1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. io7 
WHAT I 8EK AND HEAR. 
Vegetables in Fruit Boxes. —Recent arrivals of 
Florida egg plants have been in pineapple crates and 
orange boxes. The freeze, evidently, lessened the 
need of these packages for their original purpose, and 
the losses sustained necessitated the practice of econ¬ 
omy in marketing the products on hand. It was sim- 
ply a question of making the most of adverse circum¬ 
stances—saving all possible from the wreck. 
t X X 
Butter Arrivals on Saturday. —A perplexing 
question with some receivers is the disposition of but¬ 
ter that arrives after the sales of the week are prac¬ 
tically over. There is almost no market on Saturday, 
most buyers making their purchases earlier in the 
week. It has been the practice of many receivers to 
make returns at the ruling price when goods were re¬ 
ceived, often on a declining market. The price might 
be lower on Monday, and the receiver lost the differ¬ 
ence. Now, many have adopted the practice of not 
making returns until the butter is actually sold, which 
would seem to be reasonable. It is a poor practice to 
ship any kind of produce so that it arrives in the 
wholesale market on Saturday. 
X X X 
Potato Prospects. —The extremely cold weather 
for the past few days has been unfavorable for hand¬ 
ling potatoes. The market has been firm for some 
time, with a tendency toward higher prices. The 
sales here have been lighter, because of these higher 
prices, and dealers say that prices in the country are 
still going up. Recent arrivals of New Jersey pota¬ 
toes are said to be of poorer quality than State and 
western, and have sold at lower prices. Some Colorado 
potatoes have arrived via New Orleans, coming on the 
steamers from that city. They sold for from $1.55 to 
$1.65 per two-bushel sack. Belgian potatoes have 
varied widely in price, some selling for $2 per 168- 
pound sack, and some very fine ones going as high as 
$2.50 to $2.75 per sack. There have not been so many 
Bermuda potatoes during the past week, and prices 
have been well maintained. As soon as the weather 
moderates, trade will become more active, though 
receipts are not likely to increase for several days yet. 
X X X 
Butter for Tropical Countries. — One of the 
strongest claims made for oleomargarine by its manu¬ 
facturers was the one that it was better fitted than 
butter to endure the exigencies of transporting it in 
warm climates. But recently some butter dealers in 
the West indies have been arrested and fined for sell¬ 
ing goods that did not contain the required amount of 
butter fat. In the English islands, the law demands 
75 per cent of butter fat. The New York Produce 
Review tells of one firm that had been shipping butter 
in tins with a label guaranteeing 80 per cent butter 
fat. In the Spanish islands an analysis is required at 
the point of importation which must correspond with 
the guarantee from here. Some of those fined got in 
trouble over this 80 per cent butter, which was found 
to contain only about 71 per cent of butter fat. So it 
seems that the claim that these people preferred oleo¬ 
margarine to pure butter is only another of the false¬ 
hoods by which its promoters have sought to foist it 
upon an unwilling public. The demand for pure 
butter in the countries mentioned is on the increase, 
and this trade should be protected instead of being 
destroyed. 
X X X 
Comparison of Markets. —Shippers sometimes ask 
about the prospects in other markets than New York. 
Often they will do better to ship to smaller markets, 
because competition is less, shipments smaller pro¬ 
portionately, and prices better. I have been compar¬ 
ing the prices quoted at the close of last week by a 
leading commission firm of Pittsburgh, Pa., with our 
own quotations of the New York markets made the 
same day. Apples ran much the same, though some 
kinds were quoted higher in Pittsburgh. Fresh eggs 
were a little higher in New York, though refrigerator 
were a trifle lower here. Butter prices ruled a little 
higher in Pittsburgh, while cheese ran about the 
same. Hog-dressed veals were higher here, as were 
dressed hogs. Cranberries were higher in Pittsburgh. 
Onions were quoted considerably higher in New York, 
while most vegetables were quoted higher in Pitts¬ 
burgh. Cabbages are quoted in the latter market 
mostly by the ton, the price being last week from $8 
to $10 for domestic, and $11 to $12 for Danish. Pota¬ 
toes are quoted by the bushel only in the Pittsburgh 
report, and the price ranged from 65 to 80 cents. But 
there was a scarcity of stock. Here the price for good 
potatoes ranged from $2 to $2.75 per barrel, somewhat 
above the Pittsburgh market, the market being well 
supplied, also, indicating that New York might be 
the better market. Probably more potatoes are sold 
in bulk in Pittsburgh. In Pittsburgh, live poultry is 
quoted by the pair, except turkeys, and prices on the 
latter were somewhat higher than here. Prices on 
most lines of dressed poultry ruled a little higher 
in Pittsburgh, though capons were quoted con¬ 
siderably lower. Of course, these comparisons are 
only for a single day, and comparisons on another day 
might give entirely different results. But it’s a good 
thing for shippers to investigate different markets, 
both as to prices and requirements. f. h. v. 
