The Trouble ii Distribution 
Mr. Walter Sonnoliorg of IMiiladelphia, Pa , writ¬ 
ing to the New York Times, says this: 
In the matter of food supply it is not so much a 
question of adequacy (for farmers have means at their 
command greatly to increase i)roduction) as it is of 
proper distribution. At the distribution end there are 
two serioTis wastes: The inability of farmers to market 
ju’oducts quickly and advantageously, and wastes diu' 
to surplus stock in the hands of commission merchants. 
Within a radius of lifty miles of most cities annually 
go to waste tons of perishable food for lack of proper 
' market facilities; also in this territory are thousands of 
consumere with automobiles who would gladly avail 
themselves of this .supply if put in touch with it. Now 
i.s the time to start an organized remedy, to get these 
two elements systematically together, in order that the 
farmer, being assiTred of a ready market, may be en¬ 
couraged to produce and conserve every possible food 
l»roduct. 
It is some advajice to see city laymen express 
these facts. It is still a greater advance to see The 
Times pidnt it. Pour years ago the Now Y’ork State 
Department of Pood and Markets was organized to 
.Mccomplish the restilts here advocated. It pointed 
out the condition.s here described, and many others 
of still greater importance; but the partnership in 
.Vew York State between l)ig selfish middlemen inter- 
('sts. and tlie State government succe(‘ded by trickery 
.ind snl)tei-fuge in destroying it; luit not before it 
had in spite of every obstacle put in its way, demon¬ 
strated that an increased supply of food could bo 
encouraged t)y efficient, economic and honest distri- 
bution. Now that the trouble with the food supply 
is uiuhu’stood by everyone except food administrators 
and politicians, and the city i)a])ers begin to admit 
it and to suggest practical renu'dies, the first remedy 
is to drive the traitor.s out of the camp, and select 
some leaders for the work who are capable of laying 
aside p<‘rsonal and political aml)ltions. With an 
honest pnri»ose to do this one-fifth of the money now 
s(piand(‘rc>d would .save this waste of food, deliver 
it to hungry children, and encourage production in 
tiiis country to feed the people of the whole world. 
More of the Milk Situation 
In reversing the recent policy of the management 
and making sale for all the milk for the month of 
Ai)ril, tlift directorate of tlie Dairymen’,s League 
got liack to fundamental princl])le.s. It had to be 
don(‘ sonndinu'. Jind to do it liefore the other i)olicy 
had time to woi’k much mischi«'f was the part of 
wisdom. I'jirmers will nev(*r stand for ii i>olicy 
in tin? Lejigue fh.at does not treat every member 
aIiU('. If fids i)rincii)le is maintained it will remove 
sonn‘ but not all of the d.-ingt'r w(* see in the suii- 
sidijii'.v comi)anies within tlie League. The ]iossihility 
of favorites in an organizafion is yet an (‘Immait 
of danger. ’I’o say tlie least, sucli an elemcMit does 
not inspire confidence, and confidence is an e.ssential 
factor fo tlie iiermanent success of the League. 
AVhen the Iiard heads of tlie directorate li(‘gin to 
fliliik seriously on tliis iiroblimi. we lielieve fh(*y will 
corri'ct tills error as they did the iiolicy of leaving 
some of the meniliers to shift for t lumiselves at finu* 
of a milk suridus. 
'I’lie April jirice is low—too low. It is less than 
the cost of producing it. We can stand the loss 
(d’ money for a monfli. luit tlie loss of an idem I 
of ('i|ual justice to all would be more smdous. 
'I’he situation is significant. 'I'lie lion's share of 
the reduction of jirice to tin' iiroducer has been 
ahsorlied by flie dealer. Por jirodncing 1> grade 
lioltle milk the farmer g(*fs .".o emits a <|uait. Th(> 
dealer gets S..T for (hdivering it. 'I'he l.eagu(‘ has 
lirotested against this, hut we do not look for any 
change for this niontli. We imt flic iiowm- in file 
hands of the enemy, we must stand liy the results 
for April. Next month, if the Lc'iigue is wise, it 
will kmqi the power in its own hands. In tlie mean- 
lime the State is conducting an exhiliit in New 
York to help persuade housewives to iiay dealers 
NV. cents for delivering a cpiart of milk that costs 
them cents.. It is ti great system for big business 
and a partnership in the government. 
