190S 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
4o9 
Events of the Week. 
domestic.—A greater drought than has been known 
in May since 1887 afflicts Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New 
York and Delaware, and extends for some distance west¬ 
ward into the Ohio Valley. In New Jersey no rain of 
consequence has fallen in 32 days. Only Hudson, Bur¬ 
lington and Cumberland counties can claim even local 
showers, and these were extremely light. These condi¬ 
tions have greatly retarded plowing, planting, seeding 
and the growth of all vegetation. Wheat is turning yel¬ 
low in places, especially on upland fields; grass is at a 
standstill and clover is wilting for the want of rain. The 
prospects for a crop of apples are fast falling. In New 
York, a dry April followed by a dry May has worked 
serious injury to crops of all kinds in the Chemung Val¬ 
ley. In addition to the drought, high, dry winds have 
prevailed much of the time, which have been detrimen¬ 
tal to fruit crops, by blowing off the blossoms before they 
were fairly formed. Strawberries and all the smaller 
fruit are practically destroyed. No hay is in sight, and 
the grain which has been sowed has not not received 
enough moisture to bring it up. Grass has suffered in the 
same way. and if these conditions continue the price of 
milk will be advanced. The continued drought has af¬ 
fected milk dealers throughout the Mohawk Valley, and 
the lack of rain has made good pasturage scarce. Cows 
are being fed on grain. An advance in the retail price of 
milk is contemplated from six to eight cents a quart. 
Vegetables are higher. The drought area extends over 
the Eastern and Central States, but does not affect the 
West. ... A. A. Ames, ex-mayor of Minneapolis. 
Minn., has been convicted of bribery and sentenced to six 
years in prison. It was proved that the mayor was at 
the head of a band of officials and other rogues that had 
transformed Minneapolis into a paradise for thieves, 
gamblers, confidence men and every kind of criminal, 
by which a reign of terror was inaugurated for decent 
citizens. Hundreds of thousands of dollars w’ere received 
by Ames and his crowd from lawbreakers, but the spe¬ 
cific charge upon which he was convicted was the receipt 
of $600 protection money. Ames is a veteran of the Civil 
War. He was at one time the idol of the people of the 
city and State, and could have been elected for any office 
on any ticket. He was elected mayor three times by the 
Democrats and once by the Republicans. His brother, 
the chief of police, was implicated with him in the wrong¬ 
doing. ... In the presence of a large number of 
clergymen. 1,300 slot machines and various other gamb¬ 
ling devices, valued at $25,000, were burned at Philadel¬ 
phia, Pa., May 19, by order of the Department of Public 
Safety. The machines were seized in recent raids by the 
police and by the Daw and Order Society, . . . Five 
missing men from the crew of the New York fishing 
schooner Becker, which was wrecked off the Carolina 
coast on April 26. who had long since been given up as 
lost, are safe. After indescribable hardships in a small 
lifeboat, the shipwrecked sailors were rescued by the 
schooner Marion Grimes. They had been two days with¬ 
out food and water and were nearly famished when 
rescued. ... At Dacrosse, Wls., May 19, reports were 
received from surrounding towns and villages to the ef¬ 
fect that great damage had been done to farm lands by 
a big rise in the Mississippi and its tributaries. Root, 
Lacrosse and other small streams were several feet over 
their banks. Thousands of acres of farm lands were 
flooded, and crops will have to be replanted., Several 
bridges were washed out, and roads flooded to the depth 
of three and four feet. . . . Jacob's cooper plant, the 
plants of the Milwaukee Commutator Co., the Milwaukee 
Automobile Works and the Milwaukee Brass Co. were 
burned at Milwaukee, Wls., May 19; loss, $125,000. . . . 
Reports from Great Falls. Mont., May 19, says that the 
heaviest cattle and sheep loss in the history of Montana, 
the damage of which wall be $5,000,000, has been caused 
rv the terrible snowstorm which had been raging for the 
previous three days. In some sections fully 90 per cent of 
the sheep on the ranges have perished. Three herders, at 
least, wandered away in the blinding storm and have 
been frozen to death. Herders abandoned their flocks 
and fled for safety to the settlements and ranches. Of a 
consignment of 600 cattle bound from Havre all but five 
were found frozen stiff. . . . At St. Hyacinthe, Que¬ 
bec, a fire which broke out shortly after noon May 20 
in the shoe factory of Cote Brothers destroyed that and 
half a dozen other flourishing industries and 250 houses, 
leaving nearly a quarter of the city’s population home- 
le.ss. The loss is placed at $400,000. 
