The County Democrat. (Tecumseh, Okla.), Vol. 25, No. 38, Ed. 1 Friday, June 20, 1919 Page: 3 of 10
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TH* COUNTY DEMOCRAT, TECUMSEH. OKLA
mUozUaS
A SHADE
V/AE--
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:0* A
MERCHANT NOT ALWAYS TO BLAME WHEN
PRODUCTS FAIL TO BRING BIG RETURNS
The Commission Merchant Can Sell the Crate of Strawberries on the Left,
but He Shuold Not Be Held Responsible for Falling to Dispose of the
Others.
(Prepared by tbe United States Depart-
ment of Agriculture.)
Many farmers who have consigned
products to commission merchants
have experienced trouble at one time
or another and have accused the mid-
dleman with unfair dealings. In some
cases, perhaps too often, there have
been betrayals of trust on the part of
city dealers, but all the shortcomings
attributed to the commission business
are not the fault of the merchant. In
all contracts between producers and
their agents, the commission men, each
party has certain rights and certain
duties and unless one of the parties
performs all of his duties he has no
right to blame the other party for
failure to secure the best results, says
the United States department of agri-
culture.
An example of how the commission
merchant Is sometimes fnlsely accused
Is told by a bureau of markets special-
ist who, early In his farming experi-
ence made frequent use of these mer-
chants as a medium of marketing farm
products. Many of his consignment
deals were disappointing, he says, and
It was easy to drop to the ranks of
those who condemn before they In-
vestigate. Among the berries he pro-
duced were a few of such attractive
appearance and appetizing flavor that
It was natural to believe that ship-
ment of such fruit to the city market
ought to be profitable, Imagine his
surprise and indignation when his first
shipment of these superior berries was
reported as “undesirable,” and “soft”
and “leaking." He determined to In-
vestigate, made another shipment, and
arrnnged to be present, though un-
known, when the sale was made. He
was able to Identify his berries in the
city market by a stencil number on
each crate. He was astonished to
learn that, however fine the berries
might have been when eaten fresh
from the field, they were so soft and
tender that they could not reach the
market In attractive condition. The
commission man could not be blamed
for the unfavorable sales which re-
sulted ; and this experience taught the
grower to raise varieties that were
not only good but which would carry
well.
Avoid Competing With Yourself.
One grower who gave great care
to his pack had created a sharp de-
mand for his products, end his brand
was sought by discriminating buyers, j iji
to force your own Ideas
the trade ought to con-
rather than
ns to what
sume.
S. Make regular shipments. Instead
of making the city commission district
the dumping ground for what your lo-
cal dealers will not buy, keep your
city agent regularly supplied with
what his trade will take, thereby help-
ing him stabilize the business In which
you are both concerned.
4. Keep each other Informed. Early
In the shipping season the farmer
should give his agent a careful esti-
mate of what may be expected, and
no material changes in Lie quantity
of the regular shipme t should be
made, unless prompt no leo Is given
the agent In order that he may secure
purchasers In ease of Increase or
arrange to care for his regular cus-
tomers tfushlpments wiU not meet re-
quirement?., Successful shippers make
frequent use of the telegraph or long-
distance telephone to keep agents
posted as to changes In shipments.
The agent should also be expected to
keep the shipper Informed as to any
changes In the requirements of the
market.
5. Avoid frequent changes In agents.
Some shippers prefer to divide their
shipments each day among numerous
commission merchants In the same
market. While It may be wise under
certain conditions to check one agent
by the sales of another the most suc-
cessful consignor seems to be the one
who selects an agent with great care
and then sticks to him, co-operating
with him In every possible way and
carefully scrutinizing all settlements.
The honest agent Is glad to do his part
in such “teamwork” and welcomes the
most exacting examination of his
methods.
* CULLING THE FLOCK
(Prepared by the United States De-
partment of Agriculture.)
In some sections of the coun-
try culling the youngsters can be
commenced very shortly now. It
is as essential that this be done
as culling the flock next summer.
