7ht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1019 
Dairymen Must Stand Together for the 
League 
Since the close of the war dairymen have been 
subjected to a test of endurance under constant¬ 
ly increasing difficulties. Feed and help have 
decreased in cost since Ihe war, but as a whole for 
the last three years it has required more quarts of 
milk to supply the needs of the home and the farm 
than for five years preceding the war. The price 
per quart has been higher, but the purchasing price 
of the dollar has been less. The proceeds of the 
milk bill would buy less milk cans, milk pails, farm 
machinery or tools, home furniture, shoes or cloth¬ 
ing than ever before. The dairyman has had to 
work a week, including Sunday, to pay a carpenter, 
a painter or a plumber for two days’ work. There 
P. however, a climax to all material things, good or 
bad, and avc believe the worst is over in the dairy 
business. The reaction must come. We believe it 
is on the Avay, and we think the improvement, will 
be permanent and ultimately satisfactory. 
The new plans of the organization are now well 
under way. It has taken longer than was first ex¬ 
pected. Tt was at first thought that the pooling plan 
could be put in operation by the first of October, but 
it took longer. It is not in full effect yet. 
Many have old contracts to complete. Others 
are debarred by local conditions, some are 
yet refusing to come in or hesitating because 
features of the contract are objectionable to them. 
These impediments to the administration of the Avork 
should be removed as soon as possible. The plan 
b.as been regularly adopted, and should lie tried out 
under the most favorable circumstances. Nothing 
can he gained by retarding its progress. The sooner 
it is in full effect the better it Avill be for all. Tf it 
does not work out in all features it can he changed. 
The experience of a generation teaches that an 
organization of dairymen is essential to the best 
interests of the individual dairyman as well as to 
the dairy industry as a whole. To be efficient an 
organization must act as a unit. It is impossible 
that 70,000 individuals should agree on all the ways 
and means of an organization. Some Avill agree on 
one item and disagree on another. The best that can 
be done is to ascertain the av i 11 of the majority and 
make that the law of the organization. The machin¬ 
ery of the organization should be such as to facili¬ 
tate the expression of the Avill of all the members 
so as to find Avhat the majority wants to do. If the 
machinery does not suit us, or if the majority vote 
is against our judgment, the thing to do is not to 
pull back or withdraAV, but to accept the decision as 
expressed, and Avhen the time is right do our host 
to perfect the organization, and in case the adopted 
policy does not work out right use our best influence 
to bring about changes. 
When the pooling plan was proposed it. was proper 
tlntt every member discuss it and propose changes 
in it to suit their best judgment of what it. should 
contain. Some felt that changes ought to he made 
on principle to strengthen the plan. Others felt that 
as a matter of expediency the changes should he 
made to satisfy the objecting members, avoid the 
possibility of a division, secure immediate consent to 
it and save time and expense. 
At the animal meeting, however, the plan was 
approved without visible opposition. That act made 
ic the law of the organization. From that time on 
there was nothing to do but to put the plan in oper¬ 
ation. The members avIio held back because of the 
contract only delayed the time of operation and 
increased the cost of putting it in motion. One thing 
that caused many to hesitate about the contract was 
the memory of the record of the Country Milk Com¬ 
pany. If losses could accumulate Avitliout the mem¬ 
bers knowing it, they felt they could not make them¬ 
selves responsible for them. At the annual meeting, 
however, assurances were given by responsible offi¬ 
cials that full business and financial statements 
Avould be furnished monthly. This promise is 
being kept, and this alone removes much of the 
objection made to the contract. If members of a 
co-operative organization keep themselves informe 1 
and in control, as they should, they can protect 
themselves and make or change plans to suit them¬ 
selves. 
