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The Independent Farm, Home and Market Weekly, for Michigan Business__Far

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Vol. V - No. 15

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15th, 1917.

MONT CALM FARMERS UNITED IN
‘ OPPOSITION TO GRADING METHODS

 

Five Hundred Potato Growers Gathered from Radius
of Twenty Miles to Discuss Means of Securing
Revision of New Potato Grading Rules

 

Over ﬁve hundred potato growers of
Montcalm county gathered at the
Greenville coliseum last Friday eve-
ning, December 7th, to discuss the
methods being employed in the grad-
ing of potatoes, and to voice their
protest. against them. No more en-
thusiastic or largely attended meeting
of farmers was ever held in Montcalm
county.

The meeting was held under the
auspices of the Greenville Elevator
and Produce Company, a farmers’ co-
operative organization. Prof. C. W.
Waid, potato expert of the extension
department of the agricultural col-
lege, and Mr. W. F. Allewelt of the U.
S. Bureau of Markets spoke in de

tense. of,the grades while F. A; Lord:
of .MIGHIGAN Busnvssls FARMING pre'

sented the.) ‘growers’

arguments
against the new rules. ‘

Convinced in their own'minds of
the utter unfairness of the grading,‘

the farmers came to the meeting fully
prepared to argue their case, and ﬁred
question after question at the govern-
ment representative. Part of these
he was able to answer to their satis-
faction; the majority of them, how-
ever, confused him. Prof. Waid at-
tempted to divert the discussion by
asking permission to show his educa—
tional slides, but this was refused.
The farmers had come to talk potato
grading and objected to any attempt
to interfere with an open discussion
of that topic.

Mr. Allewelt conﬁned his arguments
in behalf of the grading methods to
those employed by his superiors which
was quite the natural and proper
thing for him to do. When asked as
to why the anticipated beneﬁts of the
new potato grade rules were not yet
in evidence, his only reply was that
they would become manifest when the
growers and consumers fully under-
stood them. But he could not explain
how the rules would help the farmers
of Montcalm county or any other coun-
W for that matter if their beneﬁts
did not show themselves until six
months hence.

The .MIcIIIGAN BUSINKss FARMING
representative was able to give a num—
ber of interesting facts which the
farmers had not previously known.
He showed that few, if any of thebig
markets were selling graded stock,
that Detroit commission ﬁrms which
had already handled several hundred
cars of potatoes had not had ONE SIN-
GLE call for graded stock. He show-
ed that the grading rules were not

operative in all states and that there

fOre, the farmers of Michigan were
being discriminated against. He'read'
from a letter written by a New York
subscriber under date of November 30,
who stated that he was very much in-

  

terested in the Michigan potato situ-
ation because he had a quantity to sell,
but expressed his surprise at the com-
pulsory grading rules effective in
this state. “They are not grading
potatoes here, and farmers are get-
ting $1.50 to $1.75 a bushel,” he said.

Talks were also given by John Bale,
a Lakeview shipper who some time
ago wrote a letter to MICHIGAN BUSI-
NESS FARMING defending the grades;
by S. T. Meadsker of a local potato
buying ﬁrm, who stated that he was
formerly opposed to the grades, but
had been won over by other shippers
at a meeting of gOVernment men and
shippers—rho grower was present—
held} at Grand Rapids, to put the
grades in effect; while prominent
farmers voiced their objections in no
uncertain manner,

Following the discussion a resolu-
tion was unanimously passed recom-
mending the elimination of the No. 2
grade and the reduction of the screen
to one and one-half inches. A com-
mittee was also appointed to take
whatever further measures deemed
expedient to secure a revision of the
grades. This committee consisted of
the following named persons: L. A.
Siple, Mr. Lincoln, Clair Taylor, D.
H. Fisher, E. A. Rasmussen, W. H.
Taylor. Practically every farmer
present signed a petition addressed to

Mr. Hoover, asking for the discontin-,

trance of the present method of grad-
ing.

Altho it was not anticipated that
the committee selected should go to
Washington, MIcnIGAN BI'SINICSS FARM-

 

 

Actual size of potatoes whichgpassed thru an inch and ﬁfteen-sixteenth

 

ING is endeavoring to make arrange-
ments to pay the expenses of such a
visit, as by all means the farmers of
Michigan should have some kind of
representation in a matter of such
importance as this.

Thousands of farmers are signing
petitions that have been prepared and
these will be sent to Mr. Slocum the
ﬁrst of the coming week. If any of
our readers want to help the cause
along, they should write at once for
petition blanks to circulate among
their neighbors. It is anticipated that
other meetings will be held in the var-
ious potato growing sections of the
state to supplement the action taken
by the Montcalm farmers.

OH, THE HAPPY, HAPPY
DAYS OF NINETY-SIX

 

Some thotless soul wandered back
thru the ﬁles of the Tecumseh Horald
the other day and brot to light some
ﬁgures on the cost of foodstuffs back
in the dark ages of 1896. Here they
are: Butter, 13c; eggs, 100; lard, 8c;
potatoes, 20c per bu.; beans, $1.10 per
bu. In the meat line bacon was selling
for 10c; beef, 5 and 6c per 1b., and
hogs alive brought $3.75. Grain, seeds
and hay were next on the list, with
wheat selling for 65c per bu.; corn, 300
and 35c per bu.; oats. 20 to 250; good
timothy hay per ton, $12.00 to $14.00.

Those were the happy days. Dad
and mother and the kids and the hired
man,-no, not the hired man; they
couldn’t afford to have a hired man
in those days, all got up at four in
the morning, milked the cows. and fed
the pigs long before break of day, then
hustled off to the fields and worked
and SWeated and sweated and worked
ten long hours, to return at night with
nothing to do but milk the cows and
feed the pigs and coral the sheep and
bed the horses, then nothing to do till
morning. Gosh it don’t seem as if
mother could have saved much pin
money out 0’ that 13 cent butter and
10 cent eggs; and how could father

 

(Continued on page 4)

inch

screen on a Boggs sorter at a Grecnville'warehouse, and brot home by our editor
to show the Food Administration why Michigan growers object to selling No. 2
potatoes for 40 cents a bushel, as many 0 R then are obliged to do.

PER YEAB.--No Premiums.
$ Free hint or Clubbing UM"!

W. MlCH. WHEAT
DEAL IS PROBED

U. S. Grain Corporation Advises
Michigan Business Farming
Action Will be Taken to
Secure Better Prices
on Grand Rapids
Market

 

 

Several weeks ago we published a
communication from a Kent City sub—
scriber complaining of the low prices
which elevators in that section, under
the control of a large Grand Rapids
Milling company, were offering for
wheat. The evidence submitted show-
ed that the companies were not offer-
ing within four or live cents per bush-
el of what they should. but, because of
certain trade customs. the elevators
were loath to change their marketing
connectionse so that they might pay
the farmers fair prices.

MIcIIIGAN BI'sINIcss FARMING referr-
ed the matter to the U. S. Food Ad-
ministration Grain Corporation, and
on December 12th. We were advised
that an investigation had been start-
ed, and the dealers cautioned to re-
spect. the farmers’ rights. Before lay-
ing this correspomleuce before our
readers we are endeavoring to secure
a concrete statement from the Grain
Corporation of the precise action that
was taken and how it will effect the
prices paid to growers.

We would appreciate it if our Kent
county readers would advise us of any
advance or decrease in their local
wheat prices.

MAINE SHIPMENT LIGHT;
FARMERS HOLDING SPUDS

Aroostook county farmers are hold-
ing up their potatoes as the bulk of
shipments from Maine now are coming
out of warehouses. However, ship—
ments out of the state are exceeding-
ly light. Practically nothing is going
to the New York market which in
other seasons is one of the heaviest
users of Aroostook county potatoes.
Farmers are ﬁrm in their ideas and
will not sell unless they got their price.
On November 30 shipments of potatoes
out of Maine for the season had been
4,712 cars. For the same time last
year shipments were 11,682 cars. In
other words, there were 6,970 cars of
potatoes more shipped out of Maine
up to December 1. in 1916 than in the
same period of 1917.

 

 

BETTER TRANSPORTATION
OF COAL IS PROMISED

 

In directing its efforts toward a re-
lief of the transportation situation as
to coal, the U. S. Fuel Administration
will take steps to insure an adequate
squly of coal cars and an unrestrict-
ed movement of them to and from the
coal ﬁelds. This will help mine oper-
ators to bend their efforts toward an
increased production.

 


 
  
        
      
   

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A ‘ uments For (“an

 

U. 8. FOOD ADMINISTRATION

Washington, D. C.
_ December 5, 1917
Mr. Grant Slocum,
Mr. Forrest A. Lord,
Editors MICHIGAN BUSINESS FARMING,
Mount Clemens, Michigan. ;

GentlemenzwI am very glad to have your letter of the 30th of Novem-
ber, addressed to Mr. Sweet, and of the opportunity of putting you right on
this grading proposition for I do not believe that you fully understand it
and realize that a publication with the inﬂuence that yours has among
farmers would be of valuable assistance in bringing about conditions that I
am sure must result very favorably for your state, and I wish very much
that I might ﬁnd the time to see you and talk the proposition over with you.
I wish that I had been able to'do this when the movement ﬁrst started.

Now, as you realize, there are always a certain number of people
opposed to any movement, many of whom, perhaps, do not fully understand
the proposition to start out with.

GRADING ENABLES SHIPPERS To FORCE ACCEPTANCE

In the ﬁrst place, you must know that became there has been no estab-
lished grade on potatoes, it has been impossible to force acceptance on a
declining markets and wastes have resulted from the shipment of stock
that was not properly assorted and contained worthless potatoes to begin

with and I believe you will recognize that the losses resulting from these '

causes must be borne both by producer and consumer.

The Bureau of Markets made careful investigation of the result of
grading in various sections on various commodities and it is established
without doubt that such sections as best grade any commodity are the sec-
tiOns which secure the best prices. Take Florida potatoes, for instance, as
compared to Texas. Coming nearer home, take western boxed apples as
compared to Michigan barreled apples, or New York barreled apples as
compared to Michigan barreled apples. Michigan can produce as good fruit
as any state in the Union, yet, the grading and packing of Michigan apples
has never been what it should be. The result is, that prices on this com-
modity in Michigan are perhaps as low as in any producing section in the
country. Getting back to potatoes—take either the far West where better
grading has been in effect, or in Maine where the same conditions have pre-
vailed. The prices are always relatively nearer a wholesale price than in
such states as do not grade. It is my intention to have promulgated by the
Food Administration such rules as will eliminate the waste occasioned by
rejections, and in this connection, we have already seen considerable beneﬁt

A Michigan shipper had two cars of potatoes here in Washington, sorted
11p to U. S. No. 1 grade. They were refused, and on inspection by the Bureau
of Markets it was determined that they were up to grade and the consignee
had allowed them to stand on track, ﬁrst refusing, then agreeing to accept
them, later again refusing them, the potatoes deteriorated and the matter
being brought to the attention of the Food Administration he ﬁnally decided
to accept. There had been considerable waste occasioned and it is contem—
plated that his license Will be revoked. Now, if Michigan shippers know
that when they make a sale, they are in a position to ship stock that will
be accepted, naturally they can afford to play closer to the price at which
they are selling than would otherwise be the case. The present market con-
ditions, are, in a gneat measure due to the fact that a great many ﬁeld-
frosted potatoes from many sections have been shipped and have reached
large consuming markets. With a strict compliance with rules these would
have been sorted out before shipment and there would have been a saving
of a large quantity of food which rotted in transit and the conservation of
railroad equipment and of losses borne by the shipper. Because of these
losses, shippers cannot afford to pay the prices which otherwise competition
would force him to pay, and we have at present a congested market condi-
tion that is reacting very unfavorably to the growers and is not, to any

great extent, of proﬁt to the consumer, for the proﬁts mainly accrue to.
The retailer as a rule'

those who reject stock and secure an allowance.
bases his price on the peaks and for some time after the market declines,
the retailer’s prices remain at previous levels.

I am very sure that after the grading has been in effect for a short
time that it will be recognized by everyone and the beneﬁts of grading are
such that the practice will never be discontinued.

NOT ONE LOGICAL‘OBJECTION IN ALL LETTERS PUBLISHED

Now, referring to the numerous letters of your correspondents: Mr.
W. A. G. states that he has graded for six seasons. using 1% inch screen
and has never had a kick on a single car. This is indeed remarkable. Per-
haps it is due to the fact that he did use 1% inch screens which were not
used generally. I call your attention to the fact that these grades recom-
mended provide for the taking from farmers of potatoes that are down to
11/; inch in diameter, so really the farmer will have the opportunity of dis-
posing Of a larger percentage of his potatoes than under this man’s previous
method.

C. J. F. of Otsego approves of grades but certainly misunderstands the
recommendations of the Food Administration. There is no recommendation
as to the difference in price between N0. 1 and No. 2. The difference will
naturally be adjusted by competition and it is the writer’s belief that the

NO. 2 put up as speciﬁed will sell much nearer the price of NO. 1 than is‘

generally believed. Furthermore, I think his conclusion that the shipments
of these grades will haVe a tendency to lower the grade of seed used on the
farms is erroneous, for the adoption of these grades would or should be a
stimulus for the production of a better quality, for the farmer who has a
better quality than his neighbor will now receive a larger price for his
goods. In the past it has too frequently been the case that a man with
nicely sorted, smooth, well shaped potatoes has gotten no more for his goods
than the man who has carelessly loaded and hauled ﬁeld run. Certainly
there should be some incentive to induce farmers to produce a better qual-
ity. With a reputation for quality, prices in accordance can be secured.
Certainly K. B. of Edmore would not have the country understand
that his section has only produced two to ﬁfteen bushels per acre. As a
matter of fact there is not one logical objection in all of the letters which
you have published and I have no doubt but that your views of the situation
are inﬂuenced, as necessarily they must be, by the letters which you have

MICHIGAN BUSINESS FARMING

Mt. Clemens, Mich.
December 10th,1917
ir. E. P. Miller
U. S. Food Administration,
Washington, D. C.

My dear Sir: —Your letter of December 5th has received our closest at-
tention. Your arguments have been carefully analyzed. Our conclusions
are than you labor under a complete misunderstanding of the objections we
have raised to the present method of gradingpotatoes. You have made no
statement relative to the general principles of grading and sorting potatoes
or other commodities which we do not endofse. We regret that you should
have construed our previous letter and the opinions of our readers in any
other light.

FARMERS ARE NOT OPPOSED To GRADING PRINCIPLES .

The farmers of Michigan are NOT opposed to the principles of grading
stock, according to size, quality or any other classiﬁcation which may prove
beneﬁcial to them and to the average consumer. But they DO oppose, al-
most to a man, a double grading of potatoes, in the ﬁxing of which they had
no. voice; which is neither compulsory nor universal; which unfairly dis-
criminates against the interests of both producer and consumer, to the ben-
eﬁt of the dealer and the retailer; which classiﬁes 30 per cent of the price
offered for No. 1 stock, as a result of which thousands of them are facing
ﬁnancial loss, if not disaster.

Is it not true that the present grading rules were established at a con-
ference held at Washington last spring between the buyers and shippers of
the country and members of the federal reserve board; that not a single
representative grower was invited to attend the meeting; that not a single
farmers' organization was consulted; that not a single effort was made to
conﬁde in the rank and ﬁle of the nation’s farmers? This vitally important
matter which so closely concerns the interests of the growers was settled
without their knowledge, or sanction.

The planting was already over; in response to the government’s wishes
the farmers of the state planted the biggest acreage in their history, glad to
do their duty, but ﬁrm in their faith that the government would not let them
suffer when the time to market came. And very few farmers realized the
full signiﬁcance of the new grading rules until they began to market their
crops and were confronted with the astounding discovery that a large part
Of the crop was to be classed as culls, with little if any marketable value.
Can you wonder, Mr. Miller, that a howl of protest went up?

DEMAND FOR GRADED STOCK IMAGINARY INSTEAD OF REAL

Several weeks after the marketing season opened, the Food Administra-
tion bestirred itself to formulate machinery for the enforcement of the grad-
ing rules. But it was too late then; millions of bushels of potatoes had al—
ready been placed upon the market in an ungraded condition. But never-
theless, the dealers were organized, licensed, and in this state presumably
compelled to abide by the new rules. Other sections of the country were
left free to market their crop as they pleased, without the restraining or
regulating hand of the government. Even as late as Nov. 30th, many New
York farmers were marketing stock in an ungraded condition as evidenced
‘rom letters received by us from a subscriber in Franklinville, Catt CountY.
New York, who stated that “they were not gnading potatoes there.” We
therefore have had the anolamous situation of Michigan graded stock
being sold for less money on eastern markets than New York ungraded stock.
Why? Simply because the demand which the food administration claimed
existed for graded stock was largely imaginary and because to date the cam-
paign that has been carried on to encourage the consumer to buy graded
stock, has miserably failed. The evidence seems to show that the average
consumer does NOT demand graded stock and cannot be sufﬁciently prevailed
upon this year to buy according to grade, to make the new rules satisfactor-
ily Operative or attain the objects intended. Further evidence of this is
found in the fact that Detroit commission houses, and we have particularly
in mind one of the largest co-operative clearing houses for farm products in
the United States, have not had ONE SINGLE order for graded stock, altho
they have shipped hundreds of cars so far this season.

FARMERS WANT TO KNOW WHAT BECOMES OF NO. 2 GRADE

Investigations show that a large percentage of the crop in this state is
beng classed as seconds. Some dealers are buying these at 60 per cent of
the price offe1 ed for No.1 g1ade. Others refuse to buy at all, resulting in a
huge loss to their patrons. What becomes of this No. 2 giade that is being
purchased we do not know, nor have we been able to ﬁnd out. Despite ex-
haustive search in the city of Detroit we are unable to locate a single store
that is advertising of offering for sale graded potatoes. The only potatoes
we can ﬁnd on sale in Detroit today are a mixed lot, and they are being
quoted at from 35c to 40c per peck 01 from ‘30 to 90 cents a bushel more than
is being paid the grower for No. 1 stock. Detioit is not the only market,
apparently, on which graded stock is an unknown commodity. The major-
ity of Chicago retail stores are selling ungraded stock solely. The farmers
of Michigan want to know and they have 21 right to know what becomes of
this No. 2 stock. There is no evidence submitted by you or anyone connected
with your department that this stock is being placed upon the market and
sold as No. 2 grade.

In your statements, you make no distinction between “graded” and
“sorted” potatoes. “Graded” potatoes, according to our interpretation, are
potatoes that have been separated according to size by the use of screens,
whereas sorted potatoes are those that have been separated according to
appearance, quality, and condition.
two, is there not, Mr. Miller? We agree absolutely that every unsound,
scabby or blemiShed potato should be sorted out and kept from the market.
But the sorting out of sound stock because a little undersized is an altogether
different matter.

GRADING 0F POTATOES CAN’T SOLVE PROBLEM OF UNSTABLE MARKETS

You state that the'Bureau of Markets has established to its own satis-
faction the fact that such sections as best grade their potatoes secure the
best prices. This is no argument at all for universal, compulsory grading
of potatoes. When all potatoes are graded alike no one section can secure
better prices than another on such grounds. Do you not agree with me
that the universal grading of potatoes according to size cannot possibly solve

(These letters concluded on page 10.)

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WASHINGTON,
D. C.——The Bolshe-
viki regime is hav-
ing a hard struggle
to win the conﬁ-

  
  
 
 

dence and support,

of the rank and ﬁle of the great Rus-
sian middle class which has control
of the bulk of the nation’s ﬁnances
and supplies. The persistent harrass-
ing of. the Cossacks, under General

,Korniloff and Kaledine, and their ac-

cess to the food supplies as well as
the railroads of the nation are giving
the Lenine government great concern.
Despite this, however, the counter rev-
olution movement has not acquired
sufﬁcient strength to loosen the B01-
sheviki hold on the reins of govern-
ment. There can be no question but
what the present government is more
representative of the great mass of
Russian people than any other govern-
ment which has held sway in the great
empire. Altho the Bolsheviki move-
ment may not be able to withstand
the attacks that are being made by the
powerful remnants of the old auto-
cratic military machine and the Ker-
enski government, for the present at
least, its leaders are making sincere
efforts to solve the problems confront-
ing the Russian soldiery and peasant-
ry, and seem to be consistent in their
attempts to secure an early democrat-
ic peace for all nations. The princi-
ples of the Bolsheviki are the very
essence of democracy, but it will not
be surprising if they are unable to
gather up the broken political ends of
that shattered country and weld them
together into an efﬁcient government.
Many Washington ofﬁcials still be-
lieve that the Allies are not giving
the infant democracy the encourag-
ment they should or using proper pre-
cautions to keep it from getting
burned in the hidden ﬁre of the Ge '-
inan peace plan.

I i

The resolution to amend the con-
situation to prohibit the manufacture
and sale of alcoholic beverages has
already passed the senate and will be
voted on in a few days in the house.
It is predicted by Representative
Randall, dry member from Californ-
ia, that the measure will pass the
house with 40 or 50 votes to spare. The
judiciary committee has also reported
favorably upon the woman suffrage
amendment. which will also be acted
upon by both branches at this session.
Provision is made for the automatic
repeal of both resolutions within sev—
en years after their adoption by con-
gress, providing three-fourths of the
states do not act favorably upon them
within that period. lf three—fourths
of the states vote favorably upon the
resolutions, they will become effect-
ive over the entire country within
one year thereafter. Fifteen years
ago the man who dared to breathe a
word against. booze or admit that
women had brains, was promptly put
down as a crank and an idiot. In the
earlier days, the man who did not per—
fume his breath a half dozen times a
day with some kind of gin was a sis-
sy lacking many qualities of man—
hood. And to even suggest that wom-
en ought to vote was to invite the
snickers of one's male constituency.
But men’s minds do change, and it
seems at last that the great crimes
that have been committed in the name
of whiskey ,are to be expiated, and
woman placed upon an equal footing
with the man she has borne.

t

Washington and the United Slams
eagerly await the declaration of the
Allies’ peace plans according to Pres-
ident Wilson’s wishes and suggestions.
A recent London dispatch" states that
Lloyd George is preparing to make
clear, explicit deﬁnitions and up-to-
ﬂntn elucidation of war aims. The Ital-
ian and Russian developments seem
to have climaxed a period of war, and
the time seems to have arrived for
everyone to take another good look
at the job befére us, give our sus-
penders another bitch and go to it

:W ASH? ’ 1mm; ”LETTER

.qﬂ

harder than ever. But in the mean-
time, we want to know. just what the
fruits of the battle are to be.

ﬁ 1 1!

If Mr. Wilson takes much more of.
the “kick” out of beer,,it’ll soon be
the most unpopular “soft” drink on
the market. Meroover wants the al-
coholic content reduced to 2 percent,
but it is said that the President will
compromise on two and three quar-
ters percent. It is cruel to keep the
people in such terrible suspense over
a matter of such grave importance.
Let us know the worst.

* * It

The food administration has an-
nounced an increase of 10 cents a
hundred pounds in the wholesale price
on beet sugar, in order to place the
beet product on the same level as
that of cane. It is anticipated that a
further slight increase will be per-
mitted later on. We are unable to
advise our readers this week‘just
what effect this action will have up-
on the prices paid the growers, but
should be able to cover the matter
completely the coming week.

* * III

The government’s ﬁnal crop esti-
mate is about the most “bearish” doc-
ument yet published. The potato es-
timate still hangs around the 440,000,-
000 mark, and record crops of beans
and onions are also established. The
ﬁgures tickle the Food Administra-
tion but some of the farmers insist
that they’re ’way too high. Only
time will tell.

      
 

\ . 3171~om all Parts of abusyfs

Cuba produced more sugar last year
than ever before. The output was
3,019,936 tons against 3,006,624 for
the previous year.

t It I
Last month was the dryest Novem-
ber since 1894. Michigan had just
one-half inch of rainfall. The tem-
perature for the month was normal,
averaging thirty-eight degrees.
It 1* #

  
 

 

Paris, France. is for the ﬁrst time
on bread rations. Workingmen are
allowed about one and one-third
pounds daily while men engaged in
light work get only a pound.

ii I ~‘

H. C. Neubrand, a traveling sales-
man, struck Fremont, Neb.. on meat-
less day. He entered four restaurants
and the hotel and demanded ham and
eggs. When these were refused he

started a row and landed in jail.
3! i it

Report comes from Washington
that, the House has decided to take a

s riﬂe-53:3 5F ileum G

vote on nation-wide prohibition and
natiOn-wide woman suffrage, on Dec-
ember 19 and 20, respectively. If
the solons follow the advise of their
constituents, both measures will be
adopted.

