1900 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER; 
437 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.—The town of Miami, Indian Territory, was 
struck by a tornado June 7. Several lives were lost; 
property damaged amounting to about $10,000. Much 
damage was also done in the vicinity of Parsons, Em¬ 
poria and Chetopa, Kan.An explosion of gas in 
a mine near Glouster, Ohio, June 8, caused 200 men to be 
imprisoned; 175 were rescued alive. . . . The Navy De¬ 
partment will Invite proposals for 30,000 tons of armor 
plate. A price below $500 is expected.The St. 
Louis riots continue. Three women who aided an assault 
cn a young woman who had ridden on one of the boy¬ 
cotted cars, tearing her clothing off and injuring her 
severely, were each sentenced to two years in the Re¬ 
form School. Disgraceful scenes continue to occur, sev¬ 
eral women having been absolutely stripped of clothing, 
and hunted bleeding and naked through the streets by 
the mob, because they had ridden on the boycotted cars. 
Women took a prominent part in these outrages. Poli¬ 
tics enter largely into the question. Since the beginning 
of the strike 10 men have been killed outright, 13 others 
are in the hospital believed to be mortally wounded, 75 
have received bullet wounds, 150 have been injured with 
missiles of various kinds, while five distinct attempts 
have been made to blow up cars of the Transit company, 
and a bomb was thrown into a power house, blowing out 
windows and shattering the walls. People are afraid to 
ride on the cars. If they are in business they are boy¬ 
cotted. If they cannot be reached through their pockets 
they are assaulted, or the women members of their fami¬ 
lies are terrorized.Four persons were killed and 
28 injured, several fatally, by a collision between electric 
cars at Providence, R. I., June 10.A prominent 
banker at Hastings, Neb., was recently cheated out of 
$13,600 by a stranger who sold him an alleged gold brick. 
. ... In a battle between cowboys and cattle thieves 
in Presidio County, Texas, June 4, one cowboy and two 
outlaws were killed.June 12, a great cooperage 
warehouse was burned in Brooklyn, N. Y.; four persons 
lest their lives, and six others were injured. The prop¬ 
erty loss was $75,000.Two men were arrested at 
Niagara Falls June 13, charged with smuggling diamonds 
to the value of $75,000. They came from Europe by way 
of Montreal.Belle Boyd, the famous Confeder¬ 
ate spy, died suddenly of heart disease at Kilbourne, Wis., 
June 11. She was 57 years old.A lumber train 
left the track and plunged into a ravine near Cammal, 
Pa., June 13, killing seven men. 
CONGRESS.—The Fifty-sixth Congress, first session, 
adjourned June 7, the House yielding to the Senate in the 
tight over the Naval Appropriation bill. Mr. Cannon 
suffered a complete defeat, his proposed amendment be¬ 
ing voted down. The closing scenes in the House were 
marked by great enthusiasm, roused by the singing of 
patriotic songs by the members. The bill opening the 
Oklahoma reservation of the Kiowa and Comanche In¬ 
dians to settlement was passed by the Senate. As 
finally amended in conference the bill provides an allot¬ 
ment of 160 acres to each Indian; sets aside 480,000 acres 
of grazing lands to be held in common; opens 2,000,000 
acres to settlement; declares that trials In the courts 
shall settle the question as to whether the Choctaws and 
Chickasaws have an interest in the lands, and if they 
have the money involved, $1,500,000, shall be subject to 
disposal by an act of Congress. 
PHILIPPINES.—Two important Insurgent leaders were 
captured at Alcala June 10.A rebel stronghold 
at Samiguet was captured June 10, after hard fighting. 
The rebels were scattered .and the American troops pur¬ 
sued them. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—Lyon County, Minn., is almost 
confronted with the dilemma whether to permit its 
tieasury to become bankrupt or to permit the wolves to 
abolish stock-raising. During the months of March, 
April and May the county paid for the killing of 85 full- 
grown wolves and 770 whelps no less than $2,053, and there 
is no evidence that the wolves are appreciably reduced in 
numbers. Lyon County is comparatively thickly settled 
and lies about 130 miles west of Minneapolis. Many 
theep are raised there, and the wolves prey upon the 
fiocks. 
The New York Department of Agriculture has estab¬ 
lished a special San Jos6 scale department. Geo. G. At¬ 
wood, of Geneva, is in charge. 
At the Paris Exposition, in the first international fruit 
competition, first prizes were awarded to the General 
Collection of the United States, Illinois Horticultural So¬ 
ciety, Missouri State Horticultural Society, and New York 
State Commission. Second prizes were awarded to the 
Connecticut Pomological Society, Indiana Horticultural 
Society, Nebraska State Horticultural Society; third 
prizes, Kansas State Horticultural Society, North Caro¬ 
lina Department of Agriculture, Gabriel Hiester, Harris¬ 
burg, Pa. 
