i74 
March 10 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER; 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National V/eekly Journal for Country and Suburban Home*. 
Established 1850. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, Editor. 
Dr. Walter Van Fleet, j 
H. E. Van Deman, > Associates. 
Mrs. E. T. Royle, ) 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, 82.04, equal to 
8s. 6d., or 8J4 marks, or 1054 francs. 
ADVERTISING RATES. 
Thirty cents per agate line (14 lines to the inch). Yearly orders 
of 10 or more lines, and 1,000-line orders, 25 cents per line. 
Reading Notices, ending with “ Adv .,” 75 cents per 
count line. Absolutely One Price Only. 
Advertisements inserted only for responsible and honorable houses 
We must have copy one week before the date of issue. 
Name and address of sender, and what the remittance is for, 
should appear in every letter. 
Remittances may be made in money order, express order, 
personal check or bank draft. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 1900. 
We have thus far received $60.50 in subscriptions 
to be credited to the anti-oleo fund. The names of 
those who sent this money follow: 
John J. Rider, Schuyler Lake, N. Y. 
F. J. Lewis, Ivory, N. Y. 
H. Walrath, Minaville, N. Y. 
G. L. Flanders, Albany, N. Y. 
Ohas. O. Cross, Johnstown, N. Y. 
G. Jameson, Dryden, N. Y. 
Chas. T. Russell, Munnsville, N. Y. 
J. S. Simons, Sardinia, N. Y. 
E. J. Preston, Amenia, N. Y. 
A. L. Eastman, Waterville, N. Y. 
A. Chase Thompson, Owego, N. Y. 
Geo. Bothwick, Newark, N. Y. 
Chas. Hover, West Newark, N. Y. 
D. M. Schautz, Zionville, N. Y. 
Mrs. W. W. Wallace, Canandaigua, N. Y 
J. I. Ostrander, Johnstown, N. Y. 
F. A. Taber, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 
C. E. Bower, Caton, N. Y. 
$15.50 
1.00 
5.00 
2.00 
.25 
3.50 
1.00 
1.00 
6.00 
5.00 
5.00 
1.00 
1.00 
, .25 
, 1.00 
3.00 
6.00 
. 3.00 
Total ...$60.50 
We have decided to keep this offer open for the 
present, as a number of people are at work securing 
clubs of subscribers. Remember that the proceeds 
from 1,000 new subscriptions will be given to help 
fight oleo, and every dollar will be accounted for. 
4c 
All seeds and plants intended for trial on the 
Rural Grounds, should be sent direct to Dr. W. Van 
Fleet, Little Silver, N. J. The experiment work at 
the Rural Grounds will be unusually interesting this 
year. There is ample space for variety tests, and 
methods of culture and other operations will be com¬ 
pared. 
* 
A newspaper story says that years ago W. H. 
Beard, the famous animal painter, was asked by a 
maker of toilet preparations to design a label for his 
bottles of bear’s oil. The artist, who did not believe 
the product to be genuine, produced a design of a big 
black bear, angrily hugging a hog, and squeezing 
from it a stream of lard oil, which ran into a trough 
labeled bear’s grease! Just imagine the result if 
some realist were to design a similarly appropriate 
label for the oleo which some of our friends are in¬ 
clined to handle so tenderly! 
* 
\ Governor Roosevelt believes that one of the best 
ways to handle the trusts is to force them into pub¬ 
licity. He would like to compel them to make honest 
reports, telling the public just what they are doing. 
As these great corporations live by the grace of the 
public, it seems no more than fair that they should 
report to their masters! They could not claim that 
these public statements would injure them with com¬ 
petitors, for they have pretty well stamped out com¬ 
petition. There isn’t any use talking about it, print¬ 
er’s ink put on at the right time and place will let 
the light into hidden places. Just ask your doctor 
if sunlight will not kill injurious germs and bacteria 
by the thousand! 
4c 
The catalogues seem to come in more slowly this 
year than usual, as a number are not yet out of the 
printers’ hands, even at this date. Taken as a whole 
less than the average number of novelties are an¬ 
nounced for 1900, and the claims made for them are 
scarcely as extravagant as in former years. This is 
altogether in the line of progress. We all want im¬ 
provement to come as rapidly as possible, but it is 
well for introducers to be reasonably conservative in 
their assertions. Contrary to general opinion, the 
most sensational catalogues have not always been 
issued in this country, though European horticultural 
trade publications are generally quite sober and re¬ 
strained. The worst example that has ever fallen 
under our notice was sent out by a seed house in 
Buda Pesth, Hungary, and was a most formidable 
affair, apparently listing every horticultural com¬ 
modity in the universe, and was illustrated with hun¬ 
dreds of cuts and scores of colored plates that in 
extravagance of design and coarseness of execution 
would disgrace an old-fashioned circus poster. We 
have offenders enough of that kind over here, but 
hardly to the same degree. If is to be hoped that 
firms who habitually put so much emphasis on every 
item they offer will in time find it poor policy to make 
gross overstatements. In the meantime, The R. 
