MOS 
THE RURAT 
NEW-YORKER. 
873 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.—Before adjournment, at Dayton, O., De¬ 
cember t, the Executive Committee of the recently or¬ 
ganized Ciiizeiis inuustriai Association of America 
resolved against members placing the union label on arti¬ 
cles of taeir ovYii manuiaciure. i'he committee also took 
ground in opposition to the eight-hour bill now pending 
in Congioss. it provided for the foimation of a labor in¬ 
forma <.1011 bureau for the use of members. The Citizens’ 
Industrial Association was organized in Chicago about a 
month ago, its charter members including representa¬ 
tive business men from more than tiO cities and towns in 
the United States. The announced object of the associa¬ 
tion was to light the lawlessness of labor unions, on the 
principle that every man, woman and child has the rig..t 
to work or not to work as they desire.I’ ire in 
a Pittsburg, Pa., factory December 5 caused a loss of 
$250,000, .... December 8 it was reported that Wood¬ 
land, a village six miles from Datirel, Del., was suffering 
from a, smailpox epidemic, and so strictly quaraitHned 
that of the lU deaths which had occurred eignt are said 
to have been due to absolute neglect and starvation. Ti.e 
president of the Eaurei Board of Health appealed to iho 
State board to send aid to the stricken town, and v,ai 
informed that no funds were available. The Sussex 
County Levy Court also decided that it had no power to 
act. Only one family in the town had regular medical 
aticnlion, the other victims being too poor to guaran.eo 
pay. Meetings were held in the Ijaurel churches and 
monev collected for relief purposes. There were 35 cases; 
in a population of 100. The suburbs of surrounding towns 
are patrolled to prevent refugees from Woodland enter¬ 
ing.By the explosion of a tank car ol 
naphtha December 2 two, and perhaps three, people were 
killed, a score injured and Greenwood, Del., was practi¬ 
cally wiped olf the map. The dead are Edward J. Roach, 
of Georgetown, and an infant, who died from the shock, 
'i'he explosion was due to the collision of two freight 
trains. The people of the town were aroused by the 
shock of the collision and flocked to the scene. When 
at least 300 men, women and children had almost reached 
the spot the car of naphtha exploded. Almost all were 
thrown to the ground, and many were stunned. Fully 
500 people are suffering from the effects of the explosion. 
Many are maimed for life. Besides Roach and the child, 
it is feared that Charles Porter and Mrs. Alexander 
Jones will die. Mrs. Jones was made totally blind. The 
conflagration which followed the explosion destroyed the 
two trains and an entire block of homes in Greenwood. 
A hole 10 feet deep and 100 feet in circumference was 
made by the explosion. Not a building of the 350 com¬ 
fortable homes in Greenwood was intact. The five 
churches and the high school were wrecked. The home 
of William Morris was shattered and the inmates terribly 
mangled. Dr. Henry Clay Johnson’s house was knocked 
10 feet from its foundation before falling, to be later 
burned.The suit of the heirs of Burkhard 
Moser against the liehigh Coal and Navigation Company 
for 273 acres of coal lands in Schuylkill Co., Pa., valued 
nt $1,250,000, was thrown out of court by Judge Bechtel 
December 7. The heirs claimed that Burkhard Moser 
acquired the lands in 1788. which he held until the time 
of his death, in 18.32. The Dehigh Coal Company acquired 
possession bv a title from the Commonwealth in 1864 and 
has held the pronertv ever since. The entire town of 
'Pamaqua was involved in the suit.At Clarks¬ 
burg. N. J.. December 8, five persons of one family were 
burned to death, their home being destroyed by fire. 
