<Jht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1457 
Points From the President’s Message 
President Harding's Message to Congress was very 
sensible. It contained more real discussion of agri¬ 
cultural problems than any other similar document 
that we have ever read. The President appears to 
understand that all other industries are based upon 
agriculture, and that there can be no return to nor¬ 
mal conditions until the farmer regains his confi¬ 
dence and buying power. After making the trouble 
clear, the President says: 
In the main the remedy lies in distribution and mar¬ 
keting. Every proper encouragement should be given 
to the co-operative marketing program. This has proven 
very helpful to the co-operating communities in Europe. 
In Russia the co-operative community has become the 
recognized bulwark of law and order, and saved indi¬ 
vidualism from engulfment in social paralysis. I lti- 
mafely it will be accredited with the salvation of the 
Russian State. , 
There is the appeal for this experiment, why not 
try it? A'o one challenges the right of the former to o 
larger share of the consumers' pay for his product, no 
one disputes that ire cannot lire without the farmer. 
He is justified in rebelling against the transportation 
cost. Given a fair return for his labor, lie will have 
less occasion to appeal for financial aid: and given 
assurance that his labors shall not be in vain, we re¬ 
assure all the people of a production sufficient to meet 
our national requirements and guard against disaster. 
Thus President Harding has become a convert to 
the “35-cent-dollar theory." Twenty years ago vee 
said we would put that issue into the White House 
—and it is now there! 
For 25 years The R. N.-Y. lias been talking about a 
tariff commission large enough and strong enough to 
handle the tariff as a business proposition, and thus 
keep it out of politics. We would have such a com¬ 
mission composed of men large enough to serve in the 
F. S. Supreme Court, and have agriculture, busi¬ 
ness. labor, manufacturing and law all represented. 
For years we have advocated such a solution of the 
tariff question—now .the President advances much 
the same idea for what lie calls an “elastic tariff, 
lie would enlarge the powers of the present com¬ 
mission. and enable it to modify or change tariff 
rates to meet changes in business or national con¬ 
ditions. Canada follows something of this plan with 
success: for years France adjusted tariffs on a slid¬ 
ing scale—up or down, as prices or necessities re¬ 
quired. It would he a far more economic and sensi¬ 
ble plan than our present method of making a tariff 
by trading one industry against another. 
The President also goes on record as opposed to 
issuing tax-exempt securities. As The R. X.-Y. has 
stated several times, there are from 15 to 20 billions 
of these securities either totally exempt or paying 
but a small tax. This creates special privileges for 
holders of these securities. They claim and obtain 
all the benefits and advantages of government, but 
pay nothing in return. The result is that great sums 
of money which should be invested in active business 
are buried in these tax-exempt securities. They 
form a hiding place for wealth which ought to be 
out. at work. President Harding has now put the 
matter up to Congress. There are many other fea¬ 
tures of this message, which ought to lie studied by 
the American people. Hack of space prevents our 
printing it in full. We do not agree with all of it. 
but as a whole it is a sensible and practical docu¬ 
ment. with very much less ‘‘hot air" than is usually 
found in such a message. 
The Leading Agricultural Counties 
For many years Lancaster County. Pa., stood at 
the head of all American counties in combined values 
of crops and live stock products. The last census 
upsets this old order, for Lancaster County now 
ranks fifth. There are three counties in California 
and one in Maine ahead of her. First comes Los 
Angeles Co., Cal., with a total valuation of $71,549,- 
fs99. The first 15 counties are ranked as follows: 
County and State 
Los Angeles. Cal... 
Fresno. Cal. 
Aroostook. Me. . . . 
San Joaquin. Cal... 
Lancaster. Pa. 
Yakima. Wash.... 
Tulare. Cal. 
Sonoma, Cal.. 
Whitman. Wash... 
Dane, Wis. 
McLean, Ill... 
San Bernardino.Cal. 
Maricopa, Ariz. 
St. Lawrence. X. Y 
Orange, Cal. 
Value of Crops 
and Live 
Stock Products Value of Crops 
_A--A--- 
Rank 
Amount 
Rank 
Amount 
1 
$71,579,899 
1 
$61,864,179 
o 
55.110.101 
O 
o 
51.861.252 
•> 
• > 
54.370.250 
2 
52,541,205 
4 
41.191.240 
4 
37.950.800 
5 
40.770.212 
5 
32.191.536 
0 
34,741,710 
0 
32.458.058 
7 
34.030.107 
8 
30.547.341 
8 
32,300.023 
42 
17.477.370 
9 
31,921.017 
7 
30.824.407 
10 
29.395.753 
25 
20,978.957 
11 
29.101.454 
9 
26.93S.01S 
12 
27,957.4 is 
10 
20.517.455 
13 
20.819.002 
12 
24.054.410 
. 14 
26.809.540 
108 
13.582.470 
15 
26,035,748 
11 
25.572.032 
The 50 leading agricultural counties were distribu¬ 
ted among the several States as follows: California. 
13: Xew York. 7; Illinois. 5: Texas. 4: Pennsylvania. 