PHILIPPINES.—Col. Taylor, commanding the Cebu 
constabulary, reports that the ladrones and fanatics 
there exceed 1,590 bolomen. He believes that the con¬ 
stabulary will be able to suppress them, though reen¬ 
forcements and the severest measures will be necessary. 
Lieuts. Tuthill and Walker, with seven of the Cebu con¬ 
stabulary, were attacked by a mob of fanatics, but de¬ 
feated them after a heroic defence, killing 35 of them. 
Lieut. Walker and two of the constabulary were killed 
in the fighting. Three of the constabulary were cap¬ 
tured and two of them were killed by the fanatics. The 
third one escaped and returned to Lieut. Tuthill. 
GENERAL FOREIGN NEWS.—Further reports of the 
massacres of Jews in Bessarabia, southwestern Russia, 
show that government officials connived with the mob, 
and refused to aid the Jews, though aware in advance 
that the outbreak was arranged. Soldiers and policemen 
.mined with the populace in their atrocities. A circular 
has been issued by the Russian government forbidding 
the Hebrews to defend themselves against attacks. There 
appears to be only one way in which the United States 
Government can venture any protest to the Russian 
government against the outrages. If the Hebrews thus 
oppres.sed begin to emigrate to the United States in great 
numbers and, arriving here, succeed in passing the im¬ 
migration inspection, yet show that they are ill fitted 
for the struggle to exist in a strange land, the United 
States might protest against any treatment of these 
people which it deemed responsible for the Influx of pau¬ 
pers to this country. Secretary Hay wrote a note to the 
Powers signatory to the Treaty of Berlin reminding them 
that the Hebrews in Roumania were not receiving the 
civil rights promised them in that convention only after 
the immigration from Roumania to the United States 
became of such a character that the United States was 
injured. Until the United States really begins to feel the 
effect of pauperized immigration from Russia no protest 
will be in order. The Administration feels somewhat em¬ 
barrassed and chagrined over the mistaken understanding 
among a great many people in this country, particularly 
those of the Jewish faith, that it may with propriety 
call Russia to account for the Bessarabian outrages. To 
do this would cause the relations of the two governments 
to become strained, and in justice to itself as well as to 
the people of the country the Administration feels that 
it has no right to do anything that might produce such 
a condition. According to the principle generally ac¬ 
knowledged by authorities on international law, the in¬ 
terference of the United States in behalf of persecuted 
Russian Jews would be quite as unwarranted as repre¬ 
sentations by Russia to this Government against lynch- 
ings of negroes or attacks on Chinese in the United 
States. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The twenty-eighth annual 
meeting of the East Tennessee Farmers’ Convention and 
Farmers’ Institute was held at Knoxville, Tenn., May 
21-23. 
The Wisconsin Beet Sugar Company will Import 100 beet 
growers with their families from Michigan for the pur¬ 
pose of instructing the farmers in the vicinity of Corliss. 
Wis., in the growing of beets for sugar making pur¬ 
poses. The beets grown around Corliss will be shipped 
to Menomonee Falls and worked up in the factory there. 
The Agricultural Department at Washington has been 
overrun of late with requests for trees and shrubs free 
as a result of the recent publication of newspaper ar¬ 
ticles stating that that Department was giving away 
thousands of young seedling trees of improved varieties 
and distributing shrubs and plants broadcast throughout 
the United States. B. T. Galloway. Chief of the Bureau 
of Plant Industr.v, said. May IS, that the Department is 
not distributing trees and shrubs and has been obliged 
to refuse the many requests from farmers and nursery¬ 
men all over the country. 
Edward A. Callahan, for many years connected with 
the Countrj' Gentleman, died May 11 at his home in Al¬ 
bany, after a short illness of consumption. Mr. Callahan 
was prominent in the State organizations of farmers, 
being a member of the New York State Farmers’ Con¬ 
gress, the New York State Breeders’ Association, assist¬ 
ant secretary of the National Farmers’ Congress, county 
deputy of the State Grange, and member of the Board of 
Control of the State Agricultural Experiment Station at 
Geneva. Mr. Callahan leaves a wife and two children. 
CROP PROSPECTS. 
The recent freeze in this section killed nearly all cherry 
and plum blossoms. Pear and apple blossoms and small 
fruits were not out enough to be injured. Weather very 
dry; rain much needed. C. J. n. 
New Baltimore Sta., N. Y. 
Early cherries, plums and peaches were nearly all 
killed; apples were not hurt; they are just In full bloom 
now. Trees are well filled with blossoms. We are suf¬ 
fering from a severe drought; have had four weeks with¬ 
out rain, with plenty of cold, drying winds. Grass is 
making a slow growth, and the hay crop is already 
greatly injured. c. o. h. 
