“Vol. V " NO. 24 The Independent SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16th, 1918. Farm, Live Stock and Market Weekly ‘d 1 PER YEAB,--No Premiums. $ Free List or Clubbing Off." SUGAR MANUFACI’URRS / ’ AGREE T_0_$10 BEETS Organized Growers’ Committee Wins Great Victory for Michigan Beet Industry and Pave Way for Biggest and Best Year in its History Victory for the sugar beet growers! At a con- ference held this week .at Bay City between the sugar manufacturers and State Food Administrator Prescott, W. H. Wallace, manager of the Michigan Sugar Company, urged the factory managers present to grant the growers’ demands for $10 beets. And such action was forthwith unanimously taken. To be specific, the manufacturers did not concede ex- actly what the growers had asked for, viz., a $10 min- imum, with an advance of $1 per ton for each cent per pound that sugar might advance over its pres- ent wholesale price. What the manufacturers did agree to do was to pay a $10 minimum and a. slid- ing scale beginning at 9 cent sugar, at the New York market. At first the growers' committee was not prepared to accept the manufacturers’ substitute, but after an all day session at Lansing on Wednesday, finally agreed to do so. Reporting the action of the commit- tee, to MICHIGAN BUSINESS FARMING, Chairman John C. Ketcham, said: “The beet growers’ committee accept the terms of- fered by the sugar managers, and urges increased acreage of beets. Altho the manufacturers did not grant all the growers’ demands, they did concede the $10 minimum price which was the main point in dispute, and showed a fine spirit of patriotism in thus helping to meet theworld demand for more sugar. The committee urges the growers to make every effort possible to increase their acreage. With a good season, and a profitable price, the growers ought to have one of their best years.” Thus ends the annual, and let us hope, the last controversy between growers and manufacturers up- on the price of sugar beets. The growers have con— ducted a clean campaign from start to finish. Their demands have been absolutely just, and‘they have made every reasonable effort to compromise with the manufacturers. The committee, consisting of John C. Ketcham of Hastings; A. B. Cook, Owosso; L. W. Oviatt, Bay City; Fred Gosen, Saginaw; R. P. Reavy, Caro; C. H. Bramble, Lansing; Jas. N. McBride, Burton, handled the entire proposition, we believe, in a very fair and capable manner and should have a large part of the credit for the con- cessions that have been made. The way has now been opened for rapid and sys- tematic development of Michigan’s beet growing industry. $10 beets assures a fair profit to growers; a fair profit assures an increased acreage; and an increased acreage means larger profits for the manu- facturers, who will learn from experience that it pays in actual dividends to see that'the farmers receive not only this year but in future years, a profitable price for their product. It is fortunate that the differences between grow- ers and manufacturers have been settled with so little of the bitterness which usually characterizes such contests. The manufacturers have been wise in re- fusing to let the issue run its logical course, and the growers' committee have likewise shown good judg~ ment, in receding from a stand which it maintained indefinitely despite the manufacturers’ concessions, might easily have been construed as arbitrary or unpatriotic. There is a world shortageaof sugar. A bumper crop of beets in Michigan this year may be the only thing that will prevent actual want. The growers now have the greatest incentive in their history to increase production and let us hope that they will see their duty clearly and plant a huge acreage. They can afiord to take bigger chances this year, for the stakes are larger. Let’s make 1918 a year to re- member and be proud of. in the history of Michigan’s beet growing industry. REPORT YOUR POTATO HOLDINGS Hundreds of farmers have responded to our plea for stimates of the potato holdiings still in their own or neighbor’s hands. These reports contain some unexpected and astounding information, but they are not complete. We urge every reader of this paper to go to the telephone at once and find out from his neighbors what their holdings are, not neces- sarily in bushels, but the percentage of their crop, and particularly as compared with the 1916 crop. Report, PLEASE, the following: 1. What percentage of the 1917 crop remains on hand in your vicinity. 2. How does that percentage compare with the holdings a year ago? 3. How did the total yield of your vicinity com- pare with that a year ago? 4. What percentage of potatoes still in pit and cel- lar have been damaged by frost? 5. What prices are being paid? What percentage run No. 2? Are dealers buying N0. 2 grade? Are farmers feeding any potatoes to stock? 6. WHAT DO FARMERS SAY ABOUT THEIR NEXT SEASON’S ACREAGE? Will it be more or less and WHY? Let us have this information by RETURN MAIL. If you can’t get the FACTS. give your OPINION. Be one of the five hundred farmers to help us com- pile this report on potato holdings, and we’ll tell you within the next ten days whether there’s a surplus or under production, whether the price will go lower or higher, and whether you ought to sell at once at unprofitable prices or wait a little later. It depends absolutely upon our readers whether or not we can make this survey complete and reliable. FOOD ADMINISTRATIONT EXPLAIN_S_ BEAN DEAL Denies M. B. F. Charge That Responsibility for Delay in Providing Facilities for Canning Michigan Wet Beans, Lies With Food Administration Attention: Governor Sleeper, State Food Admin- istrator Prescott, Warden Frensdorf. Why haven’t steps been taken to provide drying and canning facilities for taking care of Michigan’s huge crop of wet beans? Don’t all answer at Jnce, please. The U. S. Food Administration says “pol- itics” are to blame. What does that mean? Can any of you gentlemen answer? If warm weather comes on and a million bushels of Michigan beans go to rot, we ought to have a more substantial ex- cuse than “politics” on which to base an alibi. Is Mr. Kimball of the Food Administration right or wrong when he writes us as follows: “We note one particular point in controversy be- tween the State War Board and the farmers' good friend, Ed. Frensdorf of the Michigan State Prison. we would like to make this statement and would appreciate it if you would publish same in your paper. “The United States Food Administration appreci- ated from intimate knowledge the situation re- garding wet stock in Michigan long before we re- ceived any application from the Department of Ag- riculture. We at once advised all canners in the States of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, lllinois, Pennsyl- vania and New York. and even states further away that although the tin plate situation had caused a. restriction in the canning of dry bonus, as a conser- vation measure, we would gladly issue special per- mits to can any wet beans that were laying in Michigan and York state. We went further than hat and wrote a letter to every canner who could possibly can this wet stock a nd told him that it would be a distinctly patriotic, as well as a food con- servation measure, if they would confine/their efforts entirely to this wet stock. This action was taken several weeks prior to the time when a release was made allowing canners to pack 25 per cent of their indicated pack of dried beans. “Regarding the State Prison (COIliI‘OVOl‘SY, as soon as we had heard from Mr. Frensdorf that there was a possibility of the prison canning wet stock, we ad- vised him that we would very gladly issue special permits to do business. We also wrote Governor Sleeper, Banking Commissioner Merrick, and Food Administrator Prescott, asking them for their co-op- eration and assistance in securing action at Lansing. We followed this up again this Week in special detail, and therefore, it seems unfair that in some of your issues namely that of December 22nd, you should indicate that the United States Food Admin- istration was negligent in its duty. as the whole trouble in this particular instance lies entirely with the political situation within the State of Michigan." ~—U. 8. Food Administration, By K. P. Kimball. Panoramic View of the Howard run near Bad Axe. 1 EiFarmera’ Week,,fi. A.C. March 4-8; ~Potato meeting, March 7-8. Let’s make it a Get-together for ALL the Farmers i Mr. Clark is one of the Thousands of “Thumb" Farmers who read M. B. l". with Profit. \ dun/An}; ; ~ ‘ ”my”; MICHIGAN STATE BRIEFS Hart—A drive in the Interests of small fruit growing and more and better dairy herds has been instituted by County Agricultural Agent B. F. Beach of Oceana county. Mr. Beach is convinced that the soil and climatic conditions of Oceana county make that particular part of the state ideal for the two branches of agriculture mentioned. He‘is urging the farmers to concentrate on small iru1t raising or dairying, instead of diversified farming, or specializing in some other branch of farming for which the county is not so well suit- ed. Mr. Beach is making an effort to get farmers together and affect some kind of an organization for the small fruit and dairying interests. He emphasizes the necessity of better marketing con- ditions for the small fruit farmer, and hopes to accomplish something tangible in this direction during the year through organization. Corunna—The Shiawassee County agricultural agent has a new method of treating ‘wet beans. He recommends mixing the beans with about an equal amount of oats. If the moisture in the beans cause the oats to become musty they should be separated with a tanning mill and mixed with dry oats again. This method has proved very satis- factory where tested. ()il‘OSSO-AMA. B. Cook, federal farm labor director for Michigan, is authority for the statement that there is not an appalling shortage of help in the state at present, as the public has been generally led to believe. Mr. Cook admits, however, that there is bound to be an acute shortage as soon as spring opens up, and counsels the farmers of the state to “order their farm help early.” “Men can be lined up now for the spring rush,” says Mr. Cook. “The farmers who neglect to stir them- selves until the last moment may find the getting befraught with difficulties." Rogers City—~The Fred Fisch Brewery will make beer no longer. It will soon be the home of the Koepsell Brothers Creamery Company, and instead _,of manufacturing the foamy brew, will be turning IIIHIIImIIIIIIIIIIIIIIfIIlIIHIIlIIIIIHIIIIIIflIIIIIiliHIHI111'1E“‘ 311.23. 1 ‘J'Ii'l.11..1 1.1“.3 '11‘.’ 7 i1" 1'7” gimmm1111n11111111m1u11111m1uu111111111111111m112:1v.1 out a high-grade of creamery butter. The brew- ery building was purchased last week by Martin and Theodore Koepsell, of Abbotsford, Wis. The present engine equipment of the brewery will be utilized by the creamery, it only being necesary to purchase equipment other than the power plant. Blissficld~Announcement that a new elevator is to be built by the Blissfield Co-Operative Com— pany was made at the annual meeting last week. The annual report showed that the company ship— ped stock amounting to $262,835.80 during 1917. The profits for the last year and a half were $2,574.75. After all debts have been paid, they have on hand $1,552.75. The sum of $5,000 was subscribed at the meeting for the purpose of con- structing an elevator. Coopersville—Ottawa county is to have a second agricultural agent. B. O. Hagerman, a brother of D. L. Hagerman, the present county agent will as- sume the duties of assistant agriculturalist in a short time. The assistant county agent will de- vote a large part of his time to boys’ club work. relieving the county agent of this work and per- mitting him to give his entire attention to the problems affecting the farmers of the county. (Faro—County Agent McVittie of Tuscola is making a campaign for seed corn testing. He is registering all farmers who have seed corn or seed beans for sale. Mr. McVittie has issued a statement warning farmers of the county against planting wet beans. (‘harlotrc—A total of $381,040.31 was received during 1917 by the Square Deal (To-Operative asso— ciation by the sale of cattle, hogs, sheep and calves for its members. according to the annual report made public at a meeting last week. The report shows the number of farm animals shipped to have been 28,312, as follows: Cattle shipped, 2502; hogs shipped, 12928; sheep shipped, 11461; veals shipped, 1421. Forrest King of Carmel was elected president. Charlotte—Farmers of Eaton county found their market for milk suddenly gone when the Dry Milk company was forced to shut down several weeks ago on account of the coal shortage. The plant finally resumed operation last week after two of the company’s officials had gone on a coal hunt, one bringing back two cars from the Illinois fields. Ann Arbor—Washtenaw county farmers have formed a co-operative selling association to ban- dle livestock and other produce. They will ship direct to Detroit in car lots instead of working through small members. The organization start- ed with 40 members. Laingsburg—The Union (Jo—operative Shipping association has completed a successful year as shown by the annual report of the organization NMWIHIHIIIIHWWHMMWIHIUINIIUIIItIIIIIIHlIIIill tribute a story to the just made public. The first shipment of livestock was made May 7, 1917, and from that date until Jan. 1, 1918, 3,—104 hogs, 2,591 sheep, 444 head of» cattle and 402 veal calves have been shipped The weight was 1,149, 380 and brought $147 372. 50. The largest shipment was Jan. 23, when 10 decks were shipped to Buffalo 71/; of which were loaded at Laingsburg and the rest at Bennington and Bath, where shipping stations are maintained The present membership of the assciatlon is 300. Theo Jorae heads the association as president. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERI- ENCE WITH THE TRACTOR '9 In your issue of January 26th you request those of us who have tractors to tell you our experience etc. Well, I happen to be one of these so-called tractor farmers and after reading your appeal feel it my duty to state my experience to date. Last spring I bought from the Tractor Company, an attachment to convert my old Ferd into a tractor, My Ford was worth about $100.00 and the attachment cost me $125.00 f.o.b Detroit, so my tractor cost me less than $250.00. I took the body completely off and mounted a spring seat. When I first got the tractor of course it used gasoline, and I found it took from 12 to 13 gallons per day, about the same as it did run- ning all day on the road as an auto. For some time I had had in mind a way by which I could make a Ford use kerosene, but had never taken time to try it out, however after getting the tractor I decided the first rainy day that I would go to experimenting on it. Well, I did not haVe to wait long last spring for a rainy day. The outcome‘was that my idea was a success and since then 8 to 9 gallons of kerosene does the same work as 12 to 13 gallons of gasoline and my home- made carburetm attachment cost me less than $2. 00. I find the tractor equal to three good horses, or four common ones. I can pull a 14 inch plow thru the stiffest of sod and two 12-inch bottoms through stubble ground; also a 4-section spring-tooth har- row. I have not tried it on any other tools. At first I had considerable trouble from the mot- or heating, however I overcame that by better rad- iation. I would advise any one in buying one of these attachments to make sure the company guar- llIlllllllllIIIIh SAVED ! “Oh Joy," says the Conklin Enterprise, “Mi< h- igan potatoes are saved. That baffling p101)- lem of saving Michigan 5 enormous crop of tuli— ers has been solved Hot (orn poms a la po— tato; delicious potato muffins, nutritious potato soups body building potato bread tempting potato pancakes, (wont Hoover smile when he reads this) potato doughnuts, potato pie etc. This was sure one big potato meeting” quite. a Waid meeting, some two hundIed farm peo- ple were present making it by far the largest farm rally ever held in Northeastern Ottawa, etc. So you see farmer friends it’s no use to wor- ry about grades, markets prices or consump- tion for plain and fancy dishes will solve the potato problem. 1i'JiiHullililliuliiiilllU1ll[IIilIIlIllUIluiIUIlIIIIIIIIIlllIIIEl .1. 511‘1 . 111111111111111111mutmnmutummmnmnuu111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111'1'11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111: 21H anteeing it not to heat. Of course a regular trac- tor is better than one of these make-shift attach- ments, but some of us have to buy according to our pocketbooks, and for the size of my pocket— book I have found my investment a very good one. My repa_1' bills have been light, in fact I do not find any more wear on the motor and gearing than I did when running it as an auto. Now is the time my tractor is saving me the most money. It is not eating my $20 hay or 80c oats, and I now have only one team.~R. R. M., Ingham County. [EDITOR’ S NOTE: The above is the first of a ser— ies of letters from honest— to- (lod faImels telling their experiences with tractors and 11210101 attathll’ltlIIS. Others will he published in succeeding issues We invite every farmer Who has owned a tractor to con— column. Send along a photo- graph if you have one, to illustrate your article] AT WHAT PRICE DO YOU FIGURE YOUR HAY AND SILAGE FEED? In reply to your question in the issue of Jan. 26th in regard to the charge of hay and silage in the dairy cow’s ration, will state that we figure them in at market price less the cost of market- in It is our belief that there is always a market for these products. and that the only gain in feeding them on the farm is the expense of marketing, in- asmuch as the value of the manure produced is . stated in the cost of the milk production.———-A. L. Van Sickle & Sons, Walnut Run Farms, Maple Rapids. lllllllIlmIIlilflIIIIIIIIIIIifliII‘lIIIIIIIIIIHMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINlllllImwlmmmmlllllllllllll|IllIIIIIIIIillIIlliIflflIIIIIIRIIIII[1111mmIIIllIiIWIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIlllllllllllil|lIlIIIIIIHlIIIIWWMIUIWWIIIIHHUIIIMIIIIW ' 1. W1" A CENTRAL MICHIGAN SHORTI—IORN BREEDERS’ASSOCIATION IS ALIVE Our associaticn, was organized five years ago and held its sixth annual meeting January.29th .‘ at Greenville. The object ofthe association is to assist small breeders to dispose of their sur- plus stock at a profit. Our members are mostly owners of small herds. Before organizing they had no market for their surplus except to the local stock buyer at prevailing canner prices, and bulls bought at long prices from the larger dealers went to bolona prices when they- could be used no longer. It was a matter of changing these conditions or stopping the breeding of pure breds with the most of us. The State Shorthorn Association was the dead- est thing on the continent. You know when most things die they smell badly for a while and then dry out. Well, the State Ass’n. had gotten into the dry stage. The bunch of large dealers in control of it were satisfied with conditions. They were sellirg their surpllus to the small breeders and M. A. C. referred inquiries to them, and it was impossible to interest them in any movement for the betterment of the small breeder. We finally decided that it was up to us to do something for ourselves. We worked out our plan, got in touch with all breeders in the county and called a meeting. Nine breeders came and we organized the :Centnal Michigan Shorthorn Breeders’ Association. The name was the big- gest part of it. ”Montcalm County and adjoining territory” was our place of business. All out doors. strict our membership ‘to “Montcalm and adjoining counties” because of becoming too scattered and cumbersome and too much business to be managed by the then facilities. We are now considering a further restriction of territory, or the open- ing of the Ass’n. to general membership and hav- ing a man put his whole time to the business. Five years ago there were 16 owners of Short- horns in Montcalm county. Last year the cen- sus showed 75. This year 122, and the secretary has a list of 32 farmers desiring to buy and start herds. For seven years before organizing one member had kept up his little herd, with no other pure shorthorn nearer than 9 miles from him. Today there are 18 Shorthorn bulls in service within that distance of this member. Not a single animal desirable for breeding purposes,.owned by a member, has been sent to the butcher since or- ganization. We receive hundreds of inquiries for breeding stock that we cannot supply every year, and have shipped into nearly every county of the state. Four-fifths of our sales are made on description to men at a distance and in only one case has there been expression of dissatis- faction. Every man who has joined our associa- tion is still a. member except four, three having died. We doubt if any other organization can show such a record. We have not solicited new 'members for three years, but take those who ask to come in any our membership is increasing. ”‘ * We soon learned that the general farmers of Michigan were demanding a cow that would pay expenses at the pail and produce beef at a profit, the dual or general purpose sort—a milk-beef cow. Our members went out and bought some of the strongest milk bred bulls to be had in Ohio, N. Y., Penn. and Vermont. The product of these ani- mals is now being offered by the Ass’n and we have every assurance that this stock will give satisfactory results to the men who buy them. We found that in nearly every community of the state were men sore on the breed and disappoint- ed in their shorthorn experience because of t‘ai.- ur to get milk in paying quantity. This was because they had in most cases used Scotch bred beef bulls or Scotch topped stuff that had had the millking ability beefed out of it. No man has any right to expect milk from a cow with 20 generations of the most careful selection and breeding for beef only behind her. He may as well expect a two-minute trotter from a Belgian draft stallion. The hardest thing the breed has had to contend against is the sale of. beef bred bulls, Scotch, milkless strains, for milking or dual pur- pose shorthorns. Ninety per cent of. such sales have brought disappointmbent to the general farm- er who has used them. The great mass of Mich igan farmers are general farmers, and want a gen- eral purpose cow. They are not fixed to tie up to a strictly dairy or beef proposition. _I have (Continued on page 14) The second year we were obliged to re- , 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111:1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 " IIIIlIIIlIHlll‘ ‘111'1111‘1" 111111111~ 1'11111111'1 111111111111111111111 ‘"“'"""""‘"IIUIIIIIIIIIIUUI'W"‘i‘“"“IUIIIIIIJIIUHIIIHIIIIIIUIIHIIUUHI1111111111111IIIUIIUUIIIIIUIIIlilIUIlllllllil WIIUIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIII 111111.11 111111111 ‘111111 1 111111111 1111 1111 111 1 E s 3 :3 a a .,. l“l in m llllllllllllllulllflllillllll l uluin u ulniui. l > 'lllllllllllllmm lllllllllllllllllllllllllll‘Illlillll l l min n:will”’llllllllllllllllllllllllllnlnllllllllllllllllll i'llllllll.il:;.i ‘1l.llllllllllllllliIllll.lill|l!,llili.l!l .m i'iln ,President Wilson has replied to .the peace offers of Count Hertling. premier of Germany, and Count Czernin, the Austrian premier. He ,finds the offer of Austria to have been couched in ’the friendliest‘of language, and believes that it expresses a sincere desire for peace as well as opening up a practical avenue to attain peace. But Germany’s peace offer is as vague and misleading as all her other utterances upon peace, and the President clearly shows why this country can give her few concessions only scant consideration. “This war,” said the President, “had its roots in the disregard of the, rights of small nations and of nationalities which lacked the union and the force to make good their claim to determine their own allegiances and their own forms of political life. Covenants must now be entered into which will render such things impossible for the future; and these covenants must be backed by the united force of all the nations that love justice and are willing to maintain it at any cost.” In Germany’s peace discussions, she has repeat— edly ignored the basic causes of this war, and when she claims that the territorial boundaries and indemnities for France, Belgium and Poland, can be settled only according to the wishes of the nations immediately concerned, she wholly disre- gards the economic conditions involved which are of international concern. “After all ,the test of whether it is possible for either government to go any further in this com- parison of views is simple (and obvious. The principles to be applied are these: “First, that each part of the final settlement must be based upon the essential justice of that particular case and upon such adjustments as are likely to bring a peace that could be permanent. “Second, that peoples and provinces are not to be bartered about from sovereignty to sovereignty as if they were mere chattels and pawns in a game, even the great game, now forever discred- ited, of the balance of power; but that, “Third, every territorial settlement involved in this war must be made in the interest and for the benefit of the populations concerned, and not as a part of any mere adjustment or compromise of claims amongst rival states; and, “Fourth, that all well defined national aspira- tions shall be accorded the utmost satisfaction that can be accorded them without introducing new or perpetuating old methods of discord and antagonism that would be likely, in time, to break the peace of Europe and consequently of the world. “I should not be a true spokesman of the people of the United States if 1 did not say once more that we can never turn back from a course chosen on principle. " “I have spoken thus so that the whole world may know the true spirit of America—that men