ADMINISTRATION.—Congre.ss convened in regular 
session December 7. 'i'he ITesideni s annual met.sage 
commended the anti-trust laws of the last session; asked 
for funds to prosecute fi'aud in the I’ostotlice Depart¬ 
ment, and stated that steps have been taken by the 
State Department looking to the making of bribery an 
extraditable offence wlih foreign Power.s. 'Plie need of 
more effective ireaHes covering this crime is manifest, 
ihe exposures and prosecutions of official coirupti(.n in 
St. Douis, Mo., and oiiier cities and States liave resulted 
in a number of givers and takers of bribes becoming 
fugitives in foreign lands. Bribery has not been include.l 
in extradition treaties heretofore, as the necessity for it 
has not arisen. While there may have been as much of¬ 
ficial corruption in former years, there has been mi-ro 
developed and brought to light in the immediate past 
than in the preceding century of our country’s history. 
Reference was made to naturalization frauds and frauds 
in the public lands; to ihe development of Alaska, the 
extension of the merchant marine, and the needs of con¬ 
sular posse.ssions.Secretary Root's last annual 
report as Secretary of War contains a valuable review 
of the organization of the Army General Staff and the 
application of the new Militia law. There is also a dis- 
cu.sslon of important matters relating to the government 
of the Philippines and the work of the army in Alaska. 
Secretarv Root urges immediate action by Congress on 
the pro.l’ects for the fortification of our insular posses¬ 
sions. Special mention is made of San Juan, P. R. :_Pearl 
harbor and Honojulu harbor, Hawaii; San Luis d’Apra, 
on the island of Guam; Manila Bay and Siibig Bay in 
the Philippines, and he .sa>'s; “There ought to be no delay 
In putting all these points in such a condition that at 
least they will not bo defencele.ss against any suddei 
forav bv a single, lightly armed cruiser. The subject of 
fortification of naval stations in the West Indies al.so 
calls for immediate attention.” In a statement of the 
strength of the army, he says that on October 15, 1903, 
the date of the last report received from the military 
departments, the Regular Army consisted of 3,681 officers 
and .55,500 men, distributed as follows: Ignited States, 2,261 
officers and 39,068 men; Philippines, 843 officers and 14,667 
men; Cuba. 24 officers and 695 men; Porto Rico, 8 of¬ 
ficers and 204 men: Hawaii. 9 officers and 288 men: China. 
4 officers and 147 men; Alaska, 29 officers and 531 men. 
There were also in the service 26 officers and 520 enlisted 
men of the Porto Rico Regiment, 99 officers and 4,805 en¬ 
listed Philippine Scouts, and 2.807 hospital corps men. 
The<^e figures show a total net decrease during the year 
of 11,978. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—A special session of the 
Louisiana Legislature will be held this month to pass 
laws which it is hoped will keep the boll weevil out of 
Louisiana. .Governor Heard made the announcement to 
the convention on the boll weevil. He said that he had 
been assured the State would have the hearty cooperation 
of the Agricultural Department at Washington in the 
effort to keep the pest out of the State. The convention 
decided to ask for the enforcement of laws for the preser¬ 
vation of the birds of the State, as an aid in the destruc¬ 
tion of the weevil. The report of the Legislative Com¬ 
mittee, which was unanimously adopted, provides that it 
shall be made a crime, punishable by heavy fine and im¬ 
prisonment, for anyone, except a recognized State or 
Federal entomologist, to bring into the State or have in 
his possession a living boll weevil; that an act shall be 
passed prohibiting the shipment into the State of any 
cotton seed or other farm products from points where 
the boll weevil exists, without an olliclal certificate that 
it has been fumigated, and recommends the passage of 
an act creating a crop pest committee, with plenary 
power to make rules and regulations having the force of 
law to control and eradicate any fruit or crop pest. 
The reports of all outstanding committees to the North¬ 
western Beekeepei’s’ Association, which held its annual 
meeting at Chicago, were made December 3 and the 
meeting closed. W. B. Hutchinson, president of the Na¬ 
tional Beekeepers’ Association, spoke on “My ICxperi- 
ences as Inspector of Foul Breeds.” Morley Pettit, of 
Canada, also spoke. A general discussion followed as to 
the best and most profitable method of manufacturing 
“honey vinegar.’’ The meeting was ended with a talk 
by the president. George M. York. 
