Direct Distribution of Milk 
HE Baltimore Sun tells of Charles Wertheimer, 
a sheep farmer, who lias offered to furnish all 
the milk that the people of Frederick, Md., need at 
6 cents a quart. 
His proposition is to establish a station in the city, 
bring milk in large containers, surrounded by sanitary 
precautions, and sell it in any quantity desired at 6 
cents a quart. He said lie will guarantee that the milk 
will be of standard quality or better and that lie will 
make money at his price. 
lie said city distributors are paying producers 12Vj 
cents a gallon for the same milk they are retailing at 11 
cents a quart, or 44 cents a gallon. After puying for 
ice required in shipments, producers get but 11 cents a 
gallon for their milk, lie said. He stated that the pub¬ 
lic is paying too much for milk at 11 cents a quart, and 
that distributors are making more than u fair share of 
profits, lie said he. could bring to the city each day a 
sufficient quantity, he thought, at 6 cents a quart, to 
supply the demand. All lie desired was permission 
from the city authorities to do this. 
Tinder a provision of the city milk ordinance, all milk 
distributed in the city must be sold in bottles. There 
are also oilier sanitary regulations to he complied with. 
Mr. Wertheimer Contended that ill many instances bot¬ 
tles had been used by distributers that were unfit from 
a sanitary viewpoint. 
His plan is to have customers bring their own ves¬ 
sels to carry away the milk they buy. Eliminating bot¬ 
tles and delivery, the price could be reduced one-half, 
with a fair profit, lie said. lie asked that the milk or¬ 
dinance he modified or a new. ordinance passed that 
would permit him or any other milk producer to sell 
direct to the city trade. 
The aldermen, as usual, fell back upon the local 
ordinance which states that milk must lie sold in 
glass bottles. It. probably never occurred to them 
that the ordinance might be changed in the interests 
of the public. This plan of distribution is not new. 
The It. N.-Y. has repeatedly shown how it can he 
operated. 
An Echo of a Milk Failure 
A copy of The It. N.-Y., dated June 10, 1022, has just 
come into my hands. The article entitled "A Dairy 
Crook in a Straight Jacket” interested me, as I happen 
to be one of the duped Troops burgers. After Mr, 
Davison left this plate so suddenly wo were told that 
if we would raise $200 for an attorney lie would soon 
produce Mr. Davison and get our money. As 1 under¬ 
stood it. tlie $200 would get him, and then we were to 
pay enough more to make 12 per cent of the whole 
amount after attorney had collected it. The next thing 
was a paper for us to sign saving we would take GO per 
cent. Several stood out about signing it, as they 
thought if Mr. Davison could he made to pay 60 per 
Cent he could be made to pay 100 per cent, hut, as your 
article says, that farmers generally suffer a loss rather 
than to go to law. the paper was signed by nearly all. 
This paper also stated that we were to lake Carl 
Davison's figures for the milk lie had had. About the 
middle of July we received our checks, which amounted 
to 48 per cent before figuring out the $200 which we 
raised and paid to the attorney. We have no way of 
knowing who got tile other 52 per cent, but thought 
perhaps you might know something about it, as you are 
keeping pretty good tab on Carl Davison. It looks to 
me as though we were as badly duped in the GO per cent 
settlement as we were by Davison when we took milk 
to him. If lie could be made to pay part he could pay 
all of the losers. a loses. 
New York. 
T would seem in this case that the attorney got 
12 per cent of the total claim, in addition to the 
$200 retainer, and the promoters of the Tri-State 
Creamery Company saved 40 per cent of their indebt¬ 
edness. Davison was one of them, but J. M. Fuhr- 
mnn & Co. were alleged to be the principals, and the 
credit was solicited on the strength of their financial 
rating. There is little doubt but that they could 
have been held for the full amount of the claim, but 
there is no telling how much it would have cost to 
get the 40 per Cent. It is often hard to advise pru¬ 
dently in such cases. We all know that the less law 
farmers or anyone else have the better for them. We 
always advise to avoid suits when it can be done 
without sacrificing a principle, but it is equally true 
that the impression that farmers take losses rather 
than go to court costs them considerable money in 
the settlement of such cases. There are times when 
nothing but a tight satisfies the ends of justice. The 
sad part of it is that justice is not always meted out 
at the end of the light. 
