1913. 
THE EUR A. L, NEW-YORKER 
1031 
Milk 
Prices paid producers by Now York 
wholesalers range from 3% to four cents, 
net, for Class B pasteurized milk. Res¬ 
taurants using two to five cans per day 
are now paying jobbers 5*4 to six cents 
per quart. 
DAIRYMEN S LEAGUE PROPOSITION. 
A meeting of members of the Dairy¬ 
men’s League in our county was held 
early in September at the court house 
in Norwich. The principal speaker was 
the president of the League, John Y. 
Gerow. of Orange County. There was a 
good attendance, although it had been 
impossible to get notices to all members, 
and in several towns no one knew of the 
meeting. The meeting was enthusiastic, 
and the plans proposed seem- likely to 
work out favorably for the League. A 
canvasser is already at work in the 
county, as others are in other counties. 
He goes to the various towns where 
branches have been formed, and other 
towns if it is desired. Sometimes meet¬ 
ings are called either at first or later, and 
as many visits made from house to house 
as seem advisable. From 80 to 90 per 
cent of the members are usually secured, 
sometimes all, as signers to the contract 
allowing the League to sell the milk as 
soon as 75 per cent of the cows signed 
up are under the new contract. New 
members are secured whenever possible, 
but the first purpose of the canvass is 
to secure the contracts already noticed. 
Judging from the talk of farmers at this 
meeting, ;md the reports of local secre¬ 
taries who were present, it looks as 
though the success of securing signatures 
in this county is assured. One secretary 
reported that of the 54 members none 
so far have refused to sign, but not all 
have been interviewed. Another town 
reported that out of 50 members 38 have 
signed, six others have agreed to sign, 
while 12 have not been seen as yet. Still 
another town having 59 members has 58 
signers. Tt makes a great difference 
whether there is something that will 
wake people up or not. It is not prob¬ 
able that enough signatures will be se¬ 
cured before Borden contract day to en¬ 
able the League to fix a price at that 
time. It is generally believed that the 
price of milk will be advanced somewhat 
at that time by the dealers, and should 
they not do so there is no telling what 
the members of the League will do. 
It used to be said that there are 
300,000 cows producing milk for New 
York City market, li was then proposed 
to unite the owners of 200.000 of these 
cows in the League before it should be¬ 
come effective. The number of cows is 
now said to be reduced to 250.000, and 
130,000 of these are now pledged by their 
owners as under the League direction 
whenever it shall become necessary to 
take action. The number is constantly 
on the increase as the work of organiza¬ 
tion is going forward. It will be remem¬ 
bered that a fee of 25 cents per cow is as¬ 
sessed upon members. This fee has been 
sufficient to pay all expenses thus far 
and there is some money remaining in 
the treasury. It is believed that by se¬ 
curing new members as the present can¬ 
vass goes on there will be enough funds 
to complete the canvass without making 
assessments. The expenses are some¬ 
thing. but not very large. The secretary 
has $600 a year and the treasurer $100. 
There are no other paid men except the 
canvassers, who have a little over two 
dollars a day and expenses. More can¬ 
vassers would be employed, but at this 
price it is difficult to get good men. The 
president and directors have their ex¬ 
panses paid when on the necessary work 
of the League, but are not allowed a per 
diem payment. The money seems to be 
carefully expended and no one is getting 
a “good thing” out of it. 
Before the meeting had been held I 
talked with several farmers, mostly in 
my own town, and I am convinced that 
the sentiment was fully two to one 
against the proposition of contracting 
for the League to do the selling. When 
the canvasser arrives in this town -and 
the situation is explained I expect to see 
the members sign the contracts as they 
are doing in other places. Just as I was 
starting for the county meeting I tele¬ 
phoned both the president and the sec¬ 
retary of our local branch to see if they 
•>r some delegate intended going. Neither 
had heard of the meeting and no one 
ironi this town was in-attendance repre 
seating the branch. The reason for this 
1 learned later. There is a county direc¬ 
tor, who# has recently been appointed, 
and. lie had no list of the local secretaries 
until it was too late to notify them. This 
indicates a lack of perfect organisation, 
'jut it is something that is being reme- 
( hed. As for the price that the League 
may set for milk next Spring or next 
*' a '*> or possibly this Fall if the dealers 
too arbitrary about the Batter, ir is 
!° oo determined by the county directors 
ui a meeting to be called for that pur¬ 
pose. It doesn't look to me as though 
•uiy unreasonable price is to be fixed. If 
not then I think the dealers may wel- 
f ;°me tlie action of the League. In a 
sense it is no fight between the farmers 
■iud the dealers. It is an attempt to get 
.V? Cost of producing uiilk with a reason- 
•inle profit added. Dealers are supposed 
o wish to advance the retail price to 
, cents. With the League to back them 
!'P they may readily do that. I am writ- 
"ig tins from a study of conditions and 
am not for the most part quoting state¬ 
ments made by representatives of the 
League. 
