1897 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
159 
WHAT I SEE AND HEAR. 
I have found some commission merchants who re¬ 
fuse to receive shipments of produce from farmers at 
random. They say that most farmers don’t know 
how to prepare their produce for market. This may 
seem like a strong statement, but it is, unfortunately, 
too true with reference to a great many. These com¬ 
mission men have an excellent class of trade, and 
they solicit shipments from regular shippers and large 
farmers who take pains to give them just what they 
want. They get good prices, and make more money 
for themselves and their shippers, as well as give 
better satisfaction to their customers, than would he 
possible with the produce found in many commission 
houses. It will pay you to get in with them. 
X X X 
The approaching Hebrew holidays will, as usual, 
make a good demand for live poultry, as these people 
buy all their poultry alive, and consume large quan¬ 
tities at the feasts in connection with these holidays. 
The first spring holiday is Purim, which occurs March 
18. The poultry most in demand at this time con¬ 
sists of fowls and prime small turkeys. Every faith¬ 
ful Hebrew must lay in his supply before this day, so 
that the stock must be here beforehand; March 15 
and 10 are likely to be the best market days, and if 
stock is to be shipped from any distance, allowance 
must be made for delays ; almost every year, con¬ 
siderable stock arrives too late for the market, and 
sells for a low price in consequence. 
XXX 
The next holiday is Passo.ver, and the first feast 
occurs April 17. The best market days are likely to 
be April 12 or 13 to 15. At this time, turkeys, heavy 
fowls and fat ducks and geese are most in demand. 
The last Passover feast is April 24, and stock should 
be here from April 19 to 22. Most of the kinds prev¬ 
iously named, if prime and fat, are in request. There 
is now a Live Poultry Transportation Company with 
headquarters in Chicago, which has a large number 
of patent poultry cars which it rents for the shipment 
of live poultry. In these, the poultry can be fed and 
watered en route. Arrangements have also been 
made so that eggs and poultry can both be sent in the 
same car, if a car-load of neither can be made up. 
The live poultry shipping business is rapidly increas¬ 
ing in the West since these improved shipping facili¬ 
ties have been put into operation. 
X X X 
Another product which meets an increased demand 
at this holiday time is honey. The Hebrews use this 
at their feasts, and as there is a large Hebrew popu¬ 
lation in New York and the adjacent territory, the 
total amount consumed is large. There are firms that 
make a specialty of honey. It is a good thing for 
this trade that there is a special demand that helps to 
clean up the surplus of the previous season’s crop 
before the new season opens. There is nothing else 
that the average commission merchant so dislikes to 
handle as honey, and many of them refuse to receive 
it. It has been slow of sale of recent years, and the 
comb honey, especially, often arrives broken and in 
bad condition. In many a commission house, I have 
seen great piles of crates of honey, some of it in fine 
condition, some of it broken and leaking, and much 
of it having been on hand for weeks and weeks with¬ 
out having being sold. Then if it has to be held for 
any length of time, it is likely to candy or get into 
bad condition. This is one of the products that 
should be pushed in the home market. Educate your 
neighbors to eat more honey. 
X X X 
And now some of the brilliant minds in the New 
York Legislature are endeavoring to regulate the 
trade in calves. It would seem that existing laws 
would cover all the ground in this trade, if they were 
only enforced. The New York City Board of Health 
has been fighting bob veals. They prohibit the sale 
of all dressed calves weighing under 45 pounds. The 
stipulated weight was formerly considerably higher, 
but it was claimed that this regulation excluded many 
calves that were of sufficient age and of proper con¬ 
dition to make good food. Many calves, containing 
more or less Jersey blood, are fat and plump, but of 
small size, while, probably, many larger than the re¬ 
quired weight are unfit for food. The proposed law 
is an addition to the existing laws on agriculture, 
and is intended to prohibit selling “ within this State, 
for food, any calf or carcass of the same, or any 
part thereof, except the hide, unless it is in good, 
healthy condition, and at least four weeks of age.” 
The shipping by any corporation or persons is, also, 
prohibited, “ to or from any part of this State any 
calf, or calves, under eight weeks of age, or carcass or 
carcasses of the same, or any part of such carcass 
except the hide, unless they shall attach to every calf 
or carcass or part thereof so shipped in a conspicuous 
place a tag, that shall stay thereon during such trans¬ 
portation, stating the name or names of the person or 
persons who raised the calf, the name of the shipper, 
the points of shipping and destination, and the age 
of the calf.” The opinion seems to prevail among re¬ 
ceivers here that this bill is fostered by, and is in the 
interest of western shippers and cattlemen, and that 
it will not become a law. f. h. v. 