The Farmer and the Strikers 
S ECRETARY of Agriculture Wallace recently 
spoke at Leesburg, Va., on the labor wages re¬ 
ceived by farmers and wages paid workmen who are 
on strike. Among other comparisons of wage figures 
Mr. Wallace gave the following: 
“Take the average wage received by the coal miner 
for mining a ton of coal. In 1912 the wage per ton 
would buy 1.1 bushels of corn in Iowa; in 1921 it 
would buy 2.5 bushels of corn in Iowa. In 1913 the 
ton wage would buy .7 of a bushel of wheat in North 
Dakota; in 1921, .9 of a bushel. In 1913 it would 
buy 4.7 lbs. of cotton in Texas; in 1921, S.5 lbs. In 
1913, 7 lbs. of hog in Nebraska; in 1921, 14 lbs. In 
1913, .8 of a bushel of potatoes in New York; in 
1921, 1.2 bushels. In 1913, It lbs. of sheep in Wyom¬ 
ing; in 1921, 18 lbs. In 1913, l.G bushels of oats in 
Illinois; in 1921, 3.1 bushels. In 1913, 2.4 lbs. of 
butter in Missouri; in 1921, 3.2 lbs. 
7t* RURAL NEW-YORKER 
“Taking the average yearly earnings of railroad 
employes, we find that in 1913 the yearly wage would 
buy 1,492 bushels of corn in Iowa, and in 1921, 4.112 
bushels. It would buy 1.028 bushels of wheat in 
North Dakota in 1913; in 1921, 1,466 bushels. In 
1913 it would buy 6,449 lbs. of cotton in Texas, and 
in 1921, 13,934 lbs. It would buy in 1913, 102 cwt. of 
hogs in Nebraska, and in 1921, 237 cwt It would 
buy 148 cwt. of sheep in Wyoming in 1913, and in 
1921, 29G cwt. In 1913 it would buy 1,087 bushels of 
potatoes in New York; in 1921, 1,916 bushels. In 
1913, 2,174 bushels of oats in Illinois; in 1921, 5,109 
bushels. In 1913, 3,309 lbs. of butter in Missouri; 
in 1921, 5,285 lbs. 
“The purchasing power of the wages of the rail¬ 
way employe in 1921 was 51 per cent greater than 
in 1913. The purchasing power of the wages of the 
coal miner in 1921 was 30 per cent greater than in 
1913. The purchasing power of the farm hand who 
works for wages in 1921 was 4 per cent less than 
1913, while the purchasing power of the farmer him¬ 
self was, on an average, from 25 to 45 per cent less 
than in 1913. 
“In short, the fai'mers of the country, numbering 
almost one-third of our entire population, have 
borne altogether the heaviest burden of deflation. 
They have endeavored to get relief by all lawful 
means. They have appealed to the Administration, 
to Congress and to every other agency which they 
thought might be able to help them, but while mak¬ 
ing these efforts to avoid their heavy losses they 
have not struck. They have not created disorders. 
They have kept on producing and in the face of 
extraordinarily low prices have this year grown one 
of the largest crops in our entire history. The 
farmer believes in law and order. He believes in 
government. He believes in fairness between man 
and man. He believes in working hard and produc¬ 
ing efficiently. 
"If other groups would do as the farmer has done, 
our economic troubles would soon be over. Prices 
would soon be adjusted to their normal relation¬ 
ships. 
“But there are too many people who seem to be 
thinking only of themselves and how they can profit 
at the expense of the community at large, and espe¬ 
cially at the expense of the farmer. The farmer is 
sick and tired of this sort of business. He is dis¬ 
gusted with these recurring disputes between cap¬ 
ital and labor, especially as connected with the 
essential industries. He sees no reason why such 
disputes cannot and should not be settled in an 
orderly and lawful way. and without the interrup¬ 
tions of service which cost him so dearly. 