All chicks when broiler-size that
do not come up to the standard
In vigor should be disposed of or
eaten. They never have paid and
never will.
STERILIZATION OF UTENSILS
Necessary for Production of Dairy
Products of High Quality, Par-
ticularly Milk.
(Prepared by the United States Depart-
ment of Agriculture.)
Sterilization of dairy utensils Is nec-
essary for the production of dairy
products of high quality, particularly
milk and cream, because the washing
of dairy utensils, at least the proc-
ess oM’.narUy nsed, )s not sufficient
to Insure freedom from Infection and
contamination.
Since he feared that one commission ]
merchant would not be able to dls- |--
pose of his entire crop to advantage,
he divided his dally shipment among
four commission men In the same
town. Not being satisfied with the re-
turns, he visited the city and dis-
covered that the four dealers to whom
he was shipping were located not only
on the same street, but In the same
storeroom. The shipper’s fancy-packod
products were on sale at four places,
and buyers were forcing tbe four
‘dealers to compete, with a resultant
cut In prices. The farmer changed
his method, shipped all of this product
to one agent who could set a fancy
price for this fancy pack, and there
was no competition to destroy his
market.
Suggestions to Shippers,,
For those who contemplate the use
of commission men as marketing
agents, the bureau of markets offers
the following suggestions:
1. Know your agent. Select one
who has a reputation backed by expe-
rience, an advantageous location, and
competent help. A personal visit will
help the farmer in deciding these
points. Have a clear understanding
as to charges to be made for services—
selling, cartage, storage, repacking,
etc. Avoid unknown firms that make
unreasonable promises as to what they
will do with shipments. Among so
many dealers It Is not surprising that
some get business through fraudulent
representation and drop out of sight
as soon as a “clean-up” has been ef-
fected.
2. Know your market. From your
carefully selected agent learn the
needs of the market, the most desir-
able varieties to raise, proper contain-
ers In which to pack and ship, style
of pack most desired, the use of labels
or brands, proper amounts and time of
shipment and local preferences. such
as that for white eggs in Chicago and
for brown eggs In Rostra. Try to
cuter to
HomeTown
SEES BILLBOARD AS EYESORE
Writer Denounces Monstrosity as Dei
etructlve to Every Standard
of Civic Beauty.
Reasonable people no longer expect
to tnke a railroad Journey without hav-
ing to look at billboards advertising
shaving soap or toothpowder, set In the
midst of the choicest scenery.
It lends a shudder to the thought of
man's conquest of the air that soon,
perhaps, we shall see the sky plastered
over with chewing gum nds, a writer 1
In the Boston Globe laments. With 1
what regret shall we look back to the !
days when we could lift up our eyes i
to the clouds ns a relief from the griev- I
ous handiwork of man. But not much !
longer. The dark underside of u good j
black storm cloud Is too good a bill- j
board to be neglected. Directly the |
ert of throwing letters of light against j
tbe heavens is perfected we shall need '
a “blue sky” law with a vengeance.
Within certain limits the billboard i
has Its proper function, one which no '
one need resent. It is largely a ques- ,
tlon of “the eternal fitness of things”
We do not resent a screeching mon-
strosity of lumber and paint which de-
files the serenity of a placid landscape
or the privacy of a residential street
by attempting to blackjack our Intel-
lects Into buying some particular brand
of some particular article which we do
not want. A public opinion which tol-
?rates this wholesale disfigurement
must be In a somewhat rudimentary
state ns regards Its standards of civic
beauty. Eyes which nre forced to
grow accustomed to such physical ugli-
ness grow desensitized to ugliness of
all sorts and are prone to.tolerate ugly
speech and thought and action.
IDZIJ- NeW,
Plant-
url Il.Noultorv.
CITY LOOKS TO THE FUTURE
Cleveland Planning Not Only to Pro-
• vide Homes, but Wholesome
Amusement for Citizens.
Cleveland, O., which has been one
of the first cities to begin building on
an extensive scale, will not only pro-
vide for the needs of Its homemakers
who must have dwellings, but will
make sure that all Its residents have
amusement during the summer months.
