1903 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
457 
Events of the Week. 
domestic.—E xtensive forest fires were burning over 
a wide territory in the Eastern States and Canada June 
1-7. North of Bangor, Me., several villages were en¬ 
tirely destroyed. On Long Island several thousand acre.s 
of valuable timber were burned, and great destruction 
was done in the Adirondack region, both to standing 
timber and buildings. The smoke from the burning 
forests extended all along the coast, enveloping New 
York in a haze irritating to eyes and throat, anH causing 
some danger to navigation. The German steamer 
Deutschland went ashore in the haze near Sandy Hook 
June 4, but was hauled off without damage. Great dam¬ 
age was done by fires in Nova Scotia. The little town 
of Musquash, near St. John’s, was totally destroyed 
June 3; loss $100,000. The timber loss will be very heavy. 
New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut 
and Maine were all suffering severely. In Aroostook Co., 
Me., 14 miles of railroad were burned, two small settle¬ 
ments and 24 farms. Reports from every section of 
northern Maine confirm the first reports of tremendous 
loss to the lumbering and other interests. In addition 
one town has been completely destroyed, hundreds of 
buildings have been burned in all parts of the State, at 
least two lives lost because of the fires, and much suffer¬ 
ing, labor and inconvenience caused. Maine’s lumbering 
interests are hard hit by this misfortune, following close 
on the lack of snow in the woods this Winter and the 
drought which caused the loss of more than 25,000,000 
feet of logs. Farmers at East Madrid, June 5, were bury¬ 
ing their furniture and household effects in the ground, 
and were in readiness to fiee from the forest fires. Rain 
broke the drought and ended the fires June 7-8. 
Fire occurred in a planing mill at Ottawa, Canada, June 
4 which spread to adjoining houses. The estimated dam¬ 
age is $500,000. In 1900 Ottawa was swept by fire. On 
May 10 there was another great fire there, and this is 
the third confiagration in three years. The city of Hull, 
adjoining Ottawa, was devastated by fire June 3. Thirty 
houses were destroyed and over 300 persons left without 
homes.June 6 a cioudburst swept through 
Pacolet and Clifton, S. C. The property loss in Spartan¬ 
burg County was tremendous. The heaviest was at 
Clifton, where the loss in mills and factory houses 
reached $1,900,000. At Pacolet the destruction of two mills, 
the warehouses with cotton goods and houses in the town 
makes an approximate loss of $1,200,000. Glendale suf¬ 
fered a damage to mill and warehouses of $400,000. Other 
mills in the county suffered to the extent of $150,000. The 
railroads and county lost in bridges over rivers and 
streams about $300,000, so in Spartanburg the aggregate 
is about $4,000,000. In the northwestern part of the State 
the feature of the flood was the breaking of the Toxaway 
dam, which formed Sapphire Lake. This artificial Lake 
was formed by a Western hotel syndicate, which is de¬ 
veloping the “Sapphire Country” in North Carolina. The 
lake was 21 miles around. Enore and Keowee rivers were 
rushed up 20 feet by this water. Much farm land was 
submerged and the Courtney Manufacturing Company’s 
mills at Enore covered, but no lives were lost. The 
paralysis of the railroads was unprecedented. The 
Southern system has lost its big bridges over the Broad 
River, Pacolet, North Tyger, Middle Tyger and Enore 
rivers. Its bridge over the Broad, 25 miles above Colum¬ 
bia, was completely submerged. Two hundred feet of 
trestling has gone on the Columbia and Spartanburg 
road and the track was under water. The Seaboard Air 
IJne lost its bridges over the Broad and Pacolet rivers. 
The chief loss of life was at Pacolet and Clifton, said 
to be 100. Nearly 10,000 persons were left without means 
of livelihood by the wreck of the mills.June 4 
the bodies of seven more flood victims were found at 
'I'opeka, Kan., bringing the' list up to 71. North Topeka 
is a total wreck. In the residence district the water 
Vi'SLS seven feet deep in most places. The business part 
of the town was a sorry looking place. The fronts of 
most of the stores have openings broken through, and 
the contents of the stores are ruined. The current rushed 
through with such force as to upset counters and boxes 
and whatever goods were in the way, and dragged into 
the water the goods stored high on the shelves. In nearly 
every building which was not washed away the contents 
are piled in a heap, and over all there is a slime of fine 
sand mixed with a little mud. 'Phis deposit varies from 
a few inches to two or three feet. June 8 the flood situ¬ 
ation on the east side of the Mississippi was appalling. 
