1354 
Tt* RURAL NHW-YORKER 
December 20, 1919 
The Cow That 
Got A Chance 
This cow is the famous Mrs. O’Grady, 
the grade Jersey exhibited at the National 
Dairy Show at Columbus, Ohio, 1918, by 
the Barnesville Cow Testing Association. 
Mrs. O’Grady was the poorest cow in the as¬ 
sociation. She was headed for the butcher. Prof. 
Hugh G. Van Pelt saw her and said she was a 
good cow. He bought her and brought her to the 
Dairy Farmer Farm at Waterloo. Note the results. 
Her Record 
1918 
1919 
QCC n ovc 149 pounds fat OC7 novel 443.39 pounds fat 
00 J uay& I 2.523 pounds milk LO l 1/ajS 18,805.20 pounds milk 
From the above it is evidentthat she was a good 
cow and the proof of it is in her production. 
It Pays To Know 
The knowledge that enabled Prof. Hugh G. 
Van Pelt to recognize this cow and feed her to 
profitable production is in his two books. 
“Van Pelt’s Cow Demonstration” 
tells you the principles which go into the make¬ 
up of a good dairy cow. How to tell a good 
cow from a poor one. The five points which 
make a cow. You can get all this information 
from this book. 
“How to Feed the Dairy Cow” 
By Prof. Hugh G. Van Pelt 
Differences in feeds. What work you can 
expect of them. 
How to get big values out of big-priced feeds. 
How to cut corners in feeding. The principal 
feeds and their uses. A hook that will save you 
hundreds of dollars even on a small herd. 
For $2 
The Dairy Farmer, twice a month for 5 years ; 
“Van Pelt’s Cow Demonstration” Book ; "How 
to Feed the Dairy Cow”—By H. G. Van Pelt. 
SEND YOUR ORDER TODAY 
TIIF, DAIRY FARMER 
Waterloo, Jowa .191... 
Gentlemen— 
Enclosed find my check for $2.00 for your special offer of a Five-Year 
Subscription to 
Bairy Farmer 
and Two Fine Dairy Books 
“IIow to Feed the Dairy Cow” The Cow Demonstration Book 
Ry J'rof. Hugh G. v an Pelt By Prof. Hugh G. Van Pelt 
Signed. 
.R. F. D. 
. Box. 
Post office. State. 
R. X.-Y. 
i 
Countrywide Produce Situation 
POTATOES IX STRONG MARKET POSITION- 
VEGETABLES IN GOOI) DEMAND AT 
RISING PRICES. 
The upward tendency of prices con¬ 
tinues to be the most striking feature of 
the situation. Demand is in one of the 
most aetive stages of the year during the 
few weeks preceding the holiday season, 
while supplies are decreasing in both ex¬ 
tent and variety. New vegetables from 
the South comprise only a few cars each 
week, chiefly lettuce, with scattering cars 
of tomatoes and cabbage. Shipments are 
but little over 1.000 cars per day, includ¬ 
ing all the leading fruits and vegetables. 
Nearly everything is higher than it was 
a year ago, and still higher than at the 
corresponding time in 1917. Potatoes, 
for instance, are about 50c per 100 lbs. 
higher than in mid-December, 191S, and 
about $1 higher than on the correspond¬ 
ing date in 1917. 
ACTIVE POTATO MARKETS. 
The crop is reported one-sixth less than 
last year, shipments over 10 per cent 
heavier this season. Not only was the 
crop short, but the demand has been more 
active this year. The only fair conclu¬ 
sion is that stocks to be shipped are much 
less than last year, but it must be taken 
into account that if high prices continue, 
as seems likely, the shipments will be 
much heavier than would appear from 
(he general crop figures, since there is 
always a heavy reserve of stocks in re¬ 
mote sections that will be shipped under 
such conditions. 
CANADIAN SURPLUS DWINDLING. 
The Canadian surplus appears less and 
less dangerous. Recent consular reports 
assor that at least one-fifth of the crop 
in Western Canada was destroyed while 
in the ground by a recent heavy freeze. 