"The farmer recognizes his obligation to produce 
food, for people must eat to live. He demands that 
both the owners of the coal mines and the coal 
miners recognize their equal obligation to produce 
coal, and lie demands that the management of the 
railroads and the railroad workmen recognize also 
their equal obligation to keep trains moving, for 
unless the food he produces is moved promptly to 
market the people will starve. 
“If the various groups in this country are deter¬ 
mined to prey upon one another and abandon law 
and order for strong arm methods, the farmer can 
take care of himself, lie can reduce his production 
to his own needs. He can follow the example of 
some others and refuse to sell what lie produces. 
But he does not believe in that sort of thing. He 
knows that such a policy would bring about in this 
great Republic exactly the same sort of conditions 
that exist in Russia. 
“The farmer calls upon capital and labor to cease 
their petty bickerings and resume production, trust¬ 
ing to American institutions and the American sense 
of fair play to see that justice is done to both of 
them.” 
An Opinion of Eastern Farming 
By way of answering a general question put by one 
of our corn licit subscribers, we may say that fanning 
in the Eastern States is neither spectacular nor exten¬ 
sive. It is compact, intensive and diversified. Quality, 
with all the quantity that can be secured without sac¬ 
rificing quality, is its object in field, barn lot. dairy, 
pigpen, poultry yard, orchard, garden, vineyard, apiary 
and sugar grove. 
IIAT is taken from a very sensible editorial in 
the It feeders 1 Gazette. That paper goes on to 
say that while originally the soils in the upper At¬ 
lantic slope wore never equal in fertility to the best 
corn belt soils, they are still productive. These 
Eastern soils were producing good crops long before 
the Western soil was touched by the plow. By mak¬ 
ing good use of manure and fertilizer the Eastern 
farmers have kept up the fertility of their farms so 
that today the average yield of wheat and corn is 
higher in these Eastern States than elsewhere in the 
1073 
country. There are many cases where soils have pro¬ 
duced annual crops for 209 years or more, and are 
still giving full yields. Yet the price of farm land 
is low when compared with land prices in the West 
As a rule, a very cheap farm is truly cheap at any 
price. There are many acres of Eastern land which 
never should be fanned. Some are too sour and 
lacking in organic matter. Some are too thin and 
shallow, with only a thin rind of soil over the rock; 
others never should have been farmed. It is far bet¬ 
ter to let such soils grow up into timber, and it is a 
crime to sell such farms to unsuspecting poor men 
who are seeking homes in the country. On the other 
hand, there are many good farms and soils where a 
patient and industrious man can do as well or even 
better, for the capital invested, than on any other 
soil location in the world. 
Jersey Black Giant Breeders Meet 
The first annual field meeting of the Jersey Black 
Giant Breeders’ Club was held in Crosswicks, N. J., 
on July 12. About 250 breeders of this new meat- 
producing breed gathered at the invitation of the Cross¬ 
wicks Community Association. W. II. Card of Man¬ 
chester, Conn., a licensed poultry judge, secretary of the 
American Rhode Islaud Red Club, gave great encour¬ 
agement to the breeders by declaring that this great 
new breed was an economic necessity, and that as such 
the American Poultry Association, meeting in Knoxville, 
Tenn.. in August, could not afford to hesitate in accept¬ 
ing it as a standard breed. Mr. Card pointed out that all 
of the great permanent breeds had come about in much 
the same manner as the Jersey Black Giants. The 
poultry industry needed a special white egg-producing 
breed, and more than 40 years ago the Single Comb 
White Leghorn was originated for this particular pur¬ 
pose, and has spread now throughout, the world. The 
poultry raisers in Rhode Island and Western Massa¬ 
chusetts needed a general utility breed that would lay 
eggs during the cold weather and produce high-quality 
market poultry. Out of this need grew the Rhode 
Island Reds: the Barred Plymouth Rocks and the 
White Wyandottes came to fill a particular need among 
commercial poultry producers. The farmers of Central 
New Jersey appreciated the demand of the Philadelphia 
buyers for the highest possible grade of roasting 
chickens and capons. The Black Giant breed. Mr. Card 
said, is the perfected result of these poultry farmers’ 
efforts in meeting such a demand. 