There are things in the plan and in the organiza¬ 
tion that some of the staunchest members Avould of 
choice have different. They have suggested improve¬ 
ments in one way or another before, and some of 
them have been embodied in whole or in part in the 
pooling plan. It is the privilege and the duty of 
eAery member to Avork for the perfection of the or¬ 
ganization according to his best information and 
judgment, so long as the subject is open to discus¬ 
sion. But when a decision has been made, through 
the rules of the organization minority members must 
subordinate their own preferences and Avork for the 
best results that can be reached under the policies 
adopted. It is always safe to follow the independent 
judgment of the majority. If it makes a mistake it 
will, if rightly informed and given a chance, correct 
itself. It is always the privilege of the individual 
member to work to this end. In co-operation we 
cannot withdraw when things are not to our liking. 
The best policy is to stick to the job and, if faults 
there he, help correct them. This should he the 
policy of dairymen generally. There is no other 
way to maintain unity and efficiency in our organiza¬ 
tions. 
Potato Selling Plans Outlined 
The board of directors of the newly organized Empire 
State Potato Growers’ Co-operative Association, which 
eventually plans to market the bulk of the potato and 
cabbage crop of the State, announced recently the elec¬ 
tion of the following officers: 
President, K. C. T.ivermore, TToueoye Falls, Monroe 
County; vice-president, C. E. Dimon, Southampton, 
Suffolk County; secretary-treasurer, E. P. Smith, Sher¬ 
burne, Chenango County, and an executive committee 
comprising Mr. Livermore, Mr. Smith and Fred Ilop- 
Iuns, Wallace, Steuben County. These men will have 
the confidence of members, because they are not only 
large producers of potatoes, but also have had the nec¬ 
essary business experience which qualifies them for ad¬ 
ministration of this important enterprise. Each man 
has been active in Farm Bureau organization and in 
one or more of the co-operative marketing associations 
in New York State. The directors have just issued a 
prospectus outlining the general policies of the associa¬ 
tion. and are busily engaged in working out the details 
of these plans. President T.ivermore is enthusiastic 
about the future of the organization. 
"The Empire State Potato Growers’ Co-operative As¬ 
sociation was organized,” he declared recently, “because 
of tin' demand of potato and cabbage growers in all sec¬ 
tions of New York State for a central association Avhosc 
plans and policies Avill he formulated and carried out 
according to the wishes of producers. Both the local 
associations and the State association belong to their 
members. Both are strictly non-profit, co-operative or¬ 
ganizations. All services must be rendered at cost. All 
policies will he determined by members through their 
directors and delegates. Whether it can function as a 
central selling agency this year, and Avhether or not our 
program can be successfully carried out depends en¬ 
tirely upon the local associations and their individual 
members. The following actions must he taken 
promptly : 
“1. Individual grotvers must contract their potato 
and cabbage crops to their local associations. 
“2. Local associations in sufficient numbers must be¬ 
come members of the State association and contract to 
sell their potatoes and cabbage through it to justify cen¬ 
tral selling.” 
The association plans to render the following services 
to all member associations: Advise and assist in local 
organization and management, including employing help, 
grading, warehousing, accounting and auditing. Fur¬ 
nish regularly market quotations and advice on market 
conditions. Furnish information concerning crop con¬ 
ditions and yields. Provide a central marketing agency 
controlled by farmers and insuring a fair competitive 
market for potatoes and cabbage to all members. Pro¬ 
vide a central collection and remittance service. Han¬ 
dle all claims and rejections. Provide insurance against 
certain losses. Supervise and standardize grading. 
Establish brands. Advertise. 
The association will be financed as follows: Each 
local association Avill be required to pay a membership 
fee of $50 to the association and to give a loan note 
amounting to $500. Operating expenses, sales expenses 
and insurance costs will he met by a fixed deduction on 
each carload of produce handled. The rate of deduction 
will depend upon the amount of business handled. 
R. r„ VOOKH EES. 
Hubam Clover in Alabama 
The first Hubam clover day is a matter of history. 
