Notes  from  Department  of  Foods  and 
Markets 
Miss  Marie  Murtaugh,  teacher  in  the  Willow  Grove 
School,  near  Lowville,  Lewis  County,  N.  Y.,  has  learned 
to  use  the  Babcock  test  and  to  compute  percentages  of 
fat  and  solids  iu  milk,  through  association  with  her 
father,  John  Murtaugh,  who  was  agent  of  the  Agricul¬ 
tural  Department  for  several  years.  Miss  Murtaugh 
took  the  equipment  to  school  and  taught  her  pupils  to 
make  the  tests  and  compute  the  percentages.  As  a  re¬ 
sult  her  trustee  found  the  pupils  so  much  interested 
in  the  school  that  he  raised  the  teacher’s  salary.  The 
trustee  did  well.  Miss  Murtaugh  is  giving  practical 
instructions,  and  she  interests  her  pupils  because  she 
applies  her  lessons  to  the  thing  her  pupils  can  under¬ 
stand  and  utilize. 
Apples  continue  in  good  supply  and  for  the  time  of 
year  prices  rule  low.  A  Hudson  River  grower  com¬ 
ing  from  the  sales  on  the  railroad  docks  during  the 
week  remarked  that  the  buyers  were  making  the  price, 
lie  meant  that  buyers  were  offering  less  than  the  ask¬ 
ing  price  and  getting  the  apples.  On  the  auction  mar¬ 
ket  they  make  the  prices  too;  but  they  hid  up  instead 
of  down.  They  do  not  always  bid  as  much  as  wc  would 
like  them  to  do,  but  they  go  to  the  highest  bidder.  On 
the  private  sales  they  often  buy  for  less  than  another 
is  willing  to  pay. 
New  Ycrk  Stat"  cabbage  continues  in  good  supply 
and  prices  range  50  per  cent,  higher  in  car  lots  than 
one  month  ago.  Price  varies  with  the  quality  from 
$18  per  ton  up  to  $25. 
Potatoes  are  in  good  demand,  and  prices  run  high. 
Idaho  potatoes  are  arriving  on  the  New  York  City 
market  quite  freely.  Each  potato  is  wrapped  separ¬ 
ately.  and  they  are  packed  in  standard  50-pound  apple 
boxes  with  handsome  lithographed  labels  to  advertise 
this  brand  of  potatoes.  The  potatoes  arc  graded  in 
three  sizes:  eight-ounce,  10-oum-e  and  12  ounces  each. 
They  are  very  fine  cookers,  especially  baking  potatoes, 
and  sell  promptly  on  arrival  at  from  $2.50  to  $2.75  per 
box.  The  western  producer  realizes  that  it  pays  to 
standardize  his  goods,  carefully  grade  them,  package 
them  handsomely  and  market  them  in  New  York  City, 
Thousands  of  carloads  <>f  potatoes  have  been  sold  here, 
that  had  they  been  properly  standardized,  graded,  pack¬ 
aged  and  sold  at  auction,  cue-half  the  fancy  potatoes 
in  the  cars  would  have  brought  more  than  they  all 
brought  shoveled  in  the  old-fashioned,  reckless,  hap¬ 
hazard  manner. 
The  Department  of  Foods  and  Markets  had  a  con¬ 
signment  of  Maryland  potatoes  during  the  week  in  200- 
pound  sacks  that  sold  at  auction  for  $5.85,  or  $1.75 
per  bushel.  No  commission  dealer  in  the  city  would 
have  asked  more  than  $4.50  per  sack  for  this  shipment. 
Fresh-laid  eggs  are  coming  in  large  supply.  New 
York  City  receives  not.  less  than  100.000  cases  weekly. 
Some  stores  retail  them  at  11  eggs  for  25-  cents,  These 
are  slightly  under  size  or  a  little  dirty,  blit  sweet  fresh 
eggs  for  all.  The  Department  has  issued  bulletins  to 
housewives  of  the  good  quality  and  clump  price  of  fresh 
eggs  at  this  time.  This  hits  kept,  the  retail  price  to 
th<>  consume!*  low  and  increased  the  consumption,  re¬ 
sulting  in  an  advance  of  one  cent  a  dozen  in  the  whole¬ 
sale  price  last  week,  price  now  being  22  to  24  cents  for 
first  quality  white  State  eggs. 
