S»e  RURAL.  NEW-VORKER 
1476 
The  Milk  Situation 
SHORT  SUPPLY. — Milk  is  again  short  in  New 
York.  At  the  present  time  the  supply  is  not  equal  to 
the  demand.  Any  co-operative  associations  with  pas¬ 
teurizing  plants  can  make  a  contract  now  for  their  sup¬ 
ply  through  the  Department  of  Foods  and  Markets.  The 
Department  desires  that  the  whole  legislation  concern¬ 
ing  the  distribution  of  milk  should  he  revised  during 
the  coming  Winter,  and  it  is  time  to  commence  to  con¬ 
sider  the  proposition  and  to  outline  policies. 
METHODS  OF  SCORING.— Our  present  plan  of 
scoring  barns  and  methods  is  n.  farce  if  it  is  not  any¬ 
thing  worse.  It  serves  very  effectively  to  save  the 
dealers  10c  a  hundred  on  40  per  cent,  to  50  per  cent,  of 
the  milk  produced.  If  it  serves  any  other  purpose  no 
one  1ms  yet  discovered  what  that  purpose  is.  In  the 
first  place  everyone  admits  that  milk  classed  at  the 
farm  as  O  milk  is  in  every  way  equal,  and  at  times 
superior  to  the  milk  classed  as  B  milk ;  and  again  by 
sort  of  a  charm  or  magic  that  no  one  has  been  able  to 
define,  C  milk  at  the  farm  becomes  R  milk  in  the  city, 
and  B  milk  at  the  farm  becomes  A  milk  in  the  city. 
The  Wicks  Committee  found  a  shipping  station  in 
Ulster  County  last  week  where  only  three  patrons  get 
the  regular  prices  for  their  milk.  They  are  classified 
ns  B.  All  of  the  other  patrons,  nearly  110  of  them,  are 
classed  ns  C  and  get  10c  a  hundred  less,  and  all  over  the 
State  this  C  milk  and  B  milk  from  the  farms  is  dumped 
together  into  one  vat  and  by  the  magic  influence  of 
that  container  the  dealers  are  able  to  draw  B  milk  and 
A  milk,  tuberculin-tested  A  milk,  raw,  Sealected,  Crown 
Seal  milk  and  Ilomer  milk,  and  all  the  other  varieties 
of  milk  known  to  the  New  York  public.  The  only  dif¬ 
ference  in  these  brands  is  the  printing  on  the  different 
caps  that  are  used  to  close  the  bottles,  and  a  further 
difference  of  from  two  to  three  cents  per  quart  for  the 
family  who  wants  the  best  and  is  willing  to  pay  for  it, 
The  caps  for  bottles,  however,  are  interchangeable. 
They  are  stamped  with  the  day  of  the  week,  and  it  :s 
expected  that  the  labels  shall  indicate  the  day  on  which 
it  was  pasteurized,  but  investigation  shows  that  it  is  a 
general  practice  when  milk  is  returned  by  the  route 
wagon,  to  remove  the  Monday  cap  ami  put  on  one  with 
a  Tuesday  or  Wednesday  stamp,  and  back  goes  the 
three  days’  old  milk  to  the  customer  again.  It  is  also 
found  that  the  A  caps  and  the  It  caps  and  the  Raw 
caps,  are  being  constantly  interchanged  to  meet,  the  ex¬ 
pediency  of  the  men  who  are  delivering  the  milk. 
These  things  now  having  been  made  known  cannot  be 
permitted  to  continue. 
]. — We  need  a  regulation  to  take  the  place  of  the 
scoring  of  barns  and  milk  at  the  farms.  We  want 
suggestions  on  this  from  practical  milk  producers. 
2.  — Everybody  knows  by  this  time  that  the  methods  of 
testing  milk  for  butter  fat  are  defective  in  method  and 
fraudulent  in  practice.  We  must  have  another  method, 
or  n  better  supervision  of  the  practice  of  determining 
butter  fat.  We  want  practical  suggestions  on  this. 
3.  — It  is  important  to  the  producer,  as  well  as  the 
consumer,  that  milk  should  be  standardized.  That  it 
should  be-cleau,  wholesome,  and  that  it.  contain  a  rea¬ 
sonable  amount  of  solids,  and  butter  fat,  and  the  people 
who  pay  for  it  should  have  some  definite  guarantee  of 
its  quality  and  of  its  contents.  We  want  suggestions 
ns  to  how  this  should  be  effected. 