4: South Carolina, 4: Xorth Carolina. 3: Washing¬ 
ton, 2; Wisconsin, 2; and one each for Arizona. Col¬ 
orado. Connecticut. Maine. Minnesota and Missis¬ 
sippi. This gives the Pacific coast 15 and the upper 
Atlantic coast nine. Formerly the Mississippi Val¬ 
ley excelled: now it has only four counties in the 
first 50. Tn spite of the low price of cotton, there are 
13 counties among the first 50 where cotton, corn 
and forage are the leading crops. Xine counties 
excel in fruit, 10 in dairy products, six in potatoes, 
four in tobacco and six in chickens and eggs. The 
greatest change indicated during the 10 years from 
1910 to 1920 is increased interest in special farming. 
The farmers of a section seem to be learning what 
crops are best suited to their particular soil and 
conditions, and are developing these crops with sys¬ 
tem. Xew York and Xew England make a remark¬ 
ably good showing in these figures. Our Eastern 
counties are. ns a rule, quite a little smaller than 
those of the West. For instance, Los Angeles Co.. 
Cal., contains 4.007 square miles, which is about half 
the size of Connecticut. Lancaster Co., Pa., has only 
941 square miles. 
A Couple of Milk Problems 
Will you advise through The R. X.-Y. what the 
requirements are in the production of Grade A milk 
over that of Grade B? When Grade P> milk is selling 
retail at 14 cents per quart up here, what should we 
get for Grade A (retail) to make the difference, care 
and labor in producing same? W. S. S. 
Xew York. 
The Board of Health of the City of Xew York 
prescribes regulations for the making and handling 
of Grade A milk for consumption in Xew York City. 
Ir all there are 25 regulations. The cows must be 
examined by a veterinarian and passed as healthy. 
Before pasteurization the milk must not contain 
more than 200,000 bacterial count per cubic centi¬ 
meter, and not more than 30,000 when delivered to 
consumers after pasteurization. The other regula¬ 
tions pertain to the condition of the stable, the care 
of the utensils, temperature, etc. The dealers have 
been paying 15 cents extra per 100 lbs. for Grade A 
milk. Lately they have graduated the price from 
15 cents to 25 cents, according to the bacterial conn*, 
but farmers know that Grade A and Grade B milk 
are often interchangeable, and many times it all 
comes from the same dairies. In Xew York City 
the dealers charge 3 cents a quart extra for Grade 
A It costs no more to deliver one grade than an¬ 
other. It would seem that one cent a quart would 
cover the extra cost of production and delivery lo 
consumers anywhere. 
I read in The R. X.-Y. that the milk prices for 
October and Xovember would be $3.37 per 100 lbs. for 
pel- cent fiuiil milk. T am delivering my inilk to Bor¬ 
den's factory. Mv milk for October tests 4 5. and only 
brought $3,755 per 100 lbs., when, according to the 
],rices in The R. X.-Y.. it should have brought $3.97, 
because it tested 15 points over 3 per cent. i,. I.. M. 
Xew York. 
The $3.37 per 100 lbs. price is for consumptive 
liquid milk. Borden's make by-products, and the 
price for this milk is loss. Borden's now pool all 
the milk they receive on the three per cent basis 
They paid $3.06 for August to all. whether the re¬ 
turns went to the pooling association for the poolers 
or direct to the non-poolers. The milk from poolers 
C f all sources was again pooled by the association. 
Tn all there are 25 regulations. The cmvs must be 
and the average was $2.52. The assessments and 
deductions reduced the net returns to $2.27. Your 
return was computed this way: . 
Borden's average for 3 per cent milk. $3.0C. 
Fat test. 15 points. 
Freight differential.^)93 
$3. Too 
Your confusion came from not considering the 
Borden's plan of pooling manufactured milk with 
the liquid milk for consumption. 
Ear Corn as “Official” Fuel 
Regarding these reports of burning corn for fuel 
in the West, one of our readers sends the following 
resolution, passed by the supervisors of Pocoliontas 
Co., Iowa, on Xovember 25. This is said to lie Ihe 
-first official action" taken in Iowa to provide for 
burning corn as fuel: 
Whereas, The price of ear corn here is less than one- 
third of 1 per cent per pound, and coal is more than 
two-thirds of 1 per cent per pound, and 
Propagandists have taught the farmers to increase 
production until surplus farm products are selling for 
about one-third the cost of production; and 
Propagandists are educating the public to believe that 
all the farmer has to do is to press tin* button and 
plenty of cattle and bogs would bo forthcoming to con¬ 
sume the surplus corn; and 
Every available hog and steer will be fed all the corn 
it can consume; and , v 
Propagandists are trying to lead the people to believe 
that some of the cattle and hogs will starve d any of 
the surplus crop is burned, as fuel ; and 
Tn truth, the farmers are trying to reduce the surplus 
of corn to a point where it will bring at least one-halt 
the cost of production: and 
Federal Reserve Banks have withdrawn credit, thus 
trebling the debts of the farmer; and 
Whereas, The first law of nature is self-preservation; 
therefore be it 
Resolved* by the Board of Supervisors of Pocahontas 
County, Iowa. That the auditor is hereby authorized 
and instructed to purchase ear corn at the market price, 
and said corn to be used as fuel at the county court 
house and county home. 