CUT AND SHREDDED. 
It is something of a compliment to our experiment 
stations that rascals try to steal their reputation when 
selling bogus goods to farmers. One Oliver Hawn is 
now in Miami County selling poultry foods, spraying 
materials, etc., which, he claims, have been tested at 
the Ohio Station. Another rogue named Essig is in 
Stark County selling a recipe for preventing Pear 
blight. This man even claims that the State, through 
the station, has given him a fine gold watch. The 
Station people come out squarely and make the fol¬ 
lowing statement : 
These men are both frauds. The Ohio Agricultural Experiment 
Station does not indorse or recommend secret compounds or 
processes of any description whatever, and prosecuting attor¬ 
neys throughout the State are urged to arrest and prosecute, for 
obtaining money under false pretenses, any persons who may 
claim to have any such indorsement from the Station. 
That is the way to talk. These rascals are adver¬ 
tising the Station in a way they little expected. The 
work of exposing such frauds is legitimate work for 
an “ ag’ricultural watch-dog.” A station director 
should be proud to bear that name. 
At a recent farmers’ institute in Pennsylvania, a 
vote was taken on the Government free seed distribu¬ 
tion question, and a large majority of the farmers 
present said that such distribution ought to be con¬ 
tinued. Some farmers who were present said that the 
only opposition to this distribution came directly or 
indirectly from the seedsmen. Our observation is 
that thousands of farmers take just that ground, and 
we are not surprised that Congress has passed the 
usual appropriation for seeds. Now, if we must have 
these free seeds, why can we not improve upon the 
methods of distribution so as to do more good with 
the seeds, and at the same time keep up the political 
benefits to the Congressman ? If the Department of 
Agriculture would send to each school district that 
will send in a proper application and promise to plant 
and care for them in the school yard, a collection of 
flower seeds and American-grown bulbs, with direc¬ 
tions for culture, etc., and a statement that they were 
sent at the request of the member of Congress—this 
latter fact being made prominent by statement printed 
on a card of cultural directions to be hung in the 
school house—would not he get more political adver¬ 
tisement and advantage than he could from sending 
several such collections to individuals in the vicinity ? 
We sadly recognize the fact that, if the Congressman 
is not benefited in some way, there will be no chance 
of changing the present system. This school district 
plan of distribution would, in time, cause flower and 
vegetable gardens to sprout up in every farmer’s yard. 
It would increase the interest in the school and, in 
our opinion, increase the business of the seedsmen by 
creating a larger demand for seeds. 
Mr C. Wood Davis, in the Forum, gives some in¬ 
genious reasons for the decline in the price of corn. 
He says that, during the 10 years ending 1887, the 
average farm value of corn per bushel was 40.5 cents ; 
during the 10 years following 1887, the price was only 
33. 7 cents. During this time, too, the exports of corn 
either in the form of grain or in animal products pro¬ 
duced from that grain, have increased more than 43 
per cent. In other words, while apparently the use 
of corn as food is greatly increased, and while the 
acreage in the grain has increased but little, the price 
is steadily falling. The domestic consumption of corn 
has decreased from 1887 over three bushels per head of 
population. Swine, which of all animals are supposed 
to consume the greater part of our corn crop, have 
actually decreased in numbers since 1882. The chief 
reason for this state of affairs is found in the fact that 
cotton-seed as meal and oil, has largely takpn the 
place of corn. It is used with beef and oil in the place 
of lard, and is used in connection with ensilage and 
other fodders for feeding animals that formerly con¬ 
sumed corn. Thus, in fact, Mr. Davis calculates that 
the use of cotton-seed meal and cotton-seed oil have ex¬ 
tinguished the demand that would otherwise have 
existed for the product of nearly 10,000,000 acres of 
maize and has reduced the corn growers’ revenue by 
probably one-fourth, and the swine herds of America 
by one-third. The great use of the silo in preserving 
the entire corn plant has aided in this change, for less 
corn meal has been required, and the ensilage has 
made a better supplement to cotton-seed meal than 
any dry fodder. The introduction of the corn har¬ 
vester has also saved millions of tons of fodder that 
were formerly wasted, and now the dry stalks are 
ground and prepared for feeding. Thus, changes in 
industrial development are having effect upon the 
great American crop to such an extent, in fact, that 
the total value fell from $836,439,228 in 1891, to $567,- 
509,106 in 1895. 
In Nebraska, the beet-sugar manufacturers offer 
contracts to farmers at $4 per ton for beets. But, 
they say, if the island of Hawaii is annexed, the price 
will be $3.50. They understand that the annexation 
of Hawaii will mean an increased competition for the 
sugar growers of the United States. Of course, some 
of our statesmen undertake to say that Hawaiian 
sugar will not compete at all with American beet 
sugar, but few men of common sense will believe 
them. 
