THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
693 
1902 
Events of the IVeek. 
DOMESTIC.—The government of Manitoba has inter¬ 
fered to save the Doukhobors, a colony of Russian fa¬ 
natical religionists, from starving during the Winter. 
The Doukhobors, who are centered around Yorkton, 
have lately acquired the belief that it is sinful for them 
to hold cattle or other beasts of burden to help them in 
their labor, and, in consquence, they have been aban¬ 
doning their live stock. The Government has, therefore, 
instructed its agents to seize all the cattle, sheep and 
horses turned at large by the colonists, and the stock 
will be sold at auction, the proceeds to be devoted to the 
care of the Doukhobors during the coming Winter un¬ 
der government supervision. ... A second slight 
operation was performed on the President’s injured leg 
September 29, the wound being opened and the bone 
scraped, to prevent risk of further trouble. The injury 
is progressing favorably. . . . Central Kansas was 
visited by a snowstorm September 29. . . . The brok¬ 
erage firm of H„ H. Wells, members of the Chicago 
Board of Trade, filed a petition September 30 asking 
for a temporary injunction against Armour & Co., J. J. 
Townsend, the Board of Trade and others to prevent 
what is technically known as the “indorsing down of 
margins.” This is practically the same action as was 
asked for in the recent corner in oats. The cause of 
the petition was the alleged cornering of September 
wheat by one or two local houses. 
LABOR.—September 25 six counties in Pennsylvania 
were guarded by soldiers, this including practically the 
whole anthracite field. A notice was posted on the Sil¬ 
ver Creek bridge, near New Philadelphia, which has 
been damaged three times, stating that any man caught 
repairing the bridge would be shot. . . . September 
25, at Brassey Island, near Olyphant, James Winston, a 
non-union worker, was murdered by a number of for¬ 
eigners while on his way to the colliery. He and a 
companion were pursued and stoned. Winston was 
struck on the head and felled, but his companion, 
though severely hurt, escaped and gave the alarm. By 
the time deputies reached the scene the mob had beaten 
Winston to death with clubs and slungshots. Later in 
the day five men and one woman were arrested for the 
murder and held for a hearing. ... In the Schuyl¬ 
kill region many strikers were complaining, September 
25, because there was a reduction In the union relief 
fund, some of the married men only receiving 60 cents 
for the week and single men less. They threatened to 
go to work unless the amount was increased. . . . 
An attempt was made to move a train of loaded coal 
cars from Potts colliery of the Philadelphia and Read¬ 
ing Coal and Iron Company, at Ashland, September 26, 
and bloodshed was narrowly averted. Three hundred 
strikers hurled stones at the trainmen, and Brakeman 
Sullivan was badly hurt. Just then 40 mine guards 
armed with carbines rushed out of the colliery inclosure 
and fired on the mob, which fled in all directions. Fully 
50 shots were discharged. None of the strikers was 
armed. General Gobin dispatched Company I, of the 
Eighth Regiment, from Shenandoah to the colliery and 
the coal was moved without trouble. Centralia was 
also the scene of violence September 26-27. All trains 
were searched by the strikers’ pickets and several non¬ 
union men were taken from the trolley cars and sent 
home. One of the trains held up was a Lehigh Passen¬ 
ger train carrying United States mail. Some unknown 
person placed a stick of dynamite on the track of the 
Lehigh Valley Railroad near Yatesville September 26. 
When a big freight engine passed over the dynamite 
there was an explosion. The pilot of the engine and the 
windows of the cab were broken, but none of the crew 
was hurt. In Philadelphia, Pa., September 29, hard 
coal in two-ton lots was held at $18 a ton; for larger 
quantities, $20 and $25 was asked. Soft coal was held 
at $6 and $7. . . . The twentieth week of the strike 
ended September 27 and in that time the estimated 
losses have amounted to the great sum of $123,220,000, 
the weekly loss and expense being this week increased 
by the placing in the field of 1,200 more troops. The 
losses are: Loss to operators in the price of coal, $47,- 
500,000 ;loss to strikers in wages, $26,300,000; loss to em¬ 
ployees other than miners, $5,870,000; loss to rail¬ 
roads in earnings, $11,000,000; loss to business men 
in region, $14,800,000; loss to business men outside 
region, $8,900,000; cost of maintaining Coal and Iron po¬ 
lice, $1,400,000; cost of maintaining non-union workers, 
$550,000; cost of maintaining troops in field, $400,000; loss 
to mines and machinery, $6,500,000; total, $123,220,000. 
