1902 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
789 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.—A destructive forest fire has been raging 
on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, Boyd Co., Neb. A 
quantity of ranch property and stock has been destroyed. 
.... After a 1,400 mile jaunt in an open boat, with 
water-soaked bread and moldy beef, Captain J. Nevlus 
Kay, his young wife, nine seamen, and “Whiskers,” the 
goat, of the British barkentine Florence B. Edgett, ar¬ 
rived in New York November 6 from St. George, Grenada, 
on the steamship Grenada. The barkentine sailed for 
Buenos Ayres from Bear River, N. S., on August 11, and 
was struck by a hurricane October 14, which compelled 
the crew to abandon the waterlogged vessel. . . . . 
Invalids must have a certificate from a physician before 
they can get on a train in Colorado after December 1. 
The certificate must say that the bearer has not a con¬ 
tagious disease The roads have had much trouble with 
sick people afflicted with contagious diseases getting on 
trains. Conductors are supposed to watch for such 
cases, but sometimes it is impossible for them to detect 
contagious diseases. The idea is to have all the roads 
adopt the physician's cc.. ..locate scheme and thereby pro¬ 
tect passengers who desire relief from the presence of 
consumptives. ... _ne explosion of a boiler in one 
of the pumping stations of the New York water system 
November 9 killed two men and wrecked the place. . . . 
Fire swept the river front at Camden, N. J., November 
9, causing a loss of $325,000.November 10 fire 
started at the top of the steel tower on the Manhattan 
side of the new East River bridge between New York 
and the Williamsburg district of Brooklyn. The fire be¬ 
gan in the workmen’s tool shanties and extended to the 
wooden superstructure 325 feet above the river. It was 
one of the most spectacular fires ever seen in New York, 
and was controlled with great difficulty. Much of the 
superstructure has suffered from the fire, which may de¬ 
lay the completion of the bridge a year or more. Traffic 
was stopped on the East River during the fire. The 
damage may reach $100,000. The fire was caused by a 
workman who lit his pipe and threw the match away. 
.... An explosion of gas in a New York tenement 
house November 11 injured 26 persons, and caused one 
death from shock. 
ADMINISTRATION.—The annual report of Robert. J. 
Wynne, First Assistant Postmaster-General, urges that 
in view of the success of the rural free delivery system 
and its future necessities, the recommendation for $12,- 
655,800 in the estimates for that purpose is reasonable. 
The amount is an increase of a little more than $5,000,000 
over the current fiscal year. The rural free delivery sys¬ 
tem, the report says, has become a permanent feature of 
the postal service, and has increased the postal receipts 
and improved conditions wherever it has been put in 
operation. No deficiency, it is stated, will be created by 
this service. The maximum fee for a money order ($100) 
is 30 cents. It is recommended that the maximum be re¬ 
duced to 25 cents, with proportional reductions wherever 
the amount exceeds $50.For the first time since 
the insurrection in the Philippines there will be no free 
entry of Christmas boxes into the Philippines for soldiers 
and civilian employees. This decision was reached at a 
meeting of the Cabinet, when it was decided that the 
law as passed by Congress for the imposition of duties 
on imports into the Philippines would not admit of any 
change by the Executive of the United States. There are 
17,000 soldiers now in the Philippines and it has been cus¬ 
tomary heretofore to permit relatives and friends to send 
them Christmas boxes each year, they being transported 
free on Government transports and admitted at Manila 
free of all duty. Of course, the decision will not pre¬ 
vent the sending of Christmas boxes, but they will be 
subjected to the same system of inspection by the cus¬ 
toms officials in Manila as any other merchandise, and 
any dutiable articles will be held for the payment of duty. 
PHILIPPINES.—The Government is adopting vigorous 
measures to suppress Ladronism in the provinces of 
Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan. A zone embracing these 
provinces, and surrounding Manila, is the scene of con¬ 
stant petty and sometimes serious disorder. Several 
armed bands, some of them numbering 200 or 300 men, 
are operating in the described districts, and have com¬ 
mitted various depredations. They find a safe refuge in 
the mountains. The plan of the Government contem¬ 
plates securing the assistance of the military, which has 
been inactive since the end of the insurrection. The ex¬ 
tent of the army’s participation in the work of suppres¬ 
sion depends upon developments. It is probable that the 
military authorities will request the garrisons to protect 
the more important towns while the constabulary con¬ 
duct the field operations. It is thought that martial law, 
in a modified form, will be declared, and the privilege 
of the writ of habeas corpus suspended in Cavite prov¬ 
ince, which has been the home of the Ladrones for ages. 