Elmira. N. Y. 
Recent frosts Injured our fruit prospects badly; apples 
.50 per cent of crop; of pears there will be none here; 
peaches not over 10 per cent; plums 50 per cent; straw¬ 
berries 50 per cent, all earlies killed; raspberries 70 per 
cent, blackberries 50 per cent; grapes killed, except on 
vey high elevations. I have eight acres, but will have no 
grapes. The frost was the most disastrous in 35 years’ 
residence here. f. h. 
Kansas. 
Earl.v Crawford peaches are not hurt much as a rule, 
but late Crawfords and Elbertas are hurt from 60 to 80 
per cent. Plums I do not know about; apples I do not 
think are hurt as they were not far enough advanced; 
perhaps a few trees of very early varieties are damaged. 
Apples are blossoming about 50 per cent of a full bloom. 
Baldwins, where they bore last year, and the best or¬ 
chards are blossoming some, about 25 per cent, but those 
that have not had the best of care are not blossoming 
any; also true of Greening, but those that did not bear 
last year are full. All early varieties are very full. I 
have a Maiden Blush orchard that is very full. Late 
cherries are very full, and I do not think they are hurt. 
Williamson, N. Y. w. p. r. 
We are situated in the thumb of Michigan and nine 
miles from the Peninsular beet sugar factory, located at 
Caro, Mich. A mixed class of farming prevails here, 
where once (abotit 20 years ago) it was principally wheat. 
Quite a large amount of fruit is raised. Peaches do well 
and are not much troubled with disease. The soil is very 
broken, good and poor, swamps and sand hills. The 
Spring here has been very capricious; extremes of heat 
and cold. Grass is looking fine. A large amount of po¬ 
tatoes will be planted, with sugar beets a close second. 
Stock of all kinds is looking fairly well, and market 
good. Medium wool is selling for 1814 cents per pound. 
Potatoes are selling at 40 cents per bushel, with good seed 
scarce. J. f. b. 
Tuscola Co., Mich. 
The freeze of April 5 did considerable damage to fruits, 
but apples are in better condition than any other kind 
of fruits. Peaches, pears, plums, except Damsons, and 
cherries are nearly all dead. There are just a few scat¬ 
tering ones to be found on most trees, and if the insects 
are kept off them we may get a few to use. but do not 
expect to have any to sell. The early apples were in full 
bloom when the freeze came, and it was supposed they 
were about all killed, but to our surprise nearly all of 
them are full and we have prospect for more early ones 
than for several years. Ben Davis and many other 
kinds were out also, and there seems to be about enough 
left for a fair crop. Rome Beauty w'ere not out, but 
many of the buds were killed; while they were in bloom 
the weather was wet and cool nearly all the time, and 
I feared there would be few of them, but as it was so 
cool the period of biooming was much longer than com¬ 
mon, and probably the bees got in a little work fertiliz¬ 
ing the blossoms. It seems now that there will be a fair 
crop on most trees, especially those that are in good 
strong condition. Those that had heavy crops last year 
aiul suffered for moisture in time of our drought have 
few or none this year. They have all been sprayed, once 
before the bloom and once since, and I hope to spray 
them twice yet, using Bordeaux for fungi and arsenite of 
soda and arsenate of lead for insects that eat. There 
was a cold spell here May 2, and another on May 4. but 
the frost did no damage here on the hills. On low ground 
it probably did some damage to small fruits and tender 
vegetables. Dry weather is doing more harm now than 
anything else. Strawberries are ripe here now, but the 
crop will not be too great for the demand. u. T. c. 
Rockwood, O. 
Apples, peaches and pears uninjured; currants and 
gooseberries considerably hurt in some places by early 
frost, and also by frost about May 2. The same seems to 
be the case with plums, both Japan and European. Those 
which bloomed a few days too late seem about ruined; 
other kinds appear to be pollinated and are swelling out. 
Bloom of sour and sweet cherries is immense, but from 25 
to 75 per cent of bloom have no pistils. I think this was 
caused during Winter rather than Spring frost, and was 
due to poor growth last season. The same is the case 
with grapes, but conditions seem to be very much im¬ 
proved with them. The beautiful .warm weather the 
past week or 10 days helps improving chances for all 
kinds of fruit. Grapes are the main fruit crop in this 
section; there ate over 4,009 acres in bearing in this 
township. A. I. n. 
North E'ast. Pa. 
