1902 
325 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Events of the IVeek. 
DOMESTIC.—A very destructive hail storm passed north 
of Rusk, Tex., April 16, over an area of about four miles 
long and one mile wide, destroying 75 per cent of the 
fruit crop and causing an almost complete destruction 
of the truck fields.The Cincinnati and Memphis 
steamer City of Pittsburg was burned to the water’s 
edge in the Ohio River, near Olmstead, Ill., April 20. It 
is reported that 65 lives were lost, and many were burned 
and otherwise injured.Fire at Dallas, Tex., 
April 20, caused fatal injuries to two persons, and de¬ 
stroyed property valued at $350,000.April 20-21 
hot winds prevailed in Kansas. The temperature at 
Florence and Abilene, in central Kansas, and Hiawatha, 
in the northeastern corner of the State, ranged from 90 
to 96 degrees in the shade. The ground generally is re¬ 
ported dry and hard. Midsummer weather was experi¬ 
enced in Kansas City, when the thermometer rose 32 de¬ 
grees in seven hours, from 59 to 91. The highest tem¬ 
perature recorded April 20 was 100 at Concordia. Kan. 
April 21, Nevada, Wyoming, Idaho and southern Mon¬ 
tana and parts of Utah and Colorado experienced a snow¬ 
storm that at some points took on the proportions of a 
blizzard. Snow began falling April 20, and prevailed to 
a greater or less extent over almost the entire inter¬ 
mountain region. At Lima, Mont., six inches of snow 
fell. High winds and low temperatures were reported 
from many points.The investigation of the al¬ 
leged British military post at Port Chalmette, La., fails 
to show any violation of neutrality. There is no evi¬ 
dence that soldiers are being recruited in this country 
for service in the British army in South Africa. No evi¬ 
dence was presented to show that arms are being shipped 
from Port Chalmette for the use of the British soldiers 
in South Africa. Horses and mules are being purchased 
and are being shipped in regular manner, only such use 
being made of Port Chalmette as is necessary for the 
shipment of the animals. 
CONGRESS.—The Senate April 17, by a vote of 48 to 33, 
accepted the Platt substitute for the drastic Chinese 
Exclusion bill, originally framed by the Pacific Coast Sen¬ 
ators and Representatives, and then passed the bill by a 
vote of 76 to 1.The Cuban Reciprocity bill was 
passed by the House April 18, but with an amendment 
abolishing the differential duty on refined sugar. The 
beet sugar Republicans and the Democrats joined forces 
to overrule the decision of the Chair, that the amend¬ 
ment was not germane, and in incorporating it in the bill. 
All other amendments were voted down. When the bill 
was reported to the House by the Committee of the 
Whole the amendment abolishing the differential was 
adopted by a vote of 199 to 105, and the bill was then 
passed, 247 to 52.The Colombian Canal protocol, 
which was delivered at the State Department on April 
1, and afterwards recalled by Minister Concha for modi¬ 
fication, was again presented to Secretary Hay April 18. 
It calls for an annual rental to be paid by the United 
States of $500,000 for 14 years, after which period the 
price is to be fixed by joint agreement or by arbitration. 
. . . . Senator Teller introduced, April 21, a resolution 
declaring it to be the sense of the Senate that the Se¬ 
dition laws in force in the Philippines should be repealed. 
The resolution was preceded by a preamble citing the 
arrest of the editors of the newspapers, Freedom and 
Volcano, published in the archipelago, and asserting that 
they are to be tried under these laws by judges who 
owe their appointments and tenure of office to the Gov¬ 
ernment Commission, for the criticism of which the men 
are to be tried. 
CUBA.—Major E. G. Rathbone, ex-Director of Posts, 
under sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment for misappro¬ 
priating post office funds, was released on bail April 21, 
the bond being $100,000. Governor-General Wood at Ha¬ 
vana, April 22, pardoned W. H. Reeves, recently sen¬ 
tenced to 10 years’ imprisonment and to pay a fine of 
$35,516 for complicity in the Cuban postal frauds. Reeves 
was a witness for the prosecution. 
