HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
13
Demands Net Weight of Apples
Count of Apples in Box Not Sufficient, Is Ruling. Fruit Men
Fear It Will Work Hardship.
THE Department of Agriculture
hands down an opinion that the
numerical count of apples or pears
in boxes is insufficient to insure knowl
edge of the contents.
Under the Federal Food and Drugs
Acts as amended March 3, 1913, and
with regulations of .Food Inspector De
cision 1.54, the contents of a fruit box
must be given in quantity on oufBide
of box. In section h, paragraph 3, un
der "Food" as amended bv act of
March 3, 1913, clause A reads, "Ex
cept us otherwise provided by the regu
lation, the quantity of contents in all
'cases of food, if terms of weight, meas
ure of numerical count, on the outside
of the covering of container usually de
livered to consumer." And in (B)
"The quantity of the contents so
marked shall be the amount of food in
the package. " And in (C) "The quan
tity of contents shall be so stated in
terms of weight or measure unless the
packape bo marked with numerical
count giving accurate information as to
the quantity of the food in tho pack
age." Clause (H) states that the quan
tity must be given in a minimum of
weight, measure or count, for example,
"minimum weight C0 oz." "The
statement must approximate the actual
quantity and there shnll be no toler
ance below the stated minimum."
When the provision was rendered it
was believed by the grower and exjiert
shippers and by the dealers themselves
the counting numerically would be suf
ficient to achieve the protection at
which this bill was aimed, and at the
" name time not place a serious obstacle
jn the way of grower and shipper.
Out of a Clear Sky.
Out of a clear sky comes the an
nouncement from one of the acting
recrctaries of the Department of Agri
rulture, as evidence if the interpreta
tion of that department of the provi
sion in respect to fruit, that "A state
ment of the number of rpples or pears
contained in a box is not a satisfac
tory compliance of tho Federal Food
and Drugs Act as amended by the
act of March 3. 1913, or with the regu
lation 29 as amended by Food Inspec
tor Decisions 154, inasmuch as it does
not give accurate information as to the
quantity of food in the package. That
there is nothing in such a statement to
indicate whether the apples are small
or large, and nothing that indicates
tho capacity of the box.
A. P. Eateham, vice president of the
Northwestern Fruit Exchange, and a
SOY BEANS are well adnpted to the
soil and climate conditions of a
large section of the United States,
the crop being an important one in
aiany parts of the country.
Well-cured soy bean hay is equal to
alfalfa hay in palatability and feeding
value. For a brief period soy beans
Hiako an excellent pasture, especially
desirable for hogs. Soy beans may be
used satisfaetorialy for soiling and en
silage. The seeds of soy beans contain ns
much protein as linseed meal, and al
most as much as cottonseed meal. Feed
iiiig trials indicate that soy bean grain
in a largo measure may take tho place
of concentrated feeds for all classes of
Stock.
Soy beans yield from 20 to 30 bush
els of seed per acre, and from 2 to 4
tons of hay.
The growing of soy beans improves
the soil by increasing its store of ni
trogen and by correcting its physical
condition. Where red clover fails, or is
not aflaptod, soy beans may be substi
tuted. The crimson clover crop may
be followed the same season by soy
beans, thus producing two forago crops
in one year on the same land.
On account of their rapid growth, soy
beans are admirably adapted for a catch
crop after wheat, early potatoes or other
early maturing crops. Soy beans have
a wider use than cow peas, are a richer
feci, aro more easily cured for hay or
harvested for seed. Soy beam have
yielded decidedly mora seed than cow
peas. Soy bean varieties range in ma
turity from 70 to 140 days.
Soy Beans
practical fruit man in every respect,
has already started the ball rolling to
find the exact status of the situation,
and if possible a remedy for the hard
ship, which he says will undoubtedly;
be worked by a measure so radical.
"The fruit growing interests of tho,
country arc wholly unprepared to com
ply with such conditions," said Mr..
Butehain. "The requirement, an
nounced as it now is, just as the crop
is ready to move, will cause a tremen-'
dous hardship on fruit growers and in
evitably result in wide confusion."