On July 21 the Alabama Farm Bureau Federation 
staged a big Hubam clover demonstration and barbecue 
at XeAvbern, Ala., where this clover was found to he 
growing last year, and where the plant is supposed to 
have originated. Whether it. was the widespread inter¬ 
est in the new Hubam clover or the genuine Southern 
barbecue that made the first Hubam clover demonstra¬ 
tion field day a success cannot he definitely known, but 
probably both had something to do with it. 
In addition to a limited acreage of volunteer clover 
to he found on a few of the plantations in the vicinity 
of Newborn, members of the Hubam Clover Associa¬ 
tion have 1,200 acres Avhich are being grown in rows 
under cultivation this year for seed production. The 
seed so produced is to be pooled and sold through an 
association headed by .T. G. Phipps, who is said to be 
the first man in Alabama to be able to organize and hold 
together a group of farmers until their laud returns 
them from $000 to $1,000 per acre. 
While Alabama usually has very good rains through¬ 
out the growing season, an unusual drought has pre¬ 
vailed this year. But in spite of this fact in many fields 
the clover stood from 0 to 7 ft. in height at the time of 
the demonstration. Some of the earliest planted had 
already been cut and thrashed, though the bulk of the 
acreage was just ready for cutting, and in fact was in 
the best condition for observation and study. The 
fields which have been cut and thrashed have made 
yields of from live to seven bushels per acre, Avhile many 
of the best fields are expected to yield at least 10 bushels 
of clean hulled seed per acre. 
Since the seed of this clover, Avhen ripe, shatters very 
easily, the grain binders and corn binders used to har¬ 
vest the crop have been equipped with pans and canvas 
aprons to catch the shattered seed. By means of these 
devices it is believed that least. 00 per cent will be saved. 
While np to 10 years ago more Sweet clover seed was 
sold from this section of Alabama than from any other 
part of the United States, it is interesting to know that 
all of this seed was picked by hand by the negroes. 
Until last year, when the Hubam clover was found to he 
growing iu this section, negroes gathered Sweet clover 
seed wherever they found it growing, regardless of 
ownership and. in turn, sold it wherever they found a 
buyer. With the discovery of Hubam clover, however, 
ihe most up-to-date harvesting and cleaning machinery 
has been secured. While 1 lb. of seed per acre was used 
in making most of the seedings this year, the growers 
are convinced that from 3 to 4 lbs. per acre, planted in 
rows from 30 to 36 in. apart, will prove most profitable. 
A program of unusual interest held the attention of 
the people throughout. Among others speakers were E. 
It. Root of the A. I. Root Company, Medina. O., well- 
known editor of Gleanings in lice Culture: E. (\ Bish¬ 
op of Bloomington, Ill., and Montgomery’ Ala . butter 
known as “Sweet Clover Bishop”; Frank Willis Bar¬ 
nett. one of Alabama’s best known and ablest speakers, 
and Prof. II. D. Hughes, Chief of Farm Crops with the 
Iowa State Experiment Station, who has been granted 
a year's leave of absence which he is spending at New¬ 
born in the further study of the Hubam clover. 
The Alabama'Hubam Clover Association co-operated 
with the Farm Bureau in providing the big barbecue 
to feed the people who came to Nowbern in the study 
of the new clover and by providing automobiles to take 
the visitors on an inspection of the fields. While the 
interest in Hubam clover was great, many of the visit¬ 
ors, particularly those from the North, who were un¬ 
familiar with this mode of entertainment, were intensely 
interested in the barbecue itself. Fifty-seven carcasses 
were cooked in the long trench which had been dug in 
a grove of pines. Cooking started at about 6 o’clock the 
evening before, about IS hours being required in order 
to secure the best results. In addition to the barbe¬ 
cued carcasses, 300 gallons of gumbo—the great South¬ 
ern dish—were served. In making this gumbo the 
heads and feet of the hogs are first cooked in large iron 
kettles until the flesh fell away from the hone. After 
removing the bones and gristle the shredded meat from 
50 chickens was added, together with SO lbs. of butter, 
seven bushels of tomatoes, the grain from 750 roasting 
ears, and six bushels of okra, plus seasoning. Sixteen 
cords of wood wore required to cook the carcasses and 
"limbo. 
