1900 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
155 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.—Charles E. Macrum, late consul at Pre¬ 
toria, South Africa, gave out a statement to the news¬ 
papers February 13, In which he asserted that his of¬ 
ficial mail had been opened by the British censor, and 
that the State Department had a secret understanding 
with Great Britain, which embarrassed him, he sym¬ 
pathizing entirely with the Boers. The State Depart¬ 
ment flatly denies his assertion of a secret alliance, and 
is investigating the alleged interference with his cor¬ 
respondence. They -wish to know why he could not re¬ 
port this to the Government instead of waiting to give 
it out to the daily press.February 18, two men 
drifted down the Hudson River from Yonkers on an ice 
floe, and were rescued by a ferryboat, after some trouble, 
near Fort Bee.An investigation regarding the 
condition of the transport Manauense is now being held 
before the British consul at San Francisco. During the 
trip to Manila her boilers gave out, and she leaked so 
badly that only incessant pumping prevented her from 
going down in a typhoon off Nagasaki. The chief engi¬ 
neer admitted that he had signed a false statement 
favorable to the owners of the vessel, and that she was 
thoroughly unseaworthy.Six persons perished 
near Norfolk, Va., in the cold wave following the snow¬ 
storm of February 17.At Cape May, N. J., 
February 20, Mrs. Enoch Stevenson lost her life in vainly 
trying to rescue her two sons, who had fallen through 
the ice on a mill pond.February 16, six Chi¬ 
cago laborers were overcome by sewer gas in a four- 
foot main, and one of them died; the others are in 
danger from exposure following their drenching. 
At Topeka Kan., February 16, two men were killed and 
three frightfully injured by the explosion of a locomo¬ 
tive boiler.Capt. Dillon, of the hospital ship 
Missouri, from Manila, says that the ship is both un¬ 
seaworthy and unsanitary. The Missouri was origi¬ 
nally a cattleship, and was purchased by the Govern¬ 
ment for $250,000.Fire at Decatur, Ala., Feb¬ 
ruary 20, caused a loss of $100,000.The Massa¬ 
chusetts House, February 20, defeated a woman-suf¬ 
frage bill by a vote of 124 to 32. 
CONGRESS.—February 15, the Senate passed the Cur¬ 
rency bill, its substitute for the House bill to define and 
fix the standard of value, to maintain the parity of all 
forms of money issued or coined by the United States. 
All amendments were voted down, except one declaring 
that the bill is not intended to place any obstacles in 
the way of international bimetallism. The vote was 46 
to 20.In the Montana Senatorial bribery case, 
two members of the Supreme Court of Montana testi¬ 
fied that they had been offered bribes; $100,000 was the 
sum named by one of them.The Hay-Paunce- 
fote Canal treaty has aroused a good deal of unfavorable 
discussion, and it is not believed that the Senate will 
ratify it.February 19, debate opened on the 
Porto Rican tariff bill, which imposes 25 per cent of the 
Dingley rates on imports. It is estimated that this 
would produce an annual revenue of $1,750,000. Payne, 
of New York, favored the bill on the ground that the 
provision of the Constitution regarding uniformity of 
taxation applies to the States only. February 20, Mr. 
Newlands argued for free trade for the Island. 
Senator Kenney, of Delaware, argued in favor of con¬ 
ferring independence on the Philippines.Sev¬ 
eral amendments were offered to the Hawaiian Govern¬ 
ment bill, among them one extending the contract-labor 
law to the Islands.Representative Richardson, 
of Tennessee, introduced in the House, February 20, a 
resolution aimed at the paper trust, on the lines of his 
resolution of February 19, against the sugar trust. It 
prohibits the transportation of wood pulp and printing 
paper suitable for the printing of newspapers, periodi¬ 
cals or books, after six months, until the Interstate Com¬ 
merce Commission is satisfied that such articles have 
not yielded to the manufacturers thereof a profit of more 
than four per cent. 