As a means of making the city a bet-
ter place for returning soldiers as well
•a more attractive to Its other citizens
recreation centers will be established
at verlous convenient places.
According to Information sent to the
United States department of labor
Cleveland has set aside $500,000 for
the purpose of providing these recrea-
tion centers when the city goes dry.
Six of these will be opened on prin-
cipal corners and will be fitted up In
a most inviting and nrtistlc style. A
$10,000 log cabin has been erected In
Garfield park, and a boathouse costing
$150,000 Is to be built In Edgewater
park. New parks will also be opened.
This enterprise Is suggestive of the
development of the Idea of community
life, for the recreation centers have
great possibilities as clubhouses of the
future, where citizens may assemble
to pass evenings in healthful relaxa-
tion.
Advertisements on Trees.
Already in nine states the nailing of
advertisements onto trees, sides of
barns and fences within the limits of
highways and on property of persons
owning land, without the owner’s per-
mission. is prohibited by law, Col. Ed-
ward S. Cornell, secretary of the Na-
tional Highways Protective society,
stated at Boston when commenting on
the work his society Is doing to beau-
tify and preserve the highways of the
United States.
Aside altogether from the stand-
point of beauty, said Colonel Cornell,
nailing of advertisements onto trees
is harmful to the trees themselves and
also the fact that heavy nails are left
embedded In the wood renders the
work of eawiig them into lumber dan-
gerous to the workers later.
Colonel Cornell added that a bill to
prohibit unlawful signs on highways
had recently been Introduced In the
lower house of the Illinois legislature.
Soy beans make first-rate hay, and
about as much per acre as clover.
* • *
The tractor Is releasing more and
more feeu for milk Rnd meat animals.
• • •
The growing of sweet clover Is very
little different from the growing of red
clover.
• • •
Peas require a cool climate and
plenty of moisture for their best de-
velopment.
• • •
Sweet corn Is very susceptible to
weather conditions, particularly tbe
early plantings.
• • •
The extra labor required to keep
weeds under control Is probably the
greatest economic loes which they
canes.
• • •
To be sure, some fanners do nne
poor, out-of-date farm Implements, but
instead of earing them money H coets
Worker#* Home Urged.
The war provided r. great impetus
to the movement for decent homes for
employees, said Noble Foster Hoggson,
president of Hoggson Bros., builders,
of New York.
“Under governmental auspices and
with government money,” he added,
“plants engaged In war work under-
took to create villages designed along
model lines to house their workmen,
and so reduce shifting of labor from
place to place.
“To Ignore our housing needs In our
future calculations will be no less than
a calamity. A man holds his home
sacred above all things. Take hi*
home away or the right to create a
home and you will produce wanderers
living under conditions Dot fit for ani-
mals. Tbe result Is new members for
Incipient bolshevlsts.”
MONO the many scientific
discoveries brought about
by tbe war Is tbe fact that
In kudzu. a leguminous
plant, this country pos-
sesses one of the hardiest
and most valuable forage
plants known. Indeed, this
remarkable vine seems des-
tined to become one of
the leading sources of
wealth In certain sections
of the United States. Especially Is
this true of the southern states, where
the slow development of agriculture
has been due In large measure to the
lack of good nutritious pastures and
of roughage that lasts throughout the
entire yenr.
While kudzu Is by no means a new
plant, It was only a year ago that any
extensive experiments were made with
It; the number of farms on which It
was grown was Insignificant. In fact.
It appears not to have been studiously
cultivated anywhere until a Florida
man made the accidental discovery
that his live stock seemed to prefer It
to any other kind of forage plant and
that they waxed fat upon It. As this
was at a time wheb the high cost of
feed forced many farmers to reduce
the dally allowance of their animals,
he hastened to plnnt a number of acres
to kudzu, with the most satisfactory re-
sults.
Builds Up Poor Land.
