773 
Oic RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
The Milk Forum 
Farmers Write About Oleo 
I know of no one nsin^ nny .snl)stitute for bnitor in 
or lu'ur lliis vicinity. .t. o. K. 
Sullivan (’o.. X. Y. 
A nuinbor of fannors bore use oloo and nut butter, I 
should say about, ono in four, and duriiiK the Wintc'r it 
was nojirly onc’-balf. At the last nieetin}: the subject 
was w(*ll discussc'd, and tb<“ oleo jjatrons got pretty 
w<‘ll rojist('d. They are the ones who kick tlie most 
jibont the price of milk. One stoia' sold nion* substitutes 
than r('al butte'r riftht in a farming <listrlct, bat the 
agitation has about stoj)ped it. u. I., it. 
Delaware Co.. N. Y. 
I do not find any dairymen who use oleo or other 
butt('r stibstitutes on tbeir own titbles in this vicitiity ; 
only the workmen in the acid factories use substitute.-i 
on account of the'high price of dairy butter. 'I'he <lairy- 
nu'ii at this point tire selling their milk to the <'reamery 
at Uoscoe, which gathers it along the State road as far 
north as Elk Drook with an auto truck eve'ry morning. 
Nearly all my farmer friends are subscribers of Thk 
R. N.-Y. I biive read it since IS.oH. It gets better 
everv ,vear and we simply <'annot do without it. 
Deliiware Do.. X. Y. A. I<. c. 
(>le(' is kept for sale heri' at tin* stores, but T do not 
believe' the farmers an' buying very much of it. They 
eitlu'r bii.v the genuine butter or make it themst‘lv(‘s. 
Madison Co., X’^. Y. K. U. 
There' is oleo sold at the Hfdmesville store, but T 
cannot tell who buys it ; mostly (own people. I think. 
\Ye have never had a pound in the house butter and 
the best is none too good for n.s. ir. c:. Y. 
Chenango Co., X. Y. 
I called on two grocery stores and they .said that 
about two-thirds of the farim-rs w.'re using oleo. 
Oneida Co., N. Y. K n. 
dcaler.s and a.s.scrtcd that the milk wa.s all right. 
Olio of tin* offoiulors gained the floor of tin* Nc'w 
York State Agricultural Society’ nua'ting, and shed 
tears ovc'r the recital of his own virtues. Si'iiator 
V.'icks :ind Ceorge Mhird, of the AVieks (’oininittee, 
<<'rli(ied to (In' purity of ('very tc'ar-drop. Xhiw 
comes CominissioiK'r Dr. Coix'land with the asser¬ 
tion that conditions today are as the Di'partment 
found tlK'in two years ago, or even worse. 'I'lie IT- 
I'artment ofD'n'd to guaranti'e to stop (he s.-ile of 
adulterated and sour milk in the Cit.v of New York 
with ono inspector at $100 a month. Dail.v iniblicit.v 
of tlu' facts would, he said, do it. He was told that 
the State could not si»are the money. 
Dr. Copeland says infants die h('('ause of insulli- 
cic'iit supj)Iy of milk. The country is (loodc'd with 
milk. Earmers get four cents per (piai’t for it. The 
infants’ mothers pa.v lo cents for the grade tlu' Dojird 
cf Health rc'commends for tlu'in. 'rids is close to a 
LYi-cent dollar. AVe spent .$100.()()() Last W('('k to put 
up a milk show. Tt did not imaamse the consumption 
of milk .so much that anyone would notiia' it. 'Phe 
sl'.ow iK'xt w('ek will do no better. Dr. Copi'land’s 
iiiV(?stig!itions will not do it. Hut that .itlOO.OOO 
ec/Uld he usi'd to distribute' milk for tine month of 
.lime to (he hungry childri'ii at sev('n cents a (piart 
in hotth's, and make money in tlu' service'. If hotth'd 
milk was sold in the city at se'ven cents per ([uart. 
doe's anyone think there would ho a epiart of surplus 
milk left in the State'? Does anyone de'iiy that this 
would be Ji he'tter use of the mone'y than a ndlV 
show ? 
