1902 
4o5 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Events of the IVeek. 
DOMESTIC.—The mercury registered 29 degrees May 21 
at Saratoga Springs, N. Y., and there was frost for the 
seventeenth morning that month. This breaks all May 
records for that locality.The plant of the Delta 
Powder Works, located near Delta, Cal., was blown up 
May 22, killing Mrs. George Miller and her child, who 
resided 100 yards from the plant, and fatally injured an¬ 
other child. George Miller, husband of the dead woman, 
and George Barber, who were working in the factory, 
were seriously injured.Two hundred and four 
bodies have been taken from the mine at Fraterville, 
Tenn., and 20 or 22 are still missing.A terrible 
explosion occurred May 22 in the mine at Fernie, a town 
in the eastern part of the Province of British Columbia 
on the Crow’s Nest Pass branch of the Canadian Pacific 
Railroad, killing 151 men; 50 bodies were recovered. The 
cause of the explosion is said to have been the presence 
of fire-damp, ignited by a match with which a miner was 
lighting a pipe in defiance of orders.Lord 
Pauncefote of Preston, British Ambassador to the 
United States, died at Washington May 24.A 
tornado at Union, S. C., May 25, killed eight persons and 
caused damage amounting to $20,000.The worst 
forest fires in the history of the mountains of the Con¬ 
tinental Divide were raging May 26 in the Collegiate 
Range and the Sangre de Cristo, Col.Elvin L. 
Coolidge, circulation manager of the New York Com¬ 
mercial, was almost instantly killed and about 100 others 
injured May 27 by the breaking of a temporary sidewalk 
at Fifth Avenue and Eighteenth Street. Those who fell 
were part of the crowd gathered to watch the parade of 
militia in honor of the visit of the French Rochambeau 
Commission to this city. Two hundred persons were on 
the sidewalk when it gave way. They were precipitated 
20 feet into an excavation for a new building, and fell on 
piles of building material. 
CONGRESS.—May 21 the Committee on Public Lands, 
of the House, by a vote of 8 to 7, ordered a favorable re¬ 
port on the bill adjusting the swamp land grants, which 
have been a disturbing factor in the settlement of obliga¬ 
tions owing the swamp land States by the Government 
for a number of years.In the Senate May 22 
Mr. Hoar, of Massachusetts, made a notable speech on 
the Philippine question. He denounced the attitude of 
the Government as one of the most wicked and foolish 
chapters in American history. He urged that the United 
States should withdraw from the islands and permit the 
people there to erect their own government, as had been 
done in Cuba. Mr. Teller, of Colorado, delivered a speech 
in the nature of a history of the legislative proceedings 
through which the new Cuban Republic was erected. 
. . . . Mr. Gaines, of Tennessee, May 26, introduced in 
the House a bill oppropriating $200,000 for the relief of 
the widows and orphans left destitute by the mine ex¬ 
plosion at Coal Creek, Tenn.The House passed 
the Shattuc immigration bill May 27. The feature of the 
day was a lively debate on the question of prohibiting 
the sale of intoxicating liquors at immigrant stations. It 
was precipitated by an amendment offered by Mr. Bow- 
ersock, of Kansas, to prohibit such sale, which was car¬ 
ried, 83 to 18. Mr. Landis, of Indiana, followed this with 
an amendment to prohibit the sale of intoxicants in the 
Capitol, and it prevailed by a still larger majority—108 
to 19.The Cabinet, May 27, discussed the Indian 
Appropriation bill and the Omnibus Claims bill. Both 
were found to contain objectionable items, but these, 
after full discussion, were decided to be of trivial im¬ 
portance compared with the other features of the bills. 
Both measures were signed by the President. 
WEST INDIES.—Continued volcanic eruptions rendered 
the whole island of Martinique unsafe during the week 
ending May 24. On that date another outburst from 
Mont Pelee swept away what was left of the town of 
Basse Pointe. In his official report to the French govern¬ 
ment on the Martinique disaster, Gov. L’Huerre estimates 
the dead at 30,000. Mont Pelee is still very active. The 
whole top of the volcano appears to have opened for a 
distance of fully two miles, forming one vast crater, from 
which ashes and lava pour forth in enormous quantities. 