Farmers are respeetors of the law, as 
they should be. and they desire to avoid 
any legal complication*. rVnturally then 
the first question that comes up is re¬ 
garding a conflict of contracts. If they 
sign the contract to allow the League to 
sell the milk and the terms of the con- 
tract make it operative the moment a 
certain number of cows are contracted 
for, then there is no telling when that 
time may come. It may be in the middle 
or near the beginning of a Borden con¬ 
tract period. In that case the farmer 
will be tied up to two contracts that are 
divergent or opposed. In answer to this 
supposition there are several things to be 
said. The action of the League is to be 
the action of the county delegates and 
officers. These men represent farmers 
and are not going to do things that will 
be detrimental to their interests. Con¬ 
sequently should there be a number of 
farmers tied up to the Borden contract 
when some other contract is proposed, 
allowances will undoubtedly be made. 
The alternative is to do what the League 
advises, and not sign a contract with 
Bordens or any other concern. The pres¬ 
ident observed that there is no clanger 
that the dealers will refuse milk if con¬ 
tracts are not signed, since they are now 
going into the cheese territory and pay¬ 
ing two dollars a can for milk, although 
paying almost a third less on regular con¬ 
tract. The League does not demand any¬ 
thing, but advises members not to sign 
dealers’ contracts at the present time. 
My own opinion is that farmers will feel 
in many cases that they must sign a 
dealer’s contract, although by organiza¬ 
tion they can undoubtedly avoid it. I 
once knew of a Borden plant that invit- 
ted farmers, engaged in erecting a co¬ 
operative creamery, to bring their milk 
without signing a contract. n. n. L. 
In regard to the proposition of selling 
milk direct to the Dairymen’s League 
officers on a one per ceut commission, it 
seems to find favor with the members of 
the League in this section. As I under¬ 
stand it all accumulations over and 
above expenses return as dividends to 
the stockholders. A branch has been or¬ 
ganized at Rockdale with 52 members. 
But at present we are placed in rather 
peculiar circumstances, and not in a po¬ 
sition to accomplish much, as the mem¬ 
bers of this branch are selling milk to 
three different companies, located at 
Rockdale, Guilford Center and Mt. Up¬ 
ton. Out of 139 patrons of the Borden’s 
condensery at Mt. Upton only 32 have 
joined the League. Most of the largest 
producers seem indifferent and refuse to 
join, so that leaves the few in rather a 
bad position. At New Berlin, eight miles 
north, there is a large creamery, and it 
is reported that all but three of its pa¬ 
trons have joined the League and signed 
the contract. It seems as though the 
time must come when the dairymen 
would realize that their only help is in 
organization. A. c. L. 
Mt. Upton, N. Y. 
Cows, according to quality, $50 to 
$100; young stock in proportion. Good 
horses, $100 to $2.50; extra good, $300, 
quick sales. Drivers full size of buyer’s 
pocketbook. very scarce. Give it to farm 
papers that advertise fake schemes. 
New York. n. G. B. 
Butter, 20; eggs, 12; lard, 15; wild 
hay, $5; Timothy, $9; clover hay, $S. 
Horses, $100 each; cows, $70; calves, 
$25, not plentiful; stock cattle, 6 Y 2 
cents per pound and scarce; hogs, eight 
cents; pig crop short, some cholera. Po¬ 
tatoes, $1 per bushel; apples, 50; man 
and team, $3 a day. j. e. m. 
Elmer, Mo. 
Milch cows from $50 to $90; fat cows, 
five to six cents per pound; veal calves, 
11 cents; butter, dairy, 32; creamery. 
38; bay, $10 per ton; cheese, 13 cents 
per pound; early apples, $1 per bushel; 
tomatoes, 39 cents peck. There is no 
truck gardening to speak of around this 
section. c. F. E. 
Attica, N. Y. 
Cows, $05 to $100; calves, eight cents 
per pound; hogs, nine. Corn. SO; sweet 
potatoes. 00 cents a basket; potatoes, 40 
cents a basket. Ilay, $15 per ton; wheat, 
90. Old chickens, 19; young, 25-30; 
eggs, 30. Watermelons, $10 per 100; 
cantaloupes, 40 cents a basket; toma¬ 
toes, 20. It is not considered a good sea¬ 
son ; generally good markets for all pro¬ 
duce at Wilmington and Philadelphia. 
The weather was much unfavorable. 
