1904. 
T1IE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
737 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.—At I’leasautdale, O., September 23, 11 little 
school girls met death under shocking conditions through the 
collapse of a floor, which precipitated them into a cistern. 
. . . September 24 05 persons were killed in a collision 
on the Southern Railway, near Newmarket, Tenn. It was a 
head-on collision between two passenger trains, both engi¬ 
neers being among the dead. Careful orders were issued to 
the westbound train to meet the eastbound train at New¬ 
market, a few miles east of the scene of the accident. This 
order in some unaccountable way was overlooked or ig¬ 
nored by the westbound train. . . The Alaskan gold 
output for the season of 1904 is $26,000,000. The season 
is now ended. . . . Three persons were killed and 29 
injured, nine seriously, by the wrecking of a Maine Central 
train near Lewiston, September 26. The train ran into an 
open switch, crashing into a freight train. Foreign news¬ 
papers are commenting severely on the frequent and dis¬ 
astrous accidents on American railways, with their attendant 
loss of life, laying them to hasty and imperfect construction 
and makeshift arrangements for saving time. 
Charged with violations of the naturalization laws, 260 per¬ 
sons were arraigned in New York September 27 at a special 
session of the criminal branch of the i'nited States Circuit 
Court. The Federal Grand Jury also handed down 148 
additional indictments. Only 150 of the accused were able 
to plead, and sentence was suspended in all but live cases. 
. . . A priest sent by Mother Katherine, formerly Miss 
Katherine Drexel, of Philadelphia, to reclaim the Winnebago 
Indians, on their Nebraska reservation, from degradation 
and debauchery, has won a complete victory against grafters, 
who have for 20 years robbed the Winnebagos of about $250,- 
000 annually. The Department of the Interior has ordered 
the local agency to handle the funds of Indians and to refuse 
to pay the thousands of dollars of usurious notes which have 
been secured from the redmen. One year ago Mother Kath¬ 
erine sent Father Schell to investigate conditions. The 
funds of the Indians were being eaten up by usurious notes— 
obtained, it is alleged, by fraud. Father Schell was ap¬ 
pointed business agent of the Indians. The grafters have 
been ordered to leave the reservation and $120,000 worth of 
notes has been declared void. It is said that Mother Kath¬ 
erine will erect several Indian schools on the reservation. 
. . . Alton B. Parker, in his letter accepting the Demo¬ 
cratic nomination for the presidency, September 26, criticises 
the Republican party on its stand in connection with the 
tariff, the acquisition of the Panama strip, government ex¬ 
penditures, the postal frauds and reciprocity. He says the 
determination of the procedure against trusts lies with the 
judieiarv and not the executive branch of the government. 
. The Deering, McCormick and Plano plants of the 
International Harvester Company, idle since September 10, 
resumed September 26, but a renewal of last year’s agreement 
with organized labor is refused. . . . The canning com¬ 
panies of central Illinois are trying to interest Europe in 
canned corn and other commodities of the packers of that 
vicinity. A firm at Iloopeston recently shipped directly to 
London a carload of corn and will try to introduce the 
product in English homes. 
GENERAL FOREIGN NEWS.—Vesuvius is again in active 
eruption, and the disturbance is said to be the greatest since 
1872. Vesuvius has been known as an active and destructive 
volcano for more than 1,800 years. It rises out of a fertile 
and luxuriant plain to the height of 3,048 feet above the 
sea. the diameter of the circular area occupied by it being 
about eight miles. Its lower part is a sloping plain, covered 
with stones and scoriae, three miles in length, and rising to 
a height of 2.000 feet. Above this a cone of black stones 
extends to a height of 3,500 feet. The summit of the cone 
is 2,000 feet in diameter, and in its center is a crater 1,500 
feet in diameter and 500 feet deep. The first eruption of 
Vesuvius of which there is any record occurred in A. I). 63, 
when manv of the surrounding cities were damaged. In 79 
it again burst forth in the terrible eruption which buried the 
cities of Pompeii. Herculaneum and Stabise. In this erup¬ 
tion more than 200.000 persons are said to have perished, 
among them Pliny the Elder. Since then there have been 
more than 50 destructive eruptions, that of 1631 killing 4.000 
persons and that of 1872 killing 60 persons. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The third annual farmers' excur¬ 
sion to Purdue University. Lafayette, Ind., will be held Octo¬ 
ber 11, and the seventh annual conference of farmers' insti¬ 
tute workers October 12-13. Creamery course for factory 
butter workers will begin October 31, 1904. Vinter courses 
in agriculture and horticulture, animal husbandry and dairy¬ 
ing will begin January 10. 1905. The third annual corn 
school and stockmen’s convention will be held at Purdue 
Fniversity January 23-2S. 1905. 
