1899 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
131 
Among the Marketmen. 
WHAT / SEE AND HEAR. 
California Figs. —Most of the figs 
usually sold in our markets have been of 
foreign origin, but occasionally some 
have been seen from California. I found 
some on a street stand the other day, 
put up in neat pound packages, wrap¬ 
ped in oiled paper. Each package bore 
a round paper label. The center repre¬ 
sented an old-fashioned straw bee-hive 
standing on a solid foundation, on which 
were the words Honey Brand , while the 
word FIGS in large letters was across 
the hive. The whole was encircled by 
the name and address of the packers. 
The figs were clean, sweet, moist and of 
good quality. Such taste and care in 
the packing of any product are bound to 
result in increased consumption. 
t X X 
Turnips for Market.— “ What kinds 
of turnips take best in this market ? ” I 
asked a commission merchant. “What 
are known as Russia turnips, sometimes 
called Swedes, also ruta bagas. The 
yellow kinds are preferred. There is a 
limited demand for white ones when 
they first appear, but this doesn’t last. 
Medium-sized ones are preferred to those 
of large size. Some of our best turnips 
come from Canada, and these sell for 
higher prices, though Long Island and 
New Jersey send some very good ones. 
They must be smooth and well-formed 
to sell for good prices.” Some early 
turnips are sent in in bunches, and sell 
for so much per 100 bunches. 
X X x 
Rapid Disappearance. —The way 
all freezable provisions disappear when 
such a cold wave comes as we have ex¬ 
perienced during the past week, is a 
wonder. During most of the Winter, 
one sees immense quantities of all kinds 
of fruits and vegetables in front of the 
stores, and on the sidewalks in the com¬ 
mission district. Innumerable street 
6tands are covered with fruits, and not 
many days are cold enough to injure 
them ; but let a cold snap come, and they 
vanish. Stands and streets are bare. 
Here and there one sees curiously let¬ 
tered signs, but generally intended to 
convey the idea that fresh fruits and 
vegetables of all kinds will be found in 
the cellar. Fi om these subterranean re¬ 
treats, the dealers emerge the first warm 
day, ready for business on the street once 
more. 
X X X 
Roll Butter.—A reference to market 
quotations will show that this sells for 
about the lowest price of any grade. A 
look at it as it reaches the market will 
remove any wonder at this. It comes in 
barrels and boxes, packed in like cab¬ 
bages. Sometimes the different rolls 
are wrapped in little i quares of cheap 
cotton cloth—sometimes not. The rolls 
are of various shapes and sizes, and of 
every shade of color—frequently not a 
very clean color, either. Sometimes one 
will find some very good butter in these 
lots. They come mostly from country 
stores, and are, probably, obtained from 
all kinds of people—no, not all kinds ; 
the progressive kind don’t have to barter 
away their butter at any price the store¬ 
keeper may have a mind to offer. By 
the way, how much do these storekeep¬ 
ers pay for this soit of goods ? 
X X X 
A Fancy Poultry Display.— At the 
recent poultry show in this City, a firm 
of dealers made a very fine showing of a 
complete assortment of game and dressed 
poultry. It included turkeys, ducks, 
geese, capons, fowls, chickens, broilers, 
roasters, and every kind of game, do¬ 
mestic and foreign, that is in season 
Numbers of the chickens were labeled as 
fancy milk-fed Philadelphias, raised on 
such and such farms. All the stock w as 
dressed and packed in the most ap¬ 
proved style. Some of the birds were 
tied around with colored ribbons, and 
presented a very fanciful appearance. 
To one whose views of dressed poultry 
are largely confined to the wholesale 
markets, and the ordinary retail poultry 
stands, these tastefully arranged dis¬ 
plays present a pleasing contrast. A 
look at them ought to answer the ques¬ 
tion as to why some people get so much 
higher prices for their poultry than 
others. F. h. v. 
FARM LEGISLATION AT ALBANY. 
The Eastern New York Horticultural Society, 
through its legislative committee, has prepared 
the following bill, which has been introduced: 
An Act to define the size of small fruit packages. 
Section 1. The standard of measure for buying 
and selling strawberries, raspberries, blackber¬ 
ries, currants, gooseberries and other small 
fruits shall be the quart, which shall contain 
when even full sixty-seven cubic inches; the 
pint when even full shall contain thirty-three 
and a half cubic inches, and the half-pint, which 
when even full shall contain sixteen and three- 
quarter cubic inches. The inside measurements 
of the standard quart basket shall be five and 
one-quarter inches on each side at the top, four 
and three-eighth inches at the bottom, and it 
shall be two and seven-eighth inches deep. 