every— where may know that our passion for justice and for self-government is no mere passion of words, that passion which, once set in action must be satisfied. The power of the United States is a menace to no nation or people. It will never be used in aggression or for the aggrandizement of any selfish interest of our own. It springs out of freedom and is of the service of freedom." * * * The sinking of the U, S. troopship, the Tuscania, by a German submarine off the Irish coast with a loss of 150 soldiers, has stirred the nation more . than any other single catastrophe since our on— trance into the war. We have rested in a fan- cied security and tranquility. The war fever has not, yet burned hotly in our veins, despite the fact that we have sent over one hundred thousand troops to France, and that the entire social and economical fabric of the, country has been torn and made over. We have accustomed ourselves with singly good grace to the many inconveniences war has made necessary, without any marked disturbance of our mental equili- brium. We’ve got along day after day preform- ing the somewhat interrupted and restricted du— ties of life in much the same careless and per— functory manner as in days of peace. We have felt only a subconscious effect of the tragic events that, transpire every day across the seas. We have been good, but not enthusiastic patriots. Now, however, all this is changed. We have positive knowledge now that American youths on their way to the fields of duty, have lost their lives to the ruthless hand of the enemy, and the cable that rushes the news back home seems to be a liv- ing, throbbing artery that carries an appeal to every American heart and quickens our sympa- thies and spurs us on to greater effort. Official Washington does not View the attack on the Tuscania with any great alarm. The feel— ing does not seem to be general, as has been in- Willimmumminuniuililiumnmnniiiimmnmmmu timated,vthat thevdisaster is to be taken as an in- '1 ~ dication of greatersubmarine activity. »nuer ‘ It is not to be supposed that Germany would have permit— ted this country to land so many troops and sup- plies in France, had she really pOSSessed the power to prevent and the sinking of the Tuscania may be looked upon as merely a New of good luck for the attacking submarine. We may ex- pect, of course, to hear of more frequent sink- ings as the nation’s war prepartions reach frui- tion and larger numbers of men are sent across. Germany will have her eyes more watchful than ever now that she has learned something of this nation’s war preparatiOns, but the troopships are so securely guarded by convoying battleships, and the means of combatting submarine warfare have become so perfected that we need have no unusual apprehensions over the first disaster to a United States transport. it * alt The administration's bill to perfect government control of railroads was the principal topic under discussion in both houses of congress this week, and it was learned' that the proposal to extend- government control for a period of eighteen months to two years after the wars would meet with vig- orous opposition. The railroad heads have been very docile thus far, and ostensibly have given the government their fullest co-operation. There have been ugly hints, however, supported by more or less conclusive evidence, that their ready sub- mission to government control is only a subter- fuge and that ‘aitually, they are doing everything within their power to handicap McAdoo and his plans of operation. It has been, charged that many road chiefs have been guilty of wilfully permit— ting the rolling stock of their respective lines to deteriorate into a crippledl and well—nigh irremed- iable condition, for the sole purpose of disorgan- izing the entire transportation systems and de- moralizing traffic of all kinds, that the public might be led to believe that government control was a failure from the start and to oppose gov- ernment. ownership after the war. If this be true. the action of the rail chiefs is nothing short of. criminal. for to it, may be charged all the suf- fering due to the coal shortage, the huge finan- cial losses incurred thru the curtailment of manu— facturing, and the holding up of needed food and war supplies. If the charge be true, the rail heads have themselves furnished the very best argument in the world why. the people of the United States should not let their transportation facilities revert again to the hands of those who have so grossly violated their trust. 'l‘lic British transport 'l‘uscania was torpedoed :ind sunk off the irish coast, Tuesday. February 5. Aboard :it, the time were 2,179 American soldiers, composed chiefly of Michigan and Wisconsin National Guards- men. The torpedoing occurred just aflter sunset, nothing being seen of the submarine previous to the delivery of the blow. The death list is variously es— timated at from 100 to 125, no detail list having becn given by the War Department up to this time. The fact that the sinking took place while the sea was comparatively calm accounts for the small numb-“r of lives lost as compared with those aboard l<‘ivl't‘i,‘_"ll newspapers generally comment on the heroism shown Americans. many of them in the, service but it fcw months. lmmcdiatcly after thc explosion the men were lined up on deck and while cooly awaiting their turn to enter the lit‘cbozits the Sammies siruck up “The Star Spangled Banner." It is unofficially ru- mored that the submarine which delivered the death blow was afterward sunk by destroyers. 'l‘he Sill" \‘ivors were landed on the. Irish coast and every pro- vision made for their comfort. it it it It is announced that American forces now in France number 212,000 men with more in transit. ’I‘hc From-h War Commissioner to America announces that France has made great strides in the manufacture of cannon and artillery supplies and that by .luly she will be able to manufacture sufficient guns and ammunition to supply 20 American divisions of 500,000 men. There are in France today more American troops than coni- prised the entire American army at the outbreak of hostilities betw'cen this country and Germany. * OK It Much commcnt has been caused by the congratula- tions cabled to the German Kaiser by President (lar— anza of Mexico. The occasion was the birthday of the Hun ruler and this extract. “to your n'iajcsty, who celebrates his anniversary today with just cause for re- joicing, etc.," gives the general tenor of the congrat— ulatory message. While this custom of exchanging felicitzition is harmless enough ordinarily. it is point- ed out that it possibly has a double significance at this time, when Mexico’s nearest ncighbor is engaged in a life and death struggle with tho powcr “hose emperor is the recipient of the incrsage. and con— gratulated as having ”just cause for rejoicing." It It It Increased artillery activity is reported along the French section of the Western front. The French war office reports that artillery on both sides is particularly active on the Aisne and Verdun fronts. The Germans have attempted to carry out many trench raids but these have been repulsed with se- vere losses to the attacking partie::. 'anine Wdflmflfllmmlfluflmw“mum“"lmmI“liulflllflfllMMIWllllllllllmlllllllllllllllllllliflllilillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllultllllllllfllllIllllllllllllulllllllllllllllmwg ‘is supposed to be the largest (391)- - WEEKLY NEW YORK LETTER _ [EDITOR'S NOTE: Below we publish three let- ters from New York farmers and two from Maine farm- ers. We are also arranging for weekly letters from Wisconsin, Colorado, California and Minnesota farm— ers, so that our readers nfay keep in touch with crop and market conditions in these states.] ‘ New York Potato Holdings Below Normal (lohocfon, N. Y., Fcb. 5—~The market conditions this weels show no improvement over those of last week and in fact the potato market is some— what lower. For firsts the dealers are paying $1.70 per hundred pounds. but very few are mov- ing on account of cold weather under which this section is suffering. It would be hard to estimate to any degree of certainty what percentage of the 1917 crop yet remains in the hand-s of the growers but it is certain that it is still large but many of those who are holding their stock are waiting for better weather conditions more than for. higher prices. But for other farm produce, the farmers are re- ceiving comimratchIy more money. For No, 1 timothy hay we are receiving twenty dol— lars per ton with poorer grades in proportion. Oats are selling for $1.00 per bushel. rye $1.80 to $1.90 for 60 pounds. The price for beans in this section runs around 11 cents per pound for Yel- low Eyes and 12c for Red Kidneys and the crop in general, was very poor. In regard to the use of the 1 12‘10 inch mesh grading chain for potatoes, I will say that this very question has been the subject of consider able discussion among the. potato growers in this State. The buyers claim that the governmen' food administration say all potatoes must be grad- ed With this size chain, but, nevertheless a few in; dependent buyers have been using a size snmllcr chain and have paid the same prices as others who used the 1 15-16 inch. If Mr. Atwood, says very few counties of this State are grading under the new rule, this is in- deed news to us. llcre in Steuben county which potato producing county in the State. I think it is safe lo <:iv lilil' 80 per cent of the potatoes are gradual undo" thi rule, and we have been led to believe by the buyers, that. it is so, all over the Side. 'l‘i'uly. tile is a matter which should have, the co—operzc tion of the growers. In this county it appears to be unjust for the reason that. the growers only receive about one cent per pound for the seconds. when in reality they should bring nearly as much as the firsts, for generally speaking they arc of a very nice size and quality for general lls‘c. Hsmoml E. Noblc. Frost Spoils Many Potatoes Stored by New York Farmers ('ohoc.‘on, Sicnbcn county. N. Y. —— Although the township of (‘ohocton producces more potatoes than any other in the county of Steuben, which is one of the largest potato producing counties in the entire country, the crop of 1917 was below the nvcragc in quantity. This was due to different causes. among which was the extreme and con tinuc'l rainfall, making proper care and cultivw tion impossible. and causing blight. and rot, to :1 larger extent. (‘oniinuous rains, early freezing and shortage of labor combined to make h1u= vesting of the crop in prime condition ilnpofisibh‘, and part is still in the ground. ’l‘hen no little damage has been done by the intense cold wcatlr er, which has prevailed for several weeks, by which thousands of bushels stored in the collars of farmers in this and adjoining towns, have, been fro/en, so that they will be hardly lit for cattle or hog food. During this time many farm ccl- lars that have always heretofore been considered frosteproof. lulVo had to be provided with artifi— cial heat. and yet in spite of all precautions, most, of the farmers have. lost more or less of the outer layers of tubers. One farmer southwest of Co— hOcton reports a loss of 500 bushels in a cellar free from frost for the past 2.") years. Buyers have been scarcer than usual. and farmers have been obliged to carry much of their crop until now. The price now is about $1.80 for 100 pounds, which is less than most of the growers feel they 'an afford to sell for. as this price is for only the tubers above a certain size, below which the price is about half that amount. PEA BEANS NOT A VERY GOOD CROP IN NEW YORK STATE After receiving and reading a recent sample copy of M. B. F. I am convinced Michigan bean growers are in about the same predicament as we in New York are. The early frost ilujurcd all (Continued on page 1.2..) , , .uillllllllii'll iiilllil, his... "‘iiml .l‘illlllllllllli1‘i.nl'llllllidblllllllllllnlllllllllufi lllllllll‘l‘ilml‘lll‘ili’wL. ,1 my, :mgiiii‘cill'ir‘ l'lll‘M .. .. Hm melw Ill n ninni Hi i n n. >ol'l"ii“i'il,.i.l lilbn’lllllknllild ‘c' nmnmmmmm1111m11111mun11m1111m1111mmm 11111111111111111111111111111111111112111111111111111111111m1111111 '11111mnn111111111111111mm1111111111111111111111111111:1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 E E g. E in 'r W" E E E E g E E S E g: .1111.1111.111111111.111111.1..111411-,1 1|1Htv ylli.’ 11.1,.1.1111.., 111181111111111111111111111111111111111mn11mmn1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111.111.111111111111111; trig} Rf. 3.1:“ “3% fl '1 R. Senators and Representatives Ask Food Ad- ministration to Revise or Abandon Ob- noxious and Harmful Grading Rules Under Which Michigan Crop Being Marketed: Despite the many burdensome duties now de- volving upon our representatives at Washington, which require their undivided attention, most of. them, we are glad to say, found the time and took the trouble to investigate the grading. complaints laid before them and to take action with the Food Administration tending toward a modification or abandonment of the grades. We feel especially in- debted to both Senators Smith and Townsend, and t0 Congressman Louis C. Cramton, Gilbert A. Cur- rie, J. M. C. Smith, Patrick H. Kelley, J. M. Ford— ney, Carl Mapes, E. L. Hamilton, Frank E. Dor- emus. All of those who have gone into the matter at all are convinced of the impracticability of the present grading methods and say they will do everything possible to help, but entertain little hope that action will be taken this year. Below arepletters received from Hon. Gilbert A. Currie, and also copy of a letter which Senator Townsend sent to Mr. Hoover upon the subject, and which we believe expresses the situation in a nutshell. Congressman (Tramton has also shown unusual interest in Michigan’s potato situation, and next week we hope to have a complete report from him. (‘ONGRESSMAN (‘l‘ltltlld’S LETTER I have conferred at length with Mr. Eustace of the Food Administration, and with various members of the Michigan delegation concerning the controversy over potato grading rules. Mr. Eustace claims that the great factor in causing disparity in prices between Michigan and other states is caused by the transportation difficulties. I presented as effectively as I knew how the Michigan situation, and suggested that it would be wise to do something to alleviate this feeling even though it were done only as a matter of policy, and to effect the further marketing of the present crop. However, Mr. Eustace was very positive that no chage should be made. I regret to make this report—(I. H. (hirric. 10th. District. Michigan. SENATOR Towxsnx'n's LETTER To MR. HOOVER \Vashington. D. (7.. February 2nd. 1918 Hon. Herbert E. Hoover. Food Admini.‘rator, W'ashington. I). C. My dear Mr. Hooverz— . I have received many protests from Michigan farmersmuand especially from the leading agri- cultural paper of our state “MicchN BusiNicss FARMiNc" against the order issued by your de- partment relative to the grading of Michigan po- tatoes. I have contented myself by submitting a number of these protests to you, with the re- quest that your attention be directed to the mat- ter. I have now taken time to look into the sit- uation as fully as I can, ant it seems to me that the grading system as established by you does not result in good to a11y,one unless it be to the jobbe1.I ce1tainly am not opposed to the grading of any food stuff which is fair at once to producers and consumers. The consumer has a right to buy what he pays for and to know what his product is. I am satisfied. however. that by making a N0. 1 and No. 2 grade. based largely upon a screen mesh scheme, is not a. troper test of the potato product. The elimination of small potatoes practically unfit for t'oodm—or of” defec- tive or injured t11bel‘s,~ris of course most desir- able. Your test does not, in practice. amount to that. Its result in our state has been to give the jobbers an opportunity to grade practically all of our stock as No. 2,—at least has given them an opportunity to buy the product, as much at 40 per cent less than what the No. 1 grade would bring although one was quite as good as the other to the consumer who paid practically the same price for both._ Cannot this order be revoked and a more practical scheme adopted? Michigan is a great potato state. In many sec— tions of it. the potato is the staple product. The effect of grading upon the producer’s market this year has been most discouraging and I fear that next year’s acreage will be much less than it ought, to be. If. there is anything about this matter which I do not understand. I wish you would set me right upon it. for as the matter now stands I can see nothing but disaster to the potato growing inter- ests of Michigan under the present order of things. Respectfully yours—Chas. E. Townsend. MILK SURPLUS CONTINUES TO BE A VERY GRAVE PROBLEM Nearly every local branch of the Michigan Milk Producers’ Ass'n was represented at the meeting 1011515 011 111111; . be tempted to come into the Detroit market. in the milk situation -, ' ‘ ' " Th’e shortage of tin and the possibilities of the big condensaries of the state being obliged to close, was declared to be one of the latest and most alarming phases of the milk situation at the present time. These condensaries are now absorb- ing about 90,000 pounds of the daily surplus be- ing shipped into Detroit, were they to close, not only would the market for the Detroit surplus be eliminated, but producers outside the Detroit’ area who are now selling to condensaries, might Un- der the new arrangement between producers and distributors whereby the average price to produc- ers for February is reduced to $3.29 per hundred, the surplus is being taken care of. satisfactorily. The association does not anticipate a surplus for March. An important action of the delegates was to in- crease the assessment of one-half cent per hun- dred pounds voted at the annual meeting for ad- vertising and administration expenses, to one cent per pound. Speaking before the association, Presid‘ent Hull said: “The United States government has ap- proved our plan of arriving at both the buying and selling price in fact it is being quoted in the lead— ing milk centers of the country. In fact, the offi- cials admit that we have come the nearest to solv- ing the milk problem of any city in America. Where all branches of the industry are not work- ing together there is demoralization and they are not getting as much for their milk as we are around Detroit.” FOOD ADMINISTRATION ISSUES WARNING ON SEED BEAN SUPPLY There is a matter that seems very important to the Food Administration and that is the seed situation in your State. Local financial conditions, owing to Liberty Loan issues and the quality of the stock in Mich- igan, are such that all dealers are having difficulty in securing sufficient Capital to handle their ac- cumulation of beans and the result is that in order to keep their bank balance On the right side they keep shipping out the good stock that comes from the farmers as it can be handled more quickly. The poor beans accumulate and are not fit for seed. The Michigan Bean Growers’ Association and the State Officials together with the Bean Jobbers’ Association should take im- mediate action to see that a sufficient quantity of good seed is stored to take care of planting requirements this Spring. The United States Food Administration will gladly furnish special permits allowing the stor- age of these beans for seed—United States Food Administration, By K. P. Kimball. FILL OUT THIS COUPON AND MAIL TO M. B. F. TODAY _———————————_——I A1e you planning to raise more or to raise l lless of wheat, oats, barley, rye, corn, potatoes peas, beans, sugar beets. vegetables, fruits, hay, horses, beef ca.,ttle dairy stock, sheep, swine poultry, or for feed carrots, mangels, rutabagas, I silage? Please fill out this coupon, sign your namel and postofiice address and mail to the editor' of M1(HIGAN BUSlNllSS FARMING, Mt. Clemens Mich. Your name will be held in strict con-I fidence if you so request. I am planning to raise this coming season (Please state approximate number of. acres oil the principal crops, or head of the principal] live stock.) I l “My acreage and live stock production last year were 1 I Name I I I | l I l I I Address (Important—If you are unable to give thisl information 110w, please keep this coupon until I your plans for this year’ s production have been completed.) -———_—_——————_— ............................... on... ’ poor fertilizer. metich, arc-11: my letter last week I . wrote of the help and fertilizer situation as to its bearing on a probable decrease of 40% in the Maine. potato acreage There is another phase of the fertilizer question which will have a more criteria direct bearing on‘the decrease in acreage in 1918. For the last few years a good manyvfarmers have practically lost their potato crop through poor or adulterated fertilizer, until there is a fear on this point that makes many timid about plant- ing. For the grower to plant with a fertilizer and seed cost of around $100.00 per acre and find as the season advances that his crop will be more or less of a failure owing to poor fertilizer is to place a burden upon him that he is not able to carry. The writer is personally acquainted with many who have lost their crops by this means. One case of two neighbors whose farms ad'jo-ined- who lost around $12,000.00 in a single season from This entirely ruined one of these men and forced the other to sell his farm. Sev- eral suits for damages were brought but in no case did the farmers obtain any redress for the loss of their crops. but were obliged to pay full price for the fertilizer. This would be of no in- terest to the Michigan potato grower, except as one of the reasons for a decrease in the Maine acreage in 1918 and a further decrease in the final yield by reason of light crops on a portion of the acreage planted. The fear of price fixing by the food adminis- tration is another factor which will cut down the acreage planted here in Maine. If the law of supply and demand could be let alone as far as the farmers were concerned, there would be much more produced on our Maine farms this season. The food administration could do a tremen- dous amount of good in reducing and eliminating the expense of getting the products of the farms to the consumer, but the fact that a price on potatoes will be fixed next fall so low that it will leave the grower in debt, is a powerful factor in the 40 per cent probable reduction in Maine 1918 potato acreage. Aroostook county probably could raise potatoes this year and get out whole for $2.50 per hundred Weight._ The balance of Maine cannot for less than $3.30 to $3.40. To make a price that would give the Aroostook grower a good profit would mean a great and deadly loss to the growers in the balance of the state. It is this fear of price fixing by those who have no knowledge of general conditions that is keeping hundreds of farmers from making plans for in- creased production in 1918‘. Local prices $1.75 per bushel with $2.00 being paid the farmers for good stock by customers with good demand—E. A. Rogers, R. F. D. 3, Bruns- wick, Maine. It I It fit Augusta, Maine, Feb. 4th.—At this date the farmers of Maine are unsettled and undecided as to what acreage they will plant this coming season. For at least three summers conditions have been unfavorable to best crop development, and we have suffered total losses in numberless crop instances. Last season under pressure from government officials more acreage was planted than usual. Late spring and an unusually early frost spelled disaster to many farmers. Now we are undecided. We are not guaranteed even the cost of farm operations, say nothing about profits, as many other businesses are, and the simply truth is the average Maine farmer isn’t able, financially, to stand another off season. In many cases it will be hard to buy necessary seed and fertilizers so that sufficient acreage for his own use may be planted. Contrary to official belief we in the East do NOT have grain enough, and what grain we do buy is so exorbitant in price that farmers are selling off appalling large numbers of cows, swine and poultry as well as everything else that must be fed grain. Talk of raising $50,000,000 to buy seed and fertilizer to sell out at cost to North- 'western farmers!—We in the East; need this service just as badly, and unless SOMETHING is done production will remain low, or go lower. If this appropriation is raised, then every farmer in the U. S. should be given the same opportunity. Maine farmers do not lack patriotism, nor ambi- tion, nor industry, but we must somehow live, and, therefore, we cannot again risk everything we possess in planting all we possibly can, while market conditions are an uncertain proposition“ as uncertain as the weather. Potato situation is a gamble. The crop of 1917 was much below normal and owing to wet spring and early frost the crop was damaged in many places; some report complete loss of crop. (Continued on page 7) Emmwmmn11111111111111n11111111ummmmummmnnunummt1111111111111111111111111m[11111111111111nutttmumumuumnwmumuummtilmulnmttmmmlmmununun11111111111111I111mmummnnmnnmunmmutmmmmmmmmmmWIMMHWI1 1.5 2:3 .53 :=: z a. a E a a . E A Elli iiiit“111141..thuiliitliltlllillllllllillHittililltllllllilluillillltlllliiltttiiltltll '1'1111'1111 111.11» 1111111111111111111111u1uu111mu:wuuuiuuuumnm1111mmn111111111111111uu1111111u1u1u1111111111111m1111n1111 .1111 .