Ike RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1187 
A Bunch of Milk Notes 
Docking Producers 
Some of the creameries around this county are dock¬ 
ing the milk producers who keep Summer boarders and 
use a part of their milk product at home, 60c per 100 lbs. 
Have they a right to do this? Could a docked cus¬ 
tomer compel payment of the amount he had been 
docked? u. f. B. 
Sullivan C’o., N. Y. 
Umler all agreements, either expressed or implied, 
that we know anything about, the producer is en¬ 
titled to keep all the milk needed for his own use. 
Unless there is some new provision in the present 
contract, the producer is entirely within his rights 
to reserve milk for his own use. and. short of a def¬ 
inite agreement to that effect, we believe the pro¬ 
ducer could recover on suit the amount of the short¬ 
age. The producers affected could bring a test suit 
in the local court with little expense to each, and we 
would advise doing so. We now have a suit pending 
to test a similar arbitrary discount of a milk bill. 
The real remedy for all these infringements on. 
the rights of producers is incorporation of the local 
milk producers and the appointment of one man as a 
business manager to make contracts and protect the 
individual membership in the execution of them. 
Lowered Tests 
What do you think we farmers ought to do in this 
section? In the last payment they cut us all away 
down in our test. They took three points off me from 
the month before. I have not had any fresh cows, and 
am feeding stock feed, besides good pasture. The farm¬ 
ers are thinking of getting up a petition and sending it 
in to the League. It does not do us much good getting 
a good price for milk if they cut us down in this way. 
New York. J. P. B. 
The producers in your section should incorporate 
and hire a competent, manager to secure proper sam¬ 
ples and test the milk regularly. The manager would 
make his future contracts on a basis that would give 
him proper standing in the matter of fat tests and 
in everything pertaining to the business. He would 
also see that weights are properly credited to each 
producer and bills correctly figured for the weight and 
quality of milk delivered by each patron, and paid 
when due. The manager would hardly need to give 
his whole time to this dutw, but, even if he did, it 
would be a big investment for producers. We know 
no other way by which they can protect themselves, 
and this plan is- certainly practical. The experience 
will develop local business talent, which is one of 
the needs, as well as the rewards of co-operative 
work. These local organizations should be developed 
ou strictly co-operative principles, with a system of 
one man one vote by ballot and preferably by “pro¬ 
portional” representation in order to interest all 
classes, and particularly to secure representation for 
the most substantial class, which is usually in the 
minority, and which is seldom represented when the 
popular free-and-easy methods of selection prevails. 
At first sight these details in organization may seem 
trivial, but in this, as in everything else, it is the 
attention to the small things that brings success. 
This is not a problem for the League except as it 
may assist in organizing the work. It is a function 
of the local branch. 
So long as the dealer weighs the milk, grades it 
and tests for fat behind closed doors, he makes the 
ultimate price, and even accepting the weights and 
grades and tests, we have frequently found errors in 
the bills against the producer that would alone pay 
the cost of management and test many times over. 
Even if there was nothing more than a suspicion of 
losses from these sources, for a sense of security and 
business, producers should have means of knowing 
that they get all that is due them, and no dealer who 
is giving full measure now will object to a check 
on his employees by the men who furnish the milk. 
Cost of Milk 
About May 10. the first two days of the R. L. & E. 
trolley strike, we did not ship our milk to Rochester, 
and separated the milk, sending six gallons of cream 
to Clyde Creamery Company, for which in four days we 
received a check for $11.40. and making three pounds 
of butter, worth at that time 60c per pound, or $1.80. 
making a total of $13.20 for the two days, besides hav¬ 
ing the skim-milk at home. At the same rate for the 
other 20 days our check for milk should have been 
$101.40, but our check was $176.85, or $14.55 less than 
the cream and butter would have been worth at the 
Clyde Creamefjr, and the skim-milk besides. We cer¬ 
tainly lost out on shipping milk in May. It is over 80 
years since I began shipping milk to Chicago, having 
lived in that section until one year ago last March, and 
at that time we sold by the can containing eight gallons, 
for which we received from $1 to $1.25 in Winter, and 
from 85c to $1 in Summer. We bought mill feeds for 
$7 and $7.50 per ton. Hay was worth about $8. Now 
they ask me $70 for cow feed and hay is worth from $25 
to $30 in the barn. Help did not cost over one-third 
then, compared to now. and at that time we would buy 
three good cows for $100. Now we pay from $125 to 
$150 for one. 