To Try to Change.
Mr. Eirteman proposes to reach the
secretary of the Department of Agri
culture and endeavor to induco him to
act in accordance with the reasonable
expectations of the fruit interests. A
great many fruit men passed opinion
on this measure and assumed that its
intentions were perfectly plain, consid
ering it settled that the numerical
count would be sufficient. The same
view was entertained by all the inter
ests working for the standard apple
box bill, also, or undoubtedly they
would have taken it into consideration.
Mr. liatehara is of the opinion that
a relief 'would be experienced if the
position were modified to the extent of
allowing the numerical count in apple
boxes not smaller than the standard
Kaker, or 1(H:1Hx18 inches inside
measurements, liut as it seems to stand
at this time, something must start or
something else will stop. "The atti
tude, as taken by the Government on
this subject, is wholly unwarranted,"
said Mr. Eateham. "In all my experi
once as grower and shipper I have
never heard a buyer complain of being
dieeived as to quantity."
Supplementing the above the- Kx
change has received advice from a
Koguo Itiver affiliation that if abso
lutely necessary they would mark boxes
"42 lbs." However, Conrad Rose of
Wenutehoe contends that 40 lbs. is more
in line and that: "Buyers and deal
ers understand that this marking will
be done to comply with the law, and
all fruit is bought and sold by them
on its merits, and they know, perhaps
better than anyone else, just what the
package contains."
The Northwestern Fruit Exchange
have agreed with Mr. Hose on the adop
tion of the-40 lb. standard and have
notified all their affiliated exehangcB
to use same if no relief is f'orthcom
ing.
Comparatively few varieties of soy
beans arc now on the market. Of those
for both hay and seed production, the
Wilson and I'eking aro recommended
for tho full season; for a shorter season,
the Jto San and Ebony are well suited.
For green manuring or sowing in corn at
tho last cultivation, the Mammoth Yel
low is valuable.
Soil for soy beans should receive ns
thorough preparation ns land for corn.
Soy beans do well on a sod. A mixture
of 400 pounds of acid phosphate and 100
pounds of muriate of potash applied at
the rate of 250 to 100 pounds per acre
is recommended.
Childrens' Savings
NY CHILD can havo a thousand
dollars saved up by tho day he is
twenty-one if his parents or others
will loan him a pieco of land fifty feet
square nnd if his school and community
can furnish him the right kind of in
struction, guidance and encouragement
in making the most of the land.
This is tho 'declaration of Dr. Hodge,
professor of Social Biology in the Uni
versity of Oregon, who was one of the
first men in the United States to work
out the school garden system. This he
did in Worcester, Mass., where he was
the head of a department in Clark
University.
All this nature work Dr. ITodge be
lieves should form a portion of the
child 's education anyway, and the profit
of $50 or so a year to bo put out at in
terest, would be pure gain.
"I have ft little girl in Cleveland,"
says Dr. Hodge, "who made $250.83
out of a back yard garden patch last
year. I am not at all certain that this
ia not the record of production for land.
Her plot was only 50 by 52 feet. Of
course, she bad the best land, the best
of direction, and the best markets. 'Oh,
I enjoy it so much,' she told me when I
protested that she might be working too
hard with all her school work besides.
'I don't make hard work out of either
my school work or my garden.'
"General profits from a garden, of
course, can not run anything like this,
though sometimes wonderful profits can
be made by the discovery of some little
special crop to meet a special demand
in a location of normal scarcity. A boy
or girl might, for instance, pretty near
ly control a supply of some such thing
as mint, or water cress, in a district
where thev were not common. Seeds
nnd high bred poultry are other possi
bilities for a small plot of land.
"This little girl in Cleveland was
able to get quality prices. She showed
me one strawberry 5 J inches in circum
ference, weighing three ounces, almost
big enough to slice up like a tomato.
I am not sure that children arc par
ticularly adapted to quality produc
tion, but I think that the best educa
tional results are obtained by making
the effort in that direction."