4.  — If  we  make  more  milk  than  the  demand  requires 
at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  we  waul  to  sell  it  to  the 
consumer  as  well  as  to  the  dealer  at  a  low  price,  so  as 
to  increase  the  consumption  and  absorb  the  surplus.  In 
seasons  when  we  are  making  less  milk  than  the  demand, 
we  want  a  reasonable  share  of  the  excess  price  caused 
by  the  short  supply.  We  don’t  want  the  dealer  to  get 
nil  the  benefit  of  this.  We  want  suggestions  as  to  how 
to  bring  this  about. 
5.  — We  want  to  stop  the  knocking  of  milk.  In  its 
place  wo  want,  to  create  a  demand  for  milk.  We  want 
the  people  to  know  the  food  value  of  milk.  We  want 
to  make  it  clean  and  wholesome  and  nutritious,  and  wo 
want  to  find  a  way  to  convince  the  people  that  it  is 
clean  and  wholesome  and  nutritious.  We  want  to  con- 
vince  them  that  it  is  the  cheapest  food  on  the  market 
today,  which  it  is.  We  want  to  make  regulations  to 
give  them  fresh  milk,  and  if  stale  milk  is  on  hand,  we 
waut  it  manufactured  into  butter  or  cheese.  We  need 
suggestions  as  to  how  to  bring  this  about. 
0. — We  need  an  open,  free,  competitive  wholesale 
market  for  milk  the  year  around.  We  need  an  agency 
whose  business  it  will  be  to  advertise  milk,  to  boost 
milk,  to  tell  the  truth  about  the  quality  of  milk,  to  see 
that  its  quality  and  standard  is  maintained,  and  to  sell 
milk.  We  would  like  suggestions  as  to  bringing  this 
about. 
EXPENSE  OF  DISTRIBUTION _ The  expense  of 
distributing  milk  has  been  unduly  increased.  It  has 
been  increased  by  carelessness  in  the  loss  of  cans; 
carelessness  in  the  loss  of  bottles;  extravagance  in  the 
duplication  of  service;  extravagant  and  criminal  prac¬ 
tice  in  the  methods  of  soliciting  trade,  and  the  bribery 
of  employees.  We  need  suggestions  for  correcting  this. 
THE  CITY  MARKET.— New  York  City  absorbs  on 
an  estimate  about  eighty  million  dollars’  worth  of  milk 
annually.  Metropolitan  districts,  of  course,  absorb  not 
more  than  50  per  cent,  of  the  milk  consumption  of  the 
State,  so  that  the  figures  estimated  here  may  he 
doubled  when  we  consider  the  consumption  of  the 
State  as  a  whole.  A  large  volume  of  milk  is  shipped 
to  the  city  and  again  shipped  out  of  the  city  to  distant 
points.  The  right  kind  of  an  agency  can  save  money 
in  the  handling  of  these  farm  shipments.  This  agency 
by  proper  business  methods  can  probably  develop  the 
consumption  of  milk  in  the  metropolitan  districts.  Less 
than  one  pint  a  day  is  used  now  in  half  the  neighbor¬ 
hoods  of  the  city.  When  the  people  are  satisfied  that 
they  can  get  it  fresh  and  clean  and  wholesome  at  a 
reasonable  price,  there  is  no  reason  in  the  world  why 
the.  consumption  should  not  be  doubled  and  a  double 
supply  demanded  from  the  farms  of  the  State,  It  is  no 
fancy  sketch.  Every  man  familiar  with  the  subject 
knows  that  it  is  a  possibility.  Every  thinking  man 
knows  what  the  effects  would  be  on  the  farms  of  the 
State,  and  the  increased  assets  it  would  bring,  not  only 
to  the  inhabitants  of  the  State  but  to  the  State  itself. 
Notes  from  Department  of  Foods  and 
Markets 
204  Franklin  St.,  New  York  City 
EGGS. — New  laid  eggs  are  very  scarce,  best  white 
hennery  sold  50c  to  72c;  fancy  State  and  nearby  brown 
40c ;  gathered  whites,  30c  to  03c. 
BETTER. — All  grades  higher.  Best  Western  cream¬ 
ery,  40c;  Western  good  to  fancy,  37c  to  30c;  finest  East¬ 
ern  dairy  in  tubs,  35c  to  38c;  Eastern  dairy  in  mixed 
packages,  31c  to  34c. 
