1894 
THE RURAl NEW-YORKER. 
573 
$io in Prizes 
Will be given by The R. N Y. for the best three sub¬ 
jects for sync posiums. By a “ symposium ” we mean 
a collection of the views of well-informed men on 
some subject of more than ordinary importance to 
American farming. You send the subject with a set 
of questions that will serve to draw out opinions on 
it. You may, if you like, also send a list of parties 
to whom you would like the questions sent. This is 
not needed, however. We want ideas —topics for dis¬ 
cussion that will instruct farmers or force them to 
think. There will be three prizes: 
First, $5 ; Second, $3; Third, $2. 
The contest will close October 15. Now let our 
readers put on their thinking caps and develop some 
new ideas. There is no restriction as to the character 
and scope of these topics. 
THE PROSPECT. 
Rack prejudice seems to have assumed a curious 
phase in one of the counties of South Carolina. The 
negroes are said to have formed a combination and 
agreed not to pick cotton for less than 50 cents per 100 
pounds for the white farmers, and 40 cents for colored. 
An old negro who, perhaps, was color blind, got his 
figures mixed, and picked the white man’s cotton for 
the colored man’s price. As a result, he was severely 
beaten by a colored mob. Several arrests followed, 
a race war seemed imminent, and troops were ordered 
out. Generally, in the South where discrimination 
occurs, the negroes are the subjects. The matter 
seems to have been reversed. 
The following note is from a farmer in Michigan. 
He lives in a regular farm neighborhood where the 
ordinary farm crops are mostly grown. Wanting 
some more profitable crops than hay, grain, or pota¬ 
toes this man set out strawberries and small fruits. 
Here is what he says : 
I find this business the most profitable of anything I ever tried. 1 
was afraid I could not sell half my crop this year on account of the 
hard times; but my neighbors flock around and take most Of them 
right here, and pay the spot cash and no growling—which they would 
not do for grain, hay, stock, dairy products, or any other farm prod¬ 
ucts except Hue fruits. 
There is the situation in a nutshell as you would find 
it in many a farm neighborhood. It is certainly an 
advantage to raise cash crops, and it will be difiicult to 
find one that will “ take” better than fine fruit—even 
in a farming district. ^ 
The South is essentially an agricultural section and, 
in the nature of things, must ever remain so—at least 
over large portions of it. The poverty and distress 
that have prevailed among many Southern farmers, 
have been due, not to the fact that agriculture is a 
doomed industry, but to the fact that many of these 
Southern farmei*s have neglected one of the first prin¬ 
ciples of their profession. Instead of raising their own 
food and fodder, they have been buying meat, flour, 
grain and hay of Northern and Western farmers. Vast 
sums of cash have been sent out of the South to buy 
these articles, which might all have been produced on 
their own farms. Within the last year or two, much 
of this drain has been stopped because Southern farm¬ 
ers have been forced to economize and cut down the 
cash outgo. The low price of cotton has destroyed the 
easy credit which the Southern planter once enjoyed. 
All this has resulted in good, and the average Southern 
farm has become more nearly self-supporting as it 
should be. . ^ 
Six years ago a company of English capitalists 
thought they saw a chance to make 15 per cent profit 
by investing in American breweries. They spent 
34,800,000, and began making and selling beer. Now 
they are growling and calling America all sorts of 
names because the business has proved a loss rather 
than a profit. The chief reasons given for the failure 
are hard times and the peculiar system of conducting 
saloons in the large cities. Beer drinkers do not 
drink less beer in these times, but they get their usual 
quantity for less money, since competition among 
brewers has increased the size of the glass. Most of 
the saloons nowadays are owned by the brewers, who 
simply hire the bartenders. There is no way of di¬ 
viding any loss therefore—ihe brewers must stand it 
all. Many of us will be able to endure with satisfac¬ 
tion the thought that the beer business is a losing in¬ 
vestment. ^ 
The receipts during the past two weeks were the 
heaviest ever known in the California fruit trade in 
this city. The first week, 127 cars were sold here, and 
the second, 135—a total of 262 for the two weeks. The 
two weeks corresponding last year—also the two 
heaviest —the receipts were 149 cars, but little more 
than for the heaviest week this year. Notwithstand¬ 
ing this large quantity, prices have been higher than 
in any other city in the country. There is an immense 
demand here, partly owing, of course, to the shortage 
in Eastern fruit crops. Dealers say that the consump¬ 
tion of California fruit is increasing each year, and 
that one reason for this is the attractive manner in 
which it is packed. The kinds of fruit received during 
the past week are Bartlett pears, selling for from 31.20 
to 32.25 per 40-pound box. Early Crawford peaches, 
selling for 31 to 31.40 per 20-pound box, plums and a 
few Tokay grapes. There has been the greatest de¬ 
mand for pears. The grape season is hardly open. 