'I’he onl.v leroper moditication of this suggestion 
would he to ]>!iy the farme'r one cent a epiart more, 
and .sell it in the* cit.v at ('ight cents a epiart.. 'riie 
.saving at that would he seven cents per eiuart. 
I should say that about oiu'-third of the ebdrymen in 
this locality use oh*o. L-'>'• 
Choiiaiigo Co., X. Y. ^ 
Yon ('an help by urging farmers ami other to eeit 
butter, cheese and milk ; also to fatten calves instead 
of selling bob veals. 'Three out of five eat oleo. Stores 
do not keep butter or cheese. A^ou had a good article 
last wee'k. Keep at it until they cut more of their 
own products. 
Oswego Co., X. Y. 
I only know of one family using oleo that kee'ps cows 
on their jdace. 'This cannot be calb'd a dairy section, 
as most of the cows around here are kept for family 
use. 
Sullivan Co., X'. Y. 
Milk Conditions Still Bad 
'Po any person who has studied and \ atche'd the 
food and milk problem for the^ past 10 years, the 
situation is somew’hat dishearte'idng. ' he discour- 
age'ine'iit is not in the itrohleun itse'lf, wh edi is jdain 
and simple* enough. Tt i.s now rightl.v i*' igidze'd as 
a jaihlie epiestion because functions of g( .ernme'nt 
are invedve'd in favor of the interest; that have 
brought on (he present crisis; and (he abusers can he 
correcte'd only through governme'ntal agencie'.s. 'Phis 
i.s now’ concede'd in the public re*cognition of the food 
and milk problem. Rut so far governmeid, refuse's 
to go he'yond the i:.v(*s(igation and e'xhihit stage*. 
'Phe only ('Xcei»tion w’as in the reeord of the Depai’t- 
me'iit of Foods and .Marke'ts, and its succe'ss along 
practical linos w’as the causes eif its de'struction. bast 
AA'inte'i- W’e had an e'xhihit in the Craiiel Ceidral 'Pe'r- 
ininal to poimlarize milk, l.ast w’ee’k we ha<l a milk 
show’, Xe.xt W’e'ek w’O are' to have a food show. AVee 
have had a .ste'ady round of inve'stigations for se*veral 
yetirs. Newv men comej ap^iare'iitly w’ith no knowl¬ 
edge of the past e'xperience's. 'Phe'.v follow^ (he 
old trails. 'Phey inve'stigate and hold exhibits, and 
spend mon(ey> and make re])orts, hut (he food con¬ 
tinues to waste in the country and the cost of living 
in the city goes on incre'asing. 
Dr. Coite'land, the new Commissioner of Health for 
New' A'ork City, announces that the e.eath rate of 
childre'ii i.s increasing, due to insutlicient .supply and 
low grade of milk. Ho publicly announces that he 
will inve'stigate thee big plants to see if milk is adul- 
te'rate'd or conditions unsanitary. AA'liem the big iilants 
are notitied in advance that the inspector wdll be 
areaind, it is to be e'xpe'cte'd that he will find things 
in ai>ple-l>ie* order. City otlicials alrc'ady know’ that 
big plants do skim milk, and otherwise adulterate it, 
and viedate the re'gulalions. If the city is in dead 
eariK'st, it could iilace an insiu'ctor permanently in 
(he plants, and save* moiu'y on the present inspection 
sy.stein, and ge*t e*xact results. 
'Two years ago th(> Departme'ut of Foods and Mar¬ 
kets, w’ithout authority, as the Health De'partment* 
has, to go into (he* jilant.s, teste'd the milk on the 
streets and show’e'd that milk was being skimine*d 
and some of it sold below the h'gal .'rtandard of thre*e 
lier cent butter fat. At that time (he Board of H(*alth 
and its ally, Dr. North, came to the rescue of the 
The 35-Cent Dollar Cut Down 
AA'e h.'ive .stated several time's that in this big city 
at h'ast 2,(K)0,00() people ('at at h'ast one' me'al a day 
at a imbtic table. 'Phe iirlces the.v ))a.v for food must 
be considered in estimating the .share of (he con- 
.sumi'r’s dollar w’hich goes to the' farmer. .A Avrile'r 
in the Yrin York Sun .speaks of a string of rc'stau- 
rants in New York which .serve nearly ,“>0,000 pe'ople 
every day. 