CHEESE — Market  higher.  Finest  State  brought 
23c;  good  to  tine,  24e  to  24%c;  common  to  fair,  2le  to 
23  %c ;  State  part  skims,  15c  to  21c. 
LIVE  POULTRY. — Nearby  poultry  in  moderate  sup¬ 
ply  with  a  little  better  demand.  White  and  brown 
Leghorn  fowls  sold  from  15c  to  15%c;  light  colored 
fowls,  lfic ;  heavy  colored  fowls,  lHe;  chickens  in  fail- 
demand  selling  18c  to  19c  for  both  white  and  colored. 
DRESSED  POULTRY. — Stock  accumulating  under 
slow  demand.  Fowls,  16%c  to  lfic;  roosters,  16c; 
ducks.  21c  to  25c;  turkeys,  plentiful,  and  fancy  br  inging 
30c;  small  turkeys  lower,  selling  24c  to  25c-;  selected  old 
hens,  28c  to  29c;  old  toms,  25c  to  26c. 
LIVE  CALVES. — Live  calves  higher.  Fancy,  13c  to 
1  1  !4c ;  prime,  12%  to  12%;  common  to  good,  10%  to 
12%r- ;  culls,  8c  to  fic ;  buttermilks,  6c  to  7c;  yearlings, 
6c  to  0%c. 
DRESSED  CALVES. — Moderate  receipts  with  active 
demand;  prices  higher.  Prime  to  fancy,  19%c  to  20c; 
medium  to  good,  17c  to  lfic;  common  15c  to  16c  but¬ 
termilk,  12c  to  14c. 
LIVE  snEEP.  LAMBS  AND  PIGS.— Live  Spring 
lambs,  11%  to  I2%c ;  old  ewes,  5c  to  6% c;  roasting 
pigs,  10  to  15  pounds  each,  per  pound,  17c;  15  to  20 
pounds  each.  15c  to  16c;  25  to  35  pounds  each,  14c  lo 
15c;  light  pigs,  40  to  60  pounds,  14  to  14%c;  hogs,  80 
to  100  pounds.  1 3c  to  1  .“>'/>  e  ;  light  and  heavy  hogs  per 
100  pounds,  89.80  to  8 1 0. 
DRESSED  PIGS  AND  IIOGS.— Pigs,  30  to  50 
pounds,  lie  to  14%c;  hogs,  30  to  50  pounds,  14c  to 
14 %e ;  80  to  120  pounds,  12c  to  12%c;  125  to  150 
pounds,  lie  to  12c;  150  to  200  pounds,  lie  to  ll%c; 
over  200  pounds,  10%e  to  11c. 
RABBITS.- — Live  Belgian  hares,  15c  to  18c.;  cotton¬ 
tails,  prime,  30c  to  35c  per  pair;  prime  jack  rabbits, 
75e  to  $1  per  pair. 
IIONEY. — Fancy  clover  comb  honey,  14c  to  15c; 
clover  comb  common  to  good,  11c  to  13c;  clover  ex¬ 
tracted,  6%c  to  7%C;  buckwheat  comb,  lie  to  12c; 
buckwheat  extracted,  0%c  to  7c.  Maple  syrup,  $1  to 
81.25  per  gallon. 
NUTS. — Southern  chestnuts,  per  60  pounds,  87  to 
89.50;  State  and  l’enn.,  per  60  pounds,  $11  to  $13; 
hickory  nuts,  per  60  pounds,  $2.50  to  $4;  bull  nuts, 
per  bushel,  $1.50  to  $2.50;  black  walnuts,  per  bushel, 
$1.25. 
APPLES. — Fancy  apples  continue  high.  Low  grade 
apples  continue  in  good  supply  and  selling  at  irregular 
prices.  McIntosh,  $4  to  $6.50;  Northern  Spy,  $4  to  $6; 
Jonathan,  $3.50  to  $6.25;  Twenty  Ounce,  $3  to  $5; 
Alexander,  $3  to  $4.50;  King.  $2  to  $4;  Snow.  $3  t.» 
