1912. 
THE RURAL, NEW-YORKER 
LARGE PUBLIC QUESTIONS. 
[Eijitob's Note. —Under this heading we intend to 
have discussed questions which particularly interest 
country people. We do not agree with all that our 
correspondents say, but we shall give men and women 
who possess the courage of conviction an opportunity to 
say what they think about certain things which interest 
country people]. 
their credit to 
the Revolution, 
and aided their 
In Pennsylvania, 
study of the sub- 
LOANS TO FARMERS. 
Working capital is as necessary to the 
farmer as to the merchant or manufac¬ 
turer. Let us suppose that he has his 
land paid for, fair buildings and tools. 
He needs live stock, fertilizer and improved 
machinery; money to drain the wet places, 
for seeds and to pay help. Ilis success de¬ 
pends upon his ability, industry and cap¬ 
ital. With all these it requires time to 
make a success. He must plan for the 
coming years and cast his bread upon the 
waters. Fifty years ago, the Western 
farmer with virgin soil could raise crops 
as they are now doing in Canada by 
simply sowing and reaping. Some of them 
now have surplus money in the bank or 
on loans. In the East and South there is 
sore need of a system of long time loans 
at low interest to supply farmers with 
working capital. How shall this need be 
met? Each of the political parties has a 
plank in its platform on this matter. The 
press has noticed it. In several papers 
the German cooperative farm system is 
held up for an example; the farmers’ as¬ 
sociations—something like our building as¬ 
sociations—loan to individual members. 
Similar to this were the Scottish land 
banks of the last century. Sir Walter Scott 
tells of these in his day and testifies to 
their valuable service to the farmer. 
Why need we go abroad when we have 
lessons from experience of our own ? The 
American Colonies loaned 
members extensively before 
The system was successful 
growth most powerfully, 
where I made a special 
ject in 1876, the loans were large, no 
interest was exacted, but 10 per cent of 
loan was repaid each year. The farmer 
could then secure a revaluation of his 
holding and a new loan. In this way a 
young couple could start a home and if 
they were thrifty could improve the farm 
from year to year and stock it with fine 
sheep and cattle. 
To secure home building was the su¬ 
preme aim of the early enlightened settlers 
of the colonies, “The Seed Wheat of a 
Nation,” as they were well called. The 
Revolution was in part caused by “The 
English Orders in Council,” which broke up 
this benilicent system, to help the English 
L>anks. The English banks had charters 
with the sole right to circulate their notes 
as money in Ilis Majesty’s dominions. This 
fastened upon us the State banks, which 
lasted until the Civil War. Some of these 
were cooperative; farms were mortgaged 
and the notes pledged for the jointly se¬ 
cured paper of the banks. It was a 
fascinating scheme and the lambs were 
taken in and sheared regularly by means 
of it. There were some sound banks well 
secured, but in general it was an inviting 
system for rogues to rob the people; it 
went out when the States seceded and the 
war began. 
A currency representing the power and 
credit of the Nation was required, the 
Treasury note made legal tender met the 
need of both Union and Confederate Gov¬ 
ernments. The North established the Na¬ 
tional bank system by authorizing loans 
of public credit to banks depositing United 
States bonds for security and received notes 
for circulation as money. This was jM'ac- 
tically a free loan of the Nation's credit! 
Banks paid one per cent in lieu of all taxes. 
Later this was cut down to one-half of one 
per cent. At one per cent Uncle Sam paid 
all the expenses of the system and had a 
large surplus in the treasury. Then the 
banks wanted him to pay hack this surplus, 
but finally took instead the one-half 
per cent. It may be noted that the banks 
are forbidden to loan money on real estate. 
No farmer can give his land as security 
for a loan at a National bank; mo help 
for farmers there. All the banks sell credit 
on short time. Most of their money is 
borrowed from depositors who may ‘call 
for it at any time. The farmer must 
have long-time loans at a low rate of in¬ 
terest. It is proposed to amend the Na¬ 
tional bank laws and compel loans to 
farmers. I do not believe such a measure 
to be wise or practicable. Without inter¬ 
fering with the banks, indispensable and 
useful as they seem, let us consider the plan 
of sharing their exclusive privilege of the 
loan of the people's credit. Let us have an 
American system of finance, including loans 
of credit to all who can give adequate 
security, beginning with the fanner. The 
amount to be according to need and the 
ability to pay interest annually or semi¬ 
annually. Is there any good reason why 
a loan at one per cent for 50 years should 
not be made to any thrifty, honest farmer 
whose land is otherwise free from debt, 
for a sum of one-third its value? The 
volume of the Nation's credit is beyond 
calculation, and what is of more import¬ 
ance than the welfare of those who feed 
the Niition and are the prime factors in 
producing credit? Before you condemn 
this proposition, pause and consider how 
much time you have spent in the study of 
national finance. If you are not a master 
of that subject, begin right here on this 
practical issue, viz: What right has Con¬ 
gress to loan your credit and mine (all 
the people’s) exclusively to one class (Na¬ 
tional hankers) at one-half of one per 
cent? Just get this question settled 
clearly. Few give thought to the financial 
question as it relates to us as a whole 
people. What affects us as a whole hears 
upon each individual and makes every bur¬ 
den heavier. The most precious interests 
of home and life are hound up in the 
money question. The political parties can¬ 
not ignore it; it is calling with an insist¬ 
ent voice and concerns every individual in 
the Nation. e. d. 