Rev. Dr. Joseph ICrauskopf and Ralph Blum, of Phila¬ 
delphia, were appointed, June 8, Special Honorary Com¬ 
missioners to inspect agricultural exhibits at the Paris 
Exposition, and to investigate agricultural schools and 
the status of agriculture in general in Europe. 
The Pea louse, recently described in The R. N.-Y., is 
said to be causing alarm in Maine. 
The Maine State Board of Agriculture arranged meet¬ 
ings for dairy instruction at Damariscotta, June 7-8, and 
at Skowhegan, June 14-15. 
Japan is seeking American and European cattle to in¬ 
troduce among native herds and improve the general 
stock on the islands. Four Japanese government officials, 
specially commissioned to select and purchase fine stock, 
have arrived at San Francisco. They will inspect the 
herds of that State before going East and to Europe. 
They propose to get the best grades of breeding stock 
known. 
The Society for the Promotion of Agricultural Science 
will meet at Columbia University, New York, June 22-23. 
The leading prune growers of Walla Walla, Clark and 
Yakima counties. Wash., and of the prune districts of 
Oregon, have united to form the Northwest Cured Fruit 
Association. 
Eastern Oregon is shipping quantities of horses to the 
Middle West, to supply the farmers in Iowa, Indiana, 
Illinois and Ohio. The quantity of animals shipped 
abroad to the Philippines and South Africa has produced 
a scarcity. 
The reports to the Agricultural Department put the 
average condition of Spring wheat at 87.3 per cent, and 
Winter wheat at 82. The total acres of cotton planted is 
estimated at 25,568,000 acres, an increase of 2,036,000, or 8.7 
per cent over last year. 
The Mississippi Valley Apple Growers’ Association, 
which includes several counties in Illinois, Missouri and 
Iowa, held a regular meeting at Quincy, Ill., June 7. Re¬ 
ports on the condition of the apple crop were not en¬ 
couraging, the general opinion being that it would only 
be 60 per cent as compared with the crop of 1897. It was 
voted that a conference of experts in apple growing be 
held at the next meeting in September. 
Reports to the Department of Agriculture are said to 
show a total decrease of 5,240,000 in the acreage sown to 
wheat in the Fall. _ 
RESULTS OF THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE. 
On page 294 we spoke of what is known in history 
as the Louisiana Purchase. This was about the best 
bargain in land ever made in the world’s history. 
The United States bought from France 565,166,080 
acres of land; the price paid was v i5,000,000, or 2 12-19 
cents per acre. The little map at Fig. 140 shows the 
immense territory thus bought from France. This is 
engraved from a book entitled The Louisiana Pur¬ 
chase. oome interesting facts are now being revived 
in connection with this great land deal. President 
Jefferson was a far-sighted man. He saw the im¬ 
mense possibilities of what was then the boundless 
West. He organized an expedition under Lewis and 
Clark, which was to explore this then unknown re¬ 
gion, and learn something of its possibilities. Con¬ 
gress was finally induced to appropriate $2,500 for 
tnis expedition, and it would be nard to think of any 
similar amount that has led to greater results. At 
that time this vast section was a wilderness, in¬ 
habited by wild animals and savage men. There were 
a few scattered hunters and trappers living near the 
streams, but practically nothing was done in the way 
of definite agriculture. What a contrast presents 
itself to-day! In the territory marked on the map, 
leaving out Oklahoma and Indian Territory, the fol¬ 
lowing vast flocks and herds were to be found at the 
opening of this year: 
Total 
Total 
Number. 
Value. 
Horses and mules. 
. 5,356,597 
$224,985,269 
Milch cows . 
.. 5,032,240 
162,935,675 
Other cattle . 
.11,616,146 
332,693,603 
£heep . 
.12,111,338 
37,636,134 
<Nor is this entirely a 
section of flocks and herds. 
as was the case in the 
earlier days of 
civilization. 
The following tremendous figures show 
the value of 
farm crops at the last harvest: 
Total 
•Total 
N umber. 
Value. 
Hay crop (tons). 
. 28,559,775 
$116,270,378 
Potato crop (bushels). 
. 60,272,559 
22,457,255 
Corn crop (bushels)... 
.1,005,984,262 
261,753,155 
Wheat crop (bushels). 
. 266,043,910 
130,801,264 
Oat crop (bushels). 
. 335,623,323 
73,264,924 
The original purchase cost $15,000,000. In 1895 the 
total assessed value of the land in these States was 
$3,767,166,894. Where in tne history of the world can 
be shown such an enormous increase in land values 
and in crop production as has been wrought in a 
century in this mighty western empire? In 1903 it 
is proposed to hold ,n exhibition at New Orleans to 
commemorate this Louisiana Purchase, and it ought 
to be one of the events of the century, for these stu¬ 
pendous results have definitely changed the world’s 
history. 
A TALK WITH HAY DEALERS. 
