1141 
Conferences on Agricultural Education 
On page i)ir) we referred to conferences to be In^ld 
in the various New York counties regarding the 
farmers’ institutes for the coming season. The 
Extension Service News gives the following facts 
about them: 
There were ;") conferences; two held in June, 11 in 
July, and 42 in August. Nearly every conference was 
held at a time when good weather and haying or harvest¬ 
ing exerted a strong influence to keep farmers at home, 
but. in spite of this, 071) farmer.s found time to par¬ 
ticipate, an average of 12 farmers at each conference. 
This was the fir.st time that a general elfoi’t was made 
to got organized community representation at such con¬ 
ferences, and it is noteworthy that 428 communities 
were represented by delegates and probably one-third as 
many more by letters. In many cases delegates had 
been instructed at community conferences held pre¬ 
viously. Where such conferences had not been held it 
was often difficult, if not impossible, to complete satis¬ 
factory arrangements at the county conference. 
In the 55 counties arrangements were made for 000 
meetings. These included 08 extension schools, .329 
farmers’ institutes, and 209 community meetings.- Four¬ 
teen counties had made no arrangements for community 
meeting.s, and most of the other 41 counties will put in 
supplementary applications for help in community meet¬ 
ings, as well as for additional farmers’ institutes and 
extension schools. 
Of the applications for extension schools. 38 were for 
five-day schools and 2(5 for special schools of two or 
three days. 'Ten of the special extension schools are 
to be milk-production .schools, nine milking-machine 
schools, two fruit schools, one each of livestock, potato 
(two-day), and bean schools. 
The niiiiiher of farmers turning out in this way 
to “confer'’ ran all the way from one in Warren 
County to 75 in Nassau, and 35 in Orange. In 2(5 
counties only 10 or less came out to con.sider the 
institutes. 
Two Views of Daylight Saving 
TTirc outcome of this “daylight saving” scheme is 
a puzzle, .\fter a Summer's exiierience the town 
people seem to he pleased Avith the new rule. They 
want the clock kept ahead. On the other hand, the 
gi’eat majority of farmers are violently opposed. 
'riKi trouble is that farmers do not agree on the 
matrer. For instance, here are two letters coming 
almost in the same mail; 
I hope Tiik 11. N.-Y. and other agricultural papcr.s, 
the farmers’ organizations, etc., will use their intluence 
to prevent a repetition of the daylight saving law next 
year. It has not been satisfactory in the country. If 
the people in the towns wish to rise earlier in the Sum¬ 
mer, let them do so, and open and close the hanks, 
business houses, factories, etc., an hour earlier, without 
changing the cdocks. G. C. F. 
Westclu ster Co., N. Y. 
Reading the various articles in The R. N.-Y. in 
regard to the daylight saving law, it seems to me that 
many of your correspondents lose sight of the main 
object of the plan. It was not put in i)ractice primarily 
to make life harder for the farmers, or easier for .some 
other class, but to .save the fuel which would be u.sed 
for illumination in the evening, and this saving of fuel 
must in the aggregate be immense. Considering the 
shortage of coal which avc face, I believe that the laAV 
has abundantly justified itself. If it results in incon¬ 
venience or even hardship to some, it must he remem¬ 
bered that this is a time of sacrifice, and a cheerfid 
compliance with the various regulations deemed nece.s- 
sary or advisable in the jjresent crisis is the least that 
can he expected of loyal citizens of this republic. I have 
heard very little fault found with the law in this dairy 
sectiiui. ^ F. w. F. 
Chenango Co., N. Y. 
The law is not likely to he repealed during the 
war, and unless farmers can agree ni)on sonu' suh- 
.stitute or amendment and hack such agreement np 
solidly they will not get very far. In some sec¬ 
tions, we understand, the clocks have never Ix'en 
turned hack at all. and both farmers and liired help 
go by the old time*. .Vnyway, on (let. 27 the clocks 
are all to he turned hack one hour. 
Treating Potato Seed This Fall 
This war is driving us all to new farm economies. 
