1914. 
THE R.UF4-A.L* NEW-YORKER 
97S 
LAND BANK ASSOCIATION FORMED. 
HE work of organizing the Land Bank of the State 
of New York is progressing most favorably. Ten 
associations, by action of their board of directors, 
have enrolled themselves already. The total re¬ 
sources of the 10 enrolled associations is $4,000,000, and 
the subscribed capital, $42,000. Four of the 10 asso¬ 
ciations are directly represented on the organization 
committee. A number of associations have notified the 
committee that they will come in, but they are not en¬ 
rolled until the Board of Directors has authorized the 
purchase of shares in the Land Bank, subject to ratifi¬ 
cation by by-law. This progress indicates that the 
Land Bank will be organized during the Fall. So far 
there is but one strictly farmers’ association organized. 
This is the association formed recently by the Jewish 
farmers at Centreville, in Sullivan County. 
The R. N.-Y. office force and staff, however, are to 
have a local land bank. At the first suggestion 40 per¬ 
sons signified their intention to ’ >come members, and 
subscribed for shares to the matured value of $40,000. 
Its proposed ’charter and by-laws have been sent to 
the Superintendent of Banks, at Albany, N. Y., for ap¬ 
proval. As soon as these are approved, a meeting will 
be held, and the Association will then be ready to re¬ 
ceive the first dues on the shares. The Association may 
issue four kinds of shares, viz.: 1. Installment shares 
on which dues of 50 cents per share per month, or $1.50 
per quarter, will be paid. 2. Caving shares, the dues 
on which may be paid in such amounts and at such 
times as the member may elect. 3. Accumulated shares 
on which the member will pay down $50 or more at the 
time of issue, and the dividends will be added until the 
share matures at $100. 4. Income shares, on which a 
payment of the face value of $100 will be paid at the 
time of issue; and the dividends paid semi-annually in 
cash. The funds will be loaned to members on first 
mortgage, on real estate situated within a radius of 50 
miles from the place of business of the association. 
Loans may also be made to members on the security 
of his or her stock. The board of directors may accept 
membership anywhere; and loans may be made on 
shares of the association anywhere, but loans on real 
estate cannot be made outside of a radius of 50 miles 
from the principal office of the association, which will 
be in New York City. 
This association will probably become a charter mem¬ 
ber of the Land Bank of the State of New York. Both 
of these new associations represent agricultural inter¬ 
ests, and it is expected that several others will be organ¬ 
ized and will become charter members of the Land 
Bank when organized towards the end of the year. 
Any reader of The R. N.-Y. is eligible to become a 
member of this association for saving purposes, and all 
members within 50 miles of New York will be eligible 
for loans. _ J. J. d. 
A 35-CENT DOLLAR CONFERENCE. 
IIE 35-cent dollar was very much in evidence at 
the Co-operative Conference held at Utica, N. Y., 
on July 22. The conference was under the di¬ 
rection of Agricultural Commissioner Huson, 
and its object was to bring those interested in co-oper¬ 
ative buying and selling together for a general discus¬ 
sion and organization. Gov. Glynn delivered an ad¬ 
dress and there were short talks and discussions by a 
large number of prominent men. 
The spirit of the conference was excellent. All who 
attended were thoroughly convinced that the time has 
come for the consumer, through co-operative work, to 
come closer to the producer, and thus cut out a large 
share of the waste which now goes to the useless middle¬ 
man. These shrewd and practical men understand of 
course that in our present scheme of distribution it is 
impossible to eliminate all the handlers and carriers 
who stand between food production and consumption. 
They also understand that there has grown up a system 
which embraces a large number of useless handlers, so 
that the cost of their handling is taken out of the share 
which ought to go to the producer. It is a big job to 
rearrange the present system of distribution, but this 
conference shows that thoughtful men now realize the 
significance of the movement and it is sure to develop 
and grow under the right direction. 
