1900 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER: 
2l5 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.—Harlan Whittaker and Silas Jones have 
been held for complicity in the murder of Governor-elect 
Goebel, of Kentucky. . . . Fire at Lead, S. D., March 
8, caused a loss of 5590,000. . . . One man was shot and 
six others injured in a street riot in Chicago, March 8. 
The riot was caused by labor troubles. . . . The pow¬ 
der mill at Pompton, N. J., blew up March 9, killing four 
men. ... A fire in Boston, Mass., March 11, caused 
the death of one fireman, serious injuries to four others, 
and money loss amounting to 5100,000. ... At Newark, 
N. J., March 12, 16 Italians perished in the burning of an 
old tenement house. The building was a wooden death¬ 
trap with 60 inmates. The fire is supposed to be of in- 
cehdiary origin. . . . Physicians decide that a recent 
suspicious case of illness at San Francisco was bubonic 
plague. Chinatown is to be examined thoroughly and, 
if necessary, disinfected. ... A sudden rise in the 
Vermilion River, near La Salle, Ill., March 11, put 20 
families in imminent danger, but all were finally rescued. 
. . . Labor riots in Chicago continue. March 11, many 
lives were placed in peril by the wrecking of a plumber's 
shop, gas pipes being broken so as to permit illuminating 
gas to escape into the flats above. ... At Baltimore. 
Md., a man has brought suit for 520,000 damages, against 
a Christian science church, because the treatment given 
him for illness brought him to the point of death, from 
which he was rescued by a regular physician. . . . 
March 12, the Illinois River and tributary streams were 
14 feet above normal height, and still rising. Serious 
damage is feared in many places. The Chicago Drainage 
janal is blamed for the inundation. . . . The Illinois 
Manufacturers’ Association purposes agitating for the re¬ 
peal of the War Revenue act. It is claimed that the 
purposes of the law have been fulfilled, and that the 
revenue now being collected is a burden that is unneces¬ 
sary. 
CONGRESS.—The Porto Rico tariff bill was passed 
February 28, the vote being 172 to 161. A motion to sub¬ 
stitute the original Payne free trade bill was defeated 
by 159 to 174. The duties are to be spent for the benefit 
of the Island. . . . Senator Pettus, of Alabama, has 
introduced a number of amendments to the bill, which 
include free trade with the Island, and the reduction of 
the President's power over the revenue.March 
9, a bill was introduced prohibiting the transmission of 
pictures or accounts of prizefights through the mails or 
by common carriers. . . . March 13, the House passed 
the Gold standard bill. 
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.—Three new cases of plague 
were reported in Honolulu February 20, after an interval 
of 12 days without signs of infection. The Council of 
State has appropriated 5350,000 for the completion of 
Honolulu’s sewer system. . . . The plague has reached 
the Island of Moui, about 100 miles from Honolulu; seven 
deaths have occurred. One case occurred at Hilo. 
PHILIPPINES.—The transport Alava, with 50 marines 
from the cruiser Brooklyn, has succeeded in rescuing 10 
American and 500 Spanish prisoners from the Filipinos at 
the Gulf of Ragal, on the south coast of Luzon. Febru¬ 
ary 28, 25 bandits, as the insurgents are now called, raided 
Santa Ana, only four miles from Manila. Gen. Bates is 
driving the insurgents to the mountains in southern Lu¬ 
zon.The expense of the Philippine War, from 
May 1, 1898, to November 1, 1899, is given by the War De¬ 
partment as 548,928,060. . . . March 6, Lieut. Koehler 
was led into an ambush near Tarlac and killed. The 
soldiers burned the village and killed 24 Filipinos. . . . 
March 9, Gens. Young and Hood asked for reinforce¬ 
ments at Aparri. The insurgents are again organizing 
and harassing American garrisons. . . . Thousands of 
organized Insurgents are resisting the Americans in 
Pan ay. 
GENERAL FOREIGN NEWS.—Severe fighting has 
continued in the Orange Free State. The capital, Bloem¬ 
fontein, surrendered to the British, President Steyn hav¬ 
ing fled. Mafeking still holds out, March 15, though 
starvation and disease prevail in the town. Presidents 
Kruger and Steyn have asked the Continental powers to 
intervene, but they refuse to take any action. President 
McKinley offered mediation to Lord Salisbury, but it 
was declined. Gen. Cronje and 4,000 other Boer prisoners 
are to be sent to St. Helena. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—Western implement dealers 
report that there will be a famine in binding twine when 
harvest begins in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas, 
due to scarcity of Manila fiber. Many orders are being 
placed now, although prices are nearly 40 per cent higher 
than last year. It is said that some twine is being made 
from Wire grass, but this will need a special knotting 
attachment for the self-binders. 
