THE RURAI, NEW-YORKER 
943 
Twelve Reasons for Selling Apples at 
Auction. 
Twelve reasons why apples and other farm products 
should be sold at auction in the large centres: 
1. When the goods are sold at auction there is com¬ 
petition among the buyers for the goods. There is no 
simultaneous competition among the producers to sell 
the goods. Prices are always bid upwards. In private 
sales the buyer beats the seller downwards. 
2. The railroad companies, and other transportation 
companies, furnish, free of cost, ample space for the 
display and sale of the goods, thus saving the enormous 
rent charges. 
3. The railroad companies, and other transportation 
companies, furnish, free of cost or at a nominal cost, 
all of the labor employed in the handling of the fruit 
onto wagons or automobiles for direct distribution to 
the retail distributors who buy at the auction. 
4. When fruit is sold at auction it is loaded directly 
on the buyer’s wagons or trucks, and the shipper is 
saved the cost of cartage, which is usually charged by 
private salesmen whether the goods are actually carted 
or not. 
5. Foodstuffs sold at auction are sold immediately 
upon arrival unless they are held over by the shipper’s 
representative. In this way the goods are not allowed 
to become stale, discolored, or in any way injured be¬ 
fore being used. This saving is important even in a 
stable fruit like apples. It is enormous in perishable 
fruits. 
6. When food stuffs are sold at auction it absolutely 
eliminates any opportunity for dishonest returns. 
Thefts of any kind or nature, and partiality to favor¬ 
ite buyers, are also eliminated. 
7. The auction sale saves not less than one-third to 
three-fourths of the cost of salesmen selling at private 
sales. One auctioneer selling California fruits has dis¬ 
posed of as much as 00 carloads in a single day in New 
York City. Had these goods been sold at private sale 
it would have required at least fifty salesmen with a 
big corps of assistants to have handled the same goods. 
8. All foodstuffs sold at auction in Europe and in 
America are handled by strong companies, well and 
properly financed, and there is absolutely no danger 
to shippers of a loss through financial failures or dis¬ 
honesty. Returns are made promptly. 
9. For all foodstuffs sold at auction the' owner re¬ 
ceives a certified copy of the catalog and sale, showing 
the price of each article, and what other goods sold for 
on the same day. Official records are kept and when 
request is made, the shipper is given the name of the 
buyer in each instance. 
10. All foodstuff’s sold at public auction ai’e correct¬ 
ly quoted in the public press and in price currents. 
When private sales are made the quotations are made 
from statements by a multitude of salesmen; a few 
of them truthful, and many of them absolutely untrue 
and incorrect. Further, when a line of foodstuffs is 
sold at auction, credits are absolutely controlled by 
the auction companies, and there are practically no 
losses in bad accounts. The charge for selling at auc¬ 
tion is not to exceed one-half the commission charged 
for selling at private sales. 
11. Auction sales give wide publicity and reliable 
quotations to the wholesale market. Middlemen have 
no chance of manipulation or monopoly, and retailers, 
who ask an unreasonable profit, are confronted by 
housewives with the wholesale prices. This keeps re¬ 
tail prices down to a fair profit and increases consump¬ 
tion. 
12. When goods are sold at auction the grower 
knows daily just what his grade of goods actually sells 
for on the open market. The fictitious stories of 
wholesale buyers who go to the country to buy, and talk 
large supply and low prices, have no effect. The pro¬ 
ducer knows just what the goods sell for from day to 
day, and he will accept nothing less. Once regularly 
established, all New York State apples will be sold at 
auction, and producers will get the full benefit of the 
demand and increased consumption. 
When Farmers Name the Price. 
The majority of farmers when they come to sell their 
products are obliged to take what they can get. Some 
one else decides the price, and the farmer usually asks 
"what will you give?” Such a man is on the wrong 
side of the market, and it is an unfortunate place to 
be in. Now and then we strike a farmer who is able 
to say not how much will you give; but “the price is 
so much, you may pay it or drop it.” For instance the 
other day we were talking with a farmer in New Jer¬ 
sey. He said, “Now my neighbor is an apple grower. 