. . . . The Philippine Commission has decided to hold 
a public hearing on the Coastwise Shipping bill before 
raking final action in this matter. The measure, as draft¬ 
ed, permits foreign vessels to engage in the Philippine 
coastwise trade until 1904. It acquires owners of foreign 
vessels bringing Chinese crews to the Philippines to give 
bond on the Chinamen; it requires the payment of dues 
on supr _ purchased abroad; it gives the Governor of 
the Philippines power to appoint a commission to fix 
freight rates, and it makes coasting steamers common 
carriers. The last provision is aimed at putting an end 
to discrimination by the trading companies now operat¬ 
ing on coastwise steamers. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The nineteenth annual Ontario 
Provincial Fair will be held at Guelph, Ont., December 
8-12. A liberal premium list is offered. Secretary, A. P. 
Westervelt, Toronto. 
The Illinois State Dairymen’s Association will meet at 
Champaign January 6-8, 1903; secretary, George Caven, 154 
Lake St., Chicago. 
The Indiana State Dairymen’s Association will meet at 
La Fayette, Ind., January 21-23, 1903; secretary, H, E. 
Van Norman, La Fayette, Ind. 
The Missouri State Dairymen’s Association met at Co¬ 
lumbia, Mo., November 11-13. 
The New York State Dairymen’s Association holds its 
annual meeting at Jamestown December 9-12; secretary, 
W. W. Hall, Gouverneur, N. Y. 
The Pennsylvania Dairy Union will meet at Harris¬ 
burg, December 9-12; secretary, H. Hayward, State Col¬ 
lege, Pa. 
Official statistics show that, owing to the drought, the 
wheat harvest in New South Wales this year has been 
very poor. The shortage is estimated at 11,000,000 bushels. 
It is probable Queensland and other States of the Fed¬ 
eration also will have very poor harvests. 
Professor George Husmann, one of the best-known 
pomologists in the United States, died at Napa, Cal., No¬ 
vember 6, aged 75 years. He was a prominent promoter 
of horticultural and viticultural interests. For three 
years he filled the Chair of Pomology and Forestry in 
the University of Missouri, and with Parker Earle found¬ 
ed the American Pomological Society. He was once pub¬ 
lisher of The Viticultural Journal, a contributor to many 
magazines, and the author of several books of authority 
on viticulture and horticulture. 
The Kansas State Horticultural Society will hold its 
thirty-sixth annual meeting at the State Capitol, Topeka, 
Kan., December 29-31. Premiums amounting to $100 are 
offered for fruit exhibits. Secretary, Wm. H. Barnes, 
Topeka. 
The annual meeting of the American Shropshire Regis¬ 
try Association will be held in the new Record Building, 
Union Stock Yards, Chicago, December 2; secretary, 
Mortimer Levering, La Fayette, Ind. 
The German Embassy at Washington has notified the 
State Department of a general exposition of hygienic 
milk supply, to be held at Hamburg in May, 1903. Ex¬ 
hibits are solicited . 
A FARM LABORERS' UNION 
In one of your recent issues you asked for information 
as to any union of farm laborers at present in working 
order. I enclose clipping from the Missoulian giving par¬ 
ticulars of something that seems to cover your question, 
and will, I hope, be a starting point of an alliance of the 
farmers of America with the actual consumers of their 
products. H. C. B. COLVILLE. 
Montana. 
The newspaper item describes a meeting of 100 farmers 
who organized The Farmers’ Union of Missoula In con¬ 
nection with the American Labor Union. The following 
statement of principles was made: 
“We aim to promote our interests as Montana farmers 
and invite all to join who make their living from the 
products of the soil. 
“In particular do we aim by unity in the Farmers’ 
Union to remedy the following unfair and unjustifiable 
evils to which both the producer and laborer are now 
subjected: 
“First—As citizens and tax payers of Montana we be¬ 
lieve that citizens should show a preference for the pro¬ 
ducts of Montana soil over that of other States where 
in most cases cheap labor is employed, instead of send¬ 
ing their money out of the State and working a hard¬ 
ship on the home producer. 
