Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-07-01
Interesting News From Americans
who are now Visiting For
eign Countries.
HOLIDAY FOR THE LAB0RERs.
Visiting the Big Farm Belonging to
Count di Ponti, near Milan,
Italy.
HOLIDAY FOR THE LABoRERs

Milan, Italy, June 2S.-Members
of the American Commission on Ag
ricultural Cooperation visited one
OF the model farms of northern Italy
today. 1t is the property Of the
Count di Ponti.
The estate comprises about loo
acres which is an unusually large
holding for Italy, although mem
her of the commission was able tt
inform the Count di Ponti that he
owned a farm of 1000 acres in
Texas, without considering himself
a curiosity. The farm is divided in.
to two parts, an irrigated portion
which the proprietor reserves for his
own use for dairy farming, and g
dry portion rented on the share bias.
is, known in Italy as the ''mezzadri
system.
The visit of the Americans was
made holiday for the laborers and
farm hands although enough men
were kept at work to demonstrate
the cooperative enterprises on the
farm. Automobiles of the American
party swept into farm yard enclos-
ed by brick house, the porches of
which gave vivid scene of drying
clothes, bandanas, wrinkled old
peasant women, smiling men and a
swarm Of curious children. Four
teen families are hired by the pro-
prietor to farm his part of the es-
tate. Nothing Of interest from the
cooperative standpoint was learned
on this part of the farm. The COM
mission was therefore taken to the
"dry" part where live the tenants.
The score Of families which are
engaged in farming this portion Of
the estate live in little village and
here the members Of the commission
were given their first view Of the
1.s-sible phases Of agricultur-
a cooperation. Men, women and
children were lined up along the lit
tie street; hats and bandanas were
waved in welcome, and the little
children murmured their half fright
ened "Graci'' when coppers were
slipped into their hands. This part
Of the estate is divided into holdings
OF about 80 acres each.
The principal money products OF
the little farms are cheese and silk
worms. Each farmer raises enough
Of general farm crops to support his
family, but most of his attention IS
given to dairying and to raising
silk worms The cheese is made in
a plant comparatively owned by the
farmers and built with their own
Three men were at work
making Swiss cheese at the time.
The farmers bring their milk to the
dairy where it is weighed and mark
ed to their credit. According to the
amount Of milk given to the dairy
the farmers receive percentage of
The profits derived from the sale of
the cheese. The waste from the milk
used in the cheese making is fed to
hogs comparatively owned, which
when fattened, are killed in an abb
oatoir likewise comparatively own
ID, for nothing is lost on an Italian
'arm. There is also sausage fact
Try. Every thing these farmers buy
zones from a comparatively owned
store. The warehouse held familiar
ypes of American agricultural ma
The silk worms are turned
,ver to the proprietor who takes
certain portion of the cocoons as his
hare. All of the farming is done on
! share basis, the proprietor putting
Ip the buildings, the farmers con-
ributing the labor and the farm
being divided between
hem. 1t was plainly evident that
he Count di Ponti was very popu-
ar with his tenants. Some years
go when his tenants were required
o strike because of a general strike
4 all tenant farmers in that vicin-
ty, he was elected by his tenants
resident Of the strike committee, so
hat to him fell the old task of set
ling strike against himself.
Undoubtedly the paternalism
hitch exists in the comparatively
onducted enterprises of this typel
revents Americans from receiving
lany impressions of practical value
-om them. But it made great i'm
ression upon the delegates, that
lrmers OF this class could be
rought to such comparative econ