Some hay has been sent to South Africa and Manila 
from this country and Canada for war supplies. As 
usually baled it takes up so much room on shipboard 
that freight charges would be excessive, and it must 
be put into smaller space. Of the various methods 
used for very tight pressing, the round bale popular 
in the South for handling cotton, is in favor with 
many exporters. It takes hay as ordinarily pressed 
and rebales it into about half its bulk. While the 
heads, especially of clover, are torn off more or less, 
and the stalks somewhat broken, as they must be 
from such excessive pressure, the general reports from 
steamship agents and shippers are that the hay opens 
in fair shape, without any great amount of waste 
The United States and British Governments have ex¬ 
pressed a preference for this round bale for export. 
On the other hand, I found some who believe that 
the old-style square press does better work, as it 
merely squeezes the hay together without tearing off 
many heads or breaking the stalks, and, of course, it 
can be made strong enough to put the hay into as 
small compass as the other press. The only fair test 
of the two systems would be to bale some from the 
same lot each way, as ripe or over-dried hay would 
break up much worse than that which is cut green 
and properly cured. With a very tight bale the dan¬ 
ger from fire on shipboard is lessened, and insurance 
companies are said to discriminate in favor of the 
round bale for marine risks. Of course for home mar¬ 
ket there would be no object in pressing hay so 
tightly, unless it were to be shipped a long distance, 
and we get very little here from farther west than 
Michigan. Under usual conditions 250 to 300 pounds 
of hay can be put into a seven-foot-six-inch tie, and 
come out in nearly as good shape as though taken 
from the mow. 
Of the various substitutes for rye straw for horse 
bedding, probably peat moss is the best. Baled shav¬ 
ings and sawdust have been tried, but the trouble 
with all such stuff is that it works up fine and stops 
the drainage of the stable. So long as rye straw can 
be bought for a reasonable price, say $12 to $15, but 
little else will be used for this purpose. Very little of 
the grade of hay known as “prime” comes to this 
market, for the reason that only a small quantity is 
produced. It must be green Timothy, cut at just the 
right time, and cured properly, and the proportion of 
other grasses mixed in must not be more than one- 
twentieth. Few farmers have much land suited to 
the production of this clean Timothy, free from weeds 
and other grass. The best specimens I have seen 
grew on strong upland, which was plowed and re¬ 
seeded as soon as it showed any signs of running out. 
Receivers here say that their reports show that the 
hay crop will be fair, though cut by drought in some 
places. “It is a curious fact,” said one dealer, “that in 
spite of the electric cars, bicycles and automobiles, 
which have displaced horses to some extent, there is 
more hay being sold in New York now than ever. Of 
course, the City has been growing rapidly, and it 
would certainly look as though this growth, with its 
corresponding need of horses for trucking and deliv¬ 
ery purposes, had more than balanced the loss caused 
by automobiles and trolley cars.” 
SOY BEANS IN KANSAS. 
On page 283 The R. N.-Y. has an article on Soy 
beans. The early variety does best in the northern 
part of Kansas, while the tall late variety is better in 
the extreme southern part of the State. I reserve 
a strip of land that I desire to manure, and after all 
Other crops are in, and my boy is running the culti¬ 
vator among the potatoes, corn and Kaffir in May, 
I put 200 loads of manure on to 10 acres or more. 
This is plowed and planted to Soy beans the last of 
May, and all weeds killed, except Crab grass, which 
comes on in June. I drill in rows 42 inches apart, 
trying to get the seed two inches apart in rows, or 
one-half bushel per acre, but a corn planter usually 
puts the seed five inches apart and uses one peck per 
acre. A press wheat drill with every other hole 
stopped up will put the seed in best. Give one good 
cultivation, and sow millet, oats, flax or kale, and 
this, together with the beans and Crab grass, makes 
about two tons dry feed per acre, and the beans, when 
eaten with the other mixture, form exactly the 
proper feed when fed once per day. 
I harvest with table rake, stack and feed once per 
day from stack without thrashing. It is the ideal 
sheep food, and gives an enormous profit to the crop 
of wool and lambs, as this, together with corn todder 
and corn twice a day, makes a perfect balanced ra¬ 
tion, especially when a few bushels of small potatoes 
are given at noon. My plan is to turn the sheep into 
the stack when I go in to dinner, and take them out 
as soon as I get up from the table, then give them 
(50 ewes) two bushels small potatoes, raking around 
stack and feeding orts to horses. The other two 
feeds for sheep are thrashed corn fodder in troughs, 
and shelled corn. The Soy beans are cleaned up 
about lambing time, then the clover takes their place 
in the ration. The land they grew on is Fall-plowed 
and put in potatoes the next year, potatoes followed 
by flax without plowing, flax ground plowed in Aug¬ 
ust and sown to kale. The kale cut when in half 
bloom and made into hay, ground Fall-plowed and 
planted the next year to corn, the corn followed by 
manure and Soy beans; five crops in four years and 
one manure dressing. J. c. Norton. 