The seventh annual exhibition of the Connecticut Porno- 
logical Socle tv was held at Rockville. Conn., September 27-29. 
The Illinois State Fair opened at Springfield. September 29. 
The list of exhibits exceeded that of previous years. 
CROP NOTES. 
I am informed that at Saginaw the farmers have formed 
a sort of combine to raise the price of cabbage from $3.50 
per ton to $4 per ton, the shippers claiming the former 
price to be the best price they can pay. a. l. f. 
Frankenmuth, Mich. 
Potatoes are rotting very badly, but there were a great 
many planted and I doubt whether the price goes very high. 
Many people are digging and selling nearly all. which makes 
them plenty, at 50 cents per bushel. Tomatoes are a drug. 
Apples and other fruits were blown from the trees by the 
storm of a week ago, but in Litchfield County they are very 
plentiful. w - 
Naugatuck, Conn. 
We are in the midst of the bean harvest in this section, 
and somewhere from 50 to 75 per cent of the crop is secured, 
but of course it is too early to tell very much about the yield. 
The beans will not yield as heavily as they did last year, as 
we have had too much dry weather. September 21 we had 
a heavy frost, which undoubtedly cut off the late beans, but 
how much damage is done it is hard to say at this writing. 
Detroit, Mich. ferrix brothers company. 
Clover seed in my immediate neighborhood is the big 
money crop this vear. yielding from two to seven bushels per 
acre,‘and from $6 to $6.50 per bushel. The next two weeks 
is our time for sowing wheat' in this part of Indiana. Farm¬ 
ing in this part is almost exclusively on a three-year rota¬ 
tion. corn, wheat and clover. Indiana was treated to an 
avalanche of plums this year; plums of every kind were a full 
crop. A - c - L - 
Brookville, Ind. 
At Hilton and Parma, Monroe County, and Spencerport, 
N. Y., 1 found apples a heavy crop, selling $1 to $1.35 per 
barrel; early potatoes, 40 to 50 cents per bushel, fair crop ; 
pears. 1 V t cent per pound; plums one cent per pound; cab¬ 
bage $3 per ton on track. Buckwheat good, oats fair; hay 
selling $8 to $10 per ton. home market: heavy crop. Beans 
a fair crop. Medium $1.50 per bushel, no market: no others 
as yet. Farmers are putting in their V inter wheat, fair 
acreage of wheat and rye going in. Corn light crop; late 
potatoes light. G - H - K - 
East Hamlin, X. Y. 
Our four weeks’ drought was ended September 14 by a 
storm blowing down corn, and was a glorious rain, showing 
God's promise that seed time and harvest shall never fail; 
every crop that needed rain has grown very fast, especially 
ruta" bagas. turnips and cabbage. Kieffer pears are ripening, 
and full crop; corn mostly in shock and full crop: wheat 
seeding begun. Pasture short; milk selling at lj> cents 
per gallon in Washington. D. C. Markets, butter 25_cents; 
eggs 25 cents; potatoes $1.75 per barrel; peaches 7-> cents 
to $1 per box; tomatoes 50 to 90 cents per box : cabbage, 
nearby, $1.50 to $3; New lork. $4 to $5 per 100: Lima 
beans eight to 10 cents per quart. E- P. b. m. 
Spencerville, Md. 