It is anything to save labor. Some of our readers 
ask why they cannot dip or treat seed potatoes for 
tlie scab this Fall and carry the seed (»ver. That will 
save some labor in Spring if the scheme is pi'ac- 
tical. The following is the best an.swer we have; 
found, though we should hardly think there Avould he 
enough labor saving to pay except on very large 
farms: 
In our cxi)cricncc wc find that there is no harm to 
treat potatoes Avith formaldehyde at this time. Never¬ 
theless, when doing so it is necessary to keei) the crates 
or bags in which they are stored clean, and to sterilize 
the same before putting the potatoes into them. Refore 
repacking it is necessary to see that the potatoes are 
absolutely dry. In some States they recommend the 
treatment of i)otatoes immediately after they are dug, 
so as to prevent the storage rot setting in on the tubers 
that have been slightly injured in digging. It has been 
found by this method, especially Avhere corrosive subli¬ 
mate has been used to treat the seed, that storage rot 
can he ov’ercome to a great extent. As you understand, 
the.se storage rots are not due to late blight, hut to some 
of the common fungi that are present under storage 
conditions. o. or.OYEii. 
(leneva. N. Y., Exp. Station. Associate Botanist. 
.\t any rate, it Avill be nonsense to put seed pota¬ 
toes, whether they are treated or not, into un¬ 
■Ghe RURAL, NEW-YORKER 
clean potato cellars. 'I'be germs of rot and other dis¬ 
eases are in tlu'se old storage places and must be 
destroyed if you Avaut clean seed. The cadlars cun 
be fumigated Avith formalin gas. ’Tins is iiroduced 
iiy pouring the formalin over permanganate of pot- 
a.sh. The usual formula is to use five ounces of the 
l)ermanganate and 10 ounces of formaldehyde to each 
l.O(X) cubic feet in the cellar. Pour the formalin 
over the permanganate in a deep container and then 
leave the collar immediatel.A", because the gas is given 
off at once. (If course, it is necessary to close all 
wiiidoAvs and doors to make the gas effective. If this 
is too exjtensive, the cellar may be cleaned out and 
then thoroughly siirayed or soaked with Bordeaux 
mixture. 50 gallons of Avater and five ])onnds each of 
lime and sulphate of copper. 
The Milk Situation 
SLIDING SCALE OF PRICES ON RETAIL 
MILK.—The milk producers of the State scored u )»oint 
a;; the conference of the State Mayors Avith the State 
and Federal Food Commissions, due to the woi-k of 
Cortland County Pomona Grange, in sending A. S. 
Merchant, fai-in manager for the count.v, to repre.sent 
them at their meeting in Syracu.se. The ^Milk Dealer.s’ 
Association was represented, and the sentiment of the 
meeting Avas in f.-ivor of existing retail milk conditons, 
until the Grange’s rei)resentative called attention to 
exi.sting conditions in Cortland and other up-State 
cities, Avhere milk dealers are making from 87 to 104 
jier cent profit. I’heir profit this month, since the 
Avhoh'sale price has risen, i.s 87 per cent. In .Inly it AA’as 
138 i)er cent, in August it Avas 100 per cent, and in 
.lunc it Avas 104 i)er cent—or 714 g per quart—with the 
average purchase price 4.7c per (piart. Mr. Merchant 
said that faianers are not making vigorous complaint 
over present whoh'sale milk jirices, hut that they Avere 
oi)posed to the dealers making so much profit that it 
cut down consumption of milk, and so ruined the milk 
market. They were opposed to .Tune milk selling at 
the .same price to consumers that November or January 
milk does, ll’hen the farmers h.'ive to take a big ctit in 
wholesale prices they Avant the consumers to get the 
benefit of it, so that they may use milk more freely. A 
resolution was jtas.sed as the result of Mr. Merchaiit’s 
di.sclosures of the farmer’s side of the question., sug¬ 
gesting a sliding scale of prices to consumers, based on 
investigations of >nilk prices in all the cities 
of the State, not only in New York city, the ba.sis 
to he the price to farmers plus distributing expenses, 
and a fair ju-ofit to the distributor. 'Phe resolution 
concluded Avith the statement that, “It is our opinion 
that no relief to the consumer can ho obtained from an 
investigation of the cost of production, but that relief 
can be obtained as the result of an investigation of the 
cost and method of distribution.” As usual in confer¬ 
ences Avhere the people are most concerned there Avoiild 
have been no one present to s()eak for the farmer at this 
conference had not Cortland Grange made use of this 
opportunity. Again is it i)roveir that farmers’ organi¬ 
zations are most negligent of their own interests and 
fail to have the situation clearly explained to officials 
Avho have much i)OAver but no re.-d first understanding of 
farm conditions, and actual retailing methods as prac¬ 
ticed Avidely today. Granges everyAvhere can do much 
for th(‘ farmer.s’ interests if they Avill Avatch for and 
make opportunities. 'Phe State and Federal Commis¬ 
sions’ representatives at this meeting gave indications 
of a Avillingne.ss to mitigate present milk evils Avhen 
the situation Avas made clear. ’Phe statement Avas made 
that a rumor existed that farmers Avere killing their 
herds because* of unsatisfactory milk i)rices. Mayor 
Stone of Syracuse said this Avas unfounded, becau.se he 
had had an investigation in Onondaga County and 
found no decrease in the number of milch <'oavs. 3'his 
shoAVS that no broad statement of this sort should be 
imuh* on one (‘xamiele alone, as it is a Avell-knoAvu fact 
th.'it in otlu'r counties a very alarming .shortage of dairy 
coAA’S has been caused by their Avholesalc slaughter for 
beef, and that in most of the real dairy comities the 
number of heifer cah^s being rai.sed is much lower than 
usual. 