It was not only as a feed for 1.1s
farm animals that he discovered vir-
tue In tbe plant, however. lie found
that, by reason of Its power of extract-
ing nitrogen from the air through
the medium of the bacteria on Its roors
and adding this essential element to
the soil. It quickly built up poor and
worn-out land, making It fertile and
productive. In this respect he be-
lieves It even superior to clover, al-
falfa and other leguminous plants. Last
season he made the best corn ever
grown In Florida, averaging 00 bush-
els to the acre, on land that the sea-
son before had been planted to kudzu,
and this without any fertilizer what-
ever. What made the experiment more
interesting was the fact that this land
previously never produced n good crop
of any sort, being considered practi-
cally worthless.
All this came about as the result of
a few vines which had been planted
on the lawn of his home for orna-
mental purposes. Kudzu makes n
beautiful growth, the leaves being of
a dark green, and Is one of tbe fastest
growers known, producing a dense
shade In a very short time. On the
lawn of this Florida man It wus grown
to cover a summer house.
So rapid was its growth. In fnct, that
after the second year he grubbed It
out ns something of a nuisance, be-
cause the vlnea trailed all over the
lawn, making It Impossible to keep the
growth confined to the summer house.
The three roots so dug up were thrown
on n trash pile In one corner of the
yard, with the Idea that, since It
wanted, to run on the ground, it would
grow and conceal the trash pile.
It not only did tills the first season,
but continued to reach out until It cov-
ered ull the adjoining fences, finally
reaching the burn lot, where the fam-
ily horse was kept. According to Its
owner, the horse literally wore his
mane off reaching under the bars of
the fence for the vine, while the neigh-
bors’ cattle und hogs continually broke
through the fence to get It.
Becoming ulurmed, lest the plnnt
might be poisonous, the owner of the
horse sent some of It to the depart-
ment of agriculture for an opinion. On
lenitilng from this source that kudzu
had no poisonous properties that were
known of. lie began Investigating and
experimenting, with the result that It
was found by repeated analyses to con-
tain an average of 17 per cent of pro-
tein, In one Instance the percentage
being 10.82. i'ho average percentage
of protein in alfalfa Is 14.3 per cent.
On a measured spare 30 feet square
he cut during one season at the rate
of 11 tons cured hay at four cuttings.
Tills, however, was an exceptionally fa-
vorable season, there being no late
frosts, and the first cutting was ready
May 1. The second cutting was made
June 11, the third the last of July, and
the fourth early In September.
While it is not clnlfned thnt kudzu
will make four cuttings every season,
nor yield 11 tons per acre at a cutting
it Is believed th it a safe estimate Is
from two to three cuttings, with a
yield of from four to six tons per
acre, anywhere (hat the plant may
be grown under fnvornble circum-
stances, und experiments have proved
that It Is perfectly hardy all over the
United States, enduring the winters as
fur north as Nova Scotia.
Needed in the South.
What Is needed In the South espe-
cially, Is a forage that stock enn live
nnd keep fat on the yenrnround. There
are many valuuhle cultivated crops
thnt make Immense yields, but their
period of mature life Is short, making
frequent plantings necessary In order
to have a complete succession. The
velvet bean, for Instance, Is an all-sea-
soii crop, but It Is not ready to feed
until November. The cowpea, so.v
bean, and the various sorghums and
millets are good forage crops, but nil
must he planted In succession nnd cul-
tivated for best results. Furthermore,
in the ease of crops that must be har-
vested before feeding, the farmer lias
only a few days In which to get it
In Its prime condition, something thut
is Impossible If rains are frequent.
Again, all the legumes, with the ex-
ception of kudzu, nre open to objec-
tion through dropping their leaves and
shattering while curing and harvest-
ing. And a heavy rain on them, or
any of the grasses, hays or fodders dinn-
ing the period of curing means seri-
ous Injury If not complete ruin.
Kudzu’s Hardy Qualities.
Kudzu. however, possesses none of
these disadvantages. One planting
lasts for many years nnd It may ha
cut or pastured at any time during the
season, In north Florida, from about
the middle of April until frost comes.