The lava is running in great streams from the top of the 
crater to the sea. All the walls of buildings left standing 
in St. Pierre after the first eruption have been leveled 
by the succeeding outbursts, and now lie under vast 
sheets of lava. The sea around the northern part of the 
island is black with finely powdered pumice stone and 
the trunks of burned trees, which have been carried out 
to sea from the mountain. There was a fresh burst of 
flames from Mont Pelee May 26.On St. Vin¬ 
cent, Soufriere has formed four active craters. Another 
eruption the night of May 18 caused a greater fall of 
ashes and stones and more consternation at Chateau Be- 
lair. Detonations and smoke and lava from the volcano 
continued the next day, May 19, and the people tried to 
leave Chateau Belair for Kingstown and other towns. A 
heavy rainfall occurred at Chateau Belair May 19, the 
first in the district for two months, and the streets, 
huts and shops were flooded. 
PHILIPPINES.—General Chaffee, as commander-in¬ 
chief of the American forces in the Philippines, has re¬ 
viewed the findings of the court-martial convened some 
time ago for the trial of Major Waller and Lieutenant 
Day on charges of cruelty to prisoners. Major Waller 
and his subordinate, the lieutenant, put to death prison¬ 
ers taken during the Samar campaign. The execution of 
these captives was justified by the court-martial on the 
ground that the killing was strictly in accordance with 
the laws of war. With the court-martial General Chaf¬ 
fee differs. He does not disapprove of the exoneration 
of the accused major from the charge of murder, because 
he holds that Waller’s mental condition at the time the 
order to kill the prisoners was given was not such as to 
warrant the belief that he was in complete possession of 
all his faculties. Therefore in sustaining the trial court 
in the dismissal of the murder charge and in reversing 
that court so far as the entire exoneration of Major 
Waller is concerned, the commander-in-chief arrived at 
the conclusion that Waller knew what he was doing, but 
that his action was surrounded by certain mitigating cir¬ 
cumstances. General Chaffee holds him guilty of “un¬ 
lawful retaliation” and expresses the hope that the case 
will not become a precedent justifying the undue exercise 
of severity in the future by young officers in the Ameri¬ 
can service. 
GENERAL FOREIGN NEWS.—An earthquake in 
Guatemala April 18 lasted only 90 seconds, but in that 
time 1,000 people were killed, over 4,000 maimed and crip¬ 
pled and the city of Quezaltenango, of 40,000 population, 
destroyed. There were three distinct shocks, the second 
and third each being more severe than the one preceding, 
but the damage was all done within a minute and a 
half. Among the wealthier class the loss of life was 
comparatively slight, probably less than 100, though many 
were bruised and injured. To add to the horror of the 
situation overturned lamps and candles fired some of the 
buildings. The surrounding towns of San Pedro, San 
Marco, San Juan, Aniatilan and Solola were also de¬ 
stroyed, and the total dead in these places will number 
nearly 1,000.Curious phenomena have been ob¬ 
served at Pedroso, near Oporto, Portugal, which are sup- 
jjosed to be connected with the volcanic eruptions in the 
West Indies. Fissures in the earth there emitted fire 
and smoke, and simultaneously there came a tornado. 
. . . . The failure of the efforts of a German firm to 
secure exclusive rights of selling opium throughout the 
Chinese Empire, for which privilege the firm in question 
offered to pay the Chinese government $15,000,000 a year, 
appears to be assured, on account of the opposition to 
the proposal of the better class of the Ministers and the 
Palace officials. ______ 
CROP PROSPECTS. 
MAY 23.—Fruit prospects are not flattering here as at 
this time last year; plums and peaches had very few 
blooms as compared with last year. Some of the best 
apples, particularly the Baldwin, had no bloom. Pears 
and grapes are promising a full crop, as well as straw¬ 
berries, raspberries and blackberries, but cherries, cur¬ 
rants and gooseberries will not be up to the average. 
This is for high ground. A frost on the night of May 
9 killed almost all fruits within less than a mile of here 
along the creeks and valley. w. a. f. 
Homewood, Pa. 
MAY 24.—It is too early to make a definite forecast of 
the fruit crop in this valley, but judging from the abund¬ 
ance of buds, the thrifty appearance both of buds and 
trees, and that this is the regular bearing year, should 
think the indications good for a full average crop oi 
apples and plums. Of course the gauntlet of frost and 
insects has yet to be run. Apple trees are not yet in 
bloom. Pears, plums and peaches are in full bloom. We 
had severe frosts from May 10 to 13, but do not think 
buds were far enough advanced to sustain any injury 
except possibly in the interior of the county. Grain and 
grass are looking well. Potato planting is about half 
through. E - J - 
Kingsport, Nova Scotia. 