PHILIPPINES.—February 5, 3. >00 bolomen, armed with 
Mauser rifles, attacked the Am rican garrison at Daraga. 
They finally retreated with p oss of 75. 
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.—F muary 9, it was announced 
that there were four new cases of plague at Honolulu. 
A wholesale slaughter of rats is ordered, as these ani¬ 
mals spread the disease. A bounty of 15 cents for dead 
rats and 25 cents for living ones has been offered by the 
health officials. 
GENERAL FOREIGN NEWS.—Numerous wrecks were 
reported along the French coast during the gale of Feb¬ 
ruary 14. The steamer Ernestine went ashore; 13 lives 
were lost, and four were lost in the wreck of a schooner. 
Many fishing boats were lost or damaged.Feb¬ 
ruary 16, the flying column under Gen. French reached 
Kimberley, raising the siege. The Boers retreated, fight¬ 
ing as they went. The relief of Kimberley showed that 
conditions in the town were far more serious than was 
suspected. For 60 days the people have lived chiefly on 
horse and mule flesh. Owing to the heavy bombard¬ 
ment, most of the women and children have been living 
in the diamond mines, as there was no security above 
ground from the Boers’ 100-pound gun, with its eight- 
miles range. Gen. Buller has entered Colenso, and the 
Boers under Joubert are falling back. The Boers are 
also retiring from Zululand. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—A State Dairymen’s Associa¬ 
tion has been organized in Georgia. 
February 18 many sections of Florida were visited by 
a freeze and fires were used to protect the orange groves. 
The National convention of creamery and dairymen 
opened at Lincoln, Neb., February 19. President Board- 
man, of Nevada, Iowa, says it was one of the largest 
conventions the organization ever held. Secretary Wil¬ 
son was present. 
Reports from southern Illinois and Indiana indicate 
damage to fruit buds by the recent cold wave. Lack of 
snow caused damage to the wheat crop. 
In 1895 the Kansas Legislature appropriated money for 
the purchase of seed grain for the western Kansas coun¬ 
ties where drought had killed the wheat. The seed was 
sold to the counties, who later paid the State, taking the 
farmers’ notes for the seed. The majority of counties 
have settled in full-with the State. Many of the farm¬ 
ers have not settled with the counties, and the local 
authorities, notably in Greene County, have instructed 
the county attorney to sue on the notes. This is a step 
toward enforcing the payment of remaining obligations 
throughout the western part of the State. Until these 
notes are paid the county is short the amounts repre¬ 
sented thereby. 
Reports received by the Western Fruit Growers from 
Missouri, Iowa, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Illinois 
and Indiana show that the prospects for fruit, as com¬ 
pared with a year ago, are much better. Raspberry 
and blackberry plantations have not yet recovered from 
the severe setback received a year ago, and the crop of 
these berries Is likely to be shorter than that of two 
years ago, though larger than last year’s yield. 
Where peach trees were properly cared for after 
the freeze of last year, they are in fair shape, and all 
buds are still alive in most sections. Parts of southern 
Missouri report damage from the cold snap of February. 
Plums and cherries promise a good crop, apples are in 
the best of shape in nearly every section of the West. 
The average of strawberries is larger than last year, 
and the indications for a heavy crop are good. 
Chas. F. Martin, of Denver, Col., secretary of the Na¬ 
tional Live Stock Association, has been appointed special 
agent in charge of the classified census of live stock for 
the eleventh census. 
Early vegetables were badly frozen by the cold v ve 
in Texas February 16. Beans, cucumbers and ca ' i • 
loupes suffered most; cabbage was not injured. 
The Wyoming Legislature has passed a new law re¬ 
quiring sheep from outside points to be quarantined for 
60 days, dipped and inspected, before entering the Ter¬ 
ritory. 
The Oregon Dairymen’s Association, at their recent 
meeting at Albany, Ore., passed resolutions strongly in¬ 
dorsing the Grout oleo bill, and urging dairymen to re¬ 
frain from sending consignments to commission houses 
which handle adulterated products or process butter. 