Comparing present prices with the things we have to 
buy. we cannot figure the proportions now any better 
than they were in the old days. We handle more of 
this inflated money, but the proportion between the 
things that we give up and the things that we get for it 
is about the same, if not against us now. Unless pres¬ 
ent conditions change it will cost us 6c a pound to make 
milk during the coming Winter. j. f..l. 
New York. . 
Sale of the Government’s Surplus Food 
In regard to the high price of meat and the low price 
of animals, I beg to say a few words. In order that 
you may have^ a point for investigating, herewith I 
inclose this War Department letter from the Zone 
Supply Officer : 
“1. This office is- in receipt of your letter of July 8, 
with reference to the purchase of one case of canned 
corned beef. 
“2. You are informed that the Government is not 
selling canned meats at cost in small quantities, direct 
to the consumer. It is. however, offering these meats in 
carload lots to the municipalities for re-selling to the 
people. 
“3. It is, therefore, suggested that you get in touch 
with the mayor of your city with reference to the above. 
“By authority of the Zone Supply Officer. 
“A. A. STEWART, Capt. Q.M.C., 
“Zone Surplus Property Officer.” 
I beg to call your attention to the millions of pounds 
of food which the Government has piled up. It does not 
benefit either the farmer or consumer, but does stabilize 
a speculative market, enabling speculators to plead short 
stocks, to raise prices. 
Note the statement by the officer that the War De¬ 
partment will not sell to anyone except officers of munic¬ 
ipalities. and then turn to the constitution of New York 
State, Article 12, Section 1. and note that municipal 
officers arc forbidden to use the people’s money or credit, 
and then find, if you can, a parallel case of pretending a 
willingness to do something which is so thoroughly 
blocked by an obstruction that it cannot be done. 
MILES H. DE LONG. 
That part of the section to which Mr. DeLong 
refers reads as follows: 
“Organization of Cities and Villages— It shall 
be the duty of the Legislature to provide for the organi¬ 
zation of cities and incorporated villages, and to restrict 
their power of taxation, assessment, borrowing money, 
contracting debts, and loaning their credit, so as to pre¬ 
vent abuses in assessment and in contracting debt by 
such municipal corporations.” 
This may or may not prevent municipal sale of 
food. TV e doubt if it does. At any rate, the papers 
state that Mayor H. P. Gillen of Newark. N. .T.. has 
purchased 30,000 lbs. of bacon, 50.000 lbs. of ham 
and great quantities of canned goods from this Gov¬ 
ernment supply. This food will be sold at retail 
from the city hall, school houses, fire houses and 
other municipal buildings of Newark, by city em¬ 
ployees. As we understand it. the Government is 
not confining its sales of these goods to the beads of 
municipalities. It makes this suggestion in cases 
where such buying by municipal authorities is lawful 
or feasible. The surplus army and navy supplies, 
including foods, are being offered in New York and 
other parts of the country at auction or to private 
bidders. The minimum amounts sold vary with the 
different goods, but as a rule they are so large that 
only big dealers can handle them. Notices of auction 
sales of these goods, and requests for proposals and 
sealed bids for private sales are appearing daily in 
the commercial papers. Our understanding is that 
one person is as free to buy as another, provided be 
will take the quantity and put up the cash demand¬ 
ed. An auction of 13.800,000 yards of cloth, mainly 
cotton, was scheduled to begin in New York July 80. 
The minimum amount sold to a bidder is 5,000 yards. 
A $500 certified check must be put up before bidding, 
the check to be returned if nothing is bought. The 
terms of all these sales are cash before delivery. 
