The Affairs of a Milk Company 
The Tri-States Creamery Company seems to have 
been incorporated under the laws of New York on 
February 24, with authorized capital stock of $25,- 
000; Alex Mersel, treasurer; Adolph Fortgang, sec¬ 
retary: Carl E. Davison, manager. Messrs. Mersel 
and Fortgang are in the butter and cheese business 
at 101 Duane Street, New York. Both men have 
been in this line for some time. Mr. Fortgang was 
formerly a director and vice-president of R. B. 
Sliimer & Company. This firm was one of the con¬ 
cerns that were indicted by the Federal Grand Jury 
on complaint of the railroads because of alleged con¬ 
spiracies with railroad employees to collect false 
claims on egg shipments. The firm pleaded guilty, 
and fines aggregating about $11,000 were imposed 
and paid. 
Davison, as has been reported previously, operated 
as Davison Condensed Milk Company, 100 Hudson 
Street, New York. He also operated under the name 
of Paramount Condensed Milk Company at Pratts- 
ville. Under the title of Davison Condensed Milk 
Company he operated at Big Flats, N. Y., and Gale- 
ton, Pa. It appears that none of the ventures was 
successful. H'is operations in Pennsylvania have 
been under official criticism. At Pi*attsville producers 
lost between $40,000 and $50,000, and losses are also 
reported from Big Flats. 
The Tri-States Company is reported as operating 
a milk plant at Troupsburg, N. Y., but the officers 
decline to make any financial statement. It is said 
to keep average financial balance, but reliance is 
placed on Mersel and Fortgang, who have a fair 
financial rating for credits. Mersel and Fortgang 
make reference to their own rating in their adver¬ 
tisements, and cleverly include the Tri-State Cream¬ 
ery Company, whose responsibility is not established, 
in the same advertisement. The principal liabilities 
of a creamery company are the milk bills owed to 
farmers, and the avei*age commercial agency takes 
little account of these short of bankruptcy proceed¬ 
ings. By this time farmers must know that officers 
and stockholders of a company are not responsible 
for its debts unless the accounts are definitely guar¬ 
anteed by them. It is the company, and not the offi¬ 
cers. who technically and legally owe the milk bills. 
No matter what the rating or worth of the officers, 
they could not be held for a dollar of the milk bills 
unless they personally obligate themselves to pay 
them. Milk buyers are always welcome to a pro¬ 
ducing neighborhood, but it is a proper precaution to 
look up their previous record and present responsi¬ 
bility. While we have not been able to find anything 
that would justify an extension of credit for milk to 
this company, it is only recently organized and may 
yet develop responsibility; but those responsible for 
it refuse definite information. Under the circum¬ 
stances and the records milk bills should at least be 
guaranteed in writing by Messrs. Mersel and Fort¬ 
gang, the State Agricultural Department should be 
requested to place the company under bond, and 
prompt semi-monthly payments should be required. 
Milk is low enough at best. There is no margin of 
profit to justify taking long chances on the payment 
of bills. 
Shipping Eggs by Parcel Post 
When the Bergen County (N. J.) egg-laying contest 
was started at Emerson, N. J., the leading spirit in the 
work of organization was J. W. Binder, postmaster at 
Hackensack, N. J. Mr. Binder was particularly inter¬ 
ested in the distribution of the eggs, as he believed that 
parcel post could be used to great advantage in making 
direct deliveries. Our readers want to know all about 
such things, and so we have asked Mr. Binder to report 
progress, which he does in the following article: 
RECEIVE from the Bergen County egg-laying 
contest at Emerson four crates of fresh-laid eggs, 
120 dozen, per week. Of these about one-tliird are 
distributed to contributors to the fund for building 
the plant, as per agreement while I was chairman of 
the committee. These eggs are shipped to them by 
the Post Office Co-operative Club, which is part of 
the employees’ organization in this postal district. 
They are shipped in aluminum shipping cases. These 
shipments have been made almost from the begin¬ 
ning of the contest. They are shipped by parcel post 
C. O. D. The C. O. D. fee includes insurance of the 
eggs to their full value. To date, I, as postmaster, 
have had to pay only one claim for breakage in ship¬ 
ment. The persons receiving the eggs are highly 
pleased with this method of eliminating the many 
profits between the producer and consumer. 
The eggs not shipped by parcel post are distri¬ 
buted by the Post Office Co-operative Club directly 
to the employees of the postal service in this district. 
A price is made on the eggs sufficiently in advance 
of the wholesale rate to cover the breakage, the 
transportation from the contest to Hackensack and 
Iht RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
the subsequent handling here. I personally finance 
the transaction, paying for the eggs when they are 
received, and being in turn reimbursed by the Post 
Office Co-operative Club after they have disposed of 
the eggs. All transactions are strictly cash. 