A year ago, the Civic Federation of Chicago estab¬ 
lished a penny savings system among the children in 
the public schools. Since it has been in operation. 
Chicago children have deposited $19,750, of which 
$2,270 have been withdrawn, leaving on deposit the 
sum of $17,480. Some of the children have already 
opened accounts in savings banks, and there is no 
doubt that more will do so in future. No one can 
underrate the training in thrift given by this system, 
and it seems quite as necessary that chi’6cen should be 
trained in this line as in others. In many parts of 
Europe, penny savings banks are established in the 
schools and, from these, the children deposit their 
money in the postal savings banks. There is no ques¬ 
tion that the proposed postal banks would encourage 
the thrift taught by the penny savings system in the 
schools. 
Our old friend, F. D. Coburn, has just been reelected 
secretary of the Kansas Board of Agriculture. This 
is what he said in referring to the duties of the office : 
Your board, unless useful to the people, and especially to the 
agricultural people, has no excuse for existence. Its secretary, 
whoever he may be, unless familiar with these people through 
long association, and in that hearty sympathy born only of like 
experience through like vicissitudes; if he has not walked with 
them in the shadows and in the shining; if he has not shared 
their joys and sorrows, their hopes and fears, their struggles and 
triumphs, all of which we have as the seasons come and go, must 
be unsuited to his position. 
Kansas has a live Board of Agriculture. It is doing 
something for the farmers of that State and making 
itself felt as a power for good. There was a time when 
some old lawyer or second-rate politician was just the 
man to look out for the interests of agriculture. Was 
a time, did we say ?—why, that’s the way half our 
States manage the thing even now ! 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Marvin Smith Company, D66 South Clinton Street, Chicago, Ill., 
seem to have started out to capture the trade in farm imple¬ 
ments generally this season. Plows, harrows, cultivators, wind¬ 
mills, are all illustrated and prices marked in their advertise¬ 
ments. If the advertisement does not tell all you want to know, 
send for their catalogue. 
We frequently have inquiries for a thrasher that takes out the 
grain yet leaves rye straw unbroken just as when thrashed out 
with the flail. A thrasher of this kind is made by the Grant-Ferris 
Co., Troy, N. Y. They also make grain drills and other farm im¬ 
plements. If you want to know more about the straight-straw 
thrasher, send for their catalogue. 
At certain seasons, there is always complaint that the milk 
and butter are sometimes tainted. This taint can be completely 
removed by thorough aeration of the fresh milk. Besides remov¬ 
ing the taints, thoroughly aerated milk will keep sweet two or 
three days longer than it otherwise would. Dairymen who want 
a low-priced aerator, yet one that answers every purpose, will be 
pleased with the Perfection cooler, made by Mr. L. R. Lewis, 
Cortland, N. Y. He will send descriptive circulars, if you ask for 
them. 
The condition of a man’s trade seems to settle the question for 
him as to whether prosperity has really come or not. If trade 
with him is poor, he says, “ No ” ; if good, he promptly decides 
that prosperity is with us all. Loomis & Nyman, the well-drilling 
machinery manufacturers, are convinced that business condi¬ 
tions are upward turned, as the demand for their well-drilling 
machines has increased, and is still increasing. They make a 
class of machinery that seems to be more and more in demand 
from year to year, and have been wise enough to make a first- 
class quality of goods. 
The Meriden Trust and Safe Deposit Company, of Meriden, 
Conn., as administrator of the estate of the late Judge Andrew 
J. Coe, will sell the fine farm and mansion formerly belonging to 
him, just south of Meriden. The farm contains 300 acres, and ex¬ 
tends from the city line to Hanover lake, which borders a con¬ 
siderable portion of the land. The massive brownstone mansion is 
one of the finest buildings in that part of the State. Besides this 
there are two other dwelling houses, extensive barns and granar¬ 
ies, ice house, grist, saw and cider mills, and every other appur¬ 
tenance to a complete farm. It is situated just outside Meriden, 
on the N. Y., N. H. & H. railroad, half way between New Haven 
and Hartford. 
P uoM the examinations that we have been able to make, we 
believe that the Lowden Double Tread barn-door hanger will 
solve the problem of sliding barn doors. Most of the doors so 
hung are everlasting nuisances, as far as our experience goes. 
We do not see, however, how a door is going to get off the track 
with this Lowden hanger. We don’t even see how an animal is 
going to be able to knock it off. It is so hung by flexible attach¬ 
ment to the barn that the door may be grasped at the bottom and 
the lower end carried away from the building and lifted while the 
hangers retain their position above. A very good illustration ap¬ 
peared in their advertisement in last week’s R. N.-Y., but their 
circular gives fuller details. 