The principal varieties of grapes sold here are Tokay, 
Cornichon and Morocco. As usual, all sales are made 
at auction, two firms doing the most, if not all, of the 
business. ^ 
The International Grain Fair opened in Vienna, 
Austria, last week. The official crop estimates as 
given include nearly all of the European countries ex¬ 
cept Bulgaria, and some districts in Russia, India, the 
United States and Canada. For the European coun¬ 
tries, the percentages as compared with last year’s 
crop, estimating the latter at 100, are as follows : 
Wheat. 
Bye. 
Barley. 
Oats. 
Austria. 
.100 
U5 
98 
90 
Hungary. 
90 
94 
88 
Germany. 
.107 
95 
107 
105 
I ranee. 
.120 
125 
100 
116 
Uussla. 
.82 
97 
97 
80 
Great Britain. 
.117 
110 
105 
Moidayla. 
. 87 
90 
90 
Wallachla. 
. 6? 
40 
40 
40 
Netherlands. 
.87 
97 
92 
112 
Belgium. 
.102 
107 
100 
102 
S wlizeriand. 
.100 
110 
100 
Denmark. 
.105 
95 
100 
100 
Sweden and Norway. 
92 
102 
102 
The figures given for other leading countries give to 
India, 6,923,000 tons of wheat, against 7,749,000 last 
year; United States, 390,000,000 bushels of wheat, 
against 382,000,000 last year ; 23,000,000 of rye, against 
24,000,000 last year; 1,500,000,000 of corn, against 
1,809,000,000 last year ; Canada, 53,000,000 bushels of 
wheat, against 50,000,000 last year. 
* 
Russian Appi.es. —There is one point, and a very 
simple one, it would appear, which yet is too hard for 
a great many heads, in regard to the season of apples, 
and their keeping qualities. It does not seem to be 
astonishing to many people to be told that the Bald¬ 
win is a fall apple, quite unreliable as a keeper, when 
grown in southern New Jersey. But the man in Mas¬ 
sachusetts or northern New York who was told that, 
therefore, the Baldwin was no apple for him to plant 
for winter sale, would hardly think that remark worth 
noticing. He knows that the Baldwin is a good all¬ 
winter apple where he grows it. But what shall we 
say of the very same Baldwin grower, when he him¬ 
self uses the very same reasoning and perpetrates the 
same error against a Russian apple ? There are hun^ 
dreds of them who are doing it—not in private alone, 
but in the meetings of horticultural societies, year 
after year. Two years ago, in April, I sent to The 
R. N.-Y. specimens of a Russian apple grown by me 
in the highlands of northeastern Vermont, which 
The Rubal pronounced “ equal to the Baldwin at its 
best.” That apple, grown in western New York, 
might and very probably would, prove just what the 
Baldwin has proved south of New York City. 
, Now it is really painful to see otherwise intelligent, 
practical men, in meetings of practical fruit growers, 
using an argument against these winter Russians, 
which they would hardly stoop to notice when used 
against apples in western New York, by growers in 
New Jersey or Virginia. 
To show that I am not shooting an arrow into the 
air, I ask The Rubal to reprint the following from a 
report of a recent meeting of the Western New York 
Horticultural Society: 
The Bolken apple, one of the few Busslan apples proving to bo good 
for anything, was exhibited by H .mmond & Willard, of Geneva, it 
Is a yellow, tapering apple, about the size and quality of a well- 
developed Newtown pippin, and is claimed to be a long keeper and 
very hardy. The specimens on exhibition were fully ripe, and I can¬ 
not see how they could be kept until April without cold storage. 
The name of L. B. Pierce was signed to this article. 
He shows his animus against Russian apples in the 
slur he cast in speaking of the Boiken as “ one of the 
few Russians proving to be good for anything ” ; while 
the truth is that no apples stand higher in the star¬ 
ring of the reports of the American Pomological 
Society, or for a larger number of States, than the 
Russians; and this notwithstanding the fact that the 
best Russian apples, and the long keepers among 
them, have been brought to America within the past 
10 years. If there ever was such a thing as a snap 
judgment, Mr. Pierce made one in that remark. I 
think I have a right to say that these slurring reflec¬ 
tions upon the Russian apples seem to show a latent 
fear of them as dangerous rivals of the old standard 
kinds ; rivals which, while quite equal to those kinds 
in marketable eharacteristics, can be, and in fact must 
be grown much farther north than any of the old 
standards. Slurs count for nothing against facts ; and 
there are plenty of facts already known, and others 
which wiU soon appear, to prove that the Russian 
apples have a grand future in reserve for them in 
America ; not alone, like the Yellow Transparent, Red 
Astrachan, Oldenburgh, etc., as fall fruit, but as all 
winter keepers and first-class shipping apples. 
T. H. HOSKINS. 
The Iowa Dbought. —Many conflicting reports are 
published regarding the crop condition in the West. 