I t I

Representative Randall, of Califor-
nia, proposes to tax every acre of. un-
tilled land ﬁve dollars and every un-
tilled city or village let one dollar.
Unless weather conditions prove bet—
ter next year, the tax will be much
less than the loss if the ground is
tilled.

* Hi: It

Armour & Co. paid $2.10 per pound
for Merry Monarch, the champion
steer of the National Livestock show.
Merry brought just $3,381. The steer
was ﬁrst purchased by the American
Shorthorn Breeders’ Association, and
was later sold to Armour & Co., and
the money turned over to the Red

Cross.
* it It

Freight shipments through the
locks at the 800 during the month of
November exceeded all previous rec-

ords. The tonnage for the month to-
taled 11.154.508. Wheat headed the
list with 37,992,913 bushels; ﬂour

east, 1,293,410 barrels, soft coal, 1,-
685,586 tons; hard coal, 332.216 tons;
iron ore, seven and a half million

tons.
I a! at

Henry Ford, owner of the major-
ity of the stock of the Ford Motor Co,
has been ordered by the court to di-
an "097538500 of the company’s
surplus among the stockholders.
Dodge Brothers, who own ten per
cent of the Ford stock, brought the
suit for a division of the proﬁts, and
they have won in the lower courts.
No doubt the case will be carried to
the higher courts.

1 t I

Income tax ﬁgures show that the
United States has two hundred and
six men who have annual incomes of
more than one million dollars. Ten
of these men have annual incomes
exceeding ﬁve million dollars and the
one hundred and ninety-six have in-
comes ranging from one to ﬁve
million dollars. There were 473.0th

men who have incomes of more thm '

$4.000 per annum and were thus
obliged to pay the income tax under
the old law. If the government would
take over all incomes in excess of
ﬁfty.thousand dollars. it would not
be a'hard matter to ﬁnance the war.

C I 3

Representative Emerson of Ohio.
believes that the sugar shortagn is
entirely due to the lack of transporta-
tion facilities and not to a shortage
in production. He wants Hoover to
take charge of the whole sugar busi—
ness. He says: ”I have visited the
sugar plantations and mills in Louis-
iana and other southern states and
was amazed to ﬁnd the mills and the
warehouses ﬁlled with thousands up-
on thousands of barrels of reﬁned sus-
ar ready for the market but not moved
because of the lack of cars.” He has
presented a resolution in Congress
which might to set things going.

 

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To BE A 6C>‘—D‘ER AW?"
L Yo.) SHOULD
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ALLOW ‘(OU ..
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(AFTER o»).R
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ﬂuN? ’1’] I. : r ”X ,
94,044,100“? ;. -.
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Advices from Rome indicate that the
Central powers are now engagedin
what is considered the supreme effort

of the war. Italian aviators report
continual concentration of Austro-
Germans, their forces pouring onto
the Aisago plateau where desperate
ﬁghting is being waged. The Italians
have been compelled to evacuate the
arch which formed the line of defense
on the eastern side of the plateau. The
invaders have suffered enormous loss-
es in the renewed drive and are sac-
riﬁcing men with the utmost prodig-
ality. The Austro—German forces are
favored with exceptionally ﬁne weath-
er for this season of the year. There
is very little snow and the air is clear
and cold. Usually at this time of the
year there is from eight to, nine feet
of snow in the mountains. The com-
ing of real winter weather will be a
great ally to Italy and each day sees
the Italian lines strengthened and the
arrival of additional French and
British reinforcements.
8 # l!

The British forces in the Cambrai
front have found it advisable to retire
from Bourlon wood, that portion of
their new line being so situated as to
be subject to German ﬁre from three
sides. It could not be held save at
an enormous sacriﬁce of life. They
still hold more than two-thirds of the
ground recently won and their line is
now in such shape as to be more eas-
ily defended. The British made a mas-
terly retreat, accomplishing it without
the loss of a gun. The German com-
mander was unaware of what. was
afoot until the British roar guard blew
up the bridges over the Nord canal.
Even aftcr that the Germans continued
to shell Bourlon wood for hours. their
flycrs being unable to get over the
British linc-s to rcconnoitcr. Fighting
of the most severe nature continues
all along the front. heavy artillery
hurling thousands of shells into the
lines of the cucmy and bcing met with
a similar reply from tho (lcr'rian gun-
ners.

* 1k *

The U. S. destroyer .lacob Jones,
was torpedocd at S p. m. Thursday.
Dec. 6, with the loss of 70 American
lives. Two Michigan mcn. ll. l’. An-
derson of Holding and l‘.. Meier of
Bay City were among those lost. The
ship was on patrol duty about 500
miles off the lrish coast. The attack
came at, night and the darkness made
the work of the submarine more easy
and sure. The. explosion was such as
to cause the ship to sink almost imme-
d‘ately. very few of the men having
even a chance to plunge into the icy
waters of the Atlantic. The Jacob
Jones was one of the newest and larg-
est of the American destroyers. She
was completed in 1916 and at the time
ot‘ the sinking of the Orama rescued
.179 of the survivors. -

t It .1

Russian affairs show a little im-
provement. To the south the armies
are still co-operating with the Allied
forccs and have taken part in the re—
cent ﬁghting. Advices from Siberia
state that former Premier Kerenski
has been placed at the head of the new
government established there. The
Finns have set up a separate govern-
ment and the Bolsheviki are still in
the saddle at Petrograd. Conditions
generallly are chaotic and the suffer-
ing among the rank and ﬁle of the cit-
izens of that unhappy country increase
daily. A hitch has come in the peace
overtures being made by the Bolshe-
viki to Germany. They demanded the
withdrawal of the German forces
around Moon sound and this the Ger-
mans refused. What the outcome will
be no one can tell.

I i I

The boys of Camp Custer are organ-
izing company clubs and are in 'tall-
ing rented pianos, boxing gloves, med-
icine ball, books. etc. As real winter
draws near the folks of Battle Creek
note fewer of the boys in town. This
is accounted for by the entertainment
offered in camp by the Y. M. C. A., K.
of (1., Company clubs and other local
organizations. The snow and cold
weather recently has to some extert
interfered with outdoor drills and r'f’e
practice.

r n t

The British offensive in Palestine
has slackened somewhat, owing to un-
favorable weather. The last German
force in Africa. has been defeated and
all territory there is now out of the
hands of the Germans.

 


ARE STILL BUSY

Dealers and Speculators Continue
to Delude Farmers With False
Stories and Dire Predic-
tions on Bean Market

Below we reproduce a portion of an
article appearing in a recent issue of
the Detroit Free Press. It is very
cleverly worded and the real purpose

of the article are concealed beneath a .

cloak of verbiage and irrelevant in-
formation. It was written and pub-
lished for no other purpose than to de-
ceiVe the farmer who is not yet wise
to the tactics of the market speculat-
ors. It forms a part of a well organ-
ized campaign being conducted by the
“interests” to get beans onto the mar-
ket while the price is down, and is
the best indication in the world that
the speculators believe the price will
advance.

The innumerable stories that have
been set aﬂoat attempting to show

THURSDAY, NOV]?

Butt INDUSTRY
BECOMES GREAT

New York, Nov. 21.——-The import-
ance which the bean has assumed
in international trade in recent
3ears is one of the romances of
commerce. \Vhile it is true that
in the far east its worth has al-
Spars! been fairly. well appreciated

This comapny has found that TH
Manchuria, a. land of cheap labor.
the combined systcm of Chinese
hand labor and method with mod-
ctn machinery seems to be the ar~
rangemcnt which will give the best
results at the least cost. When this
project is fully developed America
will be supplied with beans grown
on American owned land with the
aid of Ameriacn machinery, though
probably not shipped in American
bottoms

Transpottation of beans and bean
products each swing from Newch—
“ting southwards has provided
\"cry pioﬂtable freight {01 several
lsruish steamship companies Up
until the outbreak of the war Ger-
many had been the largest con-
sumer of these beans among west-
ern (ountries.

The soya bean is grown in prac-
ticallx ex en pan of Manchuiia, the
southern bean being slightly more
\aluabie than the northern as it
(ontnins less water and meie oil.
The pritc of the northe1n bean has
been kept doun ccnslderablt in the
cast due to the nrmr r“

”“106

 

 

'—

h
t
t
r
I
e

”nan: PU! I

I I

 

why the bean market is destined to hit
the toboggan show that the dealers are
anxious to invest. While it may be
true that they are not able to specu—
late in this commodity as in years
gone by to the extent of holding for
any length of time in order to force
up the market, there is no doubt but
that the demand is strong and that
many dealers have some nice fat con—
tracts to ﬁll.

OH, THE IKEPY, HAPPY
DAYS OF NINETY—SIX

(Continued from page 1)

pay the interest on the mortgage out
of 20 cent potatoes and $1.10 beans?
But as we think back on it, the rec—
ollection comes that mother used to
buy pretty near as many things out
of her pin money in those days as
she can now. and father somehow or
other to figure out a little proﬁt, from
his spuds and beans. \l’e don't dare
compare these ﬁgures with present
day prices, as someone is sure to ac-
cuse the farmer of getting rich. And
that would never do, you know. The
farmer may be guilty of lots of other
things. but thank goodness, his con-
science is clear on one count, that ol
getting rich.

A Sherwood subscriber sends us a
dollar for M. B. F. but signs only his
initials, C. W. B. Jog your memories,
Sherwood folks and tell us who 0. W.
B. may be.

“JIM” HELM AIRS

VIEWS oN M. E E "

“Jim” Helm,——where have you heard
that name before?
teller that tried to earn his money
when working for the state is dairy
and food commissioner and conﬁs~
cated a lot of rotten apple cider, piz-
ened ketchup, boozy patent medicines
and put the manufacturers of doctor-
ed foods almost out of business, and
at present is ﬁlling the columns of
the Michigan Patron, the ofﬁcial or-
gan of the State Grange, with pure,
unadulterated common sense,—gave a
graphic description of MICHIGAN Busr-
NEss FARMING in the November issue
of the Patron, and inasmuch as Editor
Slocum is in Washington and unable
to refute Brother Helme’s statements,
we publish it herewith verbatim:

“MICHIGAN BUSINESS FARMING is the

name of a new farm paper published-

at Mt. Clemens, with Grant Slocum as
editor. A glance at its contents con-
vinces us that Mr. Slocum is a tyre at
running farm papers. If Mr. Slocum
will pick up some of the all-genuine,
dyed in the wool. really truly farm
papers he will ﬁnd them devoted sole-
1y to advocating more production, a
subject to which Mr. Slocum’s paper
seems to be giving very little thought.
But Mr. Slocum seems to be ﬁlling his
columns with advice to farmers on
how to get better prices through co-
operating farm organizations and
avoiding a whole lot of middlemen.

“The really truly farm paper don’t
interfere with the proﬁts of jobbers
and commission men it hollers for the
two blade grass theory and learnedly
discusses the rural church problem.
But we must be charitable with 1310
Slocum, he is young and inexperienced
and in time he may learn the real eth-
ics of running a farm paper."

FARM LOAN BOARD
BOOSTS INTEREST

The Federal Farm Loan board has
announced an increase in interest
rates to ﬁve and one-half per cent.

'Why, he’s the

ATM previous rate of interest at which-

farmers .have been borrowmg money
was ﬁve per cent. It was intimated
at the time the ﬁrst loans were made
that the rate might be decreased to
four and one-half per cent after the
law had become thoroly operative. No
explanation is given for the higher
rate, but it is said that war-time ﬂ-
nancing is largely to blame. It is
possible that the government’s credit
scheme is going to follow the same
road of costly inefﬁciency which has
accompanied so many governmental
enterprises in the; past? Prospective
borrowers need not be discouraged,
however. The new rate is much less
than the prevailing banking rate, and
the government charges no bonuses
for the service rendered.

CANADA’S LIVE STOCK
SHOWS GOOD INCREASE

Canadian livestock ﬁgures for 1917
show a decided increase over the pre-
vious year, ranging roughly from 4
per cent for hogs to 47 per cent for
horses. Milk cows increased about 13
per cent; sheep, 17 per cent; cattle
other than milk cows, 25 per cent.

The number of all kinds of livestock
is also greater than the pre—war aver-
age as well as greater than in 1914,
when the war began. American farm-
ers must consider, however, that Can-
ada’s livestock industry is much small-
er than that of the United States. The
number of milk cows, for instance. in
Canada, at the present time is 3,102,-
283, which is less than one-seventh the
number of the United States.

THE FRENCH SUGAR
BEET‘CROP SHORT

Using the production of 1913 as a
basis, the French sugar beet crop for
1917 is short 67.9 per cent or 148,000,-
000 bushels. This heavy loss to the re-
sources of France explains her des-
perate need for sugar and her depend-
ence on imports.

ESTIMATE OF WORLD’S SUGAR CROP

While the prospects that the world’s
production of sugar during the crop
year just beginning will be greater
than that of last. year by 303,209 tons,
a most important question in regard
to our own supply and that of our al-
lies is as to how this crop is distrib-
uted.

According to recent ﬁgures the sup-
plies on which the United States
draws are forecast to be increased
during the coming year by 285,087
tons as compared with last year, and
by 338,440 tons as compared with year
before last. The crccss over last year
is 7 per cent of the consumption of
the United States in 1916.

For the Americas as a whole the to-
tal estimated for 1917-1918 is 376,780
tons above last year’s production and
661,247 tons above the production of
the year before.

Of the sources outside our own
sphcrc on which our allies draw (if
not prevented by lack of shipping
space), Java and Mauritius are the
most important. In these countries
the incrcnsc forecast for the coming
year over lost year is 244.896 tons;
over year hcforclast, (383.094 tons.
The chief difﬁculty is using these sup-
plies particularly those from Java, is
the great distance. which requires an
uneconomical use of shipping.

Production forecasts for all Europ-
ean countries indicate a sharp (le—
crcosc from last year’s crop as, well as
(Iccrcosc from the pro-war period. The
production of our western allies (Eng—
land, France and Italy), 1s 51,951 tons
below last year’s production and 866,-
863 tons below the prewar production.
(Belgium territory in this case, is clas-
siﬁed with the enemy countries since
its crop is available to the enemy.)

'from Germany and Austria.

The decrease forecast for Russia is
289,990 tons as compared with last
year, and 358,842 as compared with
the year before the United States en-
tered the war.

The decrease forecast for the West-
ern neutrals (Spain, Switzerland, Hol-
land, Denmark, Norway and Sweden)
is 126.439 tons compared with last
year, and 191,328 tons compared with
the pre-war year.

In the enemy countries (Germany
and Austria-Hungary, to which must
be added Belgium’s crop,) the de-
crease compared with last year is
289.195, while compared with the pre
war year the decrease is 3,023,484
tons.

European production is forecast for
a decrease of 791,176 tons from last
year’s ﬁgures. The estimate for the
coming year is lcss than half the pro—
duction in the pre—war year.

Much of the sugar used in England,
France and Italy before the war came
That the
sugar crop in these two enemy coun-
tries has decreased materially is of
little import so far as the need of our
allies is concerned. England. France
and Italy need sugar and need it bad-
ly. Much of this year’s world’s crop
is not available because of its remote-
ness from Europe, and because ship-
ping space is not available. The bur~
den in this case falls heavily upon the
Western Hemisphere and especially
upon the United States and Cuba. To
supply this urgent need, and to sup-
ply it continuously necessitates rigid
economy on our part—economy not
alone because of the need of sugar but
also because of the need of shipping
space. '

Good Reasons Why Potato Market
Should Recover its Former
Activitv and Prices '
Advance‘

No one claims to possess prophetic
powers strong enough to tell what will
happen to the potato market. 31’9“.
the best informed can only study the
numerous factors affecting this mar-
ket at the present time and those
which still lie in the future and con-
sult his best. powers of judgment to
arrive at safe conclusrons.

In reviewing the potato situation
there are several patent facts which
we must admit. .,

First, it must be conceded that there .
is a bad slump in the market at the
present time, which is not apt to im-
prove until some time after the holi-
days. Discarding all reasons peculiar-
to the season, we must confess that
the slump has not been as great as
might have been expected and as is
normally the case during the crest of
the marketing season. Neither has
it shown the effects that were antici-
pated earlier in the season of the
"bearish” inﬂuence of the govern~
ment’s large crop estimate.

In addition to these natural and an-
nual inﬂuences the market this year
is being affected now and will contin-
ue to be by both “bearish” and ”bull-
ish” inﬂuences peculiar to the season.
The present slump in the market is
primarily due to the thousands of
bushels of rotted and ﬁeld- frosted stock
that has been dumped on 0 an already
sluggish market, making both dealers
and consumers wary of all stocks com-
ing in. Many tons of potatoes are go-
ing to waste before they reach the
consumers’ hands, and it will prob-
ably take another 30 days at least ,to
clean up this inferior stock and get
the market in a receptive mood again.

Of course, the big reason for the
slackened demand is due to the fact
that about a million good loyal Amer-
icans who never before saw a spud
growing in its native state, planted
potato peelings last spring and raised
enough tubers to satisfy their wants the
early part of the winter. These folks
will have their meagre supply eaten
up within another s’xty days, and will
be hungering for more.

It is the opinion of market author-
ities, also, that most consumers are
buying from hand to mouth, hesitat-
ing to lay in their winter supplies be-
cause they believe the huge govern-
ment estimate will eventually bring
prices to a lower level. As soon as
they realize prices will not go lower,
they will begin to buy their supplies
as usual, fearful that prices may go
higher.

It seems certain that the above-men-
tioned inﬂuences will eventually stim-
ulate the market and advance the
price. We believe this, in spite of
the ﬁnal estimate given out by the
government. which We still claim is
millions of bushels too high. with

,which many in close touch with the

situation are inclined to agree.

We are watching this market as
closely as possible for our readers
and are making arrangements to lo-
cate reporters in other important po-f
tato growing states so that we may
advise you from week to week what
is doing on their markets.

TRACTORS WORKING
ON FRENCH FARMS

A leading French farm publication
places great importance on increased
mechanical culture of the soil as an
economic beneﬁt to the country. Plow-
ing and harvesting have been accom—i
plished in one French canton at the
rate’of 72 1-2 acres in a total of 75
hours. Ten tractors with 20 workmen
are said to replace from 104 to 150
teams and as many workmen.

 


 

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«Myanmar-ea >‘ <' ""

2
f»!
1’
:

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

, New Y
No. 2 ltd 2.17 2.15 2.25
110. 3 Rod 2.14 2.12 2.22
No. 2 White 2.15 - 2.13 2.23
No.- 2 Blind 2.15 2.13 2.23

 

 

We are receiving many reports of

wheat being delivered to mills and,
elevators in musty condition. It ap-
pears from the reports that much

wheat which went into the growers’
bins in apparently good condition in
every way comes out musty. Some of
it is in such shape as to cause a con-
siderable loss. No doubt it will stand
every grower in hand to dig down in-
to the bins and examine his wheat.

Australian wheat is coming to this.
country in greater quantities than
ever before and it is claimed that
around 16,000,000 bus. of Canadian
wheat have been shipped to American
ports during the past two weeks. Much
of this wheat has come via. the lakes.
Flour exports are increasing daily and
the mills 'of this country have a task
such as they have never known. They
are running day and night and the
Government is keeping in close touch
with operations at all times.

Movement of wheat from the hands
of American growers is showing a con-
stant increase. We have claimed all
along that this would be the case as
soon as the rush of fall work was over.
Being in close touch with the growers
we have known that they were not
hoarding their wheat. We have stat-
ed this time and again through he
columns of M. B. F. and on the ﬂoor
of certain grain exchanges. It gives
us satisfaction to see things working
out as they are, and we know that
wheat will move quickly from the
hands of Michigan farmers. With the

established price there is nothing to '

gain by holding and considering the
shrinkage and other losses it means
a positive gain .to them to market at
this time.

The market editor would greatly ap-
preciate receiving a postal card from
our readers, giving advice as to how
the wheat and other grain is moving
in their section of the state and par-
ticularily as to whether or not the

wheat is showing any signs of must.
these

Let us all work together on
questions, for our common good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GRADE Detroit Chicago New York
No. 2 White
rd .77 .73 .87.
No.3 Whit. .76 1-2 .72 .861-2
No.4White .75 1-2 .71 1-2 .851-2
Oats remain at about the same

level as at the time of writing our
last article. There is still a market-
ward movement away under the de-
mand and we are surprised that the
price has not advanced at certain
eastern terminal markets, under pres-
sure of immediate needs, even furth-
er than it has, even though the price
at primary markets of the middle west
remain stationary or work lower. It
looks as though this would be the
case.

There is at present an immense am-
ount of grain held at country elevat-
ors, waiting transportation, but with
the car situation as it now is there is
no immediate prospect of this move-
ment.
the time had arrived when something
would have to be done along this line
as the great demands of the Allies
must be met. They are said to be
buying oats right now at the rate of
12000000 bushels per month. At many
points elevators are about ﬁlled and
growers are compelled to hold their
grain until the condition is relieved.

At the present time conditions are
far from normal as regards oats; they
seem to be moving independently of
corn, a condition seldom met with.
This, of course, is due entirely to the
lack of transportation facilities. We

said last week that we would not spec-

It would seem, however, that'-

'-' Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllﬂ"Vﬂllllllllllllllllllllllllllﬂlllllilllﬂllilﬂlllll|lllllllllllllllllllilmlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllliilllllllllllllllll“HE

 

 

 

 

 

 

strong and price well maintained.
good.
cess of demand.

Beans quiet past few days.
holds preference.

have a chance to clean up.
here, but such stock is scarce.

|Illllllillllllllllllllilllllllllllll|llllllllllllIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllil.

1T1111llllllllllllllllllllllllIlllllIllllIllllllllllllll|IlllllllullmillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIllllllll|Illllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll|lllllillllllllllIIllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllIlllllllillllllllllllllllllh:

ulate much on oats and we repeat it.
At the present time we do not see
how oats can continue to hold up in-
deﬁnitely to present values. But all

signs may fail in war time so keep
your eye on the ball. -

 

 

GRADE Detroit Chicago New York
No. 2 Yellow 2.08 Nominal 1.69 1-2
No. 3 Yellow 2.07 Nominal 1.69
No. 2 Mixed 2.03 1.65

 

 

 

 

 

 

The corn market is working lower.
The cash article is getting to a more
stable basis. Buyers are still working
hand-to—mouth as they feel that more
general declines are a matter of the
near future. There is no export buy-
ing at present and much of the corn
reaching primary markets is high in
moisture content and for other reas-
ons grades sample. Out of 1,258 cars
of all kinds reaching Chicago. 788
graded sample, a total of 62.8 per cent.

Some improvement in grade should
be noticeable from now on. Farmers
have been holding off on husking ow-
ing to the general condition of the
grain and this has given some of it a
chance to dry out. Our crop report-
ers throughout southern Michigan say
that com there is in very bad shape
and some of it has failed to harden
sufﬁciently to permit of shelling.

There is going to be a great shortage '

of good seed corn this coming spring.
While the germinating properties have
not been killed by the wet condition,
they will be if the corn is allowed to
freeze. Many farmers are drying the
seed corn in the house by the ﬁre, or
in buildings heated for the purpose.
This seed will no doubt prove satis-
factory and will be worth some money
next planting time.

Additional cars are being furnished
all over the corn belt to assist the
movement of the crop and as this in-
creases there will undoubtedly be a
further decline in prices. We believe
that farmers cannot do better than to

lllHllllillllillllllllllllllllIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

THE WEATHER

lIlnulll'l'llllllllll|m[":'l

Dec

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 1917

‘?

 

WASHINGTON, D. 0., Dec. 15.—
Last bulletin gave forecasts of dis-
turbances to cross continent Dec. 13
to 17 and 17 to 21, warm waves 12 to
16 and 16 to 20, cool waves 15 to 19
and 19 to 23. The cold waves preced-
ing and following ﬁrst of these warm
waves will be more severe than usual
and all weather features during that
week will go to extremes. Of partic-
ular importance will be the large in-
crease of rain and snow, both in
amount and extent, during the contin—
uance of that bunch of storms.

