1901 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
397 
Market Briefs 
PICKED TIP HERE AND THERE 
ONE SHARPER CAUGHT.—Philadelphia 
detective.s have arrested a commi.ssion 
merchant who, under the name of .Tohn 
Scott & Co., has apparently been doing a 
wholesale fleecing business. Those In 
charge of the case cialm that they can 
produce witne.sses from eight different 
States to prove that this man has swindled 
them out of goods shipped to him. One of 
the heaviest losers reported is a New York 
concern, which is said to have been beaten 
out of $600 worth of eggs. On the letter 
heads he referred to the commercial agen¬ 
cies. There Is a thoroughly responsible 
house known as John Scott & Co., which 
has a high business rating, and it w'Otild 
appear that the swindler had appropriated 
this name, and was doing business on the 
strength of It. In court he gave a differ¬ 
ent name, but said that he had been sell¬ 
ing goods for a man named Scott who had 
desk room in his office. Plis story sounds 
very “Ashy,” and It Is to be hoped that If 
proven guilty, he will be salted down to 
the fullest extent of the law. 
EGG QUESTIONS.—A reader asks: “Do 
commission dealers in New York return 
empty egg crates or boxes? What Is the 
average commission or margin a commis¬ 
sion man would make or charge on a case 
of eggs (30 dozen)? Would you advise using 
the old-fashioned cardboard filled case or 
one of the newer and more expensive 
kind? ’ Some commission dealers make a 
practice of doing a grocery trade In eggs; 
that is, they sell in small quantities, even 
lots of a dozen or less. This Is particularly 
the case with fancy eggs. We know of 
men who sell a good many In this small 
way at high prices. Buyers often find it 
hard to get satisfactory eggs from their 
grocers. They see some man In the mar¬ 
ket districts who gets a ca.se or two of 
fresh eggs every day, anu are willing to take 
the trouble of carrying them home at 
quite an Inconvenience In crowded cars, 
besides paying an advanced price for the 
.sake of getting what they wish. Where 
the commission merchant empties the cases 
himself in this way, of cour.se, he can re¬ 
turn them to the shipper If desired; but 
in many Instances the eggs are sold In lots 
of a case or two to retailers; the crates 
arc thus scattered all over the city, and 
are supposed to go with the eggs. An 
aveiage commission for selling eggs Is five 
per cent. This Is really a low figure when 
the expenses of the dealer are taken into 
consideration. He must pay rent and keep 
enough men to handle a rush of trade, 
even though on dull days there Is but little 
for them to do. As to whether we would 
advise cheap or expensive crates, this 
wotild depend on the class of trade reached. 
Some commission merchants who retail 
fancy eggs have told us that it would be 
a good plan for the shipper to use a more 
costly crate. This could be returned, and 
the eggs show up better than in the rough 
old boxes which some shippers use. Gen¬ 
erally speaking, we think It advisable to 
use the cheap crates and let them go with 
the eggs. Some of these empties are saved 
and gathered up, and large egg men here 
can often supply quantities of .second-hand 
crates at a low figure. We recently heard 
of 500 being sold at three cents each. 
w. w. H. 
GUERHSEY BREEDERS MEET. 
The annual meeting of the American 
Guernsey Cattle Club was held at the Fifth 
Avenue Hotel, New York City, May 15. 
The secretary’s report showed that the 
membership had increased greatly during 
the year, and that the bizsiness was in a 
prosperous condition. Extensive work has 
been done in rewriting and improving the 
system of keeping the records. The year 
was begun with a balance in the treasury 
of $1,651.90. Receipts were $8,058.35, and ex¬ 
penses $8,629.05, leaving a balance on hand 
of $1,081.20. Also, $500 has been Invested as 
the nucleus of a fund to provide a perma¬ 
nent home for the club. Plans were made 
for a union meeting with other Guernsey 
breeders’ associations in this country at 
Buffalo in September. Reports were made 
of the results of the home butter tests, 
lo avoid error or deception the cows under 
trial were tested every month, without pre- 
viotiR notice, by State experiment station 
ofllclals. Following are the figures ob¬ 
tained frf)m these tests for the year ending 
May 1 , single cow class: 
E. T. Hill’s Glen wood Girl 6th. 9113, 668 
pounds of butter, (ieo. C. Hill fk. Son’s 
Primrose’s Tricksey, 7236, 592.3 pounds of 
butter. Geo. C. Hill & Son’s Gypsy of 
Racine, 9639, 504.5 pounds of butter. In 
herds we have: 
E. T. Hill’s: 
Glenwood Girl 6th.... 
Rucretla’s Daughter.. 
Rucretia of Haddon.. 