PHILIPPINES.—General Malvar made unconditional 
surrender April 16 to Brigadier-General Bell, at Lipa, Ba- 
tangas Province, Luzon, with the entire insurgent force 
of the Provinces of Laguna and Batangas. This action, 
General Wheaton reports, means that the ports will be 
opened, and that the Filipinos in the detention camps 
can be allowed to return to their homes in time to plant 
the crops.A protest has been lodged with the 
State Department by representatives of the British and 
German governments against the application of that por¬ 
tion of the Philippine Tariff act which authorizes rebate 
of a portion of the export duties on Philippine hemp im¬ 
ported into the United States.The War Depart¬ 
ment’s disinclination to allow General Chaffee to stir up 
the Mahommedan Moros in the Island of Mindinao has 
resulted in the stopping of an expedition which was 
started by General Davis to penetrate the island and cap¬ 
ture a number of murderers.The cholera epi¬ 
demic at Manila is unabated. The totals for the city up 
to April 18 were 332 cases and 253 deaths; for the provinces, 
651 cases and 430 deaths.General Chaffee has 
acted promptly upon the President’s order to court- 
martial Brigadier-General Jacob H. Smith for his conduct 
in the Samar campaign, when natives were tortured and 
shot without trial, and began the trial April 24. The 
charge brought against General Smith is conduct preju¬ 
dicial to good order and discipline. Owing to General 
Smith’s rank it has been found impossible to assemble a 
court composed entirely of his superiors, and for this 
reason several colonels have been called into requisition. 
This Court will also probably try all officers who have 
been accused of giving orders for administering the water 
cure and other forms of torture, and the testimony taken 
before it is expected to lead to the trial of other officers 
active in the Samar campaign. 
GENERAL FOREIGN NEWS.—The Tariff Committee 
of the German Reichstag, after a reconsideration of the 
bacon clause of the new bill, has fixed the duty on bacon 
at 36 marks per double hundred weight; but it is not 
subject to the minimum tariff for reciprocity purposes, 
as in the case of other meats. The duty on meat ex¬ 
tracts was fixed at 30 marks, and the duty on sausages 
was made 75 marks, instead of 45, as proposed by the 
government.An earthquake April 20 extended 
over a wide area in Mexico and Central America. At 
Apachula, an important place in the State of Chiapas, 
near the Guatemalan frontier, there was much damage 
done to property. The loss is estimated at a million dol¬ 
lars, one of the losers placing the damage to his prop¬ 
erty at $200,000.The Queen of Holland is seri¬ 
ously ill with typhoid fever, and a regency may be estab¬ 
lished. The next heir to the throne is Queen Wilhelmina’s 
cousin, the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, whose 
mother was the only sister of Queen Wilhelmina’s father. 
He represents the pro-German element, against which a 
strong party in Holland is opposed. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The Connecticut Agricultural 
College (Storrs) will open a Summer school for teachers 
of nature study, beginning July 8. Edward F. Bigelow, 
of Stamford, will be the instructor. 
The census bureau in a preliminary statement an¬ 
nounced that the total number of farms reporting cran¬ 
berries in 1900 was 2,927 with 20,422 acres and a product of 
987,962 bushels of a total value of $1,215,193. Massachusetts 
has 5,125 acres in cultivation, raising 598,906 bushels; Wis¬ 
consin has 5,812 acres, and 111,098 bushels, and New Jersey 
8,356 acres and 240,221 bushels. 
Reports from the Southwest state that there is a gen¬ 
uine famine in northern Arkansas and the Mexican side 
of the Rio Grande River. In the latter section it is said 
that many people have died from lack of food during 
the last few weeks. In northern Arkansas there was no 
rain last year from the last of April to December 1. 
Farmers, except in the bottom lands, were unable to 
raise even enough grain for seed, and supplies are now 
being sent them from other sections of the West. 
Charles Forster, one of the best known members of the 
fruit trade in this city died at his home in Westfield, 
N. J., April 19, of typhoid fever. Mr. Forster was born 
on Long Island 46 years ago, and for a period covering 
20 years had been identified with the green fruit and 
produce interests of this city as broker and dealer. He 
had been a member of the New York Fruit Exchange 
since 1887, serving that organization in an official capacity 
for at least six years. He was at the time of his death 
the Exchange's secretary. He was also a member of the 
National League of Commission Merchants, the Fruit and 
Produce Trade Association and the National Apple Ship¬ 
pers’ Association. He was a leading authority of the 
country on questions relating to the marketing of fruits 
and the exportation of domestic apples. He was also a 
hard worker in the interests of legislation covering trade 
abuses and kindred matters. Mr. Forster’s death will be 
felt in many lines, and especially among apple growers, 
for whom he did much in enlarging their market. 
THE ENGLISH TAX ON GRAIN AND FLOUR. 