One piece of wheat sown September 9, after oats. Is up and 
pretty well covering the ground. We are ready to sow an¬ 
other piece after beans, if rain ever lets up. Beans are 
pretty well gathered: we have one piece of four acres not 
cut yet, about ready to cut. There are a good many poor 
pieces, very weedy, some badly rusted: crop about two-thirds 
average. I saw "one piece of a new pea bean (new in this 
section, at leastl called Blue Pod. that was a fine sight. 
Last year three pieces of this variety yielded 39. 40 and 41 
bushels per acre. I think this piece good for 30 to 35 
busnels, and no rust. Potatoes generally blighted; on a 
good many’ pieces vines are all dead, others three-quarters 
gone, a few quite green yet; no spraying for blight so far as 
we learn. Crop will not average over one-half. If we get 
75 bushels of good potatoes this year we shall be more than 
satisfied. So far as we have talked with buyers, they all 
think prices will rule high. Not many apples in our town; 
the few small orchards are fairly well tilled, but no one 
sprays or cultivates, or does anything for them, unless it is 
to let a few hogs run in them. Corn is very backward; 
some pieces well eared, but many are nothing; stand rather 
poor owing to wet Spring. All planted the second and many 
third time. It will take two weeks of dry, warm weather 
to mature crop. c. i. 
Monroe Co., N. Y. 
With all due respect to Seneca and Ontario counties (Bon- 
nell and Ford, page 689. R. N'.-Y.) would say that there are 
now two-horse diggers that will dig 100 bushels of potatoes 
in an hour and leave them in a narrow row on top of the 
row, this where the yield is 200 to 250 bushels per acre. 
If Messrs. Bonnell and Ford will come over into Cayuga 
County any working day now I will show them a number 
of these machines that are doing this class of work, and 
doing it well: also digging every row and not every other 
row across the field, as was the case with the old double 
shovels with chains, rakes and other paraphernalia. 
Scipioville, X. Y. f. m. p. 
Farmers are just starting to dig potatoes, yield poor, some 
rotting. Blight was bad this year. Some that I have seen 
yielded 125 bushels per acre. Corn is coming on well, and 
if frost keeps off a little longer will have good crop and 
silo will be filled. Oats were the best in years and yield 
good. Ila.v is selling here for $10 per ton, pressed: oats 
straw $6 : potatoes 50 cents per bushel. Cows bring a good 
price on account of good price of milk at creamery, $1 per 
hundred. Canning factory is canning corn. Apples were 
never better for quantity and quality; trees are loaded down. 
The evaporator men say they will have more than they can 
handle. Fruit cron is considerably larger than last year. 
Oswego Co., X. Y. s. 
The season of 1904 is nearly over, and we can look now 
and see what the farmers have been doing and reaping. 
The fruit crop was divided between apples, a full crop, and 
plums, 75 per cent of a crop. Peaches have only been about 
15 per cent, and now nearly harvested. Grapes excellent 
and a full crop; prices have been good for all but apples, 
and there seems no market for the supply yet to come. Po¬ 
tatoes have yielded well ; the late crop to come will be fully 
100 per cent in yield and quality. Prices will not vary much 
from 40 cents. The corn crop, which looked so discouraging 
by the late Spring cold weather, now promises a full crop. 
September has proved a boon. A heavy frost last week in¬ 
jured the crop of fodder materially. Wheat yielded light: 
oats well; buckwheat light. Other cereals are not raised 
here much. o. 
Grand Rapids, Mich. 
Cable advices from the principal markets of Great Britain 
are to the effect that American apples are selling at fairly 
good prices, considering the landing condition which, in some 
cases, has been poor and the fruit sold low. the net price 
in Boston being from $1 to $1.50 per barrel, while some 
Gravensteins and other red varieties arriving in tine condi¬ 
tion realized prices that netted here in Boston $2.50@ 
$2.75 per barrel, a few very fancy $3. Some very tine Grav¬ 
ensteins in the half-barrel case realized $1.50@$1.75 per 
case. Fruit in cases has arrived out in much better condi¬ 
tion than any of the barreled fruit. Latest mail advices to 
hand again speak of the superiority of the landing condition 
of apples in cases to that of barrels. My correspondents in¬ 
form me that they look for good markets for fine American 
and Canadian fruit at fairly good prices, notwithstanding 
Europe, generally, has good crops this year, but the best of 
it is not equal in quality to American and Canadian No. 1 
fruit. The very moderate prices at which this native fruit 
is selling affects the poor and ordinary American and Cana¬ 
dian greatly, and if such is sent from this side shippers must 
expect very poor returns. george a. cochbane. 