THE SAN JOSE SCALE IN NEW YORK. 
What Is To Be The Outcome. 
At the recent meeting of the Western New York Horti¬ 
cultural Society, Prof. S. A. Beach read an able paper on 
the probable effects, as regards general horticulture, of 
this dangerous scale. The following conclusions are taken 
from this paper: 
A POSSIBLE BLESSING.—Probably the San Jos6 
scale may eventually prove to New ifork horticulture 
a blessing in disguise, nevertheless, its present aspect 
is that of a calamity both to nurserymen and to fruit 
growers. Orchardists may soon be compelled to adopt 
different and possibly better methods of training trees 
than those now r commonly practiced, so that when 
the trees become mature and larg' this scale and 
other insects also may the more readily be fought. 
But it will take many years to grow new orchards, 
and bring them up to maturity. In the meantime, 
what can be done to protect the orchards which al¬ 
ready are mature, and in good bearing condition? 
The capital invested in them amounts in the aggre¬ 
gate to a vast sum of money. As yet, the San Jos6 
scale has been found in but a very few New York 
orchards. The great orchard interests of the State 
are still practically unharmed, and may doubtless be 
guarded from injury from this pest for a considerable 
time, if vigilance be exercised and measures are at 
once adopted to prevent, by every possible practical 
means, the introduction of the scale into uninfested 
orchards. The spread of the insect throughout all 
parts of the State which lie within climatic districts 
to which it is adapted, seems inevitable, but there 
can be no doubt that its advance may be greatly 
checked if the best known means for accomplishing 
this result are everywhere intelligently and persist¬ 
ently followed. 
HOW IT SPREADS.—Fortunately the insect does 
not spread from one locality to another very rapidly, 
unless it is aided by some outside agency. Imme¬ 
diately after its birth the insect crawls around for 
awhile, but usually does not go very far from the 
parent scale. It is so very small that by running 
with great agility it travels but an inch in a minute. 
It soon fastens its sucking mouth-parts into the bark, 
and never leaves that place. How then may it be 
spread from tree to tree? It may be blown by the 
winds, or by chance get upon some passing bird or 
other animal, and thus be carried to a new location. 
Those who work among the trees when the young are 
active may carry them from tree to tree on their 
clothing. When the insect is introduced into a new 
locality investigations have shown that in the great 
majority of cases it is brought on trees, plants, buds 
or scions from some infested locality. It is possible 
for trees or scions to harbor the scale even when 
very careful inspection fails to discover its presence. 
A scale may be hidden beneath a bud in such a way 
as to escape detection by careful scrutiny. If an or- 
chardist is determined not to admit anything to his 
grounds by which the scale may be introduced, he 
will not rest assured that because stock has received 
a certificate of inspection it is necessarily free from 
scale. This statement casts no reflection on the very 
careful work which is done by the official nursery in¬ 
spectors. Neither does it call in question the value of 
sueh work. Undoubtedly, the policy of nursery in¬ 
spection is an excellent one, and the inspector’s cer¬ 
tificate is of great value, as indicating the probable 
freedom of the suspected stock from the scale. But 
to insure himself against the possible introduction of 
the scale, one must depend upon treatment with some 
effective fungicide, which will reach beneath every 
bud and into every crevice of the bark of anything 
which comes on his place. This can best be done by 
fumigating with hydrocyanic acid gas. 
CAN IT BE EXTERMINATED?—In case the scale 
is discovered in an orchard, is there any hope of 
eradicating it? If the infection is not of too long 
standing before treatment is begun, the insect may 
be eradicated by prompt and thorough treatment. In 
Bulletin 56, issued July, 1899, by the Illinois Experi¬ 
ment Station, Dr. Forbes states that as a result of 
operations under his direction the San Jos6 scale has 
been apparently exterminated in nine out of 21 places 
which were treated, surely a most encouraging record. 