Movies for Farmer
OVING riCTl'KKS btc being used
to instruct farmers throughout
the United States in progressive
methods of agriculture. They arc being
presented together with explanatory
lectures, by officials of the Department
of Agriculture. At the same time pri
vate lecturers in the employ of motion-
picture companies, but working with the
approval and co-operation of the de
purtment, are talking to farmers north,
south, cast and west, and with the aid
of pictures are also showing them just
how to obtain the best results. It is be
lieved that this new metnod of demon
stration will be vastly more effective
than the old plan of distributing print
ed bulletins conveying the same infor
mation.
The importance to the country at
large of this new work of the Depart
ment of Agriculture must appeal to the
imagination of everyone. The scope of
what the department may be able to
accomplish in the wav of providing sub
jects for the moving picture plan of
education is almost unlimited. Not only
does the department itself demonstrate
by direct appeal to the eye what im
provements are possible to agricultur
ists and stockmen, but it broadens its
field by aiding private moving-picture
concern to present its filitrs for the
benefit of the public in cities and
towns, as well as in rural districts. Edu
cational institutions such as agricul
tural colleges, universities and pub
lic schools are to be provided with
films.
At present the Bureau of Animal In
dustry of the Department of Agricul
ture is using six moving-picture films
in conenetion with the lectures of its
demonstrators and field workers, who
travel from place to place instructing
producers in the best and most pro
gressive methods of raising stock and
preventing cattle disease. Proper
methods of dairying and tho shipping
of milk and other cattle products are
also bechided in this educational move
ment. HINTS ON BUTTER MAKING.
BEST BRAND of butter can be made
on the fr.rm, where the control of
all conditions is under one man,
and he can understand butter making.
The poorest butter can be made from
good cream if the butter maker does
not understand the underlying princi
ples of the art.
The causes of foaming aro: Sweet
cream, churn too full and insufficient
agitation. -
Hard churning may be causod by
foaming, thin creai.i, or cream too cold,
cream from cows far advanced in lac
tation, and when cows are fed only dry
feeds.
Cream should always be strained into
the churn so there will not be white
curd particles in the butter.
Stop chur:.ing when the granules arc
about tho size of wheat.
Wash out the buttermilk instead of
trying to work it out.
Mottles are caused by an uneven dis
tribution of salt or the presence of
curd. They can bo prevented by wash
ing out the buttermilk thoroughly and
working the salt in better.
Added butter eolor does not have any
effect upon the mottles.
Work the butter only enough to dis
tribute the salt evenly.
Do not touch tho butter with th
hands. Use wooden paddles.
Keep churn and butter utensils per
fectly clean, using hot water with some
good washing powder.
POTATOES IN POTS.
To secure an early supply of new po
tatoes next season plant the tubers of
any good early variety in pots and
start them in the house. Four or five
inch pots can be used, filled only about
two-thirds full of soil, leaving room for
a top dressing of soil to be supplied as
the plants grow, after the manner of
hilling up potatoes when grown in the
garden. Ono potato is sufficient for
each pot
Time the planting so the plants will
be well started in the pots when they
are to be transplanted in the garden at
the time the tubers are usually planted
outdoors.
If there is a well ventilated, eool
light place, such as a cold frame or
cool greenhouse, in which to grow them
potatoes can be raised in pots and fuU
sized tubers developed very much ear
lier than the first crop from the gar
den. Ten inch pots will be sufficiently
large. Hub off all the eyes except tnq
strongest for pot culture.
Bight.
Mrs. Mason's colored washerwoman,
Martha, was complaining of her hus
band's health.
"Why, is he sick, Marthat" asked
Mrs. Mason.
"He's vc'y po'ly, ma'am, ve'y
po'ly," answered the woman. "He's
got tho exclamatory rheumatism."
"You mean inflammatory, Martha, M
said the patron. " Exclamatory means'
to cry out."
"Yes, ma'am," replied Martha, with'
conviction; "dat's what it is. H
hollers all tho time."
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