Land  Bank  Bonds  Sound  Security 
Governor  Whitman  has  just  signed  a  bill  passed  by 
the  last.  Legislature  amending  the  banking  law  of  New 
York  State  to  make  bonds  of  the  Land  Bank  of  the 
State  of  New  York  legal  security  for  the  investment 
of  trust  funds  and  savings  bank  investments.  This 
insures  the  success  of  the  Land  Bank,  and  it  is  a  just 
recognition  of  the  sound  basis  of  these  bonds.  It  is 
hard  to  understand  why  the  Legislature  and  the  Gov¬ 
ernor  could  take  any  other  view  of  them.  They  are 
secured  by  the  small  homes  and  farms  of  the  State; 
and  the  bonds  do  not  represent  an  excess  of  40  per  cent, 
of  the  value  of  the  mortgaged  properties.  Besides,  the 
bonds  have  behind  them  the  assets  of  associations  to 
the  amount  of  sixty-five  million  dollars*  They  are  not 
dependent  on  any  one  property,  but  are  secured  by 
the  joint  value  of  many  properties.  No  default  could 
occur  in  the  payment  of  such  bonds  unless  the  average 
value  of  the  realty  property  ->f  the  State  should  depre¬ 
ciate  more  than  60  per  cent.  Furthermore,  a  small 
payment  is  made  annually,  so  that  the  security  behind 
the  bonds  is  constantly  improving.  Under  the  influ¬ 
ence  of  one  man.  who  for  reasons  of  his  own.  had  con¬ 
sistently  opposed  the  Land  Bank  iu  January  last,  a 
committee  assuming  to  represent  farming  interests  of 
the  State  passed  a  resolution  to  advise  against  this 
amendment.  It  was  evident  then,  as  it  is  now,  that  a 
majority  of  the  committee  did  not  understand  the  sub¬ 
ject  they  were  called  upon  to  consider;  and  the  action 
of  the  Legislature  and  of  the  Governor  in  disregard  of 
their  advice  ought  to  be  a  lesson  to  committeemen  to 
avoid  prejudiced  leadership. 
The  Land  Bank  bonds  have  back  of  them  the  best 
security  in  the  world.  The.  sentiment  alone  behind  the 
town  and  country  home  is  a  valuable  asset,  and  so  long 
as  human  institutions  survive  those  homes  will  be  a  safe 
security  for  much  more  than  -10  per  cent,  of  their 
value.  To  declare  otherwise  was  an  insult  to  the  home 
and  farm  owners  of  the  State.  The  first  issue  of  the 
bonds  sold  at  4%  per  cent,  interest.  Present  condi¬ 
tions  would  justify  a  higher  rate,  hut  with  the  sound 
nature  of  the  security  acknowledged,  farmers  in  any 
section  of  the  State  may  now  affiliate  with  an  ex¬ 
istent  association  or  form  a  new  one,  and  secure  all 
the  mortgage  money  needed  on  the  most  reasonable 
terms  enjoyed  by  farmers  in  any  part  of  the  world. 
New  York  State  hirs  led  the  way  on  rural  mortgage 
credits. 
The  Milk  Situation 
One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  Department  of  Foods  and 
Markets  was  to  begin  a  study  and  a  discussion  of  the 
production  and  distribution  of  milk  for  New  York  City. 
It  was  well  known  even  at  that  time  that  farmers  were 
selling  milk  for  less  than  the  cost  of  production.  No 
discussion  or  investigation  could  change  that  fact,  but 
in  the  early  discussions  the  prediction  was  made  by  the 
zr/je  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
• 
milk  for  consumption  is  scarce.  Where  .producers  are 
organized  and  in  a  position  to  sell  milk  in  bulk,  and 
not  already  under  contract,  they  could  sell  their  milk 
to-day  for  considerable  advance  on  the  Borden  prices, 
and  from  present  indications,  such  associations  can  con¬ 
tract  from  month  to  month  from  now  on  during  this 
season  at  prices  very  much  in  advance  of  t he  schedule; 
at  advances,  indeed,  which  would  surprise  the  most 
optimistic  rnilk  producers. 