All kinds and varieties of fruits were damaged more or 
less by the severe freeze. Peaches seem to have sus¬ 
tained most injury in this section, being nearly anni¬ 
hilated Pear buds, cherry and plum, also quince, were 
seriously injured. Apple buds were damaged consider¬ 
ably in sections. The frost was very freaky in its work 
of destruction. For instance, an examination of apple 
buds close to the buildings of the writer showed a de¬ 
struction of about thre* buds out of five, while on higher 
ground the proportion showed pei-ceptibly only about 
one in 10. Without doubt many of the buds which do 
not show perceptible injury will drop owing to their 
being so thoroughly chilled. Apple trees have been in 
full bloom for several days. Those Baldwin orchards 
which bore heavily last year are not showing much bloom 
this year. Taking all things Into consideration I would 
say the prospects are good for a fair crop of apples. 
Brighton, N. Y. a. e. b. 
Thus far the season has been a very peculiar one. 
Spring opened March 1, about one month ahead of sched¬ 
ule time, so far as weather was concerned, and con¬ 
tinued ver.v warm and Summer-like until near the first 
of April when there was a radical change. We had 
March, anil some thought a part of February was mixed 
in. Wheat and grass that had improved all through 
March was at a standstill or going back until the fore 
part of May. There were several nights during the 
last of April when ice formed to the thickness of half an 
inch, and the mercury registered 22. Early peaches, 
cherries and plums were nearly ruined, but I do not 
think apples or prunes were seriously injured, if at all. 
At this writing apples are in full bloom and most varie¬ 
ties are blossoming full, although this is the off season 
here. There has not been any rain for over three weeks. 
The ground is so hard it is almost impossible to plow, and 
the prospect for hay not very flattering. u. m. 
Fort Byron, Ill. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Seven good substantial farmers of Newaygo Co., Mich., 
having used the Schanck perfect sprayer on their pota¬ 
toes during the season of 1902 have written the manu¬ 
facturer stating that it gave entire satisfaction and that 
they would recommend it to anyone wanting a first-class 
sprayer. The manufacturer is John R. Shangle, Hights 
town, N. J. 
“Dairyman’s Dollars” is the title of a little booklet 
issued by the Empire Cream Separator Co., Bloomfield, 
N. J. The little booklet is a work of art throughout. 
The story of Peter’s transformation from poverty to 
prosperity is told by illustrations and jingle verse. The 
“Empire way” of dairying is given credit for Peter's suc¬ 
cess. This little booklet will interest any dairyman, and 
Is well worth sending for. 
Dairymen universall.v use some sort of a fly repellant 
nowadays to prevent the annoyance and consequently 
loss of milk during the Summer season. In fact, no 
dairyman can afford to be without it, and the effect of 
its use is the same on all farm animals, while not so ap¬ 
parent as in the dairy. D. B. Smith & Co. issue a little 
booklet about the Standard Fly and Germ Killer which 
will be sent free on request. 
The Asphalt Ready Roofing Co., of 136 Water Street, 
New York, for the past seven years have been putting 
on the market a roofing material composed of two plies 
of asphalt saturated felt surfaced with sand or white 
sea gravel. Rolls measure 41 feet three inches long by 
32 inches wide. With each roll the company furnishes 
nails and cement for laying, with explicit directions for 
applying, which are so simple that any careful man can 
apply it. 
The calendar, which the International Harvester Com¬ 
pany of America (Plano Division), 7 Monroe Street, (Chi¬ 
cago, Ill., mails to farmers on request, was designed es¬ 
pecially for this company by one of the foremost animal 
artists of this country, George Ford Morris, who is also 
well-known as a judge of fine blooded horses. The life 
and action portrayed in this drawing is unusually strong 
and the calendar is one that the average lover of good 
horses will prize. Farmers who are interested in labor- 
saving machinery should send for this calendar and cata¬ 
logue issued by this company; both free for the asking. 
R. H. M.acy & Co., who began business in 1858, now. oc¬ 
cupy their magnificent new structure at the intersection 
of Broadway and Sixth Avenue, between Thirty-fourth 
and Thirty-fifth Streets, New York, whidh may justly be 
called the original and largest depqjtment store. This 
structure has 11 floors, an aggregate floor space exceed¬ 
ing 24 acres, and with all its modern improvements is one 
of the show features of the metropolis. The firm is now 
compiling a large catalogue for mail-order buyers, which 
may be regarded as a shopping encyclopedia. In addi¬ 
tion to dry goods and house furnishings of every ciass, 
this firm makes a specialty of drugs and medicines, gro¬ 
ceries and photographic suppiies, and iheir prices will be 
found very attractive 
