The  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
633 
Let  Us  Have  the  Investigation 
ENATOR  NATHAN  STRAUS,  JR.,  chairman  of 
the  Senate  agricultural  committee,  has  proposed 
a  legislative  investigation  of  the  causes  of  the  high 
cost  of  food  in  the  City  of  New  York,  and  the  low 
price  of  the  same  food  on  the  farms.  He  wants  to 
know  why  Oregon  apples  are  selling  in  New  York 
City  at  high  prices,  while  apples  of  superior  quality 
are  rotting  On  the  farms  of  the  State  because  it  does 
not  pay  the  farmers  to  pick  and  ship  them,  and  why 
the  farmer  gets  four  to  five  cents  a  quart  for  milk 
that  sells  in  the  city  from  16  to  20  cents  a  quart. 
These  questions  and  many  more  of  the  same  tenor 
have  been  discussed  and  answered  by  us  many  times 
in  the  last  thirty-odd  years.  Many  investigations  in 
the  meantime  have  *been  fruitless  of  profitable  re¬ 
sults.  For  these  reasons  we  have  felt  that  we  had 
investigations  enough,  and  that  constructive  eco¬ 
nomic  State  policies  are  the  things  needed.  Senator 
Straus  is  familiar  with  all  this,  but  is  probably 
handicapped  by  the  fact  that  the  results  of  past  in¬ 
vestigations,  besides  falling  short  of  their  oppor¬ 
tunities  at  the  time,  are  now  out  of  date,  and  gen¬ 
eral  discussions  and  our  revelations  are  not  official. 
Lie  approaches  the  subject  with  a  great  deal  of  sin¬ 
cere  enthusiasm,  and  takes  the  broad  view  that  it 
should  serve'  both  producer  and  consumer.  The  op¬ 
portunity  for  a  good  service  is  unlimited.  The  work 
interrupted  and  strangled  during  the  war  must  be 
renewed  some  time,  and  the  time  is  right  for  it  now. 
We  therefore  approve  the  suggestion  for  an  inquiry 
of  all  the  marketing  conditions  affecting  the  distribu¬ 
tion  of  farm  products,  as  proposed  by  Senator 
Straus. 
One  circumstance  alone  is  of  sufficient  importance 
to  justify -an  inquiry  at  this  time.  The  Port  of  New 
York  Commission  is  proposing  drastic  changes  in  the 
transportation  problems  of  the  city.  Other  indus¬ 
tries  are  looking  after  their  particular  needs.  The 
farm  and  food  part  of  the  problem  needs  considera¬ 
tion.  The  committee  should  and  no  doubt  would 
thoroughly  explore  this  field,  and  propose  an  effi¬ 
cient  means  for  the  entrance  of  food  products  to  the 
city,  and  an  economic  distribution  of  it  to  urban 
consumers.  By  all  means  let  us  have  the  investiga¬ 
tion. 
A  Problem  Under  the  Milk  Can  Law 
When  one  farmer  buys  a  milk  can  from  another 
farmer  or  anyone  else,  supposing  that  the  seller  has 
the  right  to  sell  it,  has  the  new  owner  a  right  to  use 
the  can  under  the  proposed  new  law?  The  farmer  has 
no  way  of  getting  these  cans  except  as  they  are  given 
him  in  exchange  for  his  own.  What  becomes  of  the 
fanner’s  cans?  tv.  s. 
New  York. 
HE  mere  fact  that  you  buy  a  can  and  pay  for  it 
in  good  faith  is  not  enough.  If  you  wake  up 
some  morning  and  find  one  of  your  horses  gone,  but 
recognize  the  horse  later  down  town  in  the  posses¬ 
sion  of  a  hack  driver  who  bought  him  in  good  faith 
from  a  gypsy,  you  can  prove  ownership  and  take  the 
horse  home.  “Let  the  buyer  beware”  is  the  old  law. 