“Second—We want to correct the great difficulty we 
now experience in getting cash for the productions of 
the soil in the State. 
“Third—Paying to our employees, or being paid by our 
employers, wages which are regulated largely by the 
labor unions of the State we aim not only to acquire a 
voice in their councils but a preference from their mem¬ 
bers in the marketing of produce bearing our official 
label (such label being a guarantee to them that the 
article labeled was raised by Montana organized labor 
on Montana soil), not raised by Chinese and other cheap 
labor. 
“Furthermore, we also consider that the time having 
arrived when every condition of artisanship, commerce 
and produce is united, that the farmer for his self-pro¬ 
tection should do the same as other organizations.” 
CROP PROSPECTS. 
The apple crop in our section is a full one, but the 
scab or black fungus is bad on Greening, Spitzenburg, 
Snow and Newton Pippin. I never had so many Baldwins 
on the trees; some trees have from 12 to 18 barrels on 
them. They were planted 35 years ago. Some of them 
are 30 feet high, and healthy. Prices range from 81 to $2 
a barrel. Our firsts go in cold storage, and the drops go 
to Pittsburg, Pa., In bulk. a. m. l. 
Albany Co., N. Y. 
This last week I have been on farms where the yield 
of wheat has been from 18 to 22!4 bushels to one—not one 
acre but one bushel, and in one instance 25 bushels to 
one, which is a pretty good yield for a country that is 
supposed by a good many people to grow nothing but 
ice and snow. Thirty to one is reported as the average 
yield of barley down the shore; oats from 12 to 15 to one, 
buckwheat anywhere from 36 to 46 to one. J. c. 
Nova Scotia. 
This has been a cold rainy Summer for Sullivan County. 
Oats were a good crop, although somewhat damaged in 
gathering on account of the rains. Other crops are not 
up to the average yield; corn especially is not more than 
half of an average crop. Potatoes are also a short crop; 
not more than half of last year’s yield. Apples are a 
good yield, but not of extra quality, and off in color. 
For the past five days the weather has been pleasant. 
Fall work in this county is behind on account of so much 
rain. At least two weeks’ time is needed yet of pleasant 
weather to put the farm work where it usually should 
be at this time of the year. Gardening does not receive 
much attention in this section of the county, but this 
year the cabbage, what little was planted, was a good 
crop and yielded well. Dairying is one of the principal 
occupations of this section. The Farmers’ Liberty Elgin 
Cooperative Creamery has been closed for some little 
time. The wet weather has kept the pastures fairly 
fresh and green, and looking in good condition; neverthe¬ 
less the milk yield is running short. Most farmers are 
claiming that their dairies are not giving as much milk 
as usual. The only cause I can give for the short supply 
is the great amount of rainy cloudy weather, making so 
much shade that the grass does not afford as much 
nourishment as when there is more sunshine. m. k. 
Liberty, N. Y. 
BOXED FRUIT EXPERIENCES.—Our local buyer who 
has usually handled all the fruit off this farm offered us 
$1 a barrel for early apples, and laughed at us when we 
refused. We graded them nicely and sent them in bar¬ 
rels, and sold for $2.50 and $3.25! That was nearly a 
month ago. The dealer also told us not to ship in boxes 
—that was the city dealer. But we tried it in bushel 
boxes, and the same dealer, who is a good honest fellow, 
sent us returns of $1.35 a box. Our quinces have usually 
sold at $2.50 to $3 a barrel with charges to come out. We 
tried bushel boxes and wrappers on the quinces, and 
sold for $1.75 to $2 a bushel box. The $2 was net for 
fruit shipped on order to retailers; but the $1.75 was the 
price in city markets as returned by the commission 
man. A . 
THE GRAIN SITUATION.—We believe that feed of all 
kinds is about as high now as it will be during the sea¬ 
son, or until next harvest. The corn crop is the largest 
in the history of the country. Oats enough for all de¬ 
mands. Wheat bran is not governed so much by the 
price of wheat as it is by the demand. It is a great dairy 
food, also good for hogs and all other stock. Nothing 
equals it as a mixer with grain or forage of any kind. 