He has a reputation for producing the finest fruit, has 
taken many prizes at exhibitions, and is known all 
over the East for the quality of his apples. Last Fall 
a couple of men drove up to his house and wanted to 
look at his fruit. He took them down into the cellar; 
they looked the apples over, and asked for the price. 
The farmer said: “A barrel of that kind is worth $3 
and a barrel of that variety $4.” 
“That’s too much. I can buy fruit for less money 
elsewhere.” 
“All right, I advise you to buy it. My price for the 
apples is fixed. They are worth that money to me, and 
I will not sell them for a cent less.” 
The two men went down to the gate and stood by 
the road talking it over for a few minutes. Then they 
came back, and one of them said : “How long will that 
offer be open?” 
“Until tomorrow night, and no longer. The apples 
may be worth more after that.” 
They whispered together for a short time longer, and 
then finally said, “All right, we will take so many 
barrels at that price.” 
It is easy to see what a position this man found 
himself in, as compared with the man who must ship 
to a commission man for what he can get, or go on the 
market and ask people what they will pay. The point 
is that this apple grower never could do this thing if 
he had not earned and Avon a reputation for producing 
the finest fruit of uniform quality. When a man bought 
a barrel of his apples he knew just what he was going 
to get; they would be of the highest quality, and every 
apple just as good as the next one. In order to do 
business in these days a farmer must have cash, capital 
or character. He can turn the character into credit, 
which is the same thing as capital, but it will take 
long and patient work, and the strictest kind of honesty 
to develop the character. There are a good many peo¬ 
ple who, unfortunately, are a little careless about the 
character of the products they sell. They go on the 
principle that what is good enough for them must be 
good enough for their customers. That is a great 
mistake, for the customer is to do the purchasing, and 
therefore he has the right to decide what he shall pay 
for. 
Special Training for Local Health Officers. 
An evident effort is being made by the Department 
of Health of New York State to place the work of this 
department of municipal government upon something 
of the same basis of efficiency that our German friends 
are supposed to enjoy. Heretofore, local health officers 
have been local physicians who have had no special 
training in the larger problems of public health and 
who have been handicapped in their work by the ne¬ 
cessity of considering first the wishes of their con¬ 
stituency—their patients. Under recent laws, the pay 
of the local health officer has been materially increased 
and his duties have been multiplied. It is desired, 
further, that lie shall have some special training other 
than that which the ordinary college medical course 
affords; accordingly, a new regulation has been issued 
by the Public Health Council prescribing that after 
November 1 all health officer’s appointed by the local 
boards shall have taken, or entered upon, a special 
course of study in public health. This may be a six 
weeks’ course at some medical institution giving the 
same, or a year’s correspondence course from some 
such institution, completed by a week’s residence study 
in laboratory methods. 
While provision is made for waiving this require¬ 
ment in special instances, it seems to be the intent of 
the State Department to make special preparation fer¬ 
tile duties of a public health official one of the necessary 
conditions of appointment and the regulation will prob¬ 
ably be enforced as rapidly as feasible. This is in line 
with the general advance in sanitary methods which 
our knowledge concerning disease now warrants and 
it may be preliminary to a still better method of san¬ 
itary supervision now in force in some States; that is, 
to the appointment of a county health officer who shall 
have special training for his work, and who shall de¬ 
vote his whole time to it. m. b. p. 
New York State News. 
