 
6:50  P.  AL 
Banquet,  Stanwix  Hall,  Broadway,  tickets  $1.  Air. 
Setli  J.  T.  Bush.  Morton.  X.  A\,  toastmaster. 
U.  S.  Senator  James  AA\  AA’ads worth,  Jr.,  and  lion. 
Franklin  D.  Roosevelt,  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Xav.v, 
are  expected  to  bo  present.  Short  addresses  by  many 
guests  and  members.  Ladies  will  have  the  choice  scats 
at  tile  banquet.  Alrmbers  of  the  Xational  Housewives’ 
League  will  act  as  reception  committee. 
The  conference  for  milk  producers  proposed  for  Thurs¬ 
day  after  the  convention  will  lie  absorbed  in  the  con¬ 
vention  and  no  milk  meeting  will  bo  held  on  Thursday. 
Market  Conditions  and  Sales 
The  apple  market  opened  strong  on  Alonday  of  last 
week  and  prices  ruled  higher  than  the  previous  week. 
Fancy  stock  and  Greenings  and  Baldwins  went  as  high 
as  $5.50  per  barrel.  Grade  A  ot  these  fruits  sold  for 
$2.75  to  $5  per  barrel,  according  to  condition  and 
quality.  At  the  auction  sale  on  Thursday.  Grade  A  214 
inches,  from  Brockport.  X.  A’.,  in  good  condition,  sold 
for  $5,05  and  $5.10,  and  ungraded  for  $2.55. 
A  feature  of  the  Department  auction  sales  Ibis  week 
was  the  beginning  of  citrus  fruits  from  Florida,  and 
the  inquiries  indicate  that  there  will  he  considerable 
volume  from  Florida  from  now  on.  Another  feature 
was  the  shipment  of  a  carload  of  Rome  Beauty  from 
Virginia.  This  shipment  was,  however,  delayed  in 
transit  so  that  the  sale  was  not  completed  as  we  go  to 
press. 
Growers  with  apples  in  cold  storage  have  the  choice 
of  shipping  to  the  Department  or  of  consigning  their 
apples  to  dealers,  who  have  large  holdings  of  their 
own  to  sell.  The  only  interest  of  the  Department  is 
to  get  the  highest  possible  price  for  the  grower.  The 
interest  of  the  speculator  is  to  get  tile  highest  possible 
87 
price  for  his  own  holdings  and  he  naturally  nurses 
the  market  for  that  purpose. 
Following  are  the  prices  of  two  days’  sales  last  week: 
APPLES. — 1  bkt.  Greening  55c:  2  Rambo  55c;  2 
Alatin  60c:  1  AA'bitc  Pippin  60c;  5  Baldwin  60c:  6 
1  bis.  Baldwin  $5.10:  151  $2.85 ;  56  $2.15;  1  $2.10; 
6  AVhite  Pippin  $5.65:  10  Baldwin  $2.25;  2  $2.50;  2 
Greening  $2.05;  2  Grimes  $2.55;  1  $2.20;  I  Holland 
Pippin  $2.40;  2  Snow  $2.50;  15  bkts  50c;  11  bids. 
Russet  $2.55;  10  Baldwin  $5.10;  25  $5.05;  143  $2.55: 
2  Blk.  Ben  Davis  $1.05;  5  $1.55 ;  5  Baldwin  $1.10:  3 
Sutton  $1.60. 
EGGS. — I  cases  45c;  2  cases,  small,  3414c:  2^4 
eases,  small.  40c :  14  case  small  35c;  2  cases,  small, 
34c;  1  ease,  small.  33c:  3  cases,  small.  38c;  3  cases, 
small,  37c;  1014  cases  48c;  1  case,  small,  33c. 
DRESSED  At  E  A  TS  AND  POULTRY.—!  calf.  130 
lbs.,  lie:  2  pigs.  20  lbs..  18c;  3  pigs,  35  lbs.,  17c:  1 
pig.  15  lbs.,  1214c:  3  pigs.  58  lbs.,  10c ;  3  pairs  dressed 
rabbits  50c  pair:  85  lbs.  poultry  18c;  72  lbs.  turkeys 
27e ;  20  lbs  turkeys  2s. •;  25  lbs.  chickens  15c. 
TANGERINES.— 87  boxes  $1.50;  42  $1.40;  24 
$1.30;  0  $1,10.  _ 
The  N.  Y.  Centra!  Railroad  Docks 
AVhen  farmers  are  in  the  humor  of  writing,  they 
might  drop  a  line  tu  the  Xew  York  Central  Railroad 
Company  and  a«k  why  that  company  does  not  give  them 
the  same  privileges  on  their  terminals  that  are  accord¬ 
ed  the  dealers  in  farm  produce.  <  >n  the  Barclay  Street 
dock  the  dealers  receive  and  sell  produce  the  way  the 
dealer  wants  to  sell  it.  The  Department,  of  Foods  and 
Alarkets  may  receive  produce  there  for  the  farmer 
direct,  but  it  is  not  permitted  to  sell  it  in  its 
own  way.  If  at  all  it  must  sell  in  the  dealer’s  way. 