The extermination was accomplished in some cases by 
fire, in others by treatment with whale-oil soap, and 
in others by a combination of both remedies. In his 
last report as State Inspector, Professor Alwood, of 
Virginia, states that he found the scale in nine nur¬ 
series out of 69 which were inspected, and it has 
been eradicated from five of the nine. This has been 
accomplished by burning and by Summer and Winter 
treatment with kerosene and soap washes. Surely 
such testimony is encouraging. In fact, the present 
trend of opinion among the official entomologists of 
the country is towards the belief that by thorough 
measures, by vigilance and by energetic, intelligent, 
persistent work, it is possible to hold the scale in 
check in the eastern United States. 
A CONSTANT FIGHT.—This belief is shared by 
some practical fruit growers who have had experience 
in fighting the scale. One man from Columbia County, 
who has had the scale in his orchards since 1891, and 
who has been energetically fighting it for a half-dozen 
years, says that notwithstanding the fact that he has 
not been able to hold it entirely in check, he intends 
to fight it with more vigor than ever during the com¬ 
ing season. He has never yet had it kill a tree, for 
he has fought it persistently. He is not discouraged 
and expects to continue to plant the same as he has 
done. Here is an example that is full of encourage¬ 
ment to fruit growers and worthy of emulation. In 
conclusion let it be said that the San Jos6 scale is 
undoubtedly the worst insect pest which has yet 
come upon the fruit growers of this country. If al¬ 
lowed to run its course unmolested it will ruin the 
orchards. It is here to stay. Its introduction into 
new localities may be much delayed if proper precau¬ 
tions are taken by the people individually and as a 
Commonwealth. In newly-infected localities it may 
be eradicated by prompt drastic treatment. Although 
it cannot be eradicated from localities where it has 
become well established, it surely may be held in 
check. Although in its present aspect it is an undis¬ 
guised affliction, it will doubtless tend eventually to 
place fruit growing where it belongs in a highly-or¬ 
ganized society, that is to say, in the hands of those 
who make fruit growing a special business. It will 
also doubtless tend to modify and improve in certain 
ways some of the orchard methods which are now in 
vogue, and put the fruit growers in a position to fight 
to better advantage various insect pests with which 
they must contend. On the whole, therefore, we may 
expect that the influence of the San Jos6 scale on New 
York horticultural interests will eventually be benefi¬ 
cent, despite the fact that the invasion of the State 
by this insect is clearly a present misfortune. 
An anti-trust convention was recently held in 
Chicago, attended Dy over 500 delegates, and a very 
free interchange of views concerning these formid¬ 
able combinations was expressed. The question of 
dealing with the unscrupulous and tyrannical exac¬ 
tions of the trusts is a most vital one, and is coming 
home to all. The farmer is most keenly interested, 
as the recent rise in price of all manufactured com¬ 
modities, due in a great measure „o the manipula¬ 
tions of the various trusts, is practically confiscating 
a great share oi his scanty earnings. If the farmers 
should try to form a trust, and drive up the price of 
wheat, while keeping a large proportion of their 
available lanus idle, they would be promptly driven 
off the earth by an uprising of the people, yet this is 
just what the trusts have quietly done for almost 
every necessity of life not produced from the soil. It 
will not do to call the Chicago convention a gather¬ 
ing of cranks and agitators, as some of our brightest 
and most truly successful men in law, politics, busi¬ 
ness and finance, attended as delegates, and took 
earnest part in cue debates. Many remedies were 
proposed, as might have been expected, from attempt¬ 
ing to enforce the present inadequate laws, to a gen¬ 
eral Government adoption of the trust principle, and 
ownership of all public utilities. It seems to be uni¬ 
versally believea that our piratical system of railroad 
transportation is primarily responsible, by means of 
secret discriminations, for the development of many 
of the most oppressive trusts, and the first step in 
any radical reform will be for the Government, rep¬ 
resenting the whole people, to acquire the entire 
means of transporting intelligence and commodities, 
and manage it liKe the public post office. Little 
Switzerland has accomplished this reform within the 
last three years, and we can do it when we make up 
our minds to it. 