Agricultural Conditions In Europe 
The Deposits of Alsatian Potash 
EXTENT OF DEPOSITS.—The potash region of 
Alsace is located in the vicinity of Cernay and Mill- 
house. The known deposits are about 12 miles long and 
oom c S and are found at a depth of 1,400 to 
L.SOO ft. It is estimated that these deposits represent a 
weight of 1,4<2,000,000 tons of salts, containing, on the 
average, 22 per cent of actual potash. In other words, 
there are in sight 300.000.000 tons of actual potash, 
equivalent to 600.000.000 tons of high-grade muriate of 
potash. The deposits were discovered and prospected 
by a French company between 1904 and 1908 Thev 
were shown to cover an area of about 50,000 acres, and 
were ultimately divided into 15 claims, controlled bv 
four powerful financial groups. Of the total invested 
capital, amounting to from $12,000,000 to $15,000,000, 
about one-fourth is French, one-fifth Alsatian and the 
rest German. However, since the region came under 
the control of the French government the mines owned 
by the Germans have been commandeered and the pro¬ 
ceeds from the sale of the potash salts are being re¬ 
served for distribution at a later date. 
THE Ot 1 PI T. T nder the German regime the Al¬ 
satian mines were discriminated against in favor of 
those located in Saxony, Hanover and Thuringia. Rut 
with the passing of the German control the Alsatian 
potash mines became an attractive investment for both 
trench and foreign capital. There has already beep 
taken out of these mines within the past twelve months 
something like 500.000 to 600.000 tons of sylvinite con¬ 
taining an equivalent of 100.000 to 120.000 tons of ac¬ 
tual potash. In this connection it is interesting to note 
that the yearly pre-war potash consumption in France 
was .,3.000 tons of actual potash. Assuming that the 
consumption for 1919 will increase to 50.000 tons, there 
should still be available for export at least 50.000 tons 
of potash. 
POTASH ANALYSIS.—Sylvinite. by far the most 
abundant potash salt, oon*sists largoly of a mixture of 
the potash mineral sylvine and of common salt and land 
plaster. Specimens taken from the different mines were 
found to contain not less than 12 per cent and often 
more than 20 per cent of actual potash. This is clearly 
shown by the following analyses: 
Name of Mine Actual Potash 
Reichsland . 14.60% 
J? se P h . 16.10% 
V, ax . 17.50% 
Amelia .. oo 
Theodore .24.05% 
I riLIZING THE MINES.—For the best utiliza¬ 
tion of the Alsatian mines it would be desirable to en¬ 
courage waterfront development at Strasbourg. This 
port ,s even now an important shipping center, and 
should be able to take care of the potash exports. At 
this tune many German freight cars are being used for 
shipping potash from Alsace into France. These will 
soon cease to be available, and other rolling stock will 
have to be provided. Unfortunately, however, the re¬ 
covery from the disorganization now prevailing in indus¬ 
trial Europe is bound to be a slow one. and the full 
development of the Alsatian mines will come only 
gradually. 
GERMAN RESTRICTIONS.—There is at present 
much speculation in financial circles as to the effect of 
competition on the price of potash. Information at hand 
shows that for 1919 the German potash administration 
apportioned for use in Germany an equivalent of 
900.000 tons of actual potash, and for export to other 
countries an equivalent of 150.000 tons of actual potash. 
In 1913 the domestic consumption of potash in Ger¬ 
many was equivalent to only 536.000 tons of actual 
potash, hence it is certain that much more potash is 
being used in Germany, and that the use of this fertilizer 
will still further increase. On the other hand, an effort 
is being made to restrict, at least for the present, the ex¬ 
ports to other countries. This restriction will of course 
tend to maintain higher prices. It is obvious, at the 
same time, that the great need of Germany for credit 
abroad, particularly in the United States, will force her 
to mitigate the export restrictions. Indeed, the German 
potash interests are even now haunted by the fear of 
losing their old customers. 