MAY 25.—The frosts of May 10 and 11 were very severe, 
the thermometer registering as low as 25 degrees. 
Peaches, cherries, currants, strawberries and early apples 
suffered most. One grower here who is largely interested 
in peaches and grapes was so badly injured that he has 
let his help go, as he thinks he will have no crop. This 
is an extreme case. Some orchards of apples, even of 
late varieties, suffered very badly, while orchards within 
one-half mile seem to be very little damaged. I think 
that one-fourth of the apples were injured; three-fourths 
of the peach buds, and one-half of the plums and pears. 
Apple orchards are being generally sprayed now. Winter 
wheat is looking very promising. Spring grain is very 
uneven on account of the dry weather. Old meadows 
here suffered badly by the dry weather and the yield 
will be light. Corn is nearly all planted. t. m. c. 
Lakemont, N. Y. 
MAY 26.—Our Bartlett pear crop is a failure here this 
year; we shall not have enough to eat, for the first time 
since our orchard began to bear. I know of but one 
Bartlett orchard that will have any fruit and that man’s 
Lawrence are killed, while mine are all rifeht, but my 
Bartletts are all killed and I think all kinds of fruit will 
be uneven. c - A - 
Orleans Co., N. Y. 
MAY 26.—The Spring has been cold and backward till 
May 22, when the atmosphere became warmer and has 
continued so ever since. May 24 we had two showers 
which wet the earth well, and will delay planting on 
moist land for a few days. Clover has killed out consid¬ 
erably, and the grass is thin on new ground, as well as 
on old fields; pastures are not up to the average, as the 
ice foimed on them last Winter killed out much of the 
grass. Summer and Fall apple trees are blooming quite 
fully, and also some kinds of Winter fruit. Baldwins 
are not giving an average bloom, and in this vicinity it 
is not a Baldwin year. Farmers will plant more corn this 
year, especially field corn, as the high price of western 
corn has reduced the use of thac feed far below the 
average. D - s - 
Madison, Me. 
MAY 27.—Fruits of all kinds have blossomed very fully, 
with very few exceptions. Baldwin apples in some 
orchards are not very promising; the same is true to a 
limited extent of some other varieties, but in the main 
the trees blossomed very full, and until the freeze of 
May 10, 11 and 12 the prospect has seldom been as good 
for a full crop of all kinds of fruit. Strange to say, 
at the present time the indications are that apples, 
pears, plums and quinces are only slightly, injured, 
enough being left, and the work of thinning saved. 
Peaches and sweet cherries are thought to be nearly all 
ruined. Some cherries will probably yield from one- 
quarter to one-half a crop. Strawberries were badly 
frozen; the vines looked bad, many of the leaves were 
killed, and apparently the fruit was about all gone. 
But at the present time, Brandywine, Parker Earle and 
other iate varieties bid fair to produce nearly a full crop, 
while even the earliest promise at least half a crop. 
Other small fruits seem to be uninjured. More rye than 
wheat was sown here last Fall, and it is generally good; 
more oats than barley sown this Spring. Corn is mostly 
planted and coming up. We have had good rains and 
growing weather for a week past, and crops of all kinds 
are improving very fasL A large acreage of cabbage 
and sugar beets will be grown in this vicinity. Old pota¬ 
toes have gone down from $1 to 50 cents a bushel and 
holders are disappointed f. e - v - e - 
Stanley, N. Y. 
MAY 27.—Asparagus Is cutting rather light, owing to 
cool weather. The rain which we are having will help 
it a great deal, as well as all the fruits. Prices are very 
satisfactory. A few of the early blossoms on the straw¬ 
berries were injured by the frost, but we think the crop 
will be a good average one. Raspberries that were buried 
or tacked down during the Winter are looking very well, 
and promise a fine crop. The currant stems were short¬ 
ened by the frost, but bushes look better than we ex¬ 
pected to have them, as they looked very poor last Fall. 
Delaware grapes were injured quite severely by the Win¬ 
ter. Other varieties promise a good crop. Peaches prom¬ 
ise a large crop in most sections. The leaves are fall¬ 
ing a little, but not enough to injure crop, we think. 
Bartlett pears bloomed very full, but we think the frost 
injured part of the crop; however it promises fairly. 
Kieffer pears promise a full crop; Greening apples very 
shy; Baldwin, Spy and other varieties bloomed heavily, 
but frost cut down the number of blossoms to mature, 
I should think about three-quarters to one-half. The 
rye crop with us looks very fine indeed. Cherries are 
about half a crop. Rain will greatly help the hay. We 
have one very fine stand of Red clover. f. f. y. 
