THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
News from the Auction. 
There was a decided change for the better in the 
apple market during the past week. The small ship¬ 
ments of medium and poor grades have been pretty 
well cleaned up, and there is a livelier demand for 
clean stock of the higher grades and prices are 
ruling higher. This is being written nearly a week 
before the paper will reach readers, and it is the 
feeling in the trade now that during this coming week 
conditions will improve still further. A few carloads 
have already begun to come out of storage, and where 
the stock is fancy the prices have ruled high. Real 
fancy, high-colored, most popular varieties have reached 
as high as $5 a barrel, but the ordinary grades of the 
same varieties have gone as low .as $2.50 and, of 
course, defective lots have been still lower. From 
the present indications, however, it is safe to assume 
that good clean apples from now on will meet a good 
demand on the New York market and command favor¬ 
able prices. 
The auction market is selling day by day grade for 
grade at the top of the market, and prices in the whole 
trade are ruling at least a dollar a barrel in advance 
of similar grades a year ago, while the price to con¬ 
sumers is lower throughout the city than it was last 
year, resulting in a better consumption. Some of the 
large growers and retail stores have been induced by 
the Department this year to sell apples to consumers 
at an advance of 20 per cent, above the price to the 
grower realized at the auction markets. This cus¬ 
tom is not universal but can be made so by a large 
and regular supply of auction sales and a continuance 
of the propaganda among retailers to influence a bet¬ 
ter and cheaper distribution. If growers could only 
realize the possibilities of this work, and the value to 
themselves in the developing of a city trade, and the 
popularizing of New York State apples in the 'local 
markets, the auction sales would have a larger supply 
than they have yet received. 
The following prices for two days last week will in¬ 
dicate the quality of offerings at the auction sales, and 
the prices realized : 
. APPLES.—38 Hubbardston, $2.55; 1 Bottle Green¬ 
ing, $3.10; 2 King, $2.85; 1 Greening, $3.25; 1 Jon¬ 
athan, $4 ; 1 Pewaukee, $2.35 ; 2 Wagoner, $2.70 ; 1 Gilli- 
flower, $1.85; 4 Wagener, $2.25; 8 Hubbardston, $2.25; 
2, $1.85; 3 Baldwin, $1.85; 3 Jonathan, $3.10; 2 Pe¬ 
waukee, $2.30; 1 Gilliflower, $1.65; 14 Baldwin, $1.85; 
6 Greening, $1.25; 3 Newtown, $2.35; 2, $2.85; 4, 
$2.;>;); 1, $1.4o; 2 Baldwin, $2.75; 1 Sweet Pippin, 
$2.10; 1 Russet, $2; 3 Spy, $2.25; 1 Greening, $2.05; 
5 Baldwin, $2.70; 4, $2; 2 Ben Davis, $2.35; 1, $1.95; 
2 King, $3.35; 3, $3.10; 2, $2.65; 2 Limber Twig, 
$2.35: 16 Baldwin, $3; 5, $2.70; 12, $1.75; 3 Spy! 
$3.40; 9 Baldwin, $2.90; 1 Ben Davis, $2.20; 1 Lady 
Sweet, $2.50; 1 Spy, $3.80; 1 Jonathan, $3.65; 1 King, 
$3.40; 1, $2.70; 3 Greening, $2.95; 1, $2.20; 4, $2.SO; 
$3.65; 3, $2.80; 1 Spy, $3.25; 2, 
Baldwin, $2.90; 4. $2.50; 1, $1.30; 
$1.30; 1 Seek, $1.75; 26 bu.-bkts. 
; 11 Ben Davis, 50 cents; 1 King. 
