Spanish Influenza 
There is no good reason for calling the present wide¬ 
spread and serious epidemic which is taking so many 
valuable lives at a time, seemingly, when these lives 
can least well be spared, “Spanish influenza,” for there 
is little doubt that the disease is identical with that 
which has been popularly known since 1889 as the 
grippe. Successive epidemics since 1047 have usually 
originate<l in the Far East, coming to us across Europe 
by way of the ordinary routes of travel and commerce. 
The di.sease is so highly contagious that it appears to 
be carried through the air, as though borne upon the 
winds. Authorities believe, however, that it spreads 
only by contact, from one person to another. It is vastly 
aided in its travels by the fact that it is not always 
easily recognized. There is no way of positively identi¬ 
fying an isolated case, though, when it occurs in groups 
of cases, there is little difficulty in recognizing its char¬ 
acter. Like other contagious diseases, it varys greatly 
in severity, from the mild case which is thought to be 
only a bard cold to the one wdiich quickly strikes its 
victim prostrate. It is the mild cases which are chiefly 
responsible for its wide distribution, these .sufferers 
seeing no reason wLy they should not associate indis¬ 
criminately with their friends and neighbors. 
An uncomplicated case of influenza u.sually lasts but 
three or four days, so far as its marked .symtoms are 
concerned, but the accompanying weakness is not so 
quickly recovered from. In any case, this feeling of 
complete prostration is likely to be out of proportion to 
the other symptoms, and its reality is only too frequently 
manifested by such serious complications as pneumonia. 
Since it is almost impossible to avoid exposure when 
the disease is widely prevalent, one should know how’ 
to guard himself as far as practicable from its possible 
con.sequences. The chief safeguard is good health. The 
robust person is always armored against disease germs, 
though, of cour.se, not wholly protected. But, if one 
cannot be robust, he can at least increase his powers of 
resistance, and this by following the simple rules of 
health : 
Fresh air and sunshine are not yet appreciated at 
their full worth, but they are coming more and more 
to be sought by those who understand that disease lurks 
in dark, unventilated living and work-rooms, and flees 
those places that court nature’s greatest germ destroy¬ 
ers. Simple, nourishing food is fortunately within the 
reach of most of us, and is reinforced in body building 
by ample periods of sleep. Personal cleanliness is a 
greater aid to health than many seem willing to believe ; 
soap is first aid to the sun. Dirty hands carry frequent 
infection to the mouth ; in times of epidemics, at least, 
they should be frequently washed, and always before 
eating. 
It is not always possible to avoid crowds or crowded 
rooms, but just now they are quite apt to contain the 
influenza distributor who coughs or sneezes near his 
neighbor’s face without first covering his mouth and nose 
with his handkerchief. Beware of him; turn away 
from him when you see his shoulders begin to draw, 
and, if he will not use his own handkercief, protect your 
face with yours. The fine spray thrown from the mouth 
and no.se of one who has “only a hard cold” may con¬ 
vey serious illne.ss, or even death, to his neighbor who 
chances to inhale it. Be careflil as to whom you come 
in close contact with these days; let the October winds 
blow dangers from you and shake hands more frequently 
than you ever did before with mankind’s great pre¬ 
server—soap. M. B. BEAN. 
A Square Deal for Wool Yarn 
I wish you could make the “square deal” on the 
wool yarn question. Farmers here sold their wool for 
(55 cents per pound, and just yesterday I asked for yarn 
to knit for the soldiers, and they asked me $5 per pound. 
()hio. CLARA E. ALLEN. 
We Avish so, too. For some months now we have 
tried to find why there should he a margin of 
$4 a pound between raw avooI and yarn. We have 
asked high and low, and have have had many ans¬ 
wers, but not one of them tells the story.- Under the 
circumstance.s, and considering the u.se to which this 
jarn is put, this I’etail price seems the most out¬ 
rageous thing of the entire war’s profiteering. It is 
enough to give the gentle sheep the spirit of a hyena. 
In a large department store in New York regular 
gray and khaki yarn for soldiers and sailors knitting 
is 79 cents per hank of ounces, which wmuld be 
about ,$9.00 per pound. A higher grade of very .soft, 
heavy wool, same colors, is $1.06 per hank, about 
$4.80 per pound, but this is special—the 79-cent wool 
is ordinarily used. 