Some  recent  sales  by  the  Department  follow: 
C/jc  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
The  City  Protects  Farmers 
A  farmer  in  Mississippi  sent  a  coop  of  chickens  to 
a  commission  firm  in  New  Orleans,  La.  No  returns 
were  made,  and  the  shipper  finally  complained  to  the 
Mayor  of  the  city.  A  complaint  went  from  the  mayor's 
Office  down  through  the  Board  of  Trade  and  the  dealer 
was  compelled  to  pay.  The  Mayor  of  New  Orleans 
makes  this  statement : 
W  e  want  to  assure  our  friends  in  the  surrounding 
country  that  wc  arc  willing  to  render  any  assistance 
possible  to  the  successful  conduct  of  their  business 
with  local  merchants.  We  made  that  promise  to  our 
triends,  the  farmers,  and  whenever  matters  of  this 
character  come  to  the  notice  of  this  office  you  can  vest 
assured  it  will  he  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  pro¬ 
per  source  and  a  fair  deal  will  be  given  the  man  in  the 
country. 
The  people  of  New  Orleans  realize  thal  the  life  of 
their  city  depends  upon  the  country  back  of  them  up 
along  the  valley.  We  know  city  men  who  seem  to 
think  that  the  city  makes  the  country  when,  if  it  were 
not  for  the  farms  and  what  they  produce  their  city 
would  fall  in  ruins.  From  every  possible  point  of  view 
it  is  the  best  'policy  for  the  city  to  see  that  the  coun¬ 
tryman  gets  a  square  deal  when  he  comes  to  town  or 
sends  produce  there. 
Embargoes  on  Freight 
I  was  interested  in  your  report  in  The  R.  N.-Y. 
some  months  ago.  on  the  embargoes  against  hay  ship¬ 
ments  by  the  railroads.  There  is  certainly  something 
wrong  with  this  business.  The  New  York  Central  put 
an  embargo  on  bay  to  New  England  points  for  about  a 
month,  from  January  0  to  February  0.  At  that  time 
my  neighbors  and  I  were  shipping  Alfalfa  into  Rhode 
Island.  The  New  York.  New  Haven  and  Hartford  took 
off  its  embargo  a  number  of  days  before  our  agent  here 
would  let  us  ship,  on  the  plea  that  he  did  not  know  that 
the  embargo  was  raised.  In  the  meantime,  of  course, 
the  dealers  were  able  to  get  in  their  shipments  ahead 
of  us.  For  some  weeks  past  in  this  section.  Cayuga 
County,  we  have  had  successive  snow  blockades.  Now 
snow  is  settling  so  farmers  can  begin  to  deliver  bay. 
rI  he  market  is  strong  in  New  "York  and  New  England, 
especially  for  Timothy  and  late  Alfalfa.  Late  last  night 
we  received  announcement  of  a  hay  embargo  on  all  hay 
leaving  over  the  Boston  and  Albany.  Csually  embar¬ 
goes  on  the  New  York,  New  Haven  and  Hartford  fol¬ 
low  within  a  few  days.  Shortly  Spring  thaws  will  set 
in,  making  roads  impassable  for  some  time  ami  then 
with  late  Spring  the  farmers’  rush  will  set  in.  I  want 
to  ship  my  hay,  about  a  car  a  week,  to  Rhode  Island. 
The  Cayuga  County  Co-operative  Association  had  100 
ears  ready  to  ship.  This  new  embargo  will  embarrass 
them.  The  embargoes  delay  my  shipments  and  my 
customers  will  lie  compelled  to  purchase  bay  at  higher 
prices  from  some  large  dealer  who  is  forewarned  of 
embargoes,  and  1  stand  a  good  chance  of  losiug  my  cus¬ 
tomer  altogether.  I  am  heartily  in  favor  of  your  ef¬ 
forts  to  sell  farm  produce  nr  auction,  and  1  know 
you  are  standing  almost  alone  against  a  powerful  organ¬ 
ization  of  commission  merchants.  I  know  you  are 
right,  and  I  believe  that  in  time  you  will  win  and  ben¬ 
efit  producers  and  consumers  alike.  j.  r.  s. 
