1900. 
<371 
MAKING MILK FOR THE BORDENS. 
The Borden Condensed Milk Company has mon¬ 
opolistic proportions. As farmers, we look with a 
degree of suspicion upon anything which savors of 
monopoly. So far as overt acts are concerned, this 
company has seemed to do little that has the ap¬ 
pearance of throttling competition, on a large scale, 
although there have been some acts that seemed to 
invite close scrutiny. Whether a dairy farmer will 
do better to patronize the Bordens, or to sell to 
some independent concern, depends upon so many 
factors that an off-hand answer can hardly be given. 
In my own neighborhood we have those who sell 
to the Bordens, and those who sell to the so-called 
independent dealers. I do not know that one class 
is any better satisfied than the other. Those who 
have silos, of which there is not a large number, 
do not care to sell to the Bordens, as that con¬ 
cern does not allow the use of silage, except in 
particular cases, sometimes where competition is 
sharp, and the farmer has a large amount of Winter 
milk. 
Regarding the prohibition on the silo, there is 
usually less to say than some people think. If, how¬ 
ever, a man has a silo and is situated so he can fill 
it and feed from it without too much inconvenience, 
it is to be doubted whether he would better give it 
up, if he can get within five cents a hundred of the 
price paid by the Bordens. In localities where com¬ 
petition is ample, he can usually get that, and in 
some localities he can secure full Borden prices. In 
case he has no silo, it i- 
then well to think twice be¬ 
fore lie leaves an independ¬ 
ent dealer and joins the 
Borden crowd. The most 
trouble and expense attend¬ 
ing the matter does not 
seem to be altogether in 
the silo question, but large¬ 
ly in the inspection by the 
Borden people, and its con¬ 
sequences. It is usual for 
those people to affirm that 
they require nothing but 
that which is really for the 
farmers’ own benefit, and I 
have heard farmers say the 
same thing. For all that, 
there arc others who think 
differently, and who find 
that there is increased cost 
in the production of milk 
under that rigid supervision. 
While not intending to up¬ 
hold slack methods, I .want 
to mention one instance of 
a farmer who might have 
been dropped by the Bor¬ 
dens, and probably would 
have been, had he been a 
patron of theirs. Last Fall 
he got ready to whitewash 
his stable. The hired man, 
by a little carelessness, 
broke the pump handle. The 
pressure of work, and the 
difficulty of repairing the 
pump, led to the omission of whitewash until this 
Spring. I he stable had been previously whitewashed, 
but certain inspectors are inclined to be exacting, 
and are somewhat dictatorial, and doubtless would 
have issued mandatory orders in this case. The 
difference in the cost of producing milk for the 
Bordens and for the ordinary shipper is variously 
estimated at from nothing to 15 cents a hundred 
pounds. Under the recent inspection from the city, 
it seems as though five cents would cover the mar¬ 
gin, unless the question of feeding silage, cabbage, 
or some other feed not desired by the Borden people 
comes in as a factor. In the case of some farmers 
there is really no difference. In some cases the dif¬ 
ference may reach the 15 cents estimated. Whether 
a man would better leave the Bordens, build a silo, 
and sell his produce elsewhere would depend on 
many considerations. I can imagine a case where 
such a course would be advantageous. I know of a 
farmer who has several boys of ages from about 
k- to twice that age, and these boys are remaining 
•n the old homestead, which is of moderate size, 
i here are milkers enough for a large herd of cows, 
and workers enough to grow silage corn, harvest it 
and feed it. I am not personally acquainted with 
this family, but we will suppose there is business 
and executive ability to handle a more complicated 
business. We might suppose a market for milk equal 
to that furnished bv a Borden creamery, or even 
better, as is the case with an acquaintance of mine. 
I his farmer, the last one indicated, has 60 or 70 
T^E RURAL NEW-YORKER 
cows, and has obtained a market for cream. One 
cannot well ship cream unless he has milk enough 
to make at least one can of heavy cream every day. 
This cream usually brings more than the milk will 
bring from which the cream was obtained, and the 
farmer has the skim-milk to feed on the farm. The 
farmer, whose case we were considering, may be 
able to grow Alfalfa in addition to his silage. There 
is no way to get so much from a given area in the 
dairy business as by the use of silage, and if labor, 
willing and active, is at hand, there would be profit 
in it. It is not even neccfsarv to have a special 
market for cream or other products? although that 
may be desirable. It may be profitable even to sell 
at five cents or more under the highest price, in 
such a case as this. It depends on the man qnd 
the conditions. 
Since writing the foregoing, I have had a talk with 
a young man who left the Bordens last Fall and 
now patronizes a competing concern. His reason 
for changing was in the fact that the Borden inspec¬ 
tor was continually wanting him to make some im¬ 
provements at a few dollars’ expense. He claimed 
that he had a good stable with concrete floors, and 
that lie kept it in good condition. I saw the stable 
a few years ago, and if it is still as good as it was 
then, he has a right to his assertion. He admits 
that he needs some more ventilation, but says he 
shall put that in anyway as soon as he .can. lie is 
now considering the erection of a silo. He received 
Borden prices last Whiter, and lacks only five cents 
a hundred of its this Summer. It would be a ques¬ 
tion whether he should build a silo. He is alone, 
and has land enough, perhaps too much, for one 
man to work well. Should be double his dairy, 
hire a man at the present high wages and grow 
silage corn, he would be obliged to work pretty 
hard, and it is doubtful if he would have any better 
advantages or any more money at the end of the 
year. He could make his farm produce more, and if 
he enjoys doing more business, he would have that 
advantage. Theoretically, that would be the proper 
way, and in keeping with the present day advice, but 
I would prefer he should do it from his own choice 
rather than from any advice of mine. Referring 
again to Borden inspection, it seems that these men 
have to report to superiors for all work done and 
recommendations made. In order to stand well, it 
is claimed that they are obliged to call for improve¬ 
ments. It is this condition, especially in some places, 
that appears to make the farmers complain. It is 
only fair to state, however, that Borden patrons do 
as little complaining as any that 1 know of, unless 
it may be patrons of some co-operative creamery, 
where intelligent, even-tempered farmers choose a 
competent manager and conduct their own business. 