ADVERTISING FARM PRODUCE. 
In these days of keen competition, when 
men in every phase of business are spend¬ 
ing vast sums of money to advertise their 
merchandise. every progressive farmer 
should do likewise. Where this is done it 
well repays for the effort in increased 
profits and enhanced reputation. The fol¬ 
lowing are the results of personal experi¬ 
ence or of observations at first hand : 
First—Every farm should have a name, 
which should be well chosen ; for example— 
our farm occupies two hills and the inter¬ 
vening valley. We grow large quantities 
of fruit, hence we have named it “Fruit- 
vale.” 
Second—We use business cards, the same 
as any tradesman, and we make it a point 
to circulate as many of these as we can. 
Third—We write all our business letters 
upon letterheads which advertise our busi¬ 
ness. 
Fourth—A bulletin board has been found 
very useful. This is made of perfectly 
smooth boards, four feet long and two 
feet wide, is set within a stout frame and 
placed in plain sight of all passersby. The 
board is coated with a black composition 
which I purchased from a school supply 
house. We use the ordinary school crayon 
for writing upon it. We find daily use 
for this bulletin board ; in the Spring when 
we have calves, pigs and plants for sale; 
berries, eggs and vegetables in the Sum¬ 
mer; fruit, etc., in the Fall, and poultry, 
vegetables in storage, hay and corn in the 
Winter. Since nearly every farmer lives 
upon improved highways nowadays where 
automobile traffic is heavy, and automobil- 
ists are nearly always on the lookout for 
fresh country produce, bulletins of this kind 
should be in general use. 
Fifth—The local newspaper furnishes the 
best medium, perhaps, through which farm¬ 
ers are able to bring what they have to 
sell to tlie attention of buyers. We find 
it an excellent way to advertise calves, 
pigs, chickens, eggs, apples, potatoes, sweet 
potatoes, cabbage, hay, grain, corn, etc. 
The advertisement must go straight to the 
mark and be absolutely truthful. 
Sixth—We, as well as our neighbors^ 
have received a good deal of free advertis¬ 
ing by making a display of our best pro¬ 
duce in the store windows of the merchants 
with whom we deal. This costs us noth¬ 
ing, other than we usually give the mer¬ 
chant and his clerks the produce on ex¬ 
hibition. 
Seventh—Exhibitions at county and 
Grange fairs usually produce good results 
and more so if the displays be awarded 
prizes or ribbons. 
Eighth—Some of us profited this year 
by making arrangements with the depart¬ 
ment stores at the Jersey coast resorts to 
handle our produce. They attended to the 
advertising, which cost us nothing. An ar¬ 
rangement like this* would be practical in 
any locality where there are such stores. 
Ninth—Packages in which produce goes 
to market are always stencilled with the 
name and address of the shipper, and the 
name of his farm, if any. Wholesalers, re¬ 
tailers, grocers, hucksters, consumers, etc., 
come to know in this way where and by 
whom the produce is grown. 
Tenth—Barrels, crates and baskets are 
further marked with some sort of a figure, 
such as a star, triangle or large apple, 
within which are the initials and address 
of the shipper. Such a "mark” is a simple 
device, makes an impression and is easily 
remembered. 
Eleventh—Apples grown in this county 
(Monmouth) are shipped under the label 
of the Red Bank Apple Club, provided the 
shipper is a member. The fruit must pass 
a rigid inspection. This label resulted in 
one member's selling his entire apple crop 
to dealers in Buenos Aires, Argentine Re¬ 
public, at fancy prices. South Jersey sweet 
potatoes are shipped in a similar way. 
The “O. K.” of the inspectors of the vari¬ 
ous farmers’ exchanges is a sufficient guar¬ 
antee to soli potatoes anywhere in the 
United States. 