The Central Illinois Horticultural Society has elected of¬ 
ficers as follows: President. George J. Poster, Normal; 
first vice-president, J. R. Reasoner, Urbana; second vdee- 
president, Behring Burrows. Decatur; secre’ary, P. S. 
Phoenix, Bloomington; treasurer, Wilmarth Zeigler, 
Clinton. 
NURSERYMEN /\ND '^SUBSTITUTION/' 
For the ne.xt liX) da.vs fruit growers will spend a fair 
share of their time discussing varieties. Nearly every 
man who orders trees or plants desires some i)articuiar 
varieties. When a nurseryman “substitutes” or sends 
ome other variet.v in place of what he ordered that cus¬ 
tomer has a right to complain. So mucli of this “sub¬ 
stitution” has been done that The R. N.-Y. desires to 
let the sunshine in on the practice. We liave asked 
nurserymen to give their side. This week we print some 
of the answers. We cannot find space for all, but will 
give a fair report. 
Nurserymen's Difficulties. 
A nurseryman has no moral right to substitute, and 
akhough some may, through the wording of their con¬ 
tracts or terms in price list, reserve the right to send 
one vaiiet.v for another, it is often the cause of much 
dis.satisfaction. I^ersonally, I do not believe in substitu¬ 
tion, do not reserve the right to do so and do not practice 
it 10 any extent, as we offer in price list only varieties 
\,hich we are able to furnish of our own growing. The 
primary cause of substitution is in offering a long list 
(. f varieties which the nurseryman does not carry in 
stock, and depends on buying of others to make up 
shortage, or as is likely to occur in any nursery, when 
orders are received late, after supply of any variety is 
exhausted. There are times and circumstances, however, 
under which the substitution of one variety for another 
in small lots, is better than sending orders short, but if 
a nurseryman substitutes, he should do so at his own 
risk, and by all means give correct name of variety. A 
purchaser is often (too often) influenced entirely in the 
selection of a variety by the description, and where the 
list is evidently intended for a home orchard, should an 
order be received after a variety is sold out, and it is 
too late to correspond, rather than delay, for the custo¬ 
mer’s sake, I would prefer to select a good variety and 
send on in place of the shortage, but only in small lots, 
rather than to send the order short. But if my actions 
in such a case wore not satisfactory to purchaser, I 
should certainly feel that I had taken the course at my 
own risk and would bn obliged to make the matter satis¬ 
factory. I certainly would not consider it right to sub¬ 
stitute for varieties ordered in quantity for commercial 
purposes, without permission from the purchaser. The 
great difficulty with the nursery business is that the 
goods handled are perishable, and the time in whicli to 
handle them is very short, while to ])roduce them take.s 
from one to three years or more. Planters too often 
make up “experimental farm” lists, or leave ordering 
until too late. Too many varieties on the nurseryman’s 
list induces long lists on orders, and the long and short 
of it is trouble for both. To satisfy the i)urchaser should 
be the first consideration in all transactions, and. granted 
that substitution may be permissible in a certain case, 
the satisfaction to the customer will depend on how it 
is done, but at best it should be avoiibd if possible. 
The careful selecHon of varieties, taking into considera¬ 
tion the season and the district to whicli the trees are 
going, will add to the value to purch.aser and .avoid much 
of the dissatisfaction which usuall.v' attimds sul). ti ulion. 
My experience with substitution lias been that it is not 
at all confined to the nursery business. 'I'he past Spring 
uur garden seeds were ordered of ,a leading seed firm, 
and a sliortage of Nott’s Excelsior pea was filled with 
another similar variety, which was entirely satisfactory, 
while to have sent the order short and' returned the 
money would not have been. An order to ,a large Chicago 
mail ordei- house for a particular style of jet ininiii for 
boiler, was filled wdth anotlier of similar pattern, which 
was satisfactory. But on the otlier hand, an order to a 
New York chemical company for arsenate of lead w’as 
filled with arsenate of soda, which may have answered 
for some inirposes Init not for ours. An order to a hard¬ 
ware de.aler for rubber gaskets for lubricator glass on 
engine, was filled with rubbers used on .'•owing m.achines 
for winding bobbins, a rather unpleasant substitution 
under some conditions, but probably no more so than the 
planter felt when his nurseryman wrote that he was 
short of Red f'ross currants, but h;id filled his order with 
Downing gooseberries. is,\.\c c. kogehs. 
