t 
The First Farm Forum 
The first Farm Forum in New York State was 
launched at Gilbertsville, Otsego County, on the 
evening of October 12th. If the first meeting can be 
taken as an indication of those to follow the move¬ 
ment may safely be considered a success. 
The day and evening was wet, but the artistic 
town hall was filled to its utmost capacity. Some 
came over dirt roads for a distance of 85 miles, and 
if tlie weather had been fair it is safe to assume 
tliat the hall would be filled to the last foot of 
standing room. The numbers of farmers with wives, 
sons and daughters, however, was no more signifi¬ 
cant than the interest and enthusiasm of the individ¬ 
uals present. The speakers of the evening were 
Carl Beck, of New Y’’ork, who has local interests at 
Gilbertsville, Isaac Russell, of the Evening Mail, 
New York, and John J. Dillon. The intelligence and 
sympathy of the audience W'as a delight to the 
speakers, and the compi'ehensive questions asked by 
the audience, which is a feature of all forums, de¬ 
veloped illuminating discussion. 
The purpose of the forum movement is to call 
together members of the Grange, Farm Rureaii 
Associations, the Dairymen's League, and other as¬ 
sociations of farmers, for the discussion of siibjects 
vital to farmers, and by full and free discussion 
from all angles develop correct information, create 
farm opinion and focus farm influence on their own 
farm organizations and on State and Federal legis¬ 
lative bodies. Every community feels the need of 
.such an agency. Through all history the open forum 
has been found the best means of developing un¬ 
biased and unprejudiced public opinion. From the 
very nature of farm life .such meetings are more 
necessary in the counti’y than in town or city. Let 
us organize our public needs and develop thought in 
our own way. 
The New York Milk Situation 
It mu.stbe admitted that the milk situation is not 
entirely satisfactory, but there are hopeful pro.spects 
ahead. Many of the country stations owned by the 
dealers are open and receiving milk at the October 
price. Farmers located at these stations have a 
market for all of their milk at the regular price and, 
of course, have personally no cause of complaint. 
One hundred and seven stations, however, have been 
closed and producers in these sections have no out¬ 
let for their milk. The officers of the League state 
that the verbal agreement is that no more stations 
are to be closed, and that the dealers are to take all 
of the milk offered at the open places. They ahso 
state that the agreement is -that the clo.sed stations 
may he opened for the making of butter or cheese 
and the milk bought from the producers on individ¬ 
ual contracts at less than -the I.cague prices, but if 
later the milk from these stations should be shipped 
to New York then-the League prices w’ould be paid. 
These conditions,‘however, are not being complied 
with. In some -places the open stations refuse to 
receive the milk from individual producers, and at 
other places they are shipping milk and attempting 
to contract for it at less than the League prices. 
In some of these places the producers have accepted 
reductions, and at other places they have refused to 
do so, and are without customers for the milk and 
are forced to make it into butter or cheese at home, 
again some of the co-operative creameries are with¬ 
out customers for their milk and are obliged to make 
butter and cheese and, of course, find it difficult to 
compete with the dealers’ plants that are sliipping 
to the New York market. This is unfortunate 
because under the present conditions there is no 
inducement to organize co-operative creameries, 
which are really the backbone of the League, and 
if the condition were permitted to continue for any 
length of time, the structure would fall to pieces. 
No organization can endure that does not protect 
every individual member and keep all on an equal 
footing. The pre.sent arrangement, however, fortun¬ 
ately is for only two months. The arrangements 
for December will soon be under considei-ation and 
the new arrangements can be and must be made on a 
basis equitable to all of the principals. This is quite 
as important to the League itself as to any individ¬ 
ual member. The producers who are without an 
outlet are in a trying situation, but for the most 
part they are bearing their burden cheerfully and 
loyally, under the expectation that they will soon 
fare better. They should have every assurance for 
the next contract. Anything else would he fatal. 
We believe it better at this time that these condi¬ 
tions be fully and frankly discussed. There is no 
use of hiding our heads in a sand pit Avhile the body 
4s exposed to the enemy. It is better that Ave all 
understand the situation as it exists and make pro- 
C/ic RURAL NEW-YORKER 
visions to meet it. Every producer, even though he 
has an outlet uoav himself, must realize the cojidition 
and the feelings of another League member Avho is 
left Avithout a customer for his milk, or Avho is 
forced to sell it at less than the regular price. No 
member really Avants this advantage for himself 
over another member, and all producers must realize 
that the grievance of one is the concern of all. The 
problem is upon us and it .should be taken up at 
once by the strong members of the organization. 