Of the parcel post shipments, about one-tliird are 
sent to New York, Englewood and other towns out¬ 
side of Hackensack. The balance is distributed 
directly in the town. It is my personal opinion that 
a great opportunity exists for egg producers to deal 
directly with their patrons in the great centers of 
population by shipment of eggs to them with the 
Government C. O. D. tag attached. Frankness com¬ 
pels me to couple with this declaration the statement 
that there is much room for improvement in the 
handling of these fragile parcels in the mails. I am 
convinced that this will come with the development 
of the plan. An essential factor is an organization 
of egg producers having a clearing house in which 
their product is standardized, labeled, packed in a 
proper manner and shipped. This, too, in my judg¬ 
ment will come when the practicability of the direct 
by mail shipment has been demonstrated. 
J. w. BINDER. 
He Took No Chances on Farm Prices 
The Detroit Free Press tells the following story to 
illustrate the result of the nation-wide slump in farm 
products. This is not the first time that the humble 
chicken has saved the farm situation. And what 
■about the people who are buying cigars and tobacco 
for which they pay over $2 a pound at retail? 
A colored man from Kentucky drove to a loose-leaf 
tobaeeo sales warehouse in one of the Indiana cities on 
the Ohio with a load of tobacco. When he received his 
sales slip and weights he noticed the customary bank 
check was missing. Approaching the cashier he said : 
“Look here, boss, where is my money for this here to¬ 
bacco?” The sales sheet was consulted. 
“It’s like this, the expenses'for weighing, unloading 
and commission for selling your tobacco amounted to 
more than the tobacco was worth. You see, you still 
owe us just 59 cents,” explained the cashier. 
“Well, that’s all right, I guess, but I ain’t got a cent 
with me.” 
“Then next time you are coming over the river just 
bring along a chicken with you and we will call the 
deal square.” 
Within a week the colored man appeared in the office 
with two chickens, one under each arm. 
“Here are the chickens.” 
“Sure—but you didn’t have to bring two of them, 
one would have paid the bill.” 
“Yes, boss, but I’se brought another load of tobacco.” 
Proper Packing of New York Apples 
I note in Tiie R. N.-Y. of April 9 an article by 
Mr. C. Weckesser, Wayne County, Ohio, in regard to 
the sale of his apples, and the difficulty—he contended— 
in getting reliable New York State apples. This article 
shows the possibility of selling apples to the people, 
provided they are reliable stock, and made available, 
and presents a great field for operation at many points 
throughout the country. However, what interests me 
very particularly is the statement Mr. Weckesser made 
as to the reliability of New York State apples. I am 
willing to grant that buying apples through the regular 
channels of trade and the ordinary pack that these con¬ 
ditions are prevalent, but, on the other hand, I do not 
like the assumption that must necessarily be drawn 
from this article, that it is impossible to get reliable 
fruit which is properly graded and packed and of a 
high quality in this State. Had Mr. Weckesser got into 
communication with the Western New York Packing 
House Association, or with some of the Hudson River 
associations, he would have been able to get fruit packed 
alike throughout the barrel, the size, to one-quarter of 
an inch, and of the highest quality. The Western New 
York Packing House Co-operative Association had at 
its disposal around 250,000 barrels of fruit packed 
through the community packing houses and graded as 
I have stated. 
There seems to be a general impression that the fruit 
from New York State is inferior. It is true in the 
west end of the State under unfavorable seasons the 
fruit does not carry as high a color on account of lack 
of sunshine. However, the quality of the fruit is very 
high, and in the case of the Champlain and Hudson 
River regions, where the sunshine is greater, carries 
with it not only a higher quality, but almost invariably 
a very high color. The prospects for the coming year, 
provided cur apple crop has not been seriously injured 
by frost, is that somewhere between 60 and 100 packing 
houses will be operated in the State, and that there will 
be available around 1.000.000 barrels of fruit, graded 
and packed to reliable standards, so a man buying from 
day to day will get practically the same quality of fruit. 
c. B. WHITE. 
Frost Calamity in Southern Ohio 
It seems that the freeze on the morning of April 11 
destroyed all our prospects for fruits of all kinds. The 
temperature was 20 on low ground, and 25 on the hills, 
■and the season was three weeks earlier than common. 
The bloom was mostly off the Rome Beauty, and they 
would have been ready to spray in a day or two. All 
early blooming varieties had set and the fruit was about 
the size of peas. Peaches were about the size of beans, 
651 
and the shuck had cracked and most of them had come 
off, but all are black and soft as far as we have found 
yet. There are always some late buds on Rome Beauty, 
and some of them are alive, but they seldom develop into 
fruit. That seems our only chance for any fruit this 
year. We had prospects for more than a million dollar 
fruit crop in Lawrence County until this cold wave, 
struck us. This is the first time for 45 years we have 
suffered such a calamity in this locality, and that was 
the first part of June. It looks as though the heavy 
foliage would have protected some of the fruit, so it 
would have escaped, but so far we have not found a sin¬ 
gle live fruit left out of thousands examined, unless it 
be some of the late buds on Rome. It will be hard not 
only on the growers, but on the consumers, the dealers, 
the package manufacturers, the farm laborers, the 
transportation companies, the bankers, and in fact all 
branches of trade will feel the effects of it. „ 
Lawrence Co., O. u. t. cox. 
