CAe  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
1099 
Farmers  and  the  Milk  Investigation 
Committee 
What  They  Want  Done 
DUTIES  OF  THE  COMMITTEE. — The  Wicks  in¬ 
vestigation  committee  is  attracting  more  attention  from 
farmers  than  any  other  that  has  been  appointed  in  many 
years.  If  it  does  not  succeed  in  doing  something  for 
tin-  real  benefit  of  agriculture  I  believe  there  will  Ije 
vehement  denunciations  somewhere.  Then*  is  a  wide 
diversity  of  opinion  in  respect  to  its  real  purposes  and 
intents,  but  T  am  of  the  opinion  that  farmers  are  in¬ 
clined  to  give  it  credit  for  loyalty  of  purpose.  That 
being  so  there  will  he  the  more  keen  disappointment  if 
it  fails.  Farmers  hove  a  share  of  responsibility  for  its 
success  to  be  sure,  but  I  doubt  if  they  are  generally 
equipped  to  offer  any  considerable  advice  or  suggestion, 
since  they  have  all  they  can  do  to  keep  their  heads 
above  water  in  matters  of  farming,  without  giving  time 
to  the  intricate  affairs  of  an  investigation.  It  is  the 
committee’s  duty  to  go  after  the  facts,  not  to  wait  for 
the  facts  to  come  to  them.  For  the  committee  to  say 
that,  they  held  hearings  and  farmers  did  not  bring  in 
needed  facts  will  not  save  them  from  criticism  if  they 
fail  to  develop  the  case  that  every  farmer  knows  should 
be  brought  out  strongly, 
SOME  DISADVANTAGES.— Reports  that  come  to 
us  indicate  some  failure  to  get  at  ground  truths,  but 
this  may  be  in  the  failure  of  the  report  rather  than  in 
the  work  of  the  committee.  The  hearings  held  up-State 
are  at  a  time  so  far  when  it  is  next,  to  impossible  for 
farmers  to  attend,  but  that  does  not  mean  necessarily 
that  the  facts  needed  are  not  obtained.  It.  only  in¬ 
creases  the  doubt.  Other  hearings  may  be  held  later, 
and  other  and  more  important  items  reported.  It  is 
said  and  repeated  many  times  in  the  press  that  one- 
third  of  the  farmers  are  making  good  money.  The  in¬ 
ference  appears  to  be  that,  these  are  the  right  kind  of 
farmers,  while  the  other  two-thirds  who  come  out  even 
or  are  falling  behind  have  only  themselves  to  blame. 
This  is  only  inference,  and  may  not  be  the  mind  of  the 
committee.  There  is  a  suspicion  that  this  may  be  their 
view.  If  it  is,  then  they  are  getting  an  incorrect  im¬ 
pression.  They  ought  to  know  wliaf.  special  advalatagi  s 
tin*  third  have  that  enable  them  to  make  while  others 
lose.  It  may  be  better  health,  a  larger  capital,  superior 
activity,  or  a  dozen  or  so  other  items  or  combination 
of  items  that  make  them  more  prosperous.  I  am  not 
asking  that  every  man  with  inferior  abilities,  a  heavy 
drag  somewhere  or  real  laziness  should  be  enabled  to 
make  big  money  or  any  money  in  farming,  but  I  do 
believe  that  any  man  with  energy,  industry,  economy 
and  fair  ability  should  be  able  to  make  n  living  and  a 
little  saving  from  his  business.  Wo  do  not  expect  the 
small  country  banker  to  go  back  in  bis  business  simply 
because  lie  hasn’t  the  ability  or  the  opportunity  of 
Morgan.  It  is  not  expected  that  be  make  the  large 
fortune  of  the  leader,  but  we  all  know  that  banks  hon¬ 
estly  and  faithfully  administered  are  profitable.  Why 
not  fanning? 
EDT  CATIONAL  TRAINING. — Another  item  that 
seenis  to  be  made  prominent  and  may  influence  the  com¬ 
mittee  is  the.  matter  of  education.  I  am  for  education. 
