1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
485 
M9NG the 
ARKETttEN. 
WHAT I SEK AND HEAR. 
New Potatoes in Bags. —Marketmen here always 
advise against the shipment of new potatoes in hags. 
So long as the skin is soft enough to rub off to any 
extent, the appearance is likely to be injured more or 
less seriously. I see the English market papers ad¬ 
vise against the practice of shipping in bags. For old 
potatoes, they say that bags are good, as they are 
light and comparatively cheap; but new potatoes 
should be put in light packages that will protect the 
contents when being moved about. Most of the south¬ 
ern potatoes come in barrels ; sometimes they and the 
Long Island ones come in half-barrel baskets. 
X X X 
Mushrooms in Summer. —I asked one of the largest 
wholesale dealers in mushrooms in the city about the 
trade in them now. “ The receipts are very light and 
the demand less.” These are very difficult to handle 
in Summer, as they are likely to get fly-blown, unless 
grown in a very dark place, extremely favorable for 
perfecting them. The large supply of excellent fresh 
vegetables at reasonable prices, would seem to lessen 
the need for them, also. There is a variety of mush¬ 
room that endures the vicissitudes of Summer weather, 
but it is not very largely grown as yet. Canned mush¬ 
rooms seem best to fill the hot-weather demand. 
X X X 
Hothouse Products. —There are still a few hot¬ 
house grapes and cucumbers in market. I asked one 
wholesaler how much he got for hothouse grapes 
now. “ Oh,” he said, “ from 75 cents per pound down, 
according to the quality. The season is too late for 
them, and they are coming into competition with the 
southern and California fruit, as well as that from 
nearby. Still, it does not cost the growers much to 
produce these at this season, and they are doing this 
to keep the houses running.” There are a few hot¬ 
house nectarines in market, but the hothouse peaches 
are practically over with. A good many cucumbers 
are coming yet, but they, also, bring low prices, be¬ 
cause there are too many from the South. Nearly all 
of this hothouse stuff comes from New England. 
X X X 
California Cherries. —These are among the most 
tempting fruits now dis, layed in our markets. They 
are seen on every fruit stand, as well as in the fancy 
fruit stores, and many of the push-carts are load ed 
with them exclusively. They are very large, packed 
in flat cases in regular rows, not a stem in sight, 
though the cherries are picked with the stems on. The 
very attractive appearance is enough to sell them. 
The push-cart men sell these cherries for five cents 
per one-half pound, and each displays a large sign to 
that effect; but I have noticed that many of them 
have it all in large letters but the 3 ^, so that any one 
reading a little carelessly might get the idea that the 
cherries are five cents a pound. This is a familiar 
trick of these fellows. As they sell for about the 
regular wholesale price, it is probable that they get 
their profit by giving short weight. 
X X X 
Scattering Shipments Again. —I mentioned this 
subject last week, and another commission merchant 
said to me, “ That is the truest thing you ever wrote.” 
It is certainly one of the most important subjects in 
connection with the marketing of farm products, for 
it is costing the shippers of southern fruits hundreds 
of dollars in this one market every day. The com¬ 
mission merchant mentioned, spoke of the selling of 
the southern fruits as they are now received on the 
railroad platform. He showed me a railroad shipping 
bill, showing the consignee and consignor, as well as 
the number and description of the packages shipped 
each receiver. For instance, one car might contain 
consignments of peaches or plums, or both, from 20 
different shippers. Some of these shipped their whole 
consignment to one man ; others divided up among a 
half dozen different men. When this car reaches here, 
all packages that are consigned to one man are put in 
one pile ; next this, are those consigned to another 
man, and so on. So here are, at least, 20 or 25 differ¬ 
ent piles of the same kind of goods, and each 
seller, of course, is trying to secure a customer. 
The result is that many of these peaches, etc., that 
ought to bring 82 or upward, per case, are selling for 
81.50 or less. The car itself was consigned to one firm 
for the purpose of securing lower freight rates to the 
shippers, and this firm was obliged to look to each 
of the others, some of whom had not a half-dozen 
packages consigned to them, for their share of the 
freight. Another point about this business is that 
some of these firms, or supposed-to-be firms, have no 
standing at all in the markets here, and some of them 
have no place of business, but simply have a salesman 
on the dock to sell such stuff as misguided individuals 
are so foolish as to send them. This is a serious mat¬ 
ter, and the growers should correct it as soon as pos¬ 
sible ; the sooner the better. The proper way is for all 
at these different shipping stations, to settle upon 
one or two honest, reliable firms, and all send their 
shipments to the one firm. 
