1904 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
27 i 
Events of the Week. 
DOME/STIC.—Up to March 0, floods from the north 
branch of the Susquehanna, from Wilkesbarre, Pa., down 
had caused damage amounting to $2,000,000. . . . By a 
vote of 28 to 5, the Kentucky Senate March 11 passed the 
House bill aimed at Berea College, and which prevents 
the coeducation of the races. To prevent the forfeiture 
of some of the bequests to Berea College, the bill was 
amended in the House to permit white and colored 
schools under one management provided they are 25 
miles apart. Only at Berea College is coeducation of the 
races practiced. ... A large car ferryboat, Shenango 
No. 1, was burned off Conneaut, O.. March 11. The boat 
was one of the largest of its kind on the Great Lakes, 
having a capacity of 26 cars, and was valued at $350,000. 
. . Three persons werdl killed and eight injured by 
an explosion of toy pistol caps in a factory at Chicago. 
March 15. The wrecked building caught fire immediately 
after the explosion, and the bodies of the dead were 
sc badly burned and mangled that it was impossible to 
recognize them except, by remnants/ of clothing. The 
building was occupied by three firms, employing nearly 
100 persons, and it is/ believed some others ’may have 
been killed. It is not known what caused the explosion, 
and so far as can be learned, the company had no per¬ 
mit from the city for the manufacture or storing of ex¬ 
plosives. The caps were of paper, and contained a com¬ 
position of chloride of potash, phosphorus and antimony. 
. The Supreme Court March 14, by a bench divided 
five to four, afllrmed the judgment of the Circuit Court 
declaring the Northern Securities Company a combina¬ 
tion in restraint of interstate commerce within the pro¬ 
hibition of the Anti-Trust act of July 2, 1902. The ma¬ 
jority of the court was /composed of Justices Harlan, 
Brown, McKenna and Day, together with Justice Brewer, 
who concurred, in the result, but not in all the reasoning 
of the opinion. The minority consisted of Chief Justice 
Fuller and Justices Peckham, White and Holmes. The 
majority opinion was delivered by Justice Harlan, and 
Justice Brewer stated the points upon which he disagreed 
therewith. Justice White for himself and Chief Justice 
Fuller and Justice Peckham delivered a most vigorous 
dissent, in which he differed at almost every point with 
the conclusions reached by the majority, and Justice 
Holmes expressed his individual dissent somewhat at 
variance with the others. The suit of the United States 
against the Northern Securities Company, the Northern 
Pacific and Great Northern Railroad Companies, and J. 
Pierpont Morgan, J. J. Hill and others, was instituted by 
the Attorney-General and was tried before a special Cir¬ 
cuit Court composed of four Judges of the Eighth Fed¬ 
eral Circuit. This special court tried the first case un¬ 
der the so-called “expedition of cases” section of the 
Anti-Trust legislation enacted last Winter, which pro¬ 
vided, in addition to a speedy hearing for a cause, that 
it might be appealed directly to the Supreme Court of 
the United States without, as in ordinary cases, going 
first to the Circuit Court of Appeals. ... No more 
postal fraud cases in which indictments have been re¬ 
turned are likely to be tried before the October term of 
the District Supreme Court. Justice Pritchard granted 
counsel for A. W‘ Machen, George E. Lorenz, Diller B. 
Groff and Samuel A. Groff, convicted of conspiracy to 
defraud the Government, until Apiil 23 next to file their 
bill of exceptions and to docket their appeal in the Court 
of Appeals. It is thought likely that the appeal will not 
bo heard until Fall. 
PHILIPPINES.—Congress has been saved the necessity 
of abrogating the Bates treaty with the Sultan of Sulu. 
Secretary Taft has decided that the so-called treaty, 
which provided salaries for the Sultan and certain of his 
dattos and at the same time sustained polygamy and 
slavery, was simply a modus vivendi, and merely an 
executive agreement. In view of the repeated violations 
of the terms of the agreement by the Sultan and his 
dattos, this Government has decided to annul the so- 
called treaty and take the alternative that is implied. 
Nearly all the dattos have taken up arms against the 
United States, and have resisted the advance of our 
forces into their territory. Much of the trouble has 
grown out of the efforts of the Americans to exploit the 
resources of the country, and in spite of the refusal of 
the dattos to permit this . . . Another victory over 
the Moros was reported to the War Department in a 
cable dispatch from Major-General Wade, dated March 
14. The attack, as reported by Major-General Leonard 
Wood, was made on a reconnoitering force of Americans 
by a strong party of Moros, made hostile by the passage 
of the Anti-slavery law. A lively fight ensued east of 
Cotiabato. The Moro position was shelled, the Moro 
force flanked and their outworks captured. The works 
were strong and well constructed. Twenty-one old Span¬ 
ish cannon and large quantities of ammunition and sup¬ 
plies were captured. There were no casualties among 
the Americans. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The sixty-fourth annual New 
York State Fair will be held September 5-10. 
The annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Jersey Cattle 
Club was held at the Seventh Avenue Hotel, Pittsburg, 
March 17. 
A bill is pending in the Kentucky Legislature to pro¬ 
hibit the adulteration of farm and garden seeds. It is 
stated that Kentucky Blue-grass seed has been adulter¬ 
ated with Canada grass seed; also that Timothy and 
clover have been adulterated. The bill now before the 
Legislature makes it a misdemeanor to sell adulterated 
seed and the wholesale merchant must brand each pack¬ 
age correctly before the same can be offered for sale. 
LET US BOOM EASTERN AGRICULTURE. 
I am constrained to write and begin an active cam¬ 
paign for New York agriculture and farm lands. We 
have patiently listened and given tacit support to every 
other agricultural boom; we have seen the lands of the 
Middle West go soaring skyward in value, and really 
seem to have taken pride in their development while our 
values took a corresponding tumble. We occupy in a 
way the same relative position to-day towards the na¬ 
tion, agriculturally speaking, that the Mississippi Valley 
did 30 to 10 years ago. That now famous section offered 
wealth and homes tli/'ii at a moderate cost. That is 
just what we in the East offer to-day. We not only 
offer the highest conception of modern farm living, but 
we couple with it cheap lands and cheap homes. Per¬ 
haps our pride has withheld publication of the facts, but 
they remain just the same, that many a farm can be 
purchased in New York for less than the buildings have 
cost, or would cost to replace. There might be no weight 
to the argument if we were without markets or demand 
for our products. We do not need to demonstrate that 
within 12 hours express time or less there are found the 
world’s best markets. The center of population did not 
change in the census decade just past, and it will not 
materially during the passing decade. This land value 
readjustment will eventually take place, but there seems 
no reason why the owners and citizens should not hasten 
the day by a united sentiment to boom our property. 
New York produces almost every product grown outside 
the tropics, cereals, hay, dairy goods, fruits and live 
stock. The trouble lies in the fact that we have boomed 
and aided others so long that we have become blinded 
to our true worth. Why not a concerted action on the 
part of the several State societies, especially the Grange 
working through its thoroughly organized Subordinate 
Granges, listing salable property, price, location and gen¬ 
eral description, which might be freely circulated at 
small expense? Such advertisement would not be “hot 
air,” like many a western boom, but founded strictly 
upon merit, for prices are to-day in accord with the earn¬ 
ing capacity of the land. In other words, New York 
farm lands are a good safe and profitable investment; 
all we need is unitedly to say so to the world and quit 
this protracted booming of other sections offering less 
for the money. 
Science has revealed that our soils are more than rich 
in plant food, and in the same breath has told us how 
to utilize that wealth. When it is necessary to produce 
the maximum soil output these old granitic soils are 
filled with organic matter, the surplus water drained 
away, the subsoil broken up, and the records are broken 
for crop production. The unselfish, modest, conservative 
spirit of the East is commendable, but an infusion of 
of the cooperative, hustling, swear-by-your-own-section 
spirit of the West would be a profitable and pleasant 
introduction into eastern agriculture. h. e. cook. 
NEW YORK FARMERS' CONGRESS. 
A meeting of this organization was held in the City 
Hall, Albany, N. Y., March 15, for election of officers 
and consideration of the various bills affecting agricul¬ 
tural interests now before the Legislature Hon. James 
Wood, presiding. Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture 
Flanders welcomed the congress and spoke briefly on the 
organization of the State Agricultural Department and 
its work in reference to dairy and other agricultural 
laws. Chairman Graef, of the Assembly Agricultural 
Committee, outlined the principal bills before his com¬ 
mittee, including those referring to the State Experi¬ 
ment Station at Geneva, milk testing, fruit packages, etc. 
There was a general discussion as to the best measures to 
avoid the adulteration of milk, some being in favor of 
raising the legal standard, to put a stop to the practice 
of skimming, which is said to be done by dishonest farm¬ 
ers and imilk dealers. It was said that under existing 
laws there is practically no way to prevent one who is 
producing or handling four or five per cent milk from 
removing say one or 1 % per cent of the cream and sell¬ 
ing the skimmed product as whole milk. Tt was stated 
that very few dairies in the State would suffer by an 
increase of the legal standard to 3% per cent, while this 
would make skimming unprofitable or keep the skimmer 
constantly near the danger limit. Assemblyman White, 
of Utica, made a clear statement of what has been done 
in road improvement through State aid, and emphasizeu 
the need of legislation to provide a reasonably adequate 
fund to hasten the work in sections so situated that they 
find it feasible to raise locally the amount of money re¬ 
quired to secure State aid. Chairman Wood spoke of the 
need of legislation to protect roadside trees from mutila¬ 
tion by employees of companies putting up trolley or 
telephone wires. In some instances hundreds of dollars 
worth of damage has been done by these vandals, who 
cut and slash without any regard to the rights of prop¬ 
erty owners. 