There  are  statistics  which  tend  to  show  that  high  school 
or  college  men  make  more  money  than  do  those  with 
less  educational  training.  Statistics  have  been  classed 
with  other  lies,  but  wo  must  depend  upon  statistics  for 
all  that.  The  problem  is  to  make  statistics  tell  truths 
rather  than  falsehoods.  Their  interpretation  is  of  much 
importance.  In  the  first  place  the  high  school  gradu¬ 
ate  seldom  goes  to  farming,  even  if  brought  up  on  a 
farm.  As  for  the  college  graduate.  I  have  known  but 
three  or  four  who  were  farmers.  They  almost  all  say 
that  they  can  make  more  motley  somewhere  else,  and 
they  like  it  better  in  some  other  calling.  Tlmse  who 
do  farm  it  are  usually  better  circumstanced  than  those 
who  did  not  have  the  education.  Their  circumstances 
gave  them  the  education,  Reiter  circumstances  give 
them  better  profits  in  farming  if  they  apply  themselves 
as  well.  They  may  be  better  able  to  take  advantage  of 
opportunities  than  men  with  less  education,  and  as 
stated  above.  I  am  for  education.  It  is  not  perfectly 
clear  that  considerable  education  makes  a  man  a  better 
farmer  than  the  one  who  has  a  moderate  education.' 
Get  the  best  education  you  can.  but  do  not  be  discour¬ 
aged  if  the  best  that  you  can  get  is  loss  than  some  one 
else  finds  possible.  It  isn’t  proven  yet  that  classics 
make  grass  grow,  or  make  cows  give  milk.  I  wouldn't 
advise  the  committee  to  put  too  much  dependence  upon 
educational  appropriations  for  the  immediate  relief  of 
the  farmer.  Rotter  opportunities,  larger  capital  or 
more  money  in  legacies  may  put  one  in  bettor  circum¬ 
stances.  and  may  even  enable  one  to  make  a  larger 
labor  income,  us  well  ns  to  enable  him  to  get  a  better 
education. 
TIIE  FEED  DEALER’S  SHARE.— It  is  by  no 
means  clear  that  the  feed  dealer  may  not  come  off 
easier  in  this  inquiry  than  he  should.  I  am  not  pre¬ 
pared  to  say  whether  it  is  the  feed  dealer  or  the  milk 
dealer  that  makes  the  most  off  the  usual  dairy  farm. 
The  latter  does  the  most  business  and  so  gets  more  iu 
the  aggregate,  but  which  exacts  the  larger  toll  from  the 
dairyman  is  more  of  a  question.  Something  has  been 
said  about  feeds  to  the  Committee,  but  reports  indicate 
that  the  feed  man  has  so  vehemently  denied  any  con¬ 
siderable  profit  that  he  may  escape  some  of  the  sus¬ 
picion  that  might  otherwise  attach  to  him.  lie  is  some¬ 
times  a  member  of  the  chamber  of  commerce,  which  as¬ 
sists  and  possibly  controls  the  working  of  the  farm 
bureau  organization,  and  as  such  lie  may  get  off  rather 
easy  in  the  hearing.  The  fact  that  he  is  aided  by  a 
powerful  organization  of  feed  dealers  that  has  under¬ 
taken  to  say  who  may  buy  of  the  jobbers  and  whole¬ 
salers  and  who  may  not  buy  of  them  gives  him  an  air 
of  suspicion.  Then  the  large  profits  that  he  is  known 
to  make,  far  in  excess  of  the  service  he  is  rendering, 
seem  to  indicate  that  he  is  in  need  of  investigation. 
Especially  is  this  true  of  the  attempts  to  control  trade 
and  prices  through  organization.  It  has  been  sug¬ 
gested  that  the  organization’s  activities  in  control  of 
trade  might  well  be  an  object  of  inquiry  of  some  local 
district  attorney,  and  the  committee  may  be  able  to 
throw  open  the  way  for  such  an  inquiry.  If  the  feed 
dealers  in  the  country  districts  are  making  half  or  a 
quarter  as  much  on  each  farm  without  doing  any  work 
there  as  the  farmer  can  get  by  working  hard,  and  this 
seems  to  be  about  the  way  the  thing  figures,  tlnm  the 
dealer  is  making  too  much  or  the  farmer  too  little. 