Wool Troubles in Canada 
I have just read the article on page 521, “How Can¬ 
adian Farmers Marketed Wool,” by Earl W. Gage. It 
gives a very rosy picture of successful wool marketing. 
By the same mail my statement for last year’s clip ar¬ 
rived. It did not look so rosy. 
About a couple of months ago I noticed in the Winni¬ 
peg Free Press that the 1920 clip had all been disposed 
of at an average of 33c. It was also stated that the 
prices had ranged from 60 to 12c. About the same time 
I received a circular from the association saying that as 
my wool graded above the average, they would be glad 
if I would answer some questions enclosed as to how I 
handled my flock, for the guidance of other members. 
Naturally I have been waiting since for another little 
check. (We received an advance of about 14c before.) 
The following is a copy of the statement: 
« i e ’ Dr. Cr. 
bale of wooi as per grading statement, 
6,361 lbs.. $114 33 
Sale of wool sacks.. 75 
Cash advanced . $88.76 
Freight and cartage. 5^59 
Sacks, twine, supplies, etc. 4.15 
Handling expenses. 51/10e (51/10). 32.44 
By overpayment, balance due company. 15.S6 
$130.94 $130.94 
You will notice that the net price works out to barely 
lithe per lb. Does Mr. Gage really think this a “prof¬ 
itable price,” or one likely to make the wool growers 
across the line envious? 
Now, this is not written to knock our association ; I 
have marketed through it since it started, and will con¬ 
tinue to do so. I have already saved a good deal more 
than pay for the stock I have in it. 
In the same issue of The R. N.-Y. in an editorial it 
was stated that the wool growers in Montana and else¬ 
where had combined and were shipping their wool and 
having it made into cloth. This is a move in the right 
direction, but why ship it across the continent and back 
at the excessive freight rates we have to pay now? 
A few months ago a Canadian woolen manufacturer 
was interviewed and asked why the price of clothing 
did not come down with wool at such a low figure. He 
replied: “Why, wool cuts no figure in a suit; there are 
only 10 lbs. of unwashed wool in it.” Now, if 55c 
worth of "wool will make a suit, why cannot w r e buy it 
at $55? One at that price here will have considerable 
shoddy in it. It seems to me this is another case where 
we “have got to do it ourselves.” Fifty years ago our 
wool could be spun and woven into cloth in our villages. 
Why can’t we do it now? The age of steam was the 
cause of gathering our industries into great factories. 
Hydro-electric power makes it again possible to scatter 
them back into the small towns and villages. We can 
have it here now as soon as we can find a use for it. 
The plain fact is our overgrown cities have become 
too expensive a place to live in to be able to manufac¬ 
ture economically in them. Indeed, they are fast be¬ 
coming a menace to our country. In Winnipeg here 
just a year ago, a few steel workers struck ; before they 
got the thing settled they had called out about every 
worker in the city. The telephone girls left their 
switchboards, firemen left the fire halls, the policemen 
left the streets, the railroad men cut off the food supply, 
even the milk for the babies. And before they got 
through there was some blood shed. 
With our woolen mills, tanneries, etc., back in our 
small towns, our workers would be at the very source 
of their food, and the nearest cow would be too close 
for the railroads to get between it and the baby. It 
seems to me it is along this line that our wool growers’ 
■associations can best work out their salvation ; in the 
discovery and development of these small units. It will 
pay them well to spend a little money in doing so. I 
think this is something The R. N.-Y. could help along 
by getting some first-hand information as to present dav 
machinery. I have a 33-years file of it in my home here. 
I will mail another 33 years’ subscription if you can 
help bring this about, although I will be celebrating my 
hundredth birthday about the time it expires. 
Mountainside, Manitoba. j. Fleming. 
A Western Paper Booms the East 
The following quotations from the Rosenbaum Review 
(a Chicago paper) were sent me by a prominent Farm 
Bureau man in Illinois, who asks why it is that we 
can’t get any “booster” matter printed* in our Eastern 
agricultural papers : 
. “Horace Greeley’s admonition to America’s youth to 
hike West is historic, but under the new conditions it 
must be reversed. The opportunity of the present day 
is east of Chicago in the area of cheap lands and close 
to markets. * * * Most of the farm land east of 
Chicago is but a short distance from good local markets, 
and especially east of Buffalo and Pittsburg mav be 
put into consumer’s hands by truck. * * * Cheap 
Western land and low freight rates put a serious crimp 
in Eastern agriculture for 50 years. Now that the tide 
has turned the East may be expected to ‘come back’ 
rapidly. Location is not to be ignored. * * * The 
new rail rates have given Western agriculture a serious 
setback, to the advantage of the Eastern farmer. He 
has location and proximity to markets. If you want a 
farm, ‘young man, go East.’ ” FRANK WHALEN. 
Saratoga Co., N. Y. 