... A. Litchfield and others filed a bill in equity in 
the Supreme Court at Boston, Mass., in an effort to 
get relief from the present coal shortage and high prices 
against the following coal carying roads and compa¬ 
nies, The Philadelphia and Reading Railway Company, 
the Central Railroad of New Jersey, the Lehigh Rail¬ 
road Company, the Delaware, Lackawanna and West¬ 
ern Railroad Company, the Delaware and Hudson Com¬ 
pany, the New York, Ontario and Western Railway 
Company; the Erie Railroad Company; the Pennsyl¬ 
vania Coal Company; the Philadelphia and Reading 
Iron and Coal Company. The bill asks that a receiver 
be appointed for the benefit for all concerned, upon 
such terms and in such manner, and with such agents 
and servants and with such rates of wages and other 
conditions of employment, and at such prices for goods 
produced and sold as the Court shall from time to time 
adjudge proper. The bill was based upon the legal 
theory of the coal situation given by H. W. Chaplin, the 
lawyer, based on Judge Waite’s decision in the Chicago 
grain elevator case. In this case, however, the plain¬ 
tiff seeks relief in the Supreme Court> of Massachusets, 
instead of the Federal Courts or in the courts of Penn¬ 
sylvania. It is explained that Pennsylvania corpora¬ 
tions. in order to do any business in Massachusets have 
to make reports to the Commissioner of Corporations, 
and are amenable to all State laws. Mr. Chaplin says 
in support of his position: “Since the public have a 
right in the mines, a right to have coal forthwith mined 
for immediate consumption, and have a right to have 
that coal immediately transported out of the mine re¬ 
gions by the coal carrying roads, a court of equity, if 
no other solution of the difficulty is open, has authority 
to, and upon application of a representative proportion 
of the people undoubtedly would, appoint a receiver or 
receivers to take into his or their hands the whole busi¬ 
ness now in the hands of the anthracite coal combine, 
and to run it in their place.” 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The next annual meeting of 
the New York Fruit Growers’ Association will be held in 
Buffalo on January 7, 1903. The committee on constitu¬ 
tional amendments, T. B. Wilson, S. W. Wadhams and 
E. A Clark, report in favor of a charge of $25 for life 
membership and $3 for yearly dues. 
Washington State hop pickers are disappointed over 
the yield, a falling off of 8.000 bales. The Oregon crop 
is larger than last year’s by 10,000 to 20,000 bales. 
The estimates for the rural free delivery service for 
the next fiscal year were finally framed September 29. 
They aggregate $12,655,800, a net increase of $5,126,400 over 
the appropriations made for the current year. 
The annual meeting of the Virginia State Horticultural 
Society will be held at Lynchburg December 2-3; secre¬ 
tary, Walter Whately, Crozet, Va. 
This present school year the University of Michigan is 
offering a course of study to students in the literary de¬ 
partment which will be called “rural sociology.” It is 
a course of lectures covering what are called the “social” 
phases of farm life. A good deal of attention will be 
given to the subject of farmers’ organizations, including 
the Grange; to agricultural education, including col¬ 
leges, experiment stations, and farmers’ institutes; while 
the country church and the rural school will be studied 
from the standpoint of their relation to the farm com¬ 
munity. The influence upon farm life of telephones, free 
rural mail delivery, etc., will be discussed. Attention 
will be paid to the effects upon the farmer of large vs. 
small farms, of machinery, etc. This is a new line of 
study, there being, so far as is known, but one other 
course in any American college that so fully discusses 
rural problems from the social point of view. The lec¬ 
turer in this course is Kenyon L. Butterfield. 
FRUIT PROSPECTS. 
Apples are selling here for $2.50 per barrel for strictly 
first-class Winter fruit. f. h. g. 
Holley, N. Y. 
The apple crop in our section, while only about one- 
third of wliat we had last season, is better in quality. 
Buyers are paying $1 to $1.25 per barrel for the fruit. 
Nichols, Mo. G. T. T. 
The apple crop will average 35 per cent; quality, 90 per 
cent. Prices, $1.50 to $1.60 for the fruit per barrel. A 
good quantity is available because of the good quality. 
Kansas City, Mo. l. a. Goodman. 
The apple crop here is light, not more than one-fourth 
crop. Most growers are rioring rather than accept the 
prices offered by buyers. A few sales have been made at 
$1.50 per barrel, the buyer furnishing the barrels. 
Edwardsville, Kan. w. d. c. 