LITTLE CHEESE FROM NOW ON.—The last n*- 
liort of the Wat(‘rtoAvn Produce Exchange shoAvs A’ery 
little cheese in storage. 3'he demand for milk and butter 
from noAV on Avill ri'sult in little production of idieese 
for the r('st of this yt'ar. \ noAV record price for Avhole- 
sale cheese Avas made here Sept. 21, Avhen 27%c Avas 
received for 4,085 cheese. In the C'antou Dairy Board 
28 factories registered 1.457 boxi's of cheese, at 28yic 
a ixuind. 'Phe price here one year ago Avas 2.5Vic, and 
the number of cheese sold, 2,995. .ai.g. F. 
The Cortland County I’omona Grange is to be con- 
grattilatc'd on taking this initiative. It is the most 
hopeful indication that has come in for some time. 
So long as milk dealers are permitted to increase the 
price of milk to consumers, they can decrease the 
consumption, and decrease the demand for milk. 
’Phoy have ahvays reduced the price to the farmer 
in seasons of large production and maintained the 
high price of scarce production to the consumer. 
Noaa’ they have got to the point where tliey Avant to 
reduce the price in tlush seasons, and tiien compel 
the farmer to take care of the surplus that they 
create heside.s. They Avould imnish tlie producer for 
producing a full supply of milk in tAvo Avays. If 
tlie policy he continued it Avould certainly reduce 
(he dairy herds of the State. Our amhition h:is been 
to increase and doA'clo]) the dairy industry, and AA-e 
are glad to see this initiatiA-e uoav from the Grange 
in producing centers. Economic and etlicient distri¬ 
bution is the solution of the milk problem if Ave are 
to feed the city and maintain the dairy industry. 
The Fourth Liberty Loan and the Farmer 
'Phe fourth loan opens up Avith the most complete i)re- 
organizntion of any. Rural orgaiuzation for tlie first 
tAvo loans Avas very incomiileti*. and the result was not 
good as-compared to the loans taken by the cities. 'Phis 
Avas corrected in the third loan, Avith the result that all 
over the State rural sections led in their subscriptions. 
T'mier the present plan of Avork farmers are canvassed 
by farmer*, or by those of their oAvn neighborhoods Avho 
understand local conditions thoroughly. This has helped 
to inspire confidence and adds greatly to the efficiency 
of tile Avork. If a farmer by reason of had luck, un¬ 
usual circumstances, or the need of the money for other 
jmrposes in developing his Avork refuses to sub.scrihe, 
the canvasser quite usually understands the reasons and 
no stigma or misunderstanding folloAVS the refusal. If 
.a leading farmer subscribes liberally it is well knoAvn to 
hi.s felloAvs and inspires confidence on their part to do 
so al.so to the utmost of their ability, not only as a 
help to the government, hut as a safe saving measure . 
of personal benefit to the .suh.scriber. 
Women canvassers proved so helpful in the third 
loan_ that many counties are making more use of their 
services in the fourth. In Cortland County there i.s to 
he one AA-oman to every tAvo men to solicit. The Avomen 
have made it a matter of pride to do as well as or a 
little better than their men co-Avorkers—and have set a 
high mark to measure U]) to. 
In this neAV loan the farmer has a clearly recogidzed 
duty to di.scharge, viz.: to subscribe as freely to the 
loan as it is in Ids poAver to do—and not only that, but 
to anticipate the call of the canvassers, to know defi¬ 
nitely hoAV his finances and obligjitions stand, so as to 
be able to say at once just Avhat he can do, how he 
wishes his payments to come, etc., so as to save time 
for the canvassers as well as his own. 'Phe canvassers 
or solicitors haA'e done noble self-sacrificing work, and 
this ncAV loan calls for still moi-e of their time and ef¬ 
forts, too often when they can he very ill spared by the 
generous v/orkers. 3’he Avork takes more time and 
thought and real effort tlian subscribers can very well 
realize, and it is ahvays gratuitously given. The so- 
licit.ors for the neAv loan are the same Avho have worked 
on the others, in most cases. 