The  announcement  of  the  Department  that  it  could 
find  market  for  a  thousand  cans  at  advanced  price,  did 
not  bring  out  enough  milk  to  supply  the  demand.  Many 
of  the  associations  wrote  that  they  were  already  under 
contract,  and  the  contract  can  only  he  modified  now  b.f 
voluntary  act  of  the  dealers. 
A  plan  is  being  developed  to  handle  a  large  volume  of 
the  association  milk  after  October  1st.  and  if  is  prob¬ 
able  that  the  plan  will  involve  a  rule  to  make  prices 
hereafter  not  longer  than  from  month  to  month.  These 
six  months’  contracts  favor  the  dealer,  and  it  will  be  to 
the  interest  of  the  producer  to  make  bis  sales  from 
month  to  month.  To  perfect  this  system,  however,  the 
producers  will  need  to  perfect  their  organizations  so  as 
to  sell  in  bulk  and  to  care  for  surplus  when  necessary. 
California  fruit  growers  have  recently  bad  a  new 
lesson  in  the  effects  of  co-operative  organizations.  The 
prune  and  apricot  trade  of  that  State  has  been  entirely 
in  the  bauds  of  dealers  and  speculators.  Some  weeks 
back  the  dealers  in  New  York  were  making  advance 
sales  of  California  primes  at  3%c.  a  pound  for  prunes 
that  are  yet  to  be  grown  and  to  be  delivered  next  sea¬ 
son.  From  the  fact  that  it  costs  the  grower  4e.  a  pound 
to  produce  them,  it  is  evident  that  the  prune  and  apri¬ 
cot  growers  of  California  are  running  much  on  the  same 
line  as  the  milk  producers  of  New  York  State. 
California,  however,  followed  the  lead  of  New  York 
State  in  creating  a  Department  of  Markets,  and  the 
growers  there  have  recently  organized  under  the  De¬ 
partment  for  the  purpose  of  handling  their  dried  prunes 
and  apricots  and  peaches.  As  soou  as  this  organization 
was  effected,  the  speculators  iu  New  York,  in  order  to 
protect  themselves,  offered  to  take  one  cent  a  pound  loss 
to  cover  their  contracts  for  future  delivery  of  these 
dried  products.  The  price  at  the  present  time  is  5c. 
per  pound,  which  will  give  the  producer  a  fair  profit  for 
his  fruit.  There  are  sixty  million  pounds  of  this  dj-iod 
fruit  produced  in  California,  and  an  advance  of  one 
cent  a  pound  will  net  the  producers  of  these  dried  fruits. 
$600,000  a  season.  Heretofore  the  trade  has  been  en¬ 
tirely  in  the  hands  of  the  speculators,  and  the  growers 
have  been  unmercifully  squeezed  on  prices,  but  at  the 
first  appearance  of  tbe  organization  the  dealers  ran  to 
cover  on  their  contracts  for  future  deliveries. 
Notes  from  Department  of  Foods  and 
Markets 
751 
$2.75;  22  Pomeroy  $2.50;  22  Newtown  $2.65;  21  boxes 
Rome  Beauty  00c;  110  65c;  IS  60c;  17  bbls.  Spy 
$L30;  225  boxes  Borne  Beauty  $1.10 ;  65  Winesap 
$1.45;  26  $1.50;  3  Pilot  $1;  82  $1.05;  5  $1;  1  bbl. 
Jonathan  $2.25;  l  $2.70;  2  $2.05;  1  $1.60;  1  Senator 
$2.15;  1  $2.25;  1  $1.05;  1  Sutton  $1.40;  1  $1.45. 
GRAPH  FRF  IT. 
$L62%;  40.  54  s. 
$2.12%;  21,  80s,  $2. 