85 cents; 8 Jonathan, $1.10; 1, 40 
2, Greening, 65 cents; 3, 55 cents; 
60 cents; 1. 35 cents; 1 King, 
$2.35; 60, $1.80; 13, $1.85; 
2, $2.30; 
$2.60; 1, 
1 Snow, 
Baldwin, 
95 cents 
cents; 3, 
3 King, 
$2.30; 4 
$2.70; 1, 
50 cents 
1 King, 
,75 centts, 
2, 50 cents; 1 Pippin, 
50 cents: 37 Baldwin, 
King. $1.70; 7 Pewaukee, $1.75; 7 Newtown, $1.80; 
20 Stark, $1.95; 4 Baldwin. $2.80; 45, $2.95; 4, $1.80; 
40 Greening, $3.35; 20, $3.25; 20. $3.20; 47 Bottle 
Greening, $2.35; 5 Baldwin, $2.15; 22 Winesap, $2.30; 
24 Hubbardston, $2.20; 6 Hislop, $2.40; 4 Blush, 
$2.05; 1 Spy, $2.10; 6 Seek, $2.05; 5 Baldwin, $3.35; 
19, $3.15; Jonathan, $2.55; 1.4 Spy, $3.55; 8, $3.10; 
4 Baldwin, $3; 12, $2.45; 15, $2.25; 1, $2.45; 4 Ben 
Davis, $2.25; 6, $1.60; 3 Seek, $2.05; 3 Spv, $3.05- 
1, $2.05 
$1.55; 1 
1 Baldwin, $2.25; 
Vandervere, $1.65. 
Ben Davis, $1.90; 1, 
MISCELLANEOUS.—1 bbl. Kieffer pear, $1.35; 
8, 90 cents; 41 bu. Kieffer, 50 cents; 29 bu. Anjou, 
$1.50; 1, 70 cents; 50 3-lb. Concord Grapes, 6% cents; 
60 bkts. sweet potatoes, 55 cents. 
How the Railroad Can Help. 
The industrial agent of the New York Central Rail¬ 
road has written me to suggest what the road can do 
to help the farming interests of the State. You know 
the needs of the farm interests of the State. Can you 
make any definite suggestion of what the Central can 
do to help the causes you advocate? h. c. 
Dutchess Co., N. Y. 
Yes. We could give several very pertinent sugges¬ 
tions, but we confine ourselves to one for the sake of 
emphasis. We may refer to the others later. The New 
York Central maintains a dock at the foot of Bar¬ 
clay Street where the gross farm products, such as 
apples, potatoes, onions and the like are discharged. 
Produce dealers are permitted to sell these products on 
the docks. The tradesmen come there to buy, because 
this line of goods is concentrated there. The dealers 
sell at private sale, and the buyers drive on to the 
dock to take the goods away. This causes great con¬ 
fusion, and loss of time. Farmers through the State 
Department of Foods and Markets have appointed the 
Fruit Auction Company to receive and sell farm pro¬ 
duce at auction. This system of selling relieves con¬ 
gestion, because one auctioneer will sell as much as five 
private salesmen and buyers and goods move on quick¬ 
ly. Yet the railroad company refuses to permit the 
Fruit Auction Company to sell at auction on the Bar¬ 
clay Street dock. The produce dealers are opposed to 
farmers receiving their own goods on this dock, and 
selling them in their own way, pledging themselves not 
to interfere with or annoy anyone else. The railroad 
is evidently moved by the protest of the dealers. The 
buyers carry the goods direct from this dock, but the 
custom of the dealers has been to charge the grower- 
cartage on it just the same. If the farmers’ own agency 
were permitted to sell there no cartage whatever would 
be charged, and the dealers could not long maintain 
their custom of fictitious cartage charges. The very 
best service the New York Central could render farm¬ 
ers at this time would be to grant them the same 
privilege on the Barclay Street dock they accord deal¬ 
ers. Suppose you write a letter to Mr. Walsh, and tell 
him you would like to have him change this ruling, 
and when you see him at your meetings during the 
\N inter, tell him you would like an even chance with 
the dealer on his docks, and that you don’t like to pay 
cartage when your goods are not moved by the re¬ 
ceiver. If farmers would fight and back up their lead¬ 
ers as the dealers do, we would get our rights. Let 
us make a start on this. 
Coming Hay Sales. 
The Department of Foods and Markets has organ¬ 
ized an auction sale of hay for the Onondaga Alfalfa 
Growers’ Association to be held on November 30th, and 
another sale of the same kind for the Patrons’ Coopera¬ 
tive Association of Cayuga County to be held at Au¬ 
burn, N. Y., on December 1st. The catalogues are not 
yet made up, but the amount of hay to be sold through 
these associations is estimated at 30,000 tons, and there 
will be an opportunity for every hay buyer to get his 
supplies at these sales on the open market. 
They Want More Commission. 
The following news item is from one of the produce 
trade papers: 
Because of the growing increased cost of transacting 
business and mainbiining competent salesmen and other 
employes, in addition to high rentals, leading com¬ 
mission merchants of this city inaugurated prelimin¬ 
ary preparations this week looking toward an advance 
in their commissions to 10 per cent., as business in 
fruits and vegetables cannot be done any longer on the 
present schedule, which varies generally from five to 
seven per cent. 