X X X 
Canning Pineapples. —One large canner told me a 
few days ago that he couldn’t afford to can pineapples 
this year, if he had to pay regular prices for them ; 
the trade to whom he sold wouldn’t stand the neces¬ 
sary advance in price. He had bought a lot of what 
are called “specks”, those sorted out by the whole¬ 
salers which, while not sound, and unfit for shipping 
to retailers, are not imperfect enough to be injured 
seriously. A few days later, he was canning another 
lot which had been purchased for considerably less 
than the regular price because overripe, consequently 
unfit to hold for any length of time. A great deal of 
stock is bought by the canners in this way. They 
have their buyers watching the market, and when¬ 
ever a glut occurs, or any lot of fruit turns up not fit 
for the general trade, they reap a harvest. It’s a good 
thing for the market, too, for they save a great deal 
from becoming a total loss. At prices prevailing for 
canned goods during the past few years, there would 
have been little or no profit unless such opportunities 
for buying stock at low prices were available, f. h. v. 
GRAIN FARMING IN NEBRASKA. 
HOW AN OHIO MAN MADE A HOME. 
Last week, we talked about old and new farm life 
in the Hudson River Valley. Now let us jump 1,500 
miles west, and see how things are done in Nebraska. 
W. E. Shearer, of Kearney County, Neb., is an old 
subscriber to The R. N.-Y., who went west from Ohio 
11 years ago, to grow up with the country. Small grain 
is the chief crop in Nebraska, and probably, Mr. 
Shearer’s experience with it will open the eyes of some 
of our eastern readers. When asked how fast the 
wheat is cut, he said that, with four horses on the 
binder, they expect to cut from 15 to 20 acres a day, 
one good hand setting up the same. 
Shocking and Stacking. —“ You, probably, do not 
pay much attention to shocking, then ? ” 
“We care little about the number of sheaves in a 
shock, and we do not use a cap, as the wind would 
soon blow it off.” 
“ How long after shocking do you stack ? ” 
“It depends upon the weather; we can usually 
stack in from one day to one week after cutting. In 
stacking, we use two wagons with one man on the 
stack, and one at each wagon. Each driver throws 
on what he can from the ground, and one drives to 
the stack while the other is loading. The boys soon 
become used to loading for themselves, and can bring 
up all two horses are able to haul. We put four stacks 
in a place, and then move to a more convenient place 
for hauling the wheat. Working in this way, we 
manage 250 acres in a week or 10 days, according to 
the size of the straw.” 
“ How long does the wheat stand in the stack ?” 
“ Usually three or four weeks. Some farmers thrash 
from the shock, but that requires six teams and six 
men, besides a regular thrasher’s outfit. It does not 
prove more satisfactory, all things considered. We 
have to watch our grain carefully, and cut it just at 
the right time and get it carefully stacked.” 
Headers ; Thrashing Straw. —“Are headers much 
used in your country ? ” 
“ Probably by about one-half the farmers. There is 
much in their favor, but the objections are that the 
wheat must stand until it is just right, and is then 
more liable to shell out. The header requires more 
help, and the grain is liable to be stack-burned, and 
if a wet Fall, the tops and bottoms spoil. In favor of 
the header, is the fact that it saves all the stacking 
and twine bills.” 
“What do you call a day’s work for a thrasher ? ” 
“We use steam power to thrash, with self-feeder 
and blow-stacker attachments, and elevator to load 
the wagons. Four men furnish grain to the machine, 
and two men and two teams put the grain in the bins. 
We consider 1,000 bushels of wheat a fair day’s thrash¬ 
ing. Last year, we were 3>£ days thrashing 3,330 
bushels of wheat and 250 bushels of oats.” 
“ What is done with the straw ? ” 
“ We pay little attention to it, as it is of little value. 
On rented land, we burn it, and on our own land, we 
try to scatter it on the poorest parts. You might ask 
why we do not keep cattle to eat it. We have no 
pasture in Summer for cattle, or fences in Winter. 
We are too busy with other work to give such stock 
proper attention. We, therefore, keep only cows 
enough to provide milk and butter.” 
Selling Wheat ; Prices.— “ When do you sell your 
wheat ? ” 
“ My plan has been to sell half at thrashing, and 
keep the rest for, say six months. I think if farmers 
generally would follow this plan, and keep part of 
their crop for, at least half a year, we would have 
better prices, and not so many ups and downs to the 
market.” 