— t  boxes,  36e,  $1.12%;  21,  46s, 
$1.87%;  26,  64s.  $2;  IT.  70s, 
25;  2,  06s,  $1.87%;  1  mixed  $1.75. 
Summary  of  returns  made  shippers  of  eggs  and  mis¬ 
cellaneous  products  for  the  week  ending  May  4th,  1916, 
by  tbe  New  York  State  Department  of  Foods  and  Mar¬ 
kets.  204  Franklin  St.,  New  York: 
EGGS. — 2  cases  duck  eggs  32c;  1  case  thick  eggs 
31c;  %  case  duck  eggs  30c:  3  cases  duck  eggs  29c:  % 
ease  duck  eggs  28c;  31%  cases  25c;  1  case  24%e;  21% 
cases  24 %c;  275%  cases  24c;  2  cases  23%c:  167  cases 
23c;  2  cases  22c;  8  cases  21c;  1  case  20c."  Total  516% 
cases. 
MISCELLANEOUS. — 1  coop  poultry,  34  lbs..  25e ;  1 
bbl.  poultry,  114  lbs..  25c;  8  barrels  cabbage  $1.25;  3 
calves,  178  lbs.,  11c;  1  calf.  69  lbs.,  12c;  1  calf.  134 
lbs.,  14  %c ;  Liver,  etc.,  65c;  1  pkg.  butter,  27  lbs.,  31c; 
1  calf.  97  lbs.,  14c;  1  calf.  93  lbs.,  12%c;  2  calves,  183 
lbs..  He;  4  livers,  hearts,  etc.,  $2.20;  1  calf,  101  lbs., 
12c:  1  *2%e;  1  liver,  40c;  1  puil  butter. 
24  lbs.,  28c;  1  box  livers,  etc.,  75c;  1  pkg.  squabs,  % 
doz„  $2.50;  1  box  butter,  68  lbs.,  28c;  1  tub  butter,  30 
lbs.,  30c;  1  coop  fowls,  67  lbs.,  21c;  19  doz.  cans 
peaches  $1;  10  doz.  eaus  peaches  75c;  1  crate  buttpr, 
36  lbs.,  28c;  1  box  butter.  60  lbs.,  32c;  10  lbs.  butter 
30e;  1  bag  beans.  103  lbs.,  9%e;  2  bags  beans,  203  lbs., 
9i/4c;  10  lbs.  butter  30c;  2  coops  fowls,  115  lbs..  20c; 
23  bags  white  kidney  beaus,  $9.25  per  cwt. ;  1  tub  but¬ 
ter.  28  lbs.,  32c;  3  tubs  butter,  90  lbs.,  32c;  30  lbs 
butter  32c;  2  calves,  182  lbs..  18%e;  livers  50c;  2 
tubs  butter,  60  lbs.,  32c. 
New  York  State  News 
AN  INTERNAL  REVENUE  DEPARTMENT 
CASE. — An  important  case  was  on  before  the  Federal 
Court  at  Syracuse  last  week  relating  to  an  excess  of 
water  in  butter.  It  appears  that  tbe  Rosemary  Cream¬ 
ery  Co.  of  Adams.  N  Y..  had  paid  the  sum  of  $550.  with 
interest  for  four  years,  as  a  license  foe,  and  the  same 
was  paid  under  protest.  It  was  levied  by  the  Internal 
Revenue  officials  because  butter  that  had  been  sold  by 
this  creamery  was  alleged  to  contain  more  than  16  per 
cent,  of  water.  It  was  found  on  analysis  that  it  con¬ 
tained  between  1<  and  18  per  cent,  and  therefore  was 
adulterated  according  to  government  classification.  The 
jury  in  the  case  decided  that  the  creamery  could  not 
recover  the  money  under  the  circumstances.  While  the 
amount  of  the  money  in  question  was  small  it  was  im¬ 
portant  to  the  Revenue  Department,  isasmuch  as  a 
decision  against  ir  would  have  made  it  possible  for 
many  other  creameries  to  bring  suit  to  recover  fees  paid 
in  a  similar  manner,  the  total  of  which  amounted  to 
more  than  $1,000,000.  Government  chemists  from  New 
York,  Washington  and  other  cities  were  on  the  case. 
