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The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1319 
Edward J. Dillon—Farmer 
M R. EDWARD J. DILLON, who for the past 10 
years lived at Montgomery. Orange County, 
N. Y., passed away on October 20 at the age of 63. 
lie was a brother of the publisher and secretary of 
the Rural Publishing Company. IIis farm was 
family headquarters, and all were welcome. In the 
years to come, when Spring covers the farm with 
green, or in Summer when the fields are brown with 
harvest, there may come the old desire to go to the 
farm, only to be met by the thought: “Ed isn't 
l Ju re aniL more.” 
Mr. Dillon was a man of kindly disposition, a 
loving father and brother, and a good farmer of the 
tine old-fashioned sort. Without laying claim to 
great scientific knowledge, Mr. Dillon was one of 
those natural fanners who show remarkable skill 
and fine judgment, and who seem to know by in¬ 
stinct just what to do. Air. Dillon could take a run¬ 
down farm in poor condition and unprofitable, and 
through the exercise of plain common sense and fair 
judgment double its capacity and make it a paying 
investment. He put his own personality and life 
into it. and that is the highest accomplishment for a 
farmer. Such men. working quietly and steadily hack 
in the silence of the hills, without great renown or 
-pectaeular advertising, are the real leaders in agri¬ 
culture, because they show the world the real power 
of self-help. Farm education, if it is to be true, can 
only follow these men in their practice and try to 
explain and classify their success. 
Mr. Dillon always led his men at their work— 
cheerful, bright and friendly, lie and his farm 
always seemed to us to till out the ideal of the 
Psalmist: 
"Ili shall be like a tree planted bij the rivers of 
tea ter” 
And so this strong man of simple heart and kindly 
purpose has passed on—stricken in the harness after 
a life of work. The record of his busy life is not 
written in hooks, but in the clover fields—the great 
stretches of corn and Alfalfa on the pleasant face 
of the farm he loved so well. 
Changes Coming to Eastern Farmers 
S CATTERED over the Eastern States are tliou- 
-ands of people who are looking for new crops. 
This year of ruinous prices for most, fruits and 
vegetables will convince many of us <tliat we must 
plan for changes in our methods and products. The 
better class of dairymen and the larger farmers may 
not feel these changes yet, but men with smaller 
acreage must now understand that new competition 
confronts them. There are many farmers who re¬ 
fused to admit that the Great War would change 
industrial conditions in this country. Yet unseen 
forces and a new view of life have been quietly at 
work, aud have brought the spirit of change to the 
door of every home. Many things are responsible 
for this. Taxes of all kinds have grown so fast that 
they have become a desperate burden. During the 
war many <u- most people spent money extravagantly 
and saved but little. Then they suddenly woke up 
to find their income falling and their rent and food 
costs mounting. They stopped buying except of 
necessities, and many put their money in wildcat or 
unsafe investments, Instead of helping legitimate en¬ 
terprises with capital. This lias withdrawn money 
from ordinary trade, and thus kept it out of com¬ 
mon circulation. Through the Spring and early 
Summer there was every reason to expect that crops 
would be short. This would have meant fair prices 
for farm products and an income which would jus¬ 
tify farmers in buying freely—and they need new 
equipment of all kinds. Instead of a shortage, our 
markets have been simply glutted with farm pro¬ 
duce. Every farmer within shipping distance of the 
large cities knows that he left unharvested or fed 
to stock quantities of good food which city people 
would gladly have purchased at a fair price. Car¬ 
loads of produce were dumped on the market or per¬ 
mitted to sjkuI because the dealers would not lower 
their price and permit its sale. There has never 
been and there never can be an overproduction of 
food based ou actual consumption demand. Every 
pound, and more, would he eaten if the people could 
only get the food at a fair price. The overproduc¬ 
tion and glutted markets have been entirely due to 
a lack of proper distribution. Tn addition to all this 
now territory has been opened up for the products 
of which nearby farmers formerly had a monopoly. 
Wo have seen this year melons coming nearly 4,000 
miles to be Sold in the New York market. Sweet 
mrn is shipped 1,000 miles or more, and other veg¬ 
etables which were formerly thought to be limited to 
certain distances now make long journeys to com¬ 
pete with our own goods. The auto truck has proved 
a great blessing to many farmers, but it lias also in¬ 
creased competition and helped Hood the market. 
All these things combined have forced <mall farmers 
and gardeners to consider the future. A man work¬ 
ing high-priced land with au expensive outfit can no 
longer compete on even terms with a man on cheaper 
and naturally better land at some distance from 
market. Formerly this distance made competition 
impossible, but now’ the auto truck and rapid trans¬ 
portation lias changed that. The only thing we see 
for our Eastern farmers is to cut out the crops which 
they know to be unprofitable, stick to the things 
which their farms can produce to best advantage, 
and work up some improved system of marketing— 
with their neighbors, if possible. It is not likely that 
the government will do much of anything practical 
to relieve the market situation. The men w’ho now 
control it have too big a political pull, aud neither 
of the big parties dare fight them seriously. The 
smaller, or uew parties, talk well, but ouee give them 
power and they would do as the rest have done— 
compromise in order to hold office. We all ought to 
know by this time that ire have pot to do it our¬ 
selves. We cannot walk along the road without 
stepping on some politician’s toes. 