« mummmnmwnmu11111111111111uuu1111u1urm 5" ,‘ . qulumaumuuumuuuumunmmmmumnnuumuumuuuuwlmmwmmmlmmmmm mum ‘m l I ll: ’ lur'n'n‘" ' GRADE Detroit Chicago New York No. 2 Red 2.17 2.15 2.25 No. .3 Red ‘ 2.14 2.12 LIZ No. '2 White 2.15 2.13 2.23 No. 2 Mixed 2.15 2.13 2.23 Supplies of wheat at this time are ' much less than they have been at this season, in many years. The Govern— ment continues to take a large part of the output of Northwestern mills and millsgenerally find it very diflicult to supply the demand for flour. The sub- stitution of other grains for wheat is constantly increasing and the price of the substitutes advances from day to day. The price of rice flour has ad- vanced from $8 to $18, according to bakers reports to the state food admin- istration. Other substitutes, while not showing such an advance as rice flour are increasing, and the price will soon be almost prohibitive, so far as the average family is concerned. This appears to be a matter for im- mediate investigation by the author- ities. ‘ . With the worlds available wheat supply away short and our people having to practice every economy to insure a sufficient supply untill anoth- er harvest, it is a matter of regret that Australia should have two wheat crops piled up on her wharves, being de- stroyed by rodents and the elements, with a third big crop about to be de- livered, and no available ocean car- riers to transport the grain to where it is so sadly needed. It is unoffi- cially reported that Japan is making arrangements to move this grain for her allies but whether she has suf- ficient tonnage which may be diverted for this purpose remains to be seen. GRADE Detroit Chicago New York No. 2 White Séandard .89 1-2 .86 .98 No. 3 White .89 .85 .97 No. 4 White .88 .83 1-2 .95 1-2 Operators generally expect the oat market to show the effect of improv- ed weather conditions. Country deal- ers seem anxious to sell, the only draw- back being their inability to.secure cars for shipment. Considerable fu- ture selling is reported. Considerable grain has been sold for 30 and 60 day shipment, the general feeling be- ing that oats at the present time are higher than actual supplies warrant. The Government’s report on stocks still back in the country will be issued in March, but there is no doubt but what they are large. Oat shipments all during the fall and winter have been much less than usual, due to transportation and other difficulties, and this, taken into consideration with the fact that the crop in this country and Canada was exceptionally large, lead terminal market receivers to ex- pect heavy shipments from now on, providing weather conditions continue favorable. It should be remembered however, that markets are bare of oats and the eastern demand will require a large amount before there will be any sur- plus on hand. While the eastern ex- port demand has been lighter than us- ual during the past few weeks, it is no doubt on account of the congestion of eastern terminals. Much export grain is going south for shipment via the Gulf. The substitution of oat pro- ducts for those of wheat is constantly increasing, and this will have a great- er eflect than is commonly supposed. We do not feel that any material de- cline will occur in the immediate fu- ture, opinions of receiver and operator to the contrary notwithstanding. Later on, with a material increase in deliver- ies of both oats and corn, we may see a reaction. It will be some time, how- ever, before deliveries increase suffi- ciently to affect prices. Until that time comes we may expect a fairly steady market. . ~ all"!lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHlllllllllllllllllNil!lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIll|lIllI|illllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll|lllIlllll|lillllllllllllllllllllllllIlllllllllilllllllilllllllll|lllllmllfllumiimmmifllllllmmill' ' hv E § E E E a E E E E a E E g E LT“ GRADE Detroit Chicago New York No. 2 Yellow 1.85 1-2 Nominal 1.83 No. 3 Yellow 1.85 Nominal 1 821—2 No. 2 Mixed 1.83 Nominal 1 80 The immediate future of the corn market is one diflicult to judge. The Government is keenly awake to the fact that a great portion of the crap still in growers hands must move during the next four to six weeks or the loss will be heavy. Every effort is being ' made to furnish equipment for this purpose. Improved weather conditions are helping this movement, although there is still too much snow over Illi- nois and nearby states to permit of extensive hauling. A week of good weather will help this condition ma- terially. Farther west conditions are 'better and growers are hauling as fast as the elevators can take care of the grain and move it from their houses. Eastern roads have delivered over 5,000 cars to western lines during the past week, but a certain percentage will be used to move grain other than corn, in the Northwest. This move- ment of cars westward is being rushed and will increase steadily with better weather conditions. Eastern markets are short on corn and as is the case with oats, it will take some time to acquire any surplus. There will also be a much better export demand as the eastern terminals clear. While we may look for possible lower markets later on, it will still be some time, under most favorable conditions, be- fore this will be brought about. Rye continues active and a further advance is noted. Trading is limited however, owing to light receipts. There is very little prospect of an increase, unless grOWers or country elevators should be holding greater stocks than are now apparent. The milling of rye flour has increased many fold and this commodity will soon be classed with alum!!!"|HllnlilllflllllillllllflmmmmllllllllllllllllllllllllllllmlmmmnllllIllllllllllllllllllJllllllillllllilllllllllllIlllll|lllllmlmlllllllllllmlllllllllllllllllllllllulllltlllllllllllilllilllllllllIllllll!H11HLHIHHEH’: THE WEATHER FOR THE WEEK As forecasted by W. T. Foster for MICHIGAN BUSINESS FARMER fFeb 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 1518 ~ Moderate WASHINGTON, D. 0., Feb. 16—— Last bulletin gave forecasts of distur- bance to cross continent Feb. 17 to 21, warm wave 16 to 20, cool wave 19 to 23. This will be a more severe storm than the preceding, temperatures going higher in the warm wave and lower in the cool wave. Moderate rains or snows will be fairly well distributed and the week will bring fairly good cropwea 1-. Next arm wave will reach Van- couver about Feb. 22 and temperatur- es will rise on all the Pacific slope. It will cross crest of Rockies by close of Feb. 28, plains sections 24, meridian 90h great lakes and 'Ohio-Tennessee ya eye 25, eastern sections 26, reach- ing vicinity of Newfoundland about Feb. 27. Storm wave will— follow about ultimatummumnnnnmmmunmnnnmmnnnmmmlmummmmmunmmmmmmlmnn / if: llltlillllllllllll[llllll|lllilll|IIIllllllllllllllllll|lllllllllflllllllllllmlllllllllllllillllllll DETROIT SPECIAL—Receipts of fresh eggs are increasing but the demand is brisk and whlke prices have declined they are still very satisfactory to ship- pers. Potatoes are in liberal supply and the market is easy. CHICAGO WIRE—The market weakened early today under favorable weath- er conditions and reports of our deliveries to originating points and heavy ship— ments of oats and corn. Later in the day there was a reaction, the belief be— coming general that it would take some time to make a surplus. Cantonments all over the country are badly in need of oats and corn, especially the farmer. NE‘V YORK—The hay market has cleaned up again and is strong and actlvr“. Receivers report free consignments to this market and their arrival may have some affect but conditions are very satisfactory. _ 1 ulllllmmllnIIIIInmmmunulmulllmulululuumllluunnmuImmmunluluulIIuluuuuummm|ImumIImu1I1I1mmmmummmmmIlmumlmmmummnlunmummumtmnmiummnunlmuifi Iunu[ammoniummnnuumnnmumnumummmuuunnuumumunnmnummnumnmuumumululmmIlnnmlmmmwnmmuwwnnmmmmmnunu the luxuries unless a maximum price is established. Detroit is quoting No. 2 rye at $2.18. Chicago market is nominal. The Min- neapolis market reached a point of. $2.21, due to excitement over the Gov- ernment flour regulations, which at first seem to have been misunderstood there, but later a reaction set in and the market was brought into line with that of other points. Barley Chicago—Extraordinary and persist— ent buying by the millers made a strong barley market all week and forced the cash up to record figures. Offerings were only moderate. There was a better enquiry by the malsters than for a fornight, but the milling demand was the real strength of the market here as also at all the outside markets. The market on Monday, as reported by E. C. Butz Grain Co., was again decidedly strong and prices were 1c to 2c a bushel higher on nearly everything available for both malting and milling account, although the mil- lers and shippers seemed to be the more anxious buyers. The tap for the day was $1.76, for something very choice, but the majority of the trad- ing was between $1.70 and $1.75, with the lower grades selling from $1.65 to $1.70, when suitable for mallting. Feed barley was steady, with the Coast types quotable around $1.61 to $1.65, depend- ing upon quality; offerings were mod- erate for Monday, and everything promptly cleaned up.—Pricc Current Grain Reporter. GRADE Detroit Chicago l New York C. Hf. 12.50 13.00 14.00 Prime 12.40 12.85 13.85 Red Kidnevs 13.50 14.50 x 13.75 After many weeks of severe cold and storms the weather has moderated greatly and we may reasonably expect higher temperatures from this time on toward spring. No doubt, with the exception of an occasional cold spell, this will be the prevailing con- dition, and it brings with it grave dan- ger to the wet beans still in growers' hands. We have discussed this mat- ter more than once, in our different one day behind warm wave and cool wave about one day behind storm wave. ‘ This will be an important storm lll many ways. It will cause a great high temperature wave and a general thaw in middle latitudes—near, north and south of latitude 40. Followmg the warm wave will come severe storm and cold wave, rains fairly well dis- tributed thru northern and southern states, well to southward in Texas while in northern states and Canada the rains will be followed by snow. While these storms will be unusual- ly severe the precipitation will be best of the Winter, particularly where .11; has been too dry. Growing wheat lll southwestern part of the Winter wheat section will be much improved by this precipitation. Farmers should .get the1r grain to market before this storm comes, as it will cause ten days of bad weather for shipping. In part of the best corn sections preparations will begin in earnest for the commg crops soon after this storm. Wart)» WWMWNHHHHlIlllllIllllllllllllllllllllIllllllHIIlllillllllllllumlmlllllllllllllilllllUlillilllllmlillllllllllllil bean articles, but it will do no harm to mention it again. Conditions in Michigan are difierent this season than they have ever been before. Lack of transportation faciln ities, Government regulations, etc. have hampered elevators in handling grain and beans. Many of them now have their houses full of stock and any great influx woulld simply bury them. In fact many of them at the present have discontinued buying wet beans, having no facilities fdr drying them at their plant and being unable to se- cure cars to ship them to other plants having a drier. Now then, with the warmer weather coming on, growers who have wet beans on hand are going to experi- ence trouble. The chances are that this trouble will come to the greater portion of them at about the same time, bringing about a desire to dis~ pose of their holdings. A general rush on the part of the growers, to market their stock, could have but one result and that a disastrous decline in price, and the possibility of their not being able to sell at any price, owing to inability of the elevators to handle the wet bean stock. Under present conditions, we feel that it is not best to hold wet stock, and many of our friends are doing this very thing. Let it go gradually, but get rid of it. Of course if buy- ers should attempt to take advantage of the situation and lower present prices materially, then discontinue sell- ing; might as Well be hung for a sheep as a lamb. On the other hand, if you have good dry stock, hang on to it for a time. Good seed beans will be worth more money later on for the supply is going to be short. Should the local elevator be unable to handle wet beans for any of our readers, the market editor will be glad to give them the address of different concerns operating driers. They could then get in touch with the station near- est them and no doubt make satisfac- tory arrangements to have their beans dried. t 1: (-5 ' 3.49533: ‘2“? ”1"“. "ie atoms The clover seed market seems to gain additional strength each week and the demand is excellent. The T0- ledo market during the past week ad- vanced to $20.10, high mark for the season up to this time. Alsike also made a fair advance, while timothy, under liquidation, experienced a set back but the market was not weak at any time. Detroit quotations: l’rime red clow er, $20.30; March, $19.80; alsike, $17; timothy, $4.10. No. 1 Standard No. 2 Market- Timothy Tmothy Timothy Detroit 25 50 26 00 24 50 25 00 23 50 24 Chicago 30 00 31 00 29 00 30 00 28 00 29 0. Cincinnati 32 75 33 00:32 00 32 50,30 50 31 5. Pittsburgh :31 oo 30 50,29 00 29 some 00 26 so NewYork ‘37 00 39 0033 00 37 00,30 00 34 00 Richmond ‘33 00 32 00 1211 00 M rh b No. 1 No. 1 No. 1 ‘ 9 Light Mixed Clover Mixed Clover Detroit 23 50 24 00 22 00 22 50 21 50 22 .0 Chic-(o 28 00 28 50 27 50 28 00 27 50 28 00 Cincinnati ‘32 00 32 50 31 50 32 00 35 00 35 5. Pittsburgh 29 5) 30 00 30 50 31 50 30 50 31 50 New York 134 00 36 00 31 00 34 0° 32 00 3d 0. Richmond 32 00 31 00 29 00 There is still a great scarcity of hay and the demand is even better than that of a week ago. The markets are in shape to take on considerable hay before any reaction may be ex- pected. The improved weather condi- tions are faciliating deliveries and with a continuation of same we may look for much more satisfactory con- ditions, both for shippers and receivers. Detroit dealers all report excellent conditions, a good clean market, free from any accumulation of any grade, and a strong demand. This market should prOVe attractive to shippers. Prices are at the former level should remain so for some time. The Cincinnati market has been g -.,._ ”- having great. dimculty durifig; the past week on account 01.110011 condition The plugging tracks have been under six feet of water, making operations there out of the question. Many cars intended for the plugging yards are also in the flood zone. This has just about prevented trading and the iitarket has been stronger in conse- quence, and an active market is ex— pected when conditions resume nor- mal. . llostozi has been receiving only light supplies owing to continued embar- goes and bad railroad conditions gen- Tlie better grades particular- ly are in very light supply and prices rii'o amordiiigly. Receivers are ask- .ing higher prices and while buyers are forced to take or. a certain quanti- ty from day to day. The trade ex— 1‘19"? the market there to rule lower with any increased receipts, but these are not in sight at the. present time. The Baltimore market is firm un‘ der light receipts and a good demand. Receivers report only light shipments due to arrive and do not anticipate {1.11 immediate change although they fuel that it will come later on and per- haps result in somewhat. lower prices. "‘he New York market has been lfn lined to work lower on receipt of quantities of hay which were held up on route. The Garfield closing or- d111- allowcd the roads to make deliv— cry of much of this hay and a sur- 11‘11114 resulted. The price is still very sat ist’actory despite this condition, and with a more even delivery of cars from now on the market. there come steady and more from every standpoint. (ra‘ty. dependable 1 Medium Round white-Melted Detroit 2.00 cwt. Chicago 2.00 Cincinnati 2.60 2.47 New York 1 2.50 2.40 Pithhurgh ’ Z 6'.) 2.45 i l Baltimore, Md. 1 2.75 2.61) 1 Choice round while-lacked Z.l5 cwt. . 2.15 Market: The potato market has ruled steady and firm during the past week, de— mand being fair and supply only mod— erate. The severe weather of the past month just. about eliminated ship— mmits from the market, and as a re— sult trading was mostly in storage stock. This has brought about a bet- ter condition 011 all markets, cleaning them up in fairly good shape. The demand is still far from what, dealers would like to see it and from what it should be from this time on. The Food Board is doing everything possible, to increase potato consump- t on so as to conserve the wheat sup- it» The consuming public is being urged to use potatOes at every meal 11d in many different ways. This Liould have a certain effect 011 con— >1'ill])li(lll and increase demand. The next, few weeks should give us ;. lair idea of what amount of stock "11.11'0 is still to be marketed. We are l‘. 1"(1l‘tr’lllg iiiaiiy «ports of severe frost '11: 11:11 from all parts of the state. .1114 ‘ liittzli1t1xtciit of this damage is: will not be known until the pits 11c and the stock in collars has tit-on gioiic 0101'. There is no doubt lioucici but what (onsideiablc loss 11:11.»: l)! on (aused by the severe weathei of the past month. improved weather conditions will no doubt bring about an increased move- ment and the market should soon have an opportunity to show either its strength or weakness. 1.}1t.lil‘t'ii markets Supplies of feeds on all are exceptionally low just at this time The milling of the war flours of diff- erent kinds result in a lighter produc— tion of bran. There is a very strong dt-iriand at, most, points and prices have shown 1111 adyaiice. 't‘lio t‘iiitcd States Food Administra~ tit-,1.) r‘ziiiiii: thit we have nearly 1,000.- (lilithHtl bus-hots of feed more than we had lttr‘t year, for which we have no corresponding number of animals to feed. [3' this be the case. and no doubt the officials know what they are talk— ing about, we may expect to see feed— stutfs lower in price as soon as the should be? ' . ’ Detroit-arsed in 101% lb. sacks, jabbing lots: Bran, $24. 50;“ Standard middlings, $36. 50; fine mid- _ dlings, $43. 50; coarse cornmeal,’ ton. Flour: Per 1:16 lbs., in eighth paper sacks: Standard patent, $11.10@11.- 15; straight winter, $10.80; spring patent, $11.20; rye flour, $10.50@10.70 in jobbing lots. There is an excellent demand for cotton seed meal, a demand in excess of the supply. One manufacturer ad- vises us that his firm has been unable to care for more than 10 "per cent of the orders received. chrocked corn, $79; $77; chop, $66 per No change in the onion market. Not much stock moving and what supplies there are on the different markets are firmly held. Receivers are expecting increased iupplies with the warmer weather of the present time, but with the demand as it is at present, consid- erable stock can be taken tare of be- fore there Wf’tlld be any accumulation. With stocks as low as they are report- ed at. all country stations there is very little danger of any material decline at. this time. Detroit is quoting No. 1 yellows at $3.75 to $4 per lOO-lb. sack. This is for fancy stock. The general run of receipts bring around $3 to $3,530. Other markets are firm with only moderate supplies. Apple receipts are extremely light at this time and the market is firm. There is a good demand for all grades of apples but first-class fruit is partic- ularly wanted. During the cold per- iod considerable fruit offered was frost- ed This stock is (leaning up and that coming in the 1:1 st few days has been much better in that respect. East- ern markets are in good shape with only moderate receipts, although ar- rivals have increased somewhat since the warmer weather. Detroit quotations: Greening. $667 $6.25: Baldwin. $5; No. 2, $t‘.@$3.50 per bbl.; Western. $2@$2.75 per box. BUTTER a» -V'/\‘_ f‘ ‘ '31 avert-”:3 This week has seen very little change in the butter market. The supply has been coming in regularly and has increased so that dealers are fairly well stocked. The market re- mains firm however. due to the fact that dealers generally feel that the increased receipts are but the tempo— rary result of the Garfield cloting order, which allowed the roads to de— livor many shipments which has been delayed enroute. New York quotations: Extras, 5l 11311.; firsts. 1‘5lfi‘510; FO“!l"i(l:<, “VJ." i‘iléc; thirds, ”AW-131‘, packing wot-k. 396? 391.1312 Boston: ltlxtras,50@51(1; @4911: seconds, 4660470.. Philadelphia: Extras, 520; ((711811: seconds t5@46c. Detroit. Extias,49<1; Cheese The cheese market. has been some— what inclined to weaken this week al- though it might generally be described as steady. Wisconsin shippers were more anxious to sell than they were a week ago, and the market also receiv- ed a cconsidcrable volume of ship- ments which had been held up by blizzards. New York quotations about the same as last week: State whole milk, flats, held, 26lé@261/2c; lower grades, 20@23léc; daisies, 261/’_)c@; Wisconsin, twins, 95t/_.@26(:; daisies, 2611'.’_.c@; Americas, 281,4@28%c; State skims, specials, 19@20%c; fair to good 130150. Detroit quotations: Michigan flats, 2c,1,4@2612_’.c; New York flats. 27c; brick "8V ((1128“:(:; long horns, 285510; Michigan daisies, 27c; Wisconsin dais- ies, 271/;ic; domestic Swiss, 35@420 for prime to fancy; limburger, 301/4@3114c per lb. firsts, 48 firsts, 47 firsts, 48c. Receipts‘of eggs‘have increased at nearly all points and lower prices now prevail on the majority of m-ar- ,1 kets. The exclusively high prices of the past two months have tended to curtail consumptive demand and this is also having an effect upon the mar- ket. With the warmer weather we are now having egg production will start in earnest, and will i‘iicrease as spring draws nearer. As the price works low- er we may expect a great increase in consumptive demand and this will be satisfactory to the producer. Detroit is quoting fresh firsts at 52c@53c. Off grades takes the usual discount. New York dealers are hav- ing difliculty to secure 54@55c for fresh gathered extras and no donl‘: the price there is due to work lower. Chicago is quoting fresh gathered firsts at 500 and ordinary firsts at 47@48c. . LIVE WT. New York Turkey Ducks Geese Springer: Chic-[3 25 28 24 26 _»_2_»7A.3o ,, No 2 Grade 2 to 3 Cents Less The poultry market generally is quiet and firm. Receipts are very light at all points, the crest of the ship- ping season having been passed. There is a fairly good demand 011 all markets and this will increase next month as the time approaches for the first Jew- ish Passover. There is a movement on foot to stop the shipment of hens during the months of March, April and May. This is the period when many fowls are shipped and this year authorities of the Department of Agriculture feel that the loss of laying hens would be a serious one at a time when the country is conserving every resource. Every hen should perhaps represent the loss of thirty eggs on the average. The matter has been referred to the Food Administration and we may ex- pect something definite in the near future. Poultry dealers declare that this will piactittilly mean clOsing up their business for the time being, the majority of ariivals during the time named being fowls. Furs and Hides No.1 skunk, $5; winter muskrats, 800; No 1 mink, $7. 50; N0. 1 racccoon, $4. 50. HIDES—No. 1 cured, 17c; No. 1 green, 140; No.1 cured bulls,13c; No.1 green bulls, llc; No. 1 cured veal kip, 20c; No.1 green veal kip, 180; No. 1 cured‘ murrain, 17c; No. green niurrain, 140; N0. 1 cured calf, 260; No. 1 green calf, 24c; No. 1 horsehides, “51,; No. 2 horsehides, $5; No. 2 hides 1t and No. 2 kip and calf 11;,(1 lower than the alioie; sheepskins, as to a.— mount of wool "51 ((1)$: 1 earli. Dressed Hogs and Calves The market on dressed hogs is firm and receipts on sufficient to take care of the demand from day to day. The general run of receipts bring from 21 to 22c but sales fancy offerings are reported at 23 to Bill/Lie. The veal market, is a'tritle weak, fancy offerings bringing around 18 to 20c. Ordinary choice stock is worth 170 while thet common, ordinary kinds are selling at 16c per 1b. Rabbits There is a fair demand for rabbits when in good condition and fresh. Badly shot rabbits are not wanted at any time. Michigan rabbits in good condition will bring $2.75 to $3 per doz. on the Detroit market. Western rab- bits selll $2.50 to $2.75 per doz. ' Vegetables Carrots are selling in Detroit at $1.80 to $2.00 per cwt. Turnips, the small yellow cooking variety. are selling at about the same price as carrots. Pars- nips are bringing around $2.50 per cwt. All vegetables must be well cleaned and trimmed. ~. . improved situation as - at Quotes; at the highest point since the let up in trade last fall. The springtrade will be on soonpand dealers expect good chuncky horses to show steady gains in values. During. the week the best quality of heavy green draft- ers sold at a range of $325 to $375; good quality, medium weight green drafters sold at $275 to $325; chunks, fram $275 to $350; heavy wagon and express horses from $150 to $225; sec- onds, fr 1m $40 to $185. Live Stock Letters ' .CHICAGO, Feb. 11,1918—The arriv- al here today of 15,000 cattle, 60,000 hogs and 25,000 sheep. following a run of 68,568 cattle, 225,117 hogh and 69,- 774 sheep here last week indicate an regards trans- portation facilities which, with an absence of bad storms from now on, is likely to result in further swelling of the marketward movement. We are looking for liberal receipts, partic- ularly of cattle and hogs, all winter and well into the spring months. We anticipate, at the same time, a broad general demand and believe that the coming summer will provide a good market for well finished heavy beeves owing to the scarcity in the country of aged cattle to throw on grass in the spring and to the discouragement feed— ers preparing that kind for market have suffered in recent months. As we have advised for weeks past, how- ever, we can see nothing to be gained by owners in holding back any class of stock that is fat and ready to come or that is not responding to care and high priced feed with good weight gains. Todays cattle’ market was generally steady with the close last week, but good; heavy cattle continued the underdogs of the market, owing to a slack shipping demand. We sold two carloads of choice heavy cattle today for Foster Bros, Earlham, Iowa, at $13.80, the day’s top. These good, heavy cattle are generally 250 lower than a week ago. Steers of class to sell from $11.00 down, however, are about as high as last Monday and kinds of desirable feeder grade are higher owing to the development of a broader country demand as the weath- er lias moderated and the car situation has improved. The bulk of the good to choice steers 110w sell from $12.50 to $13.50, medium to good kinds at $11.50 to $12.50 and cheap killers all the way from $10.00 to $11.00. Butcher cattle trade opened this week on a steady basis with the close of the week previous, but the calf mar- ket was generally a dollar lower than early last Friday, with the practical top on vealers $14.00. Ordinary light heifer stuff is relatively the poorest sale. Most of the fat, cows and“ heifers are now selling between $8.00 to $9.50 for fair to strictly good,' but choice to prime beef cows and heifers are reach- ing $10.00 to $11.00 and occasionally higher. Canners and cutters are sell— ing largelly from $6.50 to $7.25 and bologna bulls from $8.25 to $9.25, prime heavy beef bulls on up to $10.50 to $10. 