1 HE INTEREST IN FARMERS’ INSTITUTES. 
It is Good in New York State. 
The assertion that a free lunch or variety show 
would bring out several times as many tillers of the 
soil as we can interest, is not true of this section, for 
the size of the crowds is only limited by the size of 
the hall in whiffi the institute is held. I will hazard 
the statement that it is so in every locality where 
there is a large Grange. In our locality, a majority 
of the progressive farmers belong to the Grange. 
Waterloo, N. Y. j. g. p. 
It is not true in this locality that a free lunch or 
variety show would bring out a larger number of 
tillers of the soil than a farmers’ institute, but quite 
the contrary. The institutes have been quite well 
attended, but I think that there is a feeling among 
those farmers who will and do profit by the lessons 
taught at the institutes, that there is less need of 
them now than formerly. The experiment station 
bulletins and such papers as The R. N.-Y. bring the 
lessons right into our homes, where we can best pon¬ 
der them to advantage. A neighbor farmer recently 
told me (in a protesting way) that the institute speak¬ 
ers are getting $1,200 and expenses for only four 
months’ work; he considered that a “ snap,” and 
thought it rather expensive education. I have, also, 
heard it remarked that some of the speakers would 
not dare to present their own farms as illustrations of 
advanced agriculture. I am not opposed to institutes, 
and present these thoughts for what they are worth. 
Seneca County, N. Y. d. c. b. 
Interest is Lacking in Indiana. 
Generally speaking, not a great deal of interest is 
taken in the farmers’ institutes of northwestern 
Indiana by those who should most benefit by the 
teachings of successful men. I have given this matter 
considerable study, and find many complex and con¬ 
flicting ideas in regard to this lack of interest among 
general farmers. Many, I believe, feel that they can 
do no better in the way of increasing production 
without a corresponding increase in cost. No pro¬ 
gressive farmer will accept this statement as true, 
but it is very difficult to convince any one who knows 
that his assertion is correct, and will listen to no 
argument or be convinced by figures, that, after a 
certain number of bushels of grain are produced, pay¬ 
ing the rent or taxes, all increase will cost only the 
harvesting and the small cost of better cultivation. 
Again, some farmers do not wish to learn anything 
in the way of better methods. They have jogged 
along in the same old rut so long that their methods 
have become methodical and their actions mechanical. 
To know anything more would cause them to think, 
and that would derange their system of managing. 
This class includes three-fourths of the farmers of 
this section, and they are engaged in “ waiting for 
better times”, “ are doing well enough”, or don’t 
care to do better. Last year, I had the pleasure 
of attending an institute at Fowler, Ind. The 
speakers were Mr. Terry and Mr. Husselraan, two 
very successful farmers and fluent speakers. Mr. 
Terry, while giving very interesting talks upon 
subjects which should be of vital interest to Benton 
County, was concise and spoke without rhetorical 
effect. His essays were considered by, perhaps, a 
dozen in the room, and of these it may be that three 
or four endeavored to carry his ideas into practice. 
Mr. Husselman, on the other hand, was a “jolly good 
fellow”. His anecdotes and oratorical effects induced 
repeated applause, and his efforts, although interest¬ 
ing and valuable, will be remembered by the “funny” 
stories he told to illustrate his ideas. Mr. H. A. 
Huston, the State Chemist, a professor in Purdue 
University and an acknowledged authority, talked 
interestingly of alkali soil and tile drainage, yet, be¬ 
cause he did not strike the “ popular chord” was not 
given the best of attention. 
After one session of the institute, I happened into 
a lunchroom below stairs, where were congregated a 
dozen or more farmers. They were discussing the 
various speakers and their ideas, and the general 
opinion seemed to be that, perhaps, some of the 
methods were good in theory, but could not be prac¬ 
ticed in their own individual cases. Were the speakers, 
because they gave their actual methods and experi¬ 
ence and earnestly advised all to follow their teach¬ 
ings, at fault ? The merchants of the town gave 
liberal premiums on farm exhibits, and tried to make 
a success of the meeting. Should they be blamed for 
the lack of interest displayed by the farmers ? No. 
It was the farmers alone who could make the insti¬ 
tute a success, and by their interest and a desire to 
learn of better things, could help along in attaining 
the desired objects. And unless they desire to know 
more of their own calling, they cannot be helped. 
The agricultural press is of great advantage to the 
farmer who is ready to learn, but it cannot reach the 
other class, because they do not desire to know or 
practice its teachings. The institutes are useful in 
awakening interest in better farming. Good agricul¬ 
tural articles in local papers may cause some to be¬ 
come interested despite old methods and teachings. 
