1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
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py^QNG the - 
ARKEIttEN. 
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WHAT I SEE AND HEAR. 
The Market for Mulberries. — I don’t remember 
ever to have seen any mulberries in market, and I 
asked an extensive dealer in fruit about them. “There 
is almost no demand for them. I might have a cus¬ 
tomer for some to-day, and not another man who 
wanted any for a week, so you see there is no use in 
trying to handle them. When people want them 
enough to make a steady demand, then there will be a 
supply, but there are now too many of what people 
call better fruits.” I find that many people don’t like 
mulberries, though some say that they are excellent 
for pies. Some fruit growers find it profitable to 
grow them for the birds, which seem very fond of them, 
and are thus lured away from the cherries and berries. 
X X X 
l’ljfgs iu Storage. —There are numerous refrigera¬ 
tors which make a business of storing eggs, both in 
this and other cities. When receipts are heavy and 
prices are low, these are tilled with as good stock as 
can be purchased. Then when there is a shortage in 
the receipts of fresh, these are brought out to fill the 
demand. That period has arrived in this market. 
The number in cold storage here at the beginning of 
this month was estimated at 225,000 cases, against 
100,000 cases at that time last year. Boston’s supply 
is. also, larger than last year. Last year, too, the 
stock of refrigerator eggs was increased during July, 
while this year, the reverse has occurred. The pros¬ 
pect is that the prevailing higher prices will stimulate 
shipments, and should these increase materially, 
prices may be lowered somewhat again. 
X X X 
Green Muskmelons. —Last week, I wrote about 
the varying quality of muskmelons, and of the repre¬ 
hensible practice of mixing the different sizes in ship¬ 
ment. “ You should have spoken of the shipment of 
green ones, also,” said a commission merchant. He 
showed me some that he had been keeping: several 
days, and they were no nearer ripe, apparently, than 
they were before they were picked. “ Prices have been 
pretty good, and shippers have been afraid they would 
decline, so have rushed along all that would do, and 
many that wouldn't do. Such melons as these will be 
pretty poor things when they ripen, if they ever do, 
and they injure the market and the demand for good 
melons.” Most of the fruits that are shipped long dis¬ 
tances must be picked before they are fully matured, 
and allowed to ripen on the way ; but it’s a very nice 
thing to be able to tell just the right time to do this. 
X X X 
Southern Peaches. —Considerable quantities are 
in market, but the quality of many of them is indif¬ 
ferent, if not absolutely poor, and prices are very 
low. I noticed several lots of Mountain Rose, from 
Georgia, and many of them were miserably small, 
evidently because not properly thinned. Some were 
of fair size, but at least three-fourths were small, and 
all were packed together, and of course, all would 
sell for the price of the small ones. The oest trade, 
which pays good prices, couldn’t use such a mixed 
lot. hence the loss to the shipper. A few Elbertas are 
coming in, but the heaviest shipments will be a little 
later. This is a very popular variety ; I asked a fruit 
dealer the reason. “ It is of good quality, medium 
size, which suits the trade, not a big, overgrown 
affair, and is a fine-looking peach. It seems to get 
here, too, at a time when the market is not glutted 
with the earlier kinds.” It is to be hoped that future 
shipments will realize more than those arriving 
recently. 
X X X 
Potato Prospects. —Although receipts have been 
heavy from the South, the market has been firm, and 
prices have advanced. Considerable quantities are 
coming from New Jersey and Long Island, but many 
of them are small and green. It is an unusual thing 
to see Long Island potatoes quoted at prices lower 
than those from other parts of the country, but such 
is now the case ; it is simply because of their imma¬ 
turity. So far as can be learned from receivers and 
others, the early crop on Long Island and in New 
Jersey (and this is the territory that supplies most of 
the receipts after the southern shipments cease) will 
be light, and the size of tubers small; the price should, 
therefore, be good. It is unlikely that the extreme 
low prices of some previoi s years will be realized. 
