Milford chronicle., 1915-08-13
POTATO GROWERS
LOST MUCH MONEY
Farmers Feel Pinch of Poverty But City
Fertilize Dealers Won't Cooperate.


The failure of the American Agricul
tural Chemical Company, Baltimore
and the Netf Fertilizer Company, Phila
delphia, to evidence interest in behal
of the farmer, who has been set bacl
by low potato prices has halted a pro
gram instituted for the help of tn,
farmers of lower Worcester by tn,
PocOmoke Board of Trade
Prices have been so low for potatoes
this season that the farmer now face.
creditors with thin wallet. Although
the amount of potatoes dug has beer
very large and the amount of acreage
has been correspondingly large and the
loss per barrel has been in that manner
increased. Prices has averaged from
IS cents to S1.00 and this price has
brought no profit. Barrels cost the
farmers 26 cents and 10 cents had to 90
to those who picked the potatoes from
the ground. This left the farmer from
40 to 65 cents profit. Out of this he has
yet to pay his fertilizer bills, his seed
bills, his other bills, get a return from
his work and then hunt for his profit.
MEETING CALLED AT POCOMOKE.
This condition has created financial
situation unique and to say the least
unfavorable. With the farmer in this
position the Board of Trade of Pocomoke
City felt that something should be done
Immediately. To that end the Board of
Trade called a meeting of the fertilizer
dealers and the other creditors of the
farmers, that they might agree on some
immediate and concerted action. The
banks of the territory affected were in
vited to have representatives at the
meeting which was to be held in POGO
moke City, Friday, July 10th, at 2.3O
P. M. The object of this meeting was
to discuss the situation and to discover
the best means of relieving or alleviat- |
ing the same.
Letters were received from the Amer |
lean Agricultural Chemical Company
and from the Netf Fertilizer Company |
saying that they would send delegates |
to the meeting. Before the time of the |
meeting on Friday the bankers had |
drawn up a plan which was to be pre-
sented to the meeting. But before the |
time of the meeting the American Ag-
ricultural Chemical Company telegraph
ed that they positively would not be
represented at the meeting. When the
delegates gathered in PocOmoke it was
noticed that the Neff Fertilizer Com
pany had also failed to send representa-
tives to the conference.
The real object of the meeting was to
determine for what proportion of their
bills the fertilizer creditors would ac-
cept notes and for what part they would
demand cash. But when the other fer
tilizer creditors, the w. B. Tilghman
Company and the Farmers and Planters,
Salisbury, and the Worcester Fertilizer
Company, Snow Hill, noticed the alb
sence of the Trust representatives thev
thought it would be unwise to enter in
to any agreement to which the trust
companies were not bound. When this
was found to be the case the meeting {
was adjourned without any action hav-
ing been taken. 1t is presumed that
the companies in the cities had been in
formed of the true purpose of the meet
ing and had decided not to be present.
BANKS CAN'T HELP FARMERS.
Conditions are now worse than thew
were before. Farmers fear that the U
fertilizer dealers will demand full paw r
ment of their bills and that as a proba- :
bic result some of them will have more
or less of their property sold.
Many of them had counted on the
banks for aid in this seasons emergen- v
cy, but the banks are hardly able to
help them. While there is plenty of t,
money in the city centers the banks here
,an not obtain enough money to meet s,
he requests of the farmers. That they q
fail to loan money to the honest farmer
s not due to any mistrust of the integ- Ii
'ity or honesty Of the farmer but rather
% the fact that they themselves are un- Il
lble to furnish the money. tl
Friends of the farmers and the farm
RS themselves are hoping that the ferti ol
izer people will not bear too heavily Il
lpon them and demand full payment
f this is done the industry of several ty
ears will come to naught and the farm
RS. will become discouraged in their W
asks. They hope that another confer he
nee will be called at which there will
e full representation and at which the fe
ertilizer dealers will decide the amount la
f credit they will allow. The store 70
eepers and the seed dealers are like
1ise hoping that the amount of money 81,
nat the farmer can comfortably spare
ill be proportionately divided among yo
is creditors. The People, Snow Hill, is
Id. 70