The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-10-04
CONSUMER OR THE
FARMER TO BLAME
Who Is Responsible for the
Food Which Goes to
Waste on Farms?
ISAAC L. TOTEM.

Hundreds of bushels of apples have
rotted in the orchards near Rich
mond this summer, and there are still
many bushels lying on the ground that
will soon rot because of their bruised
condition. This is not owing to the
fact that a greedy Spectator has pro-
cured options on the orchards and is
trying to control the market price;
but because nature has been excep-
tionally bountiful this year with her
apple crop, and the farmers think that
it would not be profitable for them to
neglect their other farm work in Or
der to take this slightly bruised fruit
to market where they can get only
from twenty-five to thirty cent BUSH
ell for the choice fruit.
The fruit has fallen more than COM
mon this year because of the extreme
early dry weather. and there is so
much of it in excess of what the far
mers care to use themselves that it
is either left on the ground to rot or
it Is fed to the hogs. 1t is crime to
let food products waste when there
are SO many people to be fed. Surely
there must be some way to get this
wasting fruit into the hands of those
who can utilize it, This fruit rots rap
idly; 1t will not last much more than
week, and most of it will not last
that long. If it would keep, of course
it could be placed in the cellars for
future use; but only the firm, unblem-
ished fruit will do for that.
Where Lies the Blame.
Who is to blame for this waste, the
city consumer, who needs the fruit,
or the farmer? The consumer makes
no special effort to get in direct touch
with the farmer, and the farmer puts
forth no effort to get in touch with
the consumer. Perhaps the farmer is
mainly at fault because he does not
let the people in town know that he
has so much fruit wasting which they
could procure for little less than a
song if they would come after it; yet
it is doubtful if any one would come
after it if they could get it for moth
ing; because the city man and his
wife think that they are just as busy
as the farmer and his wife, and that
their time is just as valuable. So there
you are, and the fruit continues to
rot
If the wives of the city toilers would
consider the future supply of the lar
der as well as the farmers wives do
greater demand for this perishable
fruit might be created and more OF
the fruit could be conserved. How
many city housewives have dried ap
pies for future use when apples viii
not be as cheap and plentiful as now:
Not many. They would rather have q
number of middlemen handle the ap
pies before they get them from the
grocery in order to help maintain
high prices. The shortage in the apple
crop during the past four years
should cause us to think about the fu
ture and plan accordingly.
Farm Wives Look Ahead.
The farmers wives are doing theil
share in trying to save the fruit ant
in planning for the larders future sup
ply of fruit They are having large
quantities of cider made, they have
made many gallons of apple butter
they have dried many of the apples
and they do not set the table withou
having apples in some form for tht
meal-apple dumplings. apple sauce
baked apples, brown betty and apple
pie (open faced and hunting case,
These of course take the place of 9th
er foods that can be saved for future
USE One soon gets a fill of bananas
oranges, pears, ETC., but never of ap
pies.
! Would it not be possible for a mum
Der of neighboring wives to club to
gether and employ someone, a mer
chants deliveryman, for instance, t.
go out into the country for them ant
get load of these apples which Cal
be obtained at such a small price. IL
fact, it might prove to be a very prof