1914. 
1445 
THE FOOD AND MARKETS DEPARTMENT. 
A Statement of Its Purposes. 
Part I. 
IIE IDEAL.—The purpose of the Department of 
Foods and Markets is to find a profitable market 
for the products of the farms of the State of New 
York, and at the same time to devise such an economic 
system of distribution of farm food products that, 
through the saving, the farmer may receive more and 
the consumer pay less. 
PLANNING THE WORK.—It is proposed to ac¬ 
complish these results by eliminating waste and ex¬ 
travagance : and by organizing an economic system for 
the distribution of farm food products to replace the 
extravagant and wasteful system heretofore in use. 
The new system begins at the farm. The department 
will keep the farmer advised as to the demand for dif¬ 
ferent kinds and grades of products, and' thus direct 
him in the production of goods that promise ready sale 
and best prices. He will be instructed in the proper- 
grading and packing of his products; and he will 
be assisted in organizing local cooperative associations 
by which he can develop and supply his local market. 
The department will keep him advised as to the de¬ 
mand from day to day of metropolitan markets, and 
of prevailing prices in these markets. This will enable 
the farmer to ship his surplus products to centers 
where there is a ready demand and where best prices 
prevail. 
LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS.—It is proposed to or¬ 
ganize a local farmers’ cooperative association in the 
territory adjacent to each of the cities and villages 
throughout the State, and in each city and village it¬ 
self to provide a closed building to which the farmer 
may deliver his produce in bulk, just as his milk is 
now delivered to a creamery; or as his tomatoes are 
delivered to a cannery. This centre building will serve 
as a grading and packing house; it will serve as a lo¬ 
cal market for the city or village in which it is situated; 
and as a shipping house for the surplus that must find 
a distant market. If possible it should be located in 
the centre of the town to accommodate the people; and 
on a line of railroad so as to ship economically in car 
lots. When practical, the grading of produce should 
be done at the farm, but in any event the goods will be 
subject to inspection on delivery to the local ware¬ 
house. 
THE LOCAL MARKET.—It is not intended to dis¬ 
turb any local conditions; nor is it necessary to do so. 
If the housewives go to the local market for their sup¬ 
plies, they should always have the selection of grades 
of fresh produce at a reasonable prioe; and the local 
dealers should be supplied at a price below this to af¬ 
ford him a reasonable profit on goods to supply those 
housewives who prefer to pay the extra price for con¬ 
venient buying and home delivery. It will be the aim 
to keep the local markets supplied with goods of such 
high quality and commensurate prices that no goods 
of the same variety could be profitably slapped in from 
other sections. Local consumption is the best market 
for the products of the neighboring farms. Practical ex¬ 
perience has demonstrated that under a proper system 
growers can sell direct to consumers at 75 per cent, 
of the prices ordinarily charged the consumer in re¬ 
tail markets, and at the same time the producer ideal¬ 
izes a profit of 30 per cent, above his returns from 
wholesale markets. It is the ambition of the depart¬ 
ment to make this direct trade and saving general. 
MARKET MANAGEMENT.—These local markets 
may also receive from other sections shipments of such 
products as are not produced in the immediate neigh¬ 
borhood for distribution to the local dealers or families 
of the town. The market will require the service of 
one competent manager, and such other help as may 
be required from time to time. This management may 
be the employers of the cooperative association; and 
under the control of its board of directors; or if 
thought advisable, the department may, under the law, 
license and bond a man to handle the business, and 
fix the percentage he would be allowed to charge for 
his services. 
STORAGE FACILITIES.—In many sections the 
volume and quality of products will warrant the erec¬ 
tion of cold storage facilities and canning factories, 
or evaporating plants. These facilities will preserve 
products that are a little over-ripe for safe shipment. 
They will absorb surplus products in time of over¬ 
production, and they will utilize many articles of ex¬ 
cellent food value that in the raw state could not be 
shipped at a profit, and are in consequence allowed to 
rot on the ground. 
SETTLING RETURNS.—The returns to the pro¬ 
ducer are a mere matter of accounting. Produce will 
be weighed on delivery; and the farmer will receive 
a memorandum of his delivery and he will be credited 
for the same on the books of the association, and when 
the prices prevailing for the day are determined, the 
credit will be carried out in dollars and cents. The 
department will furnish the association with price 
quotations from the principal domestic and foreign 
markets daily. Settlements will be made at fixed in¬ 
tervals of a week or month; and if funds are required 
in the meantime any bank will be glad to supply it to 
an organization doing this kind of business. 
SOME ASSOCIATIONS have already been formed 
to assemble and ship produce. With the increase of 
suc-h organizations, the development of local markets, 
and the systematic handling of shipments in general 
markets greater results must be attained. 