THE NEW CONSTITUTION.—We shall soon be 
able to get a line on the amendments that are likely to 
become a part of the new constitution. There have 
been over 700 changes proposed. Hearings on these 
amendments before committees have closed and now the 
convention will get down to the business of discussing, 
with approval or disapprov.J. Among probable results 
are continuation of the system of popular election of 
the State judiciary instead of making them appointive; 
the death penalty will stand; educational qualification 
for voters will not be required; tax exemptions granted 
to charitable, religious and educational institutions will 
not be repealed ; a board of pardons is likely to be cre¬ 
ated ; cities will be granted a larger measure of home 
rule; a budget system is likely to be inaugurated to 
guard the State finances; the 28 classes of jury exemp¬ 
tions will be done away with ; the reorganization of the 
State departments under a broad, comprehensive plan 
similar to the federal government system, is predicted; 
the legislature will be given more power to make 
changes in the system of assessing and collecting taxes; 
issuance by the State of short term bonds instead of 
long term bonds. 
, FRUIT PROSPECTS.—The New York State Fruit 
Growers’ Association states that there will be a rather 
light fruit crop in Central and Western New York, 
yet likely to be larger than last year. May frosts hit 
the northern and western counties rather harder than 
the Hudson Valley region. The crops in general are 
better than last year. 
FARM LEASE LIMIT RETAINED.—About the 
first definite action taken by the constitutional con¬ 
vention on any proposed amendment was that relative 
to the repeal of the time limit of 12 years for farm 
leases. So unanimous was the opinion that the clause 
should stand as it is that a roll call was not needed, 
the question being decided by a viva voce vote. 
HORSE DISEASE IN NORTHERN NEW YORK. 
—The State Commissioner of Agriculture has placed 
a quarantine on the towns of Brasher and Massena, in 
St. Lawrence County, and Bombay and Fort Coving¬ 
ton, in Franklin County, owing to the discovery of a 
horse disease known as the infectious anemia or swamp 
fever. It is said that more than 100 horses have died 
with this disease within a month. The disease broke 
out last Summer but the veterinarians were somewhat 
puzzled about it. 
CHAUTAUQUA GRANGE DAY.—A short time ago 
it was announced that Grange Day at the Chautauqua 
Assembly would be changed from August 21 to July 17, 
but now it is stated that the original date will be ob¬ 
served. Grange headquarters at Chautauqua were 
opened this last week and will remain open during tin* 
Summer season. It may be said in this connection that 
the report of the National Grange secretary just re¬ 
ceived states that New York has organized but five new 
Granges the past quarter. The total number organized 
throughout the country is 135. 
VALUABLE PUBLICATION.—Over 40 experts 
have assisted Edward Van Alstyue in the preparation 
of a valuable bulletin on the Vegetable Industry of the 
State. It is a book of 308 pages, with 135 illustra¬ 
tions and may be had by any one who writes to the 
N. Y. State Department of Agriculture, Albany, N. Y., 
for a copy. 
A $7,000 COW.—The Moyerdale farm has sold to 
John Arfmann of Middletown. Segis Betta, a daughter 
og King Segis, for the sum of $7,000. She has a rec¬ 
ord of 29 pounds. 
An Ohio Sparrow-Rat Club. 
The inclosed clipping from our local paper explains 
itself. They have been very successful with their club. 
The losing side pays for the supper but all share in 
the proceeds of sales of refreshments, w. b. fulton. 
This clipping describes a sparrow-rat club which re¬ 
cently celebrated its 10th anniversary: 
The club was founded by the farmers and farmer 
hoys of the southern part of Orange township for the 
purpose of ridding the community of such pests as rats, 
sparrows, hawks and w-easels. As an incentive to work 
the club gives an ice cream social on the second Satur¬ 
day evening of July each year and the proceeds go to 
the different winners. 
The records show that in five years the club has 
killed 9,290 sparrows, 5,879 rats, 78 weasels and 129 
hawks. The total count for the five years is 46,349. 
The year 1908 was best for catching English sparrows. 
In that year 2,207 sparrows met death. 1912 was the 
banner year for the rat hunters, who caught 1,017. In 
that year the largest number of hawks were caught, 56. 
“Equal Rights and Honest Share.” 