Last week District Attorney SAvanu came out 
openly in favor of the plan long advocated by Mr. 
Dillon to sell milk direct from the farms to the 
grocery stores in the city under an agreement that 
fixed the price to the consumer. * The stoi’okeepers 
discontinued the sale of milk some years ago and 
intimate very clearly that the anno 5 'ance of the in¬ 
spectors of the Board of Health acting in the inter¬ 
ests of the big distributors Avas responsible for their 
act. Several of the large chaiiis of stores are noAV 
ready to sell milk again. All they Avant is the milk 
at a reasonable price and protection from undue 
annoyance. This protection has been promised them 
both by the District Attorney and the Department 
of Foods and Markets. Attorney General Martin 
E. Lewis has always backed the Department in its 
Avork on behalf of both producers and consumers, 
and Avith the city and State lined up together for a 
square deal, there is not inxich danger of annoyance 
to the .stores that handle milk. As Ave have long 
insisted all the stores are anxious to handle milk, 
and it can be .sold to consumers through the stores 
at two to four cents a quart less than heretofore. 
This is the Avay to build up a large con.sumption of 
milk. The deA’elopment of this <1)1011 Is the sah'atioii 
of the industry. 
Direct Trade to Consumers’ Clubs 
q'liis is fi-om October 17th edition of the Noav 
York Sun: 
Consumers’ eliib.s made up of families in various 
neighborhoods are beating the high cost of eating by 
buying staple foodstuU's direct 'from the farmer through 
the State Department of Foods and Markets. 
Here is one order that Avas filled, together Avith the 
Avholesale prices which Avere paid by a club: 
2 bbls. No. 1 potatoes at .‘^4.50 per bbl. ,$9.00 
1 bbl. grade A Baldwin apples. 6.00 
1 bu. green cooking apples. 1.50 
2 bu. white onions at ,$1.75 per bu. ,3.50 
V-i, bbl. sweet potatoes. 1.75 
1 bbl. cabbage. 2.00 
100 lbs. dried Avbite beans. 14.00 
Total ..$.‘17.75 
When a housewife buys these commodities at retail 
she pays sometimes quadruple the wholesale prices. 
Commissioner John J. Dillon has the orders filled 
from stocks of produce that are shipped daily to his 
department by up-State farmers. If there are items 
on the order that cannot be supplied these purchases 
are made in the regular wholesale market. 
Orders calling for $150 worth of produce (wholesale 
prices) Avere received from consumers’ clubs in yester¬ 
day morning’s mail. 
“When the business is big enough to justify the ex¬ 
pense,” Mr. Dillon said, ‘‘we Avill get a truck and deliver 
the stuff ourselves.” 
The State Department of Foods ami Markets is dis¬ 
posing of vegetables, fruits, eggs, poultry, pork, veal, 
&c., for farmers to the amount of $50,000 a month. 
The produce is sold in the Avholesale market through a 
commission house acting as agent for the Department, 
and under its supei'vision. 
While yet limited in its * operations, this plan 
reduce.s the di.stance between producer and consumer. 
The consumer gets the food at farm prices plus the 
cartage. The farmer gets the top market price. 
Instead of 35 cents he gets about 80 cents of the 
consumer’s dollar. These sales are effected Avithout 
expense to the State. If the Avork is encouraged 
the clubs are likely to develop into community co¬ 
operative stores;' and food Avill go direct from 
fai'mers’ co-operative packing houses to the stores. 
The State Food Commission has an opportunity 
here to use some of its lai-ge appropriation for a 
good pui-pose. There is no better Avay to 'increase 
production than to show the farmer that he has a 
ready market at a fair pi-ice for all he produces. 
Trouble With Rural Routes 
URING the past six months Ave haA’e had many 
complaints about changes in rural mail routes. 
Many farmers who were fairly Avell served uoav find 
themselves deprwed of anything like good sendee. 
A case in Pennsylvania is like others: 
A change of Rural Route delivery man deprives him 
of the free delivery. The ucav man drives an auto and 
claims he Avill not climb the hill, but Avill deliver it 
at the other end of the farm, at a place Avhere is 
1241 
located a hut that is much used by tramps. IMr. II. is 
afraid to send his children there, and so refuses to 
have his mail delivered there. The consequence is that 
he must go for his mail, a di.stance of five miles. 