All sorts of interests were represented at this con¬ 
ference. There were practical farmers who for years 
had been producing food as individuals, now thoroughly 
convinced that all these years they have obtained not 
more than 35 cents of the consumer’s dollar. A: the 
other extreme there were men w* 1 frankly admitted 
that they were not producers, but were consumers pure 
and simple. Yet they realized the great tax that they 
were paying for their supplies and the small proportion 
of their money which finally finds its way into the 
hands of the farmers. All sorts of plans were talked 
over, such as co-operative societies, advertising, and a 
dozen other methods which business men in other lines 
of work have successfully adopted. The whole spirit 
of the conference was hopeful, and without question it 
will lead to good results. The most hopeful and the 
most significant thing connected with it was the fact 
that no one any longer questions the existence of this 
35-cent dollar, or the share which the farmer receives 
on the average for the price that his produce finally 
costs to the consumer. This conference has brought that 
question up into the minds of many who did not under¬ 
stand it before. This is the fundamental principle of 
all efforts to co-operate and give the producers a fairer 
share. 
We shall give from time to time studies of what was 
developed in the discussions at this conference. It is 
new evidence of the great movement which is slowly 
gathering force to bring producers together in a busi¬ 
ness proposition which is destined to revolutionize our 
present system of distribution. 
New York State News. 
IIE NEW EMPLOYMENT BUREAU.—On Au¬ 
gust 1 to be exact, the first of a chain of 
employment bureaus will be opened for bust 
ness under the terms of a bill passed at 
the last session of the Legislature. Much is ex¬ 
pected of the new bureau and it is to be hoped that 
the expectations may be realized. The thing is to bring 
the man and the job together and this the State pro¬ 
poses to do without cost to either employer or employe. 
Theoretically the plan looks good. If a machinist in 
Rochester needs men, and if the bureau has a list of 
men on its records who are capable of filling the need, 
then it is an easy matter to bring the two together. 
No fees are charged to anyone. Indeed, if it be found 
that anyone accepts a fee for any service he may ren 
dor under the law, he will lay himself open to a fine of 
$500 or less or imprisonment for six months or less. 
Perhaps the greatest assistance that this bureau can 
render will be in the investigation of the causes of un¬ 
employment and applying remedies therefor. Each of 
the State employment offices will have an advisory 
board to be composed of representative employers and 
employes and there shall be an equality of voting power 
among them notwithstanding the absence of any 
member. The new bureau has a great big work to do. 
It will be watched with great interest. 
ARMY WORMS AND HOPPERS.—The plagues 
seem to be descending upon us these last few days. No 
sooner had the grasshoppers got well under way in their 
invasion of certain localities of the State, than they were 
followed or “aided and abetted” in their work of de¬ 
struction by the army worm. The fight is on. The 
Department of Agriculture and the Experiment Station 
and the Farm Bureaus, are all taking up the cudgel 
against these destructive enemies of the farmer with 
varying success. But the “poison squads” will win out 
in the end. The grasshoppers have spread over a much 
larger section of the State than they had covered last 
week. Both pests have cut down the growing crops in 
wide swaths. Farmers can aid the department in 
its fight by using the poisoned bait made as follows: 
“Fifty pounds of bran, thoroughly mixed while dry with 
2% pounds of paris green; add five quarts of cheap 
molasses diluted with about nine gallons of water and 
juice of eight lemons. Then chop the lemons up fine, 
rind and all, and mix T 'ith the above. _ This is to be 
sowed broadcast near where the pest will be attracted 
by it. In the case of army worms, a furrow can be 
plowed toward the insects, and when they gather in the 
trenches they can be crushed.” 
FARM SURVEYS IN GENESEE.—H. F. Dixon, a 
farm survey expert from the U. S. Department of Agri¬ 
culture, is conducting farm surveys in Genesee and Mad¬ 
ison counties, assisted by Director Burritt of the 
State Farm Bureau Department and several county 
agents. Over 50 farms will be surveyed in each of these 
counties, kinds of crops raised, methods of farming and 
many other particulars will be investigated. It will be 
a good opportunity also for farmers to discuss their 
problems with these experts. 
►STATE SEALER IN NEW ROLE.—It may not be 
known to many of our readers that a law was passed by 
the last Legislature making any person guilty of a misde¬ 
meanor who advertises in a newspaper, circular ox- 
form letter or makes any statement of fact as to the 
quantity, quality or value of goods or articles he has 
to sell, “which is untrue or calculated to mislead.” State 
Sealer Farrell is now “watching out” for such adver¬ 
tisements and is reported as having some very^good 
material to work upon already. He had some “war¬ 
ranted all-wool blankets” that were advertised, sent to 
a chemist who analyzed them and found 51 per cent, 
cotton. The State Sealer will need a vacation after he 
gets all the evidence in these cases. 