The  contention  of  the  company  was  that  there  was  no 
intent  to  introduce  an  excessive  amount  of  water  into 
the  blitter  and  the  question  as  to  whether  the  butter 
Department  that  the  price  of  milk  to  the  producer  would 
be  increased.  This  was  announced  to  the  producers, 
and  the  necessity  of  it  was  emphasized  to  the  distribu¬ 
tors  and  dealers. 
In  the  early  part  of  April  tbe  Department  issued  a 
bulletin  to  producers,  announcing  the  arrangements  for 
a  Legislative  investigation  that  had  been  completed  for 
the  thorough  overhauling  of  the  subject  during  tbe  com¬ 
ing  Summer,  and  at  the  same  time  announced  that  it 
was  in  a  position  to  market  at  least  a  thousand  cans  of 
milk  daily  at  prices  above  the  contract  rate  of  the  large 
dealers  for  the  next  six  months.  Following  this,  one  of 
ilie  large  dealers  announced  an  advance  of  10c.  per  cwt. 
for  the  month  of  April  above  the  regular  scheduled  con- 
traet  price,  and  the  other  dealers  followed  the  same 
rule,  so  that  the  April  price  of  milk  is  10c.  per  cwt. 
above  the  scheduled  price.  This  makes  a  difference  of 
$120,000  to  the  milk  producers  for  tbe  month  of  April. 
Ten  cents  per  cwt.  is  not  a  large  advance  to  pro- 
dueers  who  are  selling  for  less  than  the  cost  of  produc¬ 
tion.  but  to  say  the  least  it  is  moving  in  the  right  direc- 
tin.  One  producer  expresses  it  in  this  way: 
I  was  amused  at  tlie  haste  the  dealers  in  this  section 
made  to  raise  the  wholesale  price  of  milk  10c  per  cwt. 
as  soon  as  the  Department  of  Foods  and  Markets  bad 
advertised  that  it  was  in  a  position  to  handle  one 
thousand  cans  per  day  at  better  than  contract  prices. 
They  threw  us  something  to  keep  us  quiet!  e.  w.  l. 
New  York, 
Farmers  producing  milk  for  the  Chicago  market,  re¬ 
cently  protested  against  the  price  that  they  were  re¬ 
ceiving  and  absolutely  refused  to  continue  to  supply 
inilk  at  the  Borden  price.  They  effected  very  strong  or¬ 
ganizations  and  refused  to  deliver  the  milk  at  the  old 
prices.  As  a  result  of  this  action,  the  price  was  ad¬ 
vanced  15c.  per  cwt.  for  Chicago.  This  brought  the 
Chicago  price  on  a  level  with  the  New  York  schedule. 
The  producers  for  the  Chicago  market  are  better  organ¬ 
ized  and  have  better  facilities  for  taking  care  of  the 
rnilk  in  their  local  stations,  and  having  tasted  of  this 
•dement  of  victory,  will  probably  pursue  it  later  for  a 
^t ill  further  advance. 
There  is  no  reason  for  the  present  prices  of  milk  in 
the  New  York  market,  except  habit  and  absolute  con¬ 
trol  of  the  distribution  by  an  organization  of  large 
dealers.  They  all  admit  that  the  producer  is  getting  too 
little;  that  he  should  get  more,  and  many  of  the  deal¬ 
ers  admit  that  at  some  seasons  of  the  year  at  least,  con¬ 
sumers  are  paying  too  much,  and  that  the  price  to  the 
consumer  should  he  reduced  in  seasons  of  surplus  to 
correspond  with  the  price  to  the  producer.  Just  now 
cheese  is  commanding  a  good  price,  butter  is  high  and 
There  has  been  little  change  in  the  apple  market 
during  the  past  week.  Prices  for  fancy  fruit  have  been 
good,  but  a  large  portion  of  tbe  stock  shows  decay 
and  scab  and  scald,  and  prices  are  ruling  ou  the  basis 
of  quality.  More  and  more  of  the  dealers  are  coming 
to  the  auction  market  with  their  fruit.  Several  such 
consignments  were  sold  for  dealers  last  week,  including 
some  boxed  apples  from  Virginia.  These  sold  as  high 
as  $1.50  per  box. 