It  is  yet  pretty  generally  applied.  This,  of  course, 
applies  when  property  of  any  kind  is  found  in  the 
possession  of  a  person  who  has  no  rightful  title  to 
it.  The  seller  cannot  give  good  title  to  property  un¬ 
less  his  own  title  is  good. 
The  owner,  however,  has  the  right  to  sell,  give 
away  or  exchange  his  property.  This  applies  to  milk 
cans  as  well  as  other  property.  The  milk  can  law, 
bad  as  it  is,  recognizes  that  principle  and  makes  the 
provision  that  possession  of  the  can  “without  the 
consent  of  the  owner”  is  presumptive  evidence  of 
violation  of  the  law.  If  you  have  consent  of  the 
owner  there  is  no  violation.  Consent  goes  with  a 
sale,  rental,  loan  or  exchange  by  the  owner.  If  you 
are  using  a  dealer’s  can  with  his  consent,  and  can 
prove  it,  you  would  be  justified  in  defending  your 
possession  with  a  big  stick  against  an  agent. 
No  dairyman  goes  to  a  depot  and  steals  cans.  He 
could  hardly  do  so,  if  he  tried.  He  gets  them,  if  at 
all,  through  the  carelesness  or  deliL>erate  consent  of 
the  owner.  It  is  well,  however,  to  have  a  care  about 
buying  cans  of  a  third  party  without  proof  of  his 
title  to  them. 
The  can  taken  from  the  farmer  in  exchange  for 
other  cans  probably  falls  ultimately  into  the  hands 
of  a  class  of  dealers  who  change  the  names  and  use 
them  as  their  own. 
As  Others  See  Us 
Do  You  Know  Such  Farmers? 
Having  x*ead  with  interest  and  some  little  amusement 
the  different  ideas  of  farming  set  forth  on  page  505- 
506,  I  wish  to  add  my  -bit.  There  are  in  my  county 
quite  a  number  of  up-to-date  progressive  farmers  who 
lay  great  stress  on  the  newer  methods.  They  have 
joined  the  Grange,  the  Farm  Bureau,  the  Dairymen’s 
League,  and  are  ready  to  join  anything  and  everything 
that  will  promise  a  few  present  easy  dollars.  The  hus¬ 
band  and  father  who  is  a  dairyman  gets  up  some  time 
in  the  night,  milks  the  cows,  and  through  all  kinds  of 
roads  and  weather  gets  the  milk  to  a  distant  station 
about  daylight.  A  large  part  of  the  feed  used  to  pro¬ 
duce  that  milk  is  purchased  commercial  by-products. 
The  family  washing  goes  to  the  village  laundry.  The 
bread  is  bought  from  the  baker,  the  meat  from  the 
butcher.  Most  of  the  fruits  and  vegetables,  along  with 
the  bogus  butter,  come  from  the  village  grocer.  There 
is  no  milk  for  calves  and  pigs,  no  time  to  fuss  with  a 
garden,  with  fruits  or  flowers  or  even  with  chickens. 
Father  is  tremendously  busy.  The  sons  of  working  age, 
if  at  home  at  all,  are  mostly  away  somewhere  with  the 
car.  The  hired  men,  when  they  can  be  had,  lazily  wend 
their  ways  about  the  farm.  Mother  and  the  girls,  how¬ 
ever,  are  mostly  able  to  snatch  a  few  moments  in  the 
morning  to  listen  in  on  the  telephone  to  the  latest 
neighborhood  gossip,  and  sometimes  to  listen  on  the 
radiophone  to  a  wider  range  of  chatter 
The  young  people  motor  in  to  the  movies  and  to  other 
city  and  village  attractions.  Mother  and  the  older 
girls  make  frequent  shopping  excursions  cityward,  where 
they  talk  learnedly  of  the  latest  models  in  cars,  wail  at 
the  high  cost  of  gas,  the  poor  quality  and  exorbitant 
prices  for  silk  lingerie  and  other  daily  necessities  and 
accessories.  With  the  Grange,  the  lodges,  the  clubs  and 
other  social  functions  and  activities,  they  are  kept  so 
everlasting  busy  that  home  is  no  longer  home ;  it  is 
merely  a  place  to  eat  and  sleep  and  give  vent  to  jang- 
SOME  of  our  city  friends  complain  if  the  postman, 
who  brings  their  letters  to  the  door,  is  five  min¬ 
utes  late.  What,  would  they  do  if  they  lived  in  the 
country,  where  the  rural  mail  box  has  to  be  dug 
out,  as  shown  in  the  accompanying  picture?  This 
photograph  was  taken  in  Montgomery  County,  N.  Y., 
just  after  one  of  the  late  Winter  storms.  The  mail 
box  stands  on  top  of  a  post.  The  snow  on  the  road 
is  but  slightly  drifted  at  this  point;  it  is  about  the 
average  depth.  It  is  well  enough  for  all  of  you  to 
realize  how  “the  other  half  lives.” 
