Oic RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Farmers and Military Service 
The dairymen of Herkimer ('ounty. N. Y.. j'ot right 
down to practical work on the farm labor problem. 
Fir-st they appointed Mr. E. \Y. McNamara, one of 
their own members, to go to Washington and make 
Iheir needs known to Congress, yir. McNamara lost 
no time. He already has a bill before the House 
known as II. R. 7570. This bill provides tlnit the 
owner or tenant of any farm, who cultivates a farm 
of more than 50 acres or less than 100 acres, and 
his son or his principal farm worker, shall be ex¬ 
empt from military duty. If the farm contains 
not less than ItK) acres or more, the owner or tenant 
with his son and principal farm laborer (three in 
all if within the conscription age) shall be exempt 
from military service. xVny comscripted person who 
<‘omes under the above classification and who is now 
ill the service in any cantonment or camp may be 
returned home on making application to his com¬ 
manding officer. 
In the event that any of the persons mentioned 
who become the beneficiai-ies of the act leave the 
farm on which they are employed, or su.spend their 
labor on it except through sickness, it shall be the 
duty of the drafting board to replace their names on 
the con.scription lists. 
This is the -most practical means yet suggested as 
n solution of the farm labor problem. Nothing could 
lie more senseless than the various propagandas that 
•were put under way last year, first to entice men 
fi'oin the work they knew how to do, and then to 
rejilace them by green hands. One committee of the 
government Avas alluring men friwn the farms by 
offers of big wages, and allurement in the Avay of 
appeals to a patriotic dut.v. and other committees 
and commissions were Just as industriously try- 
Ing to 
get 
other person.s back 
to 
fill the 
vacancies 
by 
the .same arguments 
and 
induce- 
ments. 
Other 
industries suffered. 
and 
labored 
in the same way. Farmers fared the worst 
only because they could not get the skilled 'help for 
their technical Avork. and also because the prices for 
their jiroducts did not justify the prices they Avere 
obliged to jiay for labor. As a result, many fields 
Avere nnwofked amt many crops Avere, unharvested 
after growth. Farmers acceiited AA'ith misgivings 
the city help brought to them by the committees, and 
in many places paid transportation expenses only to 
have their own Judgment confirmed in the experi¬ 
ence of useless expense. The city help was a failure, 
as they ex]>ected it would be. The experience Avill 
not be repeated again. The committee that again at- 
tempts to ]»lace city help on the generai farm or 
dairy farm Avill not receive the consideration ac¬ 
corded it last year. For some special work, such 
as picking berries and othei- simple operations on 
the farm, boys and Avomen may be helpful, but city 
chaps who want a country lark and a night's lodging 
Avill not this year get a check in advance from farm¬ 
ers for the expen.se of a trip to the country. 
Since the city men must be trained before the.v 
are fit for any serAdce, they may as Avell be trained 
for military service and leaA’e capable men on the 
farms to iiroduce food. 
The Cream of the Milk Situation 
From the reading of inspired newspaper reports, 
some of us thought that consumers were represented 
before the Federal Milk Conimi.ssion by counsel. It 
noAA’ becomes known that a big corporation attorney, 
I'.dward K. Haird, Esq., was appointed liy the Com¬ 
mission to sit as a consumers' member. He Avas paid 
by the New York State Food Council. With this 
appointment and these credentials, he proposed 
things that the Commission should do. In other 
Avords, what the Commission did not Avish to pro- 
po.se itself, it had jiroposed by this attorney, ap¬ 
pointed and paid by themselves, and announced to 
the public as a consumers' representative. 
This plan enables the Commission to confront pro¬ 
ducers Avith alleged city demands as in.spired by 
the Commission without leaving the Commission 
open to the suspicion of bias, as it would be if the 
demands came direct from its membership. Farmers 
cannot be reproved for being misled by such pre- 
tence.s. Here, in close touch with it, we at first ac¬ 
cepted the deception ourselves. The result may not 
be of much importance, one way or the other. Rut 
we'Avould like to discourage this practice of jmtting 
up a man of straw to be knocked down for the ap¬ 
parent benefit of farmers. A little more real sincer¬ 
ity would inspire more lasting confidence. 
This Commission has yet to fix the price of milk 
for February and March, but this form of procedure 
does not give much promise of a satisfactory adju.st- 
ment of the milk problem through them. Now since 
the dealers can no longer hope to make prices to 
producers to suit themselves, they are anxious to 
have prices made by a Commission. They are even 
Avilling that the city or State take over the business, 
if fanc.v prices can be had for the junk in their 
equipment : but so long as they control the Commis¬ 
sion there is no hope for radical 'improvement or 
economy in the distribution of milk. Their hope is 
in a higher price to consumers to reduce consump¬ 
tion and create a surpln.s. and in that Avay later on 
leduce the price to the producer. 