What Grain Dealers and Millers Say. 
The English government has levied a tax or tariff of 
six cents per 100 pounds on grain and 10 cents on flour 
and meal. In what way will this affect the American 
export trade and who will, in the end, pay this tax? 
The English tariff on flour, grain and meal will not 
affect our exports of those articles, in our opinion, as 
the tax applies to all imports without regard to the 
country from which they come. Great Britain will un¬ 
doubtedly pay the tax just as France, Germany, Spain 
and Italy do for their imports of breadstuffs. 
Fall River, Mass. Mackenzie & winslow. 
Students tell us that the consumer pays the tariff, 
and if we accept this position the present tariff would 
not affect this country. We are not ready to accept this 
theory in its entirety, and as an apt illustration would 
ask: “Who pays the freight?” The change in rates on 
hay which became effective January 1, 1900, whereby the 
rates were advanced at an average of about 20 per cent 
has demonstrated to us that the consumer does not, ai» 
a matter of fact or of necessity, pay the freight. With 
a large and general demand no doubt the consumer will 
have to pay the tariff; with large crops, large supplies 
and little demand it seems to us that the producer must 
pay the tariff. reliance mercantile co. 
Saginaw, Mich. 
We believe that the new tariff, which makes a higher 
rate on flour than on grain, will have the effect greatly 
to encourage the English miller. By securing his grain 
at a lower rate than flour can be got for, he will be able 
to receive a greater hold upon his home trade, and will 
probably be able to run to his full capacity. As to the 
question who will pay the duty on flour and wheat, we 
believe that the consumer, the American miller, and the 
farmer, will each share his proportion of this duty. The 
fact that the English miller will be able to sell cheaper 
than the American miller, will have a tendency to in¬ 
crease the competition, and narrow the margins of the 
American miller, and this fact cannot help but influence 
the price which the American miller will have to pay 
for his wheat. the isaac harter co. 
Toledo, O. 
The new English tariff on grain, flour and meal will 
reduce the volume of business in these commodities be¬ 
tween the United States and Great Britain for these rea¬ 
sons: The increased cost will tend to force economies in 
the consumption and substitution of other feed products 
whenever practicable; the use of home-grown potatoes 
will take the place of bread with those who cannot in¬ 
crease their expenditures; the mouths of England will 
pay the Boer war tax. The United States may be called 
on, and is called on, to advance the amount for the 
actual consumer, but the consumer pays it all back when 
he consumes the commodity just as surely as he pays 
the freight on the shipments. The American farmer and 
the American carrier will feel the effect of the tax in 
the decrease of the volume due to economies in feeding 
and the substitution of other commodities. 
Richmond, Va. s. t. Beveridge. 
The new English tariff on grain, flour and meal will 
have some effect on values in America. As the United 
Kingdom must import grain and flour, the tariff will not 
be paid entirely by the American farmer. It is evident 
that the English flour trade expected that the consumer 
would pay an advance equal to the amount of the tariff, 
as they immediately advanced their prices enough to 
cover. We do not think that this signified much, how¬ 
ever, as it will take some time for matters to adjust 
themselves, and the tariff probably will be divided be¬ 
tween the American seller and the United Kingdom 
buyer. On account of the tariff being a discriminating 
tariff, favoring wheat as against wheat product, it will 
be a hardship on the American miller. The effect will 
not be immediate, but it means ultimately the milling 
of more wheat in the United Kingdom, as the discrimi¬ 
nation is enough almost to pay the cost of manufacture. 
Indianapolis, ind. acme milling co. 
Government Crop Report. 
Winter wheat is making short growth. Moisture is 
needed in nearly all of the Winter wheat district. Freez¬ 
ing weather in North Dakota has hindered the sowing 
of Spring wheat. Oats in the Central and Southern States 
are making slow growth; seeding is well advanced in the 
North. Cotton planting is nearly completed. In Texas 
cotton is up, and cultivation and chopping are under way. 
Preparations are being made for large acreages of corn 
in the central valleys. The hot weather in Flansas has 
started the corn quickly. F’rosts in the Rocky Mountain 
district have injured fruit prospects, but otherwise, with 
the exception of peaches in the Ohio Valley, the outlook 
is favorable. Grass is very backward and much in need 
of warmth and moisture. 
The Long Island Potato Crop. 
There will be a further decrease in the acreage of pota¬ 
toes, owing to blight and poor yields of recent years. 