(i enwood Girl 8th.... 
Glenwood Girl 7th.... 
Average of the flve. 
Geo. C Hill & Son: 
Lbs. I.bs. 
milk, butter. 
12,184.3 668 
11,084.6 570.5 
9,710.3 546.2 
11,310.1 540 
9,178.8 450.2 
554.98 
Primrose’s Tricksey.. 
7236 
Lbs. 
milk. 
9,277.0 
Lbs. 
butter. 
692.3 
Gypsy of Racine. 
9639 
7,879.1 
.504.5 
Lady Benjamin. 
9805 
7,015.5 
468.3 
Lady Bishop. 
6.518 
7,272.4 
460.0 
.Nounon . 
6569 
7,059.5 
445.4 
Average of the five. 
In the first competition we find Jas. H. 
Rcirne’s Tiily Ella 7240, 912.5 pounds; I.ily- 
ila 7241, 828.95 pounds; Geo. C. Hill & Son’s, 
Countess Bishop 7869, 27.71 pounds; Geo. C. 
Hill & Son’s herd of five cows averaging 
454.06 pounds; Levi P. Morton’s herd, 450.83 
pounds. 
Looking at all these records a little more 
closely we note some interesting compari¬ 
sons. There are four herds of five cows 
averaging for a full year from 450.83 to 
554.98 potinds, or an average of the four 
herds of 498.5 pounds butter. There are six 
cows making records from 504.5 pounds to 
912.5 potinds butter, or averaging 672.0 
pounds. We also note tJiat two of Messrs. 
Hill's cows have participated in both com¬ 
petitions and con.sequently have made two 
consecutive years’ records. They are: 
Lbs. Lbs. 
milk, butter. 
Tjady Bishop 
for 1899.... 
....6,868.3 
444.6 
“ 1900.... 
....7,272.4 
460.0 
Nounon 
“ 1899.... 
....6,338.0 
410.3 
<« 
“ 1900.... 
....7,059.6 
445.4 
In both instances these cows have done 
belter during their second year. This Is an 
excellent illustration of the staying quali¬ 
ties of the Guernsey. 
Arrangements have been made for an 
Advanced Register of animals based on 
Individual merit. Bulls will be admitted 
for superiority of progeny and cows on 
milk or butter-fat records. The most care¬ 
ful Inspection and tests of these animals 
will be made by experiment station of¬ 
ficials. Cows meeting the following re¬ 
quirements will be admitted to the Ad¬ 
vanced Register on payment of the $2 fee 
for certificate: Milk record as a two-year- 
old. 6,000 pounds. Increasing at the rate of 
3.65 pounds per day until It reaches the 
limit of 10,000 pounds as a flve-year-old, or 
aged animal. The yearly butter-fat rec¬ 
ords are to be, as a two-year-old, 2.50 5-10 
pounds, Increasing one-tenth of a pound 
per day until, as a flve-year-old or aged 
animal. It Is 360 pounds. The seven-day 
butter-fat record Is to be 10 pounds for the 
two-year-old, increasing ,00456 pounds per 
day until It reaches the flve-year, or 
aged, requirement of 15 pounds. 
■Mso the following prizes will be given 
for the best butter-fat records for each 
year ending May 1: For Individual cows, 
$30, $25, $10. For herds of five cows each, 
$50. $30. 
The ofllcers elected were: President, 
James AT. Codman, Brookline, Mass.; vice- 
presidents. TT. A. Cassatt, Pennsylvania; 
Henry Sydney Fisher, Minister of Agri¬ 
culture. Dominion of Canada; secretary 
and treasurer, William H. Caldwell, Peter- 
boro, N, TT. Members of the executive 
committee for four years: N. K. Fairbank, 
Chicago, and TToward B. Tuttle, Naiiga- 
tuck. Conn._ 
FARMING IN MEXICO. 
What do you recommend as the best 
thing to do In farming on a small scale In 
Mexico, and what locality do you think 
best? w. H. j. 
Tenango, V. C., Mexico. 
T take It that W. TT. J. wants to know 
what kind of farming on a small scale Is 
the best, although you ask me concern'ng 
the “best methods.’’ Tn regard to best 
methods, T should say that the meth¬ 
ods adopted by the leading agriculturists 
are the best, although they may have 
to be modified somewhat according to local 
conditions. The underlying principles of 
agriculture are certainly the same In all 
quarters of the world, and so if T Intended 
to go into truck farming In the tropics I 
should proceed in exactly the same way 
as T would in the north. If T bought a 
piece of virgin forest land I could not. 
however, begin clearing with an ax. At 
the beginning of the dry season the under¬ 
brush and vines are cut down with a ma¬ 
chete (cutlass), then all the smaller trees 
are cut down, and lastly the remaining 
large trees are felled, Tn order to Insure 
good burning all large branches which 
stick up in the air are now cut off, and at 
the end of the dry season the land is 
burned over. Tf it Is desired to plant corn, 
that can be proceeded with Immediately# 
By bTirning the land over several times 
in succeeding years It Is finally cleared of 
all trunks, stumps, etc,, but if It Is desired 
completely to clear the land the first year, 
it would be necessary to employ several 
teams of oxen and a stump puller, in order 
that the larger trunks and stumps may be 
got rid of. 
