997 
The Price of Cream 
I am sending you a cream ticket, and I am asking 
you to explain to me how cream, 40 per cent, can have 
only 12.4 lbs. butterfat iu it? I feel I am not getting 
a fair deal. My milk is run through a separator. In- 
fo’-mation will be appreciated. l. J. r. 
Ohio. 
The cream check simply credits 27 lbs. of cream 
testing 4(1 per cent fat. This, of course, means 40 
pounds of butterfat for 100 lbs. of milk. Percentage 
is always based on 100 lbs. The amount of butterfat 
in 27 lbs. of 40 per cent cream is 27x.40=12.4 lbs. 
butterfat. 
You were allowed 57 cents per pound of butterfat. 
The average price for butter in May was 02.f> cents 
per pound, and the 5% cents was probably an al¬ 
lowance for making. But there is at least 10 lbs. 
of water in 100 lbs. of butter, and the amount of 
butter in your 12.4 lbs. of butterfat is figured this 
way: 12.4-r-.84 = 14.7 lbs. of butter in 12.4 lbs. of 
butterfat. The factory gets an overrun of 2.3 lbs. 
of butter at 62.5 cents, or $1,437. It gets 514 cents 
per pound on 12.4 lbs. of butter, or 0S.2 cents, or 
a total of $2.12 for its share on 27 lbs. of 40 per 
cent cream. This is a small shipment, and the 
figures are, of course, correspondingly small, but it 
is evident that on this basis the overrun and manu¬ 
facturing allowance of 5*4 cents per pound amounts 
to a neat sum daily on the entire product of a large 
crea mery. 
If the weights and tests are correct, the amount 
is otherwise figured according to the price, but for 
your own protection you should keep a record of 
weights, and have your own tests made for fat oc¬ 
casionally, if not regularly. A Babcock test would 
probably pay for itself every month. 
Figuring Prices of Milk 
Will you give the price of 3.0 milk by can of 85 lbs. 
in zone less than 100 miles from city? It is quite a 
bother for some farmers to figure out where they are 
selling by the can instead of by 100 lbs. 
PUTNAM CO. SUBSCRIBER. 
The price for 3 per cent milk this month is $2.89. 
For extra fat above 3 i>er cent we get 4 cents for 
each one-tenth (expressed decimally .1). For the .0 
extra fat we get Ox.04 = .24 (-2.89 = $3.13 per 100 
lbs. A 40-qt. can weighs approximately 85 lbs., or 
85/100 of 100 lbs., and is worth 85/100 (decimally 
.85) of the price of 100 lbs. Hence 3.13 x.85=$2.66. 
The freight rate in the 200-mile none is .38 per can. 
In the 100-mile zone it is .30 per can. The price is 
based on the 200 -mile zone, so that a shipper in the 
zone 101 to 110 miles is entitled to a differential of 
8 cents per can. Hence 2.06+.08=$2.74, the price 
to the farmer for 85 lbs. or 40 qts. of 3.6 milk for 
•Tune milk. We go into detail in figuring these milk 
estimates because, while they are simple enough to 
men who are using them every day. we find many 
farmers who do not understand just how the esti¬ 
mates are made, and we would like to have every 
producer keep the daily records and figure out the 
prices for themselves. Some of these details seem 
trifling, but it is after all the sum total of trifles that 
make perfection. We can never have perfection, or 
approach to it. in the whole until we have learned 
to master the small details. 
Grain Figures and Facts 
In a recent issue you printed an editorial on the sub¬ 
ject of supply and demand, and as an example of what 
occasionally happens to supply and demand, you quote 
wheat and flour. As these two seem to be the popular 
things on which to pick these days, of course they nat¬ 
urally appeal to you first. You state, however, that the 
price of flour has been goiug steadily upward, but ac¬ 
cording to the prices in the exchanges all over (lie coun¬ 
try. the prices for the last six weeks at least have been 
going steadily downward. At any rate a high wheat 
price must necessarily make a high flour price, and 
when the farmer gives three rousing cheers for $ 2.20 
wheat he ought not to grumble very much if his flour 
and feed prices are accordingly high. The trouble 
with such statements as you made in your editorial is 
that they give people wrong impressions, sometimes pur¬ 
posely. sometimes otherwise, but always wrong impres¬ 
sions. w. Q. 