Twelfth—Fine fruit, such as pears and 
apples, are sometimes wrapped in heavy 
tissue paper, every piece of which contains 
printed or stamped thereon the name and 
address of the grower. A rubber stamp 
is also found useful to mark berry cups, 
grape tills, etc., with the grower’s name 
and address. 
Thirteenth—I have enumerated and de¬ 
scribed in brief 12 ways in which we ad¬ 
vertise our fruits, vegetables and farm 
crops. But back of all of them lie the 
three great essentials of produce merchan¬ 
dising. They are quality, grading and 
caretul packing. These constitute the best 
advertisement after all. 
Fourteenth—After a farmer begins to 
advertise his products and finds that a 
demand has been created for them, he must 
keep on going. To stop spells failure. Like 
the successful city merchant, he must keep 
the public informed at all times of what 
he has to offer. The farmer must use 
modern business methods when purchasing 
his supplies, he must plant none but the 
best of seeds, he must treat fertilization 
and cultivation from a scientific standpoint 
and he must also pay particular attention 
to advertising and selling his crops. Let 
the farmer never forget that he, too, is 
business man. 
Monmouth Co., 
R. N.-Y.—The 
Local advertising 
a 
N. J. 
above 
pays. 
D. T. II. 
notes are sound. 
,, . ~ - - It is being tried 
all over. A sample of it is shown in the 
actual engraving of such advertising taken 
from a Virginia paper. 
PEACHES FOR SALE. 
Having: a fine lot of WHITE 
HEATH CLING- PEACHES that 
will ripen Sep’t 3rd to 10th, we have 
derided to offer them in small lots 
at $150 per 6 basket carrier, at Lin 
den, Va, Two or more can unite in 
an order to odo address and thus re¬ 
duce erpress charges. This peach 
|b unexcelled for pickling, preserv¬ 
ing and for brandied peaches,—• 
Send remittance with order to 
Piedmont Obchabd Co., 
Linden, Va. 
o 
The Jersey Tomato Pack. 
Rules effective for the first time this 
season in the canning houses of New Jer¬ 
sey have made the pack of tomatoes tho 
best and cleanest ever turned out for food 
consumption in the State. The cannery 
operators are in most cases carefully ob¬ 
serving the now regulations. This is espe¬ 
cially true with respect to ‘‘tomato paste,” 
where the violations used to be most 
flagrant, because of the use in the manu¬ 
facture of the pulp, catsup and soup stock 
of wholly or partly unsound materials, 
which is now absolutely prohibited. There 
have only been three arrests so far this 
season for violations of the new health 
regulations in the canneries. 
Full-weight requirements are likewise 
being lived up to. The cans are packed 
full with tomatoes and not “watered,” 
which some years back was a common prac¬ 
tice among unscrupulous operators for in¬ 
creasing their profits. Although the Na¬ 
tional health authorities are prodding the 
canners in other States, where “watering” 
has been notoriously common, the factories 
in those States still get from 600 to 750 
cans from a ton of tomatoes, while the 
average pack of the New Jersey canneries 
is 350 cans to the ton. Canned tomatoes 
offered for sale after November 1 next 
will be deemed to be adulterated if they 
show the presence of added water or pulp. 
Foreign help has given the operators the 
most trouble in the enforcing of the sani¬ 
tary rules with respect to the employees 
of canneries. Numbers of small children 
who are brought to the factories by their 
mothers are now kept in a restricted sec¬ 
tion apart from the women while they are 
at work. The product itself is also being 
handled with more care. One inventive 
cannery owner has improvised a paddle- 
wheel device for washing tomatoes before 
they are turned into the steamer. The 
usual method of procedure is this: The 
tomatoes are dumped into the sealder on 
an endless holt. First, eight streams of 
cold water are played upon them to take 
off the dirt. Then eight jets of steam 
have to be passed, which scald the fruit, 
and then eight more streams of cold water 
crack the skins, when the tomatoes are 
ready to be carried to the peelers in pails. 
The peelers receive three cents for 10 
quarts, and on the average they earn 
from $2 to $2,50 per day. 
The crop of lute tomatoes in Monmouth, 
Salem, Gloucester and other counties is the 
best for years, and the fruit is excep¬ 
tionally fine. The growers have received 
$10 per ton. net, cash, and taken alto¬ 
gether have done better than if they had 
shipped to the New York and Philadelphia 
markets, where the price has been very 
fluctuating during the entire season. 