The Dairymen's League is the only means in sight 
Just now to anticipate this plan and to defeat it. 
The League has a providential opportunity Just noAV 
to do it. It can buy .the Mutual-McDermott equip¬ 
ment and pa.v the bills due farmers for milk, as far, 
at least, as the proceeds go, and then sell milk in 
bottles and cans .to the grocery stores in all parts of 
the city for delivery direct to the homes. Let the 
dealers continue their Avagon delivery to the homes. 
They Avould also be forced to sell to stores. The 
League, diowever, Avould set the standard for .ser¬ 
vice and cost. This will solve the milk problem 
once and for all. It will reduce the cost of milk .to 
the consumer in the city and create enough saving 
to pay a living price to the farmer at all times. It 
is the only Avay that distribution can be i-educed to a 
reasonable cost, and farm interests demand that de¬ 
livery co.st be kejit in bounds and city people encour¬ 
aged to a larger consumption of milk. 
The School Law! Organize! Organize! 
To get effective action im the repeal of the town¬ 
ship school law, it AAdll be necessary to liaA’o some 
centralized organization to sqieak authoritatively for 
the farmers of the State on this particular subject. 
There need not be much formality about it ]»rovided 
Ave luiA-e uniformity enough to centralize iiifiuence. 
We suggest tiiat a Patrons’ League be formed in 
each .school district of the State. 
We advise co-o])eration with the local organiza¬ 
tions of the Hrange, Dairymen's League, or other 
societies, but it will strengthen the Avork of all dis¬ 
tricts to hold a meeting and elect a count.v delegate. 
It will not matter Avhether the Patrons’ League has 
many or fe\A' members in a district, nor AVhere the 
meeting is held. P>e sure that the 'women become 
members. If you can do no more, get a ludghbor or 
two and your -wives and form a district league. 
The blank jn-inted below may be used as heading 
for -a list, and report of the oHicers- and delegate.s 
elected should be sent us promptly. 
PATRONS’ I.EAGUE 
To Repeal 
THE TOWNSHIP S(*HOOL LAW 
We, the nnclersigiied patron.s of School I)i.strict No. 
.in the town of.<-onnty 
of.. State of New York, here¬ 
by hind ourselves in an organization to 'be known as 
the Patron.s' League, the purpose of Avhich shall be to 
use -onr united infiuence -to repeal the Township School 
Law, known as Chapter .■>2.S of the Laws of P.)17. 
We promise to attend local meetings as often as pos¬ 
sible ; to formally organize the Patrons’ League; to 
help elect delegates to a county league to be organized 
for the same purpose ; and to make a A-oluntary con¬ 
tribution to help pay expense of postage and travel. 
Names of Members 
What About Potatoes ? 
The potato situation is a great puzzle. There has 
never been anything like it before in the history of 
the country. The Department of Agriculture in.sists 
that the crop la.st year came to 442,5.‘l(i.0()0 bushels, 
AA'hich Avas the largest crop ever produced in this, 
country. In every iirevious year a lar,ge crop has 
had the effect of dropping prices continuousl.A- from 
the time of digging. We all remember a feAA' years 
ago Avhen the country Avas full of potatoes, and Ave 
Avere all trying to find neAv u.ses'for them so as to 
dispose of the surplus. This year, hoAvever. prices 
have ly led higher than in any previous year, ex- 
c('pt last year, Avhen the crop Avas short. 
The department also claims that not more than 
one-third of the marketable surplus had been moved 
up to .January 1 ; that is. for every car marketed up 
to that time there Avere tAvo cars held hack. Thus 
there is a larger surplus of potatoes in the country 
159 
than ever Avas knoAvn before at this sea.son. There 
are many groAvers Avho think the department lignn's 
Avere too large, and that Ave never had any such 
crop as they claim. The department. hoAvever. sticks 
to its figures and insists that they are right. If they 
are anyAvhere near right, there is a great stock of 
potatoes in the country, and uide.ss this is Avorkeil off 
and put into consumption in-omptly there is sure to 
be a great slump in price at the end of the sea.son. 
The retail price of potatoes is high; so high, in fact 
that many consumers are not buying them, in quan¬ 
tity. They are using rice, yellow turnips and some 
other substitutes; in fact, the short crop of last 
^ eai, and high iirices, haA'e turned many consumers 
aAvay from potato consumption, and it Avill require 
some time, and considerable effort, to put the potato 
back AVhere it Avas as a staple food. 
During the past feAv Aveeks of fearful cold Aveather 
thousands, _ if not million.s, of bu.shels have been 
frozen in farm storage, and this must be considered 
Avhen Ave come to estimate the ci’op and the market. 