$5;  Ilnhhardston,  $2.50  to  $3;  Spitzenburg,  $4  to  $6.50; 
Ben  Davis,  $1.50  to  $3;  Winesap.  $3  to  $5;  New  York 
State  fancy  Baldwin,  $4  to  $4.30;  A  gradu  Baldwins, 
$2  to  $3.75;  B  grade  Baldwins.  $1.50  to  $2.50;  un¬ 
graded  Baldwiu,  $1.50  to  $2.50 ;  fancy  Greening,  $4  to 
$5.50;  A  grade  Greening,  $3  to  $4.50;  B  grade  Green¬ 
ing,  $1.50  to  $2.50;  ungraded  Greening,  $1.75  to  $2. 
POTATOES — Market  easy;  prices  continue  high. 
Long  Island,  per  barrel,  $5  to  $6;  Maine,  180  pounds 
hulk,  $5  to  $5.35;  Maine  Cobbler,  165  pound  bag,  $4.80 
to  $4.90;  Maine  Green  Mountain,  165-pound  bag,  $4.80 
to  $5;  Jersey,  165-pound  bag,  $4  to  $5;  Virginia  sec 
ond  crop,  $4.50  to  $5;  Virginia  sweet  potatoes,  $1.25  to 
$2.50  per  barrel;  Jersey,  $1.25  to  $1.35  per  basket. 
BEANS. — Marrow,  1916  crop,  12%  to  13c;  Marrow, 
1915  crop.  12%c  to  12  %c;  Pea,  12c;  Red  Kidney, 
choice  1916  crop,  13c;  Red  Kidney,  1915  crop,  ll%c  t.. 
12c;  Imperial.  1915  crop,  10c. 
Summary  of  sales  of  miscellaneous  farm  products 
during  the  week  ending  November  the  15th,  1916; 
EGGS. 
1% 
2 
case  . 
$0  70 
cases  . . . 
. 69 
3 
cases  . 
68 
2 
eases  . 
f»7 
i 
case  . 
66 
3% 
cases  . 
1 
ease  . 
64 
1 
ease  . 
63 
9 
eases  . 
6** 
9 
•ml 
cases  . 
. 60 
*> 
cases  . 
. 58 
1 
case  . 
.57 
. 
1  ease . 54 
5 
VttftC  »  . 
eases  . 
.  •  .  .  ,Ut> 
52 
m 
eases  . 
. 50 
7” 
cases  . 
48 
6 
cases  . 
. 46 
71/ 
4-, 
A 
0 
cases  . 
42 
1 
case  . . 
41 
%  case  .. 
. 40 
1 
case  .. 
. 39 
3%  cases  . 37 
14  S,  duck  eggs . 42 
POULTRY. 
494  lbs.  broilers  . ...$0.20 
441  lbs.  broilers . , .  .19 
372  lbs.  broilers  . 18 
135  lbs.  broilers  . 17 
557  lbs.  fowl  . 18 
329  lbs.  fowl  . 17 
301  lbs.  fowl  . 16 
122  lbs.  fowl  . 19 
31  lbs.  fowl  . 21 
1743  lbs.  fowl  . 15 
60  lbs.  ducks  . 18 
69  lbs.  ducks  .  . 16 
16  lbs.  guinea  hens  . 
DRESSED  MEATS. 
182  lbs.  calves  . 
559  lbs.  calves  . 
108  lbs.  calves  . 
157  lbs.  calves  . 
62  lbs.  calves  . 
1  liver  . . 
1  box  livers  . 
78  lbs.  pigs  . 
.  1.50 
$0.18% 
.IS 
.19 
•17% 
.15 
.60 
1.35 
•14% 
1150  1b8.  cattle  . .  4.00 
2650  lbs.  cattle  .  5.60 
93  lbs. 
3567  lbs. 
1194  lbs. 
RUTTER. 
. $0.33% 
. 32 
. 28 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
27  lbs.  chestnuts,  bushel  . 12.50 
70  lbs.  chestnuts,  bushel  . 13.50 
376  lbs.  hiekor.vnuts,  bushel .  4.50 
1  No.  2  horse  hide  .  6.00 
1  cut  horse  hide  . .  3.25 
VEGETABLES. 
1  hhl.  potatoes  . $5.00 
3  bids,  potatoes  . 4.75 
1033  bids,  potatoes  .  3.00 
5  bids,  cabbage  . .  2.00 
1  bbl.  cauliflower  .  2.00 
3  bbls.  cauliflower  .  1.50 
2  bags  onions  .  1.62% 
30  bags  turnips  . 75 
10  crates  cranberries  . 1.50 
FRUIT. 