Prices seem fully as high as in this coun¬ 
try, being quoted $60 per ton in produc¬ 
ing sections west of British Columbia. 
Prices in Eastern Canada are about 50e 
per 100 lbs. lower than in this country, 
and no doubt some potatoes will come 
across the line where shipping facilities 
are satisfactory. The carlot movement of 
potatoes from Maine has far exceeded 
that from any other State the last few 
weeks, and there is a strong suspicion 
that some of these “Maine” potatoes are 
really from Canada. The part of New 
Brunswick adjoining Aroostook County, 
Maine, is almost as good for potatoes as 
that famous county itself. The margin 
between the prices in the two countries 
is not large enough to induce much of a 
shipping movement as yet. and with the 
short crop in Western Canada it seems 
probable that the net surplus for this 
country will be of no great consequence. 
Our markets seem to be able to take 
care of all of the supplies at gradually 
rising prices, averaging just about $9 per 
100 lbs. in leading cities, both East and 
West. Prices at times have been higher 
in Far Western producing sections than 
in Maine or New York. Probably 
there has never been a time when there 
was so little difference between potato 
prices East, West. North and South. 
This is owing partly to the short crop in 
those sections which usually have the 
lowest priced potatoes to sell. Last week 
there was less difference between prices 
East and West than between the adjoin¬ 
ing States of Idaho and Colorado. The 
present general range of city prices. $2.90 
to $3.20 per 100 lbs., may be compared 
with $1.75 to $2.20 a year ago. 
REMARKABLE GAIN IN CABBAGE AND 
ONIONS. 
The advances in cabbage and onions 
have been rather sensational. Cabbage 
has moved forward at the rate of $5 to 
$15 a week for about a month, and has 
reached a level of $70 to $80 per ton in 
bulk iu a number of the larger city mar¬ 
kets. This price is for the hard, long- 
keeping stock only, and is about $30 
higher than is commanded by the loose¬ 
headed varieties. The great advance in 
cabbage came at just the time to attract 
the notice of early cabbage growers in 
Florida, Texas and California, with the 
result that Florida will plant about twice 
as much land to cabbage as it did last 
season, and Texas about three times as 
much, while the area in California is in¬ 
creased greatly. At present most of the 
carlot supply is coming from New York 
State. There is a little new cabbage from 
Texas, for which it is stated shippers re¬ 
ceived $50 to $60 per ton at their ship¬ 
ping stations. 
Large, choice onions have sold as high 
ns $6.50 per 100 lbs. iu a number of city 
markets, but the general range was nearer 
$5.50, and inferior grades range $4 to $5. 
Best lots sold as . .gh as $6 at some of 
the Western New York shipping stations, 
which suggests the strength of the situa¬ 
tion. Growers who were provided with 
good storage houses will share in this 
great advance since harvest time, but the 
majority sold their onions at not over half 
the present prices. 
FOREIGN APPLE MARKET UNSATISFACTORY. 
The apple situation is somewhat mixed. 
Prices are holding up very well in most 
markets. Various sales of Baldwins in 
New York City exceeded $9 a barrel, and 
most markets paid $7 or more for best 
stock of good, bright color; but in the 
shipping sections, where there is a good 
deal of stock in storage, the feeling was 
somewhat uncertain on account of the 
weakness in the foreign markets. It is 
a great disappointment to some of the 
large holders who were planning to dupli¬ 
cate last season’s profitable export busi¬ 
ness. This season the shipment of apples 
to British markets has been risky busi¬ 
ness. Some lots showed profits^ and 
others losses. At present there is com¬ 
paratively little stock bringing the top 
legal price in English cities, and a great 
deal of stock sells too low to net as much 
as could be obtained in our own markets. 
The drop in the value of the shilling to 
19 cents means a shortage of about 20 
cents on every dollar received as com¬ 
pared with the old rates of exchange. 