We have for many years urged farmers to make use 
of their local papers for advertising and for stating 
their wants or grievances. Farmers help support these 
papers and have a right to make use of them. We are 
glad to see how, more and more, throughout the coun¬ 
try farmers are heeding this advice. Here, for in¬ 
stance is a letter which one of our readers, Wm. A. 
Olds, sent to one of the papers in Lansing, Mich.: 
We farmers are getting tired of what some papers 
print, advising us to raise larger crops and sell them 
cheaper. Let us know Mr. City Man when you are 
going to make more shoes, wagons, etc., and sell them 
cheaper, and we will come to town and buy of you 
instead of ordering from a mail order house. 
I have been on the Lansing city market most every 
Saturday since it was open for business with a load of 
larm and garden produce to sell. I have met many 
of the city’s business men there, and when my load was 
sold out called on them for what I wished in' their line, 
but a good many of the business men seem to think the 
farmer’s market is for the other fellow. 
I would like to say to them, come down to the 
market and get acquainted, and let us know what you 
have to sell. We farmers buy most everything and 
sometimes employ doctors and lawyers. If you buv 
our load out early, so we have the time, we get our 
hair cut, picture taken and stop at the movies. 
\\ hen you want the makings for a boiled dinner we 
can help you out. If you buy your potatoes from the 
north, we have to feed ours to the hogs. If you buy 
your meat in Chicago, we have to sell ours in Buffalo. 
-I-hen we have no excuse for coming to your city to 
trade, .and find it easier to order our supplies from the 
mail order house. Now let's both spend our money 
at home. If you don’t find what you want at the mar¬ 
ket, telephone some farmer you know, we who want 
your business have free exchange with the Lansing 
Central, and if you are not acquainted with any of us, 
come down to the market and we will exchange cards 
with you. You will find us human, if we have hay 
seed in our hair. 
Made in Lansing, grown around Lansing, and sold 
in Lansing, “money back if not satisfied,” will make 
a good three-horse team for all work. wm. a. olds. 
Nova Scotia Fruit Selling. 
ot i\ova Scotia, Limited, is rather interesting The 
companies handled 406,301 barrels of their members’ 
apples out of a total crop of perhaps 600,000 barrels 
grown in Nova Scotia. They packed 203,564 No. 1’s, 
•^’910 No. 2’s, 51,232 Co-op. No. 3’s (large), 56,595 
JNo. os (small) and represented 231 varieties of ap¬ 
ples. Central returned to the subsidiary companies a 
net average price of $1.67 per barrel and carried for¬ 
ward $7,500. The varieties mostly grown were Graven- 
stein, 65,574 barrels; Baldwin 58,510 barrels; King 
32,197 barrels; Ribston, 31,604 barrels; Stark and Ben 
Davis being shy. 
Supplies purchased totaled: 
Fertilizers, 5,181% tons. $102,316.00 
Feed, 41,030 bags. 111,059.00 
Arsenate of lead, 131,180 pounds. 
Sulphate of copper, 3.078 pounds. 
Soluble sulphur, 40,000 pounds. 
Lime-sulphur, 20,000 gallons. 30 062.00 
Flowers of sulphur, 300,000 pounds. 
Black leaf 40, 2,250 pounds. 
Lime, 683 casks . 
Seeds, 161,944 pounds. 
Seed grain, 5,61S bushels. 
Wire fence, 7,090 rods. 
Nails, 461.000 pounds. 
Pulp heads, 830,000. 
Fire insurance risks, $381,700.00 
Total for supplies of. 
Apples . 
Potatoes . 
Odd merchandise . 
21,613.00 
17.474.00 
2,141.00 
$284,667.85 
714.162.22 
131.773.84 
167.34 
Turnover of .$1,130,770.55 
Expenses $28,781.84 or $3,000 for supplies and 5% 
cents per barrel for apples and potatoes. 
JOHN BUCHANAN. 