The process-butter suit brought in Michigan against 
Armour & Co. has been dismissed, the judge deciding 
that there was no cause of action. The State will appeal. 
The German Reichstag has adopted three paragraphs 
of the Meat bill, which will, if adopted entirely, exclude 
American meat from Germany. There is much oppo¬ 
sition to the bill on the part of commercial bodies, as it 
excites apprehension of retaliatory measures on the part 
of the United States. 
The Indiana Corn Growers’ Association has completed 
an organization, and purposes holding a carnival next 
Fall. 
It is announced that the contract for seeds to supply the 
Government free seed distribution has been given to the 
Ullathorne Seed Co., of Memphis, Tenn., the first time 
this contract has been awarded in its entirety to a south¬ 
ern firm. 
The Oregon Farmers’ Congress met at Portland, March 
7, and effected a permanent organization, those present 
including W. H. Wehrung, of the State Board of Agri¬ 
culture; H. B. Miller, of the State Board of Horticulture; 
Thomas Paulsen, of the State Dairymen’s Association; 
William McLean, State Veterinarian; Capt. J. T. Apper- 
son, of the State Agricultural College; H. B. Thielsen, 
secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, of Salem; M. L. 
Jones, of the Oregon Hopgrowers’ Association, and R. F. 
Robinson, of the State Poultry Association. The Con¬ 
gress intends to devote special attention to the market¬ 
ing of Oregon products. 
The New York State Haymakers’ Association will 'meet 
at Matteawan, N. Y., March 24; secretary, F. Y. Bryant, 
Fishkill, N. Y. 
The twenty-fourth annual meeting of the Texas Cattie 
Raisers’ Association opened at Fort Worth, March 13. 
continuing two days. A fat-stock show was held in 
connection with it. 
Isaac Hicks, the well-known nurseryman of Westbury, 
L. 1., died of paralysis March 14, aged 85 years. Mr. 
Hicks came of Quaker stock, and was noted as a preacher 
in the Society of Friends. 
GERMINATION TESTS FOR SEEDS. 
Quite Possible for Farm and Grass Seeds. 
A SEEDSMAN’S REPUTATION.—In your issue of 
February 24, there is a letter from W. Atlee Burpee 
on guaranteeing the germination of vegetable seed. 
Mr. Burpee states his position fairly, and we have 
ourselves frequently emphasized the thought that a 
seedsman’s reputation is a pretty good guarantee of 
the quality of his seeds. Mr. Burpee’s letter does not, 
however, cover the entire case as presented in the 
introductory paragraph. In this paragraph the 
term vegetable seeds is not used, and the in¬ 
ference is that not only did the writer of that 
paragraph refer to vegetable seeds, but to grass 
and clover seeds, as well as to cereals and gen¬ 
eral field crops. As I pointed out in a paper read 
before the Association of Agricultural Colleges and 
Experiment Stations, at the San Francisco meeting in 
July, 1899, there is a great deal of difference between 
the case of vegetable seeds and the seed of grasses, 
WHAT THE GERMAN MEAT BILL MEANS TO UNCLE SAM. 
From St. Louis Globe Democrat. Fio. 72. 
clovers and other field seeds. Mr. Burpee evidently 
recognizes this difference, and confines his remarks 
strictly to vegetable seeds. He points out with truth 
that the quality of the product is of much more im¬ 
portance to the gardener than the percentage of ger¬ 
mination, provided, of course, that the seed will ger¬ 
minate at all, for what shall it profit a man if 90 
per cent of his cabbage seed sprouts, and but 10 per 
cent of the plants produce heads? If, however, 25 
per cent of his seed sprout, and 90 per cent of the 
plants head, he is infinitely better off. 
GRASS SEEDS; WARRANTY.—With clover, grass 
and field seeds, however, the case is quite different. 
Generally it is possible for an expert to determine 
whether the seed is true to name, and a germination 
test will then give a good indication of the value of 
the seed. We have never urged the public to demand 
a guaranteed percentage of germination for vegetable 
and flower seeds, but we have urged them to demand 
either a guarantee or a statement of the percentage of 
purity and germination of all grass and clover seeds 
bought in quantities. This point has been elaborated 
in a farmer’s oulletin which, we hope, will be ready 
for distribution before many days. 
We do not care to discuss the merits and demerits 
of the seedsman’s non-warranty clause, but Mr. 
Burpee himself, in common with a few other dealers, 
recognizes that this clause goes a step too far. We 
quote from Mr. Burpee’s 1900 catalogue. “We cannot, 
of course, guarantee a good crop in every case, as 
success is dependent upon natural causes, which are 
beyond human control. We do guarantee, however, 
that all seeds sold by us are first-class, true and 
pure, and of strong germinating power, in so far that 
should any prove otherwise we will refill the order 
free or refund the price paid.” 