Tagging Bales of Hay 
During the past few months there has been much 
complaint about shipments of hay to this market 
where the tagging was poor. As will be seen from 
the following note sent out by the Department of 
Foods and Markets, this matter of tagging bay bales 
properly is very important: 
A number of shippers have had considerable loss on 
shipments of bay to this market recently, due to ille¬ 
gible or inaccurate tagging as to weight. Weights are 
tested in the Xew York market only by weighing a few 
bales out of a carload. Deductions are made in the 
weight of the entire carload for shrinkage and error in 
proportion to the difference in the tag weight and the 
actual weight of these samples. 
The Xew York State law requires the gross weight 
of every hale of hay or straw to he plainly marked on a 
tag securely fastened to the bale, of not less than 14-j 
inches in width and 3 inches in length. No hay or 
straw may he sold or offered for sale in this: Statp which 
weighs less than such gross weight after deducting 5 lbs. 
per bale for shrinkage. 
Farm Products and Money 
We are permitted to use the following extract, 
written by a bank president in South Dakota: 
If farmers out here were getting 85 cents for eggs. 
$1.50 for corn. 00 rents for oats or even $1.30 for 
potatoes, we would all be millionaires. Last Sunday I 
went clear across the State of Smith Dakota, and on 
practically every farm there was from 2.000 to 15.000 
bushels of corn piled up. with nothing to feed it to. < >n 
11S miles of that trip by auto I saw only two bunches 
of cattle, which I knew to be feeders. As if is now. 
corn is worth about 15 cents to 20 cents per bushel 
here, and farmers are unable to buy steers, and those 
that are are possibly afraid to do it on account of the 
unsteady market. Consequently they are simply piling 
their stuff tip. 
That situation can lx* duplicated on thousands of 
Western farms. The people have an abundance to 
eat and drink, but it is next to impossible to realize 
on their products and obtain money. In other parts 
of the world and in this country, too. thousands of 
people are unable to obtain food. Many of our 
Eastern farmers could use that cheap grain to 
advantage, but railroad rates would practically 
double its cost. The thing for our Eastern farmers 
to remember is that while they have many troubles 
and much injustice, they are today, as a class, far 
better off than their Western brothers. 
Purchasing Power of Farm Products 
The Department of Agriculture quotes Prof. G. E. 
Warren of Cornell in the following statement. It is 
a calculation of the purchasing power of principal 
farm products compared with pre-war times. The 
measure of this purchasing power is made up from 
the price of staple products which a farmer usually 
buys: 
Compared with a five-year average before the war as 
100. the purchasing power of some farm products at 
prices paid to farmers in June, 1921. were as follows: 
Corn 61, oats 00. barley 53. wheat 93. rye 101, buck¬ 
wheat 101, flaxseed 55. beans 81. corn 50, cotton 51, 
cottonseed 52. hay 68. cabbage, 111, onions. 73, potatoes 
04, sweet potatoes 89. peanuts 48. apples 91, chickens 
110. eggs 77, butter 83. milk cows SO, beef cattle 00, 
veal calves 73. sheep 06, Iambs 79. wool 58, hogs 07, 
horses 45. Practically nothing that the farmer sells can 
he exchanged for the usual quantity of other things. It 
is physically impossible for farmers to absorb the prod¬ 
ucts of factories Farm prices have dropped much 
more than wholesale or retail prices of farm products. 
The Betts Hunting and Trespass Bill 
On page 1400 you invite the opinion of farmers in 
regard to the working of the Betts hunting and tres¬ 
pass law. I am not conversant with all the details of 
that law. One of the chief troubles with that and many 
other laws is that there are too many details. I read 
considerable of said law when it was before the Legisla¬ 
ture and my opinion then was and is now that while in 
some way it may be a little more in the farmers’ inter¬ 
est than the former law, it is still so far from what is 
necessary and has so many details that no farmer has 
time to invoke it. That is the reason you have heard 
so little about anyone being prosecuted for violating it. 
There are many farmers here who would like _a b ,w 
that would give them protection without costing 50 per 
rent or more of their net profits. It would cost to post 
a farm not far from $200, and most of the notices would 
not stay up a week after the hunting season opened. 
I am going to suggest a law that seems to me would 
ho all that is necessary, and would be fair to everybody. 
Let the farmer, for a 25c fee file with the county clerk a 
brief notice that his farm is posted, and put up a no¬ 
tice to the same effect at his place of residence. This 
would take the place of the present method of posting, 
and the penalties, etc., in the present law eould.be in¬ 
corporated in the new one. I am not writing a bill, but 
only suggesting. It would be well to examine some of 
the’ laws”of other States, and if possible find one where 
the law is not gotten up exclusively for the benefit of the 
hunter and trespasser. ' vy - vv 