Potatoes like the Rose and Hebron bring highest 
prices. Barrels or baskets are better than sacks for 
shipping new potatoes. 
Veal Inspectors. —The last New York Legislature 
passed a law known as the Miles bob veal law, and 
the Commissioner of Agriculture has just appointed 
four inspectors to carry out its provisions, as required. 
The names of these inspectors are not divulged. Their 
duties are to examine any calf or veal offered for sale 
within the State, or kept with intent to sell as food, 
and if under four weeks of age, or the veal is from a 
calf killed under four weeks of age, or from a calf in 
an unhealthy condition when killed, the same is to be 
seized and destroyed. Therefore, it is now unlawful 
“WILUE WE HAVE MISSED YOU!” Fig. 233. 
That will be about the story if the Germaus continue to finger 
affairs in the Philippines. Uncle Sam’s buzz saw is going at. full 
speed. The New York Herald’s picture is right to the point. 
to offer for sale any calf or part of a calf, except the 
hide, under four weeks old, or which is not perfectly 
healthy. It is, also, unlawful for any corporation, 
person or persons to ship to or from any part of this 
State any carcasses unless they shall attach to every 
one, or part thereof, so shipped, in a conspicuous 
place, a tag stating the name of person who raised 
the calf, name of the shipper, the points of shipping 
and destination, and the age of calf. No railroad 
company, express company, steamboat company, or 
other common carrier, shall carry or receive for trans¬ 
portation any carcass, or any part of the same, except 
the hide, unless it shall be so tagged. It is to be hoped 
that this law will choke off effectually the disreputable 
bob-veal business which has flourished to such an 
extent during recent years. f. h. v. 
FRUIT CROPS IN SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT 
The present season may be styled an off year for 
fruit crops in southern Connecticut, especially along 
the seacoast. The bloom of most small and tree fruits 
was unusually heavy, but a long period of wet weather 
in May just as the fruit was setting, resulted in 
changing the prospect from a promising to an un¬ 
promising one. Peaches in most places are barely a 
half crop. Apples are very light, also pears, and of 
cherries there are almost none at all. Plums promise 
“THE HOY STOOD ON THE BURNING DECK!” Fig. 234. 
This seems to be about the position of Sagasta, the Prime 
Minister of Spain. Spanish “honor” has been vindicated, but 
his race is still for war. 
only a fair yield. The situation as to berries is some¬ 
what more encouraging, except that the extremely 
dry weather that has prevailed during Jxine and so 
far in July, will reduce the crop a great deal. Prob¬ 
ably never did a more abundant crop of strawberries 
set than this year, but lack of rain at ripening time 
caused a short season, and reduced the yield nearly 
one-half; on some fields the berries dried up before 
ripening. Those who were fixed for irrigating were, 
indeed, fortunate. Raspberries are scarce at this 
writing, having felt the drought very keenly. It will 
need frequent rains to mature the heavy crop of black¬ 
berries now set. Currants and gooseberries are plenti¬ 
ful, but in some instances, have been scalded by the 
intense heat. All crops may be said to be injured by 
the present drought, and unless rains come very soon, 
the yield must be reduced. It is a curious fact that 
there has been an absence of the heavy dews so often 
helpful in a dry time. One valuable feature of this 
unlooked-for drought is that it must show farmers 
that a good water supply and frequent and thorough 
cultivation are essential to successful present-day 
farming. H. c. c. M. 
New Haven County, Conn. 
THE TRAVELING ENSILAGE CUTTER. 
WORKS WELL WITH THE THRASHER. 
Last week, we gave one side of the story about 
traveling ensilage cutters. These large cutters go 
about from place to place, somewhat on the principle 
of thrashers or buzz saws, and cut either ensilage or 
dry fodder, moving on to the next farm when the job 
is done. The other side of the matter is now coming in. 