There will probably be an increase of about 25 per cent 
on the acreage of cabbage and pickles in this section. 
Smithtown Branch. G. s. 
The acreage of potatoes is a little larger than last sea¬ 
son. Cabbage for seed keeps well, and I think it would 
be safe to say that there is one-third bigger acreage 
than last year. As to other crops it is too early to get 
accurate statistics until planting time. j. a. c. 
Peconic. 
As near as I can state, the acreage of potatoes has in¬ 
creased from 10 to 15 per cent. Our largest farmer last 
year planted 47 acres, and this year has 55. Others who 
last season had from six to 10, this year have eight to 12 
and 14. There is no cabbage except for seed raised here, 
and carrots are the only crop outside of potatoes that 
will increase in acreage over last year. c. t. g. 
Southold. 
The farmers around Jamesport are planting from 15 to 
20 acres of potatoes; they are planting more this year 
than last; 1,000 acres or more in Jamesport. As to cauli¬ 
flower, where they had four acres they will plant eight 
and 12 this year; farmers made money in 1901 on cauli¬ 
flowers. The acreage of cabbage this year is immense. 
About every farmer has cabbage for seed, four to 12 
acres; they will plant more this year than they did last 
Of Brussels sprouts, 500 acres will be set out this year. 
Jamesport. _ h. p. t. 
Notes from the Ozarks. 
At this writing the prospect for crops of all kinds is 
excellent. Spring is late; weather pretty cool for south 
Missouri, which retards corn planting. Oats look well; 
wheat excellent where fertilizer was used; very few po¬ 
tatoes will be planted on account of scarcity of seed. 
No sweet potatoes can be got in this market to raise 
plants from, and must be obtained from other points. 
The apple yield promises 95 per cent of a crop, or, you 
might say, perfect; the bloom is not yet out. It now 
promises a storm, and should it come before the bloom 
is out the Ozarks will once more show a world-beater. 
There will be no peaches at this point; the intense drought 
of last year did not allow enough vitality to withstand 
12 degrees below zero. We are located in the so-called 
drought-stricken district, but are not “living on acorns,” 
nor are we asking for Government aid, nor any other 
kind. Many of us will see hard times, and perhaps be 
at times hungry, but until necessity demands or actual 
starvation exists, we do not ask for aid, nor thank those 
who ask for us. We of course have to buy every bit of 
feed for our stock, but except in one instance I know 
of no stock starving, and that need not have occurred 
if the owner and his boys would have worked. Last 
year our wheat was the best ever known; apple and 
peach crop immense! The writer paid out near $45,000 at 
this point, and with the prospect as good as last year 
everybody feels jubilant. There is a lack of moisture 
which is uncommon at this season, but if rains come 
once a month from now on we shall not suffer. Many 
trees have been planted out this Spring, and many thou¬ 
sands more will be the coming year. Orchards are be¬ 
ing set on almost every man’s farm, and the only reason 
they do not all do it is lack of means. a. z. m. 
Mountain Grove, Mo._ 
INDIANA NOTES.—'The largest peach grower in fhis 
county (Elkhart) says he cannot find a live bud in his 
orchards! I don’t know a thing about fruit; am a crank 
on early potatoes, cow peas, Crimson clover, Canada 
peas, and am trying beardless barley for tile second 
time. If I know a little about them I don’t know how 
to tell it. Wheat does not look as well as it did two 
weeks ago. Oats nearly all sown, to-day, April 19. I am 
trying two acres of Alfalfa; sowed it April 16. f. a. y. 
WESTERN SEED CORN.—The whole subject of corn 
growing has received a wonderful stimulus in the last 
year or two here in the West. Our Indiana Corn Growers’ 
Association is doing good work. I have judged several 
lots of seed corn at institutes this year. At Rushville 
they showed 400 ears, and it became the property of the 
institute. It was sold the last session for over $40. The 
premium 20 ears sold for $4.75. The whole subject of 
growing seed is being canvassed, and there will be a radi¬ 
cal change in the near future. For example, take a 
“good ear” from a field, as is usual; what does it con¬ 
tain? A nubbiny stalk on one side fertilized part of its 
grain; a dwarf stalk on the other side the same; a barren 
stalk also, and in fact, the nine stalks whose ears you 
would not take are the fathers of your choice ear. Like a 
grade calf, you do not know what to expect of it. Seed 
corn will be planted in special plots and au bad stalks 
cut out. E. H. COLLINS. 
Indiana. 