The standard pint basket shall be oblong, and 
the inside measurement at the top shall be five 
and one-quarter inches by three and three-eighth 
inches; at the bottom four and three-quarter 
inches by two and one-half inches, and it shall 
be two and one-quarter inches deep. 
The standard half-pint basket shall be three 
and three-eighth inches on each side at the top, 
two and three-quarter inches on each side at the 
bottom, and one and three-quarter inches deep, 
all inside measurements. 
Sec. 2. All manufacturers of small fruit pack¬ 
ages, such as quarts, pints and half-pints, that 
make or cause to be made such packages that 
are of less size or capacity than the standard 
sizes as defined in Section 1 of this Act, shall 
mark each such quart, pint and half-pint with 
the word Short, on the outside in letters not less 
than one-half inch in height. 
Sec. 3. Any person in this State who sells or 
offers for sale fruit packages that are of less 
than the standard sizes and capacity as defined 
in Section 1, or any person who sells or offers fcr 
sale fruit in packages that are of less size or 
capacity than those defined in Section 1, that are 
not marked with the word Short, as directed In 
Section 2, shall be deemed guilty of a misde¬ 
meanor, and upon conviction thereof in any 
court of competent jurisdiction, shall be fired 
not less than five dollars and not more than 
twenty-five dollars, and shall stand committed 
to the county jail until such fine and costs are 
paid. 
Sec. 4. This Act shall take effect January 1, 1900. 
hops, pure yeast and pure water are used, or 
which contains any other ingredient of any kicd, 
shall hereafter be manufactured in this State. 
The State Board of Health is to enforce the law, 
and be aided by district attorneys. 
Senator Ambler introduced a bill in the Senate 
requiring that preference be given in the pur¬ 
chase of supplies for State institutions, to prod¬ 
ucts raised in this State. This bill has passed 
the Senate, and a similar bill has passed the 
Assembly. The object of the bill is to compel 
managers of these institutions to buy New York 
State products whenever it is possible to do so on 
even terms with those produced outside the State. 
It ought not to be necessary to pass such a bill, 
for these managers ought to be public-spirited 
enough to do this without being compelled to. 
A good deal of argument is going on over 
Assemblyman Litchard’s bill to compel commis¬ 
sion merchants to send to shippers, statements, 
when demanded, of the names and addresses of 
customers to whom goods consigned to them were 
sold, also the prices received. The commission 
men throughout the State are up in arms against 
this bill, and but few farmers are working for it. 
The chief arguments against it are that it will in¬ 
terfere with trade. Commission men say that 
the law would be evaded by selling goods through 
a dummy or third party. They say that, if they 
were to give the names of their customers, farm¬ 
ers would sell directly to these customers, and 
thus upset business entirely. Farmers, however, 
it is claimed, would receive more benefit frcm 
this bill than from the one now on the books, for 
it would help crush out the dishonest commission 
houses which are a curse to the business. 
Bone Cutters 
Green cut bone is essential 
to a balanced ration for all fowls, 
young or old. The Webster & 
Hannum bone cutter has al¬ 
ways been the favorite with 
poultrymen. 
The new cutter-head is practically 
indestructible, absolutely self-regu¬ 
lating and self-feeding; cuts meat and 
gristle as well as bone. Never clogs. 
Only award at World's Fair, Chicago. 
Booklet all about hens and how to make them 
lay, free. Send your address. 
E. C. STEARNS & CO., Box 20 Syracuse, N. Y. 
Nowhere on Earth 
can so much Power be ob¬ 
tained forso little money. 
We make all kinds of Sweep 
llornc Powers for 1, 2, 8, 
•I, 0 and 8 horses. Prices 
ranging from $85. tolMOO. 
Trend Powers, 1, 2 and 8 
horse. Farm Engines, 2, 
4 and 6 horse power. Send 
for free circulars and prices. 
Sole Makers, Box 22, 
Manitowoc, Wis. 
AProfitable Business 
ON A LIMITED CAPITAL. 
Any man can make a good living 1 
Drilling Wells 
for his neighbors. They are 
better and cheaper than the 
dug wells. The 
STAR 
Drilling Machine 
is the strongest, fastesfc and the best designed 
in the world. Write for our illustrated cata¬ 
logue. IT IS FREE. 