New  York. 
The  railroads  felt  aggrieved  at  the  criticisms  of  em¬ 
bargoes  and  other  transportation  Conditions  by  Commis¬ 
sioner  Dillon  in  bis  address  as  President  of  the  New* 
York  State  Agricultural  Society.  A  representative  of 
the  New  York  Central  Railroad  in  a  subsequent  meet¬ 
ing  requested  to  have  the  criticism  expunged  before 
printing  the  address.  There  is  no  danger  of  the  request 
being  complied  with;  but  the  attempt  shows  that  the 
railroad  company  is  not  anxious  to  see  its  record  in 
APPLES.  -62  bids.  Baldwins  $2;  16  $2.65;  20 
$2.40;  IS  $2.25. 
PEARS  OS  bbls.  Kieffer  $2:  10  $1.55;  12  $1.45. 
GRAPEEREIT. — 2  boxes  $1.12L,  ;  10  $1.50;  20 
$1.02i/.. 
VEGETABLES,— 2  200-lb.  bags  potatoes  at  $5.s5 ; 
6  hampers  onions  HO  cents. 
print.  We  must  all  admit  that  the  railroads  have  been 
severely  tried  this  year  and  allowance  will  L'  made  for 
delays  due  to  weather  conditions  and  large  shipments; 
hut  nil  the  other  hand  farmers  have  a  right  to  insist  on 
fair  treatment;  and  these  discriminations  against  farm¬ 
ers  shipping  direct  to  customers  or  to  their  own  mar¬ 
593 
a  structure  is  essential  to  safety.  According  to  a  state¬ 
ment  by  the  secretary,  the  membership  is  now  about 
8,400,  there  having  been  elected  at  the  Syracuse  meet¬ 
ing  9b3  life  members.  Only  once  has  there  been  an 
election  of  a  greater  number  than  this,  and  then  1.100 
names  were  added  to  the  membership  list.  Another 
important  matter  acted  upon  was  the  election  of  two 
members  to  represent  the  organization  in  the  Society  of 
Record  Associations.  These  were  the  president.  D.  D. 
Aiken  of  Michigan  and  Secretary  Houghton  of  Ver¬ 
mont.  The  next  meeting  of  the  board  will  be  in  con¬ 
nection  with  the  national  IIolsteiu-Friesian  convention 
at  Detroit,  in  .Tune. 
TREES  REINED  BY  RABBITS.— One  of  the 
prominent  fruit  men  of  Dutchess  County.  Thus.  E. 
Cross,  reports  that  he  has  had  500  fruit  trees  ruined 
by  wild  rabbits  this  month.  He  had  painted  the  young 
trees  with  a  zinc  solution,  but  the  rabbits  were  so  des¬ 
perately  hungry  that  they  ate  bark,  solution  and  all. 
The  only  satisfaction  that  Mr.  Cross  can  get  out  of 
it  is  that  the  zinc  will  kill  the  animals.  In  some  in¬ 
stances  the  snow  was  so  deep  that  the  rabbits  conhl 
not  get  down  to  the  tree  trunks  and  ate  off  the  tops. 
THE  EVAPORATED  APPLE  BUSINESS.— An 
association  has  recently  been  organized  in  Rochester  by 
the  evaporator  men.  for  the  purpose  of  improving  the 
industry  and  seeking  new  markets  for  their  output. 
David  II.  V  right  of  Webster  is  president  and  Fay 
Smith  of  the  same  place  secretary.  It  seems  that 
Germany  has  been  the  best  market  for  evaporated  fruit, 
and  now  that  the  blockade  shuts  off  exports  the  evap¬ 
orator  men  must  seek  a  new  market,  and  to  that  end 
a  central  exchange  has  been  organized  to  look  after 
the  matter  and  to  advertise  largely,  after  the  manner 
of  the  California  Emit  Growers’  Association,  the  uses 
and  advantages  of  using  evaporated  fruit.  It  is  ex¬ 
pected  to  find  a  new  field  in  South  America  for  the 
evaporated  product.  It  was  stated  at  the  meeting  re¬ 
ferred  to  that  the  value  of  the  evaporated  fruit  in  this 
8 tale  is  about  $1,000,000  annually,  and  that  there  are 
2,000  evaporating  plants. 