Very  likely  it  is  both.  Where  the  feed  dealer  clears  up 
four  or  five  thousand  a  year  besides  interest,  expenses 
and  two  or  three  dollars  a  day  for  a  living,  it  looks  large 
to  the  farmer  who  gets  less  than  a  dollar  a  day  for  hi 3 
work  and  says  nothing  about  additional  profits.  To 
be  sure  the  dealer  makes  a  lively  complaint  about  long 
credits  and  bad  debts,  and  1  am  sure  there  is  some¬ 
thing  in  it  where  the  dealer  gets  in  for  all  the  trade  he 
can  get.  but  it  is  his  own  business.  Long  credits  are 
not  necessary  ;md  are  given  only  for  the  purpose  of 
additional  orofit.  A  cash  business  within  reasonable 
limits  would  be  better  for  the  farmer.  The  dealer  can 
hold  a  man  better  if  he  has  his  name  on  the  books.  I 
find  that  farmers  are  looking  at  these  points  consider¬ 
ably,  and  w  ill  be  disappointed  if  the  committee  does  not 
go  into  them  fully.  11.  h.  l. 
The  Figures  of  Milk  Farming 
I  believe  the  farmer  is  not  getting  enough  for  his 
milk.  In  our  neighborhood  we  receive  an  average  price 
of  about  $1 .70  a  hundred,  T  think  a  fair  price  would 
be  $-.15  to  $2.25,  and  a  good  duirymun  could  make  a 
fair  profit  on  this.  F.  I).  Spencer  in.  bis  article  on 
page  1055  does  not  manage  his  farm  to  get  the  most 
from  it  as  a  milk  proposition.  He  has  a  hundred  acres 
and  only  12  cows.  He  could  support  12  more  at  least, 
pay  $250  more  for  labor,  $300  or  $400  more  for  feed 
with  a  slight  increase  j u  taxes,  interest,  etc.,  and  show 
a  profit  of  $000  to  $750  a  year  on  an  investment  of 
about  $0,000.  1  do  not  think  this  is  a  good  example  of 
a  well-run  dairy  farm  to  put  before  a  commission 
though  I  am  afraid  it  is  an  example  of  a  great  many 
attempts  at  dairy  farming. 
There  are  side  lines  in  farming  such  as  chickens, 
apples,  potatoes,  etc.,  which  help  materially  and  the 
farm  should  be  run  with  side  lines  to  get  full  value 
from  the  manure  which  must  he  credited  to  the  milk. 
Mr.  Spencer’s  interest  charges  are  so  small  I  believe  :t 
comfortable  living  can  be  made  on  it  if  land  is  of  fail- 
quality.  LLOYI)  TAYLOR. 
Orange  Co.,  N.  Y. 
I  just  read  with  interest,  on  page  1055.  the  state¬ 
ment  made  by  Fred  1>.  Spencer  and  note  that  Mr.  Spen¬ 
cer  is  above  the  average  farmer.  A  good  100-acre  farm 
here  is  worth  about.  $5,000.  He  states  he  received 
$110. SO  per  cow.  while  the  average  cow  is  about  $80. 
Also,  his  taxes  are  about  $25.  I  have  a  70-acre  farm; 
ray  school  tax  $25,  State  and  county  tax  and  road  about 
*30,  making  over  $50,  and  I  use  about  $100  per  year  to 
keep  buildings  good.  I  think  Mr.' Spencer  would  be 
more  Ilian  $10.40  behind  and  be  out  a  hard  year's  work. 
Afton,  N.  Y.  v.  e.  0. 
Mr.  Spencer’s  paper  as  given  on  page  1055  probably 
omits  one  or  two  items.  lie  gives  the  loss  of  one  cow 
$75.  and  depreciation  of  stock  an  additional  $75.  Was 
there  no  live  stock  increase,  no  calves?  Feed  is 
charged  at  $301.28.  Does  this  include  the  silage  corn, 
oats,_or  hay  raised  on  the  farm?  Hay  $20  a  ton.  corn 
at  $5,  etc.  Those  are  market  values,  or  what  it  would 
cost.  Mr.  Spencer  were  he  to  buy  them.  Sometimes  he 
probably  does  this. 
As  to  tlw*  unknown  credit  which  Mr.  Spencer  wishes 
to  determine.  It  is  a  good  rule  to  estimate  this  by  as¬ 
suming  he  does  not  live  on  the  farm  and  rents  a  house  - 
nearby  at.  $10  a  mouth,  and  buys  some  of  the  supplies 
from  his  form,  such  as  milk,  vegetables,  eggs,  chickens, 
fruit,  etc.  These  would  probably  amount  to  another 
$1.0  n  month,  or  a  total  of  $240  a  year. 
It  cau  readily  be  seen  Mr.  Spencer  is  losing  much 
more  than  the  $19.49.  It  is  nearer  $200,  He  has  done 
remarkably  well.  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  the  milk 
producers  should  receive  not  less  than  40c  more  a  hun¬ 
dred  pounds. 