New York. 
Substitute Sizes If At All. 
Tv'e do not on general principles approve of substitution 
at all, and yet there :ire times when it does seem ad- 
\isable to substitute unless there are strict instructions 
not to do so. Late in the shipping season, when varieties 
are being cut low and it is time slock is shiiiped, we 
think that a nurseryman is doing the best thing for his 
customer by shipping at once and puking in another 
variety in place of the one ordered, provided that the 
variety used is as good in every respect as the other one 
ordered ami also i)ro\ided Ui.at there is nothing against 
.sending it to his locality. \Ve prefer to substitute size 
rather than variety. In apples and pears it is very dif¬ 
ficult to substitute, and we would certainly hesitate a^ 
long time before doing so e.xcei)t by permission. In 
peaches there are so many kinds that are so similar that 
it is very difficult to tell them apart, and to substitute 
one of these for anotlier would be no damage to any 
one, and would be exciuable but not advi.sable. To sub- 
s itute sizes would bo much better if substitution has to 
be resorted to at all. Our men are always told iiositively 
that they must not substitute at all without our instruc¬ 
tions. and in our catalogue we reserve the right to sub¬ 
stitute in extreme cases; yet we seldom do unle.ss it is a 
very imail number, and the order would bo delayed by 
waiting until we hear from the customer. 
New Jersey. j. n. black, son & co. 
Substitution for the Small Planter. 
We suppose the main reason why nurserymen reserve 
the right of substituting on nursery stock, is because 
the majority of customers never send orders until time 
for shipment, and there is no time to correspond back 
and forth. After a variety is exliausted, it is impossible 
to supply more of that same kind. In our general price 
list we have always stated, and always expect to make 
the statement, that in case we are out of a variety or¬ 
dered, another of equal merit will be sent in its place, 
unless the party ordering says no substituting, in width 
case, we will refund the money, if we do not have the 
goods when order is filled. We never undertake to do 
any substituting on large orders for orchardists, who 
are putting out trees for profit. 'I'hey usually know what 
they want, and want particular varieties, but we think 
that to the large majority of people who buy in small 
quantities for town lots or small orchards for'home use, 
it makes no particular difference, for instance, whether 
they have one or the other of a dozen or more types of 
the I.ate Crawford peat h, if they have one that ripens 
about the same time, and there is practically but little 
difference in the dozen or more kinds, and this is true 
of most things in the fruit tree line. Customers order 
from descriptions in catalo.giie, an.d it makes no differ¬ 
ence to tlie majority of them, provided they get a good 
variety that ripens about t!;e same time, whether we 
substitute or not, and we .get a great many orders where 
parties do not pretend to select varieties, simply leaving 
it to us to send what we think best, and if all planters 
would do the same with all nurserymen they would get 
better varieties than they do by making their own choice. 
We believe that this is perfectly honest and legitimate. 
We do not believe that any responsible n'arseryman 
would substitute on orders from orchardists who are 
planting fruit for profit, for market, unless they have 
permission of the buyer to do so, while the large ma¬ 
jority of small planters, are perfectly satisfied, for in¬ 
stance, with either a Globe or Late Crawford peach tree, 
with cither an Ontario or Sutton apple, and would much 
prefer to have nurserymen send them one or the other 
to returning their money. the storrs & HARRisoit co 
Ohio. 
The Honest Nurseryman Knows Best. 