75. lnquirers llll‘lltzlfetl that many cattle will be needed this spring to fill pas- tures. At present the demand is light owing to the high price of feed, severe weather and uncertain car service. Moderating weather, however, the la1:t few days has given the trade a better feeling. A few choice fleshy feeders, suitable for short feed- and the kind that meet with killer competition. are selling from $10.25 to $11.00 per cwt., but they are hard to get because of strong competition from packers and the bulk of the good quality, fleshy feeders weighing 800 to 950 lbs. are selling from $9.50 to $10.25 with good cattle weighing 700 to 800 lbs. from $8.25 to $9. 25 and poor to medium 600 to 700 lbs. stockers from $7. 00 to $8. 00, with inferior kinds of 500 to 600 lbs. from $6 25 to $6. 75 Today’s hog trade opened 15 to 250 lower to speculators and closed 25 to 40c under Saturday. A11 early top of $16.45 was made but the packer limit for choice butcher hogs was $16.25 Today’s later market was around‘ $1 lower than last Tuesday. high (lay of last week. Bulk sold at, $16 to $16.25, with pigs and underweights from $14 to $15.50. A free marketward move— ment is now expected and prices may work lower but it seems reasonable to assume that because of the tremend- ous demand and the government’s ‘t up rade :pect ead'y veek raft- 3 7 5 ; reen ‘ nks, and sec- ‘riv- ,000 run 69,- an ins— an on, .ing We tic~ ite!‘ We sad the 30d ves id, er to re id re h- in id 30 it 11 WWW "flawed" intentioii of maintaining a. $15.50 minimum on hogs the market will be on a’ very high and satisfactory basis right along. Sheep and lamb trade was in bad shape today, matured wethers declin- ing generally 25c and lambs 50c from last week’s closing under a run of 25,- 000_head, the largest supply for some time past. Best handy weight lambs sold at $17.25 but $17.00 brought a very good kind and finished 94 1b. weights took $16.25. On the high spot last week best fat ewes sold up to $13.50, wethers to $13.85 and light yearlings to $15.85, but today’s selling basis was fully 25c below these levels and a good fat class of ewes sold at $12.50 to $12.75. A free movement of Colorado fed lambs during the next six weeks is on the market horison and the immediate future of the mar- ket does not seem favorable for ad- vaiices. EAST BUFFALO, N. Y., Feb. 12, 1fllS——Receipts of cattle Monday, 100 cars, including 20 cars left from last week’s trade. Trade opened 25c low- er on medium weight and weighty steer catle which were in light supply; butcher steers and handy weight steers sold 25c lower than last week; fat COWS and heifers sold 15 t0 25c low— er; bulls of all classes sold steady; canners and cutters were in light sup— ply. sold steady; fresh cows and springers were in very light supply. sold at strong last week’s prices; stockers and feeders were in light—sup- ply, sold 15 to 25c lower. A: the close of the market around 15 cars of 031th including 10 cars left, from Monday’s went over unsold. Receipts of cattle Tuesday, 15 cars. including 10 cars left from Monday’s trade. The market opened 15 to 25c. lower on all grades and trade was very slow. Receipts of hogs Monday at this point totaled seventy double decks or 11,200 head', and with heavy receipts at all Western markets, buyers had control of the situation and prices were again on a lower basis, a decline of twenty—five cents, compared with Saturday’s average, catching the bulk. The top of $17.15 was made, while the bulk sold at $17.00; pigs, $16.00; roughs $15.50; stags, $14.00 to $14.50. Receipts of hogs Tuesday totaled 2400 head and the market opened steady on all grades and closed a quarter lower on account of only a few order buyers being in the field for hogs and as soon as their orders were filled the market weakened. The ear— ly hogs sold up to $17.00. and pigs at $16.00, and at about ten o’clock about ten decks of hogs arrived and the packers bid $16.75 for the best hogs. Pigs were a very slow sale and what few were sold, sold on a basis of $10. and at ten o’clock about three double decks of pigs were going over unsold. Roughs sold from $15.25 to $15.50; stags. $14.00 to $14.50. The receipts of sheep and lambs Monday was called 25 cars, or 5.000 head. The market opened steady with Saturday’s close and choice lambs sold from $18.25 to $18.50, but the market closed very slow and a few loads went over unsold. It would not be surpris» ing to see the market on good lambs go still lower, as this is the beginning of Lent. Heavy lamlbs sold no better than throwouts. This class of lamb is a hard seller, as buyers do not. want weighty lambs. Throwoutg sold from $17.00 to $17.25; yearlings. $16.00 to $16.50; wethers, $13.50 to $14.50; ewes $13.00 to $13.50 a sto weight and qual- ilv. The receipts of sheep and lambs on Tuesday totaled about 1400 head. The best lambs sold at $18.25 which was 25c. lower than Monday. We under- stand that there were a few sold up to $18.35. All other grades sold about steady. THERE ARE GOOD MAR- KETS FOR SOFT CORN The closing of many distilleries un- der the food control act has not de- stroyed the marketTor soft corn, ac- cording to a statement from the Bu- reau of Markets, United States Depart- ment of Agriculture, which has made a survey of grain-drying plants now in operation and under construction at 30‘ terminal points. The survey shows 154 grain driers in operation and 17 under construc- ., \ k tion, aside from .the'few distilleries still running." The combined capacity of the grain driers is about 3,000,000 bushels of corn every .. hours. The department states that this survey probably does not include all plants, but is inclusive enough to allay rum- ors that there would be no market for soft corn. An unusual amount of soft corn was harvested in 1-17, because of early frosts and cool, wet weather in Sep- tmeber and uctober. It can be sold direct to grain driers, says the de- partment, or in many markets can be dried for the producer at a cost of ' threequarters to two and one-half cents a bushel and sold in dried con- dition. Owing to present transporta- tion difficulties, it is recommended " farmers and country shippers delay the movement of soft corn unless con- ditions at the terminal market are fav- orable. .The greatest return for soft corn is said to be received when it is fed to stock on the farm. r WEEKLY MAINE LETTER (Continued from path 4) Some say that they will not sell a tuber at less than a price that wil‘ er costs and give a slight profit. growers, however, are holding, 1101 to come out somewhere whole. Some— how the government fails utterly to get the farmer's viewpoint. Apples moving a bit aster. ”Farm prices average $2.50 for No. 1; $1.50 to $5.00 per barrel. Potatoes slow; from $2 to $3. Grain scarce and high; bran, $2.45; cottonseed, $3.00; gluten. $3.20; linseed, $3.25; hominy, $3.45; oats. $1.10; corn meal, $3.75 to $1.00 per cwt.; hay, $11 to $13 for loose tim- othy; butter, 45 and 50c; eggs. 60c; onions, $3.75 and $4.00 per cwt.; dress- ed fowls, 25 to 30c per 1b.; chicken, nearly the samew—I). M. (1.. Wis-cas- sett, Maine. POTATO SHIPMENTS AS REPORTED BY DEALERS Amble, Mich—So far 40 cars of po- tatoes have been shipped from here and about that many are yet to be marketed. Last season 100 cars in all were shipped. The frost last sea- son cut down the crop one—fourth. Quality of present, holdings, however. is good and more potatoes are held than a year agoer. I”. B. ('olc'man. Mich. Five cars of po— toes have been shipped so far from here this season. five remain for ship- ment, and five were shipped last sea- son. (lrop was damaged 25 per cent by frost. Three—fourths of the hold ings are table SlOCk."’"0. E. ('o. (lat/lord. .llich.~~So far this season about. 115 cars of potatoes have been shipped from here with about 150 cars yet to move. Total shipments last sea- son were 190 cars. The crop was dani- aged 20 per cent by frost but the stock is as good as the average for size, and quality. Ten per cent of the holdings are seed. 30 per cent less of this being held than a year ago, but ttible stock holdings are 50 per cent more than a year agost‘. & (lo. hum. M'it'li.w—So far 50 cars of pota- toes have been shipped from here with about 20 cars remaining. Last season four cars were shipped from this place. (‘i‘op was hurt 5 per cent by frost. Holdings are larger than a year ago, 20 per cent of them being seed. Stock is of good qualityx 71.. IV). (‘0. .\'u.\'hm'.I/c. .‘llichsw’l‘cn cars of pota- toes have been shipped out of here so far this season with about nine yet to move-move. Last year none as shipped but two cars were shipped in. Crop was damaged 10 per cent by frost but quality of stock held is fine. Five times as much seed held as a year ago and about the same quantity of table stOCerV. A. S. Vassar, MichrJl‘wo or three cars of. potatoes have been shipped from here this season, none remaining for market. No potatoes were shipped a year ago. Crop was badly damaged by frost. About enough here for home consumption—M. G. 00. West Branch, Mich. —— Holdings of seed potatoes in this locality are about the same as last year, with perhaps twice as much table stock on hand as a year ago—H. W. B. Send For It Today—Buy Direct! Send a postal for this new 1918 guide to better gardens. Buy 0 - seeds this year without risk. Find out how Isbell’s famous varieties are grown --how ybu can prove the quality of Isbell seeds before you plant. 39 Years Growing Good Seed What you read about seeds in the Isbell Catalog, is backed by it) sure knowledge. Ceaseless experiments. careful selection and testing _on our Michigan farms have produced the most hardy, big yielding I k“ . - varieties. Only the best strains reach our customers. .Miore than 200,000 farmers use lsbell’s seeds. Other seed men come to Michigan ' . for their needs. You buy direct and save money. Write for your Catalog. 0- . \. a . . . 539‘)“. \ - S. M. ISBELL I: 60., 109W St, Jackson, Mich 4‘ w— i. 'I'..." Sample Sod. FREE For Toot 1032i. Check the kind! you If! mental and paste this coupon onyonr card or latter. Corn, Farley, OIL-i. Alf-lit. Clovers, Timothy. ' Q “As They Grow Tholr Fame Grows" IIAY, GRAIN, BFANH AND FARM N. F. SIMPSON, Gen. Mgr., PLAIN FACTS. Railroads are short of cars and motive power. They are flooded with business; terminal yards are congested and freight is frequently delayed There is certainly no immediate relief in sight and in fact. indications are thzi‘ conditions will continue to grow worse from month to month. YOUR/OPPORTUNITY of a live time for personal profits and for patriotic scr— i'ice to the country is there will be demand for the greatest possible yield of food crops. There is no chance for over—production and there will prevail for some years to come extra good prices. ORDER NOW whatever you need on the farm is SHI'ND ADVICE. Write it: for prices and general information on binder twine. coal. fertilizer, paris g‘i‘i'wii. mill feed, seeds. auto tires, paints, nursery stock. font-c posts. oats and corn, PRODUCE. \Ve locate- thc lwét mark-0v and best car lot buyers. Less than our load shipments handled at lictroit. \Vrite us for market information and shipping instructions. CLEARING HOUSE ASSOCIATION Telephone Cherry 2021, 323-327 Russell Sh, Dciroil CONSIGN YOUR LIVE STOCK TO CLAY ROBINSON & CO. LIVE STOCK COMMISSION Chicago, Ill., City, Mo., East Buffalo, N. Y., South St. Paul, Miiin.. South ()maha, Nelx. Denver, (‘010., Kansas Fort Worth, 'l‘exas, East St. Louis. 11]., Sioux City, Iowa, El Paso, Texas, South St. Joseph, Mo. BISHOP, BULLEN & HOLMES LIVE STOCK COMMISSION SALESMEN The Largest Live Stock Commission in Michigan MICHIGAN CENTRAL STOCK YARDS - - - DETROIT Geo. J. Snndel Geo. H. Stacy John R. Beadle B. C. Green Sandel, Stacy, Beadle & Green LIVE STOCK COMMISSION MERCHANTS Michigan Central Siocli Yards lespectlully solicit your consignments. None too large lor our capacity. No shipment too small to receive our best care and attention Est. 1853 Litapiiai $500,906.06 Vino. 1389 ' sighs: ensign-id For ' ‘ RAW runs Write for Fur Lihilnd Book on Successiui T r I p p i n g TRAUGOTT - sciiiiiini ”x. stirs? 136-164 Monroe Ave. Dotroii. Mich. ———From Chicago Packer. : ~' ,. '. 10.1 : ; SEED CORN tlllititlitylfll fail’l‘lllllflesoll‘”l‘t‘} . quest. .1. A. Rhodes. l’rairio Depot. Hliio. Rates:—-.\ilveriisomonts classified iiii- .lcr this heading, with the first three iiortls displayed in bold face type at three cents per word. (‘ouiit initials and Hg— urcs as words and remit with copy waiii- ‘ ed to the Advertising Dept, 110 Fort 81., . Detroit, Mich. Yoiifif'ordl 2— ."l GRIND YOUR FEED ‘. ) FILL YOUR SILO SAW YOUR WOOD SHELL YOUR CORN PUMP YOUR WATER ELEVATE YOUR GRAIN "‘7"" u... 4V3.”";T~_-.-a .. ‘72}. ‘— Ward Work-aFord Gives you a 12 h. p. engine for less than the cost. of a 13 h. p. Ford builds the best engine in the world“ it will outlast the car—7 and you might as well save your money and use it to do all your farm work. No wear on tires or transmission. Hooks up in 3 minutes. No permanent attachment to car. Cannot iiuure car or engine. Friction Clutch Pulley on end of shaft.W:ird Gover- nor, run by fan belt, gives perfect control. Money back I! not satisfied. Ask {or circular and special price. WARD TRACTOR 00.. 2066i 31., lincoln, lleh. FOR SALE—0n account of ill health ‘ will sell my 120 acre farm 11,4; miles west ' of the city of llarrisville in Alcona ito. (loud land. good buildings, new windmill. 8-room house equipped with Vulcan steam heating‘ plant; nice bath room, hot and cold running water up stairs and down; bath room all modern excepting lights, sewer connections. 5 acre orchard, all bearing. $4,500.00 takes it, with time if desired. Chas. W. Glover, l‘larrisville, Mich, R. F. D. No. 1 100 ACRE FARM Bargain. Good soil. Fine improvements. Best market. Ad- dress owner. Frank Southwell, Chesaning, Michigan, Box 68. i l l T READ WHAT MR. HOOVER SAYS “We have n very good lot of young hulls coming on that will be fit for service in a few weeks. I’licsc nulls are sons of Falrvlew Uolantha has Apple l-il.207,n Son of the great Rag Apple Kornilyke 8th.” “We always have a number of choice females from which to mnkc your selectiona.’l‘bey are. all daughters olfltl pound bulls, the only- kind we usc at Rosewood l‘nrni.” RUHEWOOI) STUCK FARM. Howell, Mirl. CARI) GAME l’lay ALL-THREES, the best nimlvi'u card game known and up—to-date. l‘l:iy« ed with playing cards with a pack of twenty—four cards. Just out. Scientific and interesting. Price per copy, 15 cents. Stamps not accepted. Address, R. H. Rohlwin. Freeland. Mich. WM“ .IlHilUluI .,'1l1> .HIHJ-l' 111m , A Fem, Home and Market Weekly Owned and Edited in Michmn i SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH, 1918 GRANT SLOCUM FORREST A LORI) ANNE CAMPBELL STARK Dr. G. A. CONN - WM. 3. BROWN EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR WOMAN’ 8 Din” T VETERINARY EDITOR LEGAL EDITOR ImmutlmllmtmImmtmmmnmmunmmtm111mmmmnnmmmmnnmnmnmmmmmmnfitmmnmmmmmi E E F Published every Saturday by the RURAL PUBLISHING COMPANY GEO. M. SLOCUM. Sec'y and Bus. Mgr. Business Ofl‘ices: 110 Fort Street. DETROIT Editorial Offices and Publishing Plant. Mt. Clemens. Mich. BRANCHES: CHICAGO. NEW YORK, ST. LOUIS, MINNEAPOLIS ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR NoPrmiums, F'reeListor Clubbing Offers, but a weekly worth five times whatwe ask for it and guaranteed to pleaseor your money back anytime! Advertising Rates: Twenty cents per agate line, fourteen agate lines to the column inch, 760 lines 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 ny when writing or ordering from them, 'I saw your sdvortisnlent in my Michigan Business Fsrming.‘ “Entered as second- Class matter, at. Mt Clemens, Mich. Handing it to the Farmer HAT CITY newspapers and people say about the farmer would fill many large volumes; what they really know of his problems could be written on a postage stamp and carried in the vest pocket. The farmer is the most misunderstood individ- ual in the world. But unfortunately, the lack of understanding does not always deter those who elect to discuss men and issues in the col- umns of the press, from talking learnedly upon the farmers prices. products and patriotism. This ignorance leads many into frequent tirades of criticism and abuse for conditions for which ac- tually the farmer is blameless. Some of the stuff that is printed now-a-days in the city newspapers about the farmer’s lack of patriotism, his refusal to buy liberty bonds or assist with the Red Cross, and his profiteering propensities,——is most unjust and misleading and aggravates an economic situation which is bad cnough as it is. Recently the Michigan Manufacturer sullied its pages with a column length libcl against the sugar bcct growers who refused to grow beets for less than $10 per ton. Said this editorial in part: “The nation is gotting a very good training in patriotism of its farmers just now, because, juggle with it as one will, those high prices that are pre- vailing for beef, for pork. and for other meat pro— ducts, for beans and wheat, for wool and for all other things that are being used at double price to carry on the war, and to provide food and cloth- ing for combatant alike, are the produce'of the farmer, and he is getting the money for this high cost of living. He does not appear to be making any sacrifices. It does appear that he is setting prices without rhyme or reason and that he is playing the agricultural Shylock to get the pounds of flesh nominated in his bond. There will be an accounting some day when the farmer begins to re-echo his claims for consideration. It may be very well to take notes of the situation while it is present so that we may not forget what the farmer is doing to 11s.” written against anyone but the farmer, the author of it would be mobbed before the ink was dry on the paper. He ought to be. The ignorant incompetent who would essay to vent his personal spleen thru the columns of a publication upon an individual or class, with- out “rhyme or reason", and with a total disregard for the truth, becomes a fit candidate for tar and feathers. Such an editorial as above, spread be— fore thousands of people as ignorant as the perpe- trator of the farming business, causes incalcul- able harm. it is such irrational and irresponsible mouthings as these that destroy confidence, arouse class hatred, and remove the barriers of re— straint between capital and labor. The metropol- itan press is doing its best to lead the country straight into a class war. Yes. my friend, you are right. Some day there will be an accounting. Some day the full light of publicity and reason will shine upon the farmer and his business. and you shall know the truth. Some day the farmer will come into his own, and If such a libel were those who have come to curse and to ridicule, will‘ stay to pray and worship at his shrine. There have been periods in the world's history when individuals have controlled the destines of nations; for the last half century capitalism has socialism. ical upheaval and readjustment... the farmer has gone with the title. But new conditions have in- truded ‘ themselves into this scheme of living, and it becomes increasingly necessary for the sake of self-preservation that- he exert a larger interest and influence in- affairs which in the past he has been content to leave to others. The farmers are organizing, not to secure special dispensations nor to usurp rights that belong to others, but to pro- tect themselves and business from the selfish mon- opolies that are slowly shaping about every branch of. the farming business. "The time will come and soon when the farmers, united and organized, will have somethingto say, not only as to the price of their raw material, but the price of their finished product as well. The farmer has been taking note of the situa- tiOn for years. Never fear, he will not forget what the speculators, the market manipulators, and the professional patriots have done to him. Heney Will Throttle the Packers’ Trust RANK J. HENEY, the man who handled the land graft cases in the west, sent one U. S. sen- ator to the penitentiary and secured indict- ments against hundreds of prominent citizens of the northwest, is in charge of the investigation of the packers’ combination which has been running things with a free hand since 1912; when the com- bination was ordered bythe courts to disband. In- stead of dissolving the combination, it was reor- ganized under many different interlocking con- cerns and has been more brazen in its operations than ever before. Heney has already produced proofs from the packers’ own files which show how they evaded the dissolution order of 1912, and have since contin— ued to divide the meat business ol.’ the country in exactly the same proportion as had been agreed upon previous to that date. Heney has presented for the consideration of the court, the packers’ own record showing the “percentages” on the basis of which they were to divide the meat buying busi— ness, and have even secured copies of the check- ing sheets, where the several companies checked the total number of head of hogs, sheep, and cattle against those percentages to see that none of the boys were hogging the market. But the trial of the combination does not stop with the business end of the proposition, as evi- dence has been submitted showing how the pack- ers used their influence with Congress to block legislation, take the teeth out of the Federal con- trol bill as affecting their business, and even secur- ing the appointment of their own men to very im- portant positions in the Hoover administration. The Federal Trade Commission which is conduct- ing the investigation, is not exempt from the touch of the combination, one of. the employees of the Commission having already been dismissed because of his friendliness to the packers. Before the investigation is completed the trial will lead down through the Chicago Live Stock Asociation and the Live Stock Exchange, where the combination first gets in its work. Facts so far disclosed prove that this combination not only robs both producer and consumer, but uses its in- fluence to corrupt Congress and invades the ad- ministrative departments of the government. Frank J. Honey sent Abe Ruef, the biggest man in Cali- fornia to the penitentiary, and kept up the fight against the grafters even after he had been shot down in court by a gun man. He’s just the type of man to follow the trail, and before he gets through the Federal Government will find it quite necessary to take over the affairs of this combina- tion and opelate the business in the interests of the people of the nation. Another Remarkable Discovery RULY, we live in a wonderful age. Scarcely a week goes by but what the scientist, the botanist, the inventor, or the agricultural expert, makes some new discovery which is pass- ed on to an expectant posterity. A recent Wash- ington dispatch announces a most remarkable finding, presumably by the agricultural depart~ ment. We pass it on to our readers for what it may be worth to them: “The farmer cannot plow while the ground is frozen, and neither can he prepare the ground for next year’s crops. But‘he can do many things which he used to put off until the time when he might have been plowing or planting. He can mend the harness, repair the barns, out the next summer’s supply of wood, fix the farm tools, and do all the other odd jobs which will make him laying foundations for an impractical order ‘01 . Thru all the era's or social and polit- ' ' t st. and wheat-and hay and potatoes. sorting pots es in the collar is not a. bad job when the thermom- eter is hovering around zero, but who wants to do it when the robine are Singing outside the win- dow. On the return trip trom town he can haul .his supply of fertilizer or feed or lime. There never Was a farmer who cannot remember at least onetime in his life when he had to unhook from the drill to go down to town to get more fertiliz- er or more seed. “No man can afford this year to miss the chance of hauling when the roads are good. And the country roads are never quite as good for hauling as they are when covered with a good sledding snow. Any farmer who has had the doubtful, pleasure of wallowing through a' mud road when. a ton seemed like a mountain to his team, knows » how much more fun it is to ramble along with two tons on a. good stout pair of bebs.” Warming Up to the Farmers RESIDENT WILSON has agreed to give his most careful consideration to the petition' presented by sixteen national farm organisa- tions urging appointment of an advisory commit- tee of nine farmers to aid the government in fram- ing measures to speed up agricultural production. Why is it that the government has taken every precaution to enlist the sympathies and help of. every class and trade in the United States with the exception of the farmers? Not only has the farmer not been invited to take part in the im- portant discussions pertaining to food produc- tion, but he has been practically given to under- stand that his advice is not wanted. And yet, despite rebuffs of all kinds, he is expected to throw himself body and soul into the nation’s cause and make sacrifices not asked or looked for from people of. other trades and professions. The government should be seeking the farm- er’s aid and advice, instead of the farmer beg- ging to have voice in the control of his business. This war can't be won without the enthusiastic co-operation of the farmers, and the President and the Congress might just as well take time enough off right now to find) out the truth about farming conditions and ascertain the real reasons why it seems well—nigh impossible to stir the farmers up into a state of eager support. Make the farmers to feel that they have as vital an interest and part in this war as others, and they will respond without being cajoled and threatened. There is every evidence as we go to press that the manufacturers will concede the beet growers’ demands for $10 minimum prices and a sliding scale increase according to increases in the whole- sale price of sugar. If this proves to be the out- come. we urge every grower to show his good business judgment, his appreciation and his pal;- riotism, by growing as many acres of beets as he can possibly handle. There should be a small profit in $10 beets, and if the weather conditions are at all favorable, Michigan’s beet growing in- dustry should enjoy one of its most profitable and encouraging years. 