A GOOD IDEA.—No one can guarantee a crop, but 
it seems fair that seedsmen should take some prac¬ 
tical means of showing their confidence in the seeds 
they laud so highly. Another departure that we be¬ 
lieve will meet with favor from buyers is the one 
inaugurated (so far as we know), by Templin & Sons, 
Calla, Ohio. They print on the back of each packet 
of seeds the following announcement: “1900. The 
seeds from which this packet was filled have been 
carefully tested at the Blythedale Seed Testing 
Laboratory; the result shows that under favorable 
conditions 90 per cent will grow. 1900.” The per¬ 
centage of germination varies, ox course, on different 
packets. Given by an honest firm, no one wants any¬ 
thing more by way of assurance than that the seeds 
will grow. A similar statement covering the purity 
and germination of grasses and clovers, accompany¬ 
ing, say, every lot of one pound or moi*e, and bear¬ 
ing the seal of a reliable station, would enable farm¬ 
ers to buy seed with a full knowledge of what it is. 
how much to plant per acre, and what may be ex¬ 
pected of it under favorable conditions. It is self- 
evident that of two lots of clover seed, one of which 
contains 50 per cent of pure and germinable seed, and 
the other 90 per cent, more will be needed of the 
first than of the second to give a good stand. 
WHAT IS WANTED.—Finally, we wish to em¬ 
phasize the fact that seedsmen are not asked to sell 
seeds that will test up to a uniform standard. It is 
not expected that they shall confine themselves to 
one grade; competition, and the demand for cheap' 
seeds compels them to keep several grades, but we 
do claim that it is not unreasonable to ask them for 
a statement of the percentage of pure and germinable 
seed in any sample. Remember that we are not talk¬ 
ing of vegetable seeds now. When a dealer sells for 
Red clover that which is half trefoil, or for Orchard 
grass what is half English Rye grass, he is as much 
responsible as the man who waters his milk or sells 
oleo for butter. The seedsman need not plead ignor¬ 
ance, if he is worthy the name he can tell trefoil 
from clover, and Rye grass from Orchard grass. It 
will not do to hide behind an absolute non-warranty 
clause; public sentiment is being aroused, and seeds¬ 
men will be wise if they anticipate the demands of 
the public by such concessions as the buyer may 
fairly demand for his own protection. 
A. J. PIETERS, 
In Charge of Pure Seed Investigations. 
R. N.-Y.—Our question to Mr. Burpee referred par¬ 
ticularly to vegetable seeds. 
ASHES FOR POTATOES.—Every year questions 
come to us aDout using wood ashes for potatoes. 
The general advice, always, is not to use wood ashes 
for the potato crop; the lime in the ashes makes a 
condition in the soil favorable to the growth of a 
fungus, which causes the scab disease. On land 
where this fungus is to be found the use of wood 
akhes will be almost sure to produce scabby potatoes; 
on most soils where potatoes have been grown more 
or less of this scab fungus will be found. It is a fact, 
however, that in some parts of the country, for in¬ 
stance in northern Michigan, farmers use large quan¬ 
tities of wood akhes in growing potatoes, and produce 
fine crops of smooth tubers. About the only way to 
account for this success is to assume that the ground 
is free from the scab fungus. If not free, the lime in 
the ashes would be sure to increase the amount of 
scab. Of course, where for many years the use of 
wood ashes has not proved injurious, we would not 
advise against them, but as a general proposition, we 
think it unwise to put the ashes on potato ground, 
and would always use them on some other crop. 
USE OF WATER.—On page 143, under heading of 
Pop-Gun Pow r, is an article in regard to using a 
Windmill for pumping air into a steel tank for running 
machinery by compressed air. I will describe a plan 
by which one may have the use of his machinery per¬ 
haps several years before this arrangement is per¬ 
fected, i. e., under the following conditions: An almost 
inexhaustible supply of water, not too far below the 
surface of the ground; an elevation of ground not 
too far from the well, of not less than 80 feet, on which 
can be dug and built a suitable reservoir. Let the mill 
put in its spare time filling the reservoir, and then 
by using a large pipe one can attach a water motor 
to the lower end of the pipe, giving power to do light 
or heavier work, according to the supply of water, 
height of reservoir, and size of windmill; something 
that is ready to start at a moment’s notice. It will 
do quite a lot of work, such as running churns, sep¬ 
arators, butterworkers, cornshellers, etc., and could 
also cut ice trom same pond. After the water had 
been used it could be discharged into a pond for fish, 
if properly located, then used for irrigation, by which 
time the water would be quite used up. c. l. b. 
Millport, N. Y. 