It seems to be sure that there is a large surplus of 
potatoes on hand, and that con.sumption has fallen 
off to .some extent on account of high prices. Every 
effort should be made promptly to get potatoes into 
the large mai-kets, Avhere they can be disposed of at 
a fair retail price. Everything should be done to en¬ 
courage the u.se of potatoes as a food, or othei-Avise 
there Avill surely be a great slump in iirice at the 
end of the .season. The feeding A’alue of potatoes 
ranks high this year of costly feeds, and many small 
tubers are being fed. The government has Just is¬ 
sued a bulletin on feeding crushed and dried potatoes 
to hogs. This feed gave good resnlt.s. 
Central New York Notes 
.--r • . - Jill- 
Jiircil, if not completely ruined. OsAvego County grOAV- 
ers say that 10 degrei's beloAv zero, if long continued, is 
fatal to the buds, and they bad Aveather from 10 to 22 
beloAV for over a Avc'ek recently. At Sodus the buds and 
ueAV growth are reported dead, with cold registering 20 
to 24 beloAA'. 
t <'ntral and Western New York pe:i groAA-ers are hav¬ 
ing to pay .$12 a bushel for this year’s .seed. The same 
seed could have been bought early at $5.50. Last year’s 
seed co.st $4 per bushel. 
Farmers have the chance to contract cabbage for the 
canneries next sea.son at $12 a ton. With tliA' top price 
la.st. year at $100, and .so far this year .$45. the can- 
tracts a re. not made .so promptly as usual. The contract 
price for green peas for canning is placed at .$3 to $:;.50 
per bushel for next year's crop. 
Timothy hay brings .$22 to .$24 a ton, with prime 
mixed hay the same. Oats are 00 to 95c a bushel, and 
oat and wheat straw $10 to $11. Cows are bringing 
good jn-ioes, nearby siiringers selling for around $100. 
.Vt .some auctions in remote districts live stock, both 
horses, cows and young stock, have sold very cheaii be¬ 
cause of the high price of hay and feeds. 
At a meeting of farmers of McLean, called by Prof. 
G. H. CollingAvood of Ithaca, in charge of the .soiith- 
Avest cordwood district of the State, the Avood fuel ques¬ 
tion Avas gone into ipiite thoroughly. County Agent V. 
R. Rlatchley of Tonqikins County, and I‘rof. E. L. !Mc- 
( arthy of the State Forestry College, Avere also ])re.sent 
and addressed the meeting. RIanks Avere filUnl out by 
•50 farmers shoAving a repre.sentation of about l.OOt) 
acres, including 134 acres of Avoods. The owners esti¬ 
mated that from this area 025 cords of 10-inch wood Avas 
availably for fuel, and that they could offer 525 cords 
for sale. The i)ric(‘ of the Avood on the stump was set 
at $1.23 per cord, and the co.st of cutting at $1.24, mak¬ 
ing the price at Avhich it could be set down at the Mc¬ 
Lean coal yards $.3.33 per 10-inch cord, or $10 a full 
cord. 
The attitude of the farmers in the fuel situation Avas 
put iqj to the fuel administrator as that of Avillingnes^ 
to use 50 per cent of their fuel for the W'inter of 1018- 
10 of Avood if they can get it at the same price as coal, 
but that the question of labor aa'us the hindering factor. 
I en cords each AA-as all they could agree to cut before 
next J'’all Avithout extra labor being furnished thein. 
The woodlot oAvners say they cannot fui-nish over 25 per 
cent of the labor necessary to put their Avood on the 
market, and that they cannot compete in the oi)en, mar¬ 
ket for labor and still produce cordAA’ood fuel orf an 
economic basi.s. 
The State College announces two valuable courses of 
instruction free to residents of the State as an emer¬ 
gency Avar measure. Enrollment for either should be 
made at once with the secretary. College of Agriculture, 
Ithaca. One is a course in tractor driving, from Feb. 
18 to Marcji 9. The course Avill consist of two lectures 
per day, Avith a three-hour practice period in fields or 
shop, Avith evening sessions for recitation, etc. The 
other gives special instruction in home and community 
gardening, and is to begin at once. The call for com¬ 
munity gardening instructors could not be filled last 
year, and as there is greater need than ever for good 
home gardens this year, and prospect of more com¬ 
munity AVork than ever, this course is urged as especially 
valuable at this time. 
Vegetable groAvers of Steuben County have organized 
a co-operative association for marketing their produce. 
Cadet boy farmers of Oxford have thrashed 414 bu.shels 
of buckAvheat from the crop they raised last season. 
M. G. F. 
