The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
873 
The New England Farm Situation 
New England is about the oldest section of the 
country, leaving out Virginia and New York City, 
and it has passed through many industrial revolu¬ 
tions. The discovery and development of petroleum 
made an end of the great whaling industry which 
for years was a New England monopoly. The fishing 
and canning industry on the Pacific Coast hurt the 
New England fisheries, for fresh and canned lish are 
now sent East by trainloads, and also as frozen 
cargoes on steamers. The development of Western 
land drew thousands from the New England hills, 
and after the Civil War thousands more of the sol¬ 
diers were not content to remain at home. They 
went West. This mixing and mingling of humanity 
has been a good tiling for America, but it has forced 
the New England people to make rapid adjustments 
of industry, and each one has squeezed a little more 
out of agriculture. Originally the New England 
farm was regarded as the ideal. Poets sang of it, 
and historians spoke of it as the foundation of 
American society. When it became evident that 
New England could not compete with the West at 
producing meat and bread, the leaders of thought in 
that section turned to manufacturing as the dominat¬ 
ing industry. The section was to produce manufac¬ 
tured goods and feed its people on food brought 1,000 
miles or more from West and South. Agriculture 
received scant encouragement, and milk, fruit, pota 
toes and vegetables became the leading crops. New 
England now produces barely 20 per cent of her 
needed bread and meat. In this New England has 
followed the general policy of Old England. Both 
seemed content to develop manufacturing and feed 
the people on food grown at a long distance from 
home. This has developed the fatal theory that it 
makes little difference “where food is grown so long 
as it is cheap food,” The application of that theory 
crowds out the old. self-sustaining farm home which 
ever gave New England an influence which nothing 
else can provide. It is said that New England lost 
the great business of manufacturing automobiles be¬ 
cause the promoters reasoned that they must locate 
close to food supplies. They could have overcome 
the lack of coal supplies, but they reasoned that the 
cost of hauling food was too heavy. Now there is 
much discussion over plans for removing the im¬ 
mense cotton-spinning industry from New England 
to the South. At present cotton, fuel and food must 
be hauled long distances to the mills. In the South 
the mills would be close to the cotton fields, less fuel 
would be needed, and the food problem would be 
easier and cheaper. Add to this the fact that the 
South lias no real labor problem, while the mills in 
New England have long been tied up by a strike. The 
present system of hauling cotton and fuel into a 
cold climate when it might be manufactured close 
to the cotton fields is not economic. Yet the milling 
interests in New England have been long established, 
and the investments in buildings and machinery are 
immense. It is not unlikely that in the future a fair 
share of the cotton required for the New England 
mill will come from Mexico and South America. 
These countries can now unload corn and meat in 
New York or Boston cheaper than Kansas or Iowa 
can do it, except for the tariff. The change of cot¬ 
ton spinning from New England to the South would 
have a grave effect upon New England farming, be¬ 
cause it would mean a loss of markets. The best 
way to prevent the change, and also a similar mi¬ 
gration of the woolen factories, will lie to develop 
agriculture so that more bread and meat and wool 
can be produced east of the Hudson, New England 
has the soil needed to produce 75 per cent of her 
needed food, and if that soil could be utilized there 
would he little talk of sending manufacturing away. 
The section has the men. the skill, the capital and 
the experience needed to hold her business. M hat 
she most needs are farmers and farm crops. 
The Doings of the Auto Hogs 
There have not been so many reports of auto hog 
troubles this year as formerly. Farmers are a little 
better organized, and the “hogs” seem to realize it. 
They have not reformed yet by any means. The 
following from the Detroit News is good: 
“The proper technique for dealing with a property 
owner when you wish to stop on his land was illus¬ 
trated yesterday by throe men. whom we shall call A, 
B and C (although those are not their real names, you 
understand) who entered the domain of an Oakland 
County farmer named X. Farmer X appeared, irate, 
called their attention to the trespass sign, and ordered 
them off. A, piqued at his tone, told him that if he 
became any more offensive he would push his face in, 
'You aren't big enough to push my face iu.‘ retorted 
Farmer X, and advanced threateningly. Thereupon B 
spoke up: ‘You'd better stop where you are, or I'll 
help him push your face in.’ But Farmer X replied 
scornfully, ‘Both of you are not big enough to push my 
face in,’ and having approached quite close, he picked 
up a stick. At this C came to the support of his fel¬ 
lows: ‘Say, you drop that Stick, or I’ll help them push 
your face in.’ ‘Huh.’ snorted Farmer X. 'all three 
of you together can’t push m.v face in.’ and came on 
briskly with his club. ‘Oh, well,’ said A, B and G, 
reflectively, ‘a face that can say such preposterous 
things as that ought to be preserved as a curiosity, 
anyway. We wouldn’t push your face in, even if you 
asked us to.’ And, just ahead of the stick, they vaulted 
over the fence.” 
