Vht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1041 
New York State Food. Problem Association 
The purpose of this organisation shall he to 
establish a system for the efficient and economic 
distribution of food, and to encourage the production 
of a full supply of food by establishing prices in an 
open market under the free play of the lam of supply 
and demand. 
The above statement of purposes would not be a 
had declaration for a farm organization. It is not. 
however, reported here as the policy of an assembly 
of farmers, but as the adopted purposes of an asso¬ 
ciation of some of the biggest bankers, professional 
and business men of the City of New York. 
Heretofore middlemen and their allies in politics 
have succeeded not only in keeping country producers 
and their urban consumers apart, but have actually 
created a spirit of opposition between them. A part 
of this propaganda has been the publication in the 
city papers of false and extravagant statements 
about farm conditions, until many well-meaning but 
misinformed city people came to blame the farmer 
for the high cost of living and to regard him as a 
rich profiteer. So long as the producer and consumer 
could be kept apart this propaganda worked beauti¬ 
fully, and care was taken to head off any attempt 
to get them working together for mutual benefit. 
Strenuous attempts have been made to the same 
effect in this instance: but this time they had a class 
of men to face who could not he swerved from a 
worthy purpose by either guff or bluff. These big 
city men have been shown that the supply of food 
per capita in America is on the decline, and if con¬ 
tinued city hunger is inevitable. They see popula¬ 
tion leave the farms, and they know that profitable 
business is not abandoned by men. They have been 
shown that the farmer gets only 35 cents of the 
dollar they pay for food, and they are quick to see 
that in order to sustain production the business of 
the farm must be made profitable. 
The work of interesting city men and women of 
means in the farm and food problem was undertaken 
a year and a half ago by the New York Federation of 
Agriculture. It was a difficult task, and it was not 
accomplished without discouragements and opposi¬ 
tion, but at least a good safe beginning has been 
made. For some months a temporary committee has 
been at work on the problem, and on May 25 a per¬ 
manent organization was effected under the name 
of the New York State Food Problem Association. 
The officers elected were: President, Harvey Mur¬ 
dock; vice-presidents, William Church Osborne, 
Ogdon L. Mills and Rhinelander Waldo; treasurer, 
Henry 1). Walbridge; secretary, Henry Morgentliau. 
Jr. A strong board of 21 members was also selected 
to direct the work of the organization. 
The paragraph at the head of this article was 
adopted as the purposes of the organization. These 
purposes are broad enough to cover all requirements 
of a comprehensive market system, which may in¬ 
clude terminal city markets, cold storage facilities, 
transportation and other necessary facilities. The 
idea is to save waste and distribute food economi¬ 
cally and without speculation or profiteering. The 
men in this association are used to big undertakings. 
They have made a success in their own business, and 
they realize that to make business permanently suc¬ 
cessful the agricultural industry of the country must 
be maintained. The association, however, is not exclu¬ 
sive. It is anxious to co-operate with all farm and 
urban organizations working to the same end. The 
movement is yet young, but it starts off under fav¬ 
orable auspices and give's promise of real accomplish¬ 
ments. 
Learning to do it Themselves 
At a recent meeting of the Maywood Branch of the 
Dairymen's League it was agreed to discontinue the use 
m butter substitutes, and a resolution was approved to 
trade only with stores selling blitter and not oleo. A 
committee was appointed to see the farmers and mer¬ 
chants. Every store agreed to sell only butter after the 
supply of oleo on hand was sold: also all the farmers 
with the exception of two signed the resolution. It was 
also voted to assess each member five cents a cow, the 
money to be used in advertising milk, butter and cheese. 
RAY VAN TASSELL, 
Secretary Maywood Branch Dairymen’s League. 
Delaware Co., N. Y. 
That is good and legitimate work for organized 
dairymen, it is the concern of every person in a 
neighborhood to build up and encourage local indus¬ 
tries. Storekeepers are especially dependent on local 
trade, and should be the first to recognize the im¬ 
portance of encouraging local producers. This is u 
iair example of the results to be accomplished when 
"e “do it ourselves.” The advertising fund is right, 
too; hut there is no easier way in the world to waste 
money than in advertising. Simply to publish adver¬ 
tisements of milk and other dairy products in the 
papers would yield little results. To advertise 
effectively requires a broad, comprehensive plan of 
salesmanship. The whole business must be on an 
economical basis, and the advertiser must influence 
or control the price to tlie consumer. 