N.-Y. continues its usual advice to select cautiously 
from the catalogues making inflated claims for every¬ 
thing they may offer, giving the preference to those 
written in reasonable style. It will pay in the long 
run._ 
DEATH OF MR E S. CARMAN 
Elbert S. Carman, for many years owner and 
editor of The R. N.-Y., died at his residence in New 
York on February 28. His death came as a great sur¬ 
prise to all but the members of his immediate family. 
For years Mr. Carman has been in failing health. His 
constitution was broken several years ago by a severe 
attack of pneumonia, and when this dread disease 
again came upon him, he could not throw it off. Mr. 
Carman was born on Long Island in 1836, and the 
greater part of his life was passed in the vicinity of 
New York. He was a man of strong personal charac¬ 
ter, with convictions as firmly fixed as an anchor 
bedded in the rock. He was of a singularly retiring 
disposition, and but comparatively few of his read¬ 
ers ever met him face to face. He greatly preferred 
the quiet of his home life, which was in many respects 
an ideal one, made so by the loving wife, son and 
daughter who survive him. The story of his con¬ 
nection with The R. N.-Y. is not new to many of our 
older readers. He bought the paper 24 years ago, 
when it was at a very low ebb. He was at that time 
without much experience as a journalist, yet after a 
hard struggle he gave The R. N.-Y. a reputation and 
name which fairly placed it at the head of its class. 
The story of his public life is written in 24 volumes of 
The R .N.-Y.—a clean, honorable and uplifting story 
which speaks for itself. Mr. Carman remained as 
editor in chief until last June, when he retired en¬ 
tirely from the paper, seeking a well-earned rest. 
Two things in Mr. Carman’s career seem to us par¬ 
ticularly worthy of emphasis in connection with 
American agriculture. He did, perhaps, more than 
any other man to give character and dignity to agri¬ 
cultural journalism. The people believed what he 
said, and advertisers and readers alike came to under¬ 
stand that his tests were impartial, and that the opin¬ 
ions and endorsement of The R. N.-Y. were never 
for sale. At the time the Rural Farm was organized 
for experiment work, there was practically nothing 
else of the sort in the country. The results which Mr. 
Carman reported contributed more than any other 
one agency to develop the demand which finally re¬ 
sulted in our present magnificent system of experi¬ 
ment stations. There were also vegetables and flow¬ 
ers born at the Rural Grounds which will go on liv¬ 
ing and blessing even though he who sent them on 
their way is cold in death. No one can properly esti¬ 
mate what the introduction of the R. N.-Y. and Car¬ 
man potatoes have brought to the American farmer. 
He who can leave such things behind him is surely 
greater than “he that taketh a city!” Mr. Carman’s 
love for horticulture was touching and inspiring. He 
loved the flowers and trees as it is given to few of us 
to love them. He strove to harness and develop the 
forces of plant life and marshall them in new forms 
so that they might better serve and inspire mankind. 
The earth took him back with the tender promise 
that the love he cherished for the beautiful and use¬ 
ful plants should never die out. It is a strange cir¬ 
cumstance that Mr. Carman’s death should be an¬ 
nounced in the annual catalogue number. He organ¬ 
ized and started this general review of the cata¬ 
logues, and its success was due to his painstaking 
care. We regret that our crowded columns will only 
permit this brief review of his public services. There 
are glimpses of the life which the public never knew 
which are helpful and uplifting. Next week we hope 
to give a more personal sketch of the man. 
Admiral Dewey is at last in danger of losing his 
reputation. The Spaniards failed to hit him at 
Manila, he ate dozens of reception dinners and sur¬ 
vived, and the names that were fired at him when he 
gave the house to his wife failed to explode. Now, 
however, he’s in real danger. The seed and nursery¬ 
men have been naming their novelties after him. 
There are Dewey apples, berries, peaches, potatoes, 
flowers and nobody knows what. Those who pay 
hard-earned gold for them and nurse them along 
only to find that tney are not so good as dozens of 
old-timers, will begin to think that Dewey may not 
be any more worthy of praise and glory than lots of 
every-day men who never get their names in the 
paper. Dewey, your character is in danger. The 
back of a “novelty” makes a hard saddle. 
* 
We ask our New York State readers to get out the 
pen and ink at once, and write to their Senator and 
Assemblymen at Albany, urging them to support the 
bill introduced by Mr. Witter to amend the agricul¬ 
tural law relating to animal diseases. This bill is of 
vital importance to the stock raisers of the State. It 
has been specially designed to secure fair treatment 
in the handling of tuberculous cattle. Don’t wait un¬ 
til we have space to tell all about it. Don’t think 
that others will write, and that your letter will not 
be needed! Your letter is needed. Write and send it 
at once! 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.—A dynamite explosion in railroad gravel 
pits near Cheyenne, Wyo., February 22, killed two men 
and injured two others.A snowslide in the Tay¬ 
lor River mining district, Colorado, February 22, killed 
four men.In a railroad wreck near Curtiss, 
YVis., February 21, 17 persons were injured.A 
fire in the business part of Philadelphia, February 23, 
caused a loss of $750,000. One woman was killed by 
jumping from a window.Intense cold prevailed 
all over the Middle West, February 24, with heavy snow 
in Iowa, Nebraska, the Dakotas and Minnesota. 
