1902 
437 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Events of the IVeek 
DOMESTIC.—In the rioting over the teamsters’ strike 
at Chicago, Ill., June 4, there were frequent encounters 
between the mobs and the police. Between 100 and 150 
persons were injured, some of them seriously, and a few 
uf them fatally. . . . Officials of the Coal Creek Coal 
Company, in whose mine, in Tennessee, over 200 men were 
recently killed by an explosion, have been indicted for 
criminal misdemeanor in not obeying the law requiring 
daily inspection of the mine. . . . June 2-5 Kansas ex¬ 
perienced the heaviest rains in three years, and iloods 
caused considerable damage. Both the Neosho and Cot¬ 
tonwood rivers wrought much damage in the vicinity of 
Emporia. The estimated loss of $1,000,000 is adhered to 
and iL is believed it may even go above this. The Neosiio 
subsided enough to clear some lields, but over the Hooded 
country a sediment was left that, it is believed, will kill 
all crops, including Alfalfa. The highest water in i7 
years prevailed at Independence, Kan. The water reach¬ 
ed the pump house and put out the lire under the boilers, 
leaving the city wiLliout water service. . . . There was 
a tall of snow at White Creek, N. Y., June 8, the moun¬ 
tains being covered. Black irost was seen in exposed 
places, causing some loss to fruit and vegetable growth, 
'the Green Mountains and Mount Greylock, in the lloo- 
sick Valley, were visited by a heavy snowfall. . . . By 
the burning of the hospiLal of the St. Luke’s Society, in 
Chicago, June 1), 13 persons were killed and 3U injured. 
Most of tile victims were patients suffering from delirium 
tremens or the use of drugs. The Humes spread so rapidly 
that it was impossible to save them. . . . l>’ive per¬ 
sons were burned to death in Saratoga, N. Y., June 9 in 
lire which destroyed the Arcade and other properly. The 
loss is estimated at $300,000. . . . The steel whalebacK. 
steamer Thomas Wilson laundered in Lake Superior, olf 
Dululli, Minn., June 7; nine lives lost. ... A disas¬ 
trous lire occurred in Bhiladelphia, Bu., June 10, render¬ 
ing many persons homeless, and causing a loss of $200,- 
UW. ... A terriUc electric, wind and hail storm pass¬ 
ed over the southwestern portion of the White Earth 
Indian Reservation, Minnesota, June 10, leaving death 
and destruction in its wake. Reports from the southern 
part of the reservation say that in Walworth and At¬ 
lantic townships houses and barns were torn down, crops 
destroyed and 15 persons are reported killed. . . . The 
coal strike continues. United Stales Labor Commissioner 
Carroll L>. Wright, after inspecting the books and ac¬ 
counts of three coal carrying roads, said lie had com¬ 
pleted his investigations of the strike June 10. The Civic 
f ederation has, its secretary says, abandoned efforts to 
end the controversy between operators and miners. About 
_j men, who were engaged in lighting lire at the Jersey 
mine of the Delaware, Lackawanna 62 Western Company, 
June 1U, deserted their posts. As a result of an assault 
on a watchman, at Nanticoke, three women were ar- 
i esLed June 10 and* held in bail to keep the peace. Not¬ 
withstanding the efforts of the strike leaders to keep 
their men from committing acts of violence, there con¬ 
tinues to be disorder, annoying to the coal companies. 
CONGRESS—The Senate June 4 began the considera¬ 
tion of the Nicaragua Canal bill, the debate being open¬ 
ed with a three-hour speech by Mr. Morgan, of Alabama, 
chairman of the Committee on lnteroceanic Canals. A 
considerable portion of his speech was devoted to an ex¬ 
amination of the recently suggested danger to the Nicara¬ 
gua Canal route of seismic disturbances, which danger 
he contended was imaginary. . . . The Senate Com¬ 
mittee on Foreign Relations considered, but did not act 
on, the general extradition treaty recommended by the 
1'an-American Conference June 4. The committee gen¬ 
erally is of the opinion that the treaty should be consid¬ 
erably moditied in the interest of clearness, and it is 
probable that it will not be reported during the present 
session. . . . The President sent to the House June 5 
tile report of Colonel Crowder, who made the investiga¬ 
tion of the charges of Governor Heard, of Louisiana, that 
the neutrality laws were being violated at Chalmette, La., 
by the British authorities shipping horses and mules from 
New Orleans to South Africa. No violation of neutrality 
was discovered, and the charges of recruiting soldiers in 
this country for service in the British army were dis¬ 
proved. The transactions of the Commission aggregate 
$17,939,350 from October, 1899, to March, 1W2, with an aver¬ 
age monthly value of $597,978. The total shipments are 
given at 98,587 horses and 75,108 mules, 65 different vessels 
being engaged in the trade, making 165 voyages. All sup¬ 
plies have been for the use of the English army in Soutli 
Africa, the trade having no existence prior to the war. 