ling  nerves.  The  younger  children  are  necessarily  neg¬ 
lected,  their  education  and  training  being  more  and 
more  left  in  the  hands  of  strangers.  Home  ties  are  be¬ 
ing  broken,  sacred  family  relations  are  being  severed. 
And  this  hectic,  nerve-racking  life  of  jazz  is  called  pro¬ 
gressive,  called  up-to-date  farming,  where  hope  dwelleth 
in  a  golden  paradise  that  shall  be  born  of  organization 
and  of  legislative  enactment. 
The  last  two  or  three  years,  however,  have  been 
rather  hard  on  this  class  of  farmers.  The  returns  for 
the  one  or  two  things  they  have  had  to  sell  have  not 
been  in  proportion  to  the  cost  of  the  many  things  they 
have  had  to  buy.  Many  of  them  are  selling  out  and 
expect  to  go  to  the  cities,  where  they  hope  to  find  a 
broader  scope  for  their  separate  and  several  abilities ; 
and  it  is  good  to  know  that  there  are  still  left  in  the 
country  a  few  families  like  that  of  Mr.  Perry,  and  like 
that  of  Mr.  Coon,  who  have  joined  the  soil,  who  have 
also  joined  the  infinite  wisdom  of  the  Creator,  and 
thereby  have  founded  a  home,  and  are  able  to  live ;  able 
to  find  contentment  and  the  joy  of  living  through  the 
lean  years,  as  well  as  through  the  fat  ones,  and  also  are 
continually  able  to  contribute  their  full  share  to  the 
sustenance,  and  to  the  welfare  of  their  followmen. 
E.  W. 
R.  N.-Y. — It  has  been  said  of  us  that  we  print  matter 
which  no  other  farm  paper  will  use.  That  is  right. 
The  R.  N.-Y.  seeks  the  real,  crude  truth  about  farming. 
That  is  not  to  be  found  in  placid  contentment  or  in 
violent  attacks  upon  the  present  conditions.  No  true 
progress  can  ever  come  as  the  result  of  special  pleading 
or  one-sided  argument.  We  want  it  all.  The  above 
letter  describes  a  type  of  farmer  which  we  hope  is  not 
common.  Do  you  know  any  such?  Are  they  increasing 
in  your  section?  Are  they  “leaders”  in  thought  and 
organization  work? 
We  Have  Got  To  Do  It  Ourselves 
Eggs:  Market  closed  weak;  paying  prices  to  farm¬ 
ers,  standards,  18c. 
Farm  Implements:  Mowers,  5-ft.  cut,  $35  to  $37. 
The  auction  sales  of  harvesters  were  largely  attended, 
and  prices  were,  in  the  main,  satisfactory. 
Why  should  the  first  item  be  true,  and  the  second 
imaginary? 
Supply  and  demand,  the  economists  tell  us.  But  let 
us  reason  ru-orber.  For  several  thousand  years  the 
tillers  of  the  soil  have  been  producing  food,  and  as  for 
the  visible  supply  on  hand  there  have  been  in  the  last 
year  many  people  who  starved  to  death.  Then  imagine 
what  would  happen  if  for  one  year  only  there  should 
be  a  total  failure  of  food  crops  in  the  United  States 
alone.  So  it  would  seem  that  the  farmer  may  assuredly 
reckon  on  a  demand  for  what  he  may  raise. 