Not all farmers are big enough to handle three of 
these “hogs'* in a bunch, but some arc. and while we 
stand for peace and orderly proceedings such things 
are often promoted by putting a (wl ring in a hog’s 
nose. The News also says: 
"To those Western Michigan farmers who want a 
special corps of deputy sheriffs to protect their orchards 
against automobilists, we suggest that they merely step 
out while the strangers are in the orchards and help 
themselves to such parts of the automobiles as may 
take their fancy. They can explain that they didn't 
know the car belonged to anyone, or that they supposed 
the owner wouldn't care.” 
High Tariffs on Farm Products 
The following table is printed by the New York 
Herald to show comparative rates in the proposed 
tariff bill now being discussed by the United States 
Senate. A bill was first passed by the House of Rep¬ 
resentatives, but the Senate is making it over. The 
following figures refer to food products under the 
agricultural schedule: 
Per cent of increase 
due to the influence of 
the agricultural bloc. 
Cattle, per lb. 
House 
Bill 
lc 
Senate 
Bill 
2 e 
' 
Senare bill 
over House 
Bitt 
100% 
Senate bill 
over Act 
nf 1913 
Free list 
Fresh beef, per lb.... 
2 e 
75% 
Free list 
Fresh mutton, per lb. 
Hie 
2 y 2 c 
100% 
Free list 
Fresh lamb, per lb. .. 
2 c 
5c 
150% 
Free list 
Bacon and hams. lb.. 
3 ELc 
2 c 
00% 
Free list 
Fresh milk, per gal.. 
lc 
2 y«c 
150% 
Free list 
(Team, per gal. 
oc 
22 EEc 
350% 
Free list 
Poultry, live, per lb... 
2 c 
3c 
50% 
200% 
Poultry, d’s’d, per lb. 
4c 
Oc 
50% 
200% 
Eggs, per doz. 
6 e 
8 c 
33 1/3% 
Free fist 
Honey, per lb. 
2 VgC 
3c 
20 % 
250% 
Barley, per bu. 
15c 
20 c 
33 1/3% 
33 1/3% 
Macaroni, per lb. 
iy>c 
2 c 
33 1 /3% 
100% 
Cats, per bu. 
10c 
15c 
50% 
150% 
Rye. per bu. 
10c 
15c 
50% 
Free list 
Rye meal A flour, cwt. 
30c 
45 c 
50% 
Free list 
Wheat, per bu. 
25 
30c 
20 % 
200 %* 
Wheat flour, per cwt. 
50c 
7Sc 
56% 
240%* 
Cereal, breakfast food, 
ad val. 
17% 
25% 
47% 
f 
Apples, per bu. 
25c 
30c 
20 % 
200 % 
Almonds, not shelled, 
per lb. 
4e 
5c 
25% 
66 2/3% 
Almonds, shelled, lb.. 
12 c 
15c 
25% 
- i O 70 
Walnuts, not shelled, 
lb. 
2%c 
4c 
60% 
100% 
Walnuts, shelled, lb.. 
7y 2 c 
32c 
60% 
200 % 
White potatoes, cwt.. 
42c 
58c 
38% 
Free list 
Vegetables, ad val. .. 
20 % 
30% 
50% 
100% ' 
* Free from countries not imposing a duty on our ex¬ 
ports of the commodity. 
t No corresponding provision. 
Most high tariff bills in the past have been writ¬ 
ten in the interests of manufacturers in the Eastern 
States. This is one frankly dictated and controlled 
by the farmers of the West and Middle West, and 
the “farmers’ bloc" in Congress is largely responsible 
for it. In our own territory the farmers will receive 
such benefit as any tariff can give them for the high 
rates on milk, cream, apples, poultry, eggs, potatoes, 
vegetables, etc. The high rates on grain will either 
increase prices of feed and bread or drive our East¬ 
ern farmers to increased grain production. 