VEGETABLE  GROWERS  IN  SESSION. — The 
Central  New  York  Vegetable  Growers’  Association  met 
last  week  in  Syracuse,  in  cooperation  with  the  Otion- 
daga  Farm  Bureau.  “Vegetable  Diseases."’  was  the 
topic  discussed  by  Prof.  I.  C.  .Tagger  of  the  University 
of  Rochester.  S.  A.  Martin,  farm  human  manager, 
snoke  on  the  “Relation  of  the  Farm  Bureau  to  the 
Market  Gardening  Business.”  President  S.  .T.  Cook 
spoke  of  the  work  of  the  association  and  Prof.  A.  E. 
V  ilk  in  son  of  (  orneil  discussed  “Market  Gardening 
Crops.” 
THE  SARATOGA  RESERVATION.— If  has  been 
definitely  decided  to  transfer  the  control  of  the  Sara¬ 
toga  Springs  State  Reservation  from  the  Reservation 
Commission  to  the  Conservation  Department.  There 
will  he  appropriated  for  the  work  of  the  commission  in 
Saratoga  the  sum  of  $150,000. 
TOWNSHIP  EDUCATION  BILL.— The  township 
education  bill  has  appeared  in  the  Assembly,  but  it  is 
not  expected  to  get  through  this  Winter.  It  was  an¬ 
nounced  at  the  time  of  its  introduction  that  it  was 
presented  now  so  that  the  Granges  and  others  inter¬ 
ested  in  the  improvement  of  the  rural  schools  may  have 
ample  time  to  consider  it.  Strong  Opposition  has  here¬ 
tofore  boon  made  against  the  hill  on  the  ground  that  it. 
gives  the  education  department  too  much  power  and 
concentrates  the  control  of  the  rural  schools  in  small 
hoards  of  education.  On  the  other  hand  it  is  argued 
that  by  establishing  a  larger  district  unit  a  more  effi¬ 
cient  system  of  education  can  be  worked  out  through 
all  the  grades  to  the  high  .School. 
SKIM-MILK  AND  WIIEY. — -There  has  been  a  hill 
introduced  iu  the  Assembly  hy  Mr.  Witter  relative  to 
the.  disposal  of  skim-milk  ami  whey  without  pasteuri¬ 
zation  by  creameries,  cheese  factories  and  milk  stations. 
Whenever  the  examination  of  any  dairy,  as  provided 
for  in  the  agricultural  law,  indicates  tiic  presence  of 
pathogenic  bacteria  in  the  milk,  if  such  milk  is  de¬ 
livered  to  any  cheese  factory,  milk  station  or  creamery, 
the  skim-milk  or  whey  must  not  he  returned  to  patrons 
unless  the  same  shall  have  been  pasteurized.  The  Com¬ 
missioner  of  Agriculture  is  to  prescribe  the  degree  of 
heat  to  he  used  in  the  process  and  the  rules  that  shall 
govern  in  carrying  out  the  provisions  of  the  section. 
.7.  w.  D. 
Summary  of  returns  made  shippers  of  eggs  and  mis¬ 
cellaneous  products  for  the  week  ending  March  30th, 
1616: 
EGGS,  kg  case  28c;  1  case  27e;  1  case  26c:  10 
cases  25c;  19  eases  24c;  I  cases  23\(>o;  148*4  eases 
22c;  8  cases  221/^<‘;  3  eases  22c;  2  cases  dUck  eggs  2.7c. 
MISCELLANEOUS.  1  hbl.  beans,  229  lbs.,  $6.70 
per  cwt. ;  1  box  squabs  $2.25;  1  crate  greens  $1;  2 
bags  beans,  270  lbs.,  OL.e  per  lb. ;  1  calf,  108  lbs., 
1414c ;  1  calf,  122  lbs.,  Hie;  1  calf.  109  lbs.,  to^c; 
1  calf.  92  lbs.,  1514c;  1  calf.  108  lbs..  10 Lx- ;  1  calf. 