5  bbls.  pears  . . . 
4  bbls.  pears  . 
2  bibs,  pears  . . 
3  bbls.  pears  . 
20  bbls,  pears  . 
5  bbls.  pears  . 
5  bbls.  pears  . 
24  bids,  pears  . 
19  bbls.  pears  . 
16  bbls.  pears  . 
27  bbls,  pears  . 
10  bbls.  pears  . 
24  bbls.  pears  . . . 
6  bbls.  pears  . 
3  bbls.  pears  . 
4  bbls.  pears  . 
11  baskets  pears  . 
1  crate  pears  . 
2  crates  pears  . 
4  boxes  pears  . 
5  bbls.  apples  . 
2  bbls.  apples  . 
2  bbls.  apples  . 
11  bbls.  apples  . 
24  bbls.  apples  . 
39  bbls.  apples  . 
64  bbls.  apples  . 
98  libls,  apples  . 
57  libls.  apples  . 
62  libls.  apples  . 
45  libls.  apples  . 
4  bbls.  apples  . 
10  bbls.  ripples  . 
7  bbls.  apples  . 
4  bbls.  apples  . 
3  bbls.  apples  . 
8  baskets  apples  . 
2  baskets  apples  . 
12  baskets  apples  . 
18  baskets  apples  . 
3  baskets  apples  . 
5  baskets  apples  . 
3  baskets  apples  . 
27  baskets  apples  . 
5  baskets  apples  . 
1  box  crab  apples  . 
$4.00 
3.75 
3.50 
2.50 
2.25 
2.00 
1.80 
1.75 
1.62% 
1.60 
1.50 
1.40 
1.25 
1.37% 
1.00 
.75 
.44% 
3.50 
2.00 
3.00 
5.00 
4.00 
3.50 
3.62% 
3.25 
3.00 
2.75 
2.50 
2.25 
2.00 
1.75 
1.50 
1.87% 
1.40 
1.25 
.75 
1.50 
1.35 
1.00 
.75 
.66  2-3 
.65 
.60 
.50 
.40 
.75 
Government  Crop  Figures 
A  summary  of  the  crop  report  for  the  State  of  New 
York  and  for  the  United  States,  as  compiled  by  the 
Bureau  of  Crop  Estimates,  II.  S,  Department  of  Agri¬ 
culture,  is  as  follows: 
CORN. — New  York :  14,900.000  hit. ;  last  year,  24,- 
200,000  bu.  U.  S. :  2,720,000.000  bu. ;  last  year,  3,- 
054,535,000  bu. 
ALL  WHEAT.— New  York:  7.875, 000  bu. ;  last 
year,  9,750,000  bu.  U.  S. :  608,000,000  bu. ;  last  year, 
1,011,505,000  bu. 
OATS. — New  York:  31.400,000  bu. ;  last  year,  54,- 
270.000  bu,  U.  S. :  1,230, 000,000  bu.;  last  year,  1,- 
540,362,000  bu. 
BARLEY. — New  York:  1,890.000  bu. ;  last  year.  2,- 
720.000  bu.  U.  S.:  184,000,000  bu. ;  last  year,  237,- 
009,000  bu. 
RYE. — New  York :  2,664,000  bu. ;  last  year,  2,805,- 
000  liu.  U.  S. :  41,8S4,000  bu. ;  last  year,  49,190,000 
bu. 
BUCKWHEAT.— New  York:  4.400.000  bu. ;  last 
year,  5.320,000  bu.  U.  S. :  13,900, 000  bu. ;  last  year, 
15,769,000  bu. 
TOBACCO.— New  York:  4,830,000  pounds;  last 
year.  5,280,000  pounds.  U.  S. :  1,200,000,000  pounds; 
last  year,  1,060,587,000  pounds. 
POTATOES —New  York :  23,000,000  bu. ;  last 
year,  22,010,000  bu.  U.  S. :  301.000,000  bu. ;  last  year, 
359,103,000  bu. 
HAY. — New  Yox-k :  7,727.000  tons;  last  year,  5,850,- 
000  tons.  U.  8.:  86,155,000  tons;  last  year,  85,225,- 
OOO  tons. 
APPLES.— New  York:  11.970,000  bbls.;  last  year, 
8,528,000  bbls.  V.  S. :  66,200,000  bbls.;  last  year,  76,- 
670,000  bbU. 