Boston. _ 
THE BEAN CROP. 
The acreage of beans was much larger than usual this 
season, but the wet cold time that we have had has dam¬ 
aged many of the beans so that we do not look for over two- 
thirds of’the normal yield. Farmers are now busy securing 
the crop, but it will be a week or two before thrashing com¬ 
mences. Manv fields will be harvested without damage, and 
others will be' damaged by the rust. At this stage there is 
no clearer prospect as to the bean situation. 
Orleans Co., X. Y’. s. c. bowen. 
Regarding the present prospect on the bean crop, this is 
still very difficult to answer with any degree of accuracy, 
as a great proportion of the crop is still in the field. If we 
have a killing frost to-night or to-morrow night (September 
22), it will materially shorten the bean crop, as many of 
the late planted fields require a week or 19 days to be in 
condition to be able to stand frost without injury. The 
small pea beans, which are earlier, are in better shape than 
other varieties, as prohably half of them are now safely 
housed. \Ye consider that the crop as a whole will be a fair 
average, and as the acreage planted was large, we look 
for an output fullv equal to. if not more than, that of last 
season. We believe that prices will be lower rather than 
higher than prevailed during last Winter. A little later, 
when the crop begins to be thrashed, we can tell more accu¬ 
rately as to the yield per acre. N. b. keexey & sox. 
Genesee Co., X. Y. 
OPINIONS REGARDING THE WOOL CROP. 
At the moment the wool market is very strong, with all 
indications from our point of view that present prices will 
at least be maintained throughout the season of 1904, or 
until the arrival of the 1905 clip. Stocks of wool in the 
dealers’ hands and in the interior are at a lower point to-day 
than we have ever seen them at this season of the year, and 
it looks to us as though there might be a shortage of some 
grades and kinds before the new clip comes on to the market. 
Chicago, Ill. H. T. THOMPSON & co. 
At th“ present time prices are firm and considerably 
higher than a year ago, and while we consider the price of 
wool to-dav higher than manufacturers can afford to pay 
considering the condition of the goods market, at the same 
time we see no prospect of a decline. We rather look for a 
further rise during the Winter owing to the extreme scarcity 
of .vool in this country. In fact, the production of wool all 
over the world seems to be less than a few years ago. We 
believe that farmers in the Middle and Eastern States are 
making a mistake in not taking more interest in the pro¬ 
duction of wool and raising of sheep, as we consider that for 
several years at least, unless there is a change in the tariff, 
wool will be firm and on a higher level. The writer is a 
farmer himself and has lately bought some sheep and in¬ 
tends to encourage sheep raising in his district 
Philadelphia. I’a. Cunningham & seal. 
R. X.-Y.—“Beware of the dogs!” 
QUEENS-NASSAU FAIR. 
The sixty-third annual exhibition of the Queens-Nassau 
Agricultural Society was held at Mineola. X. Y„ September 
20-24. The weather was ideal and attendance the largest 
fn the history of the society. One of the innovations was 
the putting of the fruits with the vegetables in the vegetable 
tent, and the use of the main building for flowers, culinary 
products and similar exhibits. The carriage tents were well 
tilled and the display was the largest in years. One of the 
features of the fair is the constant increase in the space 
devoted to poultry and the improvement in the character 
of the birds shown. The cattle exhibit was good, considering 
the fact that the exhibits were limited to cattle owned in 
the countv. The vegetable tent was a trifle crowded, but 
the quality of the vegetables exhibited was excellent, and 
they were‘well displayed. A iarge proportion of the visitors 
at this fair are from New York City, and as they are naturally 
attracted bv the horse racing, the grand stand is always 
crowded, the Mineola Fair is one of the most successful 
of the fairs near New York City, and it affords a striking 
example of the advantages of bringing together the farmers 
and market gardeners and their city customers. Why 
wouldn’t It be a good plan for the farmers and gardeners 
to adopt some system of taking orders from the city 
visitors for potatoes and other long-keeping vegetables? It 
is very common to hear the visitors say : “Oh, I wish I could 
get. such potatoes, onions, cauliflower, etc., of my grocery- 
man !” Many of these things could easily be shipped direct 
from the farms to the city homes. j. h. g. 