The advertising suggestion came principally with 
the propaganda of a surplus scare. As a matter of 
fact, there is a shortage of milk nine days out of 
10 during the year. There is a shortage of 10 per 
cent just now. When we sell milk independent of 
the trust, and put a bottled supply in the stores at 
right prices, we can advertise with assurances of 
results. While a distributing trust controls prices 
advertising may divert our minds from tlie real 
trouble, but if there be any benefits the trust will 
l>e in a position to get the lion’s share of it. 
Milk Prices and Feed Bills 
This morning I paid as mncli of my feed bill as I 
could with my April milk check. The milk brought 
.S3.42 less than the feed came to, and my bntterfat was 
good enough to bring the price close up to $3 per cwt., 
too. I expect to do even worse for May, as the late 
start of pasture will not admit of turning out before 
May has passed. Where, I should like to ask, is there 
a business other than farming at which the operator is 
expected to lose money and yet live? 
In introducing the president of the Dairymen’s League 
at the Middletown meeting the chairman said he was a 
man who had made some bad mistakes, d-n had 
mistakes, he called them. I begin to think the most 
colossal blunder of all was in accepting the low price 
for April and May. The money actually lost by dairy¬ 
men during these two months would build and equip a 
mammoth dairy establishment at some centrally located 
point, and right now butter and veal would not be bad 
farm assets, and they would have further increased the 
drain on that alleged surplus of market milk. The 
price of feed was no secret; the price of labor, hay and 
silage was as easily to be valued. These last items were 
overlooked by the Conference Board in making the 
price, and also Lv the League officials in accepting their 
offer. 
We were asked at Middletown to cheer up and swal¬ 
low our dose gracefully. The League is stroug enough 
at present to expect results. If we need stronger men 
to run it, we must have them. There is no sentiment 
in a case of this kind. We need men who cannot he 
fooled by the New York Milk Conference Board. There 
is not a word about the great surplus .since the price 
was made. There is no surplus. Dealers are already 
looking for new supplies. No more talk by the board 
of health about cheap milk to the consumer. No more 
threats by the investigators. All this leads me to assume 
that we were handed a nice juicy lemon. 
By the way, why are the offices of the League located 
in New York City, the most costly place in America to 
live in? Why not locate our offices iu some accessible 
point up-State? It would be cheaper, and the members 
could look iu occasionally and see how things are run¬ 
ning. Extravagance has been one of our complaints 
against the dealers, and we should practice economy 
ourselves as an example, if for no better reason. The 
location of offices certainly is not to secure a better 
price. The price offered by the distributors can be 
accepted anywhere. 
This regional plan of League control seems to me like 
a wheel within a wheel. Let us lose no money in it. 
If the majority of the membership are convinced the 
only way to secure justice is by going into the retail 
market let us get their definite wish and then do it in 
a simple and sane businesslike manner, raise the money 
and build the plant, then hire a competent man to sell 
the product. 
Upon entering the market, should the board of health 
be found to be antagonistic or the police fail to protect, 
put it up to the mayor; if he won’t act, go to the 
Governor; if he, too, fails us, then elect the next one 
upon his positive assurance that he will back us up. If 
this is the only way to bring a better price to the man 
who gets up at 4:30 a. m. seven days a week in order 
to supply the consumer—the poor, the sick and the 
young—with food deemed a necessity, theu the united 
demands of every member of the League will surely 
bring it about. oeorge e. uowell. 
A Sarcastic Daylight Loser 
After all. perhaps you were wrong in your opposition 
to the daylight saving law, and us farmers owe a debt 
of gratitude to tlie Legislature for forcing the measure 
on us. You see, it is this way : We have found that by 
setting tin* clock ahead each night to advanced time we 
can make our morning connections for milk delivery 
and other city engagements. Theu by setting it back 
again each noontime after dinner we can gain an hour 
arid have a long afternoon on the land. That gives us a 
15-hour day now, and a little later we can make it 16 
hours. Perhaps it would not work well if we had any 
help around, but he is an extinct species. The last one 
in our town was recently shipped to New York and may 
been seen there under glass iu the American Museum of 
Natural History, alongside the pterodactyl, and the 
icthyosaurus and “sich.” Since prohibition became 
effective even the old-time peripatetic “rummy” no 
longer exists for us. He has a steady job somewhere 
for real wages, and works eight hours. So that with 
plenty to do for 16 hours each day, and the satisfaction 
that comes to us through the opportunity afforded us by 
the executive committee of the directorate of the Dairy¬ 
men’s League to supply the cities with five-cent milk, 
one may say the New York dairyman has much to be 
thankful for. No one can catch him profiteering, and 
he still has eight hours left for rest and sleep. 