Mark  Sullivan  once  wrote  that  the  people  of  Cali¬ 
fornia  furnished  the  most  interesting  school  of  sociology 
in  the  country,  and  perhaps  her  farmer’s  are  uncon¬ 
sciously  pointing  the  way  that  will  lead  to  a  more 
equitable  return  for  (heir  labor.  Briefly,  it  is  the  asso¬ 
ciation  with  teeth.  The  daily  press  reported  last  season 
that  one  cantaloupe  grower,  against  the  rules  of  the 
association,  picked  several  crates  of  green  melons.  The 
inspector  fined  him  $50  and  destroyed  the  melons. 
Again,  later  in  the  season,  under  heavy  shipments,  the 
markets  showed  signs  of  breaking,  and  orders  were 
issued  that  no  melons  be  shipped.  Not  a  melon  was 
shipped  until  the  price  recovered  sufficiently,  in  the 
opinion  of  the  association,  to  give  profitable  returns. 
Let  .us  try  to  imagine  what  would  happen  if  each 
potato  growing  State  had  its  association  with  teeth,  and 
all  were  merged  into  a  national  association  with  jaws. 
At  the  opening  of  the  season  the  national  association 
would  fix  a  fair  price  and  prepare  to  make  starch  or 
alcohol  or  otherwise  dispose  of  the  possible  surplus.  The 
all-important  question  would  be :  Could  the  association 
controlling  most  of  the  crop  also  control  the  price? 
Much  might  be  written,  but  I  will  ask  one  question  in¬ 
stead.  If  the  United  States  Steel  Company,  or  the 
Standard  Oil  Company  owned  the  major  part  of  a  crop, 
would  they  sell  it  below  cost  of  production? 
California.  p.  b.  Crosby. 
Preparing  for  the  Apple  Exposition 
Fruit  growers  of  the  East  interested  in  the  Eastern 
Apple  Exposition  and  Fruit  Show,  to  be  held  November 
3  to  10,  1923,  at  Grand  Central  Palace,  New  Yoi’k  City, 
held  a  meeting  April  10  at  the  Commodore  Hotel  to 
discuss  and  perfect  plans.  Representatives  were  there 
from  eight  Eastern  apple  growing  States.  Everyone 
present  was  enthusiastic  and  thought  that  this  might 
•  easily  prove  to  be  one  of  the  most  px-ofitable  educational 
and  advertising  expositions  relative  to  the  Eastern  fruit 
growing  industry  that  has  ever  been  arranged.  It  was 
also  believed  that  its  influence  upon  the  packing,  sale 
and  use  of  Eastern  apples  might  mark  the  beginning 
of  a  new  era  in  Eastern  apple  growing.  It  is  not  the 
p impose  of  the  fruit  growers  back  of  this  exposition  to 
run  down  or  try  to  discredit  apples  or  other  fruit  grown 
in  any  other  section,  and  the  following  preamble  and 
resolution  was  unanimously  adopted: 
“There  never  having  been  any  authorized  statement 
issued  by  the  Eastern  Apple  Exposition  and  Fruit  Show 
derogatory  to  any  other  sections  of  the  United  States, 
published  articles  to  the  contrary  : 
“Resolved,  That  the  purpose  of  the  Easteni  Apple 
Exposition  and  Fruit  Show  is  to  advertise  Eastern- 
grown  fruit  and  fruit  products ;  to  increase  the  con¬ 
sumption  of  Eastern-grown  apples  and  improve  the 
quality  of  the  pack ;  to  educate  the  consuming  public 
to  use  more  fruit  and  fruit  products;  to  encourage  a 
greater  effort  upon  the  part  of  the  fruit  growers  in 
advertising  their  own  products,  and  to  stimulate  interest 
in  every  way  in  the  fruit  industry  in  the  Eastern 
States.” 
The  Eastern  States,  however,  do  intend  to  present 
for  public  exhibition  and  test  apples  grown  in  the  East 
that  cannot  be  excelled  for  flavor  and  quality,  also 
apples  of  an  appearance  that  will  please  the  eye  as 
well  as  the  palate,  and  they  intend  also  to  emphasize 
the  fact  that  these  Eastern  apples  can  be  grown  close 
to  the  Eastern  city  consumer,  and  are  his  most  economi¬ 
cal  source  of  supply.  They  also  expect  to  instruct  the 
consumer  as  to  what  varieties  to  purchase  for  cooking, 
baking  and  dessert,  and  that  the  best  of  these  are  grown 
in  the  Eastern  States. 
Fruit  cooking  demonstrations  will  be  held  throughout 
the  Exposition,  apple  and  other  Eastern  fruit  products  of 
all  kinds  will  be  shown.  Everyone  attending  will  have  the 
opportunity  of  personally  testing  Eastern  apples.  This 
project  is  certainly  one  that  Virginia,  West  Virginia, 
Maryland,  Delaware.  Pennsylvania.  New  Jersey,  every 
New  England  State  and  New  York  can  all  co-operate  iii. 
and  not  a  single  one  of  the  13  can  afford  to  keep  out. 
Every  one  left  the  meeting  for  home  with  the  avowed 
purpose  of  going  back  home  and  arousing  more  interest. 
We  must  show  our  possibilities  and  also  exhibit  fruit 
in  commercial  packages  that  can  be  supplied  to  the  con¬ 
sumer  and  trade  in  commercial  quantities.  We  have 
got  to  use  greater  care  in  growing  and  packing,  and 
this  will  sui’ely  pay.  b. 
New  York  State  Notes 
The  county  wool  associations  are  getting  active  again 
now  that  the  clip  is  being  taken.  Steuben  County  is 
prepai’ing  to  get  into  the  State  pool  again  with  an  in¬ 
crease  in  the  amount  that  will  be  loaded.  Last  year 
the  local  association  pooled  30.500  lbs.  The  directors 
of  the  association  look  for  the  amount  this  year  to 
reach  the  100.000  mark. 
Now  that  Wyoming  County  has  received  its  countv 
appropriation  for  the  eradication  of  tuberculosis,  there 
is  started  an  active  canvass  to  get  the  breeders  lined 
up  so  as  to  carry  on  the  work  economically.  Castile  is 
the  township  that  has  already  secured  the  most  breeders 
interested  in  the  project,  so  the  work  will  start  in  that 
township. 
Although  the  picnic  season  seems  a  long  way  off. 
active  associations  that  are  planning  their  work  ahead 
have  already  named  the  date.  The  Genesee  County 
Guernsey  Breeders’  Association  has  selected  the  date 
of  June  23.  This  was  arranged  at  their  last  monthly 
meeting.  At  the  same  time  the  association  ai-ranged  to 
give  a  purebred  calf  as  a  prize  for  the  junior  project 
work  which  holds  its  county  exhibit  at  the  county  fair. 
The  fruit  growei’s  around  Geneva  are  interested  in 
establishing  a  new  storage  plant  to  care  for  the  fruit 
that  is  handled  by  the  Western  New  Yoi’k  Co-operative 
Apple  Packing  Association.  A  number  of  growers  belli 
a  meeting  in  Geneva  on  April  4  and  discussed  the  value 
and  possibilities  of  a  storage  plant  there.  The  proposed 
storage  will  have  a  capacity  of  60,000  barrels. 
The  spray  service  that  has  been  successfully  carried 
on  by  the  Wayne  County  Farm  Bureau  will  be  con¬ 
tinued  this  year.  The  value  of  this  service  is  more 
striking  since  the  advent  of  the  central  apple  packing 
associations.  It  has  been  pointed  out  that  members  of 
the  spi*ay  associations  have  averaged  97  cents  on  Bald¬ 
wins  and  85  cents  on  Greenings  more  than  men  living 
in  the  same  communities  who  have  not  been  members 
of  the  association.  E.  A.  f. 