Col. Crowder adds that the port of New Orleans was ex¬ 
tensively used in 1896-7, to supply the Spanish army then 
engaged in prosecuting hostilities in Cuba. . . . Sec¬ 
retary Hay and Mr. Brun, the Danish Minister in Wash¬ 
ington, on June 7 signed a protocol extending for 12 
months the time allowed for the exchange of ratifications 
of the Danish West Indian treaty. . . . June 9 the 
House passed the bill to protect the President, Vice-Pre¬ 
sident, members of the Cabinet and foreign Ministers 
and Ambassadors, and to suppress the teaching of an¬ 
archy, by a vote of 175 to 38. . . . The House defeated 
the bill to transfer certain forest reserves to the Agri¬ 
cultural Department and to authorize the President to 
establish game and fish preserves. Mr. Cannon, whose 
motion to strike out the enacting clause was carried by 
100 to 70, claimed that the bill would greatly increase the 
cost of administering forest reserves, and that the esti¬ 
mated receipts for the next fiscal year were already ex¬ 
ceeded by the appropriations up to the present time by 
over $57,000,000. . . . The Senate June 10 passed the 
Naval bill, carrying more than $78,000,000. It includes 
provisions for two first-class battleships, two first-class 
armored cruisers and two gunboats, but strikes out the 
House provision that one of each shall be built at Gov¬ 
ernment yards. When consideration was resumed of the 
Isthmian canal question Mr. Turner delivered an extend¬ 
ed argument in support of the Nicaragua route. 
CUBA.—President Palma signed the bill granting am¬ 
nesty to all Americans under sentence or awaiting trial 
in Cuba June 9, and proceedings have been begun by the 
courts to quash the complaints against such Americans 
and liberate those who are in jail. President Palma lias 
offered General Maximo Gomez the position of general- 
in-chief of the Cuban Rural Guard, and it is said that 
General Gomez is inclined to accept this post. 
HAWAII.—Reports from Hawaii indicate that volcanoes 
there are showing more than usual activity. The cap¬ 
tain of the schooner Eclipse reports that he saw a col¬ 
umn of Hume from the crater of Mokuaweouei, which is 
near the summit of Mauna Loa, 13,000 feet above the sea, 
and has long been quiescent. It is high above Kilauea, 
the active volcano. A large column of smoke hangs above 
Kilauea. . . . The Senate Committee on Pacific Islands 
and Porto Rico June 9 authorized a favorable report on 
the proposition allowing pay for the destruction of prop¬ 
erty in Hawaii, on the order of President McKinley, on 
account of the prevalence of the plague during the tran¬ 
sition period of that territory in 1899 and I960. The com¬ 
mittee decided to recommend that an amendment should 
be made to the General Deticiency Appropriation bill, 
providing for the payment by this Government of $l,CMi,- 
uo0, and authorizing the Territory of Hawaii to issue 
bonds for the remainder of the claim, aggregating 
$500,000. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—Prof. C. S. Plumb, Director 
of the Indiana Agricultural Experiment Station, and pro¬ 
fessor of animal husbandry in Purdue University, has 
been elected professor of animal husbandry in the Ohio 
State University, Columbus. It is the purpose of the Agri¬ 
cultural College of this institution to enlarge the in¬ 
struction in animal husbandry, and an appropriation of 
$2,000 has been made by the Board of Trustees to add 
specimens of purebred animals to the existing herds of 
tile College. It is expected further appropriations will 
be made from time to time. 
The llrst exhaustive test of creamery butter taken from 
all parts of the United States was finished in Chicago re¬ 
cently by examiners appointed by the Department of 
Agriculture and the National Creamery Butter Makers 
Association. Samples of butter from 500 butter makers, 
representing 19 States, were examined and similar tests 
will be made from now until October, when a report 
will be submitted. The purpose of the tests is to secure 
an idea of the quality of butter put out by makers and 
the method of manufacture. At the end of the Lest each 
butter maker will hear the results of the examination 
as well as suggestions that may assist him in making 
better quality. W. D. Collyer, United States inspector 
of butter exports, and B. D. White, field instructor of 
the Minnesota Dairy Commission, are in charge of the 
tests. 