New Rules For Millfeed 
The Food Administration is doing its best to .se¬ 
cure a fair distribution of W'heat feeds from the 
mills. As prices at the mill are regulated it w'as 
thought that feed manufacturers might obtain most 
of this feed and \i.se large amounte in their mixture. 
Accordingly the following rules have been made: 
No wheat miller shall mix any greater percentage of 
his output of wheat mill feed with other feeding stuffs, 
or .sell any greater percentage to feed mixers for such 
mixing than he mixed or sold in the year 1917. 
9|C * * * ^ 
The manufacturer of commercial mixed feeds shall 
not use more wheat mill feed in the manufacture of the 
RURAL NEW-YORKER 
mixed feed than he used in the corresponding month of 
the year 1917. 
These rules do not apply to farmers who mix their 
own feed, but they will be asked to sign a pledge of 
honor “not to use wheat mill feeds for any other 
purpose than the feeding of dairy cattle, poultry, 
young pigs, young calves or the preparation of a 
weekly bran mash for work animals.” In addition, 
the farmers are asked to agree not to feed any more 
wheat feeds than is customarily fed to such animals, 
and not to have at any time more than a (iO-day sup¬ 
ply of wheat feeds on hand. 
Chopped Alfalfa for Cows 
The Nebraska experiment Station has made a 
fair test of chopped Alfalfa hay against wheat 
bran as a grain ration for dairy cows. By analy.sis 
there is not so much difference between these two 
feeds, but most farmei’s Avill claim that they must 
feed the bran or some other grain along Avith Alfalfa, 
or clover hay and silage. In Nebraska the grain 
ration was four parts ground corn, one part oil 
meal and two parts bran or chopped Alfalfa. The 
cows AA'cre first fed the bran and then changed to the 
Alfalfa; then they were changed back again. The 
result of every trial showed practically no difference 
in results, both in milk and butterfat. The chopped 
Alfalfa fully took the place of the bran. There will 
be many farmers who claim that Alfalfa or clover 
hay cannot take the place of feed. Yet the very 
feed Avhich they depend on and pay big prices for 
Avill often consist in large part of Alfalfa or clover 
hay ground about as fine as bran. Why pay $60 
more or le.ss for a ton of Alfalfa or clover groAvn in 
Kansas, Avhen you can groAV the same on your own 
farm? 
Custom Elxchange Milling in New York 
We have had hundreds of letters from New York 
farmers asking Avhat their rights are regarding local 
grinding of wheat. The situation has been badly com¬ 
plicated, owing to conflicting rules and the demand 
for a use of substitutes. We now have the following 
statement from the Food Administratoi’, Charles^ E, 
Trcman, regarding custom exchange milling. Keep 
this for reference: 
It has long been the custom for farmers bringing in 
their own wheat to receive in exchange their annual 
supply of flour. Nothing in the present Food Admin¬ 
istration regulations prevents the continuation of this 
custom, except that the general wheat conservation 
rules require wheat flour to be delivered only with one 
pound of substitutes for each four pounds of wheat 
flour. 
Such substitutes cannot always be handled by small 
country mills, and a year’s supply of some of the sub¬ 
stitutes is likely to spoil. Under these circumstances 
it has been considered desirable, where farmers Avere 
willing to pledge a strict compliance with the program 
of the Food Administi’ation, to permit the delivery of 
flour to them without substitutes in exchange for their 
own wheat. 
Furthermore, many farmers grow their oion suhsti- 
tutes, and it is not desired in this ease to foree them to 
lug other sulstitutes, provided that proper compliance 
with the Food Administration program can he obtained 
without this requirement. 
The millers in New York State are authorized to 
deliver wheat flour to farmers without substitutes, upon 
the signing of a suitable pledge. In general the pledge 
covers the following points: In the first place, the 
farmer pledges him.self to u.se flour only in his own 
household, and not to re-sell any of it without permis¬ 
sion; further, the use of such flour must conform to 
the program of the United States Food Admini.stration, 
in that in the baking of all bread at least one pound of 
substitutes to every four pounds of Avheat flour must 
be used, and if rye is u.sed, tAVO pounds of rye to every 
three pounds of wheat flour. 