Planting can be done all the year around, 
even during the dry season, if means for 
watering are at hand. Here, however, the 
regulation methods of the north may be 
modified. During the rainy season seeds 
need not be covered, or else should be 
covered only lightly with earth. The na¬ 
tives plant corn by making a hole in the 
ground with a pointed stick and dropping 
in from five to six seeds. The holes are 
left uncovered and the corn grows very 
well, securing a deep hold on the soli, be¬ 
cause the holes are made about eight 
inches in depth. Nursery stock is often 
set out in the same way. The plant Is 
placed In the hole and then a little earth 
is forced against It with the same point¬ 
ed stick. 
We can go Mr. StringfcIIow one better 
down here. Mr. Stringfellow root-prunes 
his nursery stock to a stub, v/hilo we can 
take a stocky young plani, cut it off just 
above the roots, use it as a riding whip 
for a day or two, and then stick it into 
the ground with the full assurance that it 
will grow with a nice bunch of short roots 
all around the base of the stem. I have 
seen fence posts sprout and branch which 
were set a month after they were cut. It 
seems to me, then, that the “Stringfellow 
method’’ is merely a question of latitude. 
Prof. Bailey has shown that pruning the 
roots to a stub is not adapted to New 
York, and the same holds true for all the 
Northern States. The Southern States can 
prune the roots to a stub, and in the tropics 
we can cut them off entirely, although 
that may not be advisable. Since, then, 
the foundation of Mr. Stringfellow’s system 
cannot be carried out In the North, how Is 
the rest of the system going to be carried 
out? Mr. Stringfellow argues In favor of 
natural methods, and he himself adopts a 
method more artificial than any yet de¬ 
vised. Is confining the roots to a few feet 
of space and pumping fertilizers on them 
a natural method? What Is the aspect of 
that “mammoth peach tree’’ cited by Mr. 
Stringfellow? I wouldn’t be surprised If 
it Is at the foot of a slope leading from the 
manure pile by the barn. If not, then I’d 
like to have Mr. Stringfellow trace out 
some of the larger roots and see where 
they run to. Here he could study natural 
methods. The “Stringfellow method’’ Is 
all right In Its place, and It Is even better 
adapted to the tropics than it is to Texas, 
for besides conditions more favorable to 
plant growth here, there Is also the labor 
question, the natives not knowing how to 
use modern farm implements, which, of 
course, are not necessary If only a few 
feet around the trees Is to be cultivated. 
To get back to the original question: If 
your subscriber has not much capital it 
seems to me that the best thing he could 
do would be to raise vegetables, pigs and 
chickens near some growing town, and If 
he wishes, he can at the same time plant 
some crop from which he can get returns 
In later years. For Instance, he might lo¬ 
cate flve or six miles up the Coatzacoalcos 
River and take his vegetables, chickens, 
eggs, milk, etc., to Coatzacoalcos to sell. 
Milk brings 25 cents a quart, eggs two to 
three cents apiece; chickens, 50 to 75 cents; 
vegetables are proportionately high, and 
lard always brings a good price. (Prices 
in Mexican currency). As a side planting 
he might .set out vanilla, which bears in 
three or four years, and Is a very paying 
crop. Labor Is worth 621^ cents a day, or 
else 50 cents and rations. As to other lo¬ 
cations I cannot say much, but think that 
Salina Cruz, the other terminus of the 
Tehuantepec railway and Tampico would 
also be good. h. l. t. 
Coatzacoalcos, V. C., Mexico. 
SCRAPS. 
Wr receive frequent questions about the 
value of spent tan bark as a fertilizer. 
The chemists place little value on It, 
though the ashes from burning this bark 
are useful. Some practical farmers have 
reported good success where the spent tan 
was used for mulching currants or other 
bush fruits. 
The cherry and pear trees are blossom¬ 
ing freely, and not much difference In the 
variety. I think the old-fashioned black 
cherry Is not quite as full of bloom as the 
sour cherries or the Yellow Spanish. The 
pears are loaded with buds and blossoms 
without much distinction. Peach trees are 
also well in blossom though not as full as 
last year. j. t. 