A rather high percentage of this year’s 
crop in New York and adjoining States 
is being shipped ungraded and in bulk, 
owing to the low average grade of the 
crop in some sections and to the scarcity 
and high prices of barrels and boxes. For 
this reason an unusually large percentage 
of the Western boxed crop was shipped 
in bulk, and of the Western barreled crop 
in bulk and in boxes. Results seem To 
have been generally satisfactory, every¬ 
thing considered. The price level was 
quite high and the total crop moderate, 
hence there was a better demand than 
usual for ungraded stock, but the result 
has been to reduce the supply of choice 
grades and to strengthen the market in 
such stock. 
CELERY AT GOOD PRICES. 
Demand for celery has been good in 
Western New York shipping sections. The 
price started around $3 per crate for 
field stock. When stock went into storage 
prices advanced from $4 to over $5 at 
the end of November for crates contain¬ 
ing six to nine dozen of stock in good 
condition. The best of the crop in that 
section seems to be held chiefly by deal¬ 
ers. Rome fancy stock was reported to 
be selling as high as $6 at shipping 
points. In fact, prices at shipping points 
have been fully as high as at most of the 
city markets. g. b. f. 
Farm Notes from Tennessee 
I see that someone has been criticizing 
Prof. Massey for writing about flowers 
instead of farm crops. To me, that is the 
best part of his notes, although they are 
all good, lie reminds me of a Scotch- 
Irish Presbyterian minister who lived 
here. lie was a mine of information on 
gardening and horticulture; bis straw¬ 
berries vied with a Marechal Neil rose, 
and his grapes and apples ran races with 
a crape myrtle and other flowers. An 
English walnut which he planted is now 
about 30 ft. high and bears good crops al¬ 
most every year. Eastern Tennessee 
seems to be the meeting place between 
the North and the South. Our county is 
from 1,200 to 4,500 ft. above sea level and 
we can grow rye. buckwheat, rhubarb, 
apples, gooseberries and peonies, which 
flourish in the North; also sweet potatoes, 
watermelons, crape myrtle and Magnolia 
grandiflora. which flourish in -the South 
The mountains have birch, spruce and 
balsam pine, with acres of ferns and miles 
of laurel (Rhododendrons). Some of the 
rich “coves” raise fine Irish potatoes, and 
huckleberries grow iu abundance on some 
of the spurs. But, strange as it may 
seem, there are high plateaus where the 
large “river bottom” corn will not ma¬ 
ture. and the mountaineers have developed 
a quick-maturing variety, called Watauga 
corn. Many years ago maple sugar was 
made in a small way. but the trees grew 
on the richest ground and have been cut 
down. Our principal money crop is white 
hurley tobacco, which is bringing 40 to 
60c per lb. The warehouses here sell from 
3.000.000 to 5,000.000 lbs. annually. A 
“break” at one of the warehouses is a 
novel sight to a stranger. The auction¬ 
eer sells almost as fast as he can walk. 
The buyer does not name the price, but 
each bid means a certain advance in the 
price per 100 lbs. If the planter is not 
satisfied with the price he or she turns 
down the sale by inverting the tag which 
is stuck iu the top of the “pile.” But 
you must he right there, or a lot of hands 
will have the tobacco in a truck and on 
its way to a storage warehouse. Men who 
go around buying privately are called 
“pinhookers,” and are looked upon much 
as the “sheep men” were iu the West. A 
great change has taken place iu the condi¬ 
tion of the farmers in the last few years. 
With graded roads iu almost every direc¬ 
tion, and many of them macadamized, 
cars have taken the place of buggies and 
hacks. Saturday afternoon the streets 
are crowded with people who have come 
from one to 20 miles. Many of them stay 
for the movies at night and get home by 
10 o’clock. A hydro-electric power plant, 
run by the river, makes us independent 
of coal for light and power. This is Dan¬ 
iel Boone’s old hunting ground. I won- 
deh what he would think of it all if he 
could come back? w. n. B. 
Greene Co., Tenn. 