A Dairyman Expresses His Opinion 
I heartily agree with E. IVarsull, page SOI, that "the 
principle that the majority shall rule is the only prin¬ 
ciple that can lead ro anything hut chaos,” Up to 
April 1. 1922. the Dairymen's League Co-operative, 
Inc., was owned by 34 men. and controlled by 24 direc¬ 
tors. who were ruled by live men. according to state¬ 
ment-; in League Ncicx. It is the “rule" of this minor¬ 
ity of 34 League members against the majority of 90.- 
000 league members that has destroyed the unity of the 
Dairymen's League. Inc., and caused the chaos. 
G. Filer, page SOI, states the facts as far as he goes. 
I quote him: “When an owner points out to a prospec¬ 
tive customer the benefits to be derived from the use of 
his goods and the chances of loss due to the failure to 
do so. the owner's persuasion cannot be called threat¬ 
ening. forcing or coercion." If said owner fails to con¬ 
vince the customer of the quality of his goods and ma¬ 
nipulates the market so said customer of a necessity 
must buy said owner's goods, the owner has “forced” 
and '‘Coerced" the customer. “A house divided against 
itself cannot stand.” April I. 1920. the Dairymen's 
League was a house of 90.000 members who stood shoul¬ 
der to shoulder. Then came the Dairymen's League 
Go-operative Association* Inc., of 34 members, the first 
to "divide the house." Now “the house” is rent asunder. 
To close the gap and unite the “League” family, it will 
take some strong, far-seeing, unselfish men to repair the 
foundation and build from the bottom up. 
1 strongly believe in the principle of pooling, and 
that all producers should be members and have equal 
benefits, according to amount of produce delivered. Each 
district should have one director, to be elected by popu¬ 
lar vote; the shipping stations to be owned by the 
locals; central to own a pasteurizing plant in the large 
cities to handle milk at wholesale at a profit to pay 
dividends on capital stock to be owned by the locals. 
There should be an irouclad contract between indi¬ 
viduals and locals and between locals and central, cen¬ 
tral to do all selling. This is an outline of nty views. 
1 would like to know the views of others. 
Dutchess Co., N. Y. j. e. Austin. 
More About “Labor Unrest” 
I sometimes wonder if all the “idleness, strikes, high 
prices, mob violence, crime and unrest,” are always the 
result of injury to producers and workers, or are they 
partly due to agitators who are never satisfied with any¬ 
thing, but want to keep things in a continual turmoil. 
If we are headed straight for Russian conditions, I 
think it. is heeause there are so many who are trying to 
do just what they did in Russia—bring everyone and 
everything down to the level of the lowest, so that all 
might be equal. 
I have in mind the case of a pair of Russians who 
came to this country a few years ago. Their earthly 
possessions were on their backs, and in n couple of 
pillow cases. They went to work for an old man. and 
later rented his farm, then they bought a farm on con¬ 
tract. In less than 10 years after they struck the 
neighborhood with their pillow cases they owned a farm 
of over 100 acres, free from debt. Then they consid¬ 
ered rnemselves wealthy, and let up o n the hard wort* 
and got fat. With less work to do there was more time 
to talk, and the man began finding fault with the gov¬ 
ernment. In fact, he talks just about like Mr. Rey¬ 
nolds of Ohio, on page 814. That is. he talks like him 
so far as his understanding goes. Not being so well 
educated, his mind does not reach out so far. So he 
pitches into things nearer home. .Just now his especial 
pastime is “cussing" the Dairymen's League. He thinks 
that a lot of fellows up at Utica are having a good time 
with his milk money. He does not know enough to 
understand that without the Dairymen's League to help 
him he would still be lookiug for a job with his pillow 
case on his back. 
Also, if it were not for the liig men of the country, 
the men of broad understanding and unlimited courage 
to tackle things that we little fellow's would run away 
from, what would the country amount to? The Penn¬ 
sylvania man Complains that he has to load 23 tons of 
ground limestone. But. if someone had not had the 
brains to find out that ground limestone would improve 
the condition of Sour land, and some other fellow had 
not. had confidence in what the other fellow had dis¬ 
covered. and gone ahead and spent his money to de¬ 
velop the business, then the man who loads the lime¬ 
stone would have no job. 