The Scheme to Save Daylight 
AVIien we heard, .some time ago, that Purope was 
“saving daylight” liy putting the clock forward in 
Summer, the idea seimu'd a fantastic one ,fo most 
('f us, and w(> gave it little thought. Now the Pnited 
States has fallmi into line, and we have adopted a 
natural mclhod of reckoning time in following the 
Min. For the new plan is r(>ally a very old one; 
during the months the sun gets up early we are to 
do the same. When the dark mornings refui-n uur 
lime goes back, 'again following the sunrise. 
'I’hm-e is no difference except the convenience of all 
classes making use of early daylight. Hallways 
keep to their old sclu'duhs fjictories run on their old 
time, and the farmei’, who has always been a d.ay- 
RURAL NEW-YORKER 
light saver, finds otlier classes of industi'y coming 
ni'arer to his schedule. We are not favored here 
with the long twilight of Northern Purope, which 
enaliles one to spend much of the evening in out¬ 
door reci-eation, but the backyard gardener wdll have 
more time for rake and hoe under the new dispensa¬ 
tion. Someone asks us what becomes of the whole 
liour lost at 2 A. M, on the first of April. We sliall 
find that hour waiting for us when the clocks go 
backward again, and he is an nnusually industrious 
citizen who can sajq with truth, that he has not 
lost or fooled away any other hour during his sea¬ 
son's work. 
Federal Land Bank Loans 
The article on page 4.o4. and the editorial comment, 
l•(■l!lflve to Fedi'ral farm loan system, need comment, 
riiis farmer lists two item.s which show on the fai-e of 
it. that he i.s “running up a large statement” witliout 
necc'ssity. First, “extra work for my abstractor re¬ 
quested by the bank, JpOo.” This shows clearly that the 
farm wa.s purchased by someone who did not demand 
and secure a good title, and that the title had to be 
made watertigiit before the Louisville officials would 
loan the money. There might have been undischarged 
mortgages, judgments, etc., against title. Would tliis 
farmer himself loan me !i;l,2(K) on my place without 
demanding sati.sfactory abstract'^ He would not; 
neither will ITncIe Sam, for we are all partners of the 
h’ederal Farm Loan system, wliether we liorrow through 
it or not, for it is a government institution. 
Secomtly, this farmer lists “Five jier cent .stock, 
.$<;(>.” This cannot properly be called a part of his .so- 
c.ilh'd per cent of the loan.” To bec’ome a mem- 
ber of a National Farm Loan Association, every farmer 
must subscribe to the capital stock of the Federal Land 
Hank of lus district to the extent of live per cent of his 
loan, or ,$5 for each .flOO borrowed. No sound financial 
system in the world peu-rnits individuals to partake of its 
financial resources without membership. And the cap- 
ital_ .stock tluis subscribed in Federal Land Hanks is 
positively not a liability. _ Tliis money is invested in 
'bonds or mortgagi's, according to the vote of the board 
of directors of tin* bank, and thus has a working 
A MODERN JOSHUA 
Itcprocliiii'il Irijiii X. V. IXi'iiiii;; Ti'IcKniin 
value. AV hatsoi'ver inleia'st this capital stock earns is 
paid anmiaily to the farmer liy tin' secretary-trea.surer 
of the National Farm Loan Assordation to which tlie 
farmer-meinlier belongs. When the system becomes a 
working tiling ic is easy to comprehend tlial the annual 
earning power of tlim capital stock will practically can¬ 
cel whatever interc'st tin* farnu'r may liave to iiay for 
such .sto(‘k. as Fncle Sam will not only init iiji the 
n(‘cessary loan applied for, init also this <‘at)ital stock, if 
aiiplied for. 
For examiile, if you desire to loan ,$1,000, you must 
subscrllie for .$.")0 worth of stock. You may either pay 
cash for this stock from your personal re.sources, or 
make the application for $1,050, and the Federal Land 
Hank will advance the sum. 
Therefore, after analyzing tliis farmer’s aivplication 
('xpense, it .should read as follows; 
Aiiplication . .$0.50 
-Vpplicafion fei' . o.oO 
.\pi)raisal . 4.(M) 
Abstract down to diife. 2.“5 
-Miidavits . 2.r)0 
Stamjis for note. .24 
$14.OS 
’I'lierefore, the farmer paid aixuit one and one-sixth 
per cent for securing his loan ! 