With this set of storms the forces
that have controlled crop—weather for
ﬁve months will pass out and give
no further anxiety. Those forces have
been pulling the moisture to the north
side of the highs and lows, giving more
rain than needed in some northeast—
ern sections and causing the Mexican
drouth to be unusually severe in south-
west sections. That condition will pass

lﬂlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIllllIllllllilll|l|lllllIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllﬂlllllllllllllllIlllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllIllllllllllllllllllllllllll':

Elm

 

DETROIT SPECIAL—Some increase in hay receipts but the market holds
Poultry receipts much lighter and demand
Potatoes moving slowly owing to unfavorable weather;

CHICAGO WIRE—Corn ﬁrmer on account of severe
points to an early break. Oats ﬁrm and inclined to strengthen on short market.
Some western stuck arriving but Michigan stock
PITTSBURG WIRE—~There is still a large stock of frosted and wet potatoes

on this market and such oﬂerings move at a loss to the shipper.
Good dry clean stock will still find a fair market

As forecasted by W. T. Foster for MICHIGAN BUSINESS FARMER

ward about March .

mmmmmllunmmmmmnnumnmnmuwmmnuununnmmum“mImmwaulmmuumummnnmmmmmmumumunuumnmmm

supply in ex-

weather, but everything

l!l|lllllll|lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

  

Market must

feed their wet corn to hogs right on
the farm. The returns will be much
more satisfactory and at the same time
they will be helping increase the nec-
essary supply of fats so badly needed
by our nation at this time.

 

Under a lighter movement and a
somewhat increased demand the rye
market has moved upward a little.
Lack of export demand however. is a
bearish factor and just what the fu-
ture holds for rye is a matter of con-

jecture. With the limited movement
at present we would not be surprised
to see the price work just a little high-
er but many things may work to pre-
vent this. The rye market is rather
slow, taking everything into consider-
ation. even though the price has ad-
vanced slightly.

One of our friends writes that
was about to sell his rye when
read our article stating that we expect-
ed to see prices advance just a little
further. As a result. he held and re-
ceived quite a nice increase per bushel.
We are glad to note that our humble
efforts are helping our friends and

he

trust the good work may continue.

 

 

 

 

M k 1.1 No. 1 Standard No. 2

H e Timothy Timothy Timothy
Detroit 24 50 25 00 23 50 24 00 22 50 23 50
Chicago 27 28 00 26 50 27 50 26 00 27 00
Cincinnati 29 00 29 25 28 50 29 00 28 00 28 50
Pittsburgh 29 50 30 00 27 50 28 75 27 00 28 00
New York 25 00 27 00|24 75 25 50 23 24 00
Richmond ‘31 00 37. 00 31 00 31 50 31 00 31 50

M rk ta No. 1 No. 1 No. 1

. e Light Mixed Clover Mixed Clover
Detroit 23 50 24 20 00 21 00 19 00 20 00
Chicago 20 22 00 19 00 21 N 18 50 20 50
Cinch-ah :28 50 28 75 28 00 28 50 23 25 28 50
Pithlmrgh ‘28 28 50 29 00 30 00 29 00 30 00

New York .21 23 19 50 21 00:18 20

Richmond 30 00 31 29 00 29 50'28 50 29

 

 

 

A general survey of the hay markets

"""" mmnwlummumuummmmmwwg

FOR THE WEEK

  

storms. But

5:.
E
=3
E

out with these severe .
complete relief to the droutb section
will be slow because the next three
months will contain only a, few severe
storms.

Next warm wave will reach Van—
couver about Dec. 21, and .tempera—
tures will rise on all the Pactﬁc slope.
It will cross crest of Rockies 'by close
of December 22, plains sections 2.},
meridian 90, grout lakes and Ohio val-
leys Dec. 24, eastern sections 25, reach—
ing vicinity of Newfoundland about
Dec. 26. Storm wave will follow about
one day behind warm wave and cool
nave about one day behind storm
wave.

This will bring a general warm wave
of weather and not much rain or snow.
Fairly good weather is expected for the
holidays on at least three-fourths of
the continent. No cold waves in
Sight for the holidays and not much
good sledding for the youngsters.

First half of January promises
warmer than usual. Not much rain
or-snow. Moderate cold wave follow-
ing Jan. 14. The month will be unus-
ually quiet. The southern states will
not get any bad freezes the coming
winter. Frosts will move well south-

illlllll.

‘lllll

..lll:lll'l.u.lm H“ I"

 

mmnmnmmumml..........,..m..n

he '

 

    

show the movement of hay increasing
and a more easy feeling at many
points. This is especially noticeable
in the east. Conditions continue about
the same at Detroit and the supply is
only such as is taken up readily from
day to day. There is a good steady
demand for all better grades although
at times some of the poorer stuff does
not do so well. There are indications
of increased receipts as shipments are
being billed out wherever the cars can
be secured. .

The St. Louis market has received
light receipts for the past week and
the market is exceptionally good for
timothy and clover mixed. Dealers
report the market about bare of prairie
clover and alfalfa. Common grades,
while not in such demand as the better
grades of. timothy and mixed, still sell
readily at good prices. .

Cincinnatti has experienced a slight
advance in values on certain grades,
the transportation delays limiting the
supply at times. The general demand
is somewhat easier and with any kind
of free arrivals we might look for low-
er prices. The receipts at Phlladel-
phia have increased slightly and this
increase would be much greater were
it not for the shortage of cars and the
embargoes now in effect. Many ship-
pers to that point have their hay baled
but are unable to ship it and in other
cases cars are tied up enroute.

Arrivals have increased at Pittsburg
and the price is off around $1.00 a ton.
There is a good grade however and ar-
rivals are disposed of quickly. A. great
deal of difﬁculty is being experienced
there owing to embargoes and trouble
in switching hay to any point 0uts1de
of the yards. Actual shipments have
fallen off, due to car shortage and
the increased receipts are due to the
delivery of cars which have been long
in transit and held outside of the city.
Shipments to that market are being
delayed the same as to other points,
by the shippers inability to secure cars
of any kind in which to ship.

Conditions are about the same at
Baltimore as at Pittsburg. Arrivals
are held back by transportation dif-
ﬁculties and stocks of hay, especially
good timothy and mixed, are scarce.
Boston now has an over supply of the
poorer grades, this coming from near-
by points. There is a feeling among
receivers there that arrivals will in-
crease and that lower prices will pre-
vail. Buyers are taking stock only as
actually required. The market there
is not so ﬁrm as it has been and we
would not be surprised to see it work
lower.

Arrivals at New York have been
freer during the past week than for
some time past and the supply there is
just about normal at this time. Them
has been a sharp drop in the price of
low grades. Values are also lower
on top grades and medium, but these
have held up better than the others.
considerable supplies have arrived
there by boat, and this has more than
overcome any shortage of rail arriv-
als. Shipments in transit are less and
this may have a bracing effect later.

      

y .

  

.q,

Tor-'8"

 

mam -;~

P

  

 

 

 

 

Choice round Medium Round
Marketa white-sacked ' white-sacked

Detroit 2.15 cwt. 2.05 cwt.
Chicago 1.75 1.60
Cincinnati 2.20 2.10
New York 2.25 2.15
Pittabu rgh 1. 75 1. 60
Nortollt,Va. 2.25 2. 0

 

The potato market is still far from
satisfactory. The greater portion of
arrivals on all markets show signs of
ﬁeld frost. Many shipments show
signs of rot and some are in bad shape
from this trouble at the time they ar-
rive. The writer recently made a
tour of inspection through the city of
Detroit, visiting different stores and
commission men, investigating the pa
tato supply and sizing up the situa-
tion generally. We were surprised at
the very poor quality of the stock be-
ing offered for sale. The retail prices
varied all the way from $1.00 to $1.65
per bu., and the quality of the stock
in the great majority of cases was

  


 
 
  

 

 

 

 

rid of their damaged stock and hold-
ling back- the better gradeSs- With a
t good free supply of this kind of stuff

.it is no wonder that the market has “
shown decided- weakness and" an. un-r

satisfactory conditidn all around. One
of the principal potato handlers in
Detxroit'informs-us that very few cars
have arrived which co-ald' be soul
on grade. It has been- a matter of
agreement between buyer and seller.

The holiday season usually sees a
dull potato market. We believe that
this season this will be the case more
than in former years. With the pres-
ent large amount of poor stock being
offered buyers hesitate to take on more
than just sufficient supplies for their
immediate needs. ,What the market
needs 'is a chance to clean up and it
will take until well into the new year
to do this. In the meantime no great
cldiange in the market may be expect-
e .

Chicago and eastern points report
much of the same condition as pre-
vails at Detroit. They also report the
consumptive demand much under the

ordinary, due to the quality of stock.

being offered. Buyers are dissatisﬁed

with what they get and hesitate to buy
more.

    

 

‘ ’ ,; J i!
GRADE Detroit Chicago New8 York
C. H. P. 7.50 8.25
Prime 7.45 ,.- 8.20 8. 33
Red Kidneys 8.00 9.00 9. 00

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conditions are becoming just a
little more established and the bean
market is showing some signs of set-
tling into its stride. The demand is
better and with continued cold weath-
er it should increase steadily. More
beans are moving from originating
points and farmers in some sections
are dispsing of a part of their hold-
ings. Where the beans are in bad
condition from any couse it may be
well to let them go, but the market
could not stand a heavy movement
right now. Michigan growers, as a
general thing, are taking their time
about marketing. Of course. there are
those who cannot afford to hold for a
more settled market and others again
who feel that their beans are in such
condition as to make drying necessary
without delay.

We do not expect any great improve-
ment until later on in the season. As
stated last week, under present con-
ditions and with so much bearish talk
going, buyers are not taking on any
great amount of stock at any one time.
The California growers in some local-
ities seem to be willing to sell at pre-
vailing prices and perhaps it will be
as well to let them get a portion of
their product on the market and out. of
the way before the Michigan crop
moves freely.

Mr. Ralph Merritt, Food Adminis—
trator, recently held a meeting with
California growers and the situation
was thoroughly gone over. Mr. Mer—
rit stated that the government had no
intention of setting bean prices but
that, they wished to see such a price
established as would encourage the
man of average efﬁciency and ability
to grow beans by enabling him to sell
at. a profit. Mr. lincoln \Vhite from
the Sacramento district advocatcd
cutting out the dealer and selling di—
rect to the government, allowing illt‘
latter to ﬁx the price. He stated that
75 per cent of the California. crop was
still in storag'i in growers’ \\':t"<“!ous-
es, waiting some definite action rc-
garding price. He further stated that
if war conditions demanded it every
grower would let his crop go for less
than cost but that he did not, believe
they should be the victims of bear
methods worked by dealers.

We believe this is exactly the atti-
tude of Michigan growers. They only
ask What is fair considering the cost
of production and the unsatisfactory
yield during the present season.

   

There is no material change in the
onion situation. Supplies move slowly
owing to light demand. Both Detroit
and Chicago have had a slow market
for some time and there is not much

‘ very poor 111de It is “mum‘s“ circumvent“
growers generally:- Have boom getting-i?

 

W
perhaps litter the hbtraays mmvm;

Dealers have a certain amounts~ at

' stock on hand, which is not keeping

any too well. This stock with havewte
move before :.-buying is resumed to any
extent.

Eastern points are in no better con-
dition:
haVe had it all their own way during
the past week.
heavy, totaling 27 cars.

the week. Handlers of onions there
are entirely at a loss with regard to
the situation.
year stock moves as fast as‘it is re-
ceived. At the present time there are
still a large number of receivers who
are holding stock that came in during
October. Some of thisstock will ap-
parently haVe to be held until after
the ﬁrst of January. The' market
there is really nominal, being a matter
of trade between buyer and seller.

‘ One car. containing all the same grade

sold out at three different
Yellows are quoted at $2@

of stock,
prices.

2.50; reds. $1.75@$2.50 per hundred—
pound bags.

 

Apples have been arriving on the .

Detroit market in fairly large quan-
tities during the past week and under
a good demand trading has been sat-
isfactory. The holiday demand is be-
ginning to make itself felt and will in-
crease during the next two weeks. Box
apples are arriving in good quantities
and in the main are meeting with fair
sale. Quotations: Spy, $7; Green-
ings, $6@$6.50; Snow, $6.50@$7.00
Baldwins. $5@$5.50; No. 2, $3@$3.50
per bbl.

Chicago reports an easier feeling
with liberal supplies. There has been
a continuatlon of the run of off grade
stock and the market has been over-
supplied. Strictly ﬁrst-class offerings

in both barrel and box stock are meet- .

ing with fair sale at prevailing 1“
Current prices: Baldwins, $4®$4.50;
Greenings. $5@$G; Yorks, $5@$5. 50;
Spys. $4. 500555. 00: Ben Davis $3. coca
$3.50; Snow $567356: McIntosh, $5.5

@557; Jonathans, $5.50@$6.50.

 

Quality of '11 1'1le5 at principal east-
ern markets continue to show a great-
er quantity of ﬁrsts and seconds than
of extras. The price on the latter
has advanced slightly and the de-
mand is much greater than the sup-
ply Firsts and good seconds ﬁnd an

active market but there is a consider- ‘

able spread between the price paid
for them and for extras. The move-
ment. of held is gradually increasing
and it looks as though the spread be—
tween held and fresh would decrease.
Chain stores and dealers generally
are taking hold of the held in better
shape and it is moving in gre'itcr vol
llmc than at any time during the last
two months.

New York saw a break of 2c on top
grades of crcamcry butter when the
\'\'tll‘(‘ilt)ll.\‘(‘ report, showing a surplus
of -t,ltt2.000 pounds over last year was
d‘strihutcd. The export movement
tbcre lx‘ vcrv light owing to inability
to get, licenses. Quotations there are
about. as follows' (‘reamery extras,
tTFrNRc: firsts. 421047c.

The Boston market remains un-
changed. Receipts. while showing a
slight increase, are very moderate.
Quotations on extras there are nomin-
al, due to great shortage. The Pli’la—
delphia market has advanced slightly
and the market is ﬁrm, particularly
on fancy offerings.

Cheese

New York reports that. a quiet and
rather inactive market prevailed all
week. The Wisconsin market is out
of line with the New York market and
very little stock is moving. The make
has fallen off of late but with the re-
stricted demand supplics are ample.
The only export business is on skims.
Very few whole milks are going
abroad. Fine flats have held their
own and the. same is true of ﬁne
twins. Daisies are quiet while skims
hold fairly steady. The following
are the quotations prevailing during

 

osmiumthemmekn~ ‘ ' "
’ ’” State, WhOW‘ﬂi-ﬁ" 213211? HIKE '

New York. reports that buyers?
Monday’s receipts

Arrivals def
minished somewhat toward the end of\

Usually at this'time of‘

  
  
 

ials,‘ 24 1J2c; ' avowersrum 2-3@24§itt
fresh, belated and white, epeotals, (38$
5/g23 1-2é; twins; held, .spectﬂw 23-122:

@240; Wisconsin, whole milk. fine. to «a.

’ fancy, twine,heldﬁ*23@23«1~‘30c Y‘pungzv

Americas, held, 25 1~2@26 1-40; State

ski-ms,“ twins *‘ and' 3 ﬂats,‘ held," specials,
‘ 19@19 1-20; twins and Cheddar‘s, fresh
specials, 1'1 1-2@ '18 1-2. ':

 

The egg markettis running along
just about as it has for a week or so,
with fresh arrivals dropping off each
day. The high prices have curtailed
consumption but at'the same time re-
ceipts are so few, so far as fresh. are
concerned, that what demand there is
keeps the price up and going higher.
Strictly fresh arrivals at Detroit.” are
selling in a wholesale way at 43c@48c
per doz.; storage, 32@33c.

Chicago reports local consumption
as fairly good and a fair shipping de-
mand from all directions. Fresh eggs
are so scarce that the ‘market has
turned to storage as a matter of ne-
cessity, forcing the price up from 2
to 3 cents. Fresh ﬁrsts are quoted at
49®50c2 ordinary ﬁrsts, 42c@47c; sec-
onds, 26c.

Eastern markets report sales of
storage at prices much under what
was expected and a tendency on the
part of holders to get their holdings
on the market without further delay.
Very little fresh stock arriving and
what does arrive sells at a fancy
price. New York quotes fresh gath-
ered extras at 56@57c: extra ﬁrsts,
54955c; ﬁrsts, seconds,
Mﬂﬁlc.

51 'l-2@33c;

 
   

POULTRY

 

LlVr. WT. Detroit Chicago New York
Turkey 29-23 21-22 20-22
Ducks 25-26 18-20 22—24
Geese 20-2t 17-18 2022
Springer: 20-23 19- 20 22- 24
Hem 19- 22 18- 20 .2143“...

 

N0. 2 Grade 2 to 3 Cents Less

The poultry market in Detroit is in
a good healthy condition again and the
surplus has been cleaned up. Arrivals
are only moderate and all stock arriv-

ing, if in any kind of shape, sells
quickly and at satisfactory prices.
Fowls are in good demand; good

springers and hens ﬁnd a ready mar
ket. There ismore of a spread be-
tween geese and ducks, the latter
bringing the better price. This will
no doubt change as Christmas draws
nearer. Turkeys are in rather poor
demand and unless in the best con-
dition will have difﬁculty ﬁnding buy—
ers. The turkey situation has been
somewhat of a puzzle to dealers on
all markets. The Thanksgiving de-
mand was away short of other years.
many buyers taking geese in place of
the national holiday bird. A great,
dcal of talk about high prices long he-
tore ’l‘hunl-zsgiyiug caused many house-
wives to decide on goose for the big
dinner, and as a result a large quan-
tity of both liVe and dressed turkeys
were left. over. These have been slow—
ly going into consumptive channels
also to k'llcrs who have frozen them
for t'uturn markets. Many of the
thin. unconditioned birds \vcnt back
to the feeders to be put, in shape for
the Christmas market-

The Chicago market, runs about the
same as Detroit and eastern points re
port a fairly good supply. moving well
under a healthy, firm market. Gener—
al conditions point to a very satisfac—
tory market generally from now until
the holidays.

 

CATTLE.

GRADL l Detroit
Steers, good to prime '0 50-115't 1100-14 0011150-14 75
Steers, com. to fair 8 50 to 0 9 50-110010 25-1125
Heifers good toprimet 8 30 10 {Hit 8 50- 9 7st 8 80 lo 00
Cows average 1 7 '45 825! 7 50- 825| 725- 8 75
Cmners, “Cutler: 5 5) 6 25l 5 50- 6 23' 6 00- 6 25
Built, avenge 6 75 7 50 7 00 7 50 7 25-8 00
Veal. fair to good 13 00.14 50‘ 13 “0-14 00 13 25-14 25

 

 

Chicago I Buffalo

 

 

 

 

 

The market at Detroit is running
steady and strong at prevailing prices.
Receipts have been lighter during the
past week, owing to unfavorable ship-

- “3W... on eye? "
Thiamine gamma/thermmnd

thine m beemmonesmuloserdelnymll
week; ii A: better grade: of stock: mere
ﬂmshbddthas b'eemcoming of Slate and
buyers are mugihold of: .thesenoff‘er-

7-ings .rmnno quickly 2 and: :» are <wimngu'to

pay the price.
Chicago cattle receipts decreased

about 13,500 head last week from the
‘ run of~the‘wee'k prvevious,'butathere .
was an .increase~in*»the combined cat- .

tle marketing. for. the. week at‘seven
western points of about 8,000 “head.
The market- was-subject,"- as: recently;
to rather" violent ﬂuctuations, with

~ sharpadvances scored on Tuesdnvn-M

Wednesday partiallv offset by declines
the latter half of the week, but every-
thing. considered the trade-acquitted
itself very creditably. Thefactthat
killers are in. position to use generous
supplies-right along is evident, but
they are quick to seize advantage-of
any temporary: oversupplyr‘and the
need of more even distribution of re-
ceipts to help prevent such 'violent
changes in marketeonditionse-is ap-
parent. .As a means-toward this much-
to-be—desired end it is thought that the
establishment .of the zone system; of
loading which went into .effect last
Saturday will prove highly effective.

On Tuesday and Wednesday of last
week beef steer values advanced sharp-
ly, prices the mid—week session being
anywhere from 35 to 65c higher than
the close oftthe weekprevious. At the
week-end part of this gain had been
ceded back to buyers, the market re-
taining 25 to 50c advances, however,
over the had close of the week previous
on both beef and butcher stock, med-
ium steers and good fat cows and heif—
ers gaining most. A depressing influ-
ence the last- half of last. week was an
embargo against outgoing shipments
of livestock on most eastern roads,
placed last week-because of congestion
of trafﬁc at Atlantic seaboard termin-
als and a car shortage and made more
general and effective on Monday by
reason of bad storms through Eastern
territory. Modiﬁcation of the embar-
goes are expected as this article is be-
ing written but in the meantime mod-
erate marketing is advisable.

An event of prime interest during
the week was the sale on Thursday of
the International Show bullocks. Olav,
Robinson & Co. sold the grand cham-
pion steer, a pure-bred 2-year-old Short-
horn weighing 1610 lbs, bred, fed and
shown by Perdue University. at $2.05
per lb. The steer was re-sold by the
buyer to Armour & Co. at $2.10 per
lb. and the proceeds were donated to
the American Red Cross. The grand
champion. carload ’of fat cattle of the
show gold at $42 50 per cwt. The next
highest. price was $20.00 per cwt.

A broad, healthy call for feeding
cattle was to a material extent, nulli-
ﬁed last. week by the inability of pros-

pective buyers to secure cars and by

the embargoes on most eastern roads.’
Sales during the week were largely
between $7.75 and $l0.00. Most of the
butcher cows and heifers sold from
97.00 to $8.75; canners and cutters
largely from $5.75 to $6.75.

On Monday of this week with 28,-
000 cattle on sale and eastern shipping
cut off by the embargo, beef steer trade
was .“.5 to 500 lower and all of the ad—
vance shown the first half of last week
was lost.

 

H0 05

 

GRADE Detroit Chic-go But talo
Heavy 240-290 16 75 l7 50 16 75 17 25 18 0018 25
Medium 200240 16 75 17 20 16 7517 00 17 9018 25
f-iixed 150200 16 5017 00 16 25 17 25 17 0-} 18 0t
"acuers 100-150 15 0016 25 16 0) 16 50 15 5017 50
‘3 ‘Otidown 15 00 is 50 lb 50 16 til. 170017 2

 

 

 

 

The hog market generally is in a
very satisfactory condition. Detrcit
seems able to handle all arrivals in a
satisfactory manner and the surplus
of last week has been cleaned up. Buy-
ing has been more brisk on all grades
with restricted shipments due to em-
bargoes and weather conditions, there
is a prospect of better prices there.

Last week’s hog receipts at eleven
points at 690,000, increased 38,000 over
the previous week and the combined
total was 310,000 less than the corres—
ponding week a year ago, when re-
ceipts were second largest on record.
The Chicago market closed the week
at prices ranging from 5 to 3‘0c high-
er than the close of the week previous,
with best lots showing the. least and
mixed'the most gain. Pigsrﬂnished

 

   

       
 

  

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

’ - ngJﬂo-wzim max. uh “autoimmune-ma.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 
   
 

. 5.9;.

... ”mm ‘a‘asm' \we‘p‘gmqmgwm . “may” ‘Ri 0“.-

 

,.‘._.‘V1/. 4‘5"

 

 

 

' our Registered

, service,

 

the m1»: 600.1t01$111under1the weekis
high -'.t‘.ime,' but still 50 to ~7Bcuhigher
than: the :ipreceding ..Saturday.
Chicagoaagets more than 200,000 hogs
weekly and the primary movement in
the west ranges-something like seas-
onable proportions, lower prices are
improbable. December receipts will
be the lightest in years. Further re-

strictions of civilian consumption of'

hog products by the Food Administra-
tion is proposed.

Growers are conﬁdent of their posi-
tionand hogs willbe held back on
breaks. The inﬂuence of the packers
is negligible, and the government min-
imum or 15 1-2 has been lost sight of.
Just two years ago packers were buy-
ing hogs at $6 to $6.50 per cwt., but
it is doubtful of a return to such con-
ditions during the present generation.

On Monday‘of this week, with 40,000
hogs on the Chicago market, the price
went 15 to 25c higher than on Satur-
day, notwithstanding the practical el-
imination of Eastern shipping demand
by the rail- embargoes.