1918 will be a good year for the growers to prove to the manufacturers that they are not the stubborn, unreasonable and pro- fiteering individuals they have been painted. Likewise the manufacturers will have a splendid opportunity to show that they are really interest- ed in the welfare of the industry and the men up- on whom its developments depends. t at It 1|! “Three cheers for the farmers” says the Detroit News in commenting upon the statement of the income tax collector at Detroit that the farmers are paying theif income taxes cheerfully if not eagerly. “This is the right American spirit” con- tinues the News, “and it is not surprising, consid- ering the sturdy patriotism which always has characterized our agricultural population, that it is found in special vigor among the farmers.” —-Editor of Michigan Manufacturer. please copy. it t 1|! I: ‘i “You can’t keep a corporation alive on patriot- ism,” was what George D. Baldwin, manager of. Hog Island ship yard, told the senate commerce commission. “Our stockholders must have their dividends." Quite true, quite true, the only man in this country who is supposed to forego profits for the sake of patriotism is the farmer. * 1‘ It * American millionaires who have their money invested in war supplies hanufactories are making a harvest under the government’s “cost plus” plan. If it costs the government ten billions of dollars a year to make war, we may safely estimate that a hundred million of those dollars find their way into the vaults 01' the money kings. War may be a great leveler of caste, but it is also a great centralizer of wealth. .1111mulmlmmlummuuuuummu1mmmmmunuunmsummuumutlumumumlmmmmmmuummmumummmnuummum mmmnututtxummumuunmmnmumunmummunmnummmuuwmmmwmmmmum a .«»" "“""“lilillilillllllil llllllllillllllllllllllllllliiiiliililllliltililllllllilllillilliilllllllllllillllllliillilllilllllllilMlUlflflllflMilflllllllllllllWW ,4'111‘1111111117 “l H ilK lllllllllilllllllllllll “ ' Willillll E g a a 3 Illfi luminnuummunmmummumn llllllllillillllllillilllllllllllllllliillllllllMlllll iillllillllfllllllillllllllllllllillilllllllllll m lInlJIlthiini i.)i l durum mdi‘u in“, illillllilllil E 711M"? 'i‘?‘ liiiiill'ili"'i?‘, mmummzmumummnumm:zuuuumnnmmuum Em .- .« ('1, .3 .3.” ’3": 'Ln ;,. . Lg Scientific Experts Should Study the Real Needs of the Farmer and Help Him to What is Right and Just It‘ has been charged that Mr. Waid is not gov- erned by the sentiments of the growers of farm products but what is, apparently, personal ambi- tions. This can also be said of “expert” or other- wise, County Agents that are being forced on to the farmers in a good many different ways. They have in the past proved to be willing to agree to anything that will make them loom up big and important in the eyes of those who are in the realm higher up and likes to use these “scientific" persons for the express purpose of working the farmers for their easy way of making a living and enjoying the luxuries of life regardleSS of what the farmer has to say. It is true that the Sec- retary of the Michigan Potato Growers? Associa- tion and the County Agents could be of great value to the farmers if they were servants of the farm— are; if they would favor what they know the farm- er wants and needs and if they didn’t know what was needed, try to find out and act accordingly. The time has come, and recent ac- tions by Mr. Waid and a number of County Agents have impressed it so thoroughly on our minds that they will in time—sooner or later, and I hope sooner, see the hand: writing on the wall. The MICHIGAN BUSINESS FARMING is just the thing the farmer has been in need of for years. Every farmer should take this paper and in this way all farm- ers would work in one unit. To il— lustrate this unit of farmers it is necessary to tell a. story of a fath- er on his death-bed and his nine sons. He wanted at this time to give them some impressive advice. He asked them all to his bed-side and asked eadh to bring a stick, and each went out and returned with a stick, and the father took each stick and broke it easily one after another. Then he said, “my sons, go and bring me each another stick like the first ones,” and each son went out and brought in one more stick apiece similar to the first ones. Thistime the father received the sticks all at one time and he tried to break the nine at one time and could not even bend them. “Let :5 this be a lesson,” he said, “that as 1 longras you stand separately you are easily broken up, but when all stand together you stand forever.” If we farmers practice this we will 5 not be bended and twisted at will *- by anyone. : If Mr. Waid does not fill the place he has to the entire satisfaction of all of the Ass’n the solution is easy ——fire him and let us put in a real farmer and take our chances on his being scientific. An honest man whose integrity and fidelity is per- , soniiled thru him is of more real value to us than all this expert I and scientificness. Moving picture i. slides are all right at the movies and ' this is as true of Mr. Waid’s slides as of any, so the patrons of the mov- ies can learn about the pests and diseases the farmers are at war with continuously and is a proof llllllllllllllilH locating-401p '.”'cent’m"<>re than they did two years .ago.‘ The consumer of potatoes is paying more ‘Llillllllllllll]illl||llillll||l|||li||illlllllillllllllilllllillllHlllillIlill|llllllllllii||llllllllllililllliIlliillllliliiiil for potatoes at a time'when he can least afford it. -—F., C. Rasmussen, Greenville, Montcalm county. Same Regulation Cannot Apply to City and , ' Farm People Alike Allow me. to bring to your notice a situation in which farmers are finding themselves and in which they are very much in need of advice. The needs of the Nation call to each and every farmer for greater production the coming year, and, you know, the more intensive the system of farming employed, greater need is for labor. Farmers, unlike other business managers or owners, are confronted first, by the necessity of housing and feeding their laborers. Under new food regulations, limiting the amount of pro- vision that one can have in his possession. to the quantity sufficient for thirty days, increased farm production, and increased acreage is made impossible. Before we hire, we must be sure we can feed the help. Before we plant, we should have an ordinarily clear road to harvest, else we are burying grain, not planting it. Since it is a common custom of grain and po- tato and bean farmers; those upon whom the army and nation are most dependent to buy a i'll‘iiiii‘ni illili BREAKFAST WITH CAPTURED HUNS IN A DUGOUT the farmer is at war all the time to keep up the food supply that feeds the world. We Farmers, know all about the potato pests and diseases and we are the first to find out about them, too. Our Minnie.” Businnss FARMING will help us find 3% remedies for all our troubles if we ' stand all together, each member is one more stick to be broken together with the first nine as in the illustration above. Just think what strength we have when our forces are combined. Let us not tolerate any one to‘stand in the way of what is right and just no matter what kind of a cloak they hide behind. Sdentifio ex- perts and county agents have something to learn, too, and that is to learn the needs of the farmer from what the farmer says he needs and then learn to act in accordance with his wishes thru thick and thin. It pays to keep the farmer con- tented. The farmer wants one grade of potatoes- sound, perfect in skin and shape and that grade can be got by running over a 1 and 3-4 inch screen. This will satisfy the farmer and consumer. But Lord! how the dealers and middle-men will groan. Well, who cares? They are an unnecessary evil anyway. Who is_it that has asked or wanted two grades of potatoes both grades to be No. 1 in quality but to be bought of the farmer for two difierent prices? Does it reduce the cost of po- tatoes to the consumer? Sam who protects you someone answer these questions. I know the farmer ha’s40 per cent less dollars to buy implements with and they are ‘|., '.I;lifi'iillillll‘.iiiiiliilfiiillilijllill. ,, i , inlim .Hl MllilllflflflllflllllIlilillIll!IlllllillillllllilllilillllIlllllillllllliii]!!!ililllllllllllliliHilllllllllillllliliiliiillllliilllllliIHUIlilllflll|llWHWWIWIIluilllllllllllllllllliflllllliillllillmmllllilillilliiilllllii'iilfiiiiliIliiilillillilllllill liiiillilllllllilIlllIllllllilIllliluflmflWflifllllflflflfllmmlllllllmllllllIi1lill]lmllllllllliiullHmlllllilllllllillill|IliIilllillfllflllllflilillllllllllfllIllnllllfllfllllmfllil For the sake of Uncle' This Boche dugout was captured by the British while the lluns Wcrc at breakfast. Taking no chances on viands being poisoned, the~prisoners were invited to partake of the repast. ‘aiVlilHllllilliilIlliiiilllIlliiililiiiHI|llillllllIIUIHHIIHJ“i “ I Hi ii. ’iliili‘i‘h‘} . .‘ 1., aim. . Ti.“ “ supply of flour, sugar. and other stziplc groccr— ies, when they sell a money crop to last until another harvest, and as this custom is the best management for them, since this class of l'armcrs rarely keep many cows, thus releasing the small income from the cows during the spring and summer to help in paying wages for labor, and implement repairs, etc., we want your candid opinion and advice upon this: Which does patriotism consist in. living on the allotted amount suggested and buying no more, or planning for tomorrow in view of our country’s need of greater farm production. Can the same food regulation do justice to both city and farm people? Should means be pro- vided for the farmers to be able to buy now, or assured the chances to buy later, sugar needed for canning fruits the farmer prouuces, thereby con- serving all its food products and flour for feed- ing farm laborers. Should we not. be sure of these before planting time, not for the sake of the farmer, but that he may answer to his nation’s call? If we happen to be able to find help on the farm for a few days at a time, and we often are, then we are jus. as powerless if we can not feed the extra men. This isn't written in a spirit of criticism. We are coming for advice to onein whose judgment we have faith. Kindly tell us in the Mrcmm BUSINESS FARMING what our patriotic duty is? Also in regard to this question which is often discussed among working people: , A Hooverized menu means an additional 33 and 1-3 per cent to living expenses. On every hand we are confronted by the desire to help. To give to Red Cross, Y. M. C. A, Liberty bonds, Savings Certificates. Now, if one’s means are limited and the Hoover method requires his entire in- come, making giving to the other things impos- sible.‘ Which is the most important, judged by the need and work accomplished?—-A. K.. Lake. The Farmers Will Have to Organize to Get What Belongs to Them I have been reading your valuable paper for the last couple of months and I will say that it is just what we farmers have been needing in every state in the Union to wake us up. You are showing your good will toward us farmers not only in your paper but also by action. The farmers have al- ways been easy marks for the speculators and middle-men. They would always make the price at both ends for our produce, and no one asked us the cost of production. The M. A. C. is sending its agents out trying to teach us farmers to grow two blades of grass where ,2 only one grew before, but I think it :9; is very little if any at all, that they can teach us in that direction. The fact is, that it, is not by any means the bumper crop that is bringing the most, money or the profit to the farmer's pocket. The individual farmer can work his land to the best advantage. raising pork, beef, potatoes, wheat nndso on, but when it comes to market this produce then hc is up against it, and here is where the small farmer gets iiccceel every time. and here I think is where those gentlemen from the M. A. (‘. could do us some good, in helping to get the farmers organ- ized. and help to find a market for our produce, cutting out the mid- dlemen who are living high at our expense, by inducing the farmers To hold back our product, until there is a demand for ii in the mar- ket at a fair profit. and if there is anything 1ch ovcr food it on the farm. Right today 1 Ihink pota- toes are worth 5m? a bushel to fccd to live stock. and i think right more we have 21 good pint-c for \Vil‘lf, we can not sell in the opcn market at a. fair price. Try it. fellow farm- ers and I’ll bet you 104) to l we will soon see, the results. Around here the stock buyers are buying on a two cent margin for our hogs and caiilc, so there is where our profit goes. but so long as the farmers are standing isolnt. cd thcrc is no hope for us. There is only one way out of the present condition and that is through or- ganization for both buying and sell- ing. and here is where the agents could do us the most service. But durc they? li‘cllow farmers, I think we will have to go a step further to get re- lief. How are we as a class. rep— resented in our legislature and in congress? My opinion is that un- til we get Liitci'osfcd in the running of our government, us much as we are in our farm work there will not be any relief. and not until then can we expect to get what. we are mmm i‘l'lli!ilillilllliillllllii‘ré —_ entitled to from our work, and I feel that. the farmers can not Z thank Munro.“ Bl'sixitss FARM" me too much for the good work it is doing.—»—N. P. 1v‘., ('ordl. i‘ 1 li“‘i?i|rll|iiiiilit-: Doesn’t Think That Government Lived Up to Its Agreement There are not any more than enough potatoes in this section of the state than for our own use, and there have been quite a few frozen in the cellars. Beans are not raised here vcry much so I don’t. know much about them only the fact that they are from 180 to 20c per lb. i hope you suc- ceed in knocking out the grading of potatoes in Michigan. I don‘t think the government can look for as many to be raised as last year. They did not do as they agreed, they advised the farmers to raise extra acreage and they would see that they got a good price and would have plenty of help to harvest their crops, and then they took the farmers’ boys about the first thing. Now why did they do this? They might just as well keep their county agents at home this year; the farm- ers will plant what they can take care of and no more. There is no use to plant a lot to go to waste. Success to your paper and long may it live—G. A. R., Cattamugus 00., New York. lill‘i;“‘l o, 'uumummmlmluuummmmmnumwummmmmmmmmmm ” “‘lWldliWWflmflllw 'mumuwu rmrw. i , no.3. v . «nun.» ”- . vex: JillillmtlllillllllilflllllfiflllfiflfllllllllllflfillmmmmmtlIillllliililllillllllilltilllllillllllilllllillllillllllllllllllii'llli ”It.“ llttt‘ltt tut.it|lt|lit|'ittdllt. i litmllllliltlit. lt‘n lti .illiilldhdll.‘ ,t.t,ltmiflmmililllllllli illllllt t 1‘} .‘i‘Hl t milli' r ul unattmna WWW] mnnmmtm EDITORIALS BY our READERS lllflilifllllflimiflmI’ll”!llfllflfllliflmflfliflmllllimummmfllllIlllll||fllllillllilllllllllliI“W""1inlllfiifllllfllfllwmumfllmmm Farmer Gets Robbed Either Way. A short time ago I had a c-nservation. with a potato buyer. The grading question came up. He gave his opinion as follows: “In some way I am In favor of the two grades and in some ways not. For instance, I ship a load of spuds, (say to De- troit). They are No. 1 stock but have not gone over the Government grader. I am informed that they have arrived but will not be accepted as they are not No. .1. Now the son-of—a-gun knows they are No. 1 stock, he also knows he has me on his hip, as that car load is there at my expense. Then the only thing I can do is to sell at a discount. I am the loser and he has my profit as well as his own. Now if this load had been run over the Government grader and he had turned them down, I would get the Government agent to inspect them. He would pronounce them 0. K. and the dealer would be compelled to take them at contracted price. For this reason I am in favor of two grades.” Now this looks to me that in order to protect the shipper from dishonest buyers there has to be another, dishonest scheme to rob the farm- ers. What is wrong with that same government agent that he cannot tell a car of No. 1 potatoes from another unless some one informs him they have gone over the so-called government screen? Why can’t he tell if he isn’t a rogue himself or else hasn’t enough judgment to tell No. 1 spuds from No. 2? The farmer has been a good mule, but it’s time he quit kicking over the profits of his load to cover the greedy graspers. Let us rather have one grade potatoes or else the same price for No. 2, and let the Government protect us in time that the bean door may be locked before the horse is stolen—S. T. G., Fife Lake. The Farmer is Always the “Goat” I see in your paper you are urging the bean buy~ ers to arrange to dry the farmers‘ wet beans. We have two elevators here and they haVe each built dryers, but we find they are no benevolent, insti- tutions. Thy will dry just what they buy and ‘bev weigh them up and charge sixty cents per bushel for drying tlnm. i sold them short time ago. Their price was $0.60 for dry beans. and $0.00 tor we? ones. Mine were wet. They picked them and weighed what they picked out and claimed they picked 15 lbs. They charged me 14 cents per lb. for these and then treated the beans as to excess moisture and made 12 per cent excess. so they took 12 per cent out of the weight of the whole load. but they did not de— duct anything for moisture in the culls they picked out; so after they got all through I had $3.70 per bu. for my sharc. i paid the elevator man $10.00 for seed. I think the farmers might better either dry the beans themselves or else feed them to the pigs at home rather than to fatten the elevator hogs. That isn't all l had to pay them l'or picking out those cull beans. for they kept the cults. or one—quarter of my load I didn't get anything for. I see at a meeting of the milk commission they were agitating the high cost of milk to the con» sunicr. Th" oncstion was asked if they raised the wages of the men who dclivcred the milk and they said they il‘lti. A man who drove a milk wagon now got $6 for cight hours work. That is all right. but show me the farmer who gets six dol— lars clear for his fifteen hours work, but I notice the farmer is always the “goat.”~Subscribc')‘. per bu. Let’s Co-Operate; be Our Own “Middleman” ICnclOsed find one dollar for my subscription for one year. It is the best yet. Most farm papers tell you how to raise the stuff, but not how to get rid of it, and that is the most, important part of it. There has always been too many ”toil nots.neithcr do they spins” living off the farmers. Farming is the largest business on earth. and yet shows an increase in general under the past and present conditions. lut. wake up. brother farmers! We are pulling our own boat against the stream and the other follow, the middleman, is floating his down stream. Let’s co-operate and be our own middleman. own an elevator, a pro— duce company. etc.. and instead of selling at whole- sale and buying at retail. we can do like the man- ufacti rer. he buys at wholcsale and sells at retail. That's" why he has the moncy. and the farmer who has the least to sell is the man who is most, in need of co-opcration. Some say we cannot finance the undertaking. We are financing it every time we take a load of grain. produce, live stock, hay, etc, to market. but we don’t, realize it because we do not. know what. the other fellow gets. There is in this town a farmers’ independent produce Co., and Grangers’ stock shipping assorziation; both pay- ing good dividends to stockholders and patrons, and what we need now is an elevator, a real farm- ers ’elevator. We are facing a critical time and what: we need to do is pull together. “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Go to it M. B. F. We'll stand by you—~we’ll stand by anything tthat’s rigl1t.~—H. L. 0., Clare. a load a I Only” Hope. for the Farmers is to: organize I had five hopies of your paper, sent to me by one of your subscribers, and after. » reading the same saw that; it was justwhat I and many other farmers have been looking and, hoping for, namely, a farm champion. The consumer, middleman and manufacturer are all landing on the farmer from above, below, be- hind and before, and the farmer being in an un- . organized state can not prefect himself. If it was possible to organize the farmer into a corporation, union or some political or social organization and get him to stick by it, he could rule the nation, and make the rest of the world come to time. At this critical period of our nation’s history we have all been asked to be patriotic. The farm- er has been asked to put out more crops to feed the suffering world. Has he responded to this ap- peal? He has. because he was trusting and thot the nation would protect him financially. The price of what the farmer raised was set and what he had to buy increased 100 to 300 per cent. Was the price of co"1 set? Yes; but when the coal bar- ons began to balk they got a generous raise, and seeing 110w easy it came they tried it again and the coal administration, being vaccommooating, re- sponded with a raise. The same with the railroads. When they wanted the freight rates raised they sidetracked coal and other necessities and said, “there they stay until we get what we want." They got it quick. Why can’t the farmers do this? Because they are not organized. So here is hoping that the farmers may learn a lesson from these times and soon organize and by so doing may the MICHIGAN BUSINESS FARMING be the champion of the Michigan agriculturalist.—W. N. H., Three Rivers. It is Time for the Farmer to Wake Up. I received a sample copy of your paper and read it with great interest. 