Hay keeps up in price largely on account of scarcity of 
cars for delivery. Railroads are loth to furnish cars for 
hay when they get two or three times as much for the 
same time and haul when used for grain or other mer¬ 
chandise. There will be plenty of feed for man and beast 
for the next nine months, and prices will be largely con¬ 
trolled by the transportation of same. 
Cincinnati, O. ellis & Fleming. 
OCTOBER MILK.—October has been, for many of our 
dairy farmers, the best month in the whole year. After¬ 
feed has been good, and almost every man in the busi¬ 
ness has availed himself of it. To this has been added 
considerable field corn as fodder, which was not good 
enough to husk; also pumpkins have been fed quite liber¬ 
ally, and some apples. Field turnips and cabbages are, 
in many instances, entitled to considerable credit for a 
good fat dividend for October milk. Very little grain 
has been fed; most farmers have fed no grain at all. It 
is evident that the cost of producing milk in October 
is light, though a little more than in June on account of 
some extra work attending the feeding. Price of milk 
Is $1.35 per 100 pounds, or in case one patronizes the Bor¬ 
dens or some of the cooperative creameries, $1.45, as 
against 75 cents last June. The October dividend will 
be the larger, and will be obtained nearly as cheaply. 
Where there are cows fresh in September they will turn 
a nice profit before cold weather comes on. Cows that 
freshen later, in late October or in November, are not by 
any means so profitable. To pay the best, they should 
come fresh as early as possible, and yet avoid the hot 
weatr.er and the dry feed of late Summer. Early Sep¬ 
tember then is the time if one is to try Fall and Winter 
dairying; or as near that time as possible.. h. h. l. 
Delaware Co., N. Y. 
DAIRY VALUES lN NEW YORK.—' W. W. Hall, secre¬ 
tary of the New York State Dairymen’s Association, 
which meets this year at Jamestown December 9-12, 
gives the following figures: June 1, 1900, the number of 
cows kept for milk in the State of New York, which 
were two years old or over, was 1,501,698, and an average 
value of $32.43 each equals $48,697,147.44. The total valua 
of live stock on farms June 1, 1900, was $125,583,715. OD 
this amount 38.3 per cent represents the value of cows 
kept for milk. The total number of gallons of milk pro¬ 
duced in the State of New York in the year ending Jun© 
1, 1900, was 772,799,332, or 6,568,794,492 pounds, the value of I 
which was $55,474,155. This comprises all the milk pro¬ 
duced, whether sold, consumed, or made into butter or 
cheese. It also comprises the value of the milk sold 
and consumed, and of butter and cheese made. The 
value of animal products for the State was $95,352,247. Of 
this amount 58.2 per cent or $55,495,007.75 represents th* 
value of dairy products, the remainder oeing for animal* 
slaughtered on farms, sale of poultry, eggs, etc. The 
importance of the dairy industry’ is shown by the fact 
that in 1899 the proprietors of b'7,457 farms, or 29.8 per 
cent of all in the State, derive their principal Income 
from the sale of dairy produce, while the value of all 
dairy products constituted 30.5 per cent of the gross farm 
income. The production of milk in 1899 was 108,882,112 gal¬ 
lons greater than in 1889, a gain of 16.4 r.er cent. As the 
number of dairy cows increased but 4.3 in the same time, 
the increased production of milk Indicates an Improve¬ 
ment in the grade of cows kept and the care given them. 
Of the $55,495,007.75 given as the value of dairy products, 
$46,670,916 represents the value of such products sold and 
$8,824,091, that of dairy produce consumed on farms. 
BUSINESS BITS . 
Silas Decker, South Montrose, Pa., writes us that ha 
wishes to sell two dozen collie pups quick. Do you 
want one?’ 
George Wright, of Illinois, writes that he has com¬ 
pletely cured spavins and curbs with Kendall’s Spavin 
Cure, also sprains and bruises. He says Spavin Cur© 
will do all that is claimed for it, if used according to 
directions. 
There are few implements of farm use that have been 
received by general favor more than the low-down broad- 
tire wagon. It saves the man labor in loading and un¬ 
loading; the horse labor by lighter draft and, besides, 
prevents the rutting of roads and fields when the ground 
is soft. Many who do not feel like going to the expens© 
of a new wagon, simply order a set of wheels for the 
old one, replacing the high narrow tire wheels. The 
Electric Wheel Co., Quincy, Ill., supplies either thei 
wagons complete or the separate wheels. 