Barner Aker, of East Cobleskill, read a paper favoring 
an agricultural college in Schoharie County, to be es¬ 
tablished and maintained by the State. H. E. Cook made 
a forcible statement endorsing the Cornell Agricultural 
College bill. He showed that it is the duty of the State 
to house the Agricultural College properly; that the 
State clearly recognized this obligation when it erected 
the dairy building; that Cornell, according to its charter, 
must teach agriculture and has an adequate force of in¬ 
structors to do this, needing only the building, that it 
would be ridiculous to divide such an appropriation 
among the dozen or more colleges of the State so that 
each one might make a lame effort to teach a driblet of 
agriculture; and that to establish a new agricultural 
college would require an amount much in excess of the 
proffored appropriation, to say nothing of maintaining 
it afterward. 
Director Bailey said that misleading comparisons had 
been rrade between the work in agriculture done at Cor¬ 
nell and western colleges. It had been stated that Iowa 
has 760 agricultural students, while Cornell has less than 
100, when the fact is that the figures for Towa include 
those taking the courses in mechanic arts, which sub¬ 
ject must be taught in all colleges enjoying the privileges 
of the land grant fund. The Cornell students taking 
both agriculture and mechanic arts number nearly 1,300, 
against less than S00 in Iowa. State Grange Master E. 
B. Norris said that the 75,000 Grangers represented at 
the last meeting of that organization took a firm stand 
in favor of this appropriation. T. B. Wilson, president 
of the New York State Fruit Growers’ Association, and 
G. A. Fuller, of the Watertown Produce Exchange, stated 
that similar endorsement had been made by the bodies 
they represent. The charge has been made that part of 
th land grant fund has been diverted to pay for the 
University Extension work carried on by Cornell. John 
W. Spencer, in charge of this work, said that it gels 
nothing from the land grant fund. The charges are 
O. K.’d by (lie State Department of Agriculture and cov¬ 
ered in other ways. 
Following is a summary of the resolutions adpoted: 
Recommending the passage of an act placing the Com¬ 
missioner of Agriculture on the Board of Control of the 
Geneva Experiment Station, and the tra nsfer of the 
police powers of the station to the Department of Agri¬ 
culture; an amendment to the agricultural law allowing 
the Department to make tests and take samples from 
one can of milk where the dealer has several cans; an 
act that no milk shall be sold as “certified” unless cer¬ 
tified by some recognized competent authority; and ihe 
Stewart bill, providing an appropriation of $250,000 for 
a building for the Agricultural College at Cornell. 
Officers elected were: President, G. L. Flanders, Al¬ 
bany; vice-president, L. E. Ortiz, White Plains; record¬ 
ing secretary, H. J. Best, East Greenbush; correspond¬ 
ing secretary, E. H. Chapman, Albany; treasurer, G. M. 
Tucker, Jr., Albany; executive committee, James Wood, 
Mt. ICisco; C. A. Wieting, Cobleskill; H. S. Ambler, 
Chatham; C. L. Frost, Odessa; Thomas Cant, Clarks¬ 
ville. Legislative committee, J. H. Durkee, Sandy Hill; 
J. I. Platt, Poughkeepsie; H. E. Cook, Denmark;' N. G. 
Spaulding, Schodack Landing, and Maynard Defreest, 
Slingerland. __w. w. n 
THE AMERICAN APPLE CONSUMERS’ 
LEAGUE. 
A late issue of The R. N.-Y. had something to say of 
the Apple Consumers’ League, and every lover of the 
king of fruits will be pleased to learn that such an or¬ 
ganization exists—worthy as it is of every possible en¬ 
couragement. I have been informed that the League 
was launched a few years ago at Rochester, N. Y. at a 
social gathering of the “Knights of the Grip.” The’ lead¬ 
ing spirit of the gathering advanced a great variety of 
splendid arguments in favor of an apple consumers’ 
league; an organization, he said, which should not be 
con fined to any locality nor to any State or Territory— 
and that the movement merited universal support He 
very wisely stated that there was no class or body of 
men better situated or better equipped to push along to 
a successful issue such a good cause. It should be the 
duty, he declared, of every man on the road to advocate 
the principles ot the League, to call for apples at every 
hotel, restaurant or stopping place on his trip—until no 
menu card would be complete without them. He follow- 
^is admirable plan of campaign with some equally 
valuable hints on the best varieties of apples. He said 
while in pursuit of the apple they would be in a position 
an/fn dSft l ^',' P° or ® r varieties offered to consumers 
and to dictate the best—because the success of the 
League will largely rest on the consumption of the vers" 
, a l > fi' es cultivated. Thus their influence can be made 
doubly beneficial to all concerned. 