About the only thing served which was familiar to 
the average Northerner was the 700 loaves of light 
bread, for on these occasions the customary corn muf¬ 
fins. corn sticks, biscuits, rolls, or other hot bread to 
be found on the Southern table three times daily, makes 
way for the “wheat bread of the North.” u. c. ft; 
Changes in Retail Prices of Food 
Tlie 1 in ted States Department of Labor, through the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1ms completed the compila¬ 
tions showing changes in the retail cost of food in July 
in 10 principal cities of the United States. 
During the month from June 15 to July 15, 1021, 
there was an increase in all hut one of these cities. In 
Detroit there was an increase of 7 per cent; in Peoria 
and Providence, 5 per cent; in Manchester and New 
Haven, 1 iter cent: in Mobile and Savannah. 3 per cent, 
and in Atlanta and Richmond, 1 per cent. In Little 
Rock there was a decrease of one-tenth of 1 per cent. 
For the period July 15, 1020, to July 15. 1021. there 
was a decrease of 30 per cent in Providence and Rich¬ 
mond. 31 per cent in Little Rock. 32 per cent in Sa¬ 
vannah. 33 per cent in Atlanta and New Haven. 34 per 
cent in Manchester and Peoria, and 35 per cent in De¬ 
troit and Mobile. 
As compared with July 15. 1013. the retail cost of 
f >od on July 15. 1921, showed an increase of 42 per 
ci nt in Little Rock, !•> per cent in Atlanta. 46 per cent 
in New Haven, 51 per cent in Manchester. 55 per cent, 
in Detroit. •>(> per cent in Richmond, and 57 per cent in 
Providence. 
Wheat and Flour Prices in New York 
In our town ni«w wheat is $1.05. old Avheat $1.10. 
■T ast report 1 know flour was $11.60 per barrel. They 
charge 12e a loaf for bread. E. s. B. 
Gasport, X. Y. 
I find the price of wheat $1 ; the retail price of flour, 
pastry. $1.10; bread flour, $1.35 to $1.40 for 25-lb. sack. 
f hapin, N. Y. j 
I .ocii 1 dealers are paying $1 per bit. for wheat and 
are getting lots of it at that. Local mills are offering 
Winter wheat flour at $8 per bid., but bread flour much 
higher on account of the cost of Spring wheat, freight, 
etc. Most stores sell bread at 12c per loaf; that’s bad 
for the consumer. The greatest trouble with farmers is 
most of them need money to pay their help, etc., and 
some rush their wheat on the market for fear of its 
going lower. When a commodity is on the drop all want 
to sell; if on the run all will hold. a. c. c.. 
Avon, N. Y. 
They are offering $1.10 at present, with the best bread 
dour at 81.40 for 25 lbs. Their own flour, bread. $1.25 • 
pastry. $1.10. e - m s 
Bergen, N. Y. ' ’ 
- —.*_ ... ***i-^' A**'* ‘ UU., itU 
we pay $1.2:> for a 24-lb. sack of flour. If you buy 
barrel it costs $1 less. Lots of last year’s wheat is sti 
in the ’farmers’ hands, and they refused $2 50 for it la 
Fall. j. o. N 
Attica, N. Y. 
Sixty pounds wheat required for 32 lbs. flour, wheat 
selling at $1 per 60 lbs. Flour, $10.50 a barrel at the 
mill. Put it thus: Six bushels equal one barrel flour, 
leaving a profit of $4..>0 on a barrel of Hour, less the 
paper sacks, which would be 20 cents per barrel Re¬ 
tailed at groceries. $1.15 to $1.40 per 25-lh sack, de¬ 
pending on the kind. Profiteering has not ceased. 
Canandaigua, N. Y. p. u. 