AA’hen it charges 10 cents for a small wedge amount¬ 
ing to one-seventh or h'ss than omi-sixth of a pie 
who.se entire cost of in’oduetion is less than .'10 cents; 
when it cuts a grapefruit in halves and serves each 
portion at 15 cents wdien this fruit of good size 
bought in cargo lots costa le.ss than 0 cents each; 
Avhen it (’barge's 15 cents for half a pint of milk ami 
five soda crackers, it i.s on the road to a meeting with 
(he* public in w’hieh (her may he “something doing,” 
for this sort of thing amounts to a kind of w'ar 
protit('(*ring that W’ill ul mate'ly have to stand in the 
open and submit to vgly epiestioning. 
r.ast ye'ar this same company charge'd about (it) i»('r 
(•('lit of Its ju’esent ])ric('s and gave a larger ))or(ion! 
'Ph(' prices given here are not the highe^st, but are! for 
the middle! class of jx-opU*, many of whom are uneh'i'- 
f(*d. 'Ph(! jiatrons who are' robbed in this W’ay are 
told, w’lu'ii (hey comiilain, that (he farmers are* re*- 
sponsibb', since* Hicn are* holding up (he iirice' of food 
and all ge'tting rich! 'Phat is another way in which 
this .'vA-cent dollar is te'aring society apart. 
Experiments With Lime 
'Phe Pennsylvania Experime'iit Station has issue'd, 
in Bulletin No. 1.52, a good study of the value of 
liiK'ly ground limestoiK*. How line should the 
lime'stone* he; for Ix'st results and can it Ix' ground 
tine enough to make it ('epial in soil effeict to burnt 
lime? 'Phe'se epie'slions are of much interest to 
farmer.s, for w’o now reaili/.e that on the great ma¬ 
jority of onr Eastern farms lime in some form is a 
necessity. 'Phe exi)e!rime'n(s show that a good linu*- 
stone ground .so (hat every particle w’lll pass through 
a sieve with 100 meshes to the inch is about e'epial 
to burnt lime in its ('tl’cct upon the .soil. 'Phe bum 
lime gave slightly better results with the first crop 
and it ])ro(luc(‘d an alka ine effect in the soil during 
the first se'ason. 'Phe ground lime.stone w’as a little 
slow'cr in its effe'ct—in some cases with coar.se lime 
the .soil was not made alkaline until the second or 
third ye.’ir. Both the burnt lime and the very fine 
limestone had some effect in reducing or “burning 
up” the* humus in the soil, hut the burnt lime w’as 
slightly more destructive. 'There .seems to he no 
epiestion, however, that the finely ground limestone 
is Just as ('ffe'ctlve as the burnt lime. These results 
seem to show' that it is not the best practk’e to use 
a very tine lime, at least in a four or five-year rota¬ 
tion. In tlK'se ('xperimeiP W’hen burnt lime or very 
fine lime'stone w’as use'd the .soil w'as made alkaline 
(he first year, while at the end of the third year this 
same .soil Ix'gan to show acid. A coar.ser limestone 
re'inains longer in the soil am; will keei) uf) the 
alkaline effect through the full rotation. 'Thus a 
limestone (!nished so that it will all pass through 
a sieve W’ith 10 me.she.s to the inch will contain both 
fine* and coarse particles. 'Phe former will give 
immediate effe'ct, w’hile the latter w’ill continue 
through, the rotation. Prof. .1. AA'. AA'hite, who 
worke'd out these! experiments, says: 
'Pile' croi) to which lime'stone* should lx* apjdie'el will 
de'ix'iid uix.n the* proportion of line' mate*rial. In a rota¬ 
tion of corn. oats, whe'at and grass, the! limeestone*, if 
tiiu'ly groiiml, should lx* applie'd to the* W’he'.at, while! in 
the* case' e)C a coarse*!' graeli! e)f linie'steine*, the! application 
sheuilel be* made! to the* exirn or eeats, ami this alleiws time 
feer the! coiirse'r particle's to come* into play pr(!viou.s to 
the clove'i’ se'e'ding. 