Sparks from an emery wheel fell into celluloid dust on 
the floor of a comb factory at Worcester, Mass., Febru¬ 
ary 24, setting the place on fire. One man was killed and 
a number of others injured.The explosion of a 
sawmill boiler near Pullman, Ark., February 24, killed 
seven men.At Detroit, Mich., fire in the De¬ 
troit Steel Works, February 24, killed one fireman and 
caused a loss of $100,000.During the gale along 
the Atlantic coast February 25, a barge foundered near 
Providence, R. I., drowning the captain and his four 
little children.Powder mills at Plattesville, 
Wis., were destroyed by an explosion February 24, killing 
three men.The Allan Line steamship Califor¬ 
nian went ashore near Portland, Me., during the gale 
February 24. The passengers were all taken off, but the 
vessel and cargo seems likely to be a total loss. 
Four men were killed in a mine near Scranton, Pa., Feb¬ 
ruary 26, by falling 300 feet, the result of damage to a 
mine carriage.Judge Jenkins, in the United 
States Court at Milwaukee, Wis., February 26, appointed 
a receiver for the United States Milling Company, other¬ 
wise known as the flour trust. The floating debt of the 
company exceeds $1,000,000, and it is said to have less 
than $1,000 cash in bank.A fire started in 
a department store at Newark, N. J., February 
27, spreading to adjacent buildings, and causing a loss of 
$1,000,000.A collision occurred on the Missouri 
Pacific, near Independence, Mo., February 27, during a 
blinding snowstorm. Two women were burned to death 
in the wreck, and six other persons injured. 
CONGRESS.—February 21, the State Department sent 
an answer to the House resolution asking for an investi¬ 
gation of the Macrum charges. The Secretary flatly de¬ 
nied the assertion of a secret alliance with Great Britain, 
and also denied that communication with Macrum had 
been interrupted. Further investigation will be made. 
. . . . Opposition to the new Army bill sent to Con¬ 
gress by the Secretary of War has developed among bu¬ 
reau officers. They object to that clause giving the Presi¬ 
dent power to remove chiefs of staff, and are trying to 
use political influence to defeat the bill.Febru¬ 
ary 26, several amendments were made to the Porto Rico 
tariff bill, and the per cent of the Dingley tariff was re¬ 
duced from 25 to 16. A petition from Porto Ricans ask¬ 
ing for free trade was presented in both houses. 
The United State Court of Claims decided, February 26, 
against the contention of Admiral Dewey that the forces 
opposed to his fleet at the battle of Manila Bay were su¬ 
perior in strength. The Court declared that the law did 
not contemplate the land forces opposed to a fleet in 
such an engagement. The American fleet is, therefore, 
entitled to prize money at $100 per man of the enemy’s 
fleet, the rate allowed when fighting an enemy of equal 
strength. The Admiral’s share of this will be $9,570. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The National Buttermakers’ 
Convention was held at Lincoln, Neb., beginning Febru¬ 
ary 20; 2,000 delegates were present. L. E. Pierce, of 
Boston, Mass., one of the judges, died at Lincoln, of 
pneumonia. 
The Prussian Ministry has instituted an inquiry as to 
whether a protective duty should be levied upon American 
apples. Associated fruit dealers of Hamburg protest 
against such a duty. 
Mrs. Sarah Rhone, mother of Leonard Rhone, well- 
known in Grange circles, died at Bellefonte, Pa., Febru¬ 
ary 24, aged 89. Mrs. Rhone was left a widow In 1844, with 
eight small children. She reared and educated her chil¬ 
dren, and managed her farm with ability. She is sur¬ 
vived by a twin sister and six children. 
A despatch from Chihuahua, Mexico, says that Ameri¬ 
can cattle buyers have made contracts there for 30,000 beef 
cattle, to be shipped to Cuba. 
The Interstate Commerce Commission held a session at 
Norfolk, Neb., February 26, to hear the complaint of the 
Northwestern Grain Growers’ Association that freight 
rates from Chicago on car-load lots to interior Nebraska 
points was less than local rates between Nebraska points, 
and that it was possible for a merchant living 40 miles 
west of Norfolk to buy goods in Chicago and have them 
shipped through Norfolk to that point cheaper than to 
buy the same goods in Norfolk and pay the local rates. 
The annual meeting of the Massachusetts Fruit Growers’ 
Association will be held at Worcester, Mass., March 14-15. 
Special attention will be given to apples, peaches and 
plums, and free discussion will bring out many valuable 
ideas. The officers of the Association are: President, 
George Cruickshanks, Fitchburg; vice-president, H. O. 
Mead, Lunenburg; secretary, Prof. S. T. Maynard, Am¬ 
herst; treasurer, Ethan Brooks, West Springfield; auditor, 
C. L. Hartshorn, Worcester. 