THE RURAI> NEW-YORKER 
DIRECT BUYING.—The department will encour¬ 
age direct trade of individual farmers with individual 
consumers where it can be profitably undertaken. It 
is probable that the department may find a way to 
furnish information and establish relations that will 
facilitate this trade between such individual producer 
and consumer as may be in a position to profit by it. 
MEAT PRODUCTION.—The scarcity of meat and 
the ever-increasing price for that article of food in¬ 
dicate that the eastern farmer can again raise meat pro¬ 
ducing animals at a profit. Neighborhood associations for 
the breeding and sale of meat producing animals would 
greatly help in the development of this industry. They 
operate very successfully in some of the Western 
States, and in Europe, particularly in Denmark. The 
industry was practically driven out of the State by 
the competition of the Western packers; but they are 
no longer able to supply the demand. To revive the 
industry in the State we must find a ready outlet for 
the product. Here again we get a lesson from Europe. 
Paris has its abattoirs where any farmer in France 
may send his fat animals for slaughter by a public 
official. A regular charge per head is made for the 
service; and the meat is cared for until sold, and re¬ 
turn made to the owner. The department has authority 
to care for the meat and sell it, and return to the pro¬ 
ducer. It will probably find a way to provide for the 
slaughter as soon as the industry attains proportions 
to justify it. 
THE FARMER’S REPRESENTATIVE.—The in¬ 
dividual farmer as well as the farm associations will 
always have a representative in the metropolitan mar¬ 
ket and in due time in the other important cities of 
the State. It will be the duty of the Department to 
keep constantly informed of the conditions of the 
markets in the large cities of the county and of the 
foreign demand. This information together with the 
prices realized on last sales will be made public to 
the farmers of the State, and special information will 
be furnished by wire when required. This informa¬ 
tion should direct the produce to the centres of great¬ 
est demand as indicated by the price offered and the 
available supply. It will enable the farmer to avoid 
shipments to markets that are already over-supplied 
and save disappointment and loss. j. j d 
Handling Fish. 
ERE is a load of haddock as handled on the T 
w harf at Boston. Large numbers of fishing ves¬ 
sels tie up to this wharf, after which the slippery 
contents of the holds are hauled up in great baskets, 
which are dumped into boxes on the scales. After 
weighing, two men with pitchforks quickly toss the fish 
into a truck or hand cart, which is then hauled to pack¬ 
inghouse or store. The single fish shown in the truck 
on right side of picture, was a horse mackerel weighing 
about 700 pounds. This was handled with a hook like 
those truckmen use on packing boxes. Fishing off the 
‘‘banks’’ in Winter is a cold, disagreeable job, yet those 
accustomed to it do not appear to mind the discom¬ 
forts. 
The New York Agricultural Society. 
T HE program for the seventy-fifth annual conven¬ 
tion of the New York State Agricultural Society, 
to be held at Albany January 20-31, 1915, 
is being made up already, men of national repute 
having accepted invitations to address the conference. 
The Housewives’ League promise a large attendance 
of their membership, and the banquet on Thursday 
evening promises to be an attractive feature. New 
York farmers and their wives should make this con¬ 
vention a feature of their annual recreation. 
Meeting of Co-operative Associations. 
L AST week the conference of cooperative associa¬ 
tions was in error announced to be held in Ithaca, 
on January 13, 14, and 15, 1915. The dates are 
correct, but the place of meeting is Utica, N. Y. Con¬ 
siderable interest is manifested in this meeting. The 
number of associations has increased since the last con¬ 
ference in August, and considerable progress has been 
made in development of the business of the associa¬ 
tions. A large attendance is expected, but remember 
that the place of meeting is Utica. 
A New Scheme in Trading Stamps. 
T HE use of trading stamps as a means of advertis¬ 
ing has been in vogue for some years. By this 
system the dealer offers to serve out stamps in 
proportion to the amount of goods purchased, and 
when a certain amount" has been secured these may 
be returned and some article obtained as an equivalent 
for the stamps offered. Usually these agreements are 
kept, but occasionally the company furnishing the 
stamps in some distant city fails to make good its 
agreement with the merchant and the merchant is slow 
to compensate the holder of a partial set of stamps. 
Recently we have been treated to a new idea in the way 
of stamp dealing. By the old system the merchant pur¬ 
chased the stamps and passed them out to his cus¬ 
tomers as they did the trading. In the new system, 
which is being worked on farmers exclusively, I think, 
the farmer is urged to take the stamps and use them 
when paying for goods purchased, the claim being that 
the merchant will deduct five per cent, on the bill of 
goods, taking stamps for the discount instead of cash. 
So far as this is concerned there is no criticism on the 
deal in particular if all parties are fully informed re¬ 
garding it when entered upon. The plan may be a 
legitimate method of advertising, whatever may be 
said of it as an economic proposition for the purchaser 
of the goods. 