That is in line w'ith W’hat most farmers have ob¬ 
served. AVhe'at and clover are far more in nee'd of 
lime than corn and oats. AA’e think many a corn 
crop h.MS bee*n injured by the he'avy u.se of burnt 
lime*, W’hile! wlu'at and clover e’annot thrive w’ithout 
lime enough to ne'utralize the soil. 'Phe w’ay this 
lime epiestion is developing is a good illustration of 
W’hat .scie'iice and i»ractice! w’orking together can do 
for the farmer. For centuries farmers have known 
in a geeneral way that lime will be’iie'tit the soil and 
he'l|) ce'i’tain crops more than eithe'rs. Xow’ we* Ix'gln 
to understand the w’hy and the how’ of it as never 
Ix'fore. 
Those Patriotic Farmers 
Through the* AA'inter and early .Spring many of the 
daily iiapers w’(*re cursin.g the' farmers for holding 
liack tlu'ir w’he'at. It w’ould lx* hard to find w’orse 
abuse* than was heape'd upon those farmi'i’s as slack- 
('I’s and hoarde'i’s. Now’ these' pape'rs Ix'gin to re'cog- 
ni/.e the truth, and w’e (iiid (be* follow’ing in the 
daily grain reports: 
'Plmre! is no ('vidciice! of .juiscouduct on the part of 
AV(!.ste'ru f.'irme'rs, who, it \v:is claime'd not so long ago, 
would re'Ix'l agidnst a definite* move' to take their w’heat 
from the'in on the! basi.s eif .'((2.20 a hn.shel, e'spe'ei.ally if 
the'y were imt rireimiseel ,'|;2..5() a hnshel feir tlieir iiresent 
e'l’eip. 
It is ne)te'vve)rtliy tliat Inelieuia re'ce'iitly had n “patri- 
e)tie; we'ek” aiiel farmer.s elelivere'd 2,000,000 bn.s-hels of 
wlie'at te) tlie* Feieeel .\eimini.stratie)n, whereas only 500,000 
hnshe'Is \ve*re* e‘xpe>e'te*el te> he* given np. Similar re'ports 
have e'ome* freim (lie X'orthwest, where the holeling of 
wlie'at was more tenacious tlian in the more custcrly 
se'ctieuis. 
The Southern Potato Growers’ Dollar 
A'emr ree-e'at artie'le, City Peitate) Drive,” is good. 
Fe-rtilize'i- this ye'jir e)f a 7-5-2 analysis ee)st aheeiit .$05 
I>e'r te>n, as ag.ainst .$.‘’>5 twe) years age); .seed peitatex-s 
e’e)st .$7 pe-r liarrel as against .$2 te) .$.‘5 twe> yemrs ago. 
Barrels ceist tins year 00 cents eacli, as against 25 
cents e'iicli twe> years jigo. Meist eif us nse-el 1,500 Ihs. 
e)f fi'rtili/.e'i; te) the acre, ce)sting jibe)nt .$1.S. Se)nu; 
farme'i’s iisc'el as much as a te)n. AA'e* pLanteei in rewv.s 
nheuit 2'4 fret ai)art, anel n.se*el feuir hiirrels e>f see'el te) 
tlie acre, nmking .$2S pe'i- ai'ii* feir sei'd. \A'e hail all 
riitlx'i’ planiie'd on a prexlne-tion of 50 barrels to the 
ae-re, hut rei'i'iit rains of impree’e'ele'nteii intensity have 
eihoiit drowneel out 50 ix*r e-ent of the crop, anel we 
simll hi! fortunate in getting .’it) harri'Is to the ae-re*. 
Fi'rtili’/.er, .sei'il jiiiel harri'Is will total about .$01 jier 
iii're*. I wi'iit to town einel e’oiisidte'el one* of tlii! bnyi'i’S. 