Jacob Rutter, of Pennsylvania, says that he runs a 
large cutter in connection with the thrashing ma¬ 
chine. He travels from one farm to another with a 
traction engine and a cutter on a truck, and hires one 
man to feed the machine, lie charges $0 a day for 
this service. Most of the cutting done in his part of 
the State is in dry corn fodder. This job starts in 
October, and most of the cutting is done from stacked 
fodder near the barn. A few farmers put it in the 
barn. As a general rule, they do not cut over one- 
half to three-quarters of a day at one place. Most 
barn floors are not large enough to hold more than 
this at one time. At most farms, several cuttings are 
made during the Fall. One patron has 90 to 100 acres 
of corn on four farms, and this fodder is all cut at 
one job, generally taking 14 to 16 days. This cutting 
does not interfere with thrashing. It usually takes 
from two to three men to get the fodder to the ma¬ 
chines, and two more to handle and cut feed. There 
are few silos in that country. The cutting gives about 
20 full days’ work through the Fall. 
G. B. Porter, of Connecticut, was a pioneer in the 
ensilage business in his part of the State. He started 
with a two-horse tread power, then used a kerosene 
engine. By using 8 to 12 men, he is able to handle 25 
to 30 tons per day with the average haul on the Con¬ 
necticut farm. As silos became more numerous each 
year, he advised farmers to put in smaller cutters of 
their own. This would enable them to work slowly 
with less help, and give the ensilage more time to 
settle in the silo. In that country, nearly all silos 
are built in the bays of cattle barns. When the silos 
are filled too rapidly, there is a great pressure on the 
timber, which was not originally built to withstand it. 
He says that few farmers will get the best work out 
of such a cutter. He would not advise many to put 
in the necessary machinery if they could get someone 
to come and do it for them. Any man who runs a 
thrasher, or who saws wood, might add a cutter to 
his outfit, and do good work. Mr. Porter says that he 
fills his two silos, of 90 tons each, in about six days. 
With two teams, it requires four men in the field to 
cut and load the corn, two boys to drive the teams, 
and one man can unload, as the self-feeding attach¬ 
ment carries the corn to the cutter. It requires one 
or two good men in the pit to scatter and tramp 
while filling. He fills one silo first, and by the time 
the second is filled, the first has settled so as to hold 
another half-day's cutting. The power is furnished 
by a gasoline engine. The silo season in Connecticut 
begins from September 10 to 15. Mr. Porter believes 
that no other power is quite equal to the gasoline en¬ 
gine, and says that every farmer should have power 
of some kind. He cuts up straw, dry stalks and fodder 
of all kinds, saws wood, and also grinds green bone, 
which can be sold to nearby poultrymen. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
That looks like a bargain in a farm near Utica, N. Y., offered 
by W. H. Fritekman, 10 Wall Street, New York City. A man with 
$3,000 or $4,000 may drop right in to a farm property complete 
with crops, teams, stock, and take the place of the present owner. 
There are few other lines where a complete business could be 
secured with so little capital. 
We learn that the Havana Metal Wheel Co., Havana, Ill., have 
secured control of the Whipple Supplementary Adjustable tire. 
This is a broad tire that slips on over the narrow tires, and makes 
a broad-tire wagon without further delay. We have been using 
a set of these tires for some time, and have a broad-tire wagon at 
a trilling cost. This firm also make the Handy wagons and steel 
truck wheels, for farm wagons. They advise us that, of late, the 
rush of orders has caused some delay in shipments, but they 
prefer a little delay to shipping “ hurry-made” goods. 
Dr. Earl S. Sloan, Boston, Mass., is quite well-known through¬ 
out the country on account of his veterinary remedies, and espe¬ 
cially to horsemen through Sloan’s Liniment. He has recently 
published a pamphlet on the treatment of horses when sick, and on 
their care when well. The little book is replete with much useful 
information. He will present to any one who is interested a copy 
of this book, absolutely free. His object, of course, is to make 
known his liniment and remedies; but the little book is none the 
less useful and reliable on that account. Send card addressed as 
above, if you want it. 