The  potato  market  has  stiffened  a  little  during  the 
wevk.  The  advance  has  been  about  10c  a  sack  for 
best  State  grades;  prices  ruling  about  $3.25  to  $8.35 
on  best  States.  Some  of  tht?  State  potatoes  are  of  a. 
poor  quality,  showing  some  scab,  rot  and  disease,  and 
prices  ruled  downward  from  the  top.  according  to 
quality.  Idaho  potatoes  in  boxes,  weighing  56  lbs., 
fancy  stock,  carefully  graded  and  wrapped  in  paper,  are 
selling  as  high  as  $2.75  per  box.  These  potatoes  are 
little,  if  any  better  than  large  smooth  well-graded  State 
potatoes,  and  indeed  there  is  some  suspicion  that  a  por- 
toin  of  the  best  State  and  Maine  grades  get  into  boxes 
with  Idaho  labels.  The  situation  suggests  to  New  York 
growers  the  advantage  of  proper  grading  and  packing 
of  State  potatoes.  Boxes  containing  40  potatoes,  be¬ 
ing  an  average  of  nearly  1%  lbs.  each,  are  selling  at 
the  best  price. 
The  egg  situation  is  an  encouragement  for  producers. 
Prices  are  easily  three  cents  a  dozen  better  than  on 
tbe  corresponding  days  of  last  year.  Fresh,  high  qual¬ 
ity  State  eggs  are  now  bringing  25c.  and  eggs  are  be¬ 
ing  put  in  storage  at  23e  to  24c  from  Central  Western 
States.  Last  year  eggs  were  stored  from  ISc  to  22c, 
with  probably  an  average  of  less  than  20c.  Another  ad¬ 
vantage  to  the  producer  this  year  is  in  the  fact  that 
eggs  are  being  quoted  for  the  most  part  at  actual  sell¬ 
ing  prices.  The  Department  of  Foods  and  Markets  has 
kept  a  close  tab  on  prices  and  quotations,  and  issued" 
bulletins  to  the  city  papers  to  advise  consumers  of 
wholesale  and  retail  prices,  and  it  has  insisted  that 
the  price  currents  quote  eggs  at  their  actual  selliug 
price.  The  practice  heretofore  has  beeu  to  quote  a 
price  below  the  market,  and  excuse  the  practice  on  the 
ground  that  the  higher  prices  were  premiums.  Of 
course,  the  proper  quotation  for  eggs  is  the  price  at 
which  they  sell,  and  premiums  are  frauds  and  decep¬ 
tions. 
Fruit  sales  at  auction  were: 
APPLES. — 3  bbls.  Pomeroy  $2.45;  4  $1.70;  5  Rus¬ 
set  $1.65;  1  Pomeroy  $2.35;  1  $2.35;  1  Mixed  $1.85;  2 
$1.85;  4  Hubbardston  $1.95;  1  Small  Red  $2.10;  1 
bkt,  Small  Red  TOc;  3  Greening  50c*;  2  Greening  95c; 
3  Baldwin  50c;  1  Hubbardston  50c;  22  bbls.  Baldwin 
analyzed  was  made  at  ibis  or  some  other  creamery  was 
also  raised.  The  judge,  in  his  charge  to  the  jury,  held 
that  when  butter  was  manufactured  for  any  consider¬ 
able  length  of  time  with  an  excessive  amount  of  water, 
whether  by  intent  or  as  the  result  of  the  process  used, 
the  manufacturer  was  subject  to  the  tax. 