It depends on the buyer and the man who sells If a 
man sends an order for trees, and the varieties indicate 
a good selection, he generally gets them, or if he wants 
.some special kind for some purpose he should have it 
but in agents taking orders it is very different be e in 
the West at least. Some agents seem not to care whit 
tlicy sell; anything represented in the idato book or that 
his customer suggests goes down, and often in the most 
unreasonable lu-oiiortion and the most worthless kinds. 
Instead of guiding tlie buyer in a good selection, the 
kinds make little difference to many agents, only so it 
sells. 1 have had orders where half of the apples were 
Summer kinds; then 1 use my judgment and correct it 
by reducing the early and Fall kinds and increase the 
list of good Winter kinds. I think it is right, yes, more 
than, right in doing so. Some agents sell on specialties, 
which is all ri.ght, but when it is the Rathbun black¬ 
berry. which like the wineberry, is an imposition in the 
West, they are not furnished if I have the filling of the 
order. When fruit trees or plants are ordered it is fur 
the purpose of growing fruit. No one ever has Or will 
make .a living growin.g Rathbun or wineberry in the 
West. In flowers it is much the same; they are sold by 
pictures, 'i'he buyers many do not know the hardiness 
or other quality of the plants they order. When they 
want the Sisters to Angels rose I infer it is the Seven 
Sisters they want, and get it; so with many others. The 
nurseries should keep posted on best kinds of fruit in 
their section and flowers and grow them largely, and 
supply them in nlaces where the kinds ordered are little 
good, and the jieople will be bet.er satisfied with good 
full trees and choice shrubs than to have something that 
fills the ground with leaves only, and shrubs that Jail to 
live through the first season. 'I'his would reduce the 
complaint very much. For other cases, where the cheat 
vvas intentional, and no effort made to give good varie¬ 
ties to a customer, drop the nurseryman and buy where 
you can got the money’s worth, and be satisfied with the 
liurchase. While there are instances of unreasonable, 
substituting, there are also unreasonable complaints on 
the jiart of buyers. I used to label each tree and plant 
true to name, but at delivery, those names being new to. 
the buyer, he would set uj) a complaint of being cheated, 
while he had better kinds, as I knew positively, than 
those he ordered. While it was a violation of contract. 
It was serving him far better than if he had just what 
he ordeied. In many cases the nurservman knows better 
than tlie buyer, but it is not always so, and if both under¬ 
stood each other better there would be a better feeling 
between them than now. a. h. griesa. 
Kansas. 
The Substitution of Strawberry Plants. 
I have never practiced substitution where it could well 
be got around. Generally speaking, I do not like the 
practice of it, and yet there are times when somethins; 
has to be done ((uickly. I never substitute one variety 
for another if we have the time; I mean to say by that, 
if the season is not too far advanced to justify us in 
taking the time to write the situation to the custome.' 
before tilling his order. 'I'wo years ago our plants ran 
away behind our estimates, owing to the fact that 
there were so many plants which were not well enough 
rooted to send out. 'I'his seemed to be the situation net 
only with myself, but with many others, and uninten- 
tionally, more orders were accepted than we could till. 
In other words, we thought we could till them: but when 
we commenced to dig tlie stock, they ran short, at least 
certain varieties did. 'I’liis being tho case with nearly 
everyone else, 1 was unable to buy the varieties, which 
I would gladly have done, even though they cost me 
more than I was receiving for them. After accepting 
me orders in good faitli, and tho parties expecting our 
plants, ill quite a number of cases we sent something 
else, which we tliought to be as good, in the place of 
the portion of tlie orders which we could not till. In 
some histances this p:;ovcd satisfactory; In others it dal 
not. SomelinI's late in the season we get orders from 
growers whom we know are not growing for propagating 
purposes, but simply wish good fruit. We sometimes 
send other varieties as near like those ordered as pos¬ 
sible. klost customers would jirefer us to do thi.s, while 
there are others that do not like it. In such a case it is 
even better to .send other good varieties, than to delay 
them a week or h) days in planting, to write about the 
matter. Away long in April, oi' the first of May, to take 
uj) a week or ID days in writing a customer, would al¬ 
most make a difference between successful and unsuc- 
ce.ssful planting: as strawberries to do well, should al¬ 
ways be plajited early. And where the chief object, for 
instance, seems to be to cover as long a season as pos¬ 
sible wnh the best varieties, for local market, home use. 