159  lbs.,  15c;  20  lamb  skins  50c  each;  1  coop  fowl,  66 
lbs..  20c;  4  doz.  squabs  $2.25;  1  pail  butter.  10  lbs.. 
29c;  1  calf,  84  lbs.,  14c;  9  lbs.,  butter,  30c;  1  calf,  101 
lbs..  BB4c. 
Florida  and  the  35-Cent  Dollar 
I  note  what  you  have  to  say  about  "the  25-cent  dol¬ 
lar.”  on  page  389.  A  few  days  ago  I  wanted  one-fourth 
pound  of  rape  seed,  and  the  merchant  wanted  10  cents 
an  ounce  for  it.  It  costs  wholesale  eight  cents  per 
pound.  I  said:  “A  few  sales  nod  yon  can  retire.”  In 
the  poultry  business  in  Florida  you  can  get  more  than 
a  25-cent  dollar,  for  we  will  not  let  a  merchant  make 
more  than  a  five-rent.  profit  on  a  dozen  eggs.  It  is  the 
best  poultry  country  in  the  U.  S.  A.  or  on  earth. 
Florida.  m.  e.  mohr. 
Yet  we  never  saw  a  Florida  merchant  who  was  roll¬ 
ing  in  wealth.  Most  of  them  seem  to  live  by  grace  of 
the  hanks  and  brokers.  It  is  the  system  of  distribution 
which  is  wrong.  As  this  system  is  controlled  by  the 
comparatively  few  who  get  rich  out  of  it.  they  fight 
like  tigers  any  attempt  to  change  it.  As  they  are  or¬ 
ganized  and  also  “in”  it  is  hard  for  the  unorganized 
farmers  and  consumers  to  get  them  out.  The  hardest 
part  of  it  is  that  this  small  group  also  controls  educa¬ 
tion  and  text  books  for  tin*  schools  and  colleges,  so  that 
it  is  next  to  impossible  to  get  the  people  to  do  any  real 
thinking.  Some  of  our  Northern  poultrymen  would  like 
to  know  how  you  make  those  dealers  work  on  a  five* 
cent  margin. 
kets  and  in  favor*  of  large  Commission  dealers  must, 
sooner  or  later  stop.  The  industrial  agent  of  the  New 
York  Central  justifies  the  discrimination  on  the  theory 
that  larger  shippers  are  entitled  to  better  considera¬ 
tion,  without  regard  to  the  rights  of  the  smaller  shipper 
or  of  abstract  principles  of  justice.  If  the  public  service 
commissions  do  not  afford  relief,  other  agencies  must  be 
found  to  do  so. 
It  is  significant  at  a  time  when  we  are  reading  so 
much  about  embargo  and  car  shortage  that  here  on  the 
main  line  of  the  New  York  Central  there  is  the  equiva¬ 
lent  of  a  good  fair  train  of  ears  standing  on  a  siding, 
and  has  been  standing  there  for  at.  least  two  weeks.  I 
have  not  counted  them,  as  they  extend  past  a  point 
where  they  can  all  be  seen  from  the  house.  It  makes  me 
wonder  if  the  same  condition  exists  at  other  minor  sta¬ 
tions  along  the  road.  x.\T  I..  ROWE. 
Cayuga  Co..  N.  Y. 
Peach  Prospects 
With  us  this  year  altitude  seemed  to  he  a  more  de¬ 
termining  factor  than  exposure  in  saving  the  peach 
buds  from  injury.  It  seems  to  me  that  with  us  where 
severe  injury  ooccurred  it  was  on  those  varieties  like  El- 
herta,  Ililey,  etc.,  the  buds  of  which  swelled  normally 
during  the  warm  spell  iu  January.  The  two  varieties 
above  enumerated  seem  to  he  the  hardest  hit.  Greens¬ 
boro.  Carman.  Champion,  Fox  Seedling.  Iron  Moun¬ 
tain.  Hale  and  Hill's  Chili  have  come  through  in  fine 
shape,  even  Late  Crawford  seems  to  have  come  through 
fully  as  well  as  Elberta  this  year.  Belle  of  Georgia  in 
most  cases  is  half  way  between  Carman  and  Elh-*rta 
in  point  of  injury.  G.  a.  drew. 