 

 

 

 

GRADE Detroit Chicago Buffalo
Top Lani» 16.00-16.75 16.65-16.90 17.00-17.50
Yearlinu 14.00-15.00 1415-11550 14.00-14.50
Wetllen 9.50-10.00 10.00-11.50 11.50-12.10
Ewe: '9.25- 9.75 10.00—11.00 ”LSO 11.00

 

 

 

 

Nothing new to report 011 sheep and
lambs. The market continues ﬁrm
and steady at prevailing prices and all
arrivals clean up fast. The Detroit
market is in ﬁrst-class shape, only suf
ﬁcient stock arriving as is readily tak-
en up by buyers. Fancy, well-ilnished
stock is in greatest demand and will
bring a premium in every case.

But slight changes are reported at
Chicago. Mature sheep sold with lit-
tle change in value on last weeks’ mar
ket while lambs ﬁnished the week
steady at 2.51: lower than the close of
the week previous, heavy kinds losing
most. Best aged native ewes sold at
$11.50 and odd matured wethers up to
$13.00, while a. top of $14 was paid
for choice yearlings. Eastern and
Canadian sheep and lambs are practi-
cally all in and the western market
will show better tone the moment com-
petition appears.

Monday, with 16,000 head 011 offer,
the market was steady to stronger than
the close of last week. Top lambs
sold at $16.85.

Add 20% to

 

Most amazingéarm book

ever written orth hun-

dreds of dollars to any

farmer. Explains wonder-

fuldiscovery— ‘The Camp-

bell System of Breeding Big

Crops." Your W,heat Oats, Corn, Tim-

othy. Clover and other “15805 increased 20

for oontln I single season! 000 farmers use
his easy way. Send postal at once for Free Book.

CHATHAM

a?“ fact: about this wonderlu IGBB

no The Chutlnmse Power or Band

Seed Grader Ind Gleaner. Clan nu, ’

s

a hup to 50 bushel. per

1n to the el to
1111-1101111: 1.11. $5.11.. 1.111111111211111
Bend Whl for small nth-g Cr. Bufﬁng-ﬁestas." Prices!
M-nm Camps." homemm... 2480“,.
MI 1!.

9"" 248 mm 0W DOD 248 er‘intloo‘ils

 

 

Consign your l1ve stock shipments to

Erwin, Smith .& Johnson

Live Stock Commission Salesmen

M. C. Stock Yards, Detroit, Mich.

 

 

 

 

OFFER- FOR REAIAINDER 0F SEA-
son a limited number of Strong: Vigor-
Shropshire ram lambs,
good size, well covered and ready for
C. Lemen, Dexter, Mich.

 

Until

ture.
sacks is quoted in a jobbing way in

' Michigan Business

 

”masses. 1.11.1111.

 

There is a good demand for all mill
feeds and prices rule .strong accord-
ingly. At times during the past week
the Detroitimarket has .shown some
irregular changes, but on the whole

it has remainedsteady. .Prices there
. 100-lb. sacks, jobbing lots:

bran, $42;
standard middlings, $44; ﬁne mid~
dlings, $46; cracked corn, $89; coarse
cornmeal, $77; chop, $55@$60 a ton.

Eastern points report a steady feel-
ing on all grade; of western feed with
prices steady at around the high level
of the season. The demand is good and
mills are sold up to the 30 day limit.
Spot stocks are small V ith no pros-
pect of any increase in the near fu-
Western spring bran 1n 100 lb

New York C‘ty,.at $42 per ton; stand—
ard middlings, $44.

Quotations on cotton seed meal from
Louisville, Ky.,
tonior the 38 per cent and$53 per
ton for the 36 per cent.

Detroit ﬂour quotations, per 196 lbs
in eighth sacks: Best winter patent.
$11.30 @ $11.50; second patent, $10.85
@$11.00; straight, $10.50@$10.75;
spring patent, $11.35@$11.60; rye
ﬂour, $11.10@$11.20 in jobbing lots.

Dressed Pork and Veal

The Detroit market is receiving
shipments of dressed pork in fair
quantities and the average run is 11n-
der weight. There is a good demand
especially for the wellcﬁnished stuff.
It is quoted this week at 22€D2flc de—
livered Detroit. Dressed veal is sell-
ing around 17@1Sc for fancy; choice.
16@17c; common, 10@15c.

Miscellaneous

Tallow—«No. 1. 15c; No. 2. 121‘. lb.

Dried Fish—Cod in bulk, 12 1-21- per
1b. in 1-1b. boxes, 24 to case. $520 per
case; boneless herring, $2.85 per 10-
lb. box.

Furs—No. 1 skunk. $4.75 wintcr
muskrats, 700; mink, $7; raccoon, $4.

Hides—No. 1 cured, 20c; No. 1 green
160; No. 1 cured bulls, 14c; No. 1 green
bulls, 12c; No. 1 cured veal kip, 23c;
No. 1 green veal kip, 210; No. 1 cured
murrain, 20c; No. 1 green murrain,
160.; No. 1 cured calf, 30c; No. 1 green
calf, 270; No. 1 horsehides, $6; No. 2
horsehides, $5: No. 1 hides, 1c-and No.
2 kip and calf 1 1-2c lower than the
above; sheepskins, as to amount of
wool, $1@$3 each.

Minimum Car Lot Weights

The Special Committee on National
Defense, of the American Railway As-
sociation has adopted the following
minimum car load weights and these
have been issued by the United States
Food Administration, effective Novem-
ber 1st. The ruling. as adopted, is
given in full as follows:

All carload shipments of the follow—
ing commodities shall be made in car
lots of not less than amounts prescrib-
ed below unless different minimum is
authorized by special written permis-
sion of the United States Food Ad—
ministration; provided, however. that,
when cars of lower carrying capacity
rate used, the maximum load which the
car will carry may be used without
such permission:

Pounds

(‘zimicd pens, 111111.111. tomatoes.
beans corn. 31111111111. sardines.“00.000
Evaporntcd 21nd powdcred milk. . .1‘11111410

(()ll(1t’ll'\r(l milk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31101111

Dried piuncs apples, pcachcs and

raisins , .................. 60,000
T1‘lo111 (\\ heat rice, ryc. b:11'lcy).. .1‘111111111
Syrup (corn glucosc, sugar, mo—

lasses) .. .................. 00000
Corn ﬂour and (o1'11 st: 111- h ....... 50,0110
T‘Iricd beans and diic d 111.1s ...... 110,001
Oatmcal. rolled o it 4 corn grits,

corn meal and hominy ........ 10,0011
Cottonseed cake (ottonsecd meal,

and pc:1.1111t 111czil ............. 00 000
(" ottonsecd oil ..’I‘ ink 1 .11 cap: 11- in
Rice .. ....................... (10111111
Cured beef Clll‘((l po k, curcd mut—

ton laid and laid substitutes . . . '10 000
Butter .................... 211.000
Cheese ......................... 10,000
Fresh meat ....................21,000
Wheat, oats corn, rye and bar—

ley . . .. ... .......... 1'111' capacity

AN Y I’I' R [11—11 R EDS"?
.wrilc 11s

DO YOU RAISE
If so, for goodness sake man,
for live stock advertising rntcs less than
half what any other publication in Mich—
ixﬂm charges—and you know the kind of
farmers that gladly pay $1 11 your for
Farming, nddrcss the
Live Stock Adv. Dept, Michigan Busi—
ness Farming, 110 Fort 51., Detroit.

 

are around $56 per

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

popular breeding.
lbs. of butterfat.
foundation cows.

sota, 1912,
Fair, 1912
1917 shows

' State I1111r;
Fair and first at Watcrloo, 1a.,

souri State PM 1016.

on rcqucst.

Sale starts at 1 o’clock
Col. I). I1.

 

 

 

Fair Grounds, Jackson, Mich.,
Dec. 27, 1917

A consignment of about sevcnty—ﬁve cows, heifers and bulls of

Advanced Registry cows with records of 675
I'Icifcrs open and bred and also many good

Among the bulls will be imp. Westmoreland, aMay Rose; Gold-

en Secret, a Hayes bull, winner of ﬁrst-prize Wisconsin and Minne-
also champion and gra11d.cl1ampi0n Michigan State
; L’Aiglon of Bon Ayre 33664, a May Rose bull, winner
Young bulls by the above sires and by such sires as
Walbridge’s Glenwood Boy, ﬁrst, champion 2111( grand champion
Michigan State I1 .111" ﬁrst, (hampion and grand champlon Illinois
first, champion and grand champion Missouri State
1.916, and Pride’s Hambro 35933, a
May Rose, winncr at Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Ncw York and Mis-

chcral (langhlcrs oi" Glenwood’s Champion, King Bell, George
Washington of l1‘airiicld l1‘arn1s, Lord Waukesha, also rich in the
blood of Stranford’s Glenwood of Pinehurst, Glenwood Boy of
Haddon, 11111 Sequels and Governor of the Chene.
i'cmalcs :11'c from show herds of 1916 and 1917

G. W. ALLEN, Sales Manager

PERRY, Columbus,

 

 
   
    

Somc of thcsc
Catalogs mailcd

GRASS LAKE, MICH.
Ohio, Auctionccr.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Onions

YOU (TAN ALSO lilYY
meal,
ities used on the farm.

Telephone Cherry 2021

 

 

by shipping your Poultry, Butter, Eggs,
Hay, Beans and all lines of prodnte to a large consuming market.

You do the shipping~We do the selling

With our three—story building fully equipped for the receiving and handling
shipments and a force of competent salesmen,
check right back the day following date of sale.
AT W’lilHJIGSAIJlC
binder twine, fertilizer, paris green, auto tires and many

GET THE EXTRA DOLLAR

Extra dollars are earned by shipping direct and buying at wholesale prices

CLEARING HOUSE ASSOCIATION

N. F. SIMPSON, General Manager
323-327 Russell St.

‘931 Calves, Dressed Hogs, Potatoes,

assures you of good sales and

for-d, cotton seed
other commod-

I’RICES mill

DETROIT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"‘llilh‘ldhllll‘l'l'. lll‘il‘ “ll. l‘lllllllll‘villilillil1‘1113' ‘ ‘ E.‘11111l“lilldllh‘llil1|lil‘iil‘ll“ 1‘1

lill 11‘? l‘ll‘lllnd, 1 l.‘ M ‘l.

“1’ dillllh Him 11 1‘

11‘1l.‘dl‘d11111111110011l‘ullllllilllllllllllllllllllllIll“?

Michigan Live Stock Insurance Co.

Home Office: Graebner Bldg., Saginaw, W.q ..., Michigan
Executive Office: 319 Widdicomb Bldg., Grand Rapids, Michigan

This (Jo111pa11y is buckcd by more than
more than $100,000 depositcd with the State
thc (‘o111pa11y‘:< responsibility.

horscs,

thc state, and wc llil\'c
:33 as a guarantee of
We insurc all lch
any (auro.

We issuc indi\iduzll
hr 111 policies, lculing policies,

\‘VU “ltlll it l111“ ii

We \\ .1111 «\11\
with 11.4, .

W11 will givc you a square

Write for information.

Block

 

1:11'1111-1' in the

deal,

 

11111111111111” '1 -

1 11111‘1111111111-1

cattle,
and blankct policies covcring any
shipping pollcics, ,_
1gc11t. to rcprcscnt us in every community in- Michigan. 1.5
State —"
1 _

Colon C. Lillie. Pres. and Supt. of Agls.
Harrron .1. Wills, Secty. and Gen. Mgr.

500 of the best live stock i‘armcrs ot'
'l‘I'cusnrm'

1113..) 0.1 .‘1ll.l|li.1lir 11..

shccp and hogs against dcath from

and all conditions .-

30 day fouling policies, ctc.

of Mich'gan to in nrc his live stock

 

1.111 11111111111111“ lilldlllllllllil‘ 1.11.111” ............

 

 

Sandel, Stacy, Beadle & Green

Live Stock Commission Merchants

l\1‘lichigan Central Stock Yards,
Detroit, hJ'Iichigan, respectfully
solicit your consignments. No
shipment too small to receive
our best care and attention.

None too large for our capacity.

 

 

 

Registered Hogs for Sale!

DUROC Jl} RSFYS—li Bears 10 weeks
old Sire, Hoosier, .l. 0. (3., 771105; 1111111
Vedna Austindale, 210560. ‘

llAMl’SllIRE.‘—2 Bears, 1 sow, Aug—
ust farrow; Sire, (loble, 20007; 1111:11,
George’s (.}ir1 1st, 82202.

"OLSTEIN BULL—0 weeks old. She.
Bell ioy Rosalind, 148544; Dam, Queen

(‘nroline 2nd. 161807, H. F. ll.
quarters white, well marked.
description.

Ready for immediate delivcry.
write for full description.
anteed.

HOMESTEAD FARMS, Bloomingdale, Mich.

B. Three—
VVritc for

l’lcase
All stock guar—

 

BARRED ROCK (‘OCKICRICLS for sale,
$2.00 to $5.00 each for strain with
records to 200 eggs :1 year. (‘ircular free.
Frcd Astling, Constantine, Mich.

 

 


mnmmmmuunmmm -

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'WM. E. snows ' . . - . . .

‘SINESS FARMING

A Farm. Hague and Market Weekly Owned and Edited in Michigan

 

supplying 3‘ 11966339 .
consumer. may not be obliged to pay more than

 

SATURDAY. DECEMBER 15TH, 1917

 

GRANTBLOCUM
FORREST A. LORD

ANNE CAMPBELL STARK
Dr. G. A CONN

EDITOR

EDITOR

EDITOR WOMAN’S DEP' T
VETERINARY EDITOR
LEGAL EDITOR

 

Published every Saturday by the
RURAL PUBLISHING COMPANY
GEO. M. SLOCUM, Sec’y and Bus. Mgr.
Business Ofﬁces: 110 Fort Street, DETROIT
Editorial Offices and Publishing Plant. MI. Clemens. Mich.
BRANCHES: CHICAGO. NEW YORK, ST. LOUIS. MINNEAPOLIS

 

ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR
No Premiums, FreeList or Clubbing Offers, but a weekly worth five times
who! we ask for it and guaranteed to please or your money back anytime!

Adterhsing Rates: Twenty cents per agate line, fourteen agate lines to
the column inch 7801lnes to the page.

Live Stock and Auction Sale Advertising: We offer special low rates
to reputable breeders of live stock and poultry, write us for them.

 

 

OUR GUARANTEED ADVERTISERS
We respectfully ask our readers to favor our advertisers when possible.
Their catalogs and prices are cheerfully sent free, and we guarantee you
against loss providing you say when writing or ordering from them, “i saw
your sdvertisment in my Michigan Business Farming. "

 

Entered as second- class matter, It Mt Clemens, Mich.

 

 

What is the Solution of the Milk Problem?

I wish to submit to your readers the following
ﬁgures based on the actual cost of producing
1400 pounds‘ of 4.4 per cent milk on my farm dur-
mg the week of Nov. 25 to Dec. 1st. This amount
of. feed was actually fed to twelve cows during
this .period, however three of these were strippers,
but It is a good average herd. In 48 weeks I have
sold from these cows 52 010. 00 worth of milk:

600 lbs. ground oats at 21/4c per lb. .513 50

140 lbs. cotton seed meal at 52. . 3 92

840 lbs, hay 101bs.peI (ow lc per lb 8. 40

‘1 000 lbs. silage at $6 per ton 9.00

1nteiest on investment 1.. ’ cons 575 each
$900 at 6 per cent per week ........
Bain, silos, milk house 52,500, at
n pei cent per week ................

Interest. taxes, etc.

Delivering milk to station

Express

Total ... 45 87

These ﬁgures represent seven days feeding.

I did not ﬁgure the work of caring for the cows,
but ﬁgured the manure would offset. Did not ﬁg-
ure any depreciation We have had a raise in
price lately of 37c per 100 whi<h will make $3.5 05
for 4 4 per cent milk I fail to see whom the pro-
ducers around Detroit are going to get any more
than market price out of their feed by putting it
through their cows at the price set. but would like
to see this question discussed through the columns
of your valuable paper—JL N. H.. Scott‘s, Mich.

E FRANKLY confess that we do not know

what the outcome of the dairy situation is

going to be. The farmer who keeps ac-
curate ﬁgures on the cost of producing milk is
the exception rather than the rule, and it is con-
sequently difﬁcult to convince the majority of
producers that they are losing money when such
is actually the case. Could farmers be converted
from the old “by guess and b'gosh" methods of
ascertaining production costs to an actual cost-
ﬁnding system, the marketing problems would not
be so difﬁcult of solution as it now appears. For
it is only the philanthropist who can afford and
only the muleheaded “y-ou can ’t- tell me— anything”
farmer who would continue to dispose of his prod-
uct in the face of actual loss. The frequent dis-
cussions of milk values and milk production costs
that are now being entered into at producers’
gatherings are having a most salutary effect upon
the farmers who have been slow to inculcate prac-
tical methods into the conduct of their business.
More farmers than ever before are coming to the
point of accepting irrefutable statements as to
milk production cOsts. regardless of their own in-
dividual experiences. but the time has not yet an
rived when sufﬁcient farmers can agree upon those
matters to tho cxteni of taking action on their
combined judgment.

There is no substitute for milk; human life
depends upon it; it is necessary for the main-
tenance and uphuilding of the race. Hence. there
will always be a demand for this product of our
dairy farms. It has also been recently established
that the value of the component parts of milk,
as compared with the value of other foods, war-
rants a much higher price being paid for the
product than has heretofore been the case. For
years milk and dairy products have been sold at
a less price, considering their food value, than
any other commodity known. Milk testing 3.5
per cent is said to be_cheap at 20 cents a quart
considering prices now being paid for other com-
modities.

The solution of the milk problem, speaking from
a producers’ standpoint, (loesuiot lie in an ac-
celerated demand; it lies in the efficient and econ-
omical distribution of the milk after it leaves the

receiv ' €11: gist,

”s

the article is was as a food.

Milk that the farmer is selling today for 7 cents]

a quart costs the city consumer 13mm 12 to 15
cents. In other Words, the mere service of de-
livery costs as much and in some instances more,
than the‘ intricate and diﬁicult service of produc-
tion. As long as this; condition continues, the
farmer will have to ﬁght for his share of the
consumer’s dollar, and the latter Will become in-
creasingly dissatisﬁed with the inevitable increases
which the distributors must tack on from time to
time in order to meet the demands of an abnor-
mal period.

The farmer should receive more than 7 cents
a quart for his milk; there is some question as
to Whether the consumer should pay less than 14
cents. How to cut the cost of distribution so that
the man who produces the milk may have a larger
margin of proﬁt is, of course, the big problem.

Production costs have not reached their high-
est point; as war continues and much of the
farmers’ raw material is diverteddnto other chan-
nels, costs will continue to rise. For similar
reasons the cost of distribution as now carried
on by competing companies in the large cities, will
also increaSe, so that instead of remedying the
situation, present compromises between produc-
ers and consumers are really making it worse,
and increasinglydifﬁcult’ of ﬁnal solution.

MICHIGAN BUSINESS FARMING would like to see
the Milk Producers’ Association of this state take
a long look into the future and make an effOrt
now to avoid the clash that is sure to come if
events are permitted to take their normal course.
We like to think that the association has com-
promised merely for the time being, in order to
have a breathing spell and lay careful plans for
the future.

The matter of distribution of so important an
article of food as milk, if left to independent con-
cerns is one to be controlled and regulated by
civil authority. As soon as the producers deem
the time expedient, the Michigan association
should invoke the legal aid of state or municipal-
ity to simplify and co-ordinate the distribution
of milk in the principal cities that the present
wasteful and costly methods may be eliminated.
If this cannot be done, then the only alternative
is for the producers to take over the machinery
of distribution themselves, which, after all else
is said and done, will ‘be the eventual solution of
the entire problem. '

Can I Save My Boy ?

SCHOOLCRAFT county mother writes: “Is
A there any way I can save my son from this
war? One of my boys has now.
Can’t I save the other one?”

What shall we say to the anguished cry of this
poor mother? What are the words that will quiet
her fears and set her heart at rest? Is there
nothing that can be said, nothing that can be
done to repay the suffering mothers of this and
other nations for the sacriﬁces of their boys?

“Can I save him from the war?” A million
mothers in years gone past have asked it. “Can
I save him from the war?” This is the unspoken
thought that torments the minds and rends the
hearts of American mothers today.

We know there are mothers, who in the nobil-

gone

 

 

 

DWI-
ADMIN INOISTRAIIONL
. HEADQUARTERS L.

M/Iﬂllww’l
:II’F/
l/I’Il” 114.,1/46’6

The Food Administration hears from Michigan
" Potato Growers

~ed for their patriotism and their names 9111;151:123 -'
All mothers

oned high on the rblI '01 honor.-
would be as glad to giVe up their boys to liberty’ 8
cause if they could. Butthey can’t, and please
GOd, they will never have.- the ’poWer of will'or
the inclination of heart to lay the living blood of
their blood and bone of their bone upon war’s
Ireeking altar!

How hard they try, these mothers of today, to
steel themselves against the waves of grief'that
come strumming upon their hearts’ strings!’ How
bravely they check the sobs that well up and
quiver on their lips! But-it is futile. Visions of
black, hopeless days cast a shadow over the bright-
ness of their resolve and mother love taps the
fountains of grief and despair when he is gone,—
“over there ”

“The Farmers are Getting Rich”

ES, SIR-EE,” said Uncle Hiram Hicks,

“folks IS funny—mighty funny.

’tother day a city chap with two chins
and a middle the size of an overgrowed cider
barrel, stopped his Packkard in front of the store,
clumb out with the help of his shooter and kum
in to buy a cigar. He got his eye on them apples
over by the.door and ast the price. ‘Wal,’ says 1,
‘them apples air sellin’ at a dollar a bushel, but
seein’s yura stranger in these parts you kin have
a peck for ﬁfteen cents just to see what almighty
ﬁne apples we grow up here.’ “Fifteen cents,”
he jacurlates, “why, man, dOWn in my part of
the state they’re givin’ these apples away. Farm-
ers toobusy diggin’ dollar spuds to haul ’em to
market. Fifteen cents, eh? Robbery! No won-
der the farmers’ gittin’ rich!”

A rich farmer is a curiosity; the specie is ex-
tremely rare and almost extinct. Lots of farm-
ers die in the poor house, but we never yet
heard of one endowing a college or a library.
Personally. we have no objection to a farmer’s
getting rich if he so desires and stands on the
right side of God, the weather man and the mar-
ket speculator. But for some strange reason
there are lots of people who violently oppose any
tendency on the part of the farmer to acquire
wealth. Possibly those who have had long and
affectionate association with the coin of thevrealm
do not consider the farmer’s money bags a suf-
ﬁciently safe and genteel depository for the na-
tion’s wealth.

The Government has .just estimated the
total value of the 1917 crops at 21 billion
dollars. Now all together, boys. whoop ’er up.
“the farmer’s getting rich.” Dollar spuds, two
dollar wheat, eight dollar beans, ﬁfteen cent milk.
sixty cent b11tter,—~all combined makes the huge
total of 21 billion dollars. Sure, the farmer’s
getting rich,~he MUST be!

There are approximately seven million farmers
in the United States. Apportion the 21 billion
dollar crop value among these and you have an
average of $3,000 per farm, or about-equivalent
to the salary that is paid to the average city man
with far less ability than the majority of our
farmers.- The salaried man has no investment.
while the farmer not only must ﬁgure interest on
his investment but must take the cost of operat-
ing his farm out of the 5." 000.

Yep. Mr. Farmer is getting tremendously rich.
If he could live to be as old as Methusaleh he
would stand a fair chance of ending his days in
comparative comfort, but not being blessed with
such longevity he will in all probability continue
to make just a decent living, and die poor but
happy. And when St. Peter quoths from the
Book of God, “Yea, I say unto you it is easier for
a camel to enter the eye of a needle than for a
rich man to enter the kingdom of God,” the hum-
ble farmer will proudly answer, “I was poor,”
and pass within.

(6

Without better means of equalizing production
of the more important commodities, and the more
economical distribution, extensive campaigns to
increase production during normal years can have
but one result,——production far in excess of needs
and utter demoralization of markets. We can,
therefore, see nothing but harm resulting from
the increased production propaganda being con-
ducted by the state and national agricultural de-
partments, unless accompanied by practical sug—
gestion for the proﬁtable marketing of the in-
creased crops. Which brings us right back to the
same old sermon preached by Grant Slocum for
23 years, that the farmer must ﬁrst be shown how
to secure a proﬁt on his ﬁrst blade of grass before
he attempts to grow a second blade.

Watch next week’s issue for the announcement
of “Booster Day.” Many letters have already
been received from our good, loyal friends prom-
ising their support, and we know the campaign
will be a glorious success.