Six Illinois cities, with a population of over 60,000, were 
wholly or partially submerged. These are East St. Louis, 
Venice, Madison, Brooklyn, Newport and Granite City. 
Venice and Madison were completely submerged, while 
Newport and Brooklyn were practically wiped off the 
map. The great levees protecting these cities gave way, 
under the combined force of the Mississippi and the 
Missouri. When the levees broke, homes in the Illinois 
towns were swept away or flooded in a twinkling, people 
were knocked off their feet in the streets, houses were 
flooded to the second stories, forcing the occupants to 
climb to the roofs, while others were caught like rats in 
a trap and drowned before assistance could reach them. 
River pirates are looting everything they can get their 
hands on, while many go paddling about in boats refusing 
to rescue people who have taken refuge on the roof- 
trees of houses or other points above the flood until they 
receive their price. Many people saved their household 
effects from the floods only to have them carried away 
in skiffs by these pirates. South of St. Louis as far as 
Cape Girardeau, 140 miles below, was one vast expanse 
of water, the floods reaching from bluff to bluff on each 
side of the Mississippi, ranging in width from four miles 
to forty miles. All farming lands have been sulimerged 
and will be practically ruined by the deposit of river silt. 
In this great stretch of country, few buildings can be 
discerned standing clear of the water. 
ADMINISTRATION.—The Grand Jury at Washington. 
D. C., June 5, returned a true bill against August W. 
Machen, lately superintendent of the free delivery di¬ 
vision of the Post Office Department. It follows the 
lines of Inspector Mayer’s complaint against him and 
charges him with receiving $18,987.79 from the firm of Groff 
Brothers, manufacturers of letter-box fasteners. Two 
more arrests were made June 5, both of men in the di¬ 
vision over which Machen formerly presided. Thomas 
W. McGregor, in charge of rural free delivery supplies 
fo the Post Office Department in Washington, and C. 
Ellsworth Upton, one of his assistants, were arrested on 
warrants sworn out by Post Office Inspectors. The 
charge is conspiracy to defraud the Government in the 
purchase of pouches from Charles E. Smith, of Balti¬ 
more. Machen was confident that he could easily ex¬ 
plain everything satisfactorily, and that no wrong¬ 
doing would be found to have occurred in his official 
conduct. He said that if he had erred in anything it 
was in placing a too high value on the Groff device, and 
recommending that it be bought by the Department at 
that price. This was an error of judgment, but as the 
thing was patented he had almost no discretion in the 
matter. It is understood that the Government stands 
ready to show that there were other fasteners in the 
market, and that a. firm at Adrian, Mich., tried to get 
a contract for a device which they controlled, but failed 
to do so because Machen always represented that the 
Department was supplied. Then, before the firm could 
get a chance to bid after advertisement Machen would 
get another purchase of the Groff fasteners ordered by 
the First Assistant Postmaster-General on the ground 
that they were needed at once as an emergency pur¬ 
chase, which, under the ruling of the Controller of the 
Treasury made some years ago, was regular. 
TURNIPS TOR MILCH COWS. 
The unprecedented drought now prevalent in the East¬ 
ern States is likely to give a good opportunity to over¬ 
throw the prevailing prejudice against turnips as food 
for milch cows. In many quarters they are considered 
unfit for such use on account of the danger of tainting 
the milk with their peculiar flavor. As soon as rains do 
come, making it possible to plow and for seeds to germi 
nate, every farmer with cattle to winter will need to be 
on the alert to secure all the forage crops possible 
before the advent of Winter. Corn fodder and millet will 
be the first recourse, provided rains come in time for 
them to mature. As a last resort a good big turnip 
patch will go a long way in carrying a cow through the 
Winter. These can be sown on good land any time after 
July 20 and before August 20 with every prospect of a 
full crop. When silage is not available, I know of no 
feed that gives the desirable succulence in Winter for 
milch cows more cheaply. Fed Immediately after milk¬ 
ing, and in connection with grain and hay or other dry 
fodder, there need be no fear of bad flavor in the milk. 