1 think if every farmer in this great state of Michigan wouldeut his shoul- der to the wheel and with a good farm paper like the M. B. F. to help we can turn the wheel and get our share of what is coming to us. I think it’s time for the farmer to wake up and not let the middleman rob him of his profit any longer, and not let one or two men make a law and tell the farmer what to do. This potato grad- ing is the biggest robbery that was ever perpetrat- ed upon the farmers. I am not a large raiser of potatoes myself, probably from 500 to 8“0 bushels, but the most of the farmers here raise from 500 to 1500 bushels, They won’t do it next year unless this grading is cut out. They might foo; the farm- er once but not any more. I have all of my pota- toes yet and will not sell them under present con- ditions. I have started to feed some cf them to the hogs and cattle. We were urged last spring to plant potatoes, “the Government would buy all we could raise at $1 per bu.” and now where are we at? We would be in the. hole if we sell at present prices. Now, about the county agents. For my part I do not think the farmers need them. The way I look at, it I think that every farmer knows his business and knows best what his soil needs with» out having somebody tell him. Give him a square deal—~what is coming to him—s0 he can go ahead and do things. But as long as we have to farm without profit, or at a loss, we might as Well lay down and quit. and no county agent can do him any good. I do not mean that we have to have $2 or $3 per bu. for potatoes, but if we have to sell them below $1 under the present condition, con— sidering what we have to pay for labor and seed, and paris green. we cannot do it without a loss. I do not think there is a farmer who wants any- thing unreasonable. What the farmer wants is a square dealtw .i A'clr Subscrilu'r. FreesoiL Give Us Price and We’ll Give Production I enjoy the articles coming in from the different, farmer readers. l‘t, seems this year that we should do more than complain; there is too much money going to the hot-air shooters. One thing in mind is 5385.000 appropriated by Congress to encourage more meat production. Give the farmers a little raise in price and they will respond cheerfully with production. $15.50 minimum] price on hogs at (‘hicago means around 12c at country shipping points. At this price farmers are not going to show up any increase. We as farmers have swal— lowed a good liberal dose of hot-air unrewardcd. Just watch us. Give us a little profit and we will show you increased production in all lines—(I. A. M.. Osceola county. ‘ Give the Farmer Insurance Against Loss I do not think we ought to find fault but it seems almost impossible sometimes. Sometimes I am op- posed to this price—fixing proposition altho I said alright when they fixed the price of wheat 30 or 40 cents too cheap. Bread is one article that all classes have to have. But I think they should have stopped them. It seems now that they have? left no inducements to the farmer at all. It looks as tho they had made a division in the business and labor. The manufacturer of munitions and war supplies have the preference and can pay the wages. That if the other manufacturers and farmers had to pay the same wages and raise wheat and beans or hogs and cattle to pay them with they would have to double the prices they are paying the farmer now. They would begin to real- ize what the high cost of living really was. I say foodstuffs are too cheap according to manufactur- llliltiillilllt!lliiilltlllllltllillllllllillllllililllliillliitlliltllllllllllllillllttillItlll|tillHltllllllIll|I[IlllllilllllllliillllillllllltllliilllHillllllJlilllllllllllllfllillllllilillllllilillittlliilllllll[iilllllltiillllillltlllllll!lllllliliilllltilllltiillltltiiiiitlltllittltiftl‘HilllliiilltittHilllltlllllllElillliitlliilIlllliilllllUIllHm!Minimum"iiilliflliililllliliillllllllllllllillit’ll”l will workthardship 0n the consumer. strong tendency to lessen the production. The supply is not up to standard" now and I think supply and demand ought to govern the pricelf we could get better prices we could pay better wages, more on a level with the manufacturer. Uncle Sam says to the manufacturer produce me war materials and I will pay the cost and give you ten per cent profit on the output of your plant. Ho! Ho! If he would say, “Old Boy, produce me wheat, beans, pork and beef, I will pay you cost and ten per cent profit,”how we would hop to it. We would never go to church. We'could install a] kinds of modern conveniences and we could have night and day shifts and pay ourselves good salaries and come on a level with rest. But no the prices and barley at cost, many instanc- es below, consequently there is a shortage and will be 'a greater shortage because the best of farmers ‘ are quitting and the help we can get is less effi- cient. I believe the prices of so-called food stuff ought to go along with the other stuff and it would stimulate production which would cheap- en it more on a. fair basis, we could afford to. hire more. Of course, it might touch the setters. a little hard but We have to support them anyway. But I think it would be better for the common laborers that can not get jobs in the high priced plants . I am sorry that we have to have a nation- al election during this awful war. I think we would be better off if we would be better off if we could leave our Congress, Senate, Preside and all head oflicials right as they are till the 0 se of the war. they are all smart men and they could and would do so much better if we did not have to have an election during the we“. To mix the corruption of politics in war is bad enough, but politics is hell which we can already see by the talk at Wash- ington. I think those men that are wrangling down there are all wrong. They will be so p0- litically prejudiced they won’t do what is right, if they know—G. R., Ulivet. Oh N o, Beans are Not Going to Waste! I am a subscriber and much interested reader of M. B. F. Not seeing in the M. B. F. from Sanilac county, I thought I would try my hand in the game and if this don’t find the waste has ket I will come again. I take a number farm papers but the M. B. F. has them all beat for business and that is what we want. The bean situation in this section of the country is fierce. I see a few days ago that, Mr. Hoover says there are no beans going to waste in Michigan. Let~ a few soft days come and our friend Hoover will see one of the softest messes of beans he ever has seen. The cold weather is the. only thing that is saving them. Beans in ithis section of the county have yielded from 1 bushel to 10 per arm with the average about 5 bushels per acre and in most cases a soft mushy lot. Yesterday the writ,- er saw one man sell his beans for $2.00 per hun— dred. We paid $10.00 per bushel for seel b-aus last spring with the understanding that they would be a big price this fall, but got our fingers burnt (‘i i. again. Of course, we were tools to help the bean men get. a big price t'or beans. They paid a small price for in 1916. The writer knows one man who planted his beans three times costing him $30 per accre and got nothing. Yes, there is a lot of money in beans. I am drying my beans in a similar way of Mr. C. W. Crum and find it, works well where you have only a few. r—L. .lI.. ('rosu'cil. Michigan. Beans are not Worth Threshing \Ve certainly like to read M. B. F. We are watching the bean prices the same as hundreds of others. I think if the government would hay" said to the threshers to turn in the number of bllré. of beans that might be used for food we would be getting somewhere near what we farmers ought. to have for our beans. We live just. across the road from the Evelyn fruit farnrwhere they planted $00 worth of seed and I don’t think they will saw one bushel. 'l‘hny threshed until they had 50 bus. which were turned in as beans, and then quit as they knew they would not get enough for them to pay the thresh bill, and another neighbor who threshed .‘10 or 40 bus. thought to get something out of them fed them to his bogs and he lost the hogs. We did a little better. Abut we have to hand—pick them to save ourselvesf We would lose all if we sold them as they are for they would take all of the good ones for picking out, the bad ones; ’7]. .1. (7.. Hos-l Jordan. Isabella Buyers Holding for Higher Prices. In regard to the potato screen. This part of the country is quite a potato country but the early frost did the crop up fully one-half, and 50 per cent would be No. 2 on an average for the whole county. The farmers are disappointed, they looked for $1 per bu and all the buyers are paying is $1.25 per hundred for No. 1 Most of the buyers are hold- ing for better prices. They say they will feed all of the No. 2 grade and cut down the acreage next, year if something is not done soon. Beans were poor, only about half a crop and they were badly damaged by wet weather. At $8 per bu. we will only come out with a small profit. ~C. L., Isabella county. ed articleéi’and the plan isfwron‘g, 'eventuall-yi‘lt ,. It 1163 a - We would gain nothing to change as . Jl|li|ltilllIllliilllillilllllllmlllmnlflllllliliillllluilmflfll l‘ ninlm t-mm tl'tltlltlti“ mil ticudafil ,ltmta .nlllllltiu‘l.z q, “lltx‘tti iutzllittmn .‘. “niht limilli. ‘: lllllll This Week’s Tested Recipe — Spanish Rice ‘2 This is a deservedly popular dish and like g: . rice farce is excellent to serve with beans for meatless dinners. 7' '1 teaspoons fat; (-11; 1 cup rite; 2 g1een peppers; 1 onion slic— f. 9% tablespoon paprika; bit of bay E; leaf; 4 laige ripe. tomatoes or 1/. can tomatoes 2 tablespoons sug‘wai 2 teaspoons salt; 1/. tea- 1:11:11)“ white p:pper; ground thyme. Heat the. f: t in a heavy frying pan and in it luown d be '1111ly the peppers and the onions ltemoye and brown the 1ic11 Add all other ing111dients. (‘o\e1 and l1t simmer on the back of the stove until rice is soft; add boiling water ., I‘ ,.|. .. .I.,., .1 1 as the rice swells ’l‘ hose. numerous ways of using rice recipes E: do not cover the usefulness of rice. Soups '1111‘I1' and desserts have not been tou1hed A whole volume could be filled with recipes 011 1'i1e cookery. Less meat and less wheat, more rice might be adopted as the eonseivation program “i 1\mer--i1a while th- world shortage of food lasts. l1.t acquainted with rice, the food of . millions. . 2 mil. .1'.-“i1!..‘lll .1‘1115 1 .‘1.‘llllllllllllilllllm . il‘1‘l‘1i1lln1..u...1. 1.... 111.111.111.‘|.b‘. He Who Loses His Life Shall Find It. IL 011‘ the old philosophers contended that it A was only by forgetting oneself and thinking of others that we could gain happiness. Mrs - 11., whose. letter we publish today, hits on this truth when she expresses her sympathy for Mr. S. l have never seen anybody who was always complaining, always discontented, always seek- ing pleasure and happiness far from their own iiresidc, who found it. And I have never seen H‘l‘t‘llG—fat'tf'fl old ladies whose lives had been filled with toil and trouble. who had absolutely sacri- ficed themselves to their families. often need- lessly. I admit, who seemed to have found the bid- den springs of contentment and peace. Too many. women think only of what is due them. of the attention their husbands should pay them; they never seem to see the other side. A man likes a little affection and kind treatment. too. It gets tiresome, I imagine, to see a long, discontented face every night after his day’s work is done. A little tact and cheerfulness goes a long way[ A person can resolve to make the best of their marital situation, no matter if the scene is laid on the farm which to some folks. is like a prison. After a while, when they have forgotten to consider their own happiness, so busy have they been in making others happy, they will find the truth of the old Biblical truth. Having lost their own idividual lives in service to others, they will be astonished to find that they have found contentment. and happiness. .. Just try forgetting yourself for one day; think of the comfort and happiness of everyone who comes in contact with your life. See if you do not, go to bed that night with a fuller feeling of happiness than you have had before. beam to appreciate life’s true values. Surround yourself with good books; take the l)(-‘.:.t magazines and enjoy them. (let a phonograph and some. entertaining rec- ords. Have music, good books. a canary, some, potted plants, some comfy armshairs, the daily paper, cheerful pictures on your walls, pretty cur— ‘1ins at, your windows! Make your house a real '11-.11111. \1ith the soul of hospitality and good cheer liming out of its windows You will be, sur— prised how the very atmosphere of the place will bring contentment to your heart. Make, :1 confident of your husband. There is '1 way to every man‘s heart. Find the way to yours. He‘s a human soul you know. He used .1. he :1 little boy. just as dear and cunning as your own little baby boy. He, grew up. and is just what his life, and environment made him. Perhaps his early life. His narrow and he has never known what :1 real. cheery happy home is. Show him! Walk hand in hand with him. It is worth while, for after all, there is no happiness as complete as the happiness gained from marr- iage where love and congeniality abound. Of course. you should let him know that, you expect consideration from him, too. The time has passed when :1 woman is man’s slave. I would adviSe every woman to follow 111) some pet hobby or interest of her own. He inteiested in ‘01nething—~anything. Your lodge your church, and now of course, there is something which ev- ery woman should give all hei spare time to. That’s the RED CROSS! I‘have been rolling bandages, making pneumonia Jackets. knitting, and giving all the time I can to it 1nd every woman should give all the time she possibly can. If 11111111 is not a ltcd (‘1'oss Unit in your neigh- ANNA CAMPBELL STARK, ED.TOK out how to go starting one. Get the neighbors together, and do some work for your country. Get outside of yourself; lose yourself in service, and you’ll find that instead of a selfish, narrow woman whose mind travels in the circle of her own discontent, you will be broad, unselfish, busy and happy! You’ve heard the old saying “Tell your troubles to a police man!” Well, tell them to me instead. We’ll draw our armchairs up to the, kitchen fire, and gossip about them together, Surely, so many ideas on each different subject will bring help to all of us. No names are, published and every letter is strictly confidential. Write, to Mrs Anne Campbell Stark, Editor Home Depart- ment, NIIUHIGAN Bt'siNEss F'AnMiyo. Mt. Clemens, Farm Life is What You Make It. HAVE JUST read the letter from Mrs. S. of Indiana and must say that Mr. S. has my sympathy, for I imagine he has not I '11l a very cheerful companion all these years. To my notion it doesn't depend so much on whether a person lives in town or the country 1111111111111 alumnuuunuTui , / Lumitunmiuuunluunuuhnuwuuuuuunufifl A Question WHAT were the words that the 1'1nsor out From your letter to me today? Are you ill or in danger, boy of mine." Are you sorry you went away? Baby of all. only scocmccn. You cnI-islc/l, although, I plcod. You loved me well, but you must tect Your country first, 1) 1'0- you 3 aid .' READ your letter, and wonder where You sat when you wrote to me? Were you deep in the mud of tho trcnchcs, lad? chro you sailing across the ecu? Have you come to Fro/(1'13? II111'1' you I l l .1421“ heard the guns And the will)“ of (In. acroplom'.’ I wish you 'u'1'r1' only (1 balm 11/ mu lo'cosl. Held. close in my 11.27/13 (moi/1 .' g H“— "(17'1“ 7’7"???" mammm ‘Jc WHll‘ tic/'1 lhc ll()]‘.(/S lhdl lh1' 1'1'11 so) cut Iv'rom thc Iclla'r you u'rolc to 1111'.” Have you pl1ut1/ lo cut 111111 plcnly lo wear? .11 re you well 11.1 you [love you foccd lhc cncmu Do you think of your honn'. {0})» ‘ oug/hl lo tic." ycl, my l111/;’ 11! limes.) 111111 1 111 W'mvf. The litllc red school 11'111‘1'1' you 11817! lo ' .110? .. The church lu'lls' pcoccful chimcsz’ if. = I NURI/J’l’llllu'b' thin/1' if you could but ' inri/c, 3.‘ 17111'1')I.s'11,1'1'1l, 11/11711'l1 Sit Just how you m'c 11/‘11 _ Aw} who} you are (loin/,1 :i ’l'hc l ",1/l 1.1.111] you ‘fl 1/111'1/11/ 11/21." WIN/'1' 1/1/11 .‘tlrl'1ljl. ours/ion (ho! /‘l;l(l.\' [.1 1.1151 lo'rrlu would, 1'1'1131'. I'll. bc 1/l1l1l, 11.91 I one." (‘1)![1/ (11-. 1 But who! 1/‘1‘1‘1? lhc u'orrls Holt 1711' 1'1'11-1-1/1' . 1:?” ._ 313.17.: cut .'.I From [111' l1'l/‘1'r you 11'1‘11/1' lo 1111'? --.-\.\l.\‘l1) 011111121111. STARK gimiiiidim'm’imnwlinii'iiininiiniin-:11iii:!.!i1.1111....'1.. .. -.r11:1'711"1 111115111 ii:.:.:in.;::' ' ,_,_ ._A_.__.,,.. .. _ .. _ ..e. -1. as 011 the person himselt‘. i know a woman who lived in town all her life until she was 111111'1‘i111l and who makes the best kind of a farmer’s wife. and on the other hand, I know another woman who lives in the. country and has lived there all her life and who thinks that town is the only place to be happy. Furthermore l know an- other woman who lived in the country until she was married and who is living happily in town. It seems that Mrs. S. thinks that clod-hoppers are clod-hoppers so keep them so. and no doubt, holds herself aloof from her country neighbors who by this time. don’t care to visit with her. I should say that Mrs. S. had better stop hersclll‘ and give her sympathy while and start knitting feeling sorry for to her husband for a 5111.1 111. .1....1.11....Wm”....--,1,“up“..nmmmm .11m.111.1”11111111.1111111- Uncle Sam’s Thrift Thought “OLD GLORY” OR “NEW GLORY.” (111.11 woman is making what she calls her war— bread. a combination of one cup of rye flour to eight cups of white flour. She calls 111 ‘()ld tiltil')’ l1ll11ven per cent rye substitution, and she, calls it, "(1111 Glory." ()ur European companionsjn arms are eating a 25 to 710 per cent combin— ution. lay it away and hang ll' that is "()ld Glory" .. “New (lloiy out the. service flag of 11.111131111111- flag. \Vhen America fought for herself alone. World in a brotherhood of Stars and Stripes tloat as “New Glory." , Europe has been eating l1 1' war-bread‘for three y1—ar4. America will not 1'1'i'll<11 her portion; for we are not half way in tin: war, we are all the way in. To America is granted the privilege of boat- ing the l1‘.11rope:1ns in the game of wheat saying without suffering any hardship. L111 corn-bread fought for “(lid Glory" sh:- todny she tights for 1'111 ; nations, and the —: - 1111111111: Bread.” is: be our war bread. Here's to the “New tilwry" bread ltttl per cent patriotic—corn-bread. Z‘Hiill[libfl'zlllllllhlillil‘lillu1 . .'1 1.. 'i‘. .1. .i‘.} 1 ‘, _ \l‘ullulllhlililli. look to the disposition of the girl you intend to marry. more than whether she came from town take, your chances on the you live in town or country l)’.. .lIichlg/rtn. or country. However, country girl whether unless you are W02tltlly.rli'8. Rice the Food of Millions ICE, supplemented with be: 111s and salt fish to balance the 1li11t,torms the prin1ipul food of half. of. the population ot t'1he 11'11.',11h and is an impoitant aiti1ie 111' diet Willl the other half. A single year’s failure of the world’s rice crop would practically exterminate the populations of India, China and Japan. The rice production of the. world for 1917 is es- timated at l530,11110,otltl.0tltl pounds of cleaned rice. However, only about two—thirds of the crop is covered by accurate statistics. as it is impossible to get tigures from (‘l1ina. the great rice growing and rice. consuming country. l‘he rice crop of the United States is recorded in steadily mounting figures. According to the final crop estimate, the yield for 1917 is 1,tl04.900.600 pounds of cleaned rice. This is an increase of 43.6 per cent over the 1911—15 average. The ac— reage planted has doubled since 1905. In the last five years (‘alit‘ornia has been numbered among the, rice growing states, and is now surpassed in acreage only by Louisiana. Texas and Arkansas. There are. splendid opportunities to extend the 111'1'11:1;:1~ planted in this grain which. because of yield and crop certainty, is the hope, of a hungry world. The consumption of rice hoWever has not kept pace, with production, and Americans. do not; su— llcienlly apin'eciate its food value. In 1911-13 our average yearly 1'1'111sumpti0n of rice was only eight pounds per capita. England's was 14.14 and .\111~ttrnlia's 15.227. While the food shortage does 11m suggest that, we imitate the Oriental and con— :.lllllt1 tln'ee-fourthg of a pound a day. the present rate might. be doubled. Rice offers :1 nutritious and relatively cheap food 111‘ almost universal adapiibflily in cooking; 1:1 1:11-11; the. 1.1;11-11 of bread in the (lrient and cuts 1l11 umpti 1111 of wheat bread in our Southern 511111.11: it is th~ natural accompaniment of fowl When 1111-1111 in combination with beans, l)11l‘llil]l:<, the cheapest food ration. In housekeeper should study rice with the variety and ex- ;11111 tir'h. rice 711:1‘11'1'4, tllls 1-1'3-5- become acquainted tent 121‘ its use. every Some Pie and Pantry Pointers [;.‘11111'.]1'1."§t‘11'l£f l 1l11nl'.'ill perhaps my method 1.1" 11111111'i11g pic might be ot' interest to our readers. I always add a little corn r~l:li‘t‘ll to the crust. ()ne teaspoont'ul to a pie, will prevent, the undercrust from being heavy and soggy. I mix the, st gar and flour and add it to my fruit before putting the pie 11111111111111. it is more evenly sweetened then. and your folks- won't bite into any lumps of flour. Do not stretch the top crust tight and in press— ing the edges togeth 1111‘ push the edge of the top crust 1111111111 the under of the pie. This allows plnty of 100m foi the fruit to cook and prevents the crust fro‘in bursting open and the juice es- caping. I never put my hands in a pie any more than is absolutely necessary. Save the round pasteboard boxes that 11011611 oats comes in They are fine to keep sugar in. When you get a ten pound bag, empty at once, as there is less waste in using from a box than from the bag, besides keeping your pintry much for the soldiers. Also learn “The. Little House neater. I use the larger pasteboard boxes to keep \ bo1hood 1oinmuni1'at1 with the Red Cross Head- Where Love Lives” by Mrs. Stark. vegetables in instead of having to 11m to the col- 1‘ | r . quarter is in the l.'11'1g1st 1ity new you. and find As a final word of 111111-111”..- 11, 1}... young man— lar for every meals vegetables ~R A. 8., Mich. 1‘“””"“““” 1 ltlllllllllllllllllllililllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllm..;lllllll:llllllllllllllllilllillllllllllllllillilillllllmillililllllllllllllllli|ll 11111111111111.1111”111111111mm11m111111111111111mm111m111m11111111"11111111111111. 1mm1111mm1111111unnummnnuuu H ‘_ mommammmmmmmmmwmummmmmmmmmmmmmnnmmmnummimmutmmmnmmmmnm"ammunmnnmmmnnmmmmmmmi; g s s lllllllllllliillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllll '111'1"'1111:111111 ., ."l “il‘ ll lllll' " illlllll'llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllitilllllllllllliillliilil11‘1111lllllllllllllllllillllllllilll“"1' " ’L‘lllllllllfll .w when; .3 5.41%: g... “M“ «.1... m -...<-.. a".—- .1- W.._..~_..._.- v _ 131-1 . :1.- I in .. :mw .iillmn'i‘lt- (A clearing department for marketing troubles. Prompt and careful attenion given to all complaints addressed to this department. you. Call upon us.) Enrron’s Nora: of our other readers desire information as to how to organize a farm loan association, we will glad- ly supply it. We have on hand a large number of government bulletins and blanks describing the federal loan act, which explains in detail how to organize local associations. These will be sup- plied free of charge upon request. ST. CHARLES FARMERS INTERESTED IN FEDERAL FARM LOAN PLAN I saw in your paper about thet Federal Loan ' association. Can you tell me if there is one in Saginaw county and if so, can you explain to me wdere it is?——D. M.. St. Charles. Our records do not disclose that an association is located sufficiently close to St. Charles to per- mit a resident of that vicinity to join. As you un- doubtedly know, the Federal Loan Board has ruled that no application can be made thru an as- sociation by an applicant living. outside of the territory of that association—W. K. Jennings, Federal Land Bank of Saint Paul. FARM LOAN ASSOCIATION FOR GRATIOT CO. AT RIVERDALE Will you please tell me where the nearest Federal Loan AssOciation is located, that is, the one nearest Alma, Mich.? I should like to get in touch with one nearest my home. You will find one dollar for one yearly subscription for M. B. F. Think the paper is just what farmers need. ——J. R., Alma, Michigan. Our records disclose that an association has been organized at Riverdale in Gratiot county, the territory of which, however, does not embrace Alma. It may be possible that your subscriber’s farm is located within the boundaries of the above association inasmuch as the eastern l 1rd'er of the same is the township line close to Alma. If you will give us the description of your sub- scriber’s farm, we will be able to give you fur- ther information in this regard. Incidently the name of the Riverdale Association is The Hard Scrabble National Farm Loan Association—Fed- eral Land Bank of St. Paul. GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN NO AC- TION TO REGULATE GASOLINE USES Can you tell me whether the government has made any ruling forbidding the use of gasoline for pleasure cars? Would it be right for the gov- ernment to prevent us from using our cars after we had bought the license for same?——Subscriber. Thus far no restrictions or regulations pertain- ing to the use of gasoline have been issued, nor are any contemplated at this time.———M. L. Requa, Di- rector Oil Division U. S. Fuel Administrction. SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON POTATO GRADING QUESTION I had an argument with one of our local dealers and I told him I could prove everything I had said by MICHIGAN BUSINESS FARMING, and he said that newspapers were made to sell. The questions I would like to have you answer are as follows: No. 1. Who is responsible for the present meth- ods of grading, Mr. Hoover or Mr. Lou D. Sweet and Prof. Waid? No. 2. Is it a law or just a ruling established among the buyers? N0. 3. Are potatoes graded in any other state besides Michigan and Wisconsin? No. 4. Is it not a fact that the ungraded stock of New York, Maine, and Pennsylvania are bringing a bigger price than the graded stock of Michigan? No. 5. Are potatoes being placed upon the mar- ket as graded potatoes? No. 6. Is there a Government inspector for the grading of potatoes? No. 7. Is the present screen a Government screenf—G. A. D., Charlevoix. 1. It is impossible to point out the particular individual who is responsible for establishing po- tato grades this year. Everyone who had any- thing to do with the proposition, is trying to shift the blame to someone else, and we have yet to place our finger on the man who starts-cl the thing. It is not necessary to do this, however, in order to fix responsibility for the present state of af- fairs existing in the potato situation. Every man who gave his approval to the plan, without con- sulting the wishes of the farmers themselves, is FARMERSSERVICE BUREAU? - A ’ .. ‘ ' “ 7 appointed a committee in whom he apparently had confidence to handle the potato question to , We are here to nerve - If our correspondents or any. the satisfaction and best interest of all concerned. That he made a. bad mistake in his choice may or may not be Mr. Hoover’s fault. It is beyond un- derstanding, however, why he failed to appoint a single representative farmer on a committee which * P Ucent, depending upon the rate of interest which the bonds or debentures of the Federal Land Bank obtain Loans may run from five to forty years at option of borrower. The borrOwer is required to make semi—annual payments to the secretary, which pays the interest and principal in the given was to exert so arbitrary a contrOl over the farm- «time. er' 3 business. As nearly as we can ascertain, Mr. Lou D. Sweet and Mr. E. P. Miller of the potato committee have very pronounced ideas on the sub- ject of grading potatoes, and took advantage of their position to try out their pet hobbies at the expense of the farmers. However, they did not wish to assume the entire burden of responsibil- ity so they wisely called into consultation among others, Prof. C. W. Waid secretary of the Michigan Potato Growers’ Ass’n; the president and secre- tar of the Wisconsin Ass’n, all of whom are in- structors, or “experts” afliliated with the agricul- tural colleges of those two states, together with various other gentlemen, with hobbies and. theor- ies as to how the farming business ought to be run. These gentlemen, having nothing. at stake in a financial way, gave their approval and straightway the grades were put into effect,-——in ,some places. Therefore, answering your question, Mr. Hoover is to blame for his shortsightedness in appointing a committee out of touch with the farmers; Mr. Sweet is to blame, and Prof. Waid is to blame for asuming to give his consent as a representative of the potato-growers of the state. 