June 7 lire destroyed Erdenheim, the famous stock farm 
near Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pa., the damage ex¬ 
ceeding $109.0UU. Among the animals killed was Kasim, 
tlie most famous pony stallion in America. Erdenheim 
was the home of Flora Temple, and many famous horses 
were bred there. 
Prof. E. S. Goff, of the Wisconsin Agricultural College, 
died June 6, aged 50. He was a native of New York State, 
and was formerly horticulturist of the New York Experi¬ 
ment Station. 
J. W. Wilson, son of Secretary Wilson, has been elected 
professor of animal industry and live stock at the South 
Dakota Agricultural College, and director of the Ex¬ 
periment Station. 
Gov. Odell has appointed Edward A. Callahan, of the 
Country Gentleman, a member for three years of the 
Board of Control of the N. Y. State Experiment Station. 
Government Crop Heports. 
Light frosts have occurred in northern New England 
and the lake regions. Heavy rains in the lower Missouri 
Valley and parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wis¬ 
consin have hindered farm work, and been favorable for 
the development of rust in Winter wheat, in the Eastern 
and South Atlantic States drought is becoming serious, 
cutting short the grass and small fruits. Throughout the 
central valleys conditions of moisture and temperature 
have been favorable, in the Spring wheat regions the 
plant is making a rapid growth, except on low land, 
where moisture has been excessive. Winter wheat har¬ 
vest is in progress as far north as Tennessee, and south¬ 
ern Missouri and Kansas. The wheat outlook on the 
Pacific coast is promising, except in the Sacramento and 
San Joaquim valleys, where grasshopper damage is re¬ 
ported. Corn is making a good growth through the East¬ 
ern and Central States. Most of the cotton belt is suf¬ 
fering for rain. The crop is well cultivated except in 
the northwestern portion of the belt. In Virginia, North 
Carolina and Maryland conditions for transplanting lo- 
bacco have been unfavorable. In Kentucky the acreage 
is greatly reduced on account of scarcity of plants and 
bad weather. As a whole, the fruit outlook is not prom¬ 
ising. The best reports come from New England, the 
lake regions and the Middle Atlantic States. 
Western Grangers Want the Canal. 
Personally I am enthusiastic in favor of an isthmus 
canal. I believe it will have a tendency to lower freight 
rates between the eastern and western portions of our 
country, thereby giving an impetus to commerce, manu¬ 
facturing and agriculture, and will relieve the farmer 
of his greatest burden—high freight charges. With the 
purchase of the Panama Canal with satisfactory con¬ 
cessions from the Colombian government and at $40,- 
000,000 I am rather in favor of this route, for the reason 
that the route is so much shorter, good harbors on both 
the Atlantic and Pacific, and less likely to have a com¬ 
peting canal at some future time. The Nicaragua route 
will necessitate the making of harbors at each end and 
forever maintaining them, will be harder to defend on ac¬ 
count of the greater length, longer for ships to pass 
through, and greater in expense of maintenance. The 
effort to have a commission appointed by Congress to 
survey yet another route I consider as purely a scheme 
of the railroads to delay operations. The Grange as a 
body is practically unanimous in favor of building the 
canal, and was the first to insist that it be built by the 
Government instead of by private individuals at Gov¬ 
ernment expense. Every meeting of the National Grange 
for years has passed resolutions in favor of the canal 
and its speedy construction. Every State Grange has 
long kept this question before its meetings and passed 
resolutions in favor of its early construction by the Gov¬ 
ernment. In thus urging the construction of the canal 
the Grange believes that it will be an Incalculable benefit 
to the farmers. Nicholas ennis. 
Lecturer Washington Grange. 
Crop Prospects 
JUNE 9.—I have made several inquiries of the fruit 
growers around here, and they all report the raspberry 
vines healthy and prospect of a good crop. The straw¬ 
berry crop this season is the finest we ever had. and 
prices are excellent. Grass, wheat and oats are looking 
fine. Corn planting is not over with on account of too 
much rain. c - A - c - 
Galien, Mich. 