I have fed thousands of bushels in this way, both when 
shipping milk to New York and when delivering in bottles 
to the best family trade here in Middletown, and never 
had a single complaint of the turnip flavor. The Borden 
Condensed Milk Company, which has a factory here, 
has a clause in its contracts prohibiting the feeding of 
either turnips or silage. Those who are up-to-date in 
Winter dairying know that this means higher cost of 
milk production. They are now to have as active com¬ 
petitors here, the Orange County Milk-Flour Food Com¬ 
pany, which is erecting a factory here, and offering to 
pay either the New York Exchange price or Borden’s 
prices, without any restrictions as to feed. This, I take 
it, means deliverance for the farmers of this section at 
least, from the Borden arbitrary rule of prohibiting the 
use of silage. They have three large factories within a 
radius of eight miles, and as a consequence very few 
silos have yet been built in their territory. Those who 
are so fortunate as to secure a supply of turnips for next 
Winter, need not fear for a good market for their milk. 
The new company is to produce cream for the New York 
market and convert the skim-milk into a milk flour by 
some new patented process. o. w. mapes. 
CROP PROSPECTS. 
We are under the influence of the great drought, and 
yet we are standing its severity as well as any locality 
in New Jersey. But it is hard on the farmer; the hay 
crop is beyond recovery, corn coming up poorly, rye is 
drying up. Some fields are being cut, poorly filled. 
Wheat stands the drought as well as any crop. Potatoes 
are getting very thirsty, and now begin to wilt at mid¬ 
day. D. c. L. 
Cranbury, N. J. 
It is very* wet here, raining nearly every day. Half 
of the corn ground is unplanted; much that is already 
planted will require replanting on account of being 
drowned and washed out. Winter wheat looks promis¬ 
ing and is beginning to head. Timothy and Alfalfa are 
fine; pasture excellent. A large acreage was sown to 
Alfalfa this Spring. This is one of the best paying crops 
in Nebraska. Land is rapidly increasing in value. Farm¬ 
ers are prospering and many of them are enjoying the 
advantages of rural free delivery and telephone. 
Davenport, Neb. a. m. m. 
THE OUTLOOK FOR HAY. ’ 
The outlook for even an average hay crop in the Middle 
Atlantic States and New England on account of long 
drought is getting very doubtful, and even with good rains 
from now on chances are that not more than 50 per cent 
will be harvested. As to the prospects in the Western 
States, Minnesota and the two Dakotas, they could hardly 
be improved upon. Grass has grown rapidly, pastures 
are looking fine owing to abundant rains and good grow 
Ing weather. It seems that the Southwestern States 
have been suffering on account of too much moisture, 
large sections of low lands being flooded. The general 
outlook seems to be that the East will depend this year 
largely on the surplus of the West as to hay and feeding 
stuffs, and prospects are that farmers will have to pay 
a higher price for feed. As to Alfalfa hay little of this 
is produced in this State, and it has not come on the 
market to any extent. Prairie and Timothy hay is the 
largest production. Values on mill feed have shown a 
very strong tendency on account of good eastern demand, 
and values for same are liable to be well maintained, as 
the East will no doubt require considerably more this 
year on account of poor pastures and light hay crop. 
Minneapolis, Minn. richard haertel. 
I have never seen more profuse vegetation than will 
be found throughout the entire State of Wisconsin at the 
present time, as we have had one of the rainiest seasons 
for years, and we understand the same is the case in 
Iowa and Minnesota. There should therefore be plenty 
of hay, but whether or not the weather will be suitable 
for properly curing the crop cannot yet be determined. 
With good dry haying weather, the writer is of the 
opinion that there will be an excellent crop of hay in 
Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. Baled Alfalfa has 
never been used to any extent in the Milwaukee market. 
Milwaukee, Wis. chas. r. lull. 
The hay crop this season has been rather backward. 
The drought which prevailed throughout this country 
during the last month proved rather detrimental to hay. 
It is probable that the yield will be quite a little below 
the average, notwithstanding the fact that recent rains 
have been quite beneficial and that hay is now coming 
along in reasonably good shape. We have never heard 
of any Alfalfa hay coming into this market. It is im¬ 
possible for us to predict what effect a short crop of 
hay might have in this market in regard to shredded 
corn fodder. We do not understand that the latter Is 
in extensive use here at present. w. a. rundell & co. 