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Why, '

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Many Potatoes Showing- Signs of Rot
P193363 ﬁnd enclosed one dollar for my subscrip-
tion for MICHIGAN BUSINESS FARMING. It is the
best paper out for the farmer; all the other papers
give us false reports. Most of the farmers here
take the M. B. F. I Want to tell thru your paper
my experience this year with my potato crop. I
plant 5 acres every year; this year I planted 10
acres—100 bushels of seed. It rained so much
that three acres of low land rotted out, but I was
game and replanted them, so I planted 135 bush-
els, in all, and everybody here knows that I was
offered $3.25 for every bushel I had, but there was
a rumor about a minimum price of 90 cents a
bushel, but it turned out to be a minimum screen.
.Anyway I dug 1,000 bushels, and in the ﬁeld they
showed some signs of rot, and since I have put
them in my storage they are rotting badly, so the
wife and myself sorted them. We lost- 200 bush-
els the ﬁrst sorting, then quit counting because
we had to sort again, and we are re—sorting yet;
don’t know when we will quit unless it will be
when there no more left to sort, however, there is
some hope. as the pile is getting smaller. Not
only myself, but the most of my neighbors have
had the same trouble. I suppose we could get one
of the government potato experts, who could- ﬁnd
a name for the disease that nobody would ever be
able to pronounce. Where is that bumper potato
crop the government reports? Cheboygan and
Emmet counties won‘t average more than 40 bu.
to the acre of marketable potatoes. Last spring
lots of people who never farmed before, went wild
over farming. The banker, the hardware man, the
doctor, the saloonkeeper and the priest, all went
into potato and bean raising, others went. into
beans and potatoes. The early frost cooled them
a little, and there will in consequence be some
good land to rent next spring. Where are those
8 bu. of good beans to the acre? I am positive this
neighborhood won’t average 3 bu. I know of hun-
dreds of acres that were never pulled at all; frozen
early; others never froze but seemed to stay in
the green state. I helped to thresh some where
there was not a good bean in the lot. The county
agent told me mine were the best he had seen. I
threshed 8 bu. to the acre, and they will pick out
half. The truth has got to come out. the crop is
not there, but I would like to know why the crop
reports are so exaggerated.
We had a few demonstra-
tions by our county agent and
potato expert Mr. Waid, and
he tried to impress upon us
that the 1% inch screen was
in our favor, and also kept _
talking about the bumper po- @;
tato crop. What is the reas-
on? For my part I know
there will be less potatoes
planted around this little lake
next year. and there will be
more ﬁshing. if I ever get. my
boat out of the ice (I was so
busy sorting potatoes that I
forgot my boat and it. froze
in.) Any farmer knows that
we invest a lot of money ev-
ery spring on an 80-acre farm
while the work we don‘t
count, even if we have 14
children and the woman in-
cluded. All summer every-
body is busy in one way and
another. But we need the
evercise anyway, and when in
the fall we want to take the
“not” we bump up against
four of a kind—J. D.. Levcr-
inn.

 

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Farmers are Hit Hard
The potato situation is bad
here. only $1 per hundred for
No. 1 and they will not buy
E: any at present. I had a note
of $1510 due this week, could
not, sell potatoes to meet it.
bad to hire the money. Lots
of us poor farmers are hit
hard: bills to pay and no
price for potatoes to meet
them. It is potatoes here.
not corn, wheat. oats and
hogs, like it is in other parts

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.- so bu; per acre. Most; farmershave to.buy grain
for horses and COWs; have plenty" of hay. vCor'n
meal at $3.90 per hundred, oats at 75c to $1.00
at auctions; middlings, $2.82 perhundredj no
corn to be had; oil meal, $3.00 per hundred. If
we have to sell potatoes at one cent per 1b. for
No. 1, how are we going to come out whole?

I sold 14 bags of beans Nov. 13th to a produce
ﬁrm, which I will not name, 2 bu. to the bag by
measure, measured them with a half bu. meas-
ure; the 14 bags weighed 1637 lbs. They bought
them for $8 a bu., hand-picked basis. They gave
me a pick of 12 lbs, at 13c a pound, and 40 a
pound for picking, makes $2.08. Take the culls,
by rights they are mine. They will charge $1.50
or $1.75 per hundred forthese for feed. Now they
want me to pay them for the 100 lbs—H. M. 13.,
Lucas, Mich.

Will be Glad toHelp With “Booster Dav.”

Enclosed ﬁnd one dollar to pay for my sub-
scription to MicIiIcAN Busixitss FARMING. It is
certainly a valuable paper for the farmer and we
appreciate very much the work you are doing for
the farmer. We sincerely hope you will be able
to effect a revision of the potato grading as prac-
ticed at the present time. It is a measure passed
for the buyers and speculators and is a great in-
justice to the farmer. If it is persisted in farm-
ers will be obliged to plant only enough for their
own needs next year for we cannot sell everything
we raise at a loss and still succeed in making a
living. If our government wants us to produce
food to help win the war. it must see that we get
-a living price cut of it, and not allow the shippers
and speculators to make all the proﬁts.

Will be glad to help with a “Booster Day,” for
we feel that every farmer ought to have M. B. F.
to help win our war. Hoping that success will
come in your work in our behalf, I am. yours
t.ruly,~Il'. 1'}. 8.. Summer.

It’s “Great” to be a Farmer

I had in seven acres of beans. Glad if I got 25
bushels. Seed cost. me $10 per bu. Oh, it's great
to be a farmer! I was in town yesterday: asked
the elevator man the price of beans. lie said.
“they are a. little off, We are paying fill per cwt.”
I see Detroit quotes them at $12. The price is go-
ing up in Detroit and coming down here. It's all
a joke. I think your Mirmrux Bi‘slxr:ss FARMING
beats them all. Keep on with your good work,
and il‘ kicking will do any good the t‘armcr is
there with the kick. it doesn't cost anything to

 

 
 

Bzacmume 0!] the fact that at Lillian mates destroyer ruptured the crew of a German lithoat ant-r

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RESCUING SURVIVORS OF GERMAN SUBMARIN

   

kick. I: it did; I18 sodium kick. W
es,.I arm—F. B., Brant. '

Beans Will Pick Twelve Pounds

I will say that many farmers are strictly up
against it. Beans are a failure unless three bush-
els to the acre is a crop. Many did not get, the 3
seed back. Here is one point about beans I have 3
not seen much of in the paper: Suppose it costs'
$48 to raise an acre of beans and the yield is 6 g

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bu. to the acre, you say $8 would bu a fair price.
I can’t see it. My beans pick 12 lbs. That 12 lb-
pick will bring your $8 per bu. down to about
$5.96. Now tell me, am I getting $8 or $5.96? Why,
the papers say $8, or Whatever the price happens
to be, so it must be so. But we poor numskulls
can’t see it yet. And when reports come of how
beans are yielding they are based on machine
measure regardless of pick. ’Iwelve lbs. is not ar
exceptional pick for this year. Looks as though
that when they get the cost cf production calcu-
lated to the last bean the price should be raised
25 per cent. Yours for more light on the subject._
-——P. E. P., Beaverton. '

Farmer’s Wife Compelled to Do Man’s Work

The farmers around here are not very well
pleased with the war the prices have been set on
all farm products. What the farmer is compelled
to buy is higher than a cat‘s back all bristled up,
but that’s all right, if you don’t put the price on
what you have to buy to live and to keep the farm
going, how do you expect the farmers to raise the
provisions that Uncle Sam wants to carry on the
war. You have got to give the farmers a square
deal if you expect much help from them. In the
ﬁrst place they were urged to put out a large
acreage last spring, stating that they would fur- .
nish plenty of help to harvest it. But the help '
never showed up. Then what? Why, the farm-
er’s wife and daughters have to put on pants and
go into the field and work like a man. and then the
big guns of the city go along in their‘ﬁne autos
and point their ﬁnger at the, labo"ing woman and
laugh. and they even take a picture of some of
them and have them in the daily papers and say
this woman is working for l'nclc Sam. But be‘
lieye me, you are making 2: share of the farmer,
and they say they are bound to cut down the farm
work and do just what they can do lone-handed
and then I guess somebody will see whether the
women are working for l‘nclc Sam or Sam's Un-
clc H. II. /~‘.. climax: j

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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of the state, and other states.
There isn’t any corn to fat-
ten a hog: wheat only makes
about 10 to 15 bu. per acre;
oats on the sandy soil 25 to

 

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4 (ﬁriiWﬂed'from‘page 2) , p
.‘I am,sure that.many..ot thewriters as well as. yourself, after a

g- '- Food‘ *Admiﬁistrhﬁéﬁ? ’ gamma : for *New “Potato 'Grades.»

received; _
careful consideration, ‘Will see the beneﬁts that p
_Michigan through the adoption of these grades, and further in thiscon-
‘nection 'I wish you would take the matter up with Prof. C. W. Waid, at the
Agricultural Station at Lansing, who for some years has been trying to
bring about the production of a better quality of potatoes in Michigan.

I want to say‘ to you that here is a man and a work that is worthy of
your hearty support. He has given the matter a great deal of thought and
study and unfortunately the means to carry on this work are not as great as
they should be.

CLAIMED WISCONSIN GROWEBS IN‘SYMPATHY WITH MOVEMMENT

Prof. J. G. Milward at Madison, Wisconsin, has been working along the
same line and with more support. I wish you could have seen the recent
exhibit of potatoes at the Wisconsin Potato Growers’ Assoc’ation meeting
at Madison, Wisconsin. I wish you could'haVe heard the progressive farmers
expreSS themselves relative to this grading. The State of Michigan can well
work for a larger appropriation to carry on the work of Prof. Waid, and I feel
that you might lend valuable assistance in this direction. I am going to
ask Mr. Waid to either see or write to you and also Prof. Milward and Mr.
Hicks, who is president of the Wisconsin Potato Growers’ Association.

Other sections are alive to the situation and what do you think would be
the result if M'chigan continued to ship potatoes as in thepast without
grading, while the surrounding producing sections were grading their po-
tatoes and shipping those of mhch better quality?

Again I say in conclusion, that it cannot be possible that those object-
ing’ to this grading have given the matter serious and sincere thought. I
saythis without intent to criticise your position, fully realizing that there
are many more who will write and express their disapproval that will take
the trouble to express their approval. It is perhaps human nature to ﬁnd
fault and to attribute our misfortune to others or to some cause beyond our
control. Certainly the farmer who has been so unfortunate this year as to
produce a large percentage of small potatoes is the more inclined to ﬁnd
fault. Do you not think it would be an injustice to the rarmer who has
taken pains with his crop and produced potatoes of much better quality
to receive no more for it than his neighbor who has been careless in his
cultural methods, or who may actually have suffered through causes actu—
ally beyond his control? Should there not be a reward of merit in all lines?
Should there not be an incentive for the breeding of better root. crops
as well as for the breeding of better livestock? Will it not result in the good
of the country as a whole if encouragment is given for the production of
better quality and of better yields? The consumption of potatoes in. this
country is under that of any other country similarly situated and it is be-
lieved by many who have given the matter thought that to a great extent
this is due to the fact that the average quality of potatoes produced in the
United States is very much under that, produced in the European countries.
We should do all that we can to stimulate an increased consumpt'ou of
potatoes not simply because Michigan raises them and Wisconsin raises
them. but because they are a valuable article of food and because Michigan
can raise them of as ﬁne quality as can be produced anywhere. Michigan
will naturally proﬁt by an increased consumption. _

i am sure you will pardon this long letter but I feel that the subject 18
one that is very near your heart as it is mine, and if I may be the means of
securing for this movement your valuable support. I shall feel that l have
performed a very valuable service. I shall be glad to hear from you further
on the subject, and beg to remain,

Yours very truly, _, _
U. S. FOOD ADMINISTRATION.
By E. P. Miller.

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M. B. F. Presents Growers’ Arguments Against Grades
(Continued from. page 2)

the problem of unstable and unproﬁtable markets? No matter how rigidly
the stock may be graded according to government speciﬁcations, some mar-
keting organ‘yations or some section or state, will always ﬁnd means to make
a little higher grade, a little fancier stock in order to appeal to the fastid—
ions and thercby command a little higher price than the average graded
stock? Surely, Mr. Miller, you would not attempt to keep the general
standard of the great national crop up to that established by some locality
for purposes of show or prize competition?

Your comparison of the grading of potatoes with that of. apples is not
fair. Thcro is a much larger waste to a pound of small apples, for instance,
than to a pound of large ones on account of the core. Quite the reverse.
however, it' true of the various sizes of potatoes. There is frequently more
food value to one pound of mediumsizcd potatoes which would barely pass
thru an inch and seven-eights screen. for instance. than in a pound of large
potatoes with hollow centers.

It is your judgment that this second grade will eventually sell about
if this be true, will you please explain What your
argument is for separating them? There is no question in my mind but
what the No. 2 variety is as satisfactory if not preferable to the No. 1. And
if this second grade is placed upon the market, the retailer will shortly dis-
(Over this. and will accordingly raise his price. so that this grade for which
the‘t‘arircr rcrcived only 00 per cent of what he got for N0. 1, will upon
reaching the city market immediately enter into competition with the No. 1
stock and Mr. Retailer will make a nice fat proﬁt on his No. 2 grade.

uniclcxynJJc FARMERS i-Ro'ricsr AGAINST (in-Anlcs

Your lVlr. Allewelt has no doubt already laidbclore you a report of the
big meeting held last, Friday night at Greenville, when over 500 farmers
gathered to voice their disapproval of the present grading methods. There
is no need to go into further details of this meeting. I merely wish to say
however, that, the events which transpired that night, the spirit of the farm—
ers present and the arguments presented were sufﬁcient to at least disturb
the theories of both Mr. Allewelt. and Mr. C. IV. Waid of the extension de-
partment of the M. A. C. Indeed, Mr. Allewelt advised the writer that he
would recommend a revision of the grades as suggested, and Mr. Waid was
not so ﬁrmly convinced as to the wisdom of the present metnods but that he
also went on record as saying that he would not oppose the elimination of
the second grade and a reduction of the large screen to one and three-quar-
ters inches.

A resolution was unanimously passed at the Greenville meeting rec-
ommending the elimination of the second screen and the adOption of an inch
amend a half screen. It was not hoped, of course, that the Food Administration

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ms high as the No. 1 stock.

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must. accrue to the state of .

1'22‘éwou‘ld comﬂykto therveryéﬁretterl ofnﬁiihe'fremmfensmﬁthatanemia!
a-v"I‘he value of” the resolution lay...lncthe,tact-.that itwwas a. ‘Lvigorouslprotest
~ against the presentumethodi of::grading. ' ' > ‘

‘DEALER NOT QUALIFIED T0 ‘JUﬂGE'ﬁ’I‘AWﬁ’S "NEEDS

Your statement that “there is not} one logical objection in all the let-
ters we have received” fromv’the growers oftpotatoes is ”an assumption of
judgment to which we do not-deem you entitled, and is certainly a reﬂection
upon the intelligence of those who base their opinions and protests upon
actual experience. - Who shall have better‘knOwledge of the- growers‘ con-
ditions. and interests than they themselves? Not you, Mr. Miller, nor any
other man who has been engaged for-a period of years in dealing in the
products which they produce. You cannot be a' fair-judge of what is- best for
either producer or consumer. This is -not_vmeant as a islightragainst your
:motives' or an- underestimation of yourgeneral powers'of judgment; you are
generously giving your services to the government; «you desire, we believe,

. to conduct your department. to the-'best interests of all concerned, yet I

repeat that it cannot be within your province toqualify as a~judge of what
is best for the farmers of this-nation. Neither can any-man who has not dug
his toes into the soil, weathered the elements to nurse the growing crops,
sometimes hopefully, other times despairingly, to be assailed by the same
hopes and fears when he takes his cr0p‘to market.
FARMERS SHOULD "NOT BE BLAMED FOR: SMALL POTATOES

I am-surprised, Mr. Miller, that you'rshouldtplace t-hevblameru-pon the

farmers of this state for their large crop of medium-sized potatoes. Is it

‘ - possible that you are permitted to occupy your high position :when apparently

in total ignorance‘of the causes for these small potatoes? Please explain
how any kind or amount of fertilization and cultivation could have saved
the farmers from the drouth that came when the- potatoes were setting, or
that September frost which blasted the-hopes of many and .the crops of
practically all in thewpotato section. Man has no control: overzthe elements;
he may use the utmost care in the preparation of hissoil, the selection of
the seed, cultivation of the crop, but if drouths and frosts come, if unseas-
onable weather retard-the growth of the crop, he is powerless to control it.
These are exactly the conditions which are- primarily to blame for the big
crop of small potatoes in Michigan, northern Wisconsin, some sect‘ons of
Pennsylvania, Maine and New York. How can you criticize the farmer
for this?

The farmers of Michigan are facing-one of the greatest problems in
years. None of them were able to grow potatoes this year for less than $1
per bushel. They planted a huge acreage in response to the government’s
pleas; they paid $3 to $5 per bushel for their seed;
$4— per day, and on account of unseasonable weather their crop does not
average more than 80 bushels to the acre. Marketing time comes, and those
who need the money invested in their crops, are forced to sell at a loss
others wholly uncertain as to what. effect the new potato grading rules will
have upon the market, remain'uncertain as to whether to sell now at a
slight loss or take a chance at higher prices later in the season, or perhaps
still lower prices.

There would perhaps be no objection to present grading rules vere there a
profitable market for the No. 2 stock. But it would appear that the organiz—
cl shippers of the state have a “gentlemen's agreement” regarding the price
that shall be paid for the second grade, for all markets we have been in
touch with offer 60 per cent of what they pay for the ﬁrst, no more and no less.

GRADING UNFAIR UNLESS APPPLIED TO ALL smcrmxs

The government cannot devise a system of grading that will be fair to
anyone concerned unless every section of the country comes simultaneously
under its provisions. It is our claim that the farmers of Michigan are being
discriminated against; that their graded product is today selling for less
than the ungraded product of other states. An inequality exists here which
must be rectiﬁed some way or other, theories and opinions to the contrary
notwithstanding. In our judgment it would beeasier and more feas‘ble at
this time to eliminate the second grade altogether, reducing the screen of the
No. 1 stock to an inch and ﬁve eighths, than it would be to bring the rest of
the country under harmonious and effective co-operation with the new grad-
ing rules. It takes years to successfully effect a reform like this, if such it
may be styled, and in our judgment no more inauspicious time could have
been chosen to foist this grading upon the farmers than the present year.

In conclusion, I earnestly beseech you, to forget your own opinions and
the theories of others, and face the bare FACTS that the farmers of this
state will lose millions of dollars if the present situation is not remedied.
It is not for the mere substantiation of our protests that we plead; it is
to save us from the loss that now seems inevitable. You cannot in justice
to yourself, to your'government and to the farmers of this state deny their
petition for a reconsideration of these grading rules; you cannot turn a deaf
ear to the combined pleas of 25,000 farmers that you come into Michigan
and see with your own eyes the tens of thousands of bushels of sound and
eatable potatoes which are being carted back to the farms to feed to the
stock. We do not ask that you accept our arguments for a revision of
these grades; but we do ask that you give sufﬁcient weight to the needs of
the producers of the state to the end that you will investigate and make
some effort to secure a reduction in the size of the screen so that our farm-
ers may be able to place sufﬁcient of the’r crop upon the market at No. I
grade to give the majority of them a slight proﬁt on their year‘s work.

We have not exaggerated the conditions one whit; something must be
done to remedy it; if those in whose hands the control of potato production
and market’ng lies refuse to act we shall take the matter to Mr. Hoover‘s
personal attention.

Mr. Grant Slocum leaves tomorro wfor Washington. He will call upon
you and present petitions from thousands of farmers asking for a revision
of these grades. He will lay before you all the facts herewith presented and
many more to convince you that something must be done to' help Michigan
producers. At the same time, he will be glad to listen to your further ar-
guments in substantiation of the opinions you have already laid before us.

As a ﬁnal recommendation. I would suggest that provisionbe made for
paying the expenses of the committee that was appointed at the Greenville
meeting, to come to Washington and plead their case as actual producers.
The farmers ara entitled to some kind of representation, and I am sure that
a better feeling would prevail all around if this committee could meet with
you and compare notes. I

I wish once more to assure you of the loyalty of this publication and the
farmers it represents, and it is in exactly the same spirit of fairness and
justice which actuates our beloved nation in her‘ﬁght for world democracy
that we believe you will act to preserve the rights of the farmers of Michigan.

Respectfully yours,
MICHIGAN BUSINESS FARMINQ.

FAL-W Forrest Lord, Editor.

 

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Ill!lllllllIlllllll[IlllIlllllllllillllllllllllll

 

labor cost them $3 to

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tan"
.

‘t-

pamm

‘ GIVE THE DAIRY cow

AN OCCASIONAL REST

It is very important that dairy sows
and especially heavy milk producers
be allowed a period of rest from the
work of milk giving before they fresh-
en again. Some COWS arepersistent
in their milk ﬂow, 'giving milk right
up to the time of calving, while others
cease producing milk at the end of
seven or eight months. Of course the
former class are the more proﬁtable
to keep, but many farmers and dairy-
men do not give them a square deal.
They are anxious to secure as much
milk as possible and so continue milk-
ing a cow that will give milk until a
few days of the time of freshening.

There is no other animal on the
farm that works as hard as the good
dairy cow. \She is a machine for the
production of milk and butter fat
which she makes from the raw food
material on the farm, and a high-test-
ing cow works harder seven days of
the week for a time varying from
eight to ten months than the average
work horse. Every good horseman
knows that he must give his horse
a rest after hard work and successful
and careful dairymen know that by
giving their cows a period of six or
eight weeks rest from milk secretion
before they freshen that they will pro—
duce better calves and a larger yield
of milk during the following lactation
period than if they were not allowed
to take this rest.

In drying a deep and persistent
milker some care must be exercised
otherwise her udder is likely to be-
come disordered. When the time
comes for the cow to take a rest I
start by not milking her quite dry at
each milking and gradually leave a lit-
tle more milk in her udder at each
successive time. A cow usually gives
only what milk is required of her and
so by not taking all the milk from
her causes a gradual drying effect up-
on her supply. As the cow dries off
I commence milking her at every 0th
er milking. gradually lengthening the
periods still further and ﬁnally not
milking her at all. Tlnder this treat—
ment the most persistent milker will
usually cease her milk upply and her
'ltldel‘ remain in the best condition.

Because the cow is not giving milk
during the rest period is certainly no
reason why she should not be given
the best of feed and care. The devel-
opment of the fetus is a tremendous
strain upon the animal’s body and if
we do not continue to feed and care
for her well after she has been dried
off we certainly are not recognizing
the strain which nature is putting on
her. One of two things is sure, to
happen if the cow is poorly fed and

 
  

K‘Jﬁt’fp
ﬁlVD- JIM/36. .-»

 

 

 

      
   

cared for, the calf will be a small or
inferior one or the mother will contin-
ue to develop the fetus at the expense
of her own body. if we are sure that
the ﬁrst Would be the natural occur-
rence many of us who think only of
getting lots of milk would be perfect-
ly safe but the chances are that the
last. will be the thing that will occur
and this means a decreased milk flow
throughout the next period of lacta-
tion.

Such feeds as corn fodder and straw
do not contain enough of the essen-
tial elements for the proper growth
and development of the unborn calf
and to enable the cow to recuperate
from the strain which the yielding of
a large supply of milk has placed up-
on her. In order to insure a satisfac-
tory ﬂow of milk the cow must be in
good condition at the time of calving
and with a cow in a thrifty condition
there is always the minimum of trou—
ble at freshening time. A good supply
of nicely cured clover or alfalfa hay
together with some silage and a mix—
ture of oats. bran and crushed corn
will afford the cow and the calf she
is carrying all the elements they need
to nourish them during the time she
is resting. If a little oil meal is mixed
with the grain feed it will have a hen-
eficial effect. The cow should be giv-
en a little salt, every day or at least

every other day and the water she
drinks should be of the purest and
cleanest.

“In cold weather I always warm the
water for my cows in a tank heater

' warming the water just enough to re-

move the chill. I know it pays well to
do this. The stall in which the cow
is kept should be well bedded and
there should be a lot adjoining so that
she can go out and get exercise which
is of vital importance to any preg-
nant animalﬂJolm Underwood.

 

amDepa amen

     

l}. H. CONN, D. V.. Editor

I have a two—year-old heifer with warts
around her eyes. Would. like to know
the cause and the cure, it any?—l)_ McC,
Shcrman, Mich;

Give this cow onelialf tablespoonful
of the following on bran or chop night
and morning for 10 days: Potassium
bichromate 2 drams and water enough
to make a pint. Paint. the warts with
tincture of iodine if they are not too
near the eye. Do this once each day.