JUNE 7.—The weather is fine; two light frosts this 
week, but no damage done. The pears, cherries and plums 
are nearly all frozen. The prospect is for about one-half 
a crop of apples. The frosts have damaged meadows; 
only half a crop of hay can be expected. Oats that were 
phosphated look well. Butter 22 cents, eggs 18, veal 
calves five cents, wool 17, potatoes 75 cents a bushel. 
Union Centre, N. Y. , JE¬ 
JUNE 9.—The Spring here has been cold and dry, and 
the hay crop must be light. Planted crops have come up 
slowly. Raspberries winterkilled badly, and blackberries 
to some extent. Not many of either are grown near here. 
Tree fruits promise well, except cherries, which were 
cut by frost largely. Strawberries are In fair condition, 
but need rain badly. My grapes suffered more from the 
Winter than usual. The trees have now got their full 
Summer dresses on, but the continued cool weather, while 
damaging them, gave the budding beauty of the forests 
an unusual lingering length. M - m. 
Medway, Mass.__ 
TWO MORE NURSERY FRAUDS. 
A Rogue’s Harvest in Ohio. 
The nursery fakes have invaded this county (Medina) 
with stories of reproducing apple trees, bush strawberries 
and plums crossed or cross-grafted with the persimmon, 
so as to make them curculio-proof. Do you know of any 
apple of good qualities that will reproduce itself from 
seed, and are apple trees ever propagated that way? 
These fellows claim to have six kinds that will reproduce 
themselves that way. Are there any bush or bunch 
strawberries that are of any value? Does not the plum 
and persimmon cross set them down as fakes? When 
an order has been given and the person who has given 
it desires it canceled, what is the best course to take? 
Is not the fact that the firm refuses to cancel an order 
a good sign that they are not doing a straight business? 
I have had some experience in handling trees, and the 
order was always canceled for any good reason. 
Qhlo E. C. GREEN. 
This is one of the boldest and most shameful nur¬ 
sery frauds yet attempted. I only wish I knew the 
name of the so-called nursery they pretend to repre¬ 
sent. The only thing they pretend to sell that has 
any semblance of fact is, that there are varieties of 
the strawberry that grow in clumps and make few 
runners, but only one of these is of any value, and 
it is not yet for sale by anyone. There are no varie¬ 
ties of the apple of any grade or quality that repro¬ 
duce true from seed. They are offering six kinds so 
as to get foolish people to buy at least that many 
trees at a big price. The tale about plums that are 
cross-grafted or crossed in any other way with the 
persimmon is all a lie of the worst sort. How anyone 
with average sense can be led to believe such stuff as 
these rascals are telling is a wonder. But no doubt 
they are doing a flourishing business among the sim¬ 
ple-minded people of my native State of Ohio. They 
are no better than highway robbers, and are simply 
working a confidence game on the unsuspecting. They 
have not even the shadow of honesty. If those who 
have ordered their stuff will join and resist its de¬ 
livery they can easily do so successfully. Not a dol¬ 
lar should be paid for it. They would be obtaining 
money under false pretenses, and could be jailed if 
they took it. I wonder what will be the next scheme. 
n. e. v. D. 
Tongue-Grafted Big Stories. 
Last Summer there was considerable nursery stock sold 
through this country by a well-known Rochester firm. 
Their trees seemed to be all right, well rooted, etc. This 
Spring, however, some of the apple trees are dead. A 
neighbor will lose 25 per cent, though the firm agrees to 
replace them. Now two men representing an Ohio nur¬ 
sery are canvassing through here at the present time, anti 
when they find these dead apple trees they proceed to 
pull some up and by carefully shaving off one side near 
the collar show the tree to be root-grafted, which they 
claim Is a cheap and inferior method of propagation, and 
is not practiced by reputable nurseries. They claim the 
root system is defective; that the tree is subject to 
borers, and seldom lives to arrive at a bearing age. Is 
this true, and is a budded tree superior? J. f. t. 
Pennsylvania. 
There is not a word of truth in the statement that 
root-grafting is not practiced by reputable nursery¬ 
men, and that trees propagated in this way are of no 
value. There are many millions of good trees now 
standing and bearing for many years in the orchards 
of the whole country. I would pay as much for them 
as for budded trees. The very fact that these men 
tell this tale is evidence that they are not truthful, 
and any other representations they may make are apt 
to be false. I would have nothing to do with them, 
nor buy a tree or anything else that they offer for sale. 
h. e. v. D. 