Schenectady Co., N. Y. clarence Johnson, 
Fruit in Western New York 
As far as we can tell from present appearances there 
will be a nice bloom, especially on all varieties of apples 
except Baldwins. There are some, remarks that Bald¬ 
wins are going to be lighter than the other kinds. It is 
impossible at the present (May 10) to say just what the 
final setting will be, as they are just now opening. The 
people are just doing their “pink” spraying. If nothing 
happens and the weather conditions are all right from 
now on. I think we will have a fine crop of apples. 
According to present appearance pears also have a 
heavy setting. 
Peaches will be a very light crop. Some orchards 
will have some peaches - others will not have any. 
With regard to dusting, it has not become universal 
as yet, although I find that some of the growers are in¬ 
clined to do their dormant and “pink” sprays with lime- 
sulphur and use more or less dust for the other sprays. 
Once in a while a grower will tell you that he intends 
to use lime-sulphur for the dormant and “pink” sprays 
and then use the Bordeaux mixture instead of lime-sul¬ 
phur for the balance of his sprays. I think, as a rule, 
the farmers are taking better care of their orchards than 
they did during the war time. At the same time, there 
will not be nearly as much done in the way of spraying 
as there would be if lime-sulphur could be secured. 
They are uot going to be able to get nearly as much a« 
they need for all the sprays on account of transportation 
conditions, etc. o. s._beckwith. 
Orleans Co., N. Y. 
It looks like a 100 per cent bloom iu this section. 
All early apples, Greening. Hubbardston and Maiden 
Blush, are going to blossom full. Baldwin and Sutton 
will not be so full. Baldwins have not fully recovered 
irom the severe Winter of 1017-1's. 
The fruit section in this town was visited by a very 
severe hailstorm in May. 1918. Foliage was torn off 
and limbs badly cut. This, on top of the severe Winter 
preceding, gave a bad setback to fruit trees. The first 
varieties to recover were Maiden Blush and Greening. 
They gave a fair crop last season. This season they 
are on top also. Sutton and Baldwin are slowest to 
recover. Sutton is slow to bear anyway, except under 
most favorable conditions. I do not know of a dusting 
machine in this neighborhood. The season thus far 
has not been favorable for scab development. In fact, 
rain is badly needed. w. a. b. 
Seneca’Co., N. Y. 
Ontario County bids fair for a bumper crop of apples, 
practically a full bloom on everything. Greenings, ex¬ 
tra heavy if there should be a good set. There will be 
a lot of small apples unless they are thinned. It pays 
me to thin the best of anything l do. A 50-year-old 
tree can be thinned in two hours. As to dusting, there 
are only a few who use it, preferring the spray. 
Ontario Co., N. Y. j. e. c. 
The apple crop appears large at present. Some local¬ 
ities report shy on Baldwins. 
Pears are fair. Kieffers full and other varieties with 
quite a few scattering blossoms. 
We have been having nearly a week of excellent 
weather. Some growers followed spray service advice 
and put on pink, spray too soon: others waited and 
caught the rain. 
Dusting has increased quite a bit around here. Hard 
to get machines and dust on time. t. w. a. 
Albion, N. Y. 
_Judging from my orchards, I have a show for about 
To to SO per cent of full crop. Some of my neighbors 
claim that. Baldwins are light, but I have good show 
for all varieties. No dusting done around this section, 
all lime and sulphur. e. c. 
Monroe Co.. N. Y. 
Baldwin bloom practically 50 per cent: Greening 
and Twenty Ounce. 90 per cent; Fall apples. 90 per 
cent: Bartlett pears. V5 per cent: Kieffer pears, 90 per 
cent: cherries. 90 per cent. No dusting practiced in 
our locality. xr e. r 
Walker, N. Y. 
Here with us the apples are in full blosoom aud all 
varieties are full except some Baldwin orchards, which 
for some reason are not blooming this season. Peaches 
in Niagara County promise a full crop on the trees that 
are left. We lost a good many in the last three vears. 
All other fruit has blossomed full, with the best weather 
conditions we have had in a good many years. We look 
for a good crop of fruit. f. m\ r. 
Barker, N. Y. 
Apples are quite well filled with blossoms in this 
section. No dusting that I know of close by. In our 
own orchards McIntosh. King, Wealthy and Greening 
are well filled: Baldwin half crop. Have sprayed four 
times already, and expect fancy crop of fruit. M. c. b. 
Lodi. N. Y. 
The apple crop in this section will be about one-half 
of a yield, in some cases one-third, aud mostly of the 
earlier varieties, such as Greening, Twenty Ounce. Hub- 
burdston. Lady Sweet. King. etc. Baldwins are very 
light. The spraying is mostly liquid, one or two cases 
of dust spray. l. l. e. 
Holley. X. Y. 