New l'ork. 
When we want to know retail prices we go and 
buy the goods. There are many housekeepers and 
food buyers connected with this business, and they 
know what flour costs them. They buy by the sack— 
not on the exchanges. Some weeks ago flour slowly 
advanced until it reached $1.87 per sack. Then, about 
two weeks ago. it jumped to $1.94. All this 
time it was reported that prices to grocers aud dis¬ 
tributors were falling. When the price reached $1.94 
complaint was made to the United States Grain Cor¬ 
poration. The secretary promptly replied that the 
retailers were charging at least $1 per barrel more 
than they had any business to do. It is a definite 
fact that while retail prices have beeu rising the 
••exchange” price has been falling. The trouble with 
some of these critics is that they get the impression 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
that “exchange” figures must lie food facts —that is 
always a wrong impression ! 
How Orleans County, N. Y. Obtains All 
Its Wool is Worth 
IMPORTANCE OF SHEEP INDUSTRY.—Those of 
you who are familiar with Orleans Co., N. Y.. know it 
to be located in the heart of the great Western New 
Y T ork fruit belt. Iu fact, one-fourth of the cultivated 
land of the county is devoted to the growing of fruit. 
Orleans County is not hilly. There is less than 475 ft. 
difference between the highest and the lowest areas. 
There is only a very small section of the county which is 
too hilly to be easily tilled. This land is best fitted for 
pasture use and consequently we find our most impor¬ 
tant sheojp area in this section. The sheep industry, 
however, like all other live stock enterprises, cannot be 
said to be restricted to any one or two sections. For 
instance, no township has less than 1.200 breeding ewes 
or more than 2.800. In spite of the fact that Orleans 
County is a level country and has only a very small 
area of purely pasture land, more sheep are kept per 
square mile than in any other county iu the State. The 
value of land in Orleans County varies from $50 to $150 
per acre. The question is frequently asked if it is a 
paying proposition to keep sheep on hundred-dollar land. 
When you consider that one-third of the sheep in New 
York State are found in seven Western New York 
counties where the average value of land is about $100 
per acre, it would appear that farmers are finding it 
profitable. The 1918 farm census showed that the county 
had 25.000 breeding ewes and 10.000 other sheep and 
lambs. That number has been slightly increased this 
year. Five or.six thousand Western feeding lambs are 
fattened. Most of these are sheared before being sold 
and their fleeces average about 5 lbs. each. Due to the 
fact that thousands of hothouse lambs are produced and 
so many Western lambs fed. Orleans County is one of 
the earliest in the State to shear, most of the wool be¬ 
ing clipped during the months of March and April. 
SHEEP BREEDERS’ ASSOCIATION.—During the 
Winter of 1917 and 1918 a few of the sheep men believed 
the old system of marketing their wool, where good 
clean wool of good length and strength brought little if 
any more than dirty, short and weak stapled wool, was 
wrong. It was not only a gross injustice to the producer 
of the best grades of wool, but gave no incentive for 
raising the wool standard of the county. At the sug¬ 
gestion of these men the County Farm Bureau Associa¬ 
tion called a meeting of all the sheep men of the county 
on February 1. 191S. At this meeting, with the assis¬ 
tance of the State sheep specialist. Mark J. Smith, the 
100 men present organized the Orleans County Sheep 
Breeders’ Association. Seventy men joined the asso¬ 
ciation by paying 50c each. It was only a few weeks, 
however, before the membership had grown from 70 to 
243. making this infant of six months of age the second 
largest sheep organization iu New York State. 
FIRST WOOL SALE.—About April 1 the executive 
committee of the association, which was to act as sales 
agent, began to wonder how best to sell its members’ 
wool. After bothering other sheep associations with our 
troubles the committee decided to hold an auction and 
sell to the highest bidder. So letters were sent out to a 
number of mills and commission houses advertising that 
the Orleans County Sheep Breeders’ Association would 
sell at auction on April 25 some 53.000 lbs. medium wool, 
8.000 lbs, delaine. 12.000 lbs. Western lamb, 1.400 lbs. 
fine wool; 171 men had pledged this wool. 