OUTLOOK FOR FURS. 
All kinds of furs are in demand. The manufacturers are 
all busy. The general outlook seems to be very bright, and 
the fur season will certainly be satisfactory. 
New Y’ork. pollak & terker. 
It is yet a little too early to know the correct idea, but in 
our opinion the coming year will be a good one and furs 
will realize same prices as last season or perhaps 10 to 15 
per cent more. e. pauly & co. 
New York. 
We have talked with some of the exporters of furs and 
they agree that the outlook for furs is very bad, mostly 
on account of the war in the East. The poor people of 
Russia are large customers of the cheap American furs. The 
opening prices should be very low. The only demand at 
present seems to be for mink. wm. ii. coiiex & co. 
New York. 
ONION CROr REPORTS.—The Jerome B. Rice Co., of 
Cambridge, N. Y., issue the following summary of their onion 
crop report for 1904 : 
Total Crop, Bushels. 
STATE. 
COUNTY. 
1904. 
1903. 
Ohio. 
Ilardin . 
126,000 
555,000 
Medina—Wayne . 
210,000 
190.000 
Lake . 
414,375 
306,000 
Lucas . 
1.500 
67.500 
Wyandotte . 
50,000 
24.750 
Putnam . 
12.600 
15,200 
Logan—Clark . . . 
7.000 
3,000 
Huron . 
8,000 
8,000 
Licking . 
Trumbull (and 
Craw- 
4,290 
5,200 
ford, l’a.) . . .. 
29.000 
59.400 
New Y’ork. 
Orange . 
Wayne, Madison. 
On on- 
450,000 
320,000 
daga . 
300.000 
618,750 
Livingston. Genesee ... 
78.750 
74,250 
Indiana. 
Elkhart . 
108,800 
99,000 
Kosciusko . 
21,000 
18.000 
Noble . 
186,000 
130,950 
Jasper . 
.. 
50,000 
42.000 
St. Joseph .. 
12.800 
18.200 
Wisconsin. 
Brown . 
50.000 
50.000 
I llinois. 
Cook . 
110,000 
125,000 
Massach'ts. 
Hampshire . 
264,000 
250,000 
Rhode Isl'd. 
Newport . 
> • • « • 
56.250 
58.500 
Vermont. 
Windham . 
4.500 
3,600 
Connecticut, 
. Fairfield . 
240.000 
176.000 
Michigan 
Washtenaw . . . . 
40.500 
67.500 
Reports from Michigan are very incomplete, but from the 
best information at hand we understand that the acreage put 
out this season was little better than sixty per cent of that 
of a year ago. Wisconsin and Minnesota reports are slow 
in coming in. but indicate that the crop in those States is 
fully up to the average. 
THE POULTRY CROP.—The Sprague Commission House 
issues a report from which the following is condensed: 
Reports indicate a material increase in the supply of chickens, 
a fair increase in the supply of turkeys and ducks, and a 
falling off in the supply of geese. In some sections of the 
Southwest, the far West and the North, the heavy rainfall 
caused a loss in the early hatchings, especially of turkeys, 
many of the young birds dying of wet and cold. The fertil¬ 
ity of tli 1 early eggs also was somewhat affected by the very 
cold weather during the Winter, leaving the stock not in 
as good condition as when the Winters were not so severe, 
but this was overcome later by more favorable conditions. 
From Iowa a number of reports stated that rats had killed 
off a good share of the early hatchings. The crop of turkeys 
is estimated to be about 15 per cent heavier than last year. 
We look for more turkeys to come to market during the 
Winter. The season is usually late, and where in other 
seasons a good many turkeys have been shipped in up to 
this time, so far this year but few turkeys have been received. 