The corn crop in Iowa will not be more than one-third 
of a crop, or about 30 per cent of last year’s crop. I 
have 100 acres of corn on as good land as there is in 
Iowa—planted for seed purposes—which will not make 
over 20 bushels per acre, while there are hundreds 
of acres that will not make 10 bushels per acre. I 
have been corresponding with members of our asso¬ 
ciation, the best farmers in the State, in different 
counties of the State, and find the conditions about 
the same everywhere. Iowa will have no corn to ship 
this season ; it will all be fed at home. 
Our drought was broken August 10, but the dry, hot 
winds had about finished the corn before the showers 
came; even then, there are many sections where the 
rain has been too light materially to benefit any crops. 
Where there were good showers, corn has been helped 
some for fodder purposes. Small grain has been gen¬ 
erally good in quality, though the yield of oats is be¬ 
low the average. Owing to the severe dry weather 
last fall, there was a small acreage of winter wheat 
and rye sown. The yield of both these crops was above 
an average, and the grain unusually plump and of 
extra quality. The potato crop is nearly a failure. I 
have about 25 varieties on my trial grounds, and the 
Rural No. 2 has withstood the drought the best of 
any, and is the most promising now for a late crop. 
Vegetable crops have been benefited, and grass is 
starting nicely. Let no one be deceived by' the story 
that Iowa farmers are killing and giving away stock 
to get clear of them. All stock except a few old, run¬ 
down horses, will be cared for. f s. hitk. 
A REMARKABLE PEAR. 
Editors of Ths bubal nkw-Vohkeb: 
I send to-day (August 7) by express, a few samples 
of a pear I am interested in. These were shipped to 
me six days ago from up in New York, in bulk in a 
box, and you can judge how they keep and carry. 
The tree stands in a meadow, a not very congenial 
place for the finest fruit, and the specimens are not 
nearly as large as those on trees here, propagated 
from that tree six years ago, and have been bearing 
three years ; in fact, they produced some fine speci¬ 
mens four years ago, and this year produced a good 
crop, which sold at 31 and 31.25 per half-bushel bas¬ 
ket very readily. The season is just two weeks ahead 
of Clapp’s Favorite, ripening here about July 10, 
about with Wilder’s Early and Lawson, but double 
the size of either, as well as a much better grower. 
The trees look very strong and thrifty, and have 
shown no signs of blight. You will find the quality 
not the best, but they look nice and sell well, which 
is the point we are after in growing fruit for profit. 
As a table pear it is not especially recommended, al¬ 
though of better quality than California fruit; but as 
a cooking pear it is really fine. Isaac c. bogebb. 
Moorestown, N. J. 
R. N.-Y.—The pears were received August 11 in per¬ 
fect condition. Stems long (1>^ inch) and set ob¬ 
liquely. The color is a bright yellow, with a showy 
crimson spreading over about one-third. It is about 
the size of Clapp’s Favorite, but a far more showy 
pear. The flesh is a little coarse, moderately juicy, 
sub-acid, a trifle “gritty.” Its earliness, size and 
exceeding beauty will no doubt insure it a ready sale. 
(See Fig. 145, first page.) The same date we received 
a box of Wilder’s Early from Rochester. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Not only do F. H. Gates & Sons, CblttenanKO, N. Y., breed and sell 
choice Poland-Chlna hoars, but F. II. Gates has been appointed yloe 
president of O. Poland-Chlna Becord Co. for New York State. 
For best results from feedina; cattle, balanced rations are necessary. 
A feed called the “Dairy Batlon," for milch cows, Is offered by 
Nathaniel C. Hall, No. 15 Whitehall 8t., New York City. Spnd for par¬ 
ticulars. 
Wb have just received a neat and attractive little pamphlet from 
Mr. D. F. Wlloer. Oneonta, N. Y. It contains some Information about 
Cheviot sheep that every one interested in sheep will be glad to know 
Send a postal card for It. 
Thb value of the fences of the United States Is said to be $1,500,000,- 
000. Many of these are useless, yet a fence Is a necessity in many 
places. Where It Is. a g jod one is needed. Uowden's Perfection fence 
machine enables the farmer to build his own fences, of a variety of 
materials, at a cost of 20 to 30 cents per rod. Send for circulars to D. 
C. Lowden, Indianapolis, Ind. 
Farmers who have attended the farmers’ Institutes in New York 
State previous to last year, will scarcely need to be told anything 
about Kiroy Homestead Duroc-Jersey pigs. Col. Curtis was called 
upon many times to answer questions about them from the platform. 
We have only to add that some of these pigs are now for sale. Ad¬ 
dress S C. Curtis, Charlton, N. Y. 
A PROFITABLE vocation Is that of a competent veterinary surgeon. 
The old quacKS who formerly dosed and tortured helpless brutes, are 
more and more In disrepute. Thorongn preparation for this work is 
essential to success. The New York College of Veterinary Surgeons Is 
giving just this preparation. The next term begins October 1. B'or 
particulars, write to the secretary, Wm. Swan, V. S.. 233 W. 30th St., 
New York City. 
