1901 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
473 
Events of the IVeek. 
domestic.—J ustice Bradley, in the Equity Court in 
W.ashington, June 21, denied the application of Lone 
Wolf and other Indians for an injunction against the 
Secretary of War, to restrain him from opening the 
Kiowa, Comanclie and Apaclie lands, in Oklahoma, to 
settlement. He held that the question was purely a 
political one, with which the Court had no power to 
deal. An appeal was taken.Three persons were 
killed and several injured during an electric storm which 
swept over Indiana June 20. At Greentown trees were 
ui rooted and crops badly damaged by hail, the loss being 
put at $40,000. At Hartford City 50 oil derricks were 
blown down, and several buildings damaged; loss $25,000. 
.... A fire following an explosion of lireworks in a 
store at Paterson, N. J., June 21, caused the death of 18 
persons, and injuries to many others.Adelbert 
S. Hay, son of Secretary of State Hay, fell from a win¬ 
dow in the fourth story of a liotel at New Haven, Conn., 
June 22, and was instantly killed. Mr. Hay was 25 years 
old. In May, 1900, he was appointed United States Con¬ 
sul at Pretoria, South Africa, returning to this country 
last March. Had he lived two days longer he would 
have been appointed assistant secretary to the President. 
.... A great flood swept down the Elkhorn River 
Valley, West Virginia, June 23, as the result of a cloud¬ 
burst. The resulting devastation reached a length of 35 
miles, a dozen small towns being destroyed, and nearly 
a score of coal mines wrecked. The property loss will 
be about half a million, and GO lives or more were lost. 
Full details have been received very slowly, communica¬ 
tion being destroyed.By a storm around Pitts¬ 
burg, Pa., June 22, four lives were lost, and a property 
damage of $500,000 was sustained.A fire which 
started in a brush factory at Newark, N. J., June 22, 
caused a loss of $160,000.Ten new cases of small¬ 
pox were reported in Brooklyn, N. Y., June 25, and the 
disease continues to appear all tlirongh Greater New 
York. 
PHILIPPINES.—Civil government will be established 
in tlie Philippine Islands on July 4, Judge Taft becoming 
Civil Governor. General Chaffee has been appointed 
Military Governor. 
GENERAL FOREIGN NEWS.—Light on the recent 
campaign in China of the allied forces is furnished by 
the report of General Chaffee, the American commander, 
made to the War Department. Among other things, it 
tells of looting and killing by the soldiers, the victims 
slain including women and children. For every Boxer 
killed he estimates that 50 harmless persons were slain. 
Cities, towns and country were plundered.Dur¬ 
ing the w'eek ending June 22 there were 155 new cases 
and 152 deaths from plague at Hongkong. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—Henry Xavier, well known as 
an expert on winemaking grapes, died at Mt. Vernon, 
N. Y., June 19, aged 75. He was a native of Lyons, 
France, coming to this country when young. He made 
many trips to Europe in connection with the introduc¬ 
tion of wine-producing grapevines into this country. He 
brought, all told, 842 varieties, practically every known 
species from Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Hungary, 
and other vine growing countries. He conducted many 
experiments and produced man> crosses which have 
proved successful in the wine producing regions of 
America. 
The following dates have been arranged for special 
■exhibitions at the Pan-American Exposition: Hardy 
roses, June 18 to 28; sweet peas, July 23 to August 2; 
Gladiolus, August G to 17; Asters, August 27 to September 
7; Dahlias, September 17 to 27; Ghrysanthemums, October 
22 to 31. 
The Nurserymen’s Mutual I’rotective Association held 
its annual meeting June 12, and reelected the following 
ottlcers: President, N. 11. Albaugh, Phoneton, O.; vice- 
president, Win. C. Barry, Rochester, N. Y.; secretary- 
treasurer, George C. Seager, Rochester, N. Y. Executive 
committee, E. Albertson, Bridgeport. Ind.; Irving Rouse, 
Rochester, F. Stannard, Ottawa, Can. On the same date 
the American Nurserymen’s Protective Association held 
a meeting when the following oflicers were chosen: Win. 
