Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-05-06
Other Suggestions.

OtneT SuSSSSllOuS.
Other suggestions advanced as neces-
sary factors in any Comprehensive
scheme of increasing food production
and facilitating its distribution included
the following:
Fixing of minimum prices.
Some method of providing farm labor
at times of greatest need by recruiting
'arm hands from cities.
Hiring of tractors to be placed at the
disposal of farmers as public harvesters
now are employed.
Lessening of the hours at which truck
ers must be present at markets to make
advantageous sales of their products. thus
giving them more time. TO work on their
farms.
Working out of some cooperative sys-
tenn for bringing the product of the truck
farmers into the markets.
Extension of the municipal market
scheme.
Difficulties Confronting Growers.
John Froelich stated that to sell their
come here as early as / o'clock in the
morning and they do not get back to their
farms until 1 o'clock in the afternoon.
This applies to truckers who sell to whole
sale dealers He said if the wholesale
between s o'clock, or even later, and IL
o'clock, the farmers time would be con-
served.
B. s. Yoder offered $50 acres of land
ready for cultivation, in Berwyn, to any
one desiring to till it.
John H. Cline said the difficulty of get
ting competent labor was one of the
greatest obstacles to increasing acreage
under cultivation. He said that under
present conditions he would not increase
his acreage, though if a reasonable price
were guaranteed and good labor assured
him he would be willing to undertake
the cultivation of greater area
Thomas H. Lyons, who has three
hundred-acre farm in Prince Georges
county, stated that potatoes cannot be
sold for 81 a bushel under present condi-
tons and allow profit to the farmer. He
said that city labor was not desirable. and
cited instances where he had tried 1T.
Thomas A. Della of Hyattsville. Md,
said the present profits Of the middleman
must be eliminated to effect any sub
stantial reduction in the cost Of living. He
also said that too much land in the
vicinity of Washington is held for spec
ulative prices
Cites Uncertainty of Prices.
Alexander GUIDE said that the uncer-
tainty of prices, in the face of great
er production, deferred many farmers
from increasing their acreage. He said
he believed If they were assured 81 a
bushel growers would raise all the DO
tatoes needed for the coming winter.
Herman E. Gasch said If the District
wishes to get an increased food supply 1t
must provide better market facilities. He
commended the minimum price idea He
said the District could help the farmer
considerably by providing a means
either through municipal or privately
organized channels. of getting produce to
market. Referring to city labor on farms.
he said:
The man who does not know how to
work on a farm is not worth his keep
10 US. Farming and gardening is a trade
and hard one
He volunteered to take two high school
boys and train them, provided there
would be no hard feeling If he kept on
replacing them until he found boys will
ing and able to do farm work.
+. +. Martin complained that the back
yard garden movement diverts seed
which could be more profitably used by
the truck farmers. He said he had con-
livery at IS a barrel.
Mr.. Nesbit outlined the proposal to
have automobile owners buy direct from
the farmers. Mr.. -Colladay said II was
the task Of the city to see that every
thing raised by farmers this season was
either eaten or preserved for winter use
He received practically a unanimous re-
Spouse from those present when he ask
ed how many would be willing to keep a
central market bureau informed forty
eight hours in advance of the amount Of
produce they intended to bring to mar
ket