* it 4:

Please. tell me through the columns of
your paper what to do for a cow with
lumps on her teats. ’l‘hcy are white lumps,
some big and some little, (lil(‘ li'ill has
such big ones that they pretty iicaily
plug it up. They seem to have i‘cvcr in

thcm. I use milk to wash thcm oft} .(y
12.. Shinglcton.

Take one ounce tincture of iodine
and three ounces of glycerine and mix
and bathe the teats with this solution
three times each day.

Ilse just enough

 

 

 

 

 

Gamboge’s Vellum :Majesty. Grand Champion Jersey Bull National Dailry Show, 1917.

Owned by M. D. Munn, St. Paul, Minn.

 

 

, B££F mom/(ﬂow
BREED/N6 PROBLEM:

niacin -:,'m¥s.amss».immrmo J 2‘. .

  
 
 

to wet the sore places. Do not wash
the teats off with milk nor do not al-
low the cow to lie with her teats in
damp bedding or in wet of any kind.
It might be very well to give this cow
one tablespoonful of Fowler’s solution
of arsenic three times a day on some

bran or chop feed.
It i! .

Seeing in your latest issue of M. B. F.
your offer to solve farm problems. .1 take
this opportunity to ask your adVice. I
have raised hogs for several years and
twice have had wormy ones. Have tried
Merry War Lye and other remedies to no
avail. Can you recommend a preventa—
tive or cure? I very much appremate
your efforts in behalf of the farmers of
Michigan, and think Michigan Business
Farming the best of its kind I have ever
seen. Thanking you for the hoped-for
solution of my problem.«—-VV. A., Dowa—
giac.

The ﬁrst thing you must do in pre-
venting your hogs from becoming
infected with worms is to clean up
your pens and feedlols. No doubt you
are keeping the same pens and feed-
lots for several years and have never
cleaned and disinfected them. \ou
should. as soon as weather Will permit.
gather all trash and rubbish of every
kind in the lot and either.haul it away
or burn it. Burn it will be the best.
If the lot is a good sized one it, may
be plowed up in the spring and be
planted to truck of some kind and
then used again next winter. If you
cannot do this it should at least be
plowed and then sprinkled with lime.
The buildings and troughs should be
well cleaned and washed with some
good coal tar disinfectant. of which
there are manv. In treating pigs for
worms it is absolutely necessary that
you keep them away from all solid feed
for from i? to 18 hours before givmg
them medicine. I think the best rem—
edy for this is just plain spirits of
turpentine. Take one-half teaspoon-
ful for each pig weighing up to 50 lbs.
and one ieaspoonful for each pig
weighing from no pounds upward.
This should be mixed with milk and
should be poured into the trough and
then the pigs turned into the trough
so that some of them do not get too
much. This may be repeated in a

week or ten days if necessary.
a: * *

I have a 6-year—old horse which is in
quite poor shape. He keeps stamping his
hind feet while in the barn or when work—
ing. 1 think it is worms that bothers
him. (‘an not drive him a mile but what
he will sweat. I {llil feeding him carrot:
every night. It is quitc easy for him to
get the colic. Please advise what to give
him. A neighbor rci-oinmended a forum—
la called Safe ’1‘ Kross. put up by a \‘ct—
ci‘inary remedy co. of New York. Ilircc—

tions road to giyc two ir-zi-‘pwoiitiiilx‘ 3;.
morning; don’t food brcaki'ast or dinncr
and give another dove at night: lllt' next
day give (iiic pound cps-‘oni salt: in «'t
(lrciich. This i'oi‘iiiiiln i: for norms. in
it any good? \tht ‘.\'Hlil(l you. :iilvi‘w for
preventing liiin havingr the colic ."H ol‘trn‘.’

_.]). \V. S hliillniiil, ll. H.

it is not at all like !lli xvoi'nis
have anything to do with tho condi»
tion of your horse, but i ra=hcr think
that this is distinctly a iici'yoiis con-
dition which we speak of as "St, \‘itns
dance," or chorea. In our work of
buying army horses we find some of

them and they are known among
horsemen as being “bobby." it us-
ually follows disicinpci' or piiikveve,

l‘i'orn

s

but may occur causes that are
unrecognizable "lav as to the colic
I can only say {hat the teeth should
be looked at‘icr and this animal should
be fed and watered regularly. Food
oats and bran and good alfalfa or
clover hay. Do not feed millet or
Hungarian. This colic is no doubt
due largely to this condition of the
nerves. But careful feeding and good
care will be necessary it' you are going
to attempt a cure. As a treatment
for this nervous condition have your
druggist prepare the following: Siry-
chnine sulphate gr. XVI. ﬂuid extract
of chlochicum drams VI and water suf‘
ﬁcent to make one quart. Of this give
one tablespoonful 3 times a day with
a dose syringe. Have the druggist
prepare a quart of white or ammonia
liniment for you and bathe this
horse across the loins night and morn—
ing. Rub in well and be sure to shake
the bottle well before using. If this
horse does not show an improvement
in 4. weeks of this treatment you can-
not hope to beneﬁt him any. I have
never heard of the remedy you men-
tion and for that reason I am unable
to say just what its merits may be.

 

 

- Old
— Reliable '
ﬂannel Shirt

Just What I Wanted.

“A RACIN E ﬂannel Shirt——
isn’t that great? I’ll get some
real wear and comfort out of this.
Just leave it to Mother to pick out
the RACINE. She knows where
to get the most for her money.”

Make It a Real Christmas

for "Dad” and the boys by giving them
something they can enjoy all the year.
’round-—~RACINE ﬂannel shirts. They
wear like pigskin. The seams are rip-
proof, and the buttons are sewed to stay.

And in addition to those features,
they’re clean-cut and dressy. There’s

 

something about the cut and fit that gives
them distinction. The colors are fast——
olive, khaki and gray— and the buttons
match the color of the goods.

If you can’t ﬁnd a dealer who carries the
RACINE ﬂannel shirt in stock it will pay
you to write us.

“Soft Shirt Specialiot for 30 Your."

 

Living in Racine is ideal. We
constantly require female opera-
,_ fives who appreciate good wages——

llifllllllllllll

.l

 

5 light, airy, roomy factory—good
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........... M... . .' .. ...... V'v- .

illillliilii ;

 

 

 

Consign your live stock ship—
mentsto

Bishop, Bullen
& Holmes,

Detroit

the largest Live Stock Commis—

sion in h/llc‘liigan.

 

 

 

 

Don’t Wear a Truss

R O 0 HS ’ APPLIANCE,
the modern scientific
invention,thcwonderful
new discovery that re-
lieves rupture will be
sent on trial. No ob-
nOXious springs or pads.
Has automatic Air
Cushions. Binds and
draws the broken parts
together as you would a
broken limb. No salves.
No lies. Durable, cheap.
Sent on trial to prove it.
Protected by U. S. pat-
ents. Catalogue and meas-
ure blanks mailed free. Send
name and address today.

  
  

  

.e,

C. E. BROOKS, 463 State Street, Marshall. Mich.

 

  

‘21:; . _.
‘ a, K

N ON! m. It’ I me 0? THE WOODS. Sne- money-Id
buliuio. Send (or run catalog No. R lilishnwlng low pried
and latest improvements. First order gets agency.

I folding Sawlnz Machine 00.. in First Harrison St. Claim.“

 

    
 

 


lN coma

.' Genesee County Dairymen, After

Conference With Distributors

Agree to Lay Claims Be-
fore State Milk Com-
;ﬂ: mission for Ad-
i'wrﬁ justment
' 1

“The Damned Cut-Throats!”

This was the term the writer heard
ﬁred at Flint dairymen because they
were applying a new method .to the so
lution of an old problem—that of se-
curing a price for their milk equal to
the cost of production plus legitimate
proﬁt.

The man who spoke was a consum-
er. He thinks in the same old rut
with thousands of others—he blames
the farmer for everything and for-
gets that there exists a parasite who
makes it his business to deal in com-
modities from the farm for a proﬁt.
He must get his proﬁt and a large
one, too, or else he is not going to
continue in the business. Link his
business up with the high cost of
milk to the consumer and then you
know its cause.

Flint producers are now being paid
seven cents a quart for their milk; it
is sold to the consumer at 1.2 cents a
quart. In other words, the farmer
receives seven cents a quart for pro-
ducing the milk; the distributor ﬁve
cents a quart for handling.

The producers have been trying for
years to obtain a price for their milk
that would be equal to the cost of pro-
duction plus a reasonable proﬁt.
Their efforts have been blocked on
numerous occasions. Some of the
producers haVe held out for a price
that would on its face cause a riot
among the consumers if it was boost-
ed too suddenly. Others have been
too contented with a small advance
while the vast majority have always
favored a medium advance.

Last Friday more than 100 Flint
dairymen met at the Flint city hall.
With them sat N. P. Hull, R. C. Reed
and Charles Evans, ofﬁcers of the
Michigan Milk Producers’ Association.
They discussed the price of milk and
the speakers urged them to make a
demand for a price that would equal
the cost of production plus a reason-
able proﬁt. They did as they were ad-
vised—they made the state association
its selling agency with power to ap-
peal to Governor Sleeper’s milk com-
mission for arbitration in the event
that no satisfactory agreement could
be reached with the distributors. But
a peculiar trap had been set for the
producers which is casting a very un—
pleasant reﬁection upon them at this
time.

The day before the meeting in the
city hall, Leonard Freeman of the
Freeman Dairy Company, the largest
city distributor. called all of the pro-
ducers into his ofﬁce. He talked with
them, argued with them and it is said,
later got them to say that they were
getting a legitimate proﬁt from their
milk at present prices or would at a
price he assured them they would re—
ceive for their milk after January 1,
1918. The meeting is now past; the
state association is the authorized
selling agency because the producers
saw the error of their way. But the
trap was set and the interests that be
are using it to discredit the valid
claim of the dairymen for a greater
price for their milk.

Only words of commendation can
be said for the change of mind exper-
ienced by the producers. They be-
gan to see what a trap had been so
cleverly set for them. Their action
was in keeping with the oft-repeated
maxim, “A wise man changes his
mind, a fool never.”

So long as the dairymen continue to
push their claim for a price equal to
the cost of production plus a reason-

(Oontinued on page 15)

r

lished in Boston, contributes the follow-
ingwitty story of a busted Ford:
“Farming was once a peaceful profession.
When a man started out in the early A. M. to
comb down a piece of land with a harrOw he
knew about what was befone him. But now,
before the day’s done, he may be trying to har-
row the shingles off the roof of his barn, or he
may be trying to jerk all the epidermis off of
his front yard, or cunrying down some land-
scape that does not particularly need it, just
because an automobile has exploded by the
roadside, scaring the horses into a panic. You
can’t raise cattle on a successful ~ basis and have
them trying to seek a place of ' shelter up a
lightning rod every few minutes, nor can you
have good luck with hogs when uhey try to
climb up the silo whenever there is an auto ac-
cident nearby.

“Last summer, a par-
ty of automobilers (con-
sisting of two men)
came along about 4 p.
m., headed in a north-
erly direction, with all
sails set and a clear sea
ahead. Everything
seemed to be going

" ﬁne and they were cover-
ing the road at a pretty brisk speed. But just as
they passed my place the machine stopped suddenly
without a second’s warning, began to do a dance around on one
wheel and then exploded with all hands on board. It sounded like a
Fourth of July celebration. Neither one of the occupants lost any time
getting out. One of them decided to dismount over the windshield, while
the other one hurried into a
fence corner on the starboard
side. It gave my livestock
and poultry the worst scare
they had ever had. They had
frequently been called on'to,
ﬂee for their lives at the
sound of a Klaxon, but this
was the ﬁrst time they had
ever seen a Ford have spasms.
When I heard the commotion,
I ran out of the barn. Every-
thing about the place appear<
ed to have taken wings. I
saw my faithful plow horse
bounding across the ﬁeld, fol-
lowed closely by the indig-
nant hired man, who up to
that time had been plowing
with the lines around his waist and who sincerely regretted it as he
hastened nimbly over the stubble, trying to check the speed of the fright-
ened horse by thrusting ﬁrst one shoulder then the other, as far as pos-
sible into the ground.

“Later the hired man was found seated on the hurricane deck of the
plow—urging the horse up a tree in the orchard. (He said afterward
that the horse tried several trees before it found one it could climb suc-
cessfully.

“I ran to the scene of disaster as fast as my legs could carry me. The
man who had disembarked over the prow of the car had the mainspring
or something of that kind wound around his
neck like a scarf and was sitting in the mid-
dle of the road, struggling to free himself,
while the one who had chosen the fence cor-
ner for his destination was having a catch-
as-catch-can wrestling match with one of the
tires. When he left the machine he forgot
to take his shirt-bosom with him and left
it hanging on the corner of the windshield
to show that it was the shortest known way
out. If you approached from the right direction you could also see that
he had mislaid the west half of his coat somewhere.

“I asked the chap in the road if I could do anything for him besides
throwng him down and taking the mainspring away from him. He said
If I would kindly reach up under his vest and remove the gasoline tank
he could ask nothing more.

“The machine was fatally injured. Everything that loving hands could
do was done to restore it to a normal frame of mind again but it was too
far gone. It breathed its last while the two mariners looked on in pity.
Then we gathered up the remains with a scoop shovel and sent them to
town, parcel post.

“But it nearly ruined me ﬁnancially. Getting a lot of live stock all
‘het up’ that way and tramping down your grain and hired help and
holding a caucus in the wheatﬁeld and then adjourning to meet shortly
afterwards over in the oats, I say, is bad for a farmer. And so I claim
that automobiles busting just as they get to your place and ﬁlling the
atmosphere full of monkey-wrenches and city inhabitants and scattering
gasoline and boiled shirts around the place must stop, or the farmer is a
doomed man.”

llllmlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllmllllllllllllllllllllllllllHlllllllIlllllﬂlllllllllllllllllllllllllHl'lllllllllllltlllﬂllllllllllllllllm
. lllllll|I|IIIIlllllllllﬂllllllllltllll[1[lllllllllllllllHlIlllllllllllllllllmllll|lllllll|lllllIIlllllllllllHlllllllllllllllllllllIlllllllllllllllllnllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllﬂllllllIIllllllmlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIIlmmlllllllllllllllllllllllllllliﬂllllllllllHill"!!!lu-lﬂmnﬂlllﬂlﬂﬂlulﬂlmﬂllilﬂﬂlﬂﬂmm’lll

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mllliillllllHHHHIHHUIHH

mm “'mumummx‘
lilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHllI Illll

Hmmm l‘ H‘ Um ‘H'l‘

 

Illlllllllllllllllliilll

n1 l “mu mlHHAHI H H w

 

 

 

‘Hi:f[!|.il.lil‘1’nm

mm

 

‘lll‘lll'l‘llll'llli‘

 

1§llllllllllllllllllllllllllllIllll[IIllIlIIllllllllllllHlllll!

inuuunmmnumummlimunmImmimnummunmmrmnumnummmulmmummuumm1mIun1mumnIunummmmmmnummumnmummmmnmunmmunmmmmmummmmmnmnnm

Will you help boost? Scores of readers have told us they will help to
raise the circulation of Michigan Business Farming to the 50,000 mark.
Can we enlist you in our Booster Day Army?

Dr. Mary ' E. Pennington, From
Hooverdom, Now Recommends '
Storage Eggs, as the Real
Hen Fruit

We hardly have the time to catch ‘
our breath, in these strenuous days.
One new innovation follows so close-
ly upon the heels of another that we

are kept in a state of intense excite- U

ment wondering ”what next.” Out
from the west comes the suggestion
that we “eat burro meat." Meaning, ,
we suppose, the Rocky mountain
canaries; but out here in the meat-
less east, such animals do not exist, .
hence we are ‘disconsolate; Then a _
cheery word from the food department
“eat muskrats.” They are a ﬁne little
animal, live on, roots and herbs, and
taste just like chicken. All right,
here goes for muskrats—but hold,
here’s another: ’

Last Friday the American Ware-
housemen’s Association met at the '
Hotel Statler in the City of Detroit.
Never heard of this organization be-
fore; but its in existance; and ope~
rates for a purpose. At this meeting ,
was Dr. Mary E. Pennington, of the s
U. S. Bureau of Chemistry and she
made this startling announcement: ;
“Eggs coming from the refrigerator
houses are, for the most part better :
than those supposed to be “direct from .
the farm to the table.” She admitted,
however, that after six months in the E
morgue, there was a sort of storage ‘
taste, which could only be detected by
the critical. The‘United States pro-
duces eighty million cases of eggs, of
these twelve million cases go into the
storage house*for the purpose of cur—
ing We suppose. ‘

Next. Here we have a wasteful lit-
tle, creature. It thrives on grains
and feed; it is ever present in gran-
ary and barn; multiplies fast and
feeds furiously. Why not. rats, just
common every-day rats. Burro meat
for breakfast, musknats for dinner,
and for supper, just rats.

MANY USES FOR POTA-
-. TOES IN SWEDEN

Uses made of Swedish potato crop,
ofﬁcially estimated this year at 84,—
244,820 bushels, will be interesting to
people of the United States. Of the
entire crop, 37.1 per cent is used for
direct human consumption; 32.7 per
cent is fed to animals; and 6.5 per cent
is used in flour making. The loss in
storage is 11.9 per cent and 11.8 is
retained for seed.

WORLD’S WHEAT PROS-
PECTS SHOW DECLINE

Important ﬁgures on the world’s
wheat crop for 1917 gathered by the
U. S. Food Administration show that
the combined production of all coun-
tries is about 32,000,000 bushels less
than last year and about 400,000,000
bushels less than the pre-war average.
This decrease from the pre-war aver-
age is more than ten per cent. France
shows the greatest decrease of all the
countries, her 1917 crop being 54.5
per cent less than her average crop
before the war.

The total world crop of wheat is
estimated at. 3,347,924,000 bushels of
which the United States produced
659,797,000 bushels, by far the largest
amount of any nation. Other prin-
cipal wheat countries arranged ac4
cording to size of crop are Russia (in
Europe), India, Canada,. Argentina
and Australia. Approximately two-
thirds of the wheat crops for ,1917 was
grown in countries open to world
commerce.

A year’s subscription to MICHIGAN
BUSINESS FARMING is about the most
practical Christmas gift you can give.

 


 

 

'itim . . Fa rS' . _ ling.

.I sold 100 u. last week andafter. ickin
and moisture Was taken out I h . $525,
or $5.25 per bu., left. Beans are‘mostly

thrashed around here and have averaged .

about 7 bu. to the acre., while tiled- land
gave an average of 15 bu. Beets were
poor here, giving about 5 to 6 tons to the
acre. We might far better raise beans or
cats than beets at present prices. I have
been raising beets 15 years and have not
become rich at it yet. There is too much
labor connected with raising them at the
price paid for them. $8 is being offered
for centracts for next year. This county
has been strong on beets but farmers are
cutting them out now and oing more in-
to grain and beans. I ha. ten acres in

beets ’this‘year and only got 60 tons; last.

year had 10. acres, same yield. 60 tons.
Oats were our best crop this year. I got
900 bu.. from 16 acres. Corn poor, I get
2 bu. of soft to oneof hard. This is not
a potato county, farmers usually plant
enough for home use only, but I think
farmers in the potato districts are not
getting a square deal.
that'farmers should get at' least $1 per
bu. at digging time for good potatoes, not
screened, and if the consumer gets them
at $1.25 per bu. they are reasonably cheap
compared with other foods. There are
some auction sales being held around here
and everything selling good except hors-
es; nobody seems to want them at any
price. A good fat pig will buy a good
work horse, and the pig need not be very
big either. I have concluded that tiled
land is the best investment a farmer can
put his money to provided he has an
outlet for his drain, and if he hasn't got
the money borrow it. I know some men
here who made the price of tiling their
land in this one year on heaps—V. S. M.,
Auburn, Dec. 10

ST. JOSEPH (North Central)—We are
having 8-10 below zero weather at pres-
ent and many farmers are not prepared
for such cold. Easily half of the farm-
ers are hauling up corn just as they need
it. and most all stock on the thin order.
Some hay being baled, but it is a pity to
ship any out, as it will all be needed at
home before another crop can be cut.
Quite a few potatoes froze in pits during
the latter part of Nov. Farmers were
expecting to car them and had insuﬁi-
cient covering on pits. It has been a.
good week to thresh beans and most of
them are threshed: they averaged not
more than 5 bu. of poor quality beans to
the acre. $10 beans would not make the
farmers“ very rich, while $8 would bring
the balance on the wrong side of the led—
ger. If we could manage to dispose of
the potato crop without having to screen
out 50 per cent we might come out even
on them. Every potato grower that T
have talked with has said he would cut
down half on acreage another year. T-Icre

is hoping you will be successful in regard '

to the issues you will agitate while in
Washington—H. A. FL. Mendon. Dec. 0,

SAGINAW (Northwest)—Mercury is
hovering around zero. Care of stock oc—
cupies a. good deal of the time of farmers
right now. A few are selling beans but
more are holding: Saginaw county will
vote Dec. 11 on the question of adopting
the Michigan State road law. Indications
point to its adoption—M. S. (1., Hemlock,
Dec. 8.

M‘ONROE (Northeast)—Farmers are
husking corn and getting up wood. The

weather has been cold. and the ground
is frozen too much to plow. Farmers are
selling grain. poulry and hogs. are bold-
ing hay and corn and are, buying secd
corn, while some are sclling seed corn
and are, getting one dollar a bushel for
it. A great deal of thieving has bccn go-
ing on around here. farmers losing oats.
potatoes_ onions and even automobiles—-
R. H., Carleton, Dec. 7.

HURON (Northwest)—Winter weather
is with us. Farmers are taking care of
their stock, marketing some gram, at-
tending auction sales. Some farmers are
short of feed. Very few hogs are fed
for market—G. W.. Elkton. Dec. 8.

CALHOUN (North Central)—Farmers
are getting ready for winter. A few are
hauling gravel on the Olivet-Marshall
trunk line road. George Rundle is haul—
ing gravel and material for a new barn.
Snow began falling Saturday morning.
getting very cold and windy. Saturday
evening and Sunday about 10 below zero.
Hogs about all sold here. Not many
beans: about all sold that are threshed.
yield from 3 to 10 bu. per acre, and most
all in bad condition. Farmers are won-
dering and worrying about what to do
with their green corn. frozen as hard as
a stick. We all realize the advantage of
a silo now. and may the time hasten
when we will all be able to have theme—
C. R.. Olivet, Dec.

PRESQUE ISLE (Central)-—We are in
the midst of a regular blizzard; the snow
is about 5 inches deep on the level. Most.
farmers are getting up wood and Work-
ing in the woods.~——D. D. S., Millersburg,
Dec.

MONROE (EMU—Ground frozen and
today about one inch of snow covers
the ground, and colder tonight. (torn
husking goes very slow: too much soft
corn; only a few shredding. A few are
selling hay, price $20-$22. It). H. M., Mon—
roe_ Dec. 6.

lVIONTCALM (Southwesﬂ—Beans are
being threshed rapidly. as a large acre-
age was planted this year and they will
be unable to get them all threshed until
late this season; yielding fair in most
parts of this locality Potatoes are mov-
ing very slowly, as the price is quoted
lower than lust week at Miller's. A car-
load of soft coal was received at Miller's
Monday noon, Dec. 3, being a poor qual—
ity for this kind of coal and was culled
the “mine run." As this was the ﬁrst
car to be unloaded here the farmers did
not consider the price or quality, hauling
it away as fast as poss1b1e, paying $8.50
per ton and waiting for more. Weather
is cold with snow remaining on the ground.
A small amount of cats are being sold,
but potatoes are being held, as they are
hoping that government screens shall not
be used and price advanced—H. V. L.,
Greenville, Dec. 7.

 

 

. My experience is ,

 

 
  
 
 
 

  

 

  

 

 

being a little cold, we have had another
week of ﬁne weather, no bad storms. The
farmersare marketing their hay quite
freely. A number of farmers are sellinp
a few beans. Wheat is rather small and
IS not looking very good. This is very
hard weather on wheat—F. A. L., Cole-
man, Dec 6.