No man can lay any blame upon tin* shoulders of 
Uncle Kain if he buys a farm and accepts a poor title. 
His capital stock is not lialiility, since it is automat¬ 
ically jiaid liack, and diminished, so that wlieu he pays 
up his loan it no longer exists. 
.Tust let farmers who kick aiiont tlie Federal Farm 
Loan s.vstem recall how the.v forimudy went on bended 
knee before loan sharks and jiaid not one and one-.sixth 
jier cent for loans, init Itl and 15 per emit, as opportu¬ 
nity might present itself to said loan sluirks. 
KAKI.K W. (lAGE. 
The Feed and Farm Situation 
I note in The Hi kai, New Yokkeu that some of the 
farmers are protesting against the jirice of bran and 
middlings. About tliree weeks ago I got bran at $50 
and middlings at .$52 jier ton. To-day I brought home 
middlings for .$(!(). I think that i.s juitting it on too 
tliick: milk going down and feed up. There i.s some 
527 
dilTerence between $27 per ton at the mill and $()() at 
the store. Why will the government sit still and let 
the farmers get profiteered all the while'? 
I note in The Riirae New-Yokker that we are short 
4,0(X) cows and 85,000 heifers, calves or yearlings. 
Someone in New York and elsewhere will be looking 
for milk in a couple of years. I raised four heifers 
last year and one this year, and if things go as they 
are going now will sell my herd this Fall and sell hay, 
rre. I can t stand the feed bills much longer, as every- 
thing I raise, nearly, goes for feed, m.y hogs, potatoes,etc. 
borne city hot-air artist will say, “Why don’t you 
raise your grain?’’ Two years in succession my oats 
have been drowned out too late to substitute anything 
else. Hesult, no oats, corn same, except last year I 
t^O'ihl 1)6 
used for feed, borne of these high-priced commissions 
have got to wake up and see tlie writing on the wall 
and mighty soon, too. a r tau 
Oneida Co., N. Y. ' 
The Prohibitive Poultry Order 
[In all our experience we have never known more 
protest and disappointment from farmers than has b<>en 
exju-essed over the mile prohibiting .sales of hens and 
puJlet^s. We have given the jioultrymen's side. Now 
III order to be fair we give the other side in the follow- 
ing letter from I’rof. L. F. (hird. Wi* do not consider 
that he touches tlie aval trouI)le whicli is to come in 
tlie future as a result of this rule, but we give his lettm* 
as a statement of the other side.] 
The press of late has contained many references to 
the comparatively recent action of the 'Food Admini.s- 
tration proiiiiiiting the sale of live hens or pullets for 
meat luirjioses from February 11th to April 50th, and 
gmierally known as “Rule 14.” 
Hiiefi.v, the ruling has brought forth quite a liit of 
sharj) criticism and has causc'd some poultr.vmen con¬ 
siderable worr.v. A jiart of tliis worry, at least, is due 
solely to tliat jisychological bit of human nature in tlie 
average man wliicli makes him want to do the tiling 
which IS expressly prohibited. Only the other day one 
of our Connecticut jioulti’j’inen, wlio was offering several 
hundred juillets for sale, told me that he had Iiad no 
idea of selling his birds “until this new law came on.” 
The situation is analogous to a run on a bank. .lust 
as soon as a depositor has any reason to .siijipose that 
he cannot get his money he immediately wants it badly. 
Miere i.s al.s-o an evident feeling on the jiart of soihe 
breeders that this rule may be only the forerunner of 
other.s which would very quickly render tlieir business 
insolvent. As a_ matter of fact, the U. S. Department 
or Agriculture i.s already advocating that farmers all 
over the country di.spose of all male birds as early as ' 
|)os.sli)le in order to save fiM'd. Tlie Food Administra¬ 
tion has definitely stated that the jn-esent rule does not 
ajijily to either cockerels or jnillets of under two pounds 
weight, and there is alisolutely no reason to suiijiose 
tliat they are conteuiiilating any rulings which would 
require poultrymen to rear cockerel.s at a Io.ss. 