Fairfield  Co.,  Conn. 
Canadian  Fruit  and  Vegetable  Prices 
R.  N.-Y. — We  think  it.  does.  Let  us  hear  from  other 
readers  in  New  York.  There  seems  to  he  no  shortage 
of  ears.  The  trouble  is  that  loaded  cars  are  held  up  in 
the  New  York  and  New  Jersey  terminals.  The  writer 
travels  on  the  Erie,  and  has  seen,  day  after  day.  long 
trains  of  loaded  freight  cars  standing  idle  for  weeks, 
with  apparently  little  effort  made  to  unload  them. 
New  York  State  News 
HOLSTEIN  MEN  TO  HAVE  NEW  BUILDING. 
— At  a  meeting  of  the  executive  hoard  of  the  Holstein- 
Eriesian  Association  of  America  held  March  21  at  Syra¬ 
cuse  several  important  matters  were  acted  upon.  One 
of  those  was  the  erection  of  a  uew  fireproof  structure 
for  the  secretary’s  office  at  Brattleboro.  Yt..  by  a  gen¬ 
tleman  of  that  city  which  the  association  is  to  lease 
at  10  per  cent,  of  the  cost  of  construction,  which  is 
limited  to  $oo.000.  The  records  of  the  association  are 
getting  to  be  so  very  valuable  and  of  so  great  import¬ 
ance  to  the  Holstein  breeders  of  the  country  that  such 
1  ur  iMMiiiiiiuii  iM‘|>iir 
—  --  -  ,  —  —  - -  -  --r.*  •  x.v...  v  i  cpwi  l  o  111 
following  prices  aud  market  conditions : 
Montreal.— No.  1  Spies  $7  to  $7.25;  No.  2s  $6  to 
$6.25  No.  1  Baldwins.  Golden  Russets  and  Starks  $4.50 
to  $n,50 ;  No.  1  Ben  Davis  $2  to  $2.50;  good  grade  if 
No.  3  (various  varieties)  $2  to  $2.50.  poorer  grades 
81.50  to  $2.  No.  1  Washington  boxed  apples  $2.25  to 
$2.50;  No.  1  Ontario  Spies  in  boxes  $2.40  to  $2.00: 
Gape  Cod  cranberries  .810  to  $11  per  barrel:  Florida 
tomatoes  $2.75  to  $2  for  0-basket  crates;  Florida  straw¬ 
berries  50c.  per  quart.  I'ommon  grade  onions  $1.50  to 
$2  per  cwt..  best  grade  $2;  potatoes  $1.75  to  $1>5  oer 
90-lh.  bag  in  car  lots. 
Ottawa. — No.  1  Spies  $6.50  to  $7;  No.  2s  $5.50  to  $0 
No.  1  Baldwins  A4.50  1.,  $5;  No  "s  $2.50  to  $4-  1 
Golden  Russel  $5  to  $5.50  ;  No.  2s  $4  to  $4.50  ;  No.  1  Ben 
Da  vs  $2-50  to  $4  ;  No.  2s  $2.  British  Columbia  boxed 
iiuplcs  $  1  .;><)  to  $Lio.  and  Washington  boxed  apples 
$2.25  to  $2  for  No.  1. 
Toronto.-  No.  2  Spies  selling  at  $5  and  No.  3s  $3.25; 
ao.  1  Baldwin.  Stark  and  Golden  Russet  $4  to  $4.50; 
No.  2s  $3.25.  aud  No.  3s  $2.50;  Ontario  Baldwin,  G  -een- 
mg  and  Stark  $1.50  to  $1.05  for  No.  1  in  boxes  E-nev 
Washington  Rome  Beauty  $2.50.  and  No.  Is  $2  °5 
New  Brunswick  Delaware  potatoes  $1.90.  and  Ontario 
6cr  90  pounds ;  American  onions  $3.25 
to  $o.50  per  cwt;  tomatoes  $3.25  per  0-basket  crate. 