FARM HANDS NOT UNDER NEW LAW—Al¬ 
though farmers are specifically exempt from the provi¬ 
sions of the new workman’s compensation law, yet there 
has been some uncertainty as to whether teamsters on 
highways and men employed in teaming on farms, came 
within the purview of the statute. The Compensation 
Commission says no. Therefore it is not necessary for 
farmers employing them to be insured against loss from 
any injury which the teamsters may receive. It is held 
that the relation of the teamster to the farmer for whom 
he works is not unlike that existing between the arti¬ 
san and the private householder who may be employ¬ 
ing him to make x-epairs to his domicile. We wouldn’t 
wonder if the Compensation Commission would have 
some trouble with this feature of the new law when 
they come to adjudicate differences of opinion in the 
matter. 
TREE AGENT LOSES AGAIN.—It will be remem¬ 
bered that early in the year the case of Bert Walton of 
Indianapolis, Ind., against James A. Pettibone of Alex¬ 
ander, N. Y., was tried in justice’s court at Batavia 
and that the jury found no cause of action. Plaintiff 
had sued to recover $25, the purchase price of 1,000 
Catalpa speciosa seedlings. Last week the case was 
up in county court, to which appeal had been taken, 
and the decision of the lower court was affirmed. 
The defence was “fraudulent representations.” Hence, 
defendant refused to accept the trees. It is said that 
the case will now be taken to the Appellate Court by 
Walton. He had brought suit against several farmers 
in Genesee, Wyoming and Erie Counties who had re¬ 
pudiated the contract on the same grounds as did Fetti- 
bone and the Pettibone case is considered a test case 
in the matter. 
HUDSON RIVER VALLEY FRUITS—The Valley 
has just closed, or is closing, a most auspicious season 
in sour cherries, red berries and currants. Growers have 
had a shortage in crates, baskets and cups which at one 
time threatened to be quite serious. At Germantown, 
on the east side of the river, this was particularly true. 
A car arrived with 3,000 baskets and within three 
hours all were taken and some growers had to get along 
with 200 or 300 where they needed 1,000. From this 
town it is estimated that about 40.000 baskets of sweet 
cherx-ies, 260,(XX) of the Montmorencies and 100,000 of 
Morellos, have been shipped, making a grand total of 
about 400.000 for this station alone. The sale avex-aged 
about 35 cents per basket according to reports. In Ul¬ 
ster County on the other side of frhe river, red berx-ies. 
cherries and currants were of knmeose quantity. The 
currant crop is said to have b<*en the best about ever 
known in the Highland district. There will be no 
poaches worth speaking of in this (Ulster) County. 
The grape crop will be the largest in years, if nothing 
prevents in the line of damage to which the crop may 
be exposed. A local grape juice factory will take about 
50 per cent, of the crop. 
CONVICT LABOR AGAIN.—The first permanent 
camp of convict laborers has been established in the 
Catskill Mountains, for work on the highways. Twenty 
men from Sing Sing are there and as many more will 
follow. It is said that the men work without restric¬ 
tions, almost, leave and return to camp at will except 
during working and sleeping hours. A guard is with 
them hut is said not to be armed. j. w. d. 
Foreign Wheat Prospects. 
A CONSIDERABLE proportion of the foreign wheat 
has not yet been harvested but from-reports avail¬ 
able itappears that the worldcropof Winter wheat 
will be under normal. Winter wheat constitutes 
about thi-ee-fourths of the entire supply ; and the South¬ 
ern Hemisphere ci-ops harvested last Spring were more 
than 100.000,000 bushels short of previous year. Only 
one country of Euro’v.-, Russia, will have mox-e Winter 
wheat than last yeai\ Austria-IIxxngary is expected to 
be 18,000.000 bushels short, and Italy nearly 35,000,000 
bushels under. Taking everything into considex-ation 
there is no apparent warrant for ruinously low pi-ices to 
the producei-s of our 1914 Winter wheat. 
Government Crop Report. 
W INTER wheat thrashing is under way with good 
yields, except in parts of Nebraska. In North 
Dakota Spring wheat conditions are the best in 
several yeax-s. Minnesota and South Dakota 
have considerable black rust. 