Now as for the new plan, it seems to have its de¬ 
fects. The canvasser comes along and says that the 
merchants in town desire to present the farmer with 
a fine book for keeping his accounts, and at the same 
time furnish him with information how to best grow 
various crops, such as Alfalfa, and other productions. 
He then shows the book, which seems to contain a 
complete set of blanks similar to those which the State 
Department of Agriculture got out a few years ago 
and furnished free to such farmers as would use them. 
It also contains reprint of certain bulletins from the 
stations or schools on the growing of crops, all of 
which are free for the asking. The agent says that 
his company is cooperating with the railroad, the agri¬ 
cultural department and the schools of agriculture as 
well as with the merchants in town, all of whom 
desire to help the farmer. He asks the farmer to sign 
the contract that he will accept the book from his 
merchant when it is ready for distribution. He urges 
the generosity of the merchant in making such a dona¬ 
tion, and if the farmer hesitates he assumes an injured 
tone, because of hesitation in accepting the gift, when 
it is purely a gift and does not cost a cent. 
The real facts are that the contract is an agreement 
to purchase the book for six dollars and also to receive 
a small book of trading stamps to the amount of six 
dollars which the farmer can use when paying for his 
purchases at the store of the merchant in town, these 
are to be accepted by the merchant for five per cent, 
of the purchase at any time, and if all the conditions 
are carried out the farmer gets back his six dollars 
when he has traded to the amount of $130. I have 
traced this to some extent, and have found one merchant 
who says he is ready to take the stamps as stated. All 
the others say they have never heard of the scheme or 
did not agree to go in it. It is fair to sav that some 
of the agents have stated to some of the farmers that 
the cost is six dollars and the rebate is as stated, but 
other agents, at other times, have failed to make the 
correct explanation. There is nothing to prevent the 
dealer from charging an extra amount for his goods 
when a part of the price is to be allowed in stamps. 
Some orders for books have been secured without any 
explanation further than that first given, that there 
is nothing for the farmer to pay and that it is a pres¬ 
ent from the local merchant. It is but a scheme where 
one ought not to get caught, for he should famliiarize 
himself with the contract before signing it. but some 
really good business farmers have signed without read¬ 
ing its provisions. This is the farmer’s fault, but it 
does not excuse the agent nor his methods. It is doubt¬ 
ful if he is giving full value for the six dollars anvwav. 
and if he is it is his duty to state fairly the conditions 
of the deal. h. H . LY on\ 
GRAIN NOTES BY EXPERTS. 
B ROOMHALL reports European visible supply of 
wheat as 70.504.000 bushels, an increase of 2,- 
360,000 over previous week. 
Corn Trade News states that wheat in the 
United Kingdom is starting well. In France, seeding 
except in the war zone has made good progress, but 
weather is unfavorable, and thrashing returns from the 
old crop disappointing. Seeding in Russia started well 
and planted area now covered with snow. Conditions 
in Austria-Hungary bad. farm work neglected and 
tood supplies high, spot wheat selling recently in Aus¬ 
tria at $2.40 per bushel. 
Stocks of principal grains in store in this country are 
m thousands of bushels. 
New York . 
Boston . 
Philadelphia . 
Baltimore . 
New Orleans . 
Galveston . 
Buffalo . 
Toledo . 
Detroit . 
Chicago . 
Milwaukee . 
Duluth .. 
Minneapolis . 
St. Louis . 
Kansas City. 
Peoria . 
Indianapolis . 
Omaha . 
Wheat 
Corn 
3.082 
4S4 
342 
23 
1.572 
186 
1.802 
137 
3.207 
27 
1.775 
5 
4.662 
113 
1.906 
i 7 
510 
114 
7,217 
574 
218 
9 
11,555 
15.915 
30 
3.669 
35 
9,452 
8,627 
o 
125 
458 
265 
1,118 
122 
Oats 
1,375 
50§ 
1,802 
151 
1.916 
874 
4S 
12.573 
647 
1.903 
4,512 
485 
862 
1,297 
415 
2,278 
Buffalo, 19,000; Toledo, 2,000; Detroit, 23,000 • Chi¬ 
cago, 57.000; Milwaukee, 49,000; Duluth, 13 ; > 000 • 
Minneapolis, 154,000; Kansas City, 14.000- Omaha’ 
19,000; on lakes, 187.000. Total,' 1,659.000 bushels! 
Decrease. 339,000. 
Rye (1913)—:New York, 8,000; Boston, 2.000; Bal- 
Omore, 210,000; Buffalo. 65,000; Toledo. 10,000; De- 
troit. 42.000: Chicago. 386,000; Milwaukee, 330.000; 
Duluth, o94.000; Minneapolis, 739.000. 