He saiil he* w’oiild give* me* .$.'» i)e*r harri'l for Imlf my 
I’l’op. If wi! gi't 20 harri'Is to the ai-ri* anel gi-t $.'5 ix'i* 
barrel, w’e shall ree-eive* in casli ri'tnriis .$00 per ai'i’i''. 
I have not, in the above ligni-i's, e'oiinte'el tin* cost of 
cutting am! rilantiiig the imtutix's, nor liavc I consiil- 
I'l’i'il the plowing, cultivating, e-ti'.. ni'ither have* I e'on- 
siele'ri'il the* e-ost of iligging, jiai'king iinel marketing. 1 
wisli .somebody w’onlil please figure* out just wind kinel 
of !i elollar we shall Imve ilown lie're* wIii'ii tlii'si* iiot.-itex'S 
go to marke*'t about .Inni* 1. One tiling i.s I’erlain—■ 
till! luiyer I luive me*ntioiM*iI—ei man who lias liail noth¬ 
ing to eh) witli till* prexlnction of the crop, will make 
a i)rofit of 25 cents anel pe*rliaps .50 cents a tiarri'l on 
evi'i-y I)arri*l he buys. 'Phi! farmi'i- who lias ]ire*|iare*ii 
the' groiinel, fi*rtili/.e'il it, liarroweel it, ebig. packi'il anel 
I’iirti'il the iiotatex'S te> town, anil who luis niirsi'il the! 
irop for tlire'C months ami hail all the* worry, e-are* anel 
trouble*, has the ]il(*asiire of losing in the* eiiel, wliile 
(he man wdio knows nothing of farming ami eairi's le*.ss, 
niaki's a profit of from 25 to 50 i’i*'nt.s a liarre*!. Anel 
till! men who hanelle the gixxls in the large cities will 
also make from 25 to .5() cents on each barrel, anil 
prohahly more, the ultimate e'onsnmer most likely pay¬ 
ing at the* rate of from .$0 to ,$7 per liarre*1. All of this 
lias Ix'i'ii hroiiglit to the attention of the Fooel Adiniu- 
istrator’.s odice, 
I am told that conelitieiiis in (Je'orgia anel Florida 
are eli*'plorahle, tlie farmers having stakeel their all on 
early triicl: and losing out. 'Pransportation was ixxir, 
coiisiiming from 14 to 20 days to reai’h the markets, 
with the ct iseepii'iit I’lisult that shipments w’(*re ree*eiveel 
in a siioiled conelition. 
If tlie (Jovornment can limit the! earning pow'er of a 
farmer by naming a maximum price for his proehu'e, it 
is only e'ommon sense anel justice that it slioulil limit 
his losing power anel at least guarante'ef liim a prii*e! that 
won III pay expense's. If we are allowe'd to make only 
.$.500 on one particular crop and are permitted to lost! 
.$()()0 on another, it is ea.sy to se'e just wlu're!' the* farmer 
will he* at the (‘ml of a year. Of course, we are all of 
us hehind Uncle Sam, and are just as anxious as any- 
hody else to win the wjir, and we would he more* than 
delighte'el to buy our share of Ifilierty bonds and AYar 
Savings Stamps, hut we haven’t the mone'y, and iinle.ss 
tlu're is a decieh'd change for the be'tter we* never will 
have it. All of this goes to .show that the farmer must 
oi’gani’/e. Instead of anbigonizing each other, there 
must Ix! harmony. 'Phe (Toveriinient must own the' rail¬ 
roads and .see that foodstuffs are distrihnte'd in chanmd.s 
wlie're most neeeh'd, and the farmer must market his 
own crops. 'I'he function of farming i.s not coinpleteel 
until the* result of the farmer’s labor is jdaced in the 
hands of the consumer, and just so long as the'.se iiara- 
sitic handlers are pennitte'd to stand hetwe'cn producer 
and consumer, just so loilg will farming remain in ita 
present cliaotie: condition. uakky ooiu.ky. 
North Carolina. 