The  dealer  sells  so  that  no  one  but  himself  ami  the 
buyer  know  the  price.  If  there  is  an  agreement  be¬ 
tween  the  dealer’s  salesman  and  the  jobber's  buyer  to 
divide  up  a  margin  no  one  knows  the  difference.  If 
permitted  to  do  so,  the  Department  would  sell  on  the 
open,  so  that  everyone  would  know  the  price;  and  there 
could  be  no  margin  to  divide.  The  dealer  sells  on  the 
dock  and  the  hnyer  carts  the  goods  at  his  own  expense; 
but  the  dealer  in  most  instances  charges  up  the  cart¬ 
age  just  the  same.  The  Department  would  charge  no 
cartage  in  such  cases.  The  dealer  charges  10  per  cent, 
commission,  the  Department  charges  five  per  cent.  Of 
course  Hu1  dealer  does  not  want  the  Department,  under 
such  circumstances,  to  sell  at  open  sale  on  the  dock. 
Anyone  can  sec  that  in  less  than  a  month,  they  would 
all  have  to  sell  in  the  same  way.  The  Xew  York  Cen¬ 
tral  plays  into  the  hands  of  the  dealers  and  keeps  farm¬ 
ers  paying  cartage  and  margins  and  double  commis¬ 
sions. 
If  this  is  the  kind  of  service  farmers  want  from 
railroads  to  which  they  have  given  valuable  franchises, 
well  and  good.  If  they  waut  different  treatment,  then 
they  ought  to  tell  the  Xew  York  Central  what  they  do 
want.  This  discrimination  costs  the  grower  money 
whether  ho  ships  to  their  own  Department  or  to  the 
dealer.  The  extra  cost  of  cartage  and  handling  of 
samples  imposed  on  the  Department  by  this  rule  is  an 
extra  and  useless  expense  to  the  shipper,  and  makes 
possible  the  continuation  of  the  extra  charges  by  the 
dealers. 
Farm  Co-operation  in  Pennsylvania 
At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Pennsylvania  State 
Grange,  held  this  year  at  State  College,  one  of  the  lead¬ 
ing  discussions  (entered  on  tlm  cooperative  buying  and 
selling  organizations  operated  within  the  State  during 
the  last  three  years.  That  the  cooperative  movement 
has  passed  through  its  experimental  stages  and  that 
the  farmers  can  now  sucessfully  combine  to  sell  their 
products  and  buy  supplies  economically  was  amply 
shown  by  the  attestation  of  many  Grangers  who  have 
given  the  matter  a  fair  trial. 
E.  B.  Dorset,  of  Afan&field.  Pa.,  expert  in  coopera¬ 
tive  farming  for  the  Pennsylvania  State  Department  of 
Agriculture,  explained  in  detail  the  working  of  the 
Keystone  Grange  Exchange,  at  Alansiield,  organized  by 
him  there  in  1913.  Through  this  the  farmers  are 
brought  into  direct  contact,  with  consumers,  eliminating 
all  the  evils  of  the  commission  merchant  system.  Air. 
Dorset  maintains  there  are  still  further  developments 
possible  in  cooperation  as  tlm  farmers  learn  to  grade, 
pack  and  sort  their  products  so  as  to  meet  the  needs 
of  the  city  markets. 
"The  first,  year  the  Grange  conducted  their  coopera¬ 
tive  organization,”  said  Air.  Dorset,  “we  largely  con¬ 
fined  our  activities  to  buying  farm  machinery,  binder 
twine,  fertilizers  and  feed.  In  1913  we  bought  for  our 
members  about  $106,000  worth  of  goods.  The  next 
year  we  purchased  similar  materials  to  the  extent  of 
$200,000,  and  lids  year,  which  I  think  has  been  a  bad 
year  for  the  funner.  I  think  $250,000  will  cover  the 
purchases  made.  In  1015  we  sold  nine  carloads  of 
binder  twine  alone.” 
This  falling  off  in  the  proportionate  yearly  increase 
is  attributed  to  the  condition  of  the  fertilizer  market. 
During  the  last  year  the  farmers  have  been  unable  to 
I  roetire  the  usual  amount  of  potash  from  Germany. 
John  A.  AleSparran.  the  State  Grange  Muster,  looks  for 
the  sales  of  1016  to  surpass  those  of  all  previous  years. 
In  addition  to  buying  products  for  the  farmers,  the 
Keystone  Exchange  lias  given  assistance  in  marketing 
farm  products  this  year.  Many  carloads  of  hay,  fruit, 
grain  and  vegetables  were  sold  direct  to  consumers  at 
substantial  profits  to  t ho  farmers.  In  one  instance  a 
farmer  sold  ids  bay  in  a  city  for  $7  a  ton  more  than  he 
could  have  obtained  for  it  in  his  own  community.  This 
case  was  quoted  as  an  illustration  of  what  the  co¬ 
operative  organizations  are  trying  to  accomplish  for 
the  Grangers.  The  success  of  the  societies  has  been 
placed  squarely  on  hottest  management  of  a  plain  busi¬ 
ness  proposition,  working  out  a  result  that  with  effi¬ 
ciency  of  management  can  be  made  successful  in  any 
community. 
(’•■operative  insurance  among  the  farmers  has  also 
become  firmly  established  in  the  State.  There  are  now 
sixteen  mutual  lire  companies  operated  by  the  Grange 
in  Pennsylvania.  l’he  companies  are  carrying  risks 
aggregating  $50,000,000.  The  Grange  also  owns  and 
operates  hundreds  of  miles  of  rural  telephone  lines. 
A.  it.  p. 