Cedarcliff, N. Y. _ 
REPORTS ON IMPORTED POTATOES. 
While most of the Scotch potatoes were good for eating 
and cooking, they looked so poorly that the market ob¬ 
jected to them unless at wide reduction from price of 
American stock. The Belgium potatoes were inclined to 
be hollow-hearted and rather poor. The trade here did 
not want them when they could get the Maine stock. At 
present the prices on foreign potatoes are no higher than 
the poorest grade of American stock, and it looks as 
though they would not fill the bill except for the cheaper 
trade. The apple crop is expected to be good here. 
Boston. e. s. snow. 
We have handled quite a good many foreign potatoes 
this season, and as a general thing they have proved 
very satisfactory, and fine cookers. There was one mark 
of potatoes from Belgium that did not prove very satis¬ 
factory, but outside of that we have had no complaints. 
We have handled English, Scotch, Irish, Dutch and Bel¬ 
gium, and they have all of them proved to be excellent 
cookers excepting this one mark of Belgiums, and these 
cooked very wet. I think the quality is fully as good as 
the domestic potato, although as a general thing they 
have not as good an appearance. jas. b. clement. 
Philadelphia. 
We have handled but a very few imported potatoes 
this season. The Scotch Magnums have been very satis¬ 
factory, but the Belgian potatoes are not good sellers in 
this market, as they are too small and poorly assorted. 
The native potatoes, such as we get from Maine and 
New York State, are preferable here, and will bring a 
larger price. No doubt the heavy receipts of foreign po¬ 
tatoes in this country have kept prices down; had it not 
been for them we should certainly have seen a very high 
market. The condition of the crops as far as we are able 
to ascertain is very good. The fruit prospect is excel¬ 
lent, and I think that the acreage of vegetables will 
equal or exceed last season. w. h. blodgett co. 
Worcester, Mass. 
Two more heavily-laden steamers of foreign potatoes 
arrived here the last week in May, also several steamers 
that carried a limited quantity. The average run of 
these foreign potatoes is a trifle under size, and ought 
to be more closely sorted and culled in order to compare 
favorably with the ordinary run and size of our domes¬ 
tic potatoes: in consequence of being smaller ordinarily 
they have sold at less money than our own crop. Of 
course there are exceptional marks which are carefully 
sorted and attractively sacked, and which were sold at 
prices equal to our domestic stock, and in some few in¬ 
stances they have even exceeded. In regard to cooking 
quality, some of the trade report them as satisfactory 
and others are dissatisfied, but a like condition, as a 
rule, prevails even in our domestic stock; sometimes the 
fault is with the cooking, and sometimes the fault is 
with the potatoes having been more or less chilled. 
New York. J. H. bahrenburg bro. & CO. 
The imported potatoes are not as good as our own, es¬ 
pecially those grown in Scotland and Belgium. Those 
grown in England come the nearest to our own produc¬ 
tion. The general complaint made is that those grown in 
the two countries first named go to pieces in cooking. 
Their only recommendation is the low price at which 
they have been sold as compared with New York State 
potatoes. For instance, the past week we have sold Bel¬ 
giums at $1.40 to $1.50, Scotch at $1.65 to $1.75 per bag, and 
could not sell home-grown at less than $2.50 per bag, 
owing to the higher call. We think on an even price and 
supply there would be but very little demand for for¬ 
eign goods, and it is only in seasons like the past that 
they can come here and be sold at a profit. With ours 
as cheap they could not be sold. We cannot say yet 
about the growing crop, as it is only just planted, but 
we are informed that there is a greatly Increased acre¬ 
age, and with favorable conditions we shall have no oc¬ 
casion to import any next Fall and Winter. 
NEW JERSEY & NEW YORK PRODUCE CO. 
Jersey City, N. J. 
CHICORY ON LONG ISLAND.—There has been quite 
a good deal planted for two years past, but I think it 
has proven so unprofitable that farmers have given it up 
entirely, as other things pay so much better. The truth 
of the matter is the introducer and contractor made more 
money out of it than the farmer. The most promising 
crop the farmers have In this vicinity now is cabbage 
seed; the acreage is large, much in excess of previous 
years, and never looked so promising at this time in the 
season as now. If it goes out as it looks now it will be 
the largest and most profitable the farmers have ever 
raised. b. p. y. 
Jamesport, N. Y. 