Crop about 50 per cent and fair quality. In some parts 
quality is extra fine, selling at about $1 to $1.25 for No. 1 
and No. 2, picked on to tables. Buyer packs them. This 
price is for Ben Davis; Jonathan brings $1.75 to $2; also 
Grimes Golden. J- w. s. 
Illinois. 
I think most of the best apples here are bought. There 
are some good orchards unsold. The highest offer I know 
of has been $1.50 per barrel for good fruit on trees. Buy¬ 
ers are holding back from buying more than they did a 
year ago. The packing season is much later. h. m. 
Fennville, Mich. 
The apple crop in this section is almost a total failure; 
no orchard has a crop, and only a very few trees, per¬ 
haps one tree in 50. A friend of mine, who is a retailer, 
told me the other day that he was paying $3 per barrel 
for choice fruit. c. J. m. 
Sewickley, Pa. 
Two buyers have been here, one offering $1 for Green¬ 
ing and $1.25 for Baldwin; the other, $1.25 and $1.50. A 
few sold, but most growers are holding out for $2. About 
half the crop is yet on the trees. It is very erratic, some 
trees loaded, others with a few limbs fruitful, others 
bare. Should say on the whole about two-thirds of the 
yield we had two years ago. reader. 
Worcester Co., Mass. 
The apple crop now being gathered and packed is of 
excellent quality in this section. About 30 per cent of 
last year’s crop was set on the trees, and this will pack 
out 50 per cent of last year, when we had many under¬ 
sized and cull apples. Prices run from $1 to $1.25 for the 
apples (every buyer does his own packing here) of Ben 
Davis class, $1.35 for Winesap, Missouri Pippin, Rome 
Beauty, etc.; Jonathan and Grimes, $1.65 on an average. 
Wright Co., Mo. a. z. moore. 
The apple crop of Delaware is one of the largest and 
best. The shipments last year were 31,247 baskets of % 
bushels each by the Delaware Railroad. This year the 
shipments up to September 20, by the same road, were 
224,573 baskets. Delaware has not enough large crops 
of Winter apples to attract buyers very much. About 
$1.25 per barrel has been offered for one or two orchards, 
delivered at the station, the purchaser to furnish barrels. 
Sec’y Peninsula Hort. Society. wesley webb. 
Crops in eastern Connecticut the present season have 
been, on the whole, rather unsatisfactory. Hay is fair in 
quantity but deficient in quality, owing to rank growth 
and unavoidable damage during the cutting season. Corn 
and potatoes are not up to last season’s mark; fewer 
potatoes in the hill and more scab than usual. Garden 
crops not as good as usual. Early beans are fairly good, 
but Limas almost an entire failure. Melons, cucumbers 
and squashes will hardly pay for planting in many local¬ 
ities. Beets and onions not an average. Apples, plums 
and peaches are a full crop, and less affected by insects 
than usual. Not much spraying and thinning is practiced 
hereabouts, consequently much of the fruit is small and 
unmarketable. In small fruits, strawberries only panned 
out well. Raspberries and blackberries about half a crop; 
currants and gooseberries one-quarter. h. h. b. 
Jewett City, Conn. 
Some orchards about here are going to yield large crops 
of very fine apples, with very little fungus, while others 
will give a good many apples but with a large proportion 
of second grade fruit. Still others have but little of any 
kind. Buyers are offering from $1.50 to $2.30 for No. 1 
apples, including barrels, and in a few cases where fruit 
is good, $2 is offered for everything but cider apples. 
Farmers are not inclined to sell, hoping the price will 
advance. F. e. v. e. 
Stanley, N. Y. 
There are a good many apples here, but they vary much 
in quality. Not much over one-half go as first quality; 
the rest for evaporating or cider, except what are shipped 
in bulk. Some have sold first-class stock for $2 per bar¬ 
rel and seconds for 60 cents per 100 ; a few for more than 
that. At present the buyers are holding off, thinking 
they can buy them for less money, but growers are not 
willing to take less except for some that are badly 
specked with fungus. b. w. b. 
Hilton, N. Y. 
Our apple crop is variable—on the whole about 50 per 
cent of a crop. Gravenstein and King very light; Blen¬ 
heim a full crop; Baldwin average crop; Russet very 
light. Quality better than was expected earlier, as the 
latter part of the season has been very favorable for all 
crops; no frost yet. While some orchards may not have 
25 per cent of a crop, the adjoining one may have an av¬ 
erage crop, showing that in bad seasons it is the vigor¬ 
ous, well-cared-for tree that pays. c. m. l. 
Falmouth, N. S. 