2. The grading was established by a ruling of the Food Administration, and is not a law. Its compulsory operation comes to an end the day that peace comes. Dealers may then/if they choose buy and ship ungraded potatoes as formerly. 3. When the rules were first put into effect they were NOT compulsory and Michigan and Wiscon- sin were the only two states in which the dealers unanimously agreed to grade. they were organized and in sympathy with the movement. As has already been noted in these columns VERY FEW of the dealers in New York or Pennsylvania have been grading potatoes. At least this is the information given us direct by the departments of agriculture of those two states. Letters received from Steuben county, New York, show, however, that some, but not all, the dealers of. that county are grad-ing potatoes, whereas less than twenty-five miles away in Cattaragus county, none of the dealers are grading. The potato com- mittee admits that the grading was not made gen- eral and compulsory when it first went into effect, and therein lies the great discrimination against the farmers of Michigan and Wisconsin. 4. It is a fact that ungraded stock of New York, and Pennsylvania are bringing, and have been bringing, MUCH HIGHER p1 ices than Mich- igan graded stock. 5. We have conducted many investigations to ascertain whether or not Michigan graded pota- toes were being sold on the market in a graded state, but we have yet to find a single instance where dealers are selling U. S. grades No. 1 and 2 as such. 6. Inspectors have been appointed to examine cars at terminal markets to ascertain whether or not dealers have been conforming to the regula- tions. Mr. Allewelt, a representative of the US. Bureau of Markets, admitted that the inspection was ineffectual because of the scarcity of men for the purpose. 7. The present screen is a “government" screen in the sense that it was recommended by the De- partment of Agriculture and the Bucau of Mar- kets several years ago, who, however, had no authority to compel dealers to use that screen. SOME INFORMATION ON THE FEDERAL FARM LOAN PLAN I would like to get some information about the farmers’ rural loan business. Where can I write for full particulars regarding the same?———A Sub- scriber, Merrill. The federal farm loan proposition has been fully outlined in M. B. F. on various occasions. Bulle~ tins giving full details of the proposition may be had by writing the Federal Farm Loan Board, Treasury Department, Washington, D. 0., or MICH- IGAN BUSINESS FARMING, Mt. Clemens. Briefly the essentials of the farm loan act are as follows: Ten, or more farmers may apply for loans aggregating $20,000. They must organize accord— ing to the requirements of the act. No farmer may borrow more than $10,000 or less than $100, and no association may start with less than $20,000 in loans. Fifty per cent of the appraised value of the land may be borrowed and twenty per cent of the insured permanent improvements. First mortgag- This was because, This by no means covers all the provisions of. the act. Every farmer who is interested should Write for Circular 5,- "The Farm Loan Primer," which gives a brief outline of the law, or Circular 4, “The Federal Farm Loan Act,” for a more de-» tailed account. FIRE LOSSES MAY BE DEDUCTED FROM ASSETS IN TAX STATEMENT I noticed an article in your paper about the in- come tax, and I would like to know if I can deduct the expense of rebuilding my barn that burned down by lightning last spring. I had a heavy loss, including seventeen head of cattle, two hor- ses, hay and grain. I had to build again to take care of my crop and stock this winter. Do they allow me to deduct the expense from the income or not? We farmers have got to keep our build- ings up, and our tools so that we can farm and raise food. How can a farmer make a correct statement when he doesn’t keep a book account? I never have, and don’t know how to go about it, and think that it must be lots of bother.——Jos. Witg‘en. You failed to state whether your loss was cov- ered wholly or in part by insurance. The in- come tax law appears to be very clear on the sub- ject of fire loss the clause reading as follows: “Losses by fire, storm, other causalties or theft may be deducted only to the extent that they are "not covered by insurance, or made good by re- pairs reported as expenses.” If your loss was not covered by insurance, the total loss or such part of it as was not covered by insurance may be deducted from your receipts in making up the report. If you have kept no books, and a great many farmers neglect this important d‘uty, it will be necessary for you to determine as nearly as you can what your net income for the year was. If you have any way of determining your gross receipts, you should deduct your expenses in- cluding repairs, etc., investments for new equip- ment, etc., for everything except money expended on your house, which is not considered a part of the business. Your banker may be able to give you some as- sistance in making out the report. The report must be received by the internal revenue oflice of your district by March 1, or you are subject to penalty. PEA BEANS NOT A VERY GOOD CROP IN NEW YORK STATE (Continued from page 3) large varieties, and almost continual rain at bar- vest time damaged them so that good seed will be very scarce—pea beans. The kind I raise ripened quite well—were well matured when the frost came—will make good seed. It was my second year with this crop, the I will plant again. Beans in this locality are just being threshed; no sales as yet, though are retailing from stores at from 160 to 220 per 1b. On account of the severe cold no potatoes are going to market, dealers stopped buying at $1.80 per 100 pounds. There is considerable dissatis- faction among farmers over the change in grad- ing; we are not getting what we should for the seconds. Acres of potatoes were frozen in the ground; a great many were dug after the freeze and are not keeping. Produce men tell us the country is full of potatoes, and that Michigan is holding the bulk of a large crop of fine potatoes. I think the crop in farmers’ hands in this locality away below their estimate. At present I think potato acreage will be below our average on account of change in grading, also the prospect of price being fixed at a lower figure than the actual cost of production. Judging by my own locality I believe Steuben county will have seed corn enough, and some to spare, especially of the flint or giazed corn. Oat crop was gaad, plenty of seed. Winter wheat was sown late, ground has been covered with snow since Thanksgiving, so we have hopes of a crop. Hay is good, farmers getting from $16 to $20 per ton—0. K. T., Avoca, New York. Holland is now consuming only one-third her normal amount of wheat flour. This is partly due to rationing which has reduced daily con- sumption from 14 to 9 ounces per person, and partly to mixing rye and potato flour with wheat flour in bread making. There are many "advantages the hog; grower will have in raising June pigs. First, as everyone knows, the brood now must have plenty of exercise if she is going to be able to farrow good strong pigs. The sow to farrow in June has the advantage of at least two months of warm weather, most of that _ time“ she can: run on grass pastures, consequently geting this necessary ex- ercise. Little, if any care is required at farrowing time during the month of June: Two of the fatal pig troubles that every man has to fight where pigs are farrowed early, scours and thumps, are practically escaped by the June pig. There is always plenty of sun- shine and the weather is warm, allow- ing the .little fellows to get out and take plenty of exercise which almost entirelyeliminates thumps. There is not the cold damp weather, with wet bedding and chilly winds; which very often brings on a case of scours with exceedingly bad results. By the time the June pig begins to eat grain, he can have the benefit of‘ .new oats and barley, two mighty good pig‘feeds, thus getting away to a considerable extent at least from the high prices generally necessary to pay .. for either corn or any of the small grain foods. With the benefit of these new small grain. and grass pastures, he can be carried along at a minimum expe'nse until weaning time, when new corn can be had. This is especially true’ if the hog grower will plant a small acreage of ninety-day variety. This generally gets ready for feed from the 20th of August on, and by sufficient planting, the hog grower can have good new corn until the main field crop is hard enough. Under pres- ent conditions, it certainly looks like good business for the hog grower to breed at least a few sows for June farrow. RAISE GOOD STOCK AND TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT Raising good stock and taking good care of it nets the farmer the greatest gains, according to M. Baumann of Remus, whose success at raising pigs with a minimum of corn has been giv- en considerable space by the country press in his vicinity. Mr. Baumann writes MICHIGAN BUSINESS FARMING as follows regarding his methods of feeding: “Enclosed find itemized statement of a bunch of pure-bred 0. I. C. pigs, which I undertook to fatten without the regular feedcorn. I wish to state that for the past three years I have made it a point to weigh all feed and weigh pigs every week after they are three months old. I found in every’ case at the weight of 100 to 135 lbs. a pig makes the most profit. After that the profit gets smaller. Last winter at the weight of 165 pounds they just broke even. Two years ago it was the same. This winter’s experiment was an exception. At the weight of 170. the eight pigs had a net profit of $1.98 in seven days. The highest point of the profit reached was at $1.98 in sev- en days. The highest point of profit reached was at 128 lbs. The pigs had a net for seven days of $7.77. I have been just as successful this winter with middlings as I have been other . _. Mi: ,. , , M 8.39109 to ‘o’rs would be to raise gé'oa stock and take care. of it, ' unless We get the correct range with our“ heavy artillery of the “skunks" who are giving us a merry chase on the bean and potato question.” Mr.- Baumann sold 8 pigs at the Re- mus stdck yards January 22, aged 5 months and 10 days, average weight 172% lbs.; price received 15‘zéc per 1b., total $213.90. FoOd consumed by the 8 pigs: . Middlings, 1850 lbs., $50 ton..$ 46.25 Ground cats, 16 bu. 23 1b., 800. . 13.50 Corn, 15 crates at 750 crate 7.50 Skim milk, 400 at 30c cwt. 12.00 Feeding and care 96 hrs. 20c.. 19.20 Value of pig at 6 wks, $3 . 24.00 Hauling to market .. . . . . . . . . 2.00 Total ........$125.05 Netprofit.... ......$ 88.85 Manure for barn rent. . . . . . . . RAISE MORE TURKEYS TO MEET INCREASED DEMAND In the present campaign of the U- nited States Department of Agricul- ture to increase the production of poul- try upon the farm, the turkey raiser is particularly well able to respond. The turkey is a farm bird, first and last, and is especially suited to the grain and stock forns where there is ample ranging ground abounding in such turkey food as grasshoppers and other insects, Weed seeds, waste grain, such as is left in the fields after har- vest, and nuts of such varieties as beechnuts, chestnuts, pecans, pine nuts and acorns. On such a farm, the pres- ent; prices of grain affect the turkey raiser but little, for with the exception of what is used at fattening time, the feed consumed is largely of such a kind as would otherwise be wasted. With but little addlitional outlay to the farmer, many more turkeys could and should be raised. The small number of turkeys per farm in the United States is surprising. Accord- ing to the census of 1910 which is the latest census that has been taken, only 13.7 per cent of the total number of farms reported any turkeys at all, and on these farms reporting turkeys, an average of but slightly over four breeding turkeys was found per farm. There are some farms which by the nature of the crops grown on them or because of unfavorable surround— ings are not adapted to turkey rais- ing, but most farms are adapted to turkey raising and could easily handle a breeding flock of from 10 to 1:") hen turkeys and a tom, raising from 7.» to 150 turkeys each year at a good profit. Good prices were paid to the turkey raiser during the past marketing sea- son. On December 15. 1917, the aver— age price per pound live weight paid to the farmer was 30.5 cents in New York State, 23.7 cents in llllinois. 25 cents in Georgia, 193 cents in Texas, and 27.1 cents in California. The av- erage price throughout the United States was 23 cents. Farmers’ Bulletin 791. “Turkey Rais— ing,” describes the most successful methods of breeding, feeding and man— agement. This bulletin may be ob— tained free upon application to the United States Department of Agri- culture. Washington, D. C. I didn't want to disiigure llw paper you sent me by cutting the Coupon but I want the paper. It hows to the line and let the chips fall whore they will and I hope the chips will bury some of those middllemen that are culling our beans and potatoes—“fin. it. l-lnrris, Bul- Zie county. “This is the picture of my Jersey cow and her six heifers," writes N. I). McDonald of East Jordan. arrived too late for this photo. “Sin is nine years ‘old and has seven heifer calves. The old cow stands to the right.” She has one that prncipo feed. ‘ ' Bataan—Up to 14 lines or one inch and for loss than 13 insertions under this heading, fifteen cents per line. Title dis- played to best advantage. Send in copy and we will quote rates. For larger ads or for ads to run 13 isswes or more we make special rates which will cheerfully be sent on application to the Advertising l)ept., 110 Fort St, Detroit. CATTLE “TOP-NOTCH” HOLSTEINS ”Milk prodlll'tl-rll is an inherited ability. Good cow: man be bred to good purebred bull: if progress in dairy» in: is to be made.” Extract U. 8. Dept. of Agric. Bulletin. Buy thin young hull and give your milk and butter pro- duction u "push." King Colanthn Dc Oakdale, No. 1828157, Born Nov. «1, Wm, Hie Siro's 3 nenrest{ Butter 7 (luv: 3» s7 Dams average Milk 7 mm; 579.05 Butter 7 Alay-i INT!) Hie Dani’s llnm’s Milk 7 days 5'1..th Record Butter Ito days 131.”! . Milk 1m llnyn 21's; so (She heads one of tho tcn only couminations of three direct gcnerntions of thirty pound cows.) His daln'a rccord at 3 your! { “W“ 7 days ”‘33 Milk 7 days 120.40 Hie five nearest dams merngo {Butter 7 (my. 29'3" Milk 7 days 546.68 (Including g...3 and l-~-4 1.2 yr. old.) Ideally mnrkcd. about half and half. Price $250. McPherson Farms Co., Howell, Mich. E. L. SALISBURY SHEPHERD, MICH. Breeder of purebred Holstein-Friesian Cattle Young bulls for sale from A. It. 0. Cows with 'ireditable records. One 2-year-old Black Per- or sale cheron Stallion, weighing 1800 lbs, also our aged Stallion lngmnnr 30047, that has been at the head of our stud for 10 years. M. Bray Est, Chas. Bray, )1ng Lansing,Mich OR SALE—l’crcln-ron Stallion, black, NO. 121705, fouled .lunc 2.4, 1915; No. 131951, foaled June 21!. lillo‘. J. F. Glady, It. 7, Vassar, Mich. HOGS LEONARD’S POLAND (‘lllNAS Bred sows, fall lugs, either sex, at reasonable price. ii}. 1:. Leonard, St. Louis. l\lich., it. No. 3. l’J). Boars, March, April and ready to ship. Sired by and Peters Jumbo, Mouw ‘ (lnrnunt, l‘htton Rapids, It} Typo May l‘urrow Grand Supcrlla lired Bout". L‘. la. ‘ Michigan 0 B RE D Gl L T S \\'m l’). .\'o. 474)“). Longfellow I .\'o. 13:77:”) Slrc of 1st prize young herd ht [own Shite l<‘uil‘. Fall pigs and C lil't‘l‘il >‘cl‘\'l(5‘*lll)ll‘ hours. 'l't) J. (‘.\iti. .il‘2\‘i'l‘2’l"l‘, Mason, Mich. (‘IIOH‘IC Rl‘lHlH’I‘l'llil‘ll) STOCK . l'crclu'rons~—l Toloucl ill-13:41:, :L grand- son ol' Morsc :Llnl Hllu-rl; it. great grunilson ol' itcsiirul- ullrl (‘ulypsm at llt‘illl ol' stud. Iiolsivins rchior Sire, Hull of l'ouliuc Anguil- l\:Ill‘ll(lyl\'t‘ and a. 39.23 pmunl Ilum. .-\licrilN-n—Angus— H- nior Sire liluck l‘1.:rl ol‘ \Voodlawn 1333””. .\ liluwlilvil'il, Shropshires—A smull but l‘llwll'I- limit. lux'g‘c. and wool- wl I'roul llom- 'o loo“. i)urocs—~The luxury p-nliliw Illinli‘)'»llllll\'lll}.'; kind. ll ill Howl ml~ u 131‘ lr-n'iue's >il'c, write me. “UR“ l). Bl'l‘IIJ. l‘llnlirn, “it'll. R. I. “’OLVERINE S'NH‘K FARM FOR SALE, a beautifully murk- ed bull calf, born Aug. 3, 1917. Sire Jlldg‘c VVIllkcr Victoria whose lirst live dams are 30 pound cows, his dam a. 24 pound 3 year—old grunil— daughlcr of King of tho l’ontincn'. and second rlum 2t 20 pound cow. ’l‘his calf will plcztse you. Price, $200. ’1‘. \\'. tattle Frock. Hl’li.\(ll'l'l, llulllt) 2, Mil‘ll. '0. l. c. BOA KS John W. ”A \I l'filliKl‘) linl‘ .luhii~‘, i‘lfll: 'l‘l'lK i'll) uinl ln‘ml nuts Snyilcr. it. l._ S! sol:- . lli'll. ISU.\H\ nml son's of fine (nullity l'rnc: l'casonable. ltcgisre-rwl fin-t. um! mil ‘lnp <‘.l).l). Floyd ll Hnnisrci', Spl'inuport, Mich. (l. I. C. prize ycul'ling' hour Mich i‘llillt'i‘ _\'Ullll;_',' lHlHJ'H read) for ‘l‘l'\ll'l’.; also fall pugs cil‘li‘l‘ : .; :iil‘wl by lst rilulc li‘uir l9l7 ‘“ ; l‘lrwcr l.:-.-ii' Slot-l. Harm, .‘lloilroe, Mich, 250 STEERS FOR SALE l“ *" ‘ 7 ans. iwos, thrccs, lll‘l'i‘l'(>l'(l‘~, Angus 3 and Slioriliorn:-=. 1300 lo lion lbs. (‘hoicv j SHEEP spiuliiy r<<»i'lc§. A. 14‘. lmomis, ()wosso. hilichig‘un. "AT [)0 YOU “KANT? l represent 41 Shorlhorn lu'ecdcrs. Can put you in touch with lwsi milk or hccf' strains. Bulls (\11 “gr-:4, Some females. t", W, <‘rum. Secretary t‘cntral Michigan Shorthorn Association. McBrides, Michigan. Registered Holstein Bull FOR SALE Ready for service; also bull cull'. 'l‘hcsc bulls are of choice breed— ing. For particulars wrilc li‘rcd Lord, Siockbridgo Mich. For 581 Bulls ready for servxcc, and hull calves from .l0 lbs. bull and A. It, (i. dams; also females of all ages. . \Vln. (iriilln, it. No. 5. ltcg‘istcl'cd llolsteius~~ Howell, Mich, HORSES ICIH‘HI'IIHLV S’I‘ALLIONS, one 3 years old, ilI‘lVV‘Il single and double. One ten years old, thoroly broken single and doub- le. Will Work like a mare. Heavy boned gentle fellows. Price $400 and $300. Fred N. landall, Manchester. Mich. SHETLAND rdmrs For Sale. Wm for description & prices. Mark B. Curdy, Howell, Mich. Mr :1 fur rcci hloml ; MISH LAND'N “'HI'I‘E ROCKS—The di— \\'«~ll—kno\\*n ZOO—egg strain. Eggs hull-hing $1.50 for $3M) for so; $9.1m “('1' 100. l.. Sl-nmuns & Sons. licllcville. h‘liCh. 1!}; BAltlilu‘l) ROCK (‘iH'lil‘lKiu‘LS for sale, Moo to $5.00 each for strain with records to 290 eggs at year. Circular free. ' [Maul \uvling f‘onsmntine. Mich BARRED ROCK (‘()(‘KICRELS from . l’rize Winning stock Thompson strain. 53 and $4. Yearling brooding hens. $2 Well :arred. Sam Slndcl. (‘helsc'rL Michigan. ()HN’S [HG lil‘).\l"l‘ll“lll. BARREI) Rocks arc hcn luitchcd and sold on ap- proval $3 to $10 each. i nlzlle and 4 ['6— males $12.00. flood layers. / (‘irculars Photos. John Now-thou. Flare. Michigan: Supenor Farm, White Wyandotts Hood winter layers, and fit for any Show l'oonl. A few good cockcrels, $3 and 35 each. Eggs after Mar. 1st. (1. W.‘ Hon- eywell, Plymouth, Mich. ANCONA COCKEREL? From $2.00 to $5.00 each. Also ‘3 h cockerel £01155. W. (2. West & 802111814333: Lansing, Michigan, RFD. No. 1, ' ABBON’s WYANDO'r'rn ' WHITE Cock and cockerels for is. B from imported trapnested b (is wilt; 265-283 egg records. Mrs. L, A. Riggs,’ Route 3, Linden, Mich. :3", . . .c “twee; myagnajgai: one ‘ -' r! i I v i n u l l butter in 7 days; having made that record. daughters. 8. year. years old. in a year. greatness? end of the year the summer. Holstein—Friesians MAPLECREST KORNDYKE HENGERVELD Senior Herd Sire—MAPLECREST KORNDYKE HENGERVELD, whose dam, grand dam and great grand dam each made over 30 lbs. of his dam. and grand dam each making better than 1200 lbs. of butter in a year, and the only mother and daughter ever He already has 13 advanced registry He was sired by Friend Hengerveld De K01 Butter Boy who sired 4 daughters averaging better than 1200 lbs. of butter in Maplecrest Korndyk'e Hengerveld is probably, for long dis- tance breeding, the peer of any bull living. KING ONA Junior Herd Sire—KING ONA, whose dam made 1345 lbs. of but- ter in a year and her dam made over 1100 lbs. of butter when 12 Thus the dam and grand dam of the Junior Sire have an average production of over 1200 lbs. of a novelty when the great effort is being made on short records. The Junior Sire mated with the daughters of the Senior Sire rep- resenting four dams with an average of more than 1200 lbs. of butter Why should not their yearly production be the measurement of We have to keep them the full year and it is at the that we make our return on net income. A few heifers coming two years old in calf to King Ona will be sold at reasonable prices as we will have no pasture for them during If purchased they can remain with us until May 1st. D. D. AITKEN FLINT, in a year. This is something MICH. I'INAVY BEANS AND PEA . BEANS ARE THE SAME A Stock for sale ROBT. R. POINTER & SON Breeders of Registered Holstein-Friesian Cattle DEARBORN, MICHIGAN at all times. for some of the best, see us. If you are looking S Buysl40- Egg 9—5 Champion ‘ Bellctitylncubaiorl555. l Prize \Vinning Model—Hot Water, Copper ’Iank, Double Fibre Board( 1,158 SclfRegulated. ’1 hermomctc r Holder N ursery. V» ith $5. 25 Hot Water Mil-Chick Brooder——both only $12.95. Freight Prepaid £3§8§§3§t£?:‘.’:.‘l.‘.'. With this Guaranteed Hatching Outfit and my Guide Book tor setting up and op< rating you . -_ are sure of success. -—— My a: Special Offers provide 3‘; w H stoni tkcextra mone {5 Suva timn— -()1dcr Now, or write or ree catalog, “ Hatchlna Facts" — it tells all. - Ji 1m Robin, Pres IBelle City Incubator 00.. Box 30, Racine. Wis FOR SALE PK\\(‘IH It‘all - bearing Strawber: y 11' this $150111 ]00t @1000 per 1 mm W l< ’l‘indall Boyne i‘iiy. Mich " Slu‘ldl), 100 per cent BEAN purity. Sample and price on request. Mayer‘s l‘lunt Nursery. Merrill, Mich. FARME N0‘V ]S TH E TIME to buy your Seed Corn and Beans while. it can be gotten. No. l Seed‘Tcsted to grow. Send 3 cent stamp for prices. Ionin, Mich, R. No. 5. Box No. 127. OGEMAW COUNTY'FARM LANDS ‘Vcry productive. Small payment down. No further payments interest or taxes for iiVe yczi.r~:. Harry 0. Sheldon, Alger, Michigan. FORD used tires, we do vulcanizing. Detroit, special sale $3 $4, $5 \Vest 2380, 37 Dlx Avenue, Michigan, ; 7 1 What the Neighbors Say! I like Michigan Business li‘arniing very niuch——its all Hughes. lo~ nia county. 1 highly appreciate your paper. we take three farm papers and wc tliink M. B. li‘. has got till ”1 all bent.”~ 4‘, .\l. Mcli‘urland, Mason county. lnclon‘ed find $1.00, for which plcasc send inc your paper one year. l receiver] a samplc copy. 1 think it the best form paper we ever readsml’larry Johnson, ()3- (1‘0th county. l’lease find incloscd check for one dollar for the paper for another year. Like the pnpcr ycry inuch.——~~l\lilo XV, “'hitc, Newa— {:11 county. llcrewith I am sending you one. dollar for another year. 1 like your paper very much and would not be without it.~—Jo- seph 'l‘hclen. ("linton county. 1 am with the. light along with the rest of the farmers on the tuber question.*l{. ’l‘ lilunk, ()sccoltt county. Find enclosed $1.00 for subscription. l can assure you we appreciate your pap— er. lt is only paper that I ever saw that dares stand 11p and tell the robbers where to get off at. 1 think that if We had had someone down at Washington to help set the price on our farm produce and to regulate the grading of spuds. I know we farmers are all Auger heads. But I am thankful there is once-in—a—while one that is bright enough to resent the dirt we are getting. Three cheers for the M. B. F. and long may it live. l1). S. Sheets, Isabella county. Your paper is a fine one and it hits the mark better than any paper I ever took. Every farmer in Michigan ought to have it.—Basil Evo, Charlevoix Co. “I am seeking information concern- ing the merits of the pea bean and' navy bean. Can you tell me which is the earlier and which -' the heavier yielder? Our soil is a clay loam. The beans I grew last year must be a mix- ture as they ripen very unevenly. They are also a late bean. From what part of Michigan would I be able to secure seed that would ripen early in this locality?”