D. t. H. 
Western New York Apples 
The Lockport Journal prints an inter¬ 
view with a large fruit grower on the 
question of crops and prices. The claim 
is made, as usual, that buyers are trying 
to prove large supply, while growers talk 
on the other side. In the interview re¬ 
ferred to we find this : 
“L>o you think the local buyers are in 
a conspiracy to deceive the growers and 
get their fruit for less than its value?” 
“Why, no; I wouldn't say that. The 
buyers I have dealt with 1 have found 
as right-minded business gentlemen as 
would be found in any line. Of course, 
when a man is buying goods he does not 
go out o.f his way to boom their value in 
the eyes of the seller, and some men are 
pretty extreme in presenting their side of 
the case. But it is one thing to present 
your own side and quite another thing to 
lie about the facts.” 
“And how is the apple market 
gressing?” 
“Gradually upward, just as I told you 
it would, as fast as our farmers wake up 
to the fact that they have all the goods. 
Greenings have got above the $2 mark 
and next week all sales will probably be 
pro- 
at $2.25. For the red fruit there is uo 
talk among the growers of anything below 
$2.50. except that some Baldwin growers 
are still seared by the sight of the really 
very large and very handsome crop which 
they see all around them in Western New 
York. When they raise their eyes and 
of their short-sighted 
see bum fruit or bare 
the rest of the country, 
sorry if they have let go 
look over the rims 
spectacles they will 
trees throughout 
and they will bo 
of their very superior apples at low figures. 
An offer of $2 has been refused for one 
orchard of pretty fine Baldwins.” 
OHIO FARM NOTES. 
The first of October finds corn cutting 
well under way, though we are two or 
three weeks late, owing to late planting. 
Fertilizer drilled in the corn rows at plant¬ 
ing time has caused the corn to ripen up 
more uniformly and sooner than other¬ 
wise, and this early ripening is quite no¬ 
ticeable where stable manure was plowed 
under in the Spring. Aside from the in¬ 
crease in yield, the fertilizer has paid us 
in early maturity this year. Many silos are 
being filled here, and the hum of the silage 
cutter may he heard on every hand, like 
the thrashers in the Summer, and the 
shredders later when shock corn is being 
husked and shredded, 
used to cut corn for 
corn is cut by hand, 
shocked after a binder 
“hearted.’ 
cut where 
The corn binder is 
the silo, hut lots of 
When corn is to be 
the fields are usually 
that is, four or six rows are 
the rows of shocks are to be. 
1077' 
yield is less than last year, we are not 
far behind in good, sound corn. The ab¬ 
sence of moldy, rotten corn this year is 
perhaps due to hot, dry weather in late 
August and September, whereas last year 
at the same time it was warm and rainy. 
Good seed corn was scarce this Spring, so 
to avoid the same trouble next Spring we 
must select the seed corn as soon as 
possible and dry it before cold weather. 
Just now the corn, the corn cutters and 
liost are running a race, and as they come 
up the homestretch they are nearly abreast 
Highland Co., O. w. e. d. 
so as to give room for the binder. This 
hearting is done several days before the 
shocks are finished, which allows the corn 
to dry out somewhat. Even if finished by 
band the fields are often hearted, as this 
plan allows the cutting to be started sooner 
than if whole shocks were to be made. A 
dry-cured center in a big corn shock is a 
great help when the weather is damp. 
Wheat seeding has just started, and will 
be late, as much of the corn is late, and 
hut little land was plowed for wheat. As 
most of the wheat will follow corn there 
will be hut little early-sown wheat. The 
eastern part of Highland County has good 
corn, even better than last year, but tho 
western part has poor corn, owing to wet 
weather and lack of drainage. We had 
lots rotten last year, but even where 
corn followed corn there is no rotten corn 
this year to speak of, and while our total 
NEW YORK POULTRY PRICES. 
„ r f, he . ^Rowing letter was written last 
1*all in November. We print it, with com¬ 
ments, now, ahead of the Fall season, as 
there arc many who have the same con¬ 
fused idea about the New York poultry 
trade: 
“From your wholesale price lists pub¬ 
lished weekly iu The R. N.-Y.. New York 
must be about the cheapest place in the 
Union to buy produce. I am in the chicken 
business, and as I have to buy most of 
Srain, I must realize the top price to 
make both ends meet, so I sell my goods 
to the consumer direct and have about all 
the trade I can handle. Prices here to-day 
for tresli eggs are 50 to 60 cents, and very 
scarce at that—any old eggs from 24 
cents upwards; dressed fowls, 25 cents; 
chickens, roosters and broilers (dry picked 
of course), 35; guineas, $1 each, that is 
young birds of three pounds weight; old 
roosters, five pounds up, $1 each. Tur¬ 
keys for Thanksgiving orders are 35 to 40 
cents. Sorry to say I have none. Ducks, 
to 15 weeks, 30 cents a pound. Now 
12 
look at your wholesale quotations for live 
poultry (to-day, November 12), cold storage 
stuff not considered: Eggs, top prices. 40 
to 4u; chickens, 11 to 12 y a ; fowls. 11 to 
13; roosters, 8 to 8)4; ducks, 14 to 15; 
turkeys, 14 to 16; guineas, pair, 40 to 50. 