GENESEE (Southeast)—-Farmers are
hauling corn and threshing beans. The
last week has been quite cold and we
have had a little snow. The ground is
frozen quite hard and cannot be worked.
Farmers are not holding much this fall,‘
although some are holding potatoes. The
wheat and other grains are moving steady
while hay and livestock are moving live-
lier. Farmers are not buying feeds on
account of the high prices. Auction sales
are _qu1te numerous and good prices are
received. Quite a large acreage of beans
have been threshed; yields average from
3 to 7 bu. per acre and a very poor qual-
ity .of them at that. A great many have
spmled in the stalks and barns on account
of the poor condition in which they were
harvested. Farmers here are disappoint-
ed with the two grades of potatoes, and if
conditions do not bhange there will be a
big.decrease in acreage next year. Fall
grains are late and in rather poor shape.
——C. W. S., Fenton. Dec. 5.

MONTCALM (Northwest)—The farm-
ers are all busy working on the roads.
They are building one mile of trunk line
in Pine township this year. and 3 miles
of gravel road. The weather has changed
a little; there is some snow on the ground
and there is some corn in the ﬁelds yet
to husk. Some farmers .are feeding the
corn stalks and all. There is good mon—
ey in cutting wood this winter. The peo-
ple are offering $3 a cord and can't get it
at that. price. The beans are not all
threshed yet. There is a little clover seed
to thresh but not much—E. W.. Coral,
Dec. 5.

MONROE (West Centrall—We are hav-
ing pleasant weather with cold nights.
Some farmers are working at their corn,
while others are plowing and hauling
manure.~—~W. H. L., Dundee, Dec. 4.

MASON (Northwest)—~Beans are being
threshed wherever it is possible to get
a machine. The majority of those that

thave been threshed have yielded around

three bu. to the acre. Farmers are hold—
ing potatoes for $1. Corn is soft. Wheat
is quoted at $1.90 to $2.00; not much is
going to market and some is being fed
on account of the shortage of the corn
crop. Many farmers are complaining that
the new wheat seeding is a poor stand.
Some contemplate plowing it under if it
shows no improvement in the spring. No.
1. timothy hay is selling around $20 per
ton—R. l\'l.. Amber Twp. Dec. 6.
(‘ALIIOUN (Southwest)—Bean thresh-
ing about ﬁnished here with very poor
yield. Not much clover seed. No hard
coal in the market and hard to get Wood
cut at $1 per cord. Ground frozen. Po—
tatoes are about all marketed. Some are
selling at $1.25 and later they came down.
They have since been selling at $1.10.
(Torn is very poor; there will be some
seed corn here but i'armcrs have had a
hard time saving it. Can you tell me
why buckwheat is selling at $3.00 per
hundred and flour selling at $10 per cwt.?
Ill. B. H._ Athens, Dec. 8.

 

luIDLAND (N0rthwest)-——Outside of it

  

WEXFORD 'West)———Some farmers are
building a little but not much. Some are
preparing to go to camp to work for the
winter. '.The weather is mild' but the
ground is frozen hard. There has been a
number of auction sales this fall and some
still going on. No snow to speak of. not
enough to cover the ground. S. H. Slagle
sustained an injury to his left knee while
at work in Robert Sprague’s camps and
had to resort to medical aid. He Will. in
all probability be laid up a month or so.
The farmers are still being “graded ;" the
Big—Nut is trying to “do" the producer
and the consumer at the same time. it
is high time something was done—«S. H.
S.,Harrietta, Dec. 1.

INGHAliI (Northeast)—Fm'mers are
cutting wood; can’t get any coal so will
resort to the old way of keeping warm.
Most farmers have their husking done,
and corn is two—thirds soft. Farmers
who have threshed their beans are holding
them if they are dry for a better price.
which looks favorable at present. Would
you hold good dry beans until spring for
seed?—-W. B., Williamston. [We can only
repeat. what we have said before regarding
the bean price situation: Sit tight and
accept nothing less than $2 per bu. for
them. As regards holding them for more
than that price, it is a matter of specula-
tion and personal judgment. In all prob—
ability if the majority of the Michigan
crop is sold this winter seed beans will
command a good price at planting time.
In this regard we would advise, you to
watch the market closely and then act
according to your best judgment regard—
ing holding them until spring. Editor]

MIDLAND (Southeast)-—'l‘he weather
is fine at this writing. like early fall. A
little ditching is being done. A large num-
ber of teams are working on the county
drains, also the stone and gravel roads,
which are being built in his locality. ('me
farmer here is getting ready for thc win—
ter by installing a new hot-air furnace:—
A. .13., Midland, Dec. 7.

(‘HARLEVOIX ((‘entruil—Tho weather
has been ﬁne for the past week. Farmers
are threshing beans and buckwheat. ’l‘hc
beans are very poor in this section. Some
were greatly damaged by the big snow
storm. There is lots of corn in the ﬁelds
yet. Some farmers are selling their p011!—
toes, but many are holding for more mon—
ey. 'l‘he buyers are all saying that tln-y
cannot get cars. Some, are not buying at
all and some who are buying are only of»
fering $1.520 per c\\‘l.—~—\V. 5%.. 'ioync Wily.

 

Dec. 3.

()(HCNIA‘V (Soullnvesﬁ—Bczl11:4 are all
threshed now with a yield running from
one to six bushels per acre, 11 Hwy few
above the lattcr ﬁgure. i4‘arnwrs are
busy hauling wood and luiling hny. Not
much produce bcing sold cxccpt l’my.
li‘armcrs ui'c dissatisfied with the double

scrccn for potatocs. If thc govcrnmcnt

is figuring on a small :lcrcagp for next
year i gucss thcy will get it i!” right as
we might. bcticr ruisc grain or buy with
labor as scnrcc us it, is now. ‘1’ '
'W'cst Brunch. llcc. 11.

NE‘VAYGO (Soutlicnstl—l'iczin thresh-
ing is about all done in thcsc parts, and

the beans arc vcry poor. Potatoes wcre
not good and there is no corn. ’l‘hc curly
frosts (lid grout damage hcrc. 'llyc, oats,
hay and wheat wore good crops—(T, 8.,
While Cloud. Dec. 8.

u

  
  

BAY , (ﬁNortheast)—-Farmers are busy
preparing fo'rfjcold weather, getting their
buildings ready, wood on hand and other
odd jobs that come along at this time,
of year. A few are selling beans, hay
and pork., There will be a meeting held
in Bay City Dec. 12 which will be of much,
interest to the farmers. The meeting will
be made up of farmers from all over the
county. We hope the farmers in the po-
tato districts will be successful in their
fight for a square deal. We are not in
the potato district here so haven’t any
“potato sharks” but we do have “bean
sharks." l sec in one of. the local papers
that a campaign will be started the ﬁrst
of the year to induce farmers to produce
larger crops. The farmer will take care
of the crop question if he has the season
in his favor. undoubtedly. The campaign
should be to guarantee the farmers a
square deal after they get thcir crops har-
vested and ready for i‘nurkct. If he holds
his crops for higher prices then ho is con-
sidered unputriotic, but if a farmer sells
his bcans. for instance. at $7.50 or $8.00
penbu. and an elevator mun holds them
until spring for $10 or $l2. who is the
patriot in the case? Let thc government
see that the price is right in the fall when
the average farmer needs his money, give
a fair margin to the jobber for handling
the crop and let the pricc which should
be favorable to

all remain the same
throughout the whole year. and not a.
gambling game. as it always has been,

with the farmer and the consumer at the
mercy of the jobber. YVould like to
know how other correspondents think
about the same subject—J. ii). McK., Pin-
conning, Dec. 5.

INGHAM (Northeast)—Bean threshing
has been ﬁnished in this section. and the
yield per acre has averaged from 5 to
1.4. Have been having some very good
weather for this time of year, but it now
looks as though the winter had set in for
good. (llover bay has jumped up to $18.
WW. 1%.. \Villiamstom Dec. 8.

lilE(‘O."I‘A (Southeast)——Crops are all
gathcrcd except corn. The ground has
been frozen hard for about two weeks.—
F. 1W. 19., Millln'ook, Doc. 8. '

MIDLAND (Sou!heasi)———-—l<‘nrmcrs
hauling their corn in the burn. Some are
shredding. \Vcathcr is cold and cloudy,
have had some rain and snow. l’lowing
has been discontinued. Somc ditching is
being donc. Farmers are holding their
beans for higher prices. Bonn threshing
is almost done, in this locality, some ﬁelds

are

wcrc good and some bud. l-icuns that
won» planted early werc tho llt‘h‘irwJ. H.
M., llcmlock. lion 1

(‘HI‘IBOYGAN (Hymn—Tho. wc‘dthel‘ is
very cold with no snow nml tho ground

is frozmi to a dopth of Ion inches Pota—
to mnl'kcl is wcnkcr nnd no potatoes are
moving, Most of tho crop is boing stored.
The financial situation is boginiiiiig to
tighlcn and wc I'cur thcro :irc hard tmes
ahead for many of tlic l'nrnn-rs nnd some
of tho, busincss mcn. \‘ci‘y littic full plow-

ing has bccn donc and it is not likely
that it will bo possiblo to do unv more.
A, l. ‘1. IL. (‘onwnv lit-c, 21. ~
()'l"l‘.-\“'.-\ (Nortli<-ns1l——l"nll plowing
was not all finished whcn Ilu- cold hit.
'l<‘ni'mcrs :Irc soiling sonic buy and wheat.
(‘orn crop was \‘cry light. so hardly any-
onc hurl nny to husk. Quito :1 number
of l‘nrmcl's hnvc boon sclling‘ some of
thcir livestock on account of the scarcity
of l't‘l‘(l.v-.l. l’.. (‘oopm‘svillo Dcc.
LIVINGSTON (Norllnvcst) — I'th'lnel‘s

arc bcing‘ kcpt busy curing for lhcir stock.

getting up wood. threshingr bcuns and
balmg hay. \chthcr has bccn 1'nir and
cool most of tho wcck. (lround frozen

solid and it is snowing hcuvily. lt‘nrmers
arc soiling buy and :=omc arc buying dairy
fced.—*(l. A. \‘V,. l“o\\‘lcl‘\'illc, Doc. 8.

 

 

 

ploycd in this state.

act.

01‘ bushels
steady and the price up?

be satisﬁed with the elimination

No. 1 grade.

three—quarters?
0
I).

price to the No. 1'?

what are your suggestions?

from you farmers.
out your wishes.

.FOR PETITION BLANKS.

 

 

2. If this would not solve your problem, would you
of the
and a. reduction of the inch and littecn-sixlcenlhs scrccn
to an inch and ilirce—(niarters, which means a decrease
of threc-cights of an inch in the minimum size 01' the
Would such a screen enable you to market,
off sufﬁcient (if your crop as No. 1 stock so that you
could afford to keep all potatoes under an inch and

Would you be satisfied with the double grading
as at present providing the second grade sold at a closcr

4. If none of these plans mcct with your approval,

Remember, You Must Act at Once!

Editor Slocum is now in Washington, waiting to hear

He is there to serve you, to carry
He will be guided by your needs and
opinions. DO NOT HESITATE A SINGLE DAY. If you
want to get more money out of your 1917 potato ('1'01) ﬁll
out the coupon attached and mail it right away.

k cop the mu rket

‘-

(NH’l‘lC
nun-slions you
wlmi pcr ccnl

.econd grade should ln- [mid

lemarks

ASK

 

 

 

Farmer Friends, It is Time to Act!

You hold in your hands the power to secure a revision of the potato

0‘
b

If you can unanimously agree upon a more satisfactory incthod and will back
up your views with petitions and protcsts. we bcliovc We )an inducc tllc Food Administration to
But we must be, SURE that our rcconnnciulutions are your rccommciulutions.

What We Must Know if We are to Help You

1. Would you be satisﬁed with the elimination of the second grade. without a reduction in the size of the
screen, in order to take the second grade entirely 011’ the market. reducing the total crop yicld by millions
and thereby helping to

-—---------_--—-———--7_--___-
l’lucc :1
(lcs'll'c‘ [4,
of tho pl'icw [mill for No, l
i'Hl‘

llilic
.\lli‘ll|!l.\N lil'SlNl'ISS l“.\l‘..\ll.\'(‘r,

quarters
1. I would be satisfied with prescnt methods pro—

viding the ‘No. 3

....per cent of the price paid for .\'o. l C]
Send me petition blanks and I will circulate them

among my neighbors ...................... D

'uding mctliods now bcing' mn—

 

 

 

illi‘

cross in
:inswo-i‘.

souni'c following ihc
.-\lIH 1w ;-~lll‘c in slate
stock you think
illl‘ \H.

20

....1!ll7

Mount (‘lcincns Mich.
l. l i'nvor tho climinntion of tho No. ‘2 grndc of

pot:|locs_ without n i'ctluction in ”lo :i:/.c

of tho sci'ccn ............................. D
3. l favor the clllllillillluli of thc No. 2 gi'ndc oi'

potatocs. with n iw-(luclion in tho sizc of

thc .\'o. scrccn Io :lll inch nnrl ilvc—

rights. If it, is impossible to kuw this; ..... D
13. I would be szitisiicd with tho o'llllllllililun of

gradc No ‘1 with n i'cduction in tho size

ol‘ ihc N0. 1 scrccn to no inch and ”1111*

grade comnmndcd

:D —-_-

...... County} ............

I
’—--—-‘-----I---_—_——_--_-___

 

   

 


 
 

 

1 1
1

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11111111111111111111111111.1111111111111111111111111-1111111111.11111lllllllll1l117l'.11

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7ft.

 
    

 

   

llltlHtllllllilllllllmlllllllﬂlltllﬂlﬂﬂllluﬂm ‘-

111 1111111“,

‘‘‘‘‘‘

.....

 

 

‘lllllllllllllluﬂluulllllllllllltllllllltlllItlllltlllllll||[lltlltllllltlllllllllllllllll||lllllllllllIllmﬂﬂﬂlllIlllllllilllllllllllllllllllltllllllIIIHHL:

’Uncle Sam’s Thrift Thought. E

NEW MARMALADES WITHOUT SUGAR

Now the papers are calling for ﬁfty-ﬁfty mar-
malades. The recipes below, though not of the
fifty ﬁfty variety, reduce sugar to zero and
introduce other surprises.

Prune Conserve
Two dozen prunes, third cup‘ raisins, two
oranges, third cup cmn syr,up half cup water,
fourth cup nut meats, dried apricots peaches,
or canned plums may be used in this recipe.
Wash and cut prunes in pieces; add chopped

raisins and orange pulp, out very ﬁne; then
add corn syrup and water. Cook slowly until
it is the consistency of marmalade. Add chop-

ped nuts ﬁve minutes before removing from
ire.
Carrot Honey _

Take one pint grated raw carrot, two cups
white syrup and two lemons. Mix ingredients
and add the grated rind of one lemon. Heat
slowly and simmer the mixture until it is thick
and clear. Turn into scalded jelly glasses and
when cold cover with hot parafﬁn. Serve with
cold meat or as a sauce for puddings.

Scotch Orange Marmalade
To two pints ground oranges (pulp, rind and

juice) add two pounds of honey, and cook to a
thick marmalade.

11111-4I1 ”"1...

Cleaning the Piano

PIANO is a beautiful object until it com-
mences to get blue. In fact, all polished
surfaces get dull every so often. Here is a
good treatment for them. Piano factories, where
they renovate old pianos use this method: You
will need a basin of tepid water, a sponge and a
chamois. Wash the piano with the sponge, wet
and partly wrung out. Wash very thoroughly,
rubbing hard. tak'ng not more than two square
feet at a time, and even less. Wet the chamois
in the tepid water and wring it as dry as possible,
and then polish the spot that has just been wash-
ed with the sponge. The queer thing about this
treatment is that the chamois must be used wet.
The result is very satisfactory, but it takes a
long time. and it would be well to get someone
to help you so you could rest your muscles. If
your piano is treated this way twice a year and
has a good daily dusting it will need no other
polishing. If the surface is scratched, it is a good
idea to use a little oil afterward.

Scrapple—A Good Winter Food

CRAPPLE—a meat and corn meal mush relish-
ed by many—puts to good use such meats as
hog heads, hearts and livers and it is good

use for corn meal also. The United States De-
partment of Agriculture gives the following di-
rections for preparing this dish. excellent, for
breakfast, luncheon or dinner.

IXGRI‘TIHENTS

hog livers and hearts.
21,13 pounds; (A small quantitty of beef can be used
also if desired): corn meal (yellow or 111ixed)_ ('1 lbs;
buckwheat or rye llour. half pound: slfccs as 111;11‘,io1‘-
an, sage, thyme and pepper in proportion as desired,
or omit those not desired. 1! ounces; liquid in which
meat is boiled; use :1 quantity count to the total weight
of tho 1-1111111i1lcd solids. 'l‘ht- proportion of the various
ingredients may be varied to suit individual taste.

V‘Vhole hogr heads 10 pounds:

111k11:("rlo\‘s FOR PREPARING

(‘leau the hog heads thoroughly, removing the
eyes and ear tubes. Split the head lengthwise and
remove the teeth and soft bones in and near the
nasal cavities. Place the hog heads and other
meat into a large kettle or caldron with a liberal
ouantity of water and cook until the meat falls
off the bones. Remove all the meat and soft tis-
sues from the bones and chop the meat by passing
it through a meat grinder. Strain the cooking
liouirl back into the kettle. Heat to boiling point,
at which time slowly add the meal and ﬂour, and
stir constantly to prevent the meal from‘ forming
into lumps and also to avoid scorching. Boil and
stir until the mass becomes thick, and then add the
salt, spices and chopped meat. Boil ten minutes
and while still hot pour the product into deep wet
mouldsibread pans will do. Pour 2 to 4 large
spoonfuls of melted lard over the product in the
pans. As soon as the product has cooled it is
ready for use.

HOW TO SERVE

The usual way of serving scrapple is to cut it
into slices about one-half inch thick, dust the
slices with flour or cracker dust, or dry corn meal
and fry until the outside is somewhat crisp.
Serve while hot. Fried apples are good with fried

scrapple.

 

111t‘ll1311l'1lt11" .‘.. 1“:11 11‘?

 

.‘11111l.l..1l1111l.t1‘l:'..ll1l.... ..‘.1:.‘.

ANNE. CAMPBELL STARK. EDITOR
\

New York Styles—Coming and Going

NE OF THE members of our staff went to
New York recently, and of course, like all
true travelers, took a carema along. One of

the pictures he obtained is printed below. He
said he thought our readers would be interested
in the stylish outﬁt worn by this young lady. I
wonder if that was his real reason for taking the
picture? I suspect him, don't you?

Anyway, whether he was moved altogether by
unselﬁsh motives, or not, we should worryln—m
glad to get a glimpse of a real New York girl.
wearing a real New York costume!

 

 

The Baby’s Pitcher

‘M going into town to get the baby’s
pitcher took,
There ain’t a cutcr baby in all the world
llian she! .(
Shc has such party big blue eyes and such
(1 cunnin‘ look,
I dcclarc I‘m. almost daffy ’cansc she be
longs To me.

[111) old 710.98
loud to #011771,
Dr ring/{hing as precious as this little girl
of mine.
I hopc I‘ll nicct a lot of folks I know go-
in‘ down.
‘(Vlusc hcr niothcr took a1 lot of pride in
drcssin‘ hcr NI) ﬁnc.
’I.I) curry hcr 111) Main Sirccf. and I'm
surc I'll bus! with pride.
NIH-‘8 such (1 nicc fat baby and she looks é
just likc hcr Pow.
12' don‘t think I‘m vain to say it.
vain folks I abide.
Rut shc‘s the bcstcst lookin'
cvcr saw!
‘M goin‘ to icll the fellcr that I want the
vcry bcsf.
No cheap. half—printed pitchers will suit
me, you just 1161‘.
And I'll send one to her Grandma and her
aunlics and the rest.
Say, the likes of her is something they
never can forget!
ISUPPOSE‘ the pitcher fcllcr will be glad
to take hcr too:
Shc is so awful purly, and so vcry, very
good.
IIc‘ll stick her in the winder,
city fcllcrs do.
He'd got a lot of trade from that, by gum,
I know he would.
ELL, I’m goin’ into town to get the
baby’s pitcher took.
There ain't a br‘ghtcr baby in all the
world than she.
And say, she‘s got her daddy’s ways, and
her daddy‘s cvcry look.
How can she be so purty and look so much
like me?

    

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“ANNE CAMPBELL STARK.

 

 

 

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E This Week’s Tested Recipe

Cheese Custard

One and one-half cups cottage cheese, half
cup maple syrup or honey, two tablespoons
milk, three eggs, one teaspoon melted fat. Press
the cheese through a colander; beat the eggs
until light; add them with all the other in-
gredients to the cheese; mix until smooth. Place
in a. baking dish and bake in a moderate oven
about 30 minutes.

Peach Soufﬂe '

One quart canned peaches, half cup honey or
syrup, three eggs. Drain and mash through
colander one quart of canned peaches. Add
one-half cup of honey or syrup and well-beaten
yolks. Beat thoroughly, then beat whites stiff
and fold carefully into the peach mixture. Turn
the whole into a greased baking dish and ‘bake
in a quick oven six minutes.

Apples and Dates

Steam until tender in a covered pan, one and
one-half quarts of sliced apples, with one—half
cup of water, and the .grated peel of one lemon.
Add one-half cup of chopped dates. Simmer the
fruits together for six minutes. Serve cold.

 

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Sniping the Snipers

of the American housewife. Now when the

German snipers get busy on the Western
front, the boys are sent out to snipe the snipers.
The women might try their hands at sniping
these snipers of home-canned fruits and vegeta-
bles. Reports have been steadily circulated that
the government will take over all home-canned
goods in excess of family needs or levy a special.
tax on it. The Department of Agriculture and the
Food Administration have repeatedly denied the
story. Newspapers and farm tom-nah: have con»
tradicted it, and still it keeps ho} sing 1 ‘

The latest form of this sniping of food supplies-1
is the report that home-canned fruits and veg-
etables are causing food poi: 111111.. None of these
stories have any basis in fact. :he reports may
be put out to cover the work of thieves- who are
trying to frighten the women into giving up their
supplies, or they may have their origin in Ger—
man propaganda, or both causes may help to cir-
culate the story.

Surely no sensible woman will be frightened
into emptying her shelves for thieves, nor will
she doubt her ability to tell when a can of fruit.
is “working.” The best answer the woman can
make to this ugly propaganda is to reﬁll the jars
and thus snipe the sniper. Many things are avail-
able for canning in small quantities—pumpkin,
squash, carrots, parsnips, spinach, turnips, and
in the far South many summer vegetables.

The food situation grows more serious. If the
home pantry is ﬁlled, start a neighborly shelf.
There will be dire need of. food tin-(i311 own
people before the winter is over. M21 1111 a :o‘~dier’s
family will need help. Hungry neighbors serve
the enemies’ cause. So ﬁll up the jars and snipe
the sniper.

SoMEBODY is trying to snipe the canned goods

1: r1 :1;

Food Drying in Nebraska

HE HOUSEWIVES of Nebraska have found

I a way to save the full value of toy] prod-

ucts for their own consumpt'on during the
winter instead of selling it at a 'zzr'r'me, or. as has
happened in many instances, letting it perish, aid
then buying at record prices in the winter.

According to a report to the United “talus De-
partment of Agriculture from D'rector 1‘. W.
Pugsley of the Nebraska Extension Service, cever
a1 community drying plants have been established
in that state. The housewives take their surplus
fruits and vegetables to them, and for a min 111nm
charge, covering cost of operation, their prod 1c: is
dried. This food is put away in containers 011 the
pantry shelf and kept for winter use.

The process simply dries the water out 1f the
fruits and vegetables by suction. When the food
is to be used, water is added. It is then said to
be practically the same as the fresh product.

The drying plants are located in churches, in
school room, rooms of the County Council of De-
fense, or basements of libraries. The plants are
operated either by some community club already
organized, or by a club organized especially for
the work.

There is scarcely a fruit or vegetable that has

not been brought by the women to the community
plant for drying. At one of the plants, besides
drying fruits and vegetables, the women have been
preparing noodles While eggs are cheap. One
woman is drying a large quantity of wild greens,
composed of nettles and thistles.

 

 

      
     
      

 

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FARMERS ,oLUBs m "
assure LAST WEEK

The State Association of Farmers’
Clubs held their quarter century an-
niversary Monday and Tuesday at the
State Capitol, with a‘large attendance
and a splendid program. The spirit
of the meeting was very patriotic and
President Scully’s plea for greater
prodiiction and closer
with the government in the conduct
of the war touched a responsive chord.