PRICES RECEIVED.—Those of you who have a 
keen memory may recall on the 25th of April, the date 
of our sale, the Government announced it had set the 
price of the 1918 clip as that of July 20 of 1917. I 
never had so little respect for the newspaper as I did 
after reading that item on the front page that morning. 
After some debating, however, the executive committee 
decided to go on with the sale, so the auction started at 
11 a. m. with about 125 men present. Bidding was slow 
and draggy, hut finally 71 He was bid on coarse. OSHc 
on delaine, fine. 04c. and Western feeding lamb. 60c. 
The majority of men present, however, did not wish to 
sell at the prices, so the president of the association bid 
in the wool. I don’t suppose the Orleans County farm¬ 
ers differ much from other farmers. At any rate, the 
bidding had no more than ceased before a few members 
wanted to withdraw their wool. The president, however, 
did not give his permission. Some time elapsed before 
the wool was finally consigned to a licensed New York 
commission house. In fact, the owner of the house came 
out, and after inspecting several lots of wool, made sat¬ 
isfactory advances consisting of 68 c for %. 14 and !4 
blood. 58c for Western feeding lamb aud 55c for fine. 
The final returns were uot received until September be¬ 
cause the Government appraisal committee was slow in 
appraising it The table below shows what the farmers 
received afte>- all costs of handling, such as freight, 
shrinkage, and cost of taking in, were deducted: 
Grade 
One-fourth .. 
Three-eighths 
One-half . 
Fine 
I .amb 
Rejects 
No. of lbs. 
15.533 
13.503 
4.636 
Price per lb. 
7444c 
7514c 
72 %c 
0014 c 
64c 
Total Value 
$11,548.10 
10.194.01 
3.372.09 
4.470 57 
7.783.68 
1.052.80 
$39,427.91 
7.430 
12.102 
2,048 
Figuring very conservatively, the sheep breeders’ or¬ 
ganization saved its members over $2,500 due to the in¬ 
crease in prices received. So much for the first year of 
organized effort. 
PURCHASING PAPER TWINE,—Because the 
buyer last year showed preference for wool tied up with 
paper twine the Orleans Association at its annual meet¬ 
ing decided to purchase for its members paper fleece 
twine. Over 700 lbs. were bought and sold to them at 
cost, which was 20c per lb. To my knowledge this is the 
first year that any considerable amount of this kind of 
twine has been used in this State. The Western wool 
producers have beeu using it for several years. The 
majority of Orleans County sheep men found it as con* 
venienb as the wool twine. Our county organization be¬ 
lieves in putting up its wool in the most attractive style. 
THE 1919 WOOL SALE.—This year arrangements 
were practically completed for consigning the association 
clip to a New York commission house when the United 
States Government lowered its price 7% per cent, which 
caused the New York buyer to lower his advance from 50 
to 40c per lb. on medium grade wool. Inasmuch as the 
members had been notified that a 50c advance would be 
made, the executive committee of the Sheep Breeders’ 
Association did not like the idea of lowering that, so 
arrangements were made with a man buying for a New 
1 ork State woolen mill. The following prices were paid 
where paper twine was used and i/je less where fleeces 
were tied with wool twine. The “buyer paid all the 
expense of taking in the wool: v 
Grade wool, consisting of H, % and *4 blood. $0 00 
Delaine .”.. 57 
Fine clothing and rejects. .45 
At the time the sale was made in April local wool 
dealers in the county were paying from 45 to 52c per lb. 
Thejiay after the sale one local buyer jumped his price 
to 55c on specially good grade wool. The peculiar fact 
was lie was buying for another dealer, who in turn was 
buying for the same mill to which the association wool 
was shipped. One local dealer sold over 8.000 lbs. of 
wool through the association. He had picked most of 
this up in his neighborhood for from 50 to 55c. It av¬ 
eraged him 58.8c per lb. 