I  must  take  exception  to  Mr.  Spencer’s  statement 
that  his  Farmers'  Union  has  a  strong  membership, 
when  "not  over  10  dairymen”  were  present  at.  the  hear¬ 
ing.  Don’t  stop  your  efforts  until  the  40c  a  hundred 
increase  is  obtained.  There  are  more  ways  than  one 
to  accomplish  it.  u.  l.  paddock. 
Putnam  Co.,  N.  Y. 
Notes  from  Department  of  Foods  and 
Markets 
204  Franklin  St.,  New  York  City 
EGGS. — This  week’s  egg  market  has  been  a  trying 
one  because  of  the  torrid  weather;  eggs  that  would 
bring  top  prices  under  ordinary  conditions  were  so 
heated  that  they  had  to  sell  from  two  to  four  cents  per 
dozen  below  the  highest  price  on  cool,  new  laid  stock. 
In  spitt^  of  this  the  Department  realized  10  cents  on 
about  75  per  cent,  of  the  white  eggs  received. 
POULTRY. — Poultry  has  been  active,  especially  broil¬ 
ers.  Our  sales  have  been  from  22  to  2(5  cents  per 
pound.  One  fancy  lot  brought  30  cents.  Fowls  sold 
from  17  to  21  cents. 
CALVES. — Veal  calves  are  extremely  h.igh  with 
fancy  selling  up  to  19%  to  20  cents,  while  heavy  veals 
sold  from  17  to  19  cents. 
POTATOES. — There  was  a  sharp  advance  on  po¬ 
tatoes  from  nil  sections.  Sales  at  first  of  week  were 
$2.50  to  $2.75,  but  market  advanced  to  $3  at.  the  close, 
with  fancy  Long  Island  reaching  $3.25  to  $2,50.  Jer¬ 
sey  Giants  sold  from  $2.25  to  $2.50  per  1(55  pound  bag, 
but  advanced  to  $2.85  while  sales  on  Maryland  pota¬ 
toes  at  first  of  week  were  generally  from  $2.25  to 
$2.37%  per  barrel. 
TOMATOES. — The  market  has  boon  demoralized  on 
Jersey  tomatoes,  some  selling  as  low  as  10  to  15  cents 
per  basket  or  crate,  while  n  great  many  were  condemned 
by  the  health  inspectors  and  dumped.  Some  Keyport 
Acme  sold  at  75c  to  $1,  but  50  to  75c  was  top  on 
South  Jersey  Acme,  with  common  Grant  selling  down 
to  10  to  25  cents  per  crate. 
CELERY. — Well  bleached  State  celery  sold  from  50 
to  75  cents  per  dozen  roots,  but  small  green  as  low 
as  15  to  25  cents  per  dozen. 
ONIONS. — About  10  carloads  of  California  and 
IN  ashington  onions  were  here  this  week  which  upset 
the  market  on  native.  Orange  County  reds  sold  from 
75  cents  to  $1.25  per  basket ;  yellow  brought  from  $1 
to  $l,o0. 
PEACHES. — Wo  sold  one  straight  car  of  West  Vir¬ 
ginia  Mountain  Rose  on  Monday  from  $2.25  to  $3,  per 
carrier;  14-quart  baskets  75  cents.  Jersey  peaches  sold 
from  $1.25  to  $2  per  carrier  with  extra  fancy  higher. 
APPLES.— Apple  market  is  active  and  firm  on  fancy 
large  hand-picked.  Many  shipped  this  week  in  double 
lmad  barrels^  arrived  partly  cooked,  and  sold  from  75 
cents  to  $1.50  per  barrel,  while  same  grade  in  ventil¬ 
ated  packages  brought  from  $3  to  $3,50  per  barrel. 
Riisliel  baskets  sold  generally  from  $1  to  $1.75. 
PEARS. — The  first  Germantown  Clapp's  Favorite 
arrived  this  week  and  brought  $0.50  to  $7  in  standard 
barrels.  Roll  pears  sold  from  $3  to  $4.50  per  barrel. 
There  are  a  few  Rartletts  arriving  from  Jersey,  and 
selling  from  $0  to  $7  per  barrel. 