Utilizing the Potato Crop in Germany 
Due to die large potato crop in the United States 
this year, which will probably run thirty to forty mil¬ 
lion bushels above the required consumption, there has 
been considerable inquiry as to whether there was not 
some other way rhese potatoes could be utilized. The 
Department of Commerce has just received a very ex¬ 
tensive report on the German potato industry, and there 
is some very interesting material in this which might be 
useful to American potato growers. 
In the three years before the war Germany was pro¬ 
ducing about forty-four million tons a year, only twelve 
million of which were consumed as human f<*od—less 
than one-third of the crop. The rest was used largely 
for the feeding of live stock and for industrial purposes. 
It was this enormous surplus of potato production that 
enabled Germany to go through the four years of war 
without actual starvation, aud it has also enabled them 
to get on since the war. by greatly increasing potato 
consumption and reducing bread consumption. 
The following table shows the pre-war and post-war 
utilization of potatoes in Germany: 
Human food . 
Seed . 
starch . • .... 
Alcohol ... 
Animal food . 
Spoiled .. 
Pre-war 
Tons 
12 . 000.000 
5.200.000 
1.400.000 
2.500.000 
17.600.000 
1,300,000 
Total.... 
. 43.000.000 
Post-war 
Tons 
IS.000.000 
5,0(W MKK) 
150*000 
100.000 
2 , 000.000 
1.000.000 
26,250,000 
The human consumption of potatoes since the war has 
increased about 50 per cent, while the consumption of 
bread has decreased about as much, showing a clear sub¬ 
stitute of potatoes for bread. Also, the use of potatoes 
as stock food has fallen to a very low figure, conse¬ 
quently reducing live stock production. 
The point of interest, however, to the American po¬ 
tato grower with a large surplus of potatoes, which 
Occurs everv two or three years, is the utilization of 
the crop for other purposes than human food. The 
production of starch or industrial alcohol is probably 
,,ut of the question, but it seems to me that the utiliza¬ 
tion of potatoes as stock feed in this country has never 
been fully appreciated. Fed either raw or cooked, they 
furnish a succulent, starchy food, W either dairy cattle 
or pigs. It would probably be too expensive to ship po¬ 
tatoes any great distance for this purpose, but I sug¬ 
gest the importance of developing these industries along 
with intensive potato production. E. G. M. 
Why Cause Lower Prices of One’s 
Plentiful Crop? 
• The price is going to be low.’’ “Apples aren’t going 
to be worth the picking,” "Jones over at C- is let- 
ring his crop fall and rot on the ground.” Earlier in 
the season tne same cry went up about peaches; then 
grapes were likewise spoken of. 
Such conversation is innocently carried on between 
growers every harvest time. This news soon attracts 
tht* attention <*f produce handler^ and evcutiuilly tru* 
consumer. The consumer puts off the early buying of 
Ids Winter’s supply from the f irmer and waits for the 
price to reach his desired purchasing level. This brings 
a slow-up in the marketing of the producer and causes 
him the trouble of putting his product into storage, or 
practically dumping it at any price. Most producers 
have not adequate or suitable storage facilities. 
The middleman uses the “large crop low price" pre¬ 
dictions to his own good advantage. He can then buy 
the product at his own quotation from the producer, 
aud move it slowly to the consumer in small lots as he 
sees fit and the condition of the product permits. Iu 
the meantime the consumer is delaying direct consumer- 
producer purchase awaiting a decline in price. By the 
time the price should have lowered and the consumer is 
getting anxious about his Winter's supply, the product 
has usually been dumped on the market and is iu con¬ 
trol of men capable of getting their own price. 
Reaches rotted on many New Jersey farms this past 
season. tHhers sold for 10. 25 and 35 vents aud any 
price offered per r ’ s -bushel basket by buyers at the mar¬ 
ket. Gossip predicted a large crop and low prices. Tne 
marker was undeveloped, however, and would easily 
have absorbed the supply had the grower a means of 
placing his peaches on ft “fair price, reasonable profit” 
basis before the people. The writer experienced this 
market depression. Buyers had the audacity to offer 
35 cents and less per %-bushel basket for the most 
delicious Belles and Klbertas ever grown. They were 
satisfied t<> sell these same poaches for 75 cents to .$1 
by the "s.-bushel basket, or iu four-quart carriers con¬ 
taining 10 to 15 peaches at 20 to 30 cents, thus return¬ 
ing themselves a handsome profit for their share, while 
the grower got only experience for his labor and ex¬ 
pense of producing the crop. 
The point to be considered by the prodneer is not to 
broadcast his large crop stories. Rather should he talk 
crops that the market can easily absorb. Talk the 
consumer into buying early and thus create a greater 
demand for the product. Make a fair price and give a 
product worthy of the amount charged. 