Mr. Card cautioned the breeders against the tendency 
to take advantage of buyers when the demand for 
breeding stock and hatching eggs is so great. The 
future of the breed. Mr. Card emphasized, depended 
entirely upon the manner in which the breed was 
handled now and the square dealings given purchasers 
by the early breeders. Mr. Card drew many illustra¬ 
tions on a blackboard to show the type in a live bird 
that would make the highest grade dressed carcass. 
Breeding stock should be up to full standard weight, 
Mr. Card said, as one of the chief characteristics of this 
breed is its large size. Mr. Card urged a six-point 
comb for the breed, because he said that a large breed 
like this, carrying a large, fairly “beefy” comb, tended 
more toward a six-point comb than a five-point comb, 
and the six-point comb was more in harmony with ti e 
large proportions of the breed. 
In the evening Mr. Card drew life-sized crayon pic¬ 
tures itf au ideal male and an ideal female, which were 
sold off at auction, bringing $13. 
Prof. W. C. Thompson, head of the State Poultry 
Department, urged that all pnultrymen in the State 
and everyone interested in the poultry industry give 
their support to this great Jersey product—the Black 
Giant breed. Prof. Thompson then announced that 
the college was prepared to establish the first poultry 
meat, production contest in the world. Prof. Thompson 
said this contest ought to be established in Central 
New Jersey, where the meat-producing interests were 
large. The community that, offers the greatest advan¬ 
tages would doubtless be given preference. Prof. Thomp¬ 
son said. _About 25 acres of land, together with suit¬ 
able buildings and fences would have to be supplied 
by the local community for this contest. This has been 
the rule for the Vineland egg laying contest and the 
Bergen County contest. Nothing could possibly stim¬ 
ulate the breeding of the heavy types of fowls and 
awaken new interest in the general-purpose and meat- 
producing breeds more than such a meat-production 
contest. 
Prof. Thompson proposed that such a contest should 
open with 50 pens, from as many different breeders, 
the contest, to last for two years. The nens would he 
credited with the quality of broilers, roasting chickens 
and capons they produced, and their own value as 
dressed fowls, together with their egg production and 
the hatchability of the eggs laid. This announcement 
was heard with great interest, and several groups of 
people representing different communities were busy 
talking the matter over immediately after the meeting. 
H. O. Packard, president of the State Poultry Asso¬ 
ciation, pledged the support of the association to The 
tight of the Jersey Black Giant breeders in securing 
the admission of this breed to flu* standard of perfec¬ 
tion at the convention in Knoxville, Tenn. 
U. 1.. Meloney. the president of the club, accepted the 
welcome extended by E A. Newbold. representing the 
Drosswicks Community Association. Mr. Meloney said 
that this breed was destined to be the great meat breed 
of the world, Mr. Meloney exhibited a pen of four 
females and a male at Madison Square Garden last 
year which weighed 59 lbs., together with an 18-lb. 
capon. 
M. I.. Chapman, secretary of the New Jersey Black 
Giant Club, reported nearly 150 members, with a splen¬ 
did balance <m hand in the treasury. All breeders of 
those fowls were urged by Mr. Chapman to help pro¬ 
mote the breed through this organization. The mem¬ 
bership duos are $2 a year. lie said they were counting 
now on at least 10 Jersey boosters to appear in a body 
at the Knoxville convention to secure the admission 
of this breed to the standard. Mr. Chapman believed 
that the adverse report given by the committee last 
Winter was due to lack of appreciation of the com¬ 
mittee to the real merit of the breed. lie announced 
that arrangements were being perfected to make an 
exh'bit of the breed at the Knoxville convention. 
1 hmufts 1< . McGrew, an experienced poultry fancier 
and lecturer, told of the early history of the breed and 
tlm characteristics of the breeds used in making the 
Black Giants. . r 
