1901 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
377 
Events of the IVeek. 
domestic.—A fire at Dawson, Alaska, reported May 
8 , burned a large number of buildings, and caused a loss 
of $75,000.There is a severe outbreak of small¬ 
pox among Indians at Sitka, Alaska, and the disease is 
spreading.A gun is being built for the United 
States Government that will carry a projectile weighing 
2,730 pounds a distance of 21 miles. If successful 40 of the 
cannon will be built for coast defense.At Ber¬ 
keley, Cal., 18 cases of smallpox were reported In the 
State Institute for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind May 9. On 
the same date, 15 new cases and two deaths from the 
same disease were reported in Greater New York. In 
addition to existing sources of contagion, smallpox is 
now coming into New York on Italian steamers, which 
are bringing an unusual number of immigrants, and the 
sanitary officials find their quarantine facilities taxed to 
the utmost.May 9, two persons were killed by 
lightning, several thousand dollars worth of crops de¬ 
stroyed, and a dozen barns demolished, during a storm 
in Lawrence and Mercer counties, Pa.The ex¬ 
plosion of a locomotive boiler at Mount Bedford, Pa., 
May 11, caused the death of four men.A Flor¬ 
ence (Arlz.) dispatch says that the Gila River, on the 
Sacaton Reservation, has gone dry, and no grain will 
be harvested by the Indians. Great destitution will ensue. 
.... May 12, fire destroyed over $800,000 worth of 
property, chiefiy lumber, along the Rouge River in Del¬ 
ray, a suburb of Detroit, Mich.A trolley car, 
on which were 115 persons, was wrecked in descending a 
steep hill at Fort Lee, N. J.. May 12, and nearly all of 
the people were injured. It is thought the conductor will 
die.Jacksonville, Fla., is to remain under mar¬ 
tial law indefinitely. This is considered necessary be- 
cau.se hordes of tramps and disreputable characters are 
Hocking into the devastated city, in the hope of sharing 
free rations without work.The steamer City 
of Paducah struck a snag in the Mississippi River near 
Grand Tower, Ill., May 13, and sank in five minutes; seven 
lives lost.May 15, mob violence in Albany, N. 
Y., resulting from an extensive street-car strike, grew 
beyond the control of the local authorities, and State 
militia was ordered to the scene of the riot. 
ADMINISTRATION.—Two claims for Indemnity, grow¬ 
ing out of the blowing up of the Maine, which have been 
filed with the Spanish Claims Commission, may bring 
the whole question of responsibility for the destruction 
of the Maine before that tribunal. Senator Chandler, the 
President of the Commission, after reading the briefs in 
the cases, believes that the body over which he presides 
has jurisdiction. The question at issue is whether Spain 
or the United States is responsible for the damage in¬ 
flicted in the destruction of the battleship. If Spain, 
then the United States, having assumed responsibility 
for claims of American citizens against Spain growing 
out of the disorders in Cuba, will be held liable. If the 
destruction of the Maine was not due to Spanish agencies, 
but to some internal accident or defect, then the claim 
could not properly come before the Spanish Claims Com¬ 
mission, and no claim for damages would hold. The 
singular feature of the business is that the law oificers 
of the United States Government, in opposing the claim, 
may be compelled to take the position that Spain was not 
responsible for the blowing up of the Maine, and that 
the report of the Sampson Court of Inquiry was not a 
final determination of the question for the purposes of 
law. It will be the first time that the subject has ever 
been considered with all the rules of evidence before a 
judicial tribunal. 
PHILIPPINES.—Detectives and the police have broken 
up a band of American brigands, who have been oper¬ 
ating in the province of Pampanga, north of and not far 
from Manila. George Raymond, Ulrich Rogers and Oscar 
Mushmiller have been captured, and Andrew Martin, 
Peter Helse, George Muhn and two others are still being 
pursued. The band sometimes represented themselves as 
American deserters and at others as American soldiers. 
George Ravmonu wore the uniform of a captain. Ray¬ 
mond and Martin were formerly policemen in Manila. 
GENERAL FOREIGN NEWS.—Heavy snow fell in 
parts of England May 7. endangering Spring crops. 