A well-informed farmer, who practices what he 
advocates, does much good. But, as has been said 
before, unless a farmer really desires to improve, he 
may read the best agricultural papers and attend 
farmers’ institutes without number, and they will do 
him no good unless he earnestly practices what he 
knows to be the best ways. w. a. w. 
NEST-EGG GOURD AND STOVE SHARK. 
Your story of the nest-egg gourd is timely. They 
are sending me dozens of papers with advertisements 
of firms with circulars to distribute. I have written 
a number of them, but without sending the stamps, 
and received no answer to my letter. Well, the stove 
agent was here last week, at the next-door neigh¬ 
bors. It was a regular circus to see the fun with the 
whole family out to see the stove, and the two pairs 
of mules he was driving. The way he threw those 
stove castings around was a caution ; he threw the 
pieces against the barn and on the frozen ground, 
and did not break them. I never heard his beat for 
a talker, but he did not make a sale. The stove was 
only $69. I read in The R. N.-Y. a year ago about 
the methods of the stove agents. w. j. mcc. 
Massachusetts. 
I notice in The R. N.-Y. a humbug exposed in re¬ 
gard to the nest-egg gourd. An advertisement ap¬ 
peared in a dairy paper last year, and the same is in 
this year : “ Free Mammoth pumpkin seeds.” Stamps 
are asked. Last year, I bit, and sent 10 cents in 
stamps, and received eight or ten seeds ; all were 
worthless but three. They were planted in good 
soil, and the pumpkins were about the size of a gal¬ 
lon crock. Now, it is not the 10 cents, but the prin¬ 
ciple involved. Many, no doubt, were taken in, but 
the amount was so small that they were ashamed to 
squeal. The R. N.-Y. is the soundest and purest paper 
I ever read, and I hope that it may live many years 
of usefulness. So long as you keep these frauds out 
of your paper, so long will you prosper. g. s. s. 
Pennsylvania. 
I wish to say a few words in favor of the Nest Egg 
Gourd, and inform your readers that they can obtain 
the seeds at less cost than sending three two-cent 
stamps to Nancy. I ordered a package of seeds last 
spring from a seedsman, which contained enough for 
a whole neighborhood, and the cost was only four 
cents. I planted one hill from which we obtained 
about 50 gourds, ranging in size from a small hen’s egg 
to a large goose egg. They make very nice nest eggs, 
and also nice playthings for children. Every child, 
and even grown people who saw the gourds, wanted 
to carry one home. e. g. 
Steuben County, N. Y. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Through an oversight, the nursery advertisement of Myer & 
Son, Bridgeville, Del., has been printed as if the address were 
Connecticut, but the proper address is now given in the advertise¬ 
ment in this issue. If any reader has written them to the 
erroneous address, he will now understand the reason of no 
reply. They send catalogue free. 
S. L. Ai.len & Co., Philadelphia, Pa., are the manufacturers of 
the Planet Jr. seed drills. They keep their goods up to date, of 
extremely high quality, and caution consumers this year against 
alleged cut prices in their machines which are, no doubt, old 
styles, or, possibly, inferior substitutes. The Planet Jr. can be 
had of reputable seedsmen or from the makers direct. 
Before you begin to smoke meat this year, write to E. Krauser & 
Bro., Milton, Pa., and ask them about their liquid extract of 
smoke, and instructions about curing and smoking meat. This 
extract is made by distilling the smoke from hickory wood. You 
may want to go on with your old way after all; but if you find 
the liquid extract better and cheaper, you will discard the old 
method. 
When a manufacturer makes his own goods and advertises 
them you- feel pretty sure that he does not belong to a trust, 
and when you buy direct from him you are not paying local 
dealers big profits for handling the goods. The Columbus Car¬ 
riage Mfg. Co., Box T, Columbus, O., come under this head. 
They make their own wagons and sell direct to customers. You 
can have their catalogue free if you write for it. 
The Olentangy incubators, invented and sold by George S. 
Singer, Cardingtou, O., are claimed to have no equal, and to hatch 
every egg that can be hatched. The necessity of an incubator in 
modern poultry culture is now well understood. It is far ahead 
of the old hen in many particulars. The Olentangy has an auto¬ 
matic double lever regulator, and is claimed to be very easy to 
operate. Catalogue will be sent for four cents in stamps. 
The people of New York City have great facilities for “ shop¬ 
ping.” Several large drygood stores are located near each other, 
and each one vies with the others in attractive bargains. Seigel- 
Cooper Co. is now one of the largest of these department stores, 
as they are called, because they have different departments 
where you can buy almost anything from a paper of pins to a 
set of furniture. This house now enlarges its scope by offering 
wall paper by mail to country trade. If you want any wall paper 
this season, write them for free samples The address is Seigel- 
Cooper Co., New York. 