“It surely would pay me better to go 
to New York and buy a couple of car¬ 
loads of live poultry instead of raising it. 
the commission man and the retailor must 
of course, make a profit and pay their very 
heavy expenses, but I do not see any of 
them rolling in that wealth that the dif¬ 
ference in prices would imply, w. w c 
“Connecticut.” 
If New York had to depend on the East 
tor its poultry supplies, the prices quoted 
would be impossible. But very large quan¬ 
tities come from the Central West and 
Southwest, and a glance at the primary 
markets there will show prices surprising 
to an Easterner. In Indiana interior mar¬ 
kets, for instance, hens, seven to eight 
cents; roosters, five cents; chickens, eight 
to nine cents; turkeys, 13 cents. Missouri 
will show similar figures, and Texas, from 
which come large supplies, even lower. 
Much of this Western stuff runs consider¬ 
ably below New England and New York 
poultry in quality, however, and it must 
be remembered that live poultry prices are 
liable to very quick price changes iu New 
York. Both the dealers and retailers are 
sharp, well informed tradesmen, quick to 
■beat down or boost prices, as the supply 
seems to warrant. Regarding the profits 
of commission men and retailers, many 
become wealthy and many more would 
were it not for the bad debts. Scarcely a 
week passes without several failures that 
cut deeply into the wholesalers’ pockets, 
'they take heavy risks in order to get 
trade, and it is hard to tell much about a 
retailer, anyway. He does not need much 
capital, and may do a straight business of 
considerable volume for years, then sud¬ 
denly going to smash, either through acci¬ 
dent or dishonesty, usually hitting half a 
dozen more wholesalers in the drop. It 
is true that fresh eggs often sell lower in 
New York than iu small places. At the 
time this was written the nnest white 
eggs, large and not more than four days 
laid, could be had here at retail in single 
dozens for 55 cents, while brown and 
mixed, a week to 10 days old, fresh and 
of good size, retailed at 32 cents. Of 
course there were places iu the city where 
higher prices were charged, but these were 
the going prices in sections easily reached 
by hundreds of thousands every day. 
For the past two or three years there 
has been a great deal said about the high 
cost of living, which I will admit has in¬ 
creased greatly, but I do not understand 
how the blame can be given to the farmer 
On a great many articles after it has left 
the farmer’s hands the price has increased 
wonderfully. Rut the farmer only gets the 
35 cents on a dollar to pay him for his 
labor in producing the article. The con¬ 
sumer pays the balance of the dollar to 
the middleman as his profit. I wish to 
give my reason for what I believe to be 
the high cost of beef. Back only a few 
years the greater part of the West was 
covered with ranches, where hundreds of 
cattle grazed that were finally shipped to 
Chicago and other cities. Where are the 
ranches now? They are divided in small 
farms and settled by crop farmers as they 
are in the East, making a living some 
other way than herding cattle. There is 
also another reason. I believe, for the 
high cost of beef. While the ranches are 
getting less our country is rapidly filling 
up with immigration by the thousands 
every day, with more to feed and a short¬ 
age of beef. Is it to be wondered at that 
beef is high? Therefore I cannot see how 
anybody is justified in blaming the firmer 
for the high price of beef at the present 
time. I believe if the ranches were as 
plenty as they used to be years ago and 
cattle still roamed over them beef would 
be but a fraction higher than it was in 
the days gone by. j. P . K . 
New York. 
It. N.-Y.—Yet the Eastern States con¬ 
tain many vacant farms or fields which 
would make fair pasture for cattle. On 
thousands of farms it would be good 
policy to keep a few steers to consume 
stalks and other refuse if fair prices could 
he obtained. The monopoly of prices and 
buying which has been established by the 
meat trust has discouraged beef making 
and is also responsible for these high prices. 
I am trying to build up a chicken farm 
but am working in the city and sell my 
eggs and chickens direct to consumers, ‘i 
receive 40 cents a dozen for eggs and 25 
cents a pound for chickens. f. s. 
New Jersey. 