.... Census returns for England and Wales are prac¬ 
tically complete, and show a total population for the two 
countries of 32,525,710. This is an increase of 3,523,191 over 
the population of 1891, a gain of 12.15 per cent during the 
10 years.Violent earthquakes ih the vicinity of 
Mount Etna, Sicily, are thought to presage an eruption. 
farm and garden.—J. W. Bailey, Oregon State 
Pood and Dairy Commissioner, will make a strong rep¬ 
resentation to Secretary Wilson during his visit to the 
Pacific coast, for modification of the proposed Philippine 
tariff so as to admit butter into the Islands free of duty, 
and put a charge of 10 cents a pound on oleomargarine 
and all other imitations of butter. The schedules recom¬ 
mended by the Taft Commission put a duty of five cents 
a kilo of 2 1-5 pounds on butter and six cents a kilo on 
oleomargarine. The differential is only one cent a kilo, 
or a little over half a cent a pound, in favor of butter. 
Dairy interests all over the country have protested to the 
War Department against the discrimination, which is 
clearly for the benefit of the packing houses of the Mis¬ 
sissippi Valley. Commissioner Bailey has the support of 
the butter manufacturers of Oregon in the effort he will 
make with Secretary Wilson in their behalf. 
The twenty-seventh biennial session of the Amerl.an 
Pomological Society will be at Buffalo, September 12 and 
13, 1901, the exhibition being held in the Horticultural 
Building at the Pan-American Exposition; exhibits will 
be eligible to exposition awards. 
The New York State law prohibiting the admission of 
nursery stock unless accompanied by a certificate from 
the entomollgist of the State whence the goods are 
shipped, is embarrassing the nurserymen of several 
tates where there is no such office as State entomologist. 
Reports to the Department of Agriculture show that 
average condition of Winter wheat on May 1 was 94.1. 
The total area under cultivation is 28,267,000 acres. 
A Summer school in nature study is arranged by the 
School of Agriculture and Horticulture at BriarclifC 
Manor, N. Y., opening July 23. The course is offered 
especially to school teachers. 
Some time in June O. G. Van Winkle will hold a straw¬ 
berry carnival at Burlington, Iowa, at which he will ex¬ 
hibit specimens of 200 varieties of his own growing. All 
berry growers are Invited to exhibit or participate in the 
meeting. 
The East Tennessee Farmers’ Convention was held at 
Knoxville, Tenn., May 21-22. It was one of the most 
representative agricultural gatherings ever held south of 
the Ohio River. 
THE STRAWBERRY CROP. 
Late in Maryland. 
Last season’s drought and heat were very severe on 
plant growth, and we have a very poor stand of plants 
on the rows. The weather has also been very unfavor¬ 
able this Spring for plant growth, also for the fiuit. 
Many blooms have been killed by frost and freezing; it 
looks at this writing as though we will not have over 
half a crop, and quality of fruit not the best. The season 
will be about 10 days late; prospect for other fruits good. 
Marion Sta., Md. j. w. H. 
Short in Virginia. 
We think that there will be a short crop of straw¬ 
berries this year. There has been no killing frost since 
bloom appeared, but the very severe drought of last 
Summer killed out a great many plants of the new beds, 
and the beds are very much broken. The quality of the 
fruit will depend on the weather from now on. A few 
of the farms are picking a crate or two this week, but 
there will be no general picking before next week. 
Churchland, Va. j. e. w. 
The Crop in Northern New Jersey. 
All indications point to a half strawberry crop only in 
this section, the dry weather of last Summer having 
damaged berry patches to a great extent. Only a few 
careful growers will have anything like a full crop. In 
fields that were left uncovered during the Winter the 
plants are nearly extinct, especially in beds of over a 
year’s standing. The strawberry crop, which, last sea¬ 
son, proved exceedingly profitable, has caused a very 
large acreage to be planted this Spring, a great many 
rushing into the business who scarcely know a straw¬ 
berry plant when they see one. This move will, of 
course, have but one effect, that of glutting the markets 
with small worthless berries of poor quality a year 
hence, after which they will again leave the field open 
for the careful grower, and go back, sick at heart, to 
their old calling. By the careful grower I mean the man 
who prepares his ground properly and sets pure pedi¬ 
gree stock and cultivates frequently during the Summer, 
not allowing a weed to get a start on him; then when 
Winter comes mulches his plants to protect them from 
the thawing and freezing of the cold months. The fol¬ 
lowing Summer, if conditions are favorable, such a man 
can go to market with a load of beautiful berries, dis¬ 
pose of them and return home again, while the careless 
grower, who plants scrubs which he can procure for 
little money, puts them on poor ground poorly prepared, 
and allows the weeds to master him during the Summer, 
goes begging around, offering his fruit at any price, and 
never gets home till night and then, probably, with half 
his load unsold. Why would not such growers become 
disheartened and rush out of the business faster than 
they rushed in? Still, their chances are just as good as 
their neighbor’s if they would only go about it in the 
right way. In this section (Sussex Co., N. J., near 
where the three States, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and 
New York meet), Bubach seems to be the stand-by, 
although some of the newer varieties, such as Sample, 
Bismarck, Excelsior, etc., have been quite largely planted 
this Spring by those who wish nothing but fancy fruit. 