A  DEMONSTRATION  TRUCK.— On  May  2  a  two- 
ton  truck  equipped  with  spraying  apparatus,  chemicals 
and  a  pruning  outfit,  was  started  out  by  the  Depart¬ 
ment  of  Agriculture  cooperating  with  the  Farm  Bureau 
of  Albany  for  a  tour  through  12  townships  of  Albany 
and  Greene  Counties.  It  is  for  the  purpose  of  giving 
demonstrations  in  the  treatment  of  seed  oats  for  tbe 
prevention  of  smut,  treatment  of  potato  disease,  and 
the  spraying  and  pruning  of  orchards.  Win.  Ilotaling 
of  Kinderhook  and  II.  E.  Crouch,  manager  of  the  Al¬ 
bany  County  Farm  Bureau,  were  in  charge. 
NEW  METHOD  OF  GRAFT. — Grafting  grafts  is  a 
new  style  of  grafting  in  this  State.  Mr.  J.  R.  Palmeter 
of  Lakewood  and  Mr.  C.  L.  Policy  of  the  same  place 
are  reported  to  have  had  trees  in  their  orchards  cut 
back  at.  their  tops  for  scions  for  grafting  purposes,  the 
same  being  done  without  their  permission  or  couseut. 
In  other  words  some  miscreant  has  been  stealing  scions 
to  use  as  grafts  iu  other  orchards.  Tbe  trees  in  Mr. 
Palmeter’ s  orchard  were  "eider  apple  trees"  so  that  his 
loss  is  not  so  much  as  will  be  tbe  person's  into  whose 
the  scions  were  taken  from  the  best  trees,  but  if  used 
trees  the  natural  fruit  is  grafted.  In  the.  other  ease 
the  buyer  will  not  know  what  variety  he  is  getting. 
APPLE  SHIPPERS’  ASSOCIATION.  The  annual 
meeting  of  the  International  Apple  Shippers’  Asso¬ 
ciation  will  be  held  in  New  York  at  the  Hotel  Astor, 
some  time  iu  August.  This  was  decided  upon  at  a 
meeting  of  the  executive  committee  last  week.  It  is 
announced  that  the  apple  exhibit  will  be  a  large  one. 
J.  w.  n. 
Grain  Notes  by  Experts 
B.  Wr.  Snow  reports  abandoned  Winter  wheat  area 
of  3,783,000  acres.  leaving  33,473,000  for  harvest;  con¬ 
dition  79.1,  against  90.1  last  year.  Ou  this  basis  Win¬ 
ter  wheat  crop  is  estimated  at  492.000,000  bushels. 
Spring  seeding  is  very  late  and  10.6  per  eeut.  reduced 
from  last  year. 
Stocks  in  store  at  some  large  ports  of  this  country 
are:  New  York  wheat.  2.120,600  bushels;  corn,  254,- 
000;  oats,  791,000:  barley.  735.000;  rv*\  98,000.  Phila¬ 
delphia.  wheat.  478.000:  corn,  845.000;  oats,  261,000; 
rye,  102,000;  barley.  88,000.  Chicago,  wheat,  4,319- 
000 ;  corn,  8,340.000;  oats,  3.001.000;  barley.  890.000; 
rye,  66,000.  Baltimore,  wheat.  1.601,000;  'corn.  444,- 
000;  outs,  499,000:  barie.v,  183.000;  rye.  801.000. 
The  Government  estimate  for  April  1  puts  the  Win¬ 
ter  wheat  condition  at  78.3  per  cent,  of  normal,  against 
88.8  last,  year,  and  87.3,  the  average  for  10  years.  This 
would  indicate  a  yield  of  495,000,000  bushel's,  or  nearly 
60,000,000  less  than  last  year. 
R.ve  is  87.8.  compared  with  89.5  last  year  and  the 
average  of  89.9  for  10  years. 