CHERRIES. — A  few  sour  cherries  sold  at  extreme 
prices,  some  at  $0  per  32-quart  crate.  Late  Oswego 
raspberries  sold  generally  from  $3.50  to  $4.50  per  crate 
and  second  crop  from  Jersey  sold  from  four  to  10  cents 
per  pint. 
Summary  of  sales  of  miscellaneous  farm  products 
during  the  week  ending  August  10th,  1910: 
77% 
cases  . . 
8 
cases  .  . 
16 
cases  .  . 
2 
cases  .  . 
0 
cases  ..  . 
9 
cases  . .  . 
20% 
cases  .  . . 
11 
cases  .  . 
3% 
cases  . . . 
0 
0 
cases  . . . 
10 
cases  ..  . 
7 
1 
cases  . . . 
ease  •  - • 
0 
cases  . . . 
1 
case  . .  . 
$0.40 
.39 
.38 
.37 
.36 
case 
cases 
cases 
case 
.27 
.20 
.25% 
180  cases. 
115  lbs . 
BUTTER. 
9  lbs . 
124  lbs. 
1  calf,  125  lbs. 
DRESSED  MEATS. 
1  calf.  115  lbs.  . 
1  calf.  65  lbs.  ,  . 
72  lbs.  rabbits  .  . 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
54  lbs.  ducks  . 
POULTRY. 
$0.18% 
.19 
.10 
$0.19 
20  lhs.  old  cocks  .  . 
$0.19 
.15 
500  lbs. 
1889  lbs. 
775  lbs. 
078  lbs. 
108  lbs. 
207  lbs. 
4103  lbs. 
74  lbs. 
108  lbs. 
439  lbs. 
183  lbs. 
033  lbs. 
470  lbs. 
440  lbs. 
2347  lbs. 
.21 
20 
.19 
.18% 
.18 
.17 
broilers 
broilers 
broilers 
broilers 
broilers 
broilers 
broilers 
VEGETABLES. 
Y  xavj  IU  A  -rVXOjLaXLO. 
43  bids,  potatoes  . $2.50 
172  bbls.  potatoes  .  2.37% 
01  bbls.  potatoes  .  2.25 
11  bbls.  potatoes  . ’  2M0 
2  bbls.  potatoes  . 1.25 
289  bbls. 
IS  bags  potatoes  .  2.25 
27  bags  potatoes  . "  [  2il2% 
4  bags  potatoes  . 1.25  " 
49  bags. 
50  baskets  tomatoes  .  75 
o  baskets  tomatoes  . . 
7  baskets  tomatoes  .  [40 
15  baskets  tomatoes  . [  .  ‘35 
40  baskets  tomatoes  . '30 
9  baskets  tomatoes  . .  ’  .10  2- 
126  baskets. 
1  crate  tomatoes  .  00 
7  bunches  celery  . .05 
38  bunches  celery  . . 
52  bunches  elcery  .  ’50 
14  bunches  celery  . .35 
24  hunches  celery  .  '05 
4  hunches  celery  . j  [40 
12  bunches  Celery  . 4,c> 
10  bunches  celery  . . 
1G1  bunches. 
1  basket  onions  .  1.75 
2  crates  okra  . .  . 1.37^ 
1  crate  okra  .  105 
baskets  peppers  . 
baskets  peppers  . 
baskets  peppers  . 
baskets  Lima  beaus  . 
baskets  beans  . 
baskets  beans  . 
hampers  string  beans  ..'... 
bags  beans,  292  lbs.,  per  lb. 
basket  peas  . 
basket^  pens  . 
baskets  peas  . . . 
bags  peas  . 
bags  peas  . 
1.75 
1.37% 
1.25 
1.00 
.00 
.75 
1.75 
1.75 
1.00 
.90 
.09 
1.75 
1.25 
1.12% 
1.25 
.75 
caches  . 
peaches 
peaches 
caches  . 
peaches 
peaches 
peaches 
peaches 
peaches 
peaches 
peaches 
FRUIT. 
.81% 
318  crates. 
50  baskets 
20  baskets 
15  baskets 
peaches 
peaches 
peaches 
S5  baskets. 
2  baskets  apples  .  I.75 
11  baskets  apples  .  .  l’.qo 
3  baskets  apples  .  1.40 
25  baskets  apples  .  1-37% 
71  baskets  apples  .  1.25  ~ 
baskets  apples  . .  L12% 
baskets  apples  . .  R00 
baskets  apples  .  j>0 
apples 
19  baskets  apples  . 80 
(Continued  on  page  1115.) 