The majority of those, however, who have rushed Into 
the business, got their plants from some old beds, not 
even knowing whether they were perfect or imperfect 
varieties. 1 have at present over 20 kinds, new and old, 
on the farm, testing them with a view of determining 
their value on my soil. Nearly all my fruit is sold in 
Port Jervis, N. Y. j. m. 
Trl States, N. Y._ 
THE POTATO CROP. 
There is a shortage in acreage in our neighborhood; 
about one-third less than last year. The early planted 
potatoes are coming up poorly; some few rotting, others 
coming very uneven and weak, especially those planted 
before the week of rain. I have planted but two acres 
this year; have been planting four to five for several 
years, but have had no profit from the crop for about 
three years. Last year the crop was very light. We use 
from 800 to 1,400 pounds of high-grade potato manure to 
the acre. 1 have talked with two of our prominent farm¬ 
ers about potatoes; they are of the same opinion as my¬ 
self in regard to the crop and conditions. h. k. g. 
Columbus, N. J. 
I have not learned of anyone having to replant in this 
vicinity: the long cold Spring delayed the farmers from 
planting as early as usual, and only a few have their 
crop above ground. In regard to the acreage It compares 
very favorably with last year. The Spring has been so 
cold and wet that seeding of all kinds has been delayed, 
and what seed has succeeded in coming through cannot 
grow very rapidly. Although the potato crop was almost 
a total failure in this vicinity last year, owing to the 
very dry weather and hot sun, the farmers are preparing 
to plant as many acres as usual, hoping for better results 
this year. c. f. h. 
Bridgeton, N. J. 
From personal observation and from Inquiry I am sat¬ 
isfied that not more than one-half of the number of 
acres planted last year have been planted this. Probably 
the majority of farmers about here have put In their 
usual quantity—from one to four acres—but others who 
planted largely last year—from 10 to 30 acres—have plant¬ 
ed very few, and some none at all this year. Last season 
was very unfavorable for growing potatoes in this sec¬ 
tion owing to the long drought, hot weather and the 
bugs; some had fairly good yields, but with others the 
crop was a complete failure. This year, owing to the 
cold and extremely wet weather which still continues, 
but few potatoes were planted before the middle of April, 
and many not until May 1. Those planted early are Just 
coming up, and, I judge from my own, which were 
planted on April 12, are coming all right. Perhaps some 
seed planted on low ground may rot, but it is too early 
to determine. Other seeds have come up well, better 
than usual. Oats and peas, beets, carrots, onions, spin¬ 
ach, etc., are looking well. There is a good show for 
gra^s, grain and fruit. Peach trees are full of blooms 
and apple trees just putting out. I hope and trust bugs 
and insects will not be plentiful as they were last year. 
Potato bugs were something fearful; they seemed to 
thrive on Paris-green. I used sulphur and lime with it 
on potatoes and vines, and had fairly good crops. 1 also 
used sulphur on potato seed last year and this; had 
much less of the scab. d. c. 
Huntington, N. Y. 
Justice for Oleo Itog'ue.s. 
The Department of Agriculture in this division has per¬ 
sistently kept up the light against wagon men coming 
from New Jersey selling oleomargarine in this territory 
under the guise of expressmen. During the past week 
five men were arraigned for trial in the Special Sessions 
Court, with the result that three of them were fined $150 
each or 60 days in jail; one sent to the City Prison for 
three months without any money penalty whatever, and 
sentence suspended upon another, the latter being a boy 
upon one of the wagons toward whom the court deemed 
it wise to be lenient. This brings the total up to about 
a dozen wagon men from New Jersey who have been 
detected and fined in selling oleomargarine during the 
past Winter. Warrants have been issued for several 
others, and the department feels confident that the Illegal 
traffic in oleomargarine has received a severe setback 
through the heavy penalties inflicted by the courts, as 
the larger number of the dozen convicted had to serve a 
term in jail. John Colllgan, Jersey City, three months in 
jail; George Wilson, Jer.sey City, $150 or 60 days in jail; 
James Mihim, Jersey City, $150 or 60 days in jail; George 
Warren, Jersey City, $1.50 or 60 days in jail; William 
Bradley. Jersey City, sentence suspended; James 
Hutcheon, 57 Nostrand Ave., Brooklyn, $200. 