A GREAT SAYING.—Two shipments were made this 
year to convenience the growers. The first was made in 
the early part of April. Over ^0.000 lbs. of wool were 
shipped from three loading stations. The second and 
last shipment was made May 21, 22 and 23 at the same 
three shipping points; 340 men sold 135.039 lbs. of wool 
which brought $77,658 42. Excluding the Western lamb 
wool, which was sold at a flat price, the wool aver¬ 
aged the grower over 58c per lb. During the first two 
years this little organization, having a membership of 
243 its first year and 370 its second year, has marketed 
over 190.000 lbs. of wool at an average advance of at 
least 5c per lb. In addition to the direct financial gain 
obtained by its members, all wool men in the county 
have received from 2 to 5c more per lb. for their wool, 
due to the competition between local buyers and the 
Sheep Breeders’ Association. It is safe to say that by 
organization Orleans County sheep men have over $15,- 
000 more gasoline money than if no association had been 
formed. They are producing a much higher grade of 
wool, and increasing the size of their flocks, because they 
are obtaining all their wool is worth. b. w. brace. 
President. Orleans County Sheep Breeders’ Association. 
♦ 
Experience With a Retail Meat Market 
The price of cattle has declined $3 50 per hundred. 
The top for very fancy cattle is now $15 in the country, 
equivalent to around $17 cost to the packer. A city 
friend told me a day or so ago that he was paying 65e 
for his beef. On that basis we are getting less than 25c 
of the consumer’s dollar. 
There is a remedy to which we have to come. It is 
absolutely practical; more practical than some of my 
other schemes may have been, and it is simply for the 
farmer to market his own produce, to have packing 
plants of his own, owned, of course, by a large number 
of farmers, and operated by one good one. aud, what is 
of more importance yet almost, to have retail butcher 
shops in plenty, these owned and operated also by fann¬ 
ers. Then there would ueed to be a league of farmers to 
supply this plan. 
At the present time retailers are charging the same 
price that they did at the very peak, and this is dis¬ 
couraging consumption. If these vandals would lower 
their prices, as they should when they are buying so 
much cheaper, consumption would increase and it would 
help the consumer as' well as the farmer, but actually I 
consider the retailer as one of the worst thieves and 
highway robbers in existence. 
There is nothing complex or remarkably difficult about 
my plan of farmers marketing their own produce. Some 
years ago I had some cattle for which I paid 714c per lb. 
They were not fancy cattle, just real good butcher stuff. 
When comfortably fat. I was offered 5c. I refused this 
and opened a little butcher shop in this village. I ar¬ 
ranged my schedule of prices so that I would receive 
just 7c per lb. This made the beef retail at from 10 to 
23c. and I secured about 10 for the hides. I also sold 
pork at about 20 or 27c. Before I opened the shop the 
retail butchers here were probably paying about oc. and 
they were selling pork at about 35c, and beef at from 30c 
down to about 15c. I therefore cut their prices fully 
25 per cent, and I received at least 40 per cent more for 
my beef than I was offered for it, yet. in this little shop 
things did not work to real good advantage, because my 
man was idle half his time. I could have made these 
prices and had a handsome profit if I could have kept 
him busy, and, iu operating city butcher shops, our or¬ 
ganizations could keep their men busy, the consumer 
could probably secure his beef at present fully 75 per 
cent lower than he is paying today, and the farmers 
could break even or make a little money, instead of los¬ 
ing. 
It is an interesting thing to note in passing that while 
I operated this little shop, the packer could deliver his 
beef here in town for a lower price than I could. That 
is where his oiulerful use of by-products come in handy. 
The packer has had an opportunity to do a great deal of 
good. He has not always used this opportunity wisely, 
and the retailer is usually a profiteer of the worst kind, 
who places the blame for high prices on the farmer or 
anybody, else that comes handy, while he himself is de¬ 
manding extortionate prices. c. b. w. 
Ohio. 
Snow in June 
Last Winter we had a short ice crop on the Hudson, 
and filled our icehouse only about one-tliird full. The 
last of March a convenient snow came, and we filled the 
icehouse full of it—packing it down on top of the ice 
and covering first with hay and then with sawdust. 
Yesterday, after several severely hot days, we opened 
up the icehouse, found the snow had sunk about one-, 
half, scraped off the covering in one spot, and cut out 
a block of snow, two feet square, with a spade, and 
put it in the icebox. Opened the icebox this morning 
and found the snow holding out well. We were given 
a tip ou this bv a Kentucky lady, who said they filled 
icehouses with snow there, but neighbors here laughed 
at the idea. This may be of use to some reader iu the 
future. We think the ice underneath has beeu preserved 
better, besides the usefulness and novelty of snow iu 
June- F. U, WILCOX. 
Reuucelaer Co., N. Y. 