These ideas were carried out with the peach crop this 
year, advocating buying early for the preserving of a 
delicate fruit for Winter usage at a fair price to the 
consumer, and also returning an honest margin for 
producer’s profit. Again, there is the possibility of 
canning a two-year supply to guard against a shortage 
next year. 
If the producer will become as sharp as the middleman 
and keep to himself the facts of excess quantities as a 
business secret, he can more easily deal with both the 
consumer and middleman and retain a fair return for 
the production end of the game. b. c. D. 
R_ N.-Y.—This man operated in two ways, lie made 
a direct appeal to consumers and advertised freely. 
People came to the farm and bought the fruit. He also 
made arrangements with a grocer in town to handle 
peaches. This man charged 15 cents a basket for sell¬ 
ing, and said the advertising alone would have more 
than paid lfim. 
New York State Notes 
Some men nre^ discouraged and disgusted with the 
dairy business. The group that are especially out of 
sorts are those that will soon begin to pay out the 
greater part of their milk check to purchase concen¬ 
trates for the dairy ration. Those who are fortunate 
enough to have a supply of Alfalfa on baud are the 
ones that are the most optimistic. Now is the time for 
thinking about putting in some acreage of this valuable 
plant next year. 
There never was as good an opportunity for Guern¬ 
sey breeders to make advancement j n getting additional 
value for milk from their herds as at the present time. 
Milk has been advertised as such, but verv little has 
been said about the value of any particular milk. W* 
speak of Guernsey milk because a great many of the 
breeders tliiuk that enough is not made of quality as 
tar as that term applies to butterfat. I agree with 
them. A little enthusiasm pins some good advertising 
would make the demand grow. 
So far there has been no white pine blister rust found 
iu Lewis County, as much of the pine is found on sandy 
land, aud that particular land is not adapted to the 
growing of currants and gooseberries, which are the 
hosts, or carry over the plants of the disease. There 
is comparatively little likelihood of the disease getting 
any foothold there unless it spreads in from heavier 
soil areas. 
Growers of fruit iu Western New \ork are watching 
the results of systematic spraying insofar as it affects 
the fruit in the grading operation. The comparison is 
being made between carelessly spraying orchards against 
those which have followed a systematic schedule. Those 
who are handling the pa king houses find that invari¬ 
ably those apples that are good and smooth are the 
ones that have been sprayed. Tbad Shear of Wolcott 
sprayed systematically in au area where there was a 
great deal of scab on unsprayed trees. He delivered 
his fruit to a W oleott dealer. His Greenings graded 
1*2 per cent A Grade. Until New York growers con¬ 
tinue this to a larger extent they may expect that the 
Western growers will take their markets away from 
them. Heme the motto: “Systematic spraying for 
best results.” 
Tioga County has a Co-operative Accredited Herd 
Association which has not been attempting such large 
results as some of the other counties: still, it is making 
satisfactory progress, and because of its careful work 
is mu making as many mistakes as some others. There 
are 22 herds in the association. On September 1 their 
records showed that 526 head had been tested. Of 
these herds five were pronounced entirely clean. All 
the reactors of the association have been appraised and 
a large part of them slaughtered. Following this, each 
barn where there are reactors will be Thoroughly dis- 
in feeted. 
The Federal Loan Associate ms of the State are mak¬ 
ing a great drive to get all the applications that are 
now in process cleaned up before the snow comes so 
that the job of appraisal w ill not be pm off until Spring. 
Fall is a good time for appraisers to go over the farms, 
as they have a better idea of the amount of produce 
that the farm can yield. 
Now that pancake season is upon us the Maple Pro¬ 
ducers' Co-operative Association is getting active with 
the better grades of syrup which they have kept in 
reserve. They have ^old the major part of their cheaper 
syrup to the buyers of bulk product. They have approx¬ 
imately 75,000 gallons of syrup which is being marketed 
in small containers under a very attractive brand—the 
“Frost Elf.” R. J. Delavan, general manager of the 
association, has recently resigned, aud the work of tin 
manager for (he time being is being carried on by the 
president, W, J. Griffin, a syrup producer of Oswe- 
gatelfie. 
The grape crop iu the Seneca Lake region was cut 
short this year by the early frost. Some of the growers 
who had been to the expense of bagging their grapes 
to produce those of superior quality were some of the 
hardest hit. 
The New York State Horticultural Society will again 
hold their Winter meeting at Exposition Park. Roches¬ 
ter. this year. The dates selected are January 10. 11 
aud 12. ‘ E. A. f. 
Brevities 
"Leg weakness” has been very common among fowls 
this year. Some men seem to have it, too; they do not 
like to walk up to their duty! 
Ground limestone may be scattered over the wheat or 
rye at any time during the Winter when the soil is bare. 
It is not likely that the lime will help the grain much, 
but it will help the clover. 
Yes, apples will maki good feed for horses or cattle, 
but you must not feed freely at first. A few quarts to 
begin with, increased as the stock becomes used to the 
fruit. 