or commercial gi’owing, as the case mav be, it is even 
better to jnit in other varieties to take the place of the 
one.s ordered, than to delay the planting to write about 
it. However-, we always make it a point to find out the 
customer’s wi.'hes, except in cases as stated above. Wq 
find that nine times out of 10 they will take other varie-. 
tie.s that we have in stock similar to the ones ordered:- 
while if substituted without their consent, there would 
probably be at least one-third who would find fault with 
it. Some, because they really didn’t want any other 
varieties except those ordered, and others, sim'ply be¬ 
cause it gives them a chance to kick. We lind there 
are (luite a few who make a practice of kicking without 
any ju.'-t cause. While it is hard to determine these 
cases from the others, we have to consider them all. 
I know of one instance where a westei'n grower fur¬ 
nished a large order of plants. 'I'he purchaser after re¬ 
ceiving the plants, made complaint that thev were in 
poor order, and would not grow. Being late in the sea¬ 
son, and the nur.seryman having plenty of the varieties 
first ordered, he refilled the order entire. Some time 
during the following Summer, the nur.servman had oc¬ 
casion to be in that part of the country, a'nd visited th > 
customer under a nom de jilume. He found there weio 
two complete settin.gs of the varieties he had filled for 
tho and asked why the varieties wore not all 
planted together? He stated that, after setting out the 
plants he had first ordered, he wished to plant more, and 
sent back and had his order refilled. As .a matter of fact, 
the plants were all good, and were all growing vigor' 
ously. 'I'he nurseryman brought in a bill for the first 
plants which were condemned, his railroad expen.ses, aiul 
810 iier day for his time; and collected same. It la hard 
to tell how often we are Imiioscd on in this way. us it is 
not always convenient to look Into tho matter. I do not 
think ihat a Large portion of the customers would, .do 
this; and yet there are a few who would practice it in 
order to get extr.a plants free. w, p. \llev 
Maryland. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Don’t be caught napping when the ice is ready to har- 
ve.st—have your tools ready. 'I'o do the job iiuicklv vou 
will need an ice plow. There are several good makes 
rejiresented in our columns, and the manufacturers will 
be glad to give you full information about them 
I.NCREASING the daily output without the necessity 
for an increase of power and at an actual decrease in 
operating expense, very materiallv swells the net 
prolits. Any mill man interested in the most recent and 
up-to-date Improvements in engines and .sawmill ma¬ 
chinery should write the A. B. Farquhar Co , Ltd York 
Pa., for further information and free catalogue 
wane to own an American Cream Separator, and mav 
soon get his money back. It is not only the cheapest o'f 
all good separators, but it is .simple in the extreme, and! 
easy to lun and keep clean. Last, but not least it is -t 
clean, close skimmer. It gives such universal satisfac¬ 
tion that the manufaciurers. the American Separator 
t.ompany, Bambridge. N. Y.. will place it in any respon¬ 
sible p.yty s hands for free trial, with no obli'gation to 
buy unless perfectly satisfied. 
An Enterprise meat chopper and an TCnterprise sausage 
stufter make an admirable outfit that is unequalled for 
quality and quantity of work performed, and is very 
moderate in price. This outfit would prove a money-sav¬ 
ing investment as well as time and labor-.saving and 
every family doing its own butchering ought to have one 
The Enterprise machines, made bv tho Enterprise Mfg 
Co ’ of Philadelphia, Pa., are the best machines fiw 
this purpose on the market, and are sold by all hard¬ 
ware and general stores. 'I'he “E‘nterpri.«iug House¬ 
keeper." a valuable housel old book of 200 receipts, sent 
lor four cents, by addressing the company. 