Ira, N. T. 
The hamster, a small rat-llke rodent. Is 
causing great damage to agriculture In 
central Germany and the eastern part of 
Belgium; it is migratory, and Is regarded 
as such a source of danger that the French 
agricultural department Is offering a 
bounty for Its destruction. In some parts 
of Europe It appears to be as great a 
danger as the gopher in the Western 
States. 
A Manure Crui.ar.— Replying to W. B. 
W.’s Inquiry on page 356, about cement cis¬ 
tern for majiure drainage, my advice is not 
to make one. He will not find any drain¬ 
ing from horse manure; rather. It will be 
too dry. I would recommend cementing 
floor of manure shed, making It lower In 
center. I once made a cement cistern In 
bottom of my manure cellar where I kept 
cows, but after a few years’ trial I filled 
it up. It proved of but little utility and 
was much bother. m. morse. 
Massachusetts. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you will get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See our guarantee 8th page. 
Dimness 
Is a very common consequence of indi¬ 
gestion and torpid liver. Sometimes 
there are spots before the eyes and hot 
flashes. At other times a sensation as 
of vertigo occurs, at once sufTocating and 
blinding. It is a -waste of time to at¬ 
tempt to cure this 
condition by or¬ 
dinal means or 
medicines. The 
stomach and 
organs of diges¬ 
tion and nutrition 
must be restored 
to healthy activ¬ 
ity, the blood 
must be purified, 
the liver cleansed 
and strengthened, 
before a cure can 
^ hoped for. This 
is the work done 
Dr. Pierce’s 
Golden Medical 
Di.scovery, a med¬ 
icine specially 
beneficial in dis¬ 
eases of the stom¬ 
ach, blood and 
liver. It strength¬ 
ens the stomach, 
purifies the blood, 
cleanses the clog¬ 
ged liver, and pro¬ 
motes the health 
of every organ of 
the body. 
«My wife was greatly troubled with indiges¬ 
tion, torpid liver, dizziness, and also irregular 
period-s,” writes Mr. W. A. Preston, of Shuqita- 
lak, Noxubee Co., Miss. "We tried many dilTcr- 
ent remedies, but none of them gave perfect re¬ 
lief until we were induced by a lady to try your 
‘ Golden Medical Di.scovcry,’ ^ Pavonte Prescripi- 
tion,’ and ‘Pleasant Pellet#.’ These medicines 
did more good than anything we ever tried for 
those complaints. We nave used four bottles of 
your ‘ Golden Medical Discovery,’ one of * Favor¬ 
ite Prescription,’ and two vials of your ‘ Pellets.’ 
These medicines have done the work we de¬ 
sired, and I do heartily recommend them to all 
similar sufferers.” 
Dr. Pierce’s Pleasant Pellets assist the 
action of the "Discovery.'' 
RUBEBOID 
THE 
POULTRY-HOUSE 
ROOFING 
As a wator-proof covering for Poultry- 
I Rouses, ItUKKUOIl) has no equal. Keeps I 
tne houses cool during the warm weather, 
and warm In Winter, and the chicks dry and 
I comfortable. The sun cannot melt It. 
THE STAHDARD PAINT CO., 
100 William Street, 
NEW YORK. 
For Best Roofing than shingles or tin 
at one-half the cost, send **stamp for sample and 
price toll. M. 8WKKT, 62 Welmore Ave.,Wln8ted, Ct 
Melons 
in Florida and Georgia arc very profit 
able crops if produced early in the sea¬ 
son. The best fertilizer to force their 
early growth and maturity is 
Nitrate of Soda, 
which should be used witli tlie jiroper 
proportions of potash salts and acid 
phosphate. When properly applied it 
cannot fail to develop the largest and 
finest yields for the early market. 
Full particulars free upon application 
to John A. Myerx, 12-0 .John St., 
New York City. Nitrate of Soda for 
mle by dealers-, we send you a list of them. 
Wet Weather 
is the time when 6-lnc 
tires are a necessity ;th( 
cut no ruts In Held 
or lane: they roll 
over the soil, and 
they draw easier. 
“If I only had a 6- 
Inch Handy, I could get 
that crop olT before the 
next rain and cut no ruts 
thro' the new seeding’’ 
FARMER'S HANDY WAGON CO.,Saginaw. Mich. 
BERRY BASKETS. 
Wire-stapled Berry Baskets 
are the best in the market, 
uniform In size and un- 
In strength. 
Special Price on Car Lots. 
Write for Descriptive Catalog 
WEBSTER BASKET CO„ 
Monroe Co. (Lock box 43). WKB8TBR, N. Y. 