It is true the commission dealers cannot make ends 
meet under the present system on five to seven per cent. 
They cannot do it on 10 per cent. They insist on pay¬ 
ing high rentals, and maintain expensive offices, and 
employ high-priced salesmen. In addition to the com¬ 
mission they persist in perpetuating a system that 
makes extra expense of handling and cartage necessary. 
They oppose every attempt to secure proper distribut¬ 
ing facilities, and every effort to reduce the cost of 
salesmanship. As a means of preserving the system 
they have established a line of x-eckless credits to 
dealers and speculators without responsibility, and 
suffer frequent excessive losses. They are obliged to 
bear these losses without protest because the defaulters 
know the game and the system and are in a position to 
defy prosecution. 
With a union terminal receiving produce from all 
lines, run direct to the terminal, having cold storage 
facilities, produce can be sold in New York City at 
auction at a profit for three per cent, without a cent 
for cartage or labor, and returns made to the producer 
within twenty-four hours. 
It is an easy matter to work on a five per cent, com¬ 
mission, provided a - receiver is free to make his own 
prices; but when operating in competition with an auc¬ 
tion market as the commission dealers are now doing, 
it is necessary to return full prices in order to keep 
shippers from rushing to the auction system. When 
high expenses and reckless credits are maintained and 
full returns to the shipper is a necessity, the only way 
to avoid bankruptcy is to increase the commissions. 
Shippers have the privilege of supporting the old sys¬ 
tem at 10 per cent, in addition to charges and other ex¬ 
penses of selling through the auction at five per cent, 
or help develop a system that will reduce this and 
eliminate all other expense. 
“ Who Pays for All This? ” 
Several readers say they have received copies of a 
trade paper containing long and bitter attacks upon the 
I oods and Markets Department, and particularly the 
auction sales. These men are not impressed by these 
articles, but they are curious to know what it is all 
about. Our understanding is that the Association of 
Commission Men and other produce trade organizations 
buy thousands of copies of these papers and send them 
out to farmers and shippers. These trade papers seem 
to be for sale to the highest bidder. They ought to 
approve the auction system, for if they thought the 
friends of the auction would pay a higher price they 
would come out next week and print glowing stories 
about the auction s success. They make no converts 
among farmers—most of them treat their efforts as 
this man does: 
I am taking the liberty of sending you the enclosed 
pamphlet, which I received in yesterday’s mail from 
a Washington St. commission house. It seems that they 
are trying to tear down the framework that Mr. Dil¬ 
lon has put up. However, I do not see why the Foods 
and Markets should not become successful in spite of 
the "Packer’s” howling. h. g. gawdy. 
rsew Jersey. 
Every man who has ever shipped produce to New 
^ ork knows that the auction is a good thing because it 
will steady prices, encourage open competition and com¬ 
pel the dealers to return at least what goods bring at 
auction sales. No one dares to remit for less than 
these auction prices, and in some cases the dealers send 
even more than this in a foolish effort to break down 
the system. They do not deceive anyone. If they were 
wise they would recognize the principle represented by 
1355 
the auction and acknowledge the mighty force which is 
organizing behind it. They are too blind and stupid 
to see that these very bitter attacks give their entire 
case away. If the auction system were a failure there 
would be no need of fighting it. These long tirades 
merely prove that at last an influence has come into 
the produce business which really strikes at the heart of 
graft and robbery. Farmers will not be fooled by 
these trade papers. Here is an extract from a letter 
sent to the Fruitman’s Guide: 
I am enclosing a dollar for another year, my sub¬ 
scription expiring this month. Let me assure you how¬ 
ever, that it is not what I see in your editorial columns 
that leads me to do this. 
Your slurring attack in issue of Oct. 30th shows not 
only a lack of common sense, but a gross lack of com¬ 
mon decency. Perhaps after all it will help to con¬ 
firm the old adage about the “rope.” 
I know little about the selling scheme of Mr. Dil¬ 
lon’s, but I feel sure that after reading your editorials 
no one will believe anything you say about it anyway. 
North East, Pa. (Signed) a. i. loop. 
We can only repeat what we said last week: 
“If the other fellow will not talk about you—hire 
him to do so!” These trade papers are willing to do 
it for nothing! 