Farmers are often sorely puzzled to know just what 
course to pursue in std)scrihing and in reserving enough 
of their earnings t(> put needed improvements on the 
farm and its equipment. It has not been so difficult to 
decide as to their moral rights when more machinery, a 
new silo, added feidilizers or other expenses were con¬ 
cerned, a.s it had a very direct bearing on the output of 
the farm. But Avhen the logical time came for giving the 
farm home a much-needed bathroom and its equipments, 
a Avater or lighting system, a lunv furnace, or some other 
improvement that has more to do Avith the comforts of 
the home than Avith the farm output, they have hesitat¬ 
ed. 'Phey have many times felt that they had gotten 
along so many years without these that they must con¬ 
tinue to noAV, under these v(‘ry unusual circumstances; 
that it was selfish and oven sinful to con.sider their oavii 
comforts Avhen the country has .so much at stake, and 
our boys are sacrificing so much. A broader outlook 
hero hiis been of much interest to the Avriter, as that 
particular i)roblem has risen in the family plans. One 
of the speakers sent ovit by the Government to instruct 
rural people as to their duties in this direction touched 
on this point briefly, and on d<‘finite questioning out¬ 
lined the Government’s attitude, as he understood, quite 
fully. A second Avorker later on voiced the same senti¬ 
ments, and, on examination, they prove to be sound. I 
am glad to pass on the solution of the problem to others. 
Briefly it is that the Government recognizes the fact 
that rural homes in general lack the comforts that go 
as a matter of course Avith the city homes of even the 
mo.st humble of the city’s daily laborers; that the boys 
and girls of the farm are deserting the country in 
alarming numhers, over-i)()i)ulating the one and leav¬ 
ing the other desolate and deserted, badly in need of 
their capable services; and that any reasonable mea.s- 
tire Avhich Avill keej) the young folks contented to remain 
on the farms and giv»* their Avholesouled efforts there are 
ju.stifiable, and even the duty of the farmers to carry 
out. Home comforts like heating plants, water and 
lighting systems, bathrooms and other modern equip¬ 
ments, are some of the most viihmhle means of keejiing 
the young people on the farm, besides adding to the 
healthfulness iiiid tlu'refore the efficiency of the entire 
family. We have a boy in our family, soon to leavt; 
home for the higher school. 'Pherefore we feel that we 
do not Avant him, as he goes aAvay to school and enjoys 
the convonien(;es of the city, to make unfavorable com- 
pari.sons betAveen his city (|uarters and those of his 
oAvn home. We know Avhat the lu-obable result would he. 
And .so our consciences have bei'u at ease since hearing 
this vieAV of the Government in planning for some of 
these comforts this Fitll, even though the Fourth Loan 
is coming. But Ave are going to be careful and not put 
all our eggs in om; basket; not all into the improve¬ 
ments, nor all into the loan, hut a medium course, doing 
a little of each and adding to the improvements each 
season as Ave can. 
Government Avorkers in the interest of the loan have 
toured the State and have expro.ssed the greatest suritri.se 
at the immense jiumher of farmhome windows Avhich 
bear cards or emhh'ins which shoAv that the resitlents 
luive contributed to the various Avar subscriptions. Trav¬ 
elers can go many miles and not find a house that does 
not bear its evidences of contributions. Surely it can 
be said that as a class farmers fully realize their duty 
to their country in this Avay. Let us also help to make 
the work of the solicitors as easy and short as possible. 
It takes at least 15 minutes to each house Avhen the in¬ 
mates knoAV just Avhat they can and Avill do to make out 
the necessary forms and blanks. If we make these calls 
an hour or tAVO in length, to exidain the workings of the 
loan, Ave are adding to their burdens unnecessarily, as 
we can and should inform ourselves as to details before¬ 
hand. 
'Phe cami)algn Avill last but three weeks this time, 
instead of the four heretofore given. Let us of the 
country do our best to make it a success. Let us work 
harder than ever before, save largely in material and 
money, buy bonds that our money helps to support our 
Army and Navy in the glorious Avork they are doing, 
and contribute freely to the Avar chests or other charita¬ 
ble Avar relief work, Avith full confidence that our money 
is Avisely spent. 
'Phe gasless Sunday edict has raised some questions. 
But a letter from the Fuel Administrator at Washing¬ 
ton to State organizations sanctions the use of automo¬ 
biles on Sunday for this Avork Avhere necessary to expe¬ 
dite it. M., u. F, 