And where there Is a growth left la
the ground, stock will feed on It alt
winter. Stock, In fact, have bee*
known to eat the dead leaves and vlnea
which have lain out and weathered
until March, when It was hauled In for
bedding, In preference to the best hay
that could be bought. The vines do
not bloom or bear seed, und Its roots
penetrate the soil deeply, for which
reason they remain green and full
of life during the entire growing sea-
son. Accordingly, the hay cun be cut
tiny time when weather conditions nre
suitable for curing hay, as kudzu la
not Injured by waiting for good weath-
er us other lmy crops are. In fact,
even If kudzu Is thoroughly soaked
during the curing period, It will after-
wards show little effect of wetting.
Most people might think that, be-
cause kudzu Is a vine. It must be very
difficult to cut nnd handle It ns a bay
crop. On (he contrary, experience ha*
shown that It Is no more trouble to
cut or handle than a heavy crop of
rod clover. Mexican clover, crahgrass.
or any other hay that makes a matted
growth, while It Is much ensler to han-
dle thnn either cowpea or velvet bean
hay. Unlike the cowpea und velvet
bean, kudzu Is anchored to the ground
every few Inches, nnd so the vines can-
not drag ahead of the mower blade, as
In llie case of peas and beans.
Kudzu should be propagated by
, means of the rooted plants, for when
these plants are removed to new fields
they carry with them the bacteria, on
the tubercles of their roots, which ore
necessary to Inoculate the new soil In
order to secure the best results. Whea
the plnnt becomes well established 11
needs no further cultivation, being
able to control native weeds and
grasses without assistance. The roots
live for many years nnd do not require
replanting after the first season. ;
The proper time for planting kudzn
is two or three weeks In advance of
corn plnnflng. or n little earlier If
one can get the ground ready. A full
crop of corn may he grown on the
same land during the first year by
simply dropping the grains between
the plants. Neither crop will Inter-
fere with the other and both need
about the same attention. The ground,
however, should be left smooth and
level at the last cultivation to permit
aasy rooting of the vines or runners
and subsequent mowing for hay. After
the first year the kudzu will not need
any cultivation at all. as the vines will
root at the Joints.
Tore Important Question*.
No questions are of greater impor-
tance to the family than the water
supply and the disposal of Its sewage.
Th* prospective builder should make
certain thdt theoe problems are solved
before he does anything alas, for they
Uo at the foundation of the entire
health aw
MUCH IN LITTLE
Mrs. Marshall Stetson of Hanson
stuffed and baked 40 chicken* for
the supper nerved at the Red Men *
hall.
Detailed aoll survey* covering 38,138
square mile* of the United State*
were madw last year by department
ef agriculture scientists.
To string bead* quickly a crank
operated machine hao been tnventec by
a European that foods them upon the
point of a threaded needle.
A velocipede for two has been de-
signed. no constructed that a smaller
boy can ride safely behind a larger
one. who supplies the motive power.
A railroad In Brazil utilises Its
old rail*, mounted In pair*, for tele-
graph poles In a region where Insects
destroy wooden one*.
A dead whale that drifted ashore,
high on the rocks on Pemaquld point,
facing Johns bay. has been blown up
by dynamite. Tbe carcass waa 00 feet
long and waa estimated to weigh isurr
than 30 tons
Try kerosene oil for washing win-
dow*. Dampen a cloth with tt and
clean the glass, then polish with a dry
cloth.
Mr*. Henry E. Snow of Brockton
and her twin slater. Mrs. Evelina
Daw ley of ITovtdence. aged TO. Juat
had a birthday party.
A chemical for preserving art re-
ject s In good condition has been de-
vised by Dr. Chlckashlge. professor
ef the Kyoto univenUty. It has proved
very effective In protecting wall pic-
ture# sod other fine works of art.
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Henderson, L. P. The County Democrat. (Tecumseh, Okla.), Vol. 25, No. 38, Ed. 1 Friday, June 20, 1919, newspaper, June 20, 1919; Tecumseh, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc936700/m1/3/: accessed March 18, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.