Toledo, O. _ 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Those preparing to build or overhaul their farm build¬ 
ings will find it to their advantage to look into the 
merits of the Pocahontas Red Rope roofing. By using 
this airtight building paper a much cheaper grade of 
lumber will do. You will be surprised by the amount you 
can save in this nay. Write to Kay Paper Co., Box 101, 
Blackwood, N. J., for free booklet giving full information. 
The prices obtained for baled hay are largely influ¬ 
enced by its appearance. To get the best prices means 
the production of the best-appearing bales, and in this 
respect the work done by the Dederick baling presses, 
manufactured by the P. K. Dederick’s Sons, Albany, N 
Y., certainly places these machines far in the lead 
Every farmer interested in the baling of hay or straw 
should send to this firm for their latest catalogue. 
The Studebaker Bros. Mfg. Co. are sending a very 
neat and attractive hanger in several colors and half¬ 
tone effects, handsome enough for home decoration. It 
would be more aptly described as a pictorial history of 
the rise of a great manufacturing establishment. This 
hanger, 20 x 38 inches in size, tinned top and bottom, may 
be had by writing the Studebaker Bros. Mfg. Co., South 
Bend, Ind., and enclosing six cents in stamps to pay 
postage. 
In many sections of this country, and particularly 
adjacent to the large cities, rye is extensively grown be¬ 
cause of the active demand and good prices for the long 
straw. The introduction of the Champion rye thrasher, 
cleaner and binder makes it possible to thrash the rye, 
thereby saving all the grain, and at the same time pre¬ 
serving the straw unbroken, ready for market. This ex 
cellent machine is manufactured by the Harder Mfg. 
Co., of Cobleskill, N. Y. Write for Illustrated catalogue 
fully describing this machine, as well as a full line of 
other thrashers, cleaners, etc. 
Among traction engines none has come up to a higher 
plane of usefulness than that manufactured by the H 
Rumely Company, of La Porte, Ind. Machinery of a 
superior type is to be expected of a company which has 
devoted a half century to developing what is adapted to 
one particular purpose. ’Phat is about the length of time 
the Rumely Company has been engaged in manufacturing 
engines and thrashing machinery, and the present product 
meets all expectations. Anyone interested either in 
traction engines or separators should write for their 
catalogue which will be mailed free on application. 
The experiments made by George M. Clark, of Con¬ 
necticut, in intense cultivation have shown that by a 
thorough aeration of the soil to a depth below the plant 
roots, sunlight and air give new life. Intense cultivation 
not only makes a more perfect connection with the sub¬ 
soil water, but kills all foul weeds or germs, giving 
whatever seeds are planted a clear field to grow in. Mr. 
Clark’s experiments have, in most cases, more than 
doubled the crops. The use of his double action harrow 
has been of great service in developing those facts. For 
full particulars of the methods employed and tools used 
in this intense cultivation write to Cutaway Harrow Co., 
Higganum, Conn. _ 
DROUGHT AND CANNERS.—I attended a meeting of 
our board of directors of the Hudson Valley Canning 
Company at their office in the cannery building in this 
village recently. The entire board of 10 members are 
all Interested in farming or farmers only. The topic dis¬ 
cussed was: “Will it pay to open the plant for business 
this year?” We have large contracts for planting corn, 
tomatoes, beans, etc., but the farmers cannot plant any 
of these, as the ground is so hard and dry that they 
cannot plow or plant. A few have planted some corn, 
but it has not come up; many have tomato plants in hot 
beds or cold frames, but cannot transplant them. We 
unanimously decided that if we did not get a fairly heavy 
rain within a week we would not hire a processor or 
try to run the factory this year. There is a cannery 
similar to ours at Cohoes, eight miles south of here. 
They have a processor hired for a year, and he was at 
our meeting. He said they had decided already not to 
open up this year. I have never known farmers so dis¬ 
couraged at this time of the year, and certainly they 
have sufficient reasons. We have not had over one- 
third inch of rainfall since April 15 up to June 7. 
Mechahicsville, N. Y. p. j. s. 