M» e subject has been handled here lately by an eminent 
authority from a similar standpoint. Prof John 'I' Stin¬ 
son, of the Columbia, Mo., State University, at present 
Superintendent ot Pomology of the World s Fair The 
Professor wisely urges a wider consumption of the 
a P pIe > as ft could become a good cure for the drink habit, 
the tobacco and cigar and swearing habit and many 
other objectionable customs. Give a man easy access to 
a fine apple and it will soon become a substitute or cure 
tor many o. these expensive and injurious habits The 
more you reflect the more convinced will vou become 
that pomological morality must become a fruitful theme 
for discussion in the future. Let us apply this splendid 
remedy or substitute for so many existing evils, and we 
will soon bring about results that will serve to obliterate 
the memory of that Garden of Eden affair which plunged 
mankind into so much woe. Finally, when the Apple 
Consumers League becomes a full-fledged and permanent 
organization, with its annual convention and regular 
programme, it will awaken much additional public in¬ 
terest. After being so organized we should seek an ex¬ 
pression from i he members as to their opinion of the 
Hen Da\ is apple, and then we will have an authority to 
qi ox°T tha . t c t nnot be ignored or questioned hereafter. 
St. Louis, Mo. p. M . KIELY . 
* R- N.-Y.—Mr. Kiely is mistaken as to the origin of the 
% ea ^ ue - rt was started in the office 
ot 1 he R. N.-Y. the writer being the original charter 
member^ At the meeting of the New York State Fruit 
Growers Association two years ago H. S. Wiley the well- 
known nurseryman of Cayuga, N. Y„ was considered the 
ideal man for president, since ho consumed more baked 
apples than any other member. There can be no question 
about the good already accomplished by this League. 
He should have a National Convention at St. Louis this 
year, with a permanent organization. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
We are in receipt of a neat little booklet entitled “A 
Short Story for Poultry Raisers,” which is issued by the 
Union Fence Co. We believe this booklet will he of in¬ 
terest to any of our readers who may have a fence prob¬ 
lem to solve. Case Bros., Colchester, Conn., will send 
you a copy for the asking. 
I have and am now using both tarred paper and shin¬ 
gles as roofing on my poultry building, but on my last 
two buildings I am using a felt roofing made by J. A. & 
W. Bird & Co., of Boston, which I think superior to 
either as regards both looks and wearing.” If interested 
in the roofing subject you will get valuable information 
by writing the above firm. 
The firm of Bell Bros. & Stevenson, Marysville, O., are 
probably doing as much toward putting the leal estate 
business on a sol’d basis as anyone in the country They 
have seemed to realize that the real estate business can 
be handled in an up to date progressive manner If anv 
of our readers are interested in farm lands it would cer¬ 
tainly pay them to get the book and literature sent out 
by these people. 
Aren’t you tired of lifting two or three feet extra when 
a set of those low-down wheels will fit your axle? They’ll 
make much easier pulling for your horses; vou can carry 
bigger loads; the broad tires won’t cut up the road and 
fields as these narrow ones do; they don’t lift mud; th > 
tires never need resetting either. The Goshen low wood 
wheels are made of solid layers of wedge-shaped white 
oak riveted tegether, and carry no mud. Send to Hickox 
Mull & Hill Co., 248 Superior St., Toledo O., for their 
catalogue and learn about them—no charge for it. 
The American Bee Journal which is published at 334 
Dearborn St., Chicago. Ill., is in its forty-fourth year, 
and is not only the oldest publication of its kind in 
America, but is the only weekly. It is devoted entirely 
to bee keeping. Many of its writers make a specialty of 
the business, and their honey is counted by the ton each 
year. The American Bee Journal tells how they do it. 
The American Bee Journal costs only $1 a year, which 
is certainly a very low price when one considers the real 
value of its contents. A sample copy is sent free for the 
asking. 
The Ohio Carriage Mfg. Co., 39 Sixth St., Cincinnati, 
O., H. C. Phelps, president, desires to announce t/> our 
readers that the new and attractive 1904 catalogue of 
split hickory vehicles and harness is now ready for free 
distribution, and will be promptly sent, prepaid, to all 
who request it. As is well known to most of our readers, 
the Ohio Carriage Mfg. Co. is the sole manufacturer of 
the split hickory line of vehicles, all of which they sell 
direct to the user at factory price. They have a reputa¬ 
tion for honesty and square dealing acquired by years 
of successful and upright business methods; are compe¬ 
tent manufacturers, guarantee every vehicle for two 
years, allow the purchaser to use a vehicle 30 days to de¬ 
termine whether to keep it or not, treat their customers 
on the Golden Rule plan. 