Star Drilling Machine Co., Akron, 0. 
WELL 
DRILLING 
Machines 
Over 70 sizes and styles, tor drilling either deep or 
shallow wells In any kind of soil or rock. Mounted 
oa wheels or on sills. With engines or horse powers. 
Strong, simple and durable. Any mechanic caa 
spa rate them easily. Send for catalog. 
WILLIAMS BROS.. Ithscs, N. T. 
LIGHTNING WELL MACHY 
IS THE STANDA_RD /( 
STFAM PUMPS AIR LIFTS. «.I / 
GASOLINE ENGINES 
VmITF FOR CIRCULAR EDI E _ 
THE AMERICAN WELL WORKS r Ci 
AURORA.ILL - CHICAGO.- DALLAS.TEX 
V: I 
The Spangler Corn Planter. 
The Most Perfect Corn 
Dropper In the World. 
yith or Without Fertilizer Attachment. Write for 
lrculars and prices of Planters and Grain Drills. 
Ye can SAVE YOU MONEY. Address 
The Lightning Seed Sower! 
<®’Gua^**'teed to Sow fr, m 50 to 80 
Acres -t " Day leilher Horseback or 
Foot), of Clover, fei-r-wTimothy, tfillet, 
Flax, yd • i 
Seeds of samejiWii 
nature. Will be^ 
sent to any Posioffice on receipt of 
1.60. If not satisfactory, money re¬ 
nted. Circulars free. Aeents Wanted 
\FRANZEN & BUSS. 
53 Day street, Golden, Illinois. 
Senator Coggehuall’s bill allowing the weigh¬ 
ing of sugar beets at the point of ship’ment, upon 
agreement between the raiser and shipper, was 
amended in the Senate by Mr. Ellsworth to pro¬ 
vide that the beets should still be weighed by an 
official weighman, but by an agreement between 
buyer and seller, the beets may be weighed at 
the station of shipment rather than at the manu¬ 
factory. 
The Assembly Committee on Public Health has 
introduced, through Chairman Fordyce, a pure 
beer bill that is said to be favored by the barley 
and hop growers of the State. It provides that 
no fermented liquors known as beer, ale or 
porter, in the manufacture of which any ingre¬ 
dient, material, substance or element, other than 
pure barley malt, pure hops, or pure extract of 
HAVE RICH MELLOW LAND. 
That condition Issnroto 
follow through draining 
with JACKSON’S Round 
AGRICULTURAL DRAIN TILE. For 16 years wo have been making these 
ian<l Sewer Pipe, lied and Fire Iirick, Oven Tile, Chimney and Flue Linings 
and Tops, Encaustic Sidewalk Tile, *c. Supply Mortar Colors, Plaster, Lime, 
Cement &c. Write for prices. John H. Jackson, 3rd Av, Albany, N. Y. 
Excellent for 
“brushing” in 
clover and 
grass seeds. 
weeds, 
THE 
quack grass, etc. 
BELCHER 
Eclipse Weeder 
Adopts an Entirely New Principle in Weeders. 
The teeth are adjustable so that thoso coming imme¬ 
diately over the plants in the row may gradually be 
raised as tho plants increase in size. It means that 
this weeder may be used long after the utility of all 
other Weeders has ceased. lias 39 oil tempered 
spring teeth, all adjustable to be raised or lowered, 
to stand straight, or slant to or from the plants. 
Stirs, fines and pulverizes all the top soil and kills all 
Adjustable Shafts—fit any horse. Send at once for sj>ecial weeder circulcrs, Ac. 
Sc TAYLOR A. T. CO., Box 75, CHICOPEE FALLS, MASS. 
Poultrymen Farmers 
Remember 
that we will send you free of expense samples 
and full particulars of 
Neponset Proof Red Rope Fabric 
You cannot afford to let your stock suffer during the cold winter months. Perhaps you 
cannot afford to shingle and clapboard your barns and outbuildings, although you know they need 
it. But you can afford to cover and sheath them with NEPONSET. It costs only one-third the 
price of shingles, and will wear for years and years. NEPONSET is absolutely waterproof, frost¬ 
proof, air-tight, and vermin proof. You really cannot afford to be without it. You can protect 
your hen-houses, green-houses, hot-beds, and stables with NEPONSET for very little money, and 
in doing so you make money. Write us about it anyway. A postal card will do. 
F. W. BIRD & SON, EAST WALPOLE, HASS., Sole Hanufacturers. 