Government Crop and Weather Report. 
Unusually cool weather has prevailed in the Mississippi 
Valley, with damaging frosts in the northerly section. 
On the western plateau and Pacific coast districts, the 
warm weather following the previous heavy rains, has 
made conditions highly favorable to vegetation. Corn- 
planting in the Central West has been delayed by the 
cold. In Nebraska, Kansas and southern Missouri, wheat 
is suffering slightly from drought. The grain is heading 
in Tennessee and southern Kansas. Oat seeding in the 
extreme North is still going on. The southern crop is 
being harvested, but is reported light on account of pre¬ 
vious drought. In the Middle Atlantic States and Ohio 
Valley they are growing finely. Conditions in the cotton 
belt are unfavorable, rain being greatly needed. South¬ 
ern tobacco is looking well. Transplanting in the Caro- 
linas is about finished, and the work is being done as far 
north as Maryland. In New York farm operations of all 
kinds have been going on as rapidly as possible between 
showers: wheat, rye and grass in most sections are look¬ 
ing fine. Ijocal hailstorms have done considerable dam¬ 
age in the Carolinas. In Georgia rice has been damaged 
by the cold weather. Fruit is dropping badly, but still 
there is plenty on the trees. In southern Jersey some 
seed potatoes are rotting. Strawberry outlook there and 
in Maryland is promising. In Pennsylvania the acreage 
of corn is large, and prospects for tree fruits favorable. 
Wheat and rye are looking fairly well at present; 
judging from appearances now there will be an average 
crop. The newly-seeded grass fields are not looking very 
promising. We sow Timothy In the Pall and clover in 
the Spring on both light and heavy land. w. e. 
Columbia Co., Pa. 
ROADSIDE TREE LAW.—We are asked to print the 
Pennsylvania law regarding planting trees on roadsides. 
Here it is: Any person liable to road tax, who shall 
transplant to the side of the public highway on his own 
premises any fruit, shade trees or forest trees of suitable 
size shall be allowed by the supervisor of roads where 
roads run through or adjoin cultivated fields, In abate¬ 
ment of his road tax, $1 for every four trees set out, but 
no row of elms shall be placed nearer than 70 feet; no 
row of maples or other forest trees nearer than 50 feet, 
except locust, which may be set 30 feet apart, and no 
allowance as before mentioned shall be made unless such 
trees shall have been set out the year previous to the 
demand for such abatement of tax, and are living and 
well protected from animals at the time of such demand. 
Any trees transplanted to the side of the public high¬ 
way as aforesaid in the place of trees which have died, 
shall be allowed for in the same manner and on the 
same conditions as in the preceding section. Abatement 
of highway tax limited to one-fourth of annual high¬ 
way tax. 
PROSPECTS IN PENNSYLVANIA.—We are getting a 
little of the rain the farmer at Hope Farm has been writ¬ 
ing about, and we have had to quit farming for a few 
days past. The month of April was very dry, but May 
came in wet and still continues so. The rain is putting 
planting back; not many potatoes planted yet and no 
corn. I hear that some have not got all of their oats 
sown yet, but I think most of the oats were sown in 
April; there are always a few who are behind. Apple 
trees are not in blossom yet; I was looking at ours to¬ 
day and found them full of buds; think the prospect 
good for a big crop. Last year we got none. We are 
the only ones who grow wheat about here, and It is look¬ 
ing fine, better than last year at this time, and we 
thrashed 114% bushels from 4% acres. Rye Is looking 
nice, better than last Spring. I think we had a little 
more snow during the Winter. Meadows are not look¬ 
ing well; new seeding is very poor. Pastures were grazed 
so close last Fall that they are in very poor shape. One 
pasture field where sheep ran last season is killed out 
so there is no grass on it this Spring, and the neighbor 
who owns it told me he would have to sell his sheep, as 
he had no other pasture for them. Our pastures are in 
fair shape. We commenced to feed our cows grain the 
last of July and kept It up all the Fall, so our cows did 
not graze so close, and I think it paid us. We are still 
holding the fort and makiixg butter at our new factory. 
Hop Bottom, Pa. g. p. g. 