—W. N Turner, Huron county. The so- -callled pea bean and the na- vy bean are one and the same. It is quite often called *he navy pea bean. Thisis quite a small bean, somewhat round in shape and more nearly re- , sembling a pea than other beans, hence its name of pea bean. Another vari- ety‘of white bean is known as the me- dium white bean. This is larger and somewhat more kidney shape in form. The pea bean; is considered by most growers the best bean to grow in Mich- igan. It is a few days earlier than the medium and equallly as good a yielder and has splendid quality. In order to have them ripen ev- enly it is necessary to have the soil in the field of uniform character. If the soil varies in character the beans are apt to ripen unevenly. For in- stance, a black. sandy soil of a some what dry nature will ripen beans earlier than clay soil in the same field. This will produce quite a percent of cull beans. A sandy loam good and rich is considered the best kind of soil for beans but you can raise a good crop of beans on quite heavy clay: If the soil is the same all over the field they will ripen together very well. The season has quite a lot to do with the early ripening of beans. Last year was a bad season in this respect. The maturing or ripening of the beans was delayed by unfavorable weather so that many of them were caught by frost and bad weather at harvest- ing. In an ordinary season, however, the navy pea bean or the medium white bean ought to ripen if they are planted on time in the spring. Just the right time to plant beans is hard to determine because here again the condition of the season has much to do with the time of planting. In an average season about the tenth of June is considered to be the proper time to plant beans and if the season is normal there is very little danger that they will not ripen before frost and we usually have some very good weather the early part of September in which to secure the crop but, no- body can advise with any satisfaction when to plant because the character of the season may throw everything out, of joint. My advice about securing proper seed would be to take the matter up with your local county agent. The county agents all over Michigan are paying particular atention to secur- ing proper seed for the crops in their counties and I think this would be the most reliable source to get the infor- mation you require—Colon (l. Lillie. IS IT WISE TO GROVJ BEANS AFTER BEANS? “Would it do to plant beans after beans on good clover sod where only one crop has been taken off? Should beans be billed tip or kept level? What kind of fertilizer is best and how and when applied? Will it do to continue to cultivate when in blossom? Some Others say culti- say don’t do it. vate till ripe. (I. 1. Miller, Ingham county. While it is not a good practice to grow beans after beans or, in fact, have most any crop succeed itself in a rotation, it can be done in numerous instances without any serious loss. The bean crop is very exhaustive to the organic matter in the soil because there is no crop residue to replace this organic matter. When you harvest beans you dig up roots and all, prac- tically, and there is nothing left in the soil like there is with wheat or oats and so if one wishes to grow beans after beans he ought to take particu- ' lar pains . us there is no with vegetable matter and afterwards to replace this vegetable matter as- soon as possible. If you turned under a heavy clover sod you could plobab- 1y get a. good crop of beans again this year although the conditions are not as favorable as they were last year. If you had stable manure so that you could top dress this land now this would help out very much but if you haven’t you are probably safe in plant- ing it again to beans but I would, want to seed it down soon after so as to get some vegetable matter into the soil as soon as possible. Beans ought not to' be hilled up. You should give them level culture. On most Michigan soils, acid phos- phate is all that is necessary to pro- duce a good crop of beans.‘ Where clover sods have been plowed down or where stable manure has been used recently there is almost sure to be sufficient nitrogen to make a good growth but you must have available phosphorous in the soil to develop and ripen the bean. Some soils are bene- fited by a small per cent of potash with the phosphorous and again if your soil is deficient in nitrogen it would be advisable to use a complete fer- tilizer but on most soils phosphorous is the limiting factor. and with this supplied, not, only the yield but the quality of the bean is usually very much improved. I wouldin‘t pay any attention to the blossoming period of the beans about cultivating the soil. If it needs cul- tivating I would cultivate. We should not allow a heavy crust to form on any cultivated land. It you do there is liable to be a lack of moisture fur- nished the growing plant which is nec- essary in its development. Early in the season the ground should be given a good, thorough stirring but later. cultivation should be shallow. in fact. the shallower the better, preventing the evaporation of the moisture. Now if you have this condition in the soil provided you have no weeds then there is no particular need of culti— vating but if the beans are in blossom and you should have a heavy rain on clay ground which forms a heavy crust, don’t pay any attention to the blossom but get the ground in condi— tion for the development of the plitlli. but don’t cultivate when the land is too wet.——('oIon. ('. Lillie. CO-OPERATIVE MARKET- ING OF BREEDING STOCK () (Continued from page Z) repeatedly asked farmer audiences to vote on this question. and invariably 90 per cent of the audience stood up for the dual purpose cow. M. A. C. tells A such cow and teaches our boys that they must either be beet men or dairymen. They place all Shorthorns in the beef class. At the Shortliorn sale at East Lansing the animals are lined up and judged from the beef standpoint alone, and the dairy strains are-shunted to the tail end of the line. This is another case of “Col- lege Theory” vs. the practical needs and demands of Michigan farmers. They work out a theory then hold the farmers nose and ram it down their necks as they are now doing in the po— tato grading deal. Suppose there was no dual purpose cow. Then it is the business of the College and breeders to make such a cow to supply the needs of farm con— ditions in this state. This is what the Central Michigan Shorthorn Breed- ers are doing. The grand old llur— ham cow is not only ”coming back" but she is back. She is back in the corn belt as the greatest beef propo— sition on earth. She is back in New England where she has been bred for milk only, for the past 80 years as a dairy proposition. And she is back in many bends in this part of Michigan as the “farmer’s cow,” paying her ex- penses at the pail and producing beef at a profit to her owner‘. rum, Secretary Central Michigan Shortho‘rn Brecdcrs’ Association, McBrides, Mich. SAGIN'AW (Western) Not quite 'so cold as it has been. The farmers are sell— ing a few beans at $7 pcrbu. In regard to the potato situation, there isn't enough in this vicinity to supply local demand.— G. L., St. Charles, Feb. 9. . ST. JOSEPH (North Centrat‘.)—-Weath- e rat present is fine, but roads Wlll con- tinue bad for some time, as the snow is three feet deep in places and some has softened so horses step in badly. The coal situation is better, but far from nor- mal; last week Mendon received two cars. which sold for $10.00 per ton on board cars. This was soft coal. Some different thin the promised 5 or 33 dollar coal. The farmers are selling some wheat. Hay is scarce at $25 per ton in the barn. Am looking for a hay famine later on, as most farmers are shy on hay. EnJoyed your biography of H. Winegarden, the Flint Commission man. fine. I think you diagnosed the case 100 per cent. _I dont think he stated all the facts in 1113 coni— plaint. The farmers do not claim they cannot sell their potatoes, but they do claim they are unable to sell their crop so as to realize a small profit. There are several factors that have had a depress- ing influence on the potato market, name- ly: Last fall certain people. claimed that on account of Michigan’s record(?) yield potatoes should sell at retail for $1.00 or less. and scores of city people, who real— ly believed it, refused to lay in their winter’s supply unless they could get them at $1.00 or less. You know what kind of a price litis meant to the grower; conse- quently he pitted his, or put them in the. cellar. These same city people have been paying from $1.50 to $1.80 for their po— tatoes this winter. Other reasons for the conditions have been car shortage. un- just grading rules, and the much heralded report of a bumper yield. I think when pits are opened this spring that a big surplus will be lacking—H. A. H., Men— don, Feb. 9 (‘HEBOYGAN (South)—T0day is the first real warm day since December. Jan- uary passed without a thaw. All quiet along farm lines. There will be aspell of quietness now for it will be impossible to do anything until the snow settles. We said some time ago that 90 per cent of the potatoes buried in the fields were frozen. and now some farmers tell us we can add the other 10 per cent and be safe. We hope it is not as bad as that. but it surely will be bad enough. If this is so the acreage planted in Cheboygan county this spring will be cut in the mid— dl‘e. There will be a cattle breeders’ meet— ing at (Theboygan on Saturday, Feb. 16. State speakers will be present—Wolver— inc, Feb. (‘HEBOYGAN (Northwest)——There are lots of potatoes frozen in the cellars. and nearly every farmer has lost some. A good demand for hay but the farmers are not hauling any on account of the snow which is piled up to the depth of eight feet in the roads in many places—— n, W'. R, ltiggsville. Feb. 9. GRAND TRAVERSE (Northeast) ——.-\t present cold weather still prevails. Not much doing on this account, except wood cutting; a little bean threshing but the beans are in bad condition; farmers are obliged to sell them to canning factories for whatever they will bring. Feed is high. such as corn and oats, can not get cars to load cattle and hogs on account of car shortage and blockadiiig of trains lvy snow—4,3. L. B., V‘Villiamsburg, Feb. 5. All])LA.\‘D~~The weather has been e-x- ti-cniely cold. Farmers are busy doing (‘lial'vrw‘ and getting up buzz wood. A few beans are going to market. A num- ber of farmers are trying to get tile to lay in the spring and they seem to be scarce on account of shortage of cars to ship them infield. A. l... Coleman, Fcb. 8. B.\\' (Southeast)—VVeathcr very cold; roads filled full of snow. Four houses burned here this week—VJ. C. A” Feb. 7 (ll-)NESIGI‘} (SoutheasM—Farmcrs are not do‘ing anything except necessary chores. The. weather has been extremely cold, between 25 and 530 degrees below zero in several places Tuesday morning. The ground is covered With snow, vary- ing in depth from a few inches to several feet, making a good protection for fail planted crops. Farmers are not selling any grain or potatoes at this time. Cat— tle and hogs are moving quite freely. A big demand for hay and straw and corn- staLks, but there is not much to be had at any price.—-C. W. S., Fenton, Feb. 7. M'ANISTEE (Northwest)—Thel‘c is a very litic activity in the moving of farm produce here now, as the roads are almost impassable. The local dealers are, hand- ling a few beans if hand—picked. If we sold them as they came from the machine. we would not have anything left, so the most of us are picking our beans. The potato market is dead here. I do not think there are any more potatoes in this county than there was a. year ago today, and we are feeding some of them. I be— lieve there is still half of the potatoes in the farmers' hands in this township. 1f we do not get something for them soon we will have to count on something else next year or go to the wall. We can not stand two years of this kind of a deal. There are lots of farmers who are doing without hay now because they broke up meadows last spring to plant beans and potatoes; they see their mistake now, but it is too late-C. H. 8., Bear Lake, Feb. 7. MONTCALM (Soutluaast)—-There is a large demand for all kinds of feed except corn in the shock, which we are unable to draw on account of its being frozen to the ground. "Not so much hay is being sold, owing to the condition of the roads. A large amount of potatoes are being hauled and some are being stored in the warehouses until buyers receive cars. A small amount of produce is being held for higher prices. Weather is very cold with a very large amount otsnow on the ground.—-—W. L, Greenville, Feb. 8. LAPEER (Southeast)~—Auction sales have started; stock and tools selling very high; good sheep selling from $18 to $25 a head, cows around $65 to $75, horses not so good. Everybody eating Liberty bread and they seem to like it. \Ve will eat anything as long as it helps us win the wan—C. A. B., Imlay City, Feb. 0. Missaukee (Southwest)———Nothing doing except chores. been snowed in four or five days without mail.——H. E. N., Cutch- eon, Feb. 7. LAl’EER (West Ventral) Farmers are hauling all the wood to town that they can get cut. Many have been holding po- tatoes but they are now being frozen in the cellars. The cold weather the past couple of weeks has frozen many calves and chickens. Lambs in feeding nearly all.\sold.—E. R. S., Lapeer, Feb. 10 MECOSTA (Southeast)———Nothing much to report in this part of the county as the cold weather and snow have tied up business. Feed is scarce. A good many farmers would have been ahead if they had knocked their stock in the head and sold what feed they had. It makes one disgusted with the Whole thing when one reads of men starting out a few years ago and becoming rich in buying and sell— ing the very things the farmer is toiling fourteen hours a day to raise and barely managing to keep body and soul together. Potatoes are moving slowly at $1.20 per cwt. There are very few potatoes left in fariners’ hands here. They may change the grading rules or not just as they please, but it has already had the effect to determine the farmers here to cut the acreage at least 50 per cent—F. M. E., Millbrook, Feb. 8. EMMET (Ewan—Wood cutting order of the day here. The farmers are not selling much, all seem to think there is a better day coming. There is a good demand for clover hay, it is selling at $18 a ton. Most farmers here will raise only from one to five acres the coming year. Barley will be about the main crop, to take the place of corn in hog feeding—H. W., Levering. LAPEEB (Northeast)———There is nothing doing in this part of the county. the snow is so deep the farmers cannot get around to do anything but chores. The trains have their hard times as well as the farmers for they are blocked about half of the time. Farmers are talking of put- ting in more beets and less potatoes and beans this year. They do not like the potato grading system.—~—I. G. 8.. North Branch, Feb. 9. TUSCOLA (Northeast)~—Weather has been very cold; many potatoes frozen in the cellars. Not much grain being sold. Some farmers are picking beans. (foal still scarce and wood in good demand at K375 to $3.00 per cord.——S, S. (lass City, Feb. 9. ‘ LAI‘EER (“'est (lentrnl)~~.\'o produce or stock moving in this vicinity on ac- count of the condition of the roads. \Vheat is well covered, but some farmers are afraid the wheat is damaged already. Some farmers have been forced to dig some. of their corn out of the deep snow. Reed. is very scarce in this locality, espec- ially seed (NHLVAU. R. l’.~ Lapwi‘, Feb. 9. TUSCOLA (Central)»—l<‘arniers are do- ing nothing but chores here. it is report— ed that most of the potatoes were frozen in the cellar. Farmers are holding what beans they have for seed; there are not many left. There is going to be a scar- city of seed corn. A wagonload which came. to Caro last week sold for $4.00 a bu. in the ear and only tested 66733. it came from north of Carox—v—R .T’,. t‘_. (Taro. Feb. fl. CASS (Northwest)*—Farmcrs are, about done butchering for their summer’s meat. Roads are in bad shape. Sonic farmers are hauling grain to market. Not many hogs left in these parts; some fat steers left. Some farm sales being held; (‘zllllv hogs and sheep and machinery are bring— ing good prices, but horses are slow sale. Some farmers are buying.r tractors. 7W. ll. A., Dowagiac, Feb. 0. lVl'ACOMB (Northwestl-e Farmers arc busy cutting wood. drawing in iced tor stock, etc. A few farmers are having their beans dried. they get a better price for them. Not many farmers :‘nltl their potatoes and the most oi‘ them have ln‘t'll frozen in the cellars.—--»ll. ll, .\luiont. Feb— ruary 9. CLARE (Southwest)~—Farmers are get- ting wood and doing chores. Nothing is moving to markets on account of the bad weather. Wood is selling at $2 a cord.“ D. 13., Lake, Feb. OCEANA (Soutlieust)—The roads are, in bad condition; no produce. being mar- keted. only a few beans. Farmers are. cutting wood and doing chores—A. F. M., Hesperia, Feb. 7. ARENAC (East) Some produce is bp— ing marketed. Draft is taking a lot ol’ our farm help. Gething out wood is the order of the day. hipments are being held up by lack of cars. M. B. it. Twin— ing. Feb. 9. EMMET (Southeast) ”This county has taken a step forward and now has a county agent. Alanson Arbor had an open meeting last Saturday evening and invit- ed in the public. County Agent K. K. Vining was present and he gave us a good talk, telling What he. hopes to do and how he hopes to do it. Doing chores and cut— ting wood is the occupation of the farm— ers now.~W. H C_ Alanson, Feb. NEWAYGO (North)—-Plenty of snow here. Farmers are feeding potatoes to stock. I don’t think there will be many for sale around here in the spring. The price of feed and the price of potatoes .izntgeghehgvayl tlijgtgradf do them makes po- . 0 ea 00 w —- White Cloud, Feb. 9. e have' C' B" is the OUS. Fully ripened antcc. points in orders. plication. weepstakes Pedigreecl Seed Corn Copyright 1 91 5 “lllllllllllll||||IIIIl||lIllIlIllllllllllllIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllillllillllllllllllll The Corn that makes the farmer satisfied and prosper- Makcs the best cnsilagc in 80 days. and glazed in 90 days. Sold under yellow tag guar— Wc have established distribution Michigan and solicit Catalogue and Price List on ap- ~l. C. R. ASS’N, INC. ELMIRA, N. Y., U. S. A. ll llllllllllllllll|I|llllllllllllllllllllllllIlllll THE LITTLE WONDER Tl LE DI TCHER Will Save 80% of Your Work Will ship to any responsible party sub- ject to approval, without a cent in ad— vance, absolute satisfaction guaran— teed. Write for terms and circular. EDW. JFSCHKE, 414 Lynne St, Bellevue, Ohio . (‘LKNTON (“'esl (‘ontrnl)#llallas and \Vestphalia townships are not heavy po~ talo producers. liast year about 20 car loads were imported for the two town- ships. This year there might have been a small surplus if it had not been for the unusually cold winter. The prospects arc that from 5 to l5 per cent of potatoes will freeze and will be useless for human food. As it is the western part of" Clinton coun— ty will probably h:i\'~ inst cuough for its own use s ’l‘. ll.. i<‘owl-.i', Feb. ‘3. Hlll.\\\'.\ls'h‘l‘llil (\‘i'csl (Vp‘lirrihl)”"laill'lil" or: are hauling sonic ice which is of \‘ci‘y good quality. .\ little grain is bcing |;il.~ en lo ll’llll'léct; Houn- bonus being hwlrl. Auction malts \vcll (liltlltled and (WM) lhiu}: sells \vrrll cXI'r‘llt horses. Most :lil cv-l'ars in thch parts have been visited by .lack Frost. doing some, damage to pcsa- trvcs and other V'egclalilcs.-~-l\'. l’. li.. flwosso, 'lt‘cb, ll. 'l‘llSt‘OLA (“’e:«~t)~-~.\Jot much doing: on account of the stormy weather. ’l‘bi'csh— ing and corn husking at a. standstill on account of roads being buried with l‘rniii three to five. feet of snow. 'l‘lu-rc is about 10 per cent of the corn yet in the lit ld :. Sugar beet (tullil‘fla‘illlgz‘ going slow; look..- like small acreage in this locality. Stock for the co—operative elevator at Ree-w is being freely taken by the fill'lll(‘l'S.—-—(‘. lL. Reese, Feb. 2. LIVINGSTON (Ventral)vwlt‘armers arc not selling anything are, having lrtllllvl<~ to get dairy fem.- (l. A. \V., Fmvlcrvillc. Feb. HURON ((‘ientralrr We have, had lrt‘lul‘ weather this week. Farmers are, at illl‘ same old job, getting up wood and some are looking for feed which is scarce and high.———G. W., Elkton Feb. ANTBIM (Southwest) Not much l'ariu produce. is being marketed on account of the bad weather; potato marketing is very quiet, what are being sold are bring— ing about 80c a. bu. Not many beans are being sold; most of tho threshing has been done and the bean crop has proveu a very poor one and of very poor quality. No. 1 hay is selling for $24 a ton; cats at; 750 per “ll.; eggs at 45c a doz.; butter 40c to 450. Cattle are very high: good cows are worth from $65 to 90. We. are having a sugar-less communi our vil— lages Without sugar.—C. H. B., Alden. Feb. 3. SANILAC (Southeast) Markets dull. Some new iiiilch cows and hay are being sold at. high prices. Sonic oats and llvll‘V being licld for higher prices—N l \. (‘., (‘rosyvclL Feb. 2'. i .- 21 l‘“ (llti‘i’l‘l’O’l‘efi'l‘lie l'ni‘nici's arc :‘clling their grain. Quite. a lot of cats ziru being sold, 84o looks pin My good to most tarni— ers although I know one who is holding loi' $l.~i.l. l‘I. 1‘, lTannislcr. li‘cb. l3. 105(1) (I‘Iust) \VcdHh-i' cniisitlwl'ubl‘.’ warmer and the rillu\\ :cllllzzit‘. l >aw nii Ilciii iii onc of our lcciil Ict'L that lllt‘)’ \\wi‘- n ol dispensing with Hun lullwl‘S to the cf- m run: the. matter rmzil illitll routes. Another crawl. at lln- llii‘nici'. I wonder n hat w1ll (‘I'lllt‘ n *\l .‘. l.., ’l‘awxis City lv‘cb. ll. " HRANFH (North) l~‘.ii‘nier.s are. doing chores and curing wcml. \Vcalher rather unsettled. Soil well covered but frozen (loefx' lt‘ill‘llll‘l‘S selling sonic stock and nood: ai'c llt-l, holding anything; neither are they building ”1' b lying niuch. Sen.“ al sales this ‘d’w‘lx'. l'h-d is getting ycrv high and is hard to gait-(fay, S. Union Wily, Feb. I , ' MONROE (Hasnw-t‘tild weather and very little produce moving to Itch—41}. ll. 31.. R'ltilll‘tlt“ Feb. 8. IHCNZII‘} this place and farmers fcai' trccs are badly (lztlll'rlge‘tlr "(1, I] in. Feb. 4. siNILAC' Hurst)» Farmers are busy trying to get wood; no coal to be had Several people in this vicinity have a con; sidci'able bit of wood but you can‘t buy a stick of them for any price; one man in particular has near lo ‘(tt‘l‘t‘s ot‘ good wood and will not sell. There. should be some way of making such a, man sell at least in such times as this when , hci‘e inar— that fruit ., l'iellZOIls fuel is so scarce}. 1 liast yea r pine roots were quite pen 1 u )U[ lhcy are. verv sca winter. .. rce this Not much li‘iy moving on ac . . t _ CO of the car situation; railroads in this pill]: of the country are in bad condition on ac-- count of the. severe storms. Beans have i‘fzicheg $13.00 per cwt., and not much in i or ie armors at that ricc.—~ - hictii‘egol‘, li‘cb. D H. A. B" OTSI‘JGQ (Solitliwcst)——VVeather is bet»- ter than it has been. The farmers are still busy hauling logs and wood.——C. A. Gaylord, Feb. 9. ’ (Southwestl ‘l‘WIt‘ly below at . .— Never was there a time when it was so im- portant that £211 get ev ounce of butter- _ fat. Never fore shoul you save as much time and labor as possible. With cream and butter commanding top prices you actually throw good money away ,. when you waste the smallest particle of butter-fat by old-fashioned methods of separating or by using an out of date model separator: “f’Gallowaylg‘ll Sanitaryasepa‘ralo Then you know positively. that you are getting all the rated capacity. But in the splring and summer when cream. _A seientific rinciple I [employ makes ssible the grass is . on and the m1 . skimming clean, mg 1'. down to the last drop. y new a separator ike the Galloway. Then time counts. A 1918 se arator is not just a warm weather skimmer. few minutes saved in the morning and evenin mean But w en ur cows are on feed this New Sani- just that much more time in the fields. And ’ some- tary Mode .Wlll skim just as ose as when the cows thing turns up and you cannot skim when the milking are pasturing. Then, too, in cold weather you are is done the milk gets cold. You should have 8 Gal]- not so particular if your separator_doesn’t skim up to way New Sanitary. I know it is the best skimmer m - -. And the biggest thing about my wonderful New Sanitary, next to its perfect skimmmg qualities, is that the price is right. Yes, I know there are lots of sepa- ‘ rators at about the same price as mine and even less. But the Galloway is not to be compared with them. A too cheap separator is not economy. It’s just as ‘ (hadtovaytoolittleastoomuch. MySanitaryisintheclass of the bestmachineabut issoldatafair llo‘omlnary Separalor Will Do-Own'a Galloway Times are too strenuous to depend on just-an average separator. Gets Galloway and play safe. Examine a Galloway thoroughly. Test one for 90 days. Note its strong, sturdy base with just ' enough touching the floor for a perfect brace, yet sanitary. See its big, roomy seamless supply , ." tank of pressed steel: Heavy tinware ; Sanitary bowl ; its self-centering neck ._' - bearing and simple but effective two-piece lower bearing. Then look at the discs which separate from each other for washing. Takes only a few of them toskim a lot of milk. Note the cream pail shelf and bowl vise combined in one. with hinge for lowering. Examine its helical drive gear; high crank shaft (just 50 revolutions per minute); its high carbon steel worm wheel shaft; big. durable worm wheel; oil bath and sanitary drip pan. These are features that make the Galloway supreme. Mall _Coupon for My FREE Book! Dothis at once. Get the big spring edition of my 1918 Catalog. Find out how much on can save when you buy direct. And not only on Separators bu on SpreaderaEn ines.T1~sctors.andotherim laments alwell. flare is proof that my unitary Separator does all claim : // “ I had some of the milk skimmed by our New Galloway Sanitary (keen Se /"/; to: tested b’bm State Farm Bureau man and he found only .01 of lper cent / 0/ or utter-fat in the skim milk." —C. 8. 1100011135, New Pa. ‘ %// e " ‘ “k: name; “I" “a:- ‘ We at: a my...“ I ‘ ’ G. use are r ' f. , 4 c“:ny but .‘h‘fiiowé'firf‘hsm K. VIGK. Gainer-Jaws. WM. GALLOWAY. Pres. WI“. Galloway (0. 4147 Galloway Station. WATERLOO. I0 , En‘ ', w ». v ~< Masai-y Galloway Power Let the Galloway Engine take the place of man power that is scarce and high. need. It is the one real substituatle and it w lsave 3: ‘ th bargain. A G oway 0!!sz is one zgigntagle implements you can own. Every day at the week. rain or shine, sweltering or'zero weather. it’s on thejobfrom morning until nightandit s reliable. dependable for outside or inside work. I can save you his money on my engines because I sell them direct to you straight from my factory. Here are Galloway’s lalcsl .Elclglnt lmorovemcn rat—every away engine is a real farm argument 1" fame mm mm #33:; bees s e way e wug‘hstarm jobs. All parts are perfectly balanced, stands erde and interchangeable. Runs at uniform axed. Starts easy. No crankinga Ifiesvalves-in-hesegelg:I uto- mobile Engines. Make an real: iznlfienfiam 1mm .,__» to ' - toemeadhm‘ll.r.ii':adisallthetmne. Andtfigbutw Galloway New No. 8 Low Do Spreader .. - wn Here are some new f _ . eatures th No. 8 the begs! its kind and lightaegtlilnam¥ ohms... mem-“i’tée‘l “k“ “mm ““9 ‘ - t. ted . meme“ _ ‘1 ‘rom thls Adg°rts Ev. boys) Order Dhlgvo'" "tidrthzgrdeln’td ’mfiuble of l" pofltpa m.“ H ° "“ 'fnglni’g‘ét “gffiflifin: m9" ‘ $.13th .. ' is 8°“ 3, an). ‘ men during 5" mo sup 7 'ngtant fresh meta“ yourfi before M the: home“- neto rod hot spark. Muires no . marina genteel. Sold direct at big savmg.