We regret that lack of space pre-
vents our publishing President Scully’s
address in- full, but we giVe a sum-
mary of his recommendations.

“I would recommend the passage of
suitable resolutions endorsing the
‘Ten Proposals’ as presented by the
American Defense Society, Inc., Na-
tional headquarters, asking the admin-
istration and congress to act at once

upon these measures, as a matter of

protection in time of war.

“I would recommend the passage of
suitable resolutions denouncing the
organization of the so—called Non-Par-
tisan League, as a menace to good and
effective government.

“I_ would recommend the passage of
suitable resolutions commending our
War Preparedness board upon their
successful operations in this trying
time. Also commending Mr. W. K.
Prudden’s activities in his endeavors
to relieve the present acute coal sit-
uation. Also Hon. Geo. A. Prescott’s
successful activities as State Food Ad—
ministrator, and pledge him our hear-
ty co-operation in the conservation of
our food and food products in this
crisis as a war measure. Also, as it
is now a proven fact that our ﬁre los-
ses in Michigan for the current year
will far exceed those of a number of
years past, running to perhaps as high
as $8,000,000 of losses, I would rec-
ommend that our commissioner of in-
surance be requested to compile a
bulletin on causes of ﬁres, with rec-
ommendations for prevention, the
same to treat upon both city and
country conditions, and to be distrib—
uted extensively throughout the state.

“In conclusion I wish to thank the
ofﬁcers and the members of various
committees for their untiring efforts
in behalf of the organization for the
past year, much'more than ordinary
has been asked of us as an organiza-
tion and as individuals, our respons-
es have been of the most willing na-
ture to every call, we are here to back
the governor, to back the administra-
tion, to back th government, to back
our allies and to back Old Glory which
waves for universal freedom and the
protection of innocent women and
children. -

“Friends,
run.”

POULTRYMEN AIDING
IN SAVING WHEAT

Substitution of other grains for
Wheat in poultry rations will save
100,000,000 bushels of wheat now an-
nually fed to poultry and divert it into
channels for human consumption. This
method of conserving the wheat sup-
ply of the United States and Canada
is pointed out by poultry investigat—
ors and instructors of the western
states and'provinces in resolutions
passed by them in conference and just
received at U. S. Food Administration
headquarters.

Speaking in behalf of the western
poultrynien, Prof. James Dryden, the
poultry specialist of the Oregon Agri-
cultural College, declares that au in—
telligent substitution of other grains
based on carefully conducted experi-
ments should work no hardship on the
poultry industry and will at the same
time save the wheat.

The U. S. Department of Agricul-
ture has been feeding a wheatless ra-
tion in its regular experimental work
at Beltsville, Maryland, with results
comparing favorably with egg yields
secured on rations containing wheat.

The wheatless ration is‘ as follows:

Scratch M iarturc—Two pounds crank-
ed corn, one pound oats.

Dry Mash—Three pounds corn meal,
one pound beef scrap.

The scratch mixture and dry mash
were used in about equal quantities.
A ﬂock of 30 Leghorn pullets fed this

these colors will never

 

co-operation ,

wheatless ration produced an average
of 147.3 eggs apiece during their ﬁrst .
laying year, showing thatﬁvvheat is not
essential for egg laying.

FLINT IDA—I—Ihi-YMEN
IN COMPROMISE

(Continued from page 12)
able proﬁt and never lose sight of it,
they need never worry about the rid-
icule ﬁred at them. Dairyingzis a
business; the men engaged therein
are not and never have been proﬁt-
eers. Let justice, equity, righteous-
ness be your motto; not greed, selﬁsh-
ness and proﬁteering. The milk dis-
tributor wouldn't continue in his busi-
ness if there was no proﬁt in'it. Why
should you? The fuel administrator
didn’t ask the coal dealers to do busi-
ness without proﬁt. Instead it ﬁxed
the price of coal to cover the cost of
mining plus a legitimate proﬁt. Is it
any more than right and just that you
should ask for the same consideration?
. If the consumers think they are pay-
ing too much for milk, wouldn’t a
feasible plan be for them to adopt one
designed to clean house of these un-
desirable proﬁteers—the milk distrib-
utors? The dairymen are going to de-
mand a fair price for their milk. If
they don’t get it, they would be show-
ing only good business sense if they
went out of business. The price of
milk should go higher. at least to the
farmers. The food components in the
commodity are worth a better price
but if they are to go to a prohibitory
ﬁgure, wouldn’t it be advisable for
the consumers to start a movement in
favor of establishing municipal milk
depots at which the poor people could
purchase milk at cost? Such a plan
is being worked out now in Washing—
ton, D. C. The plan is only in the
process of evolution-it may grow as

 

   

clean, sweet and sanitary.

Germs can’t hide on the smooth glazed walls.

awrennihe'.”;w““

Cow Health is Dairy Wealth
Safeguard the health of your herd by building stables that will be ' ,
Easily done if you build with Natco Hollow Tile.

 

A blanket of dead air in Natco

walls keeps the stable warm in winter and cool in summer—prevents damp-

ness and mildew.

Natco on the Farm

means healthier stock. cleaner and better milk—bigger proﬁts and more dairy wealth. Natco

Hollow Tile has ﬁre—proofed most of the great “skyscrapers" of our large cities,

material will protect your stock. grain and
tools from the tire eril and_will lower in-
surance charges. . atco buildings save
painti and repairs. They cost less
than of. er forms of masonry yet add
greatly to.the value of your farm.

Your building supply dealer wrll
gladly show_ you samples and
ractieal building plans. He
as. perhaps, Just the plan
for which you’re look mg.
But write us direct
day for new illus-
trated “Natco on
the Farm" book
~1918 Edition
—it’s free!

National Fire Proofing Company

I 108 Fulton_ Bullding
u Factories

 
   
   
 
  
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
 

The same

  

Pittsburgh, Pt-
asmre a wide and economical diatributimi.

 

the distributors continue to get their
fat proﬁts and the consumers tumble
to the fact that they, and not the farm-
ers, are to blame for the present stat-
us of milk conditionsﬁl). L. R.

GERMANY HAS ORIGIN-
AL CATTLE SUPPLY

Since its occupation of Northern
France, Germany has seized about 2,—
700,000 French and Belgian cattle. By
these depredations and by restrictive
measures at home, Germany has main-
tained practically all her original share
of cattle, according to information
reaching the U. S. Food Administra-
tion from French sources.

 

Last Minute Letters from County Reporters

BENZIE (Southwest) — Farmers are
threshing their beans It is cold and dry.
They are holding potatoes and are selling
some cattle very Cheap. The bean situ-
ation is bad. One bean thresher told me
yesterday that the average yield per
acre was 4 bu._ and I know of four men
whose bean crops are total losses on ac-
count of heating in the mows after they
were drawn in from the ﬁeld. One of
them had 190 bu., the others had respec—
tively 100, 75 and 150 bu., and they are
a total loss as far as having any market
value is concerned. Potatoes would be
$1 per cwt. for best grade, but there is
no sale for them and hardly any one will
sell under the present grading system.
The general talk is that only enough will
be raised next year for home use; there
is lots of frozen stock showing now, al—
though the stock was well sorted at dig-
ging time. One of my neighbors paid
$155 for seed last spring. planted 7 acres
and harvested 500 bu., large and small.
Sold one load to the dealer he bought the
seed from for $1.10. The next load he
could not sell at all. The dealer claimed
there were no cars to take care of them.

~«I4‘. MI Elbcrta. Dec. 4.
OTSEGO (\Vest f‘entral)—'I‘hc weath—
cr is nice, but cold and fi'cezing. “'0.

have about four inches of snow. Farmcrs
. re g‘cttiug up their wood for whiten—w
(T .2\.. Gaylord. Dec. 8.

BAY (Plump—flood wcathcr for husk—
iug corn. stalks are dry though the corn
is a Iittlc wet. and thc most of it is bc—
int;r hushed by hand on account of thc
Frlfll1¢*.\":. lican threshing is wcll under
way. Most bcaus arc wct and will cause
shrinkage On account of thc shortagc
of cars clcvators rcfusc to buy bcaus at

.‘lII. 'l‘lic wczlthci‘ has not been scvcrclY
cold but fair. The roads are goods—wt}.
(1., Linwood. Dec. 9.

HA LA .\I .\ 7.00 (Noi't Invcst ) —I“al‘lnc1‘:<
are taking advantage of thc good weath—
cr getting their work shupcd up for win-
tcr. 'l‘hc wcathcr has caught cold and
i'cglstcrcd four bolow zero Sunday IIIUI‘I.‘
lug. 'I‘hc drcdgc has crossed the road
south of John Boyd’s home. The marsh
road which was ﬁlled dirt from the ditch.
has just been made passable before the
cold wcathcr. The shortage of coal has
forced wood to a big price. and dry Wood
is rather scarce. F. H. Ilinklc is repair-
ing his buzz saw with a new truck and
saw frame. so it’s all new but the en—
ginc.~-»ll. Ii. F, Climax, llcc. 10.

OSCI‘ZOLA (Nortlieasl)———’I‘lic farmers
around here are not selling very much.
especially potatoes, for buyers have quit
buying as the potato houses are all full.
It was reported by good authority to the
writer that one potato buyer at McBain
was loading a car of potatoes in bulk.
using four men. two carrying ﬁrst grade
and two carrying second grade and mix-
ing them thoroughly in the careerV. A. S,
Marion, Dec. '7

TUSCOLA (Northeast)—Snowing some
here today and rather cold. Farmers are
selling the most of their wet beans. and
there were quite a few of them, as the
most of them were not good. and WM.
Hogs and other stock that is going on the
market are not in good condition owing
to. the scarc1ty of feed—J. McG., Cass
City, Dec. 8

 

 

GLADVVIN (Southwest)—Farmers are
getting up buzz wood and some are haul-
ing grain to market as the roads are
good. lean threshing is about over. Feed
is selling high at sales, some hay going
as high as $2l a ton; cows going from $75
to $125; horses cheap, many old horses
are being killed rather than feed them
through the wintcr.——V. V. l\'., licavertou,
Dec. 4.

OAKLAND (North (‘entrnD—W'c are
having good winter \vcather, but no snow.
Stock of all kinds doing wcll. Not many
cattle feeding for market yet. A good dc—
maud for hay and it good dcal 1.4 ‘oclug
pressed. \‘cry little corn bciug hu kcd.

Not many potatoes going to market. Hors—
es are selling very cheap. There are

some prospects for an electric railroad
to Clarkston and Holly—Id. F” Clurkstou.
Doc. 0.

TUSCOLA (\\'est)—l«‘armcrs are busy
threshing beans. huskiug‘ corn and getting
up wood for winter. Beans are running
from 5 to 16 bu. to the acre with about
8 or 9 a good average. As to corn, it is
hardly \vorth husklug, as it will not keep
after it is huskcd; about three—quarters

of it is soft. on account of the early frost.
'l‘lic. fm'mcrs got about half of their plow-
ing for spring linishcd. Sugar bcet mcu

arc busy contracting for bcctn‘ at $8 guar—
autcc. but l'cw l‘ill'llll‘l'fs‘ are signing. as
they are dcmaudiug $l0.»~~4‘. IL, 11cc c,
Dec. ‘

“'I‘IXFIHLI) ((‘cntrnl)—-'I‘Ilcl‘e is too
much frost in llll‘ ground for plowing.
’l‘ho bcun llll'w-‘hcr has bccu around .‘llll
the yield per acre is from 2 to 0 bu. ’l‘bc
pcr ccnt of pick will Ilc (tulle liczivy. No
potatoes are moving and \‘cry {cw bz-uos,
—‘:\. A, ll., ioon

HT. FLAIR (East)risli‘nrmci's arc :ioll—
lug hay and gottlug‘ 1‘c21dy for wiutcr. It
looks a“: if ill:‘l'l‘ would not be much hay
left to sell next spring at: not many arc
holding any (|\'(‘l'. The wcuthcr has Iwwll
tilic for all kinds of work. It is snowing
quitc hard today. about three inchcs hav—
ing fallen and it is still coming. It‘lowlx'H
(Illtl hcrds are small in this section. and
right hcl'e is whcre the corn crop comes
in; there has not bccii a good corn crop
here for three years. That is the chief
reason for the small amount of stock on
hand—a1. C. .7. .'Ir.. Smith's Creek~ Dec. 8.

TUSCOLA ((‘entral)—-l"armers here
have threshed beans the past week with
a small yield but fair quality. Most of
the beans around here are contract beans.
(me man put in 15 acres, paid $3.00 for
seed and got 40 bu. Another one planted
12 acres and got 40 bu, while some others
got from 4 to 6 bu. per acre, and some
only 2 t0 3 bu. The little white pea bean
did not turn out as well as the black wax,
but while the white, or pea bean, will
bring from $7 to $8 per bu., the black
wax will bring $3.60, We would like to
hear of a record crop this year. Some
clovcr to be threshcd yet, then we will be
through with our work for this year, with
less money than we had to start with.
The coal famine of the past two weeks
at Caro has been relieved this week when
Manager Flink decided to let the large
surplus of the (‘aro plant of the Michigan
Sugar (To. go at $7.50 a ton, but only to
home people. There was 2,000 tons in
the pile. (31 loads was taken the ﬁrst.day
and from 50 to 60 wagon loads every day
smee.-—R. B. C., Caro, Dec. 7

 

 

‘ Champion

, Company -

Inllldi'i’iLClii‘ift

30,000 sou—rm" ma
ore Comfortable,

Healthful, Convenient

Eliminates the out-house,
open vault; and ness» >ool,
which are breeding p aces
fongerms. Have a vmrm,
pamtary. odorless toilet right
in your house. No going out
in cold weather. A boon to
invalids. Endorsed by State
Boards of Health.

A380 LUTELY ODORLESS
Put It Anywhere In The House
The germs are killed by a chemical process in
water in the container. Empty oncen month.
No more trouble to empty than ashes. Closet ab-
solutely guaranteed. Guarantee on ﬁle in the
ofﬁce oft is publication. Ask for catalog and price
ROWE SANITARY MFG. 30. 12412 6th ST., DETROIT
Ask about the Ro-Snn Wash-undM-Hot and Cold mcn’
Running Water Without Plumbing '

 
  

 

 

 

 

Maple Syrup Makers
. You get best Results with our "

Champion Evaporator
Quick work, fuel sav-
ing. durability and
BEST QUALITY
OF SYRUP
V‘l'rltc us for
, CATALOG

   
   
 

Tel]
number 0!
trees you tap

Evaporator

 

 

2.

(alienate?

 

 

 

 

TRAPPERS AND SHIPPERS OF
R A W F U R S

I pay the HIGHEST PRICES on all RAW FURS.
Express Charges.

[remit on receipt of gt oils. I also buy ”IDES. TAL-

I.U\‘»'. I’EI/l‘S and LTRAK‘KHNGS. ides tanned

for Rolle'~1llldCUfll<. \Vritc for prlcc~.

) ‘G‘. .HA.P?' TOLEDO, OHIO, ZZZ Vance Street.

[1191'[31:13i\‘(;10:"‘()hll) Savings lion/r 11ml Trust Co.

hut or Brads/wet.

I pay

 

 

 

 

 

use ,cquiltapoﬁdiono .lnc. i889
" 'MlghcstPrlcos Paid For '_ V

 { I-RAw r u as

,erto for Fur List and Book‘ .

, on Successful. T r a p p i n g

TRAUGOTT SCHMIDT: & SONS

‘ Detroit. Mich.

 

 

 

136464 Honroe Aye.

 

 

 

WANTED

Men for the Woods. Lumber Jacks
Coal Miners

Laborers for Coal Mine
Free Railroad Fare. Steady Work.

KINCAID, 71 W. Fort St., Detroit.

 

 

 

 

- ' 0 __F1 ' .
Co operative Buying Fee 3531,1113
Saves Money.

furnished.

 

Delivered carlot quotations
GRAIN GROWERS GRAIN C0. Minneapolis, Minn

 


  
 

   
  

i

'1
l

 

(
l
l
l
1

 

l

i

OFFER $8

Many Beet' Growers Refusing to
Sign Up on This Basis, Declar-
ing They Must Have $10
a Ton to Make any

' Money

 

 

Most of the sugar companies are
soliciting acreage contracts from the
growers on the minimum basis of $8
per ton, with an additional $1 per
ton to the farmer for every cent per
pound which the wholesale price ad-
vances over 8 cents.

At a recent meeting of the Saginaw
county beet growers, it was ﬁnally de-
cided that farmers could not grow
beets proﬁtably another year for $8
per ton. The sentiment of the meet-
ing was that the growers of the state
should ask $10 per ton and make no
concessions. Altho many are abiding
by this decision, others, it has been
learned are signing up acreage at the
old price. '

In determining the price at which
he should sell his beets, there is real-
ly only one question for the farmer
to decide, and that is the cost of pro-
duction. If the growers of Michigan
can gamble with the weather, pay war-
time prices for machinery and labor,
and still ﬁgure a proﬁt on their beets at
$8 per ton, there is no argument for
a higher price. The farmer should,
and the reasonable and loyal farmer
will be, satisﬁed with $8 for his beets
providing they net him a proﬁt of ten
per cent or more.

But the well~substantiated claim is
made that beets cannot be produced
under war-time conditions for $8 per
ton. If this is true, and we believe
the facts submitted to be conservative
then every farmer should look upori
the sliding scale arrangement as a
trap and a, snare. If beets are worth
$10 per ton, no farmer can be justly
criticised for refusing to accept less
than such a ﬂat rate. For he has ab-
solutely no control over the market-
ing of the ﬁnished product and the
chances of his securing additional
money under the sliding scale arrange—
ment are very remote because of the
relentless ruling hand of the Food
Administration in the marketing of
reﬁned sugar.

Under present economic conditions,
the farmer is the only individual con-
cerned in the growing, manufacture,
and distribution of sugar beets and
their reﬁned products, who, regardless
of the price he receives, wrestles with

Cincinnati is now eating horse-meat
in doing her bit in intensive conser-
vation of food. The city’s ﬁrst horse-
meat shop opened ahead of time Sat-
urday owing to the rush of customers.
One hour before eight o’clock, the time

set for the doors to open, thirty-tour

customers awaited admittance. By
8 o’clock two whole horses had passed

T ‘ TON

 

  

guess-work; gears . _. _ . .
standing between grower and consum-
er is assured of a fair proﬁt. This is
the only justiﬁcation that the farmer
needs when he sets his own price
based upon the cost of production.
MICHIGAN BUSIans FARMING hopes
that its beet growing readers will not
be tempted by the 'sliding scale offers
of the manufacturers this year, into
contracting their beets at less than
cost.
well make up his mind the day he
signs the contract, that $8 is all he will
get. Not only is the farmer who
takes this chance unfair to his own
interests, but he hurts the interests
of others who cannot afford and are
not inclined to take a similar chance.

 

STOCKYARDS COMPANIES
BLAMED BY FARMERS

 

Investigation of complaints that
stockyards companies in Chicago and
other packing centers are exacting ex-
orbitant prices for stock feed has been
instituted by the federal food admin-
istration.

Complaints from many sources have
reached Administrator Hoover from
farmers and live stock producers that
the stockyards companies are making
excessive charges for feed while stock
is held in their yards.

“They also complain of the yard-
age and commission charges and meth-
ods," said a food administration of-

ﬁcial.

 

of Agriculture

to get busy and

A ﬁfteen per cent
product-ion will be
consumption
It the gov-

the

The department
wants the farmers
raise more hogs.
increase over 1917 .
required for domestic
and export to the Allies.
ernment will furnish the corn

farmers will furnish the pigs.
t t a:

Packers now contend that there was
no call for a “meatless day.” These big
fellows claim that there is meat
enough to go ’round, and that all of
this cry about going hungry to bed, is
hot air. The packers ought to know
the meat supply; they have the ma—
jority of it in their cold storage plants.

It! It 1'

The Mikado of Japan was greatly
pleased over the report brought back
by Viscount lshii, who was at the
head of the Japanese mission which
recently visited the United States.
The emperor has just sent the Pres-
ident a message in which he thanks
the people of the United States for
the splendid reception tendered the
mission, and says that this kindness
will be ever gratefully remembered
in Japan.

' City F 0th Eat Horse Meat to Beat Hi Cost 0’ Livin

 

 

over the counter in the form of steaks,
roasts, hamburger and sausage. Six
horses were disposed or In the course
of the day, every horse having been

previously inspected and approved by ,

the federal meat inspectors and the
City Health Department. Steaks and
roasts sold at ten cents a pound, while
hamburger and sausage brought seven
and one-half cents a pound.

He who contracts at $8 may as -

 

 

5 MILK =7 ‘

U ‘ N Europe the women
Whatwomencan I are taking the places
of men in many activi-
ties. While the war

lasts vman‘y of our
women folk may have to
assume extra burdens. On
many dairy farms today,
women are milking from 1 5 to
30 "cows with the Perfection.

The Perfection draws the milk
in Nature’s Way, With a gentle suc-
tion, a spiral downward squeeze
followed by a period of complete

release. It’s gentle, uniform action
is agreeable to the cow. ‘The Perfection
is simple, having no complicated parts.
It’s easy for a girl to handle.

Miss Rosa M. Sweatt of Dixﬁeld, Maine.

writes:

"I have used a Perfection Milking Machine on W.
s. Marble’r farm since last April. It works to perfec-
tion and really makes milking a pleasure and it is so
much better for the Cows that they plainly show they
like it. It is especially good on hard milkers. or ii
there is any soreness on the tear or udder there is no
kicking or trouble in any way.

Jay Johnson of Faribault, an., writes:

"l have used your Perfection Milking Machine
since April 1916 and milk 35 cows. I have saved one
hour each milking and in the harvest time my wife
did the milking. saving me an extra man. I can
heartily recommend the Perfection.

i looked around and saw several others work and i
feel satisfied I got the best. ”. '

Your wife or daughter may not have to help

on with the milking, hutiiyou installs Perfection

{Hiker in your barn, either one of them could do
the milking alone in an emergency.

Let us send you our illustrated catalog.

Perfection Manufacturing Company
2119 E. Hennepin Aye. Minneapolis. Minn.

 

 

 

—drive a nail in the mar-
ket gambler’ s cofﬁn —

Every name added to MICHIGAN BUSINESS FARMING list drives
a nail in the market-gamblers’ cofﬁn in this state! We are lead-
ing a straight-forward, clean-cut, honest ﬁght to get the farmers
of Michigan their share of the war-time prices being paid by'the
consumer for Wheat, Corn, Oats, Beans, Potatoes, Sugar pro-_
ducts, etc.

We have no other masters to serve—we are responsible alone
to the real business farmers of Michigan!

.Every name enlisted on our mailing-list, multiplies our power
to help YOU, whether you add your own name, if you are not yet
a subscriber, or add the name of a neighbor!

More than two thousand farmers have written us compliment-
ing MIcIIIGAN BUSINESS FARMING for the help it has already
given and saying in chorus, “just the kind of a weekly we have
needed in Michigan!”

The price to all is One Dollar per year and we guarantee it
worth ﬁve times that amount to any man in Michigan who farms

for a living!
The coupon below should not be wasted—help it bring back
a name—~every name we add is a nail in the market-gamblers’

cofﬁn!

 

—————_—_——————————_—_-
MICHIGAN BUSINESS FARMING, Mt. Clemens, Mich.
Dear Sirszv—Send your weekly to the following address for one year,

[or which a one dollar bill is enclosed:

M ............................................... .. . .................

P O. ............... .. . .. . ..... R.F.D .............

County .............. . ....................... State ................ ..
(This coupon is from tune of Dec. 1|, 1.1!.)

Remarks ........... .

. ------- aanonooooo-ooooooooo-oooooo-conce-Iooooo-ou-uoa...............

DracoI!IOIO'IIOOIUOIIIIIDIICIIOvill!'OOIIIDIIIOOIIIIUVIIIIIIOOIIOI'IID

I
......... aou.Inoooooonoooooooooouooocooo'oooon'oo-cco-9v.nu.noon-nun... l

 

   
  
  
   
   
      
         
       
      
        
      
    
       
       
      
       
     
     
      
     
     
      
   
      
    
    
     
     
    
      
     
     
     
    
 
    
  
   
   
  
   
 
   
 
   
     
  
  
  
  
   
    
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
    
    
 
   

——_.—‘r" ’ "aw—1“

can‘t; .

'O’.e..'—rz.~_

1-K
.. 7..

' ‘12—; mm.

 

'“r‘ley. '