In some cases farmers Avill groAv their own substi¬ 
tutes ; therefore, under these circumstances, the pledge 
will take the form that the farmer certifies that he has 
had ground for use in his own family, a certain amount 
of substitutes Avhich have not been balanced against any 
purchases of wheat flour. In this case, the farmer 
pledges in the baking of all bread to use one pound of 
the .substitutes of his own growing to every four pounds 
of wheat flour, or if rye is used, tAVO pounds of rye to 
every three pounds of Avheat flour. 
The Return Gift Package 
A problem which the Vegetable (irowers’ Association 
has made somewhat of a drive on this year is the mat¬ 
ter of getting pay for packages, or an exchange at the 
time of sale. Resolutions have been passed and the 
project was given the open support of the State Council 
of Defense, as well as of the local branches of the State 
Council. So far little benefit has been derived, except 
perhaps on the Waterbury market. There are probably 
two chief reasons for this; the relatively unorganized 
condition of our city markets, both geographically and 
Avith respect to the classes of people Avho deal in them ; 
and the great diversity of packages used, Avhich makes 
price fixing of packages almost impossible, or, rather, 
the price fixing ea.sy and the collection impossible. I 
was much struck by the conditions I found in Provi¬ 
dence, R. I., in the light of our experience in trying to 
solve this package question. The almost universal use 
of the bushel and half-bushel boxes reduces the difli- 
culty immensely, Avhile in the ca.se of the Farmers’ Ex¬ 
change, the sales machinery is such that buyers must 
pay for the boxes before they get out of the building, 
Avhile they can, if they wish, sell the carriers back to 
the exchange Avithin a very foAv minutes after they have 
paid for them. This points out the vadue of the com¬ 
mon package on which a uniform value can be placed, 
and the utility of having a central buying place, where 
business methods can not only be introduced but ad¬ 
hered to. We have a little marketing question on our 
hands right noAV. There are several ton.s of good Ilub- 
1195 
bard squash and pie pumpkins, produced in the course 
of various experiments, that we cannot sell unless we 
pack them in barrels. With barrels almo.st unobtain¬ 
able, or at least very expensive, we must think tAvice 
before buying them for .so space-wasting an article as 
squash. Perhaps “the nigger in the woodpile” really is 
that Ave dislike to be held up in this way, letting the 
other felloAV realize his profit on the barrels. You will 
remember that Edmund Burke pointed out this same 
idea in his speech on taxing the Amercan colonies, when 
he said that the actual sum of money involved Avas not 
so much, but no one liked to be robbed of even a cent. 
In general, for the conditions prevailing in this State, I 
do not see any remedy in resolutions and regulations, 
but only in centralized selling and a universal package. 
Av. c. PELTON, Secretary. 
Connecticut Vegetable (Growers’ Association. 
Grinding Flour On the Farm 
I own and operate two f.arms located in the State of 
New .Ter.sey. On these farms I have four or five fam¬ 
ilies Avorking for rne, and living right on the farm. Each 
one of these families would like to purchase a few bush¬ 
els of whole Avheat for their own consumption. They 
would then grind this AA'heat right on the farm in a mill 
used for grinding feed for the live stock. Inasmuch as 
they intend grinding and using the whole wheat, would 
you kindly advise me if I am allowed to sell them the 
whole wheat they require? a. o. 
We have the authority of the Grain Administration 
for the following statement regarding this case: 
Wheat produced on the farm may be ground in tho 
farm mill and used as desired, provided the mill is not 
a commercial one, and none of the product is removed 
from the place. 
The owner of the farm may buy the wheat and sell 
to his tenants to be ground in their farm mill and used 
on the place for human food, but in this case none of the 
Avheat can be used for live stock food. The Government 
expects that consumers who grind their own floiir in this 
way Avill be sufficiently patriotic to carry out the spirit 
of the laAv regarding the percentage of wheat substitutes 
required in commercial flour, even though not tech¬ 
nically covered by the law. 
Up-State Farm Notes 
Grapes Show Result of Cold. —The finger lake 
section is a barometer for the rest of the State in grape 
production. When the yield is small here it is apt to 
be elsewhere. The harvest is well begun, and will not 
average over 50 per cent of normal, due to the cold of 
last Winter. At present Concords are bringing $75 
per ton. GroAvers had feared the effect of the temper¬ 
ance movement, but find no decrease in the demand, 
which is especially brisk for jams and jellies. In the 
D'ansville district the yield is only 25 per cent. Though 
fcAV in quantity the quality Avas never so good—all in¬ 
sect pests having been exterminated by the cold. After 
considerable negotiation and protest with the Inland 
Waterways Commission, boats have been ordered to take 
care of the crop in tho Keuka district, bringing the fruit 
to Penn Yan and Ilammondsport. The boats of this 
section were recently suspended by the Erie Railroad. 
This had been the outlet for grapes for many years, 
and was tho only feasible outlet, owing to the steep 
hills surrounding the finger lakes. These hills create 
ideal conditions for grape culture similar to noted grape 
sections of Europe. 
Wheat Market. —Owing to railway embargoes and 
the fact that seaboard movement has not kept pace with 
internal movement of wheat, elevators and local mills 
are overstocked and farmers who wish to dispose of 
their wheat early are unable to do so. In Cortland and 
neighboring counties where this condition exists, millers 
Avill pay the farmers only prices lower than the fixed 
Government price. The fai’m bureaus are warning the 
people against selling for less than the full price, $2.16, 
in this zone, and advise consulting the farm bureaus in 
regard to the matter. The Government is co-operating 
Avith the farm bureaus to help the farmers to find mar¬ 
kets .at full price. Just a little Availing, they say, and 
all Avill be able to secure it. County food administrators 
are urging the people to buy and use more graham 
flour, Avhich requires no substitute now, as an ab.solutely 
nece.ssary measure to conserve wheat. 
.Silage Difficulties. —So much of the corn all over 
the State has been badly frosted the State College is 
urging upon farmers the necessity of using plenty of 
moisture Avith the dry corn. Field-dry fodder, they 
state, needs an equal Aveight of Avater to make good 
silage. Mixing the heavy and light portions of the 
silage evenly also helps to avoid spoiled silage. Water 
may be added at the blower or at the surface of the 
silo. _ The college Avarns against silo gas, especially in 
pit silos. A lighted candle or lantern should be lowered 
into all such where circulation of the air is slow. If it 
burns brightly all is well. But if it goes out a draft 
must be started in some Avay before anyone enters it 
by opening the doors or by directing the blower into the 
silo. 
Syracuse Milk Dispute Settled. —^The city’s sup¬ 
ply of milk is again assured, practically all of the larger 
retailers having signed the Dairymen’s League agree¬ 
ment as to a wholesale price of $3.97 per 100 lbs. Dr. 
C. M. Coe, representative and director of the League, 
Avas in charge of the fight for the farmers. 
Bio Barn Contract. — A short time' ago Cortland 
County’s largest barn. 60x100 ft., was burned by spon¬ 
taneous combustion, filled Avitli immense stores of hay, 
grain, and farm tools. There Avas an insurance of 
$15,000 on it—.$9,000 for the building alone. Contract¬ 
ors are now scouring the country for help to replace it 
by one of the same size. It is expected this will be the 
biggest barn betAveen Syracuse and Binghamton. 
Grocers Reduce ExPEN.SES.^It is to be hoped that 
a new AA'ar-time method of reducing unnece.ssary ex¬ 
penses just being enforced in Auburn and Cortland may 
find a Avider territory and be continued long after the 
Avar ceases. It is that of free delivery of parcels to pur- 
cha.sers Avho inconsiderately order one thing at a time, 
perhaps several times a day, each to be delivered. After 
this the grocers and butchers of these cities will charge 
5c extra for each delivery, Avhether of one or more 
packages, and will make but one trip a day, or, in some 
more remote sections, two a Aveek. This releases de¬ 
liverymen for Avar service, reduces wear and tear on 
horses and \’ehicle.s, and Avill enable the public to 
buy their goods more cheaply, not penalizing the careful 
cash-and-carry customer in favor of the careless, incon¬ 
siderate one. 
Crop Notes. —Late cabbage is cracking open in some 
sections. Several short snowfalls have been seen in the 
Adirondack counties Beans are badly damaged by 
heavy rains. Silo filing and Fall ploAving has also been 
badly hindered by the rains. m. g. f. 