“ Ho prices of grain vary much with you ? ” 
“ Yes, indeed ; a month ago wheat brought 81 a 
bushel at our county seat, with corn as high as 27 
cents ; yesterday, wheat brought 65 cents and corn 20 
cents. We farmers cannot understand why these ups 
and down in prices should occur. They do not con¬ 
cern us very much, however, since most of us sell in 
the Fall and Winter. Probably a fair average of farm 
prices for the last crop was 70 cents a bushel for 
wheat and 16 cents for corn.” 
Earning a Home. —“How long have you lived in 
Nebraska ? ” 
“We moved from Ohio 11 years ago last April, travel¬ 
ing 1,300 miles in a stock car, seven days on the way, 
and pretty well shaken up.” 
“ What has been your experience in buying land ? ” 
“ We first took a homestead in the hills, as most of 
the good land had been taken before that date. After 
five years we got a Government patent for the 160 
acres. Then we bought 160 acres more of fair land 
with 60 acres broken. This cost us 81.700, and we 
started in to try to make a home and carry out some 
of the ideas we had started back East. The dry 
weather played havoc with our trees, and we have but 
few left. We did not know what we were undertak¬ 
ing, but we kept right on, and bought 180 acres more 
for 81,000 ; then came the hard year of 1894, and caught 
us in debt, over 82,000, most of which drew 10 per cent 
interest.” 
“ Then, we suppose, your creditors came down upon 
you ? ” 
“ We do not want to say too hard things about the 
moneyed men. Our creditors did not forgive us the 
debts, but they waited until we could pay. In 1895 
we rented 200 acres more, hired one hand, and my son 
and I have farmed ever since then, 400 acres.” 
“ That seems like a big undertaking for three men.” 
“ In 1896 we raised 2,000 bushels of wheat and lost 
50 acres by a hail storm ; we also raised 7,000 bushels 
of corn. My wife, son and I gathered all that corn 
except 500 bushels. That may look like a big story, 
but we had an open Winter and we just kept at it 
until we got through. As we were in debt, and corn 
brought only 10 cents a bushel, we thought it better 
to save the corn rather than to hire a man and then 
have to sell the corn to pay the hired man. Last year, 
we raised 3,300 bushels of wheat and 5,000 bushels of 
corn, and hired our own corn picked. We are now 
practically out of debt, and can spend some money to 
fix up our house.” 
“ How do you feel now that you are out of the 
woods ? ” 
“ Well, the four of us have worked hard these 11 
years to get a home. You will ask, Did it pay for the 
worry and wear ? As for my wife and myself, I hardly 
know. You might say that we were too old when we 
begun work, yet I am barely past 50 now. As for 
the boy and the girl, I certainly think that they 
must be better off for coming out West. One thing is 
sure, I never should encourage any one else to get 
into debt as we have done, unless he has lots of 
grit, and is ready to work hard.” 
BUSINESS BITS. 
The Government has recently purchased a gas engine of The 
Charter Gas Engine Co., Sterling Ill., to pump water at Camp 
Alger, for the soldier boys. It is two-horse power. 
Regarding Quinn’s ointment, Mr. C. B.'Dickens, of Minneapolis, 
who conducts one of the largest livery stables in the Northwest, 
says: “I have been using it for some time with great success, 
and recommend it to my many friends.” 
A subscriber asks us this week whether a news-clipping bureau 
is responsible, and whether it will do as it agi'ees. The circulars 
showed that the applicant was obliged to send $1.50 for blanks 
etc. This is the key to the whole matter. Keep your $1.50. 
We want once more to remind readers that these Business Bits 
items are intended to call attention to some goods advertised or 
sold, that may otherwise escape the reader’s attention. Our aim 
is that the references should be to the mutual interest of reader 
and advertiser. The items are also intended to caution readers 
against irresponsible tradesmen and frauds. 
We usually find that a manufacturer who sends his goods out 
on trial has confidence that they are all that he claims for them. 
The Osgood Scale Co., Binghamton, N. Y., offer to send their 
standard Osgood scales on trial, and pay freight at that. This is 
an old house, and their scales have always stood high in favcr. 
They want agents where they have none now, and send full de¬ 
scriptive catalogue on application. 
Of course, a good horseshoe nail should have but one point—a 
poor one splits and has two, one of which goes off on a tangent 
and is likely to lame the horse. The Putnam nails don’t do this, 
and this is one of their strong points that is pointedly pointed 
out among several other good points, in a very neat, illustrated 
pamphlet which tells all about these nails. The company make 
20,000 pounds every day. Send for the pamphlet to the Putnam 
Nail Co., Neponset, Boston, Mass. 