We ought not to forget that this is really the Land 
of the Free. If we are not satisfied with The state or 
condition in which we find ouvselres, we have the whole 
United States in which to better our condition. If our 
friend, the Russian, thinks that the president of the 
Dairymen's League has a better job than he has. just 
let the Russian show that he is more capable of being 
president of the League and the present holder of the 
position will be in a fair way to lose his job. 
If Air. Reynolds thinks thar coal mining is a better 
job than farming, why in the world doesn’t he buy up a 
few thousand acres of coal-producing land and sink a 
few shafts? Or. if railroading pays so well, he might 
build one parallel to the Pennsylvania system and run 
them out of business, 
There Comes to m.v mind, but dimly, an old doggerel 
that ran something like this: “Remember, my boy. in the 
struggle for gain, that the resolute fellow will win ; 
just watch for your chanc-e. and join in the dance; oh. 
don't be afraid to butt in. Then never stand back away 
from the rack, but your sense of timidity doff. Just go 
for the feed with commendable greed—but don’t get your 
feet in the trough.'” j. grant morse. 
New York State Notes 
There are in Livingston County. Groveland township, 
three sheepmen who live in practically the same neigh¬ 
borhood. They are C. G. Titswortb. J. W. Titsworth 
and Robert^ Wilson, and have flocks of sheep of 110. 
140 and 150, respectively. The first mentioned flock 
contained 57 pairs of twins, the second 47 pairs, and 
the third 00 pairs. The ewes in all three of these flocks 
are from Western ranges, coming from Washington and 
Oregon. These men make a practice of separating the 
ewes from the rest of the flock, and find that they get 
better gains on the twin lambs by so doing. 
This will be a season of activity on the part of insur¬ 
ance agents whose companies carry tornado insurance. 
The storm which swept through parts of Western and 
Central New York June 10 and 11 left nothing to be 
imagined of what we often read about: in the Western 
States. Barns were demolished and roofs taken off. 
In \4 estern New York one farmer had about 200 hens 
and chickens. When the wind passed over it demol¬ 
ished the house ami carried much of the building with 
it, hut not a trace of the poultry could be found. 
W e hear much of the so-called business side of farm¬ 
ing. I would ask some one to point to any phase in the 
whole game from the time the plow is scoured up in the 
Spring until you hurry to get the odds and etids picked 
up before snow flies that is not business. It is a mis¬ 
take to think that the business side begins when every¬ 
thing is grown and you are ready to market. 
The men operating the Maple Producers’ Co-operative 
Association are optimistic. The season has been fine 
with them in that seldom has there been produced such 
an even and high quality product of maple syrup. The 
association has gathered from 289 stations throughout 
the State, The 4.000 steel barrels sent out have been 
returned well filled with high-grade, finely flavored 
syrup. About 85 per cent of the output will be in the 
first class. The association has had a necessary delay 
in getting machinery and other equipment for process¬ 
ing the product. Since there is very little experience 
to aid any one in this work, there is necessarily some 
planning which cannot be based on experience. In¬ 
quiries have come to the association for their product 
already from as far West as California. The associa¬ 
tion is raking a great deal of pride in showing the 
visitors through their plant at Syracuse. 
Four boys and three girls from Chemung County 
went to Washington this year to see Secretary of Agri¬ 
culture Wallace and the sights of the Capital. They 
won this trip as a prize for excellence in club work in 
their county, and seven prouder youngsters are hard to 
find. The members are quite diversified in their pro¬ 
jects. Leo Logan is the poultry man : Fred and Ralph 
Bush raised potatoes: Margaret Mills won the prize 
for canning; Alton EdsaU is the dairyman: Gretehen 
Howland the cook, and Carol Kendall won her trip for 
her ability as a leader. 
Chautauqua County has entered into a five-year pro¬ 
gram of build’ng roads. A good deal of the road if 
carried out as now planned will be a dual type concrete 
and dirt road with 10 ft. of concrete built on one side 
of the center of the road. 
When all is known about the damage to the crops of 
the State from the rains of the second and third week 
of June the crop estimate men will have to get busy 
end revise their figures. As one travels through the 
Staic there is evidence of it in many quarters, e. a. f. 