Chenango County, N. Y. h. ii. lyon. 
Tub way the jnagazine writers have l>oen let loose upon 
“agriculture” is a caution. 
ITeur is a radical from Ohio: “Swat those stagnated 
‘boosters' that are simply like parrots—too lazy to think 
The only bobs tors worth while are the knockers.” 
NEW SIDES TO THE ALFALFA QUESTION. 
In a former communication to The R. N.-Y. I said 
I would like to see them plow the Alfalfa sod in 
Greeley, Colo. My answer from Mr. Wing was quite 
edifying, as it gave ideas as to cutting part of the 
roots on the landside of the plow, thus assisting the 
cutting of the next furrow. But when he talked 
of having one plow share at the blacksmith shop 
being sharpened while another was in use he was 
in error. All the small farmers here in the East 
use the ordinary chilled plows, and, of course, there 
are no wrought-iron shares on them. Also, on page 
492, W. B. G., Nampa, Idaho, with his Success 
sulky plow and two shares sharpened interchangeably 
and his three 1,450-pound horses, and W. A. T., 
Carbon County. Mont., who uses 6,000 pounds of 
good solid horse flesh and regular Alfalfa shares, do 
not appeal to us small eastern farmers who must 
have something more nearly adapted to our re¬ 
sources and power. I said I had beeen raising Al¬ 
falfa hay long enough to fall in love with it. Hence 
I am determined to continue, and now comes the 
test of plowing up and renewing; some comprehen¬ 
sive plan to pursue has to be found, and we look to 
The R. N.-Y. for assistance. We can get good seed 
if we are willing to pay for it; and we are, let it be 
high or low. We can get inoculated soil from our 
State Agricultural farm. The two grand essentials 
that we need and must have are the plow and the 
lime. I he former we no doubt will be provided 
with; but the latter, when? In order to bring our 
farms up to the proper 
fertility to raise Alfalfa 
successfully we must have 
lime at some decent, eco¬ 
nomical price. I have just 
unloaded a car, and my 
I'iils call for $7.25 per ton 
for raw, ground limestone, 
and unload strictly inside 
of time allowed, even if 
you are compelled to hire 
all the teams in the town¬ 
ship in order to accomplish 
it; thus make the lime cost 
another $2 per ton. What 
kind of a price is that? 
How much per bushel is it? 
Are we to be compelled to 
fertilize our land with gold 
dust here where the lime is 
to be had on a short haul ? 
I was raised in central 
New Jersey and all that 
section, constituting several 
counties, was supplied with 
lime from Pennsylvania, 
through and along the line 
of the Delaware and Rari¬ 
tan Canal; that lime cost 
us six and eight cents per 
bushel, and no more, as the 
boatmen wheeled it off on 
a heap for nothing, and we 
moved it when we pleased; 
but there is no such thing 
as dropping lime off a car 
on a heap in a freight yard. 
Now, there has not been a lime boat seen in years, nor 
a clover field, because those two things go together, 
and cannot be separated. Last Winter a second re¬ 
quest was sent in to the Legislature, then convened in 
Trenton, to know “Why the Delaware and Raritan 
Canal was useless,” and not a member dared to get 
up and demand the reason for fear of the Pennsyl¬ 
vania Railroad. That great canal is State property; 
belongs to the people of the State, and has to be kept 
in repair. Every lock and bridge has to be attended 
and paid for, and this is done entirely without the col¬ 
lection of any tolls whatever. By whom? 
New Jersey. . _ j. Cornell. 
THE CULTURE OF ORRIS. 
What about tin* orris root, and can it tie made to pay 
big profits as advertised by Chas. Getchell, of Virginia? 
West Virginia. f. j. e. 
We gave the facts about this last year. Dr. 
Getchell claims that an acre of orris root should 
produce $1000. Our folks are not so much con¬ 
cerned about what things should or ought, to do 
as with what they actually do. Getchell wanted to 
sell plants of orris at a high price, and said he 
would pay 40 cents a pound for all the prime Ameri¬ 
can root sent him. There is but a limited demand 
for orris at about six cents a pound. Most of the 
orris root used in this country comes from Italy, 
where a superior grade is grown. The average 
yearly importation is about $20,000, and the price 
has run below four cents a pound. Even in Italy 
the business is not profitable, and there would be 
no chance for it here. Its “culture” seems to rank 
even below that of ginseng and other drug crops. 
Do not, under any circumstances, invest money, 
time or thought in “orris culture.” 
NEW CROSS-BRED STRAWBERRIES. INDIAN STRAWBERRY BELOW. Fig. 390. 
See Ituralisms, Page 0"4. 