Many of these cases seem to us very hard and 
arbitrary. On appealing to Washington w'e are told 
that the Department is reorganizing the service “in 
the interest of economy.” It Avould be far better 
to cut out the franking priA’ilege and .save some 
of the larger graft rather than to pick at the other 
end and deprive the people Avho most need the deliA’’- 
ery privilege. 
Organized Wool Sales in New York 
The “Farm Bureau News” at Ithaca make.s. a 
statement of various avooI sales held by NeAV York 
Bureau agents during the past year. The Essex 
County Sheep Breeders held their second annual 
Avool sale on ,Tuly 17th. H. ,1. Tillson, the Farm 
Bureau agent, reported that 150 members sold 45,191 
lbs. of Avool. This brought .$30,699. ]\Iost of the 
Avool sold in the county before this sale bi-ought 50 
to 55 cents, but this organized sale netted an average 
price of 68 cents. .Since that sale price.s for wool 
have increased about 5 cents per pound. It is 
evident that this organization enabled the Associa¬ 
tion to make a gain of $5,876, or $39.17 for each of 
the members of the Association. This A.s.sociation 
AAUs organized by the Essex County Farai Bureau. 
This AA'as the second sale, and the influence of this 
Avork is plainly .seen all through the county. 
In Ot.sego County another organized .sale of Avool 
Avas held, Avith buyers present from, Noav York, 
rhihulelph'ia, and other manufacturing point.s. A 
Avool committee had charge of the .sale, Avhich AA'as 
held July 11th, and the clip AA’as .sold to T. W. 
Talbot »& Sons of Binghamton for 691.^ cents per 
pound. 
In DehiAvare C’ounty sheep farming Is gaining, 
fi’he County Sheep As.soci'ation has about 40 members, 
and tAvo w’ool sale have been held. At both sales a 
I'l'ice for avooI several cents higher .per pound than 
any individual offer before the .sale was obtained. 
In June, 1916, the DelaAA’'are County A.s.sociation 
held a avooI parade. There Avas a procession con¬ 
taining auto trucks, Avagons dravv’n by horses, and 
also by oxen, all loaded Avith wool. All these things 
are of great value to Noav York farmers. They not 
only enable groAvers to obtain a better price for 
their product, but they give the most striking proof 
of the benefit of organization, and there i.s really 
gi-eater need for organization and business dealing 
than for increased production. 
The Cost of the Loaf 
On page 1183 there appears a statement reported to 
have been made by Prof. E. F. Ladd, of North Dakota 
Agricultural College, which is extremely misleading 
and incorrect. 
lYith regard to the cost of a barrel of flour the amount 
of grain, the milling cost and the miller’s profit are 
correct as given, but it is. usually the custom to pack 
flour either in a sack or barrel. If the former is used 
there should be 2614 cents added and as it is usually 
necessary to ship the flour the freight should be also 
included. To NeAV York this would be 50 cents per 
barrel, making the actual cost at New York $9.9614 
and not $9.20, Avithout any selling cost or cost of 
delivery to the baker. 
With regard to the matter of bread, the profe.ssor 
evidently desires tlnit it should be believed that the 
baker pockets most o'f the difference betAveen the cost 
of the flour and what is received for the bread, which, 
in the ca.se of the 12-ounce 10-cent loaf he sets down 
as $25.80. 
The professor probably kuoAvs a great deal more 
about agriculture than 'he does about either milling or 
baking, because Avhile he theorizes that the price of 
flour ought to be .$9.20, it has not sold in New York 
beloAV $10.60 for the grades generally used by bakers, 
and so far as the difference betAveen what the baker 
pays for his flour and Avhat he gets for his bread is 
concerned, this difference is quite readily absorbed 
by the things other than water aa'IucIi are an es.sential 
part of making and selling bread. These are yeast, 
salt, sugar,*shortening, Avrapping, fuel, labor, rent, light, 
heat, poAver, maintenance, selling, horses, feed and man¬ 
agerial .salaries, most of which have risen 100% or 
more during the past three years. 
In theory the professor can probably make bricks 
without straw but the practical man has never been 
found AA’ho could. w. QUACKENBUSH. 
The NorthAve.stern Mallei’. 
R. N.-Y.— Our understanding Avas that Prof. Ladd 
was talking of the cost of flour at Western points, 
and that the difference he mentioned covered all expenses 
betAveen the Avheat and the baked loaf. We have known 
Prof. I^add many years, and AA’e AA’ill back him against 
any man for scientific kuoAvledge of grain and bread¬ 
making. 