Opinions on the Auction. 
*. I II 111 IV uiciu 
the farmer of the new Department, of Foods and 
Markets. Also I think it is going to help the con¬ 
sumer. Anything that brings the buver and seller 
together is going to benefit both. Besides letting 
both parties know each other, they realize each 
other’s problems, and I believe this will mean more 
in the long run than the actual money saved at first. 
Owing to our policy of selling everything direct 
to the consumer or to the retailer we'have not yet 
taken advantage of the new department, but it is 
a big help to know I can fall back on it at any time 
I need it. floyd q. white. 
Westchester Co., N. Y. 
It is our individual opinion that the auction sales 
rut backbone into the fruit growers, who held 
their fruit at a higher price than they would have 
done had these sales not been held. These sales 
certainly established the price, and gave a working 
basis from which the growers could each arrive at 
the comparative value of their fruit. We think an¬ 
other year, with more time to advertise and get the 
scheme before the buyers, the results will be much 
more satisfactory. In our own case this year the 
catalogues were not ready until the day before the 
sale, therefore the buyers had no time' to look the 
orchards over. For this reason none of the orchards 
in our immediate vicinity received a bid. 
Ulster Co., N. Y. c. g. vf.lie & son. 
Department.” Although I have not had any busi¬ 
ness dealing with the Department, I am sure its 
cost will be saved to the people several times over 
this year. h. k. talmage. 
Long Island. 
The Department of Foods and Markets fills a dis¬ 
tinct need so far as Dutchess County is concerned. 
We are growing a few apples, yet the vast majority 
of the farmers consider them merely as a small side 
issiie. While numbers of our farmers are caring for 
their orchards a great many are neglecting them. 
I his neglect is not due to the fact that the farmers 
are not willing to take dollars out of their orchards, 
but. is rather due to the fact that in the past, while 
they have been able to grow good fruit, they had not 
been able to market it to good advantage. A great 
deal of our fruit has been sent to New York on con¬ 
signment. On the whole, returns have not been 
such as to encourage the development of the orchard 
industry. Tree-run fruit which will pack 50 to 75 
per cent grade “A” and the balance ungraded has 
been sold in bulk this year in many cases at less 
than $1 per barrel. This is not because the farmers 
do not want the money which the fruit is worth but 
because they do not know how to get it. 
’1 here is little use of advocating the planting of 
orchards, discussing cultural methods, spraying, and 
other questions of great importance until the farmer 
(-in see his way clear to get. the cash on his crop. 
When the farmers of Dutchess County see their op¬ 
portunity to market their apples at a price which 
will warrant it, they will not be slow about adopting 
such methods as will give full crops of good fruit. 
Every farmer in this county needs the Department. 
A great work has been done this season in the apple 
market. A great work remains to be done in the 
milk market. f. h iacy 
Dutchess Co., N. Y. 
New York State News. 
NEW CASES ANTHRAX.—New cases of anthrax 
both in man and beast seem to be of unusually fre¬ 
quent occurrence of late. The latest cases reported at 
this writing are those of Fred R. Ramsdell of Sara¬ 
toga County and William Barton of St. Lawrence 
County. It appears that Mr. Ramsdell, contrary to 
the advise of veterinarians, took part in an autopsy 
of one of his cows which was believed to have died from 
anthrax, and several days thereafter Mr. Ramsdell 
called a physician who called another into conference 
and both pronounced the disease anthrax. Mr. Bar¬ 
ton of Ogdensburg is in a hospital with a disease diag¬ 
nosed as anthrax. 
CATTLE KILLED IN PASTURES.—A piece of 
high-handed cattle butchery was that which took place 
according to reports near Randolph, Chautauqua Coun¬ 
ty, recently. It appears that 75 or 100 young cattle 
had been at pasture in some lowland far back from 
the highways, during the Summer, and when rumors 
reached the ear of the owner of the stock investigation 
was made when, in one place, offal from at least a 
dozen carcasses was found, which it is believed had been 
butchered, hog-dressed and taken away. Tracks of an 
auto truck were found leading to the place. It is be¬ 
lieved that at least 40 head of stock have been butch¬ 
ered or driven away by thieves. Another farmer found 
only one out of five head that he had placed in the 
pasture. It is said that a dozen farmers have suffered 
the loss of stock in this manner. j. w. n. 