Good prospects for corn, as it is looking 
very good. Farmers look prosperous, 
homes tidy. This is mostly a truck 
farming section, but some are putting on 
Holsteins and Guernseys, and improving 
their stock. t. n. 0 . 
Pennsville, N. J. 
At the National Dairy Show, Chicago, 
Ocotber 23-November 1. there will be ex¬ 
hibits of 1.200 choice cattle. 40.000 
square fret of dairy machinery, farm and 
barn equipment, including silos, and ice 
cream machinery and material, a full- 
sized creamery, making butter to capac¬ 
ity, a full-sized milk pasteurizing, bot¬ 
tling and distributing plant; a full-sized 
ice cream factory in operation, daily ad¬ 
dresses by experts in every braneh of 
dairying. The Dairy Division of the 
IT. S. Department of Agriculture gives 
daily demonstrations of the value of cows 
in an experiment showing cost of feed 
and results. 
tit 
Bg| 
mmm 
Build a Sanitary 
Cow Stable 
Build one that will last all yourlife,yourson’s life, your grand¬ 
son’s life and then be as good as new. A good concrete stable 
is practically indestructible. Requires no repairs, no painting; 
is rat-proof, fire-proof, torn ado-proof, wear-and-tear-proof. 
Best of all, the concrete stable is easily cleaned and looks clean. 
It can’t become soaked; cows can hardly slip on it; has no cracks 
for flies or disease. It is the most sanitary stable; meets the en¬ 
thusiastic approval of the dairy and milk inspectors everywhere. 
In the District of Columbia the government specifies that dairy 
floors he “properly concreted, guttered and drained.” These 
requirements are spreading rapidly. Concrete construction is 
practically a necessity for certified milk. 
A concrete stable is something that you are proud to show to 
everybody, official or friend. It reduces labor, saves the liquid 
manure. No other stable costs so little by the year. But in building 
such a satisfactory stable, be sure the material is right. Use 
THE GUARANTEED 
PORTLAND 
ALPHA 
CEMENT 
which represents the high-water mark of quality. Thorough burning, fine grind¬ 
ing, and correct aging make ALPHA an exceptional cement. It is the product of 
22 years’ experience. Hourly inspections by our experts insure uniformity. Every 
barrel of ALPHA is guaranteed to more than meet the standards set by the 
American Society for Testing Materials and the Society of Civil Engineers. 
ALPHA Portland Cement was used in building the great Galveston Sea-Wall, 
the magnificent Pennsylvania Railroad Terminal at New York, the beautiful new 
Central Park concrete roads, and in a long list of notable concrete structures, 
where cement had to meet the most exacting tests. 
The best cement is none too good when you are building for all time. Don’t risk 
experiments with cheap substitutes. Insist on having ALPHA, the Guaranteed 
Portland Cement. Bv specifying ALPHA you will be sure of satisfactory re¬ 
sults. The leading dealer in your town can furnish ALPHA. If he won’t, we will 
tell you of a dealer who will supply you. 
Mail the Coupon for Free Book 
It is simply wonderful what the farmer f 
can build for himself with ALPHA Port- | 
land Cement and a supply of sand and ‘ 
gravel or crushed stone. Send the at- | 
tached coupon for a copy of the AL- | 
PHA book entitled “Concrete in the 'i 
Country.” Costs you nothing, and | 
shows dozens of economical ways of j 
improving your home and farm— 3 
directions for building floors, walks, 
steps, bins, troughs, tanks, posts, 8 
rollers, etc. 
luaBaaaaaiBMHK 
Alpha Portland Cement Co., Easton, Pa. 
I am interested in concrete work and am thinking 
ot building a_„ 
I shall be glad to have a copy of your book on country 
concrete construction, also further information about 
ALPHA, the Guaranteed Portland Cement. 
Name. 
Address. 
RNY—S13. 
Alpha Portland Cement Co. 
General Offices: Easton, Pa. 
WitTEKWnDCfcffM 
With perfect air 
*39 
sure 
only 
The easiest working hand-power W ater and Air 
Pump is complete, ready to install. You can buy 
it^ on credit if you like. Get our catalogue and 
New Way Selling Plan No. 25 today, it’s free. 
THE SIMPLEX WATER WORKS, Baltimore.Md. 
[ MAKE BIG PAY DRILLING 
_ WATER WELLS 
Our Free Drillers’ Book with 
catalog of Keystone Drill* 
tells how. Many sizes; trac¬ 
tion and portable. Easy 
terms. These machine, 
make good anywhere. 
KEYSTONE WATER DRILL CO 
Beaver Falls, Pa. 
When you write advertisers mention The R. N.-Y. and you’ll get 
quick reply and a “square deal.’’ See guarantee editorial page. : : 