Early planted corn in the southern part of the belt 
was greatly damaged by drought. Later plantings prom¬ 
ise well. In Iowa. Kansas and Nebraska the outlook 
is favorable, and has improved in the Ohio Valley and 
eastward. 
Haying is about completed, the ci*op being good in 
the northern, but poor in the southern sections. The 
tobacco plant is doing well, though there is some 
trouble from root x-ot in Wisconsin and drought in 
Tennessee and Kentucky. 
The situation is considerably improved in the east¬ 
ern and central parts of the cotton district. In the 
western part great damage from drought and excessive 
heat is noted. Garden truck conditions in the South 
and Atlantic States ai-e improved. Harvest in the New 
England and Middle States has been hindered by rains 
and considerable injury done to grain and hay. 
Canadian Fruit Report. 
T HE Canadian Commissioner of Agriculture gives 
the following report of conditions in the Domin¬ 
ion : 
New Brunswick. —The apple crop promises 70 
per cent., a few orchards injured by frost. Scab show¬ 
ing very little. Summer and Fall vai-ieties heavier than 
M inter. Size and quality good. Raspberries promising 
well. 
Nova Scotia. —Weather conditions favorable. Yery 
little spot showing. Apple crop will be. at most, one 
million barrels. Spy, King, Russet, Wagener. Belle- 
fleur, Baldwin and Ribston leading. Nonpareil, Blen¬ 
heim, Fallawater, Stark. Gravenstein and Ben Davis 
light. Crop last year, 650,000 barrels. 
Quebec. —Most sections looking well. Fameuse and 
McIntosh dropped heavily, but sufficient left on trees 
for good crop. Cherries heavy crop. Bush fruits good. 
Ontario—Lambton.— Apple crop 40 per cent, above 
1913, and 15 per cent, below 1912. Weather has been 
hot and dry for six weeks with sufficient drop to pre¬ 
vent thinning. Favorable showers this week, and well 
sprayed orchards will have a good commercial crop of 
clean fruit. Plums and pears fair to good, but much 
lighter than last year. Grapes promise a good crop. 
Norfolk. —Crop one-third heavier than 1913, and 
one-third lighter than 1912. Fungus prevalent but qual¬ 
ity is good in orchards that have been well sprayed. 
Huron. —Crop about 25 per cent, heavier than 1913. 
in spite of heavy drop. Quality will be good. Plums 
light. 
Counties North of Lake Ontario. —Prospects not 
so good as expected. Drop has been heavy. Crop will 
run about same as last year, or about 25 per cent, less 
than 1912. Fruit well distributed and all trees bearing. 
Weather conditions fair. 
Okanagan Valley. —Long dry spell was broken by 
rain. Quality of apple crop excellent. Total crop will 
approximate 1,000 cars, which is equal to the crop of 
19l2 and 25 per cent, gi'eater than 1913, with Wealthy. 
Jonathan, Wagener and McIntosh heaviest. Pears, 20 
per cent, increase over 1913. Tomato acreage increas¬ 
ed 25 per cent. Peaches a fair crop, totalling 50.000 
twenty-pound boxes. 
Special attention should be given by shippers to the 
hour at which tender fruits will reach their destina¬ 
tion. Practically 75 per cent, of the fruit is sold in 
'Canadian markets before noon, and where fruit is sold 
by auction after noon, prices are frequently 30 per cent, 
less than morning prices. 
HONEY PACKING.—The Colorad > Honey Produc¬ 
ers’ Association sends out the following statement to 
guide the members in packing: 
“A honey section weighs approximately one ounce, 
therefore, to grade comb honey according to tin' Col¬ 
orado gx'ading rules and have same conform to the re¬ 
quirements of the Federal Net Weight Law, each packer 
must make sure that no section of Fancy White or 
Number One weighs less than 13% ounces, gross. 
These must be stamped : 
“ ‘Net weight not less than 12% oz.’ 
“No section of choice must weigh less than 12 ounces, 
and these must be stamped: 
“ ‘Net weight not less than 11 oz.’ 
“No section of number two honey must weigh less 
than 11 ounces, and these must be st mped : 
“ ‘Net weight not less than 10 oz.’ 
“The Colorado Honey Producers’ Association, Denver. 
Colorado.” 