The Big Tractor Demonstration 
According to reports that are available, the East has 
been somewhat behind the West in the quality of its 
tractor demonstrations. This has been principally be¬ 
cause there has been no attempt at meets in the East 
to test the tractors in comparison with one another and 
with their advertised claims. At the first of a series of 
four big tractor demonstrations which the Department 
of Farms and Markets is putting on in co-operation 
with the County Farm Bureaus, this feature was in¬ 
corporated. and as a result the demonstration, which 
was held at Utica. N. Y.. on Thursday and Friday. July 
24 aud 25. was not only a great, success from the point 
of view of interest-and attendance, but was valuable to 
the farmers as well, because of the data collected. Four¬ 
teen tractors—some being different models of the same 
make—were entered. Each had to plow a strip of land, 
and these strips were laid out so that they were practi¬ 
cally equal as regards grade and other conditions that 
affect plowing. An inspector, in most cases a County 
Farm Bureau manager, supervised the work of each 
tractor. 
The tractors were, Jirst of all. required to keep to 
their advertised plowing speed, and a careful record was 
made of all stops, with the reasons therefor: fuel, water 
and oil consumption ; depth of plowing: time consumed 
on the job. etc. This feature will be continued at the 
other demonstrations. Three more are to he held. Two 
of these have already been arranged for Potsdam and 
Holcomb. 
After the demonstrations are finished, the data will 
be compiled and made public. Nothing like it has ever 
before been given Eastern farmers, and it should prove 
very valuable information for them. In addition to the 
work of the tractors a feature of the demonstration was 
a very complete exhibition of agricultural machinery, in 
which the farmers attending were very much interested. 
The result was a sort of a mechanical county fair, 
wholly agricultural and entirely business-like. The 
date of the demonstration at Holcomb. Ontario County, 
is August 13. At Potsdam, St. Lawrence Countv, 
another demonstration will be held ou August 27-28. 
Great crowds are expected at both places. Farmers are 
forming their own judgment from observing the work 
of these machines and. as stated above, the final results 
of tests will be given later. 
SPANISH POTASH.—Aside from the fact that 
r ranee is now independent of Germany, and has large 
quantities of potash available for export, there is the 
forthcoming development of the potash deposits in Spain. 
These are located in the vicinity of Suria, in the Prov¬ 
ince of Barcelona, and are said to be very extensive 
By far the larger portion of these deposits is owned 
and controlled by interests allied to the German Kali 
(Potash Syndicate). Concessions covering an area of 
about 25.000_acres have been made to French aud Amer¬ 
ican companies. Prior to and during the war German 
influence in Spain was strong enough to prevent any con¬ 
siderable exploitation of Spanish potash. Now that the 
nightmare of German militarism is over, more fortunate 
conditions are certain to prevail. The legislation 
which, through German influence, limited the exporta¬ 
tion of Spanish potash will no doubt be liberalized. 
DECLINING PRICES.—As to the potash prices in 
the United States, they will probably show a still fur¬ 
ther decline for the Spring trade. It is stated on seem¬ 
ingly good authority that the banks in the United States 
have made loans on as much as 100,000 tons of potash 
materials, held in storage on account of the low prices 
offered. Efforts that are being made through Congres¬ 
sional action to impose a duty ou imported potash, and 
thereby protect the domestic industries should fail, since 
their success would place an unnecessary burden on 
American agriculture, and therefore on the American in¬ 
dustries generally. England has already arranged with 
the German potash interests for the purchase of an 
equivalent of 30,000 tons of actual potash at less thau 
$60 per ton. This will meet, rhe needs of Great Britain 
for tlu coining year, and will lessen, to that extent, the 
competition for potash. Hence it is to he assumed that 
m spite uf the higher labor costs, and of the higher cost 
of coal and of everything else involved in the mining and 
transportation of potash, the factors making for lower 
prices should for the time beiug assert themselves. Ul¬ 
timately the cost of potash will be more or less stabil¬ 
ized aud the price level reached will be above that of 
the pre-war period. Meanwhile, as one thinks of great 
combinations of capital arraying themselves against one 
another and of the rivalry and greed that must come out 
of it. he is led to wonder iu how far economic wars will 
disturb the peace and good will of nations. Truly: 
“Salt is good; but if the salt have lost his saltness, 
wherewith will ye season it?” JACOB G. lipman. 
Paris, France. 