Pltklns, Rochester, president; A. L. Brooke, North To¬ 
peka, Kan., vice-president; T. B. Meehan, Germantown, 
Pa., secretary; Peter Youngers, Geneva, Neb., treasurer. 
Executive committee, Messrs. C. J. Brown and Wm. 
Pitkin, of Rochester, N. Y., and J. H. Dayton, Paines- 
vllle, O. 
At the recent meeting of the Florida State Horticul¬ 
tural Society, Tampa was selected as the next place of 
meeting, and the old olticers were elected, wltli excep¬ 
tion of tlilrd vice-president: President, George L. Taber, 
Glen St. Mary; vice-presidents. Dr. George Kerr, Pier¬ 
son, G. W. Wallson, Jacksonville; W. A. Cooper, Or¬ 
lando; secretary, S. Powers, Jacksonville; treasurer, W. 
S. Hart. Hawks I’aik. 
At the recent convention of the American Association 
of Nurserymen, at Niagara Falls, N. Y., the transporta¬ 
tion committee reported having obtained a reduction in 
the southern freight rates of from 25 to 50 per cent. Irv¬ 
ing Rouse reported on behalf of tariff committee that 
special efforts should be made to secure fairer appraise¬ 
ments at ports of entry. C. L. Watrous, chairman of 
the legislative committee, gave details of efforts of that 
committee to ward off inimical legislation. Officers were 
elected as follows: Presidetit, Robert C. Berckmans, Au¬ 
gusta, Ga.; vice-president, R. J. Coe, Fort Atkinson, 
Wis.; secretary. Geo. C. Seager, Rochester, N. Y.; treas- 
urer, Charles L. Yates, Rochester, N. Y.; executive com¬ 
mittee, Peter Youngers, Nebraska; M. W. Hale, Knox¬ 
ville, Tenn.; William Pitkins, Rochester, N. Y. Next 
place of meeting Milwaukee. Resolutions were passed 
condemning proposed free distribution of nursery stock 
by the Federal Government and asking legislative com¬ 
mittee to use its influence to combat the proposed action. 
Since the New York State Fair prize list was printed 
the Short-horn Breeders’ Association of America offers 
to duplicate all premiums offered by the New York State 
Pair Commission, which makes this class amount to $1,085. 
At a joint meeting of State engineers and Senators 
and Representatives of western States held at Cheyenne, 
Wyo., a bill was prepared by a committee embodying a 
scheme for Government aid in the reclamation of the 
arid region. A meeting of the delegations of the West¬ 
ern States in Congress is to be held in Vv'ashington just 
prior to the ne.xt session of Congress, wlien this bill will 
be considered for introduction and a plan of action de¬ 
cided upon to secure its passage. The proposed meas¬ 
ure, in part, is as follows: “That all money received 
from the sale or disposal of public lands in Arizona, 
California, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, 
Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, 
Oregon, South Dakota and Washington, beginning with 
the fiscal year ending June 30, 1902, shall be reserved for 
the benelit of the State or Territory in which said lands 
are sold, to be kept as a special fund, known as the ‘arid 
land reclamation fund,’ under the direction of the Sec¬ 
retary of the Interior. Each State shall maintain an 
engineer's ottice, who shall plan and make the estimate 
for the reservoirs. 'I'lie i)lans sluili be su.brnitted to the 
Secretary of the Interior, who may appi'ove or reject 
tliem. ■ if approved the Secretary sliall set aside money 
for their construction and such lands are to be exempt 
from entry. The State may sell the comi)leted works to 
actual users of water.” 
The Government has dismissed the criminal prosecu¬ 
tion brought at Kansas City a inontli ago against officers 
of the Harrison Butterine Company, on a charge of 
violating the revenue laws. 
The Fennsylvai.ia Senate has confirmed the reappoