Public Works; Farmers’ Rights; Soldiers 
on Farms 
R OAD-BUILDING.—That article iu The R. N.-Y. 
in reference to the highways of France and 
Germany calls to mind the remarks of Prof. Warren, 
who seems to me to be a broad-minded man of 
caliber for a statesman. lie would have the Gov¬ 
ernment make plans for improvements and get de¬ 
finite information relative to needed changes. For 
example, he would have a fine highway planned 
across the continent capable of carrying 10 to 20-ton 
trucks and of sufficient width to accommodate any 
reasonable traffic at any time. When there comes a 
slack time in industries let the Gov¬ 
ernment go ahead and build and 
employ labor and tide over the tem¬ 
porary depression. This work need 
not be undertaken in times of 
abundance of demand for labor. 
Other highways and necessary pub¬ 
lic buildings might well be planned 
out so as to be ready when the pro¬ 
per time came to go at the work. 
These highways should be so ar¬ 
ranged across the country and 
along the coast as to be of service 
as Government roads and for mili¬ 
tary purposes. The professor no¬ 
ticed and the imagination will pro¬ 
vide various other lines of work 
that might be undertaken in the 
same way. It would help to pre¬ 
vent industrial disturbances in time 
of stress. These are farm topics, 
although the country as a rule has 
not heard of it in this connection. 
THE MERCHANT MARINE.— 
Just as I was thinking this over I 
glanced into the daily paper of one 
of our up-State cities. It is a paper 
that has stood for farmers when the 
big city dailies have gone to the 
extreme in deriding farmers. Yet 
in an editorial this paper urges Mr. 
Hurley's demand that the United 
States Chamber of Commerce ascer¬ 
tain the opinions of business, civic, 
industrial and labor organizations 
relating to the merchant marine. 
Farmers are omitted and undoubt¬ 
edly not wanted. This question, 
however, is doubtless one that is of 
special interest to farmers. If we 
have a merchant marine that is 
subsidized and freights made prac¬ 
tically negligible on the ocean while 
railroad freights are shoved up. 
what is to be the effect on the con¬ 
dition of farming? Will it help or 
injure us? What about butter and 
cheese from Australia and New Zea¬ 
land. and what from other countries 
such as eggs from China, etc.? It 
is not a question that I care to dis¬ 
cuss at this moment, for it has two 
sides, but the merchant marine as 
it seems to be planned now is 
largely for the advancement of busi¬ 
ness and labor and for getting foods 
cheaper. We ought to be thinking 
about it a little, and our leaders in 
agriculture should be heard on the 
subject as well as labor and busi¬ 
ness interests. 
CO-OPERATIVE CREAMER IES. 
—There are a good many co-opera¬ 
tive creameries being started about 
the country, or organizations are 
being formed and some money sub¬ 
scribed. In many cases these only 
K A L. IN£.W-rUKR.t.K 
rliey have been. It takes a pinch to do such big 
things. Moreover, there is the marketing end of 
the manufactured product to consider. Let no one 
throw blocks under the wheels, but let us all think 
it all out before we go it fast. That is what farmers 
will do. 
SOLDIERS ON FARMS.—There is much said in 
many papers about the returning soldiers wanting 
farms, and quite too much about using the public 
funds in an attempt to clear up new lands that are 
now worthless and doubtless will be for many years 
to come. Our State Department of Farms and 
Markets has taken one step that ought to be com¬ 
mended, it seems ot me. if it is efficiently carried 
A Field of Sorghum Near Maturity. Fig. 127 
meats required as an initial. Hill lands, uplands 
that are quite level when reached, and flat lands or 
other classification would seem to be useful to a 
prospective buyer. I am glad that something has 
been undertaken in relation to our farms of the 
State at any rate, whether all Is being done to clas¬ 
sify them that ought to be done or not. As regards 
soldier farming, I have but little confidence. The 
farm boys who went into the army know about farm¬ 
ing. and most of them will not be likely to return to 
it. although some may. If they do. they know where 
to go as well as a ^one can tell them. Town boys 
may think they want to be farmers, but they will, 
generally speaking, make poor success. This is not 
in contradiction to what has been 
said above, and I reaffirm that I am 
glad the department has undertaken 
this job. The talk is on and New 
York should be in line. Let it do 
all possible to make these desirable 
farms known. 
FARM ADVERTISING. — Right 
here is where we seem to be break¬ 
ing down. For several years we 
have done no advertising, although 
other States have done much. There 
have been lists of farms in the de¬ 
partment. but the buying public has 
not known much about it. When it 
was known by advertising many 
calls came and many sales were 
made, but more could have been 
made by following similar lines that 
others have followed. Why adver¬ 
tising has not been resorted to I do 
not know. It does not seem to be 
shortage of funds; at any rate there 
is supposed to be money ready for 
the department to use. Legislators 
have assured me that they are ready 
to furnish funds for such purposes (if 
wanted and not already available. 
Now it is up to New York farmers, 
it seems to me. to bring pressure on 
the right parties to have this thing 
attended to. It is the opportune 
time. I know that real estate deal¬ 
ers do not approve, because they 
are advertising farms and are mak¬ 
ing many sides. This, however, is a 
State matter and is for the benefit 
only of dealers but of the farm¬ 
ers of the State and for the general 
public as well. Let us urge this at 
an early date. It is public welfare. 
H. H. LYOX. 
Sorghum Cone Waded Ready for Crushing. Fig. 12S 
Boiling the Sorghum Syrup. Fig. 129 
l 
make a start and then lie dormant for some time 
until something starts them up again. The recent 
milk strike and the attitude of the League iu ad¬ 
vising co-operation is mainly responsible for this 
recent flurry. It is developing, however, that the 
League is scarcely in favor of small concerns for 
handling milk, but costly affairs located at suitable 
intervals where full equipment can be placed for 
the manufacture of all products, and where surplus 
milk can be shipped whenever desired. These would 
hardly lie locally-owned, but would be paid for by 
the larger unit and serve a large contingent. Such 
concerns might cost a hundred thousand dollars, el¬ 
even twice that sum. It is a great scheme. It will 
have to be long considered and it will take a long 
time to work out the fulfillment of the project 
unless milk strikes sliould be more frequent than 
out It lias commenced and possibly nearly com¬ 
pleted a listing of the farms offered for sale in the 
State through the rural school teachers. This 
method will most likely get a much larger repre¬ 
sentation than the former one of securing lists 
through supervisors. If you want to get. a service 
done gratis go to the school teachers rather than 
politicians. It is understood that these lists of 
farms will be placed at the disposal of the return¬ 
ing soldiers so that they may be informed of the 
possibilities of securing farms in New York State. 
So far as I know there is nothing done to classify 
tliese farms, as it would seem advantageous to do. 
If they could be classified by locations that would 
help, and it is quite possible that such has been done. 
If. further, they could be classified as to price, some¬ 
thing might be gained. Also a classification by pay- 
The Sorghum Crop 
N the Middle West and South 
large quail title of sorghum syrup 
are produced. The pictures on this 
page show the plant in the field and 
other stages on its way to help with 
the household sweetening. 
Fig. 127 gives a fair idea of a 
field of sorghum near maturity. The 
stalk and blade resemble corn, but 
it has no ears, all of the seed be¬ 
ing on the top. 
In Fig. 12S the cane, trimmed 
and ready for pressing, is seen, 
piled near the mill in the field. 
Here the juice is squeezed from the 
stalk and the sorghum sap is caught 
in any convenient vessel, ready for 
the cook-house, Fig. 129. This last 
process is quite like handling the 
maple product. 
Sorghum is a useful forage crop 
and will usually do well with less 
moisture than corn. It grows rather slowly on the 
start, ancl needs careful cultivation. 
Business in Rabbits 
N OT very long ago a farmer advertised rabbits 
for sale in The R. N.-Y. lie received more 
than 200 replies and could have sold 10 times as 
many as he had in stock. We find many country 
people and some who live in town who keep rabbits 
as a source of meat supply. Some years ago rabbits 
were kept as pets. The family would about as soon 
have thought of eating one of the children as to con¬ 
sume a rabbit. Then came the Belgian hare craze. 
It was not based upon practical business methods 
and it exploded. In company with many other things 
it has been brought back by the war and put on a 