Apples in the Cornwallis Valley are only about 25 per 
cent of a normal crop. Gravenstein about 10 per cent in 
quantity and 5 per cent in quality; Golden Russet, nil; 
King, Blenheim, Ribston, and Baldwin, fair, both in 
quantity and quality in some localities. Buyers are offer¬ 
ing $2 per barrel for all above varieties, warehouse 
packed; seller to pack, furnish barrel, and deliver either 
at train or warehouse. Scab is prevalent in many or¬ 
chards; especially those that have not been thoroughly 
sprayed and cultivated. e. x. l. 
Kingsport, N. S. 
In this part of northern Illinois (Bureau Co.), not a 
large apple producing section, there will be no more ap¬ 
ples than are needed for home use. if properly distributed, 
but the condition is mixed, some orchards loaded, others 
no crop at all; some of the fruit very fine in quality. I 
think much of it will not grade very fine owing to minor 
defects, but probably not much wormy fruit. No prices 
established yet. except in a retail way. In central Illi¬ 
nois, as observed from the railroad, the same condition 
exists in regard to quantity, many trees barren, and occa¬ 
sional orchards loaded. At Salem, Marion County, we 
saw but few apples, and these of poor quality, but were 
informed that in some directions there was a fine crop. 
Clay County is noted for its large orchards, and tne crop 
was generally good, except for the bitter rot, which is 
very bad in some places, as is also the case in the whole 
southern part of the State. Prices run from $1.12Mi to 
$1.65 for Ben Davis, and up to $2 for Jonathan and Grimes. 
These prices picked, but packed and barreled by the buy¬ 
er. The conditions are very much mixed, according to 
my observation, and I am unable to make any estimates. 
Illinois Horticultural Society. d. r. bryant. 
THE HAY CROP. 
The hay crop in this section this season will be very 
poor; it will amount to about half the crop of last year 
Atlanta. Ga. geo. w. brooke. 
There is very little tame hay in this territory; what 
there is is fair quality. The prairie hay crop is larger 
than the average. The weather for cutting and curing 
was unfavorable, yet there is considerable good hay to 
come in. As yet there is not much moving, but I think 
in a short time the movement will begin in earnest. 
San Pierre, Ind. M - D - F - 
From reports received this year’s hay crop in the three 
Northwestern States—Minnesota, North and South Da¬ 
kota—is large and above the average, and harvested in 
fair condition. Owing to frequent rains during harvest 
the quality in places was damaged to some extent. Rain 
interfered a good deal with the harvest of hay in many 
of the Eastern States, doing considerable damage in 
spots, and while securing an average crop a good deal 
will be unfit for shipping. In the Southwestern States 
I understand a large crop was harvested this year, there 
being at no time any danger of drought, except in parts 
of Virginia, Maryland and Tennessee. Taking it alto¬ 
gether my opinion is that choice grades will command 
a good premium, with a large amount of poor stuff be¬ 
ing shipped to markets. The tone of the market on mill 
feed has been rather firm during the last week, and the 
demand is gradually improving for bran. Some of the 
large mills have made fair sales for export, which is a 
strengthening feature. There does not seem to be the 
urgent demand for heavier feeds which existed some 
time a SO RICHARD HAERTEL. 
Minneapolis. Minn._ 
CROP PROSPECTS. 
I was four months on the Pacific coast. While there 
I saw a sugar beet almost the size of a barrel; Bellflower 
apples with not a bad one to be found in a bushel box, 
juicy and as fine flavor as ours, and sweeter. Every 
table has apples at hotels. M- 
Wilkinsburg, Pa. 
I have the same complaint as some of your eastern 
correspondents about my last Spring’s seeding of Alfalfa; 
it simply does not seem to get a move on. A neighbor 
of mine with 18 years’ experience in growing it says he 
never found the young clover so backward in taking 
hold as in the past season. He has a field that has been 
cropped 18 years continuously, yielding each year from 
two to four crops. I will say to those who grow it or 
contemplate doing so, that it must be cut at regular in¬ 
tervals to insure the growing of succeeding crops the 
same season, no matter how short or long the plants 
may be or how threatening the weather is. My experi¬ 
ence with Alfalfa leads me to the conclusion that the 
clover ought to be cut when most of the stems have 
blossoms on the tips. Corn, wheat, oats and potatoes 
are good crops, but there is no money for the potato 
grower at present prices. Those who bought their seed 
had to pay from $1.25 to $1.70 per bushel. Our home pota¬ 
toes do not possess the same vitality as northern-grown; 
at least the past 10 years it has been so, no matter what 
kind of potato we planted. l. f. 
Mack, Ohio. 