Tile only otlier important objection to the rule wiiicli 
has come to my notice is the statement that it conflicts 
With tho advice of the colle^ej^ iuid experiment 
stations on the matter of culling the slacki'r hens. .\ny 
such contention is alisolutely without a s-oiind basi.s* anil 
for the following reasons. In the first jilace, I doubt if 
a statement can be found in the literature of any station 
in the country whiidi advocates the culling of slacker 
hens jirior to .Inly first. The evidences of “slackerisin” 
are not ajijiarent until about the first of .Inly, and for 
a very good reason. The only hen which we can take 
out as a slacker is the hen which is not laying It is 
a common saying that “any old hen will‘lay in the 
bjiring, find ci'rtain it is if a hen is going to lay at 
all It will be during the months of March, April, May 
amf .lime. I he only hens which do not lay during this 
season_ are those wliicli are sick or otherwise out of 
condition and tlie jihysiological freaks. 
Hut let us for a moment consider the uncommon, if 
not tlie unreasoiiatile. ca.se. bujipose tliat Farmer Smith 
has a flock which contain.^ .50 per cent of ont-and-ont 
slackers. All he lias to do isito call on the county agent 
Ml Ins county, wlio will secure from the State Food 
.\dministration n jiermit for bmitli to sell timt jiortioii 
of lus flock which nrc not prodiicinjc. Tii Counocticiit 
I know that tlie Food .Vdinini.stration is very glad to 
issue such jiermits in all rea.sonalih' cases, and I dare 
say the same thing is true in otlier States. 
Actually, the chances are tliat the ju-es-ent rule will 
jirove a benefit rather than otherwise to the average 
jioiiltryman. Wiimi we consider tliat it takes from 20 
to 24 eggs a day from one iiundred hens just to pay for 
their feed it will lie seen that many tlock.s have not' jiaid 
for their keej) during the Winter montlis. 4’o sell them 
in tlie early Sjiring would mean accejiting a net loss 
when, by iiolding tliem a few months longer, a material 
jirofit might lie realized. Hy the middle or last of .\pril 
even the jioor hens will have jiaid for wimt feed they 
have eaten from November first on. and tlie better ones 
will have jmid a jirolit above all costs. Tlien by culling 
out the bird.s ns they stoji laying, along in .Inly, August 
and Sejitember the feed bill is riijiidly reduced and the 
reduction effect on the ledger is tlie same as' if the 
average jirodnction of the wholi* flock liad iieen increased. 
''I'lie thoughtful poultryman will not sell any females 
until they liave gone through the Sjiring period of pro¬ 
duction, and are jirejiaring to take a vacation. 
The only action which is prohiiiited l)y Rule 14 is 
the selling of hens or jnillets to licensed jxniltry dealers. 
It has nothing wliatever to do with the sale of such 
l)irds by tlie owner to a private trade or to local restau¬ 
rant or hotel keejiers. Neitlier does it affect in any 
way the killing of fowls for home consuinjition. 
short, if we but look at tho rule in a fair way it does 
not in any degree influence the operations of commer¬ 
cial poultry-keejiers in tho East. We are not being 
imjiosed iijioii excejit in our imagination. 
Lastly, we should not forget what the Food Adminis¬ 
tration liad in mind when Rule 14 was formulated. Its 
real jmrjiose was to prevent wholesale dejiletion of tlie 
farm flocks in the great jiroducing areas of the Middle 
We.st and South. Prices being paid for live poultry in 
tliose .sections were higher than ever Iief'ore. and it was 
this fact—not the higll cost of feed—which was re¬ 
sponsible for the continued selling. 'I’lie rule was de¬ 
signed to safeguard tlie source of siijijily for most of 
tlie nation’s eggs, and to insure a jirodmdion tliis season 
whicli would come somewhere near normal. It is esti¬ 
mated by the authorities at Washington that the num¬ 
ber of eggs saved this ^year by means' of tlie above rule 
y.’ill amount to uj)j)roximately two million cases. 'I’his 
is eijuivalent to about 40 per cent of the normal yearly 
receipts at New Y^ork City. 
'I’liose of us who hajipen to live in New England 
should not forget that the combined jioiiltry jiroducfs 
of the New England States make nj) only a very small 
j)art of the eggs and poultry jiroduced in the country 
a.s a whole. Connecticut and Massachusetts, for iii- 
(Continued on page 541) 