Reports generally indicate a very material increase in the 
crop of chickens, and it is fair to state that the crop at 
least is about 20 per cent larger than last year. The 
weather conditions were generally favorable. Farmers being 
in good condition financially, and receiving good prices for 
their eggs, have perhaps not marketed their stock as early, 
or as freely as usual. Everything points to a large crop 
of ducks. The indications are for an increase of about 10 
per cent over last year. I.ate prices have been more encour- 
ageing to farmers to raise ducks. The crop of geese is esti¬ 
mated to be about the same as last year, possibly 10 per cent 
less. Of late the raising of geese has fallen off considerably, 
with perhaps the largest shrinkage in Illinois, where the 
enactment of a law prohibiting geese from running at large 
has made a very marked difference in the number of geese 
raised. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
The Spotswood Farm herd of Guernsey cattle, Broad Axe, 
Pa., to be sold at auction by Peter C. Kellogg, at the owner’s 
farm. October 19, was awarded the highest honors given a 
Guernsey exhibit at the St. Louis Exposition. Mr. E. T. 
Price, the owner, declined to sell any of the stock on the 
fair grounds, desiring all to appear in the catalogue of 
his closing out sale. All interested in fine cattle should 
attend this sale. 
The question of lighting becomes an interesting one for 
the rural household, and nothing has so nearly approached 
its proper solution as the system of gasoline lamps which 
has been produced in the last year or two. Lamps for burn¬ 
ing gasoline are made in many styles, in chandelier and 
hanging types, and in stand lamps that resemble the stu¬ 
dent's lamps, so well known in many homes. When pur¬ 
chased from a reliable company they certainly offer the 
farmer’s home a better light than anything that he is now 
using. For full information and prices write to Superior 
Mfg. Co., 218 Second Street, Ann Arbor, Mich. 
Illness among stock, horses, cattle, sheep and hogs can 
be minimized by the use of a prompt and proper corrector. 
WheneveAan animal is getting off his feed or otherwise indis¬ 
posed a few handfuls of the proper tonic mixed with the feed 
twice a day will usually serve as a complete remedy. We 
believe that Blatchford's Old English Tonic will do all that 
is claimed for it. It is manufactured by the old-established 
Blatchford's calf meal factory. Waukegan. Ill. This con¬ 
cern has been in existence for over 100 years, and is prob¬ 
ably known to readers for calf meal and other products, and 
they state that their tonic in every respect is worthy of their 
reputation. A sample will be sent free on request. 
The McKinley Rocker offered in the advertisement of Lar¬ 
kin C’o.. Buffalo. N. Y., has itself quite a unique history, 
though it is but one of a hundred Larkin premiums that are 
given with $10 purchases. Heretofore, it has been offered 
only to those who were already Larkin customers. It was 
first shown in their premium list February 1. 1902. Ever 
since the demand has far exceeded the supply. In 1902 the 
necessity of erecting a factory exclusively for the McKinley 
Rocker was recognized. One of the largest and most modern 
of chair factories is now turning out 200 of these chairs 
daily. The chiffonier No. 5 is also so popular that a large 
furniture factory is confined to its production for Larkin 
patrons. 
Our readers’ attention is called to a new Ready-to-Lay 
Roofing, called Amatite. While ibis roofing has several new 
features, it is not an untried material, but a decided im¬ 
provement over the old style of ready roofings. No experi¬ 
ence is required to lay Amatite. Any one can put it down. 
It is sightly, durable, safe and an absolute fire retardant. 
Water, wind and bad weather of all kinds are not feared by 
the man who has Amatite on his roof. One of the strongest 
points is the fact that it requires no painting, no tinkering; 
in fact, no repairs of any kind for years after it has been 
put down. Our readers are offered a sample of Amatite and 
illustrated booklet by writing to any office of the Barrett 
Manufacturing Company, at New Y'ork. Chicago, St. Louis, 
Philadelphia. New Orleans. Cincinnati. Cleveland. Kansas 
City, Allegheny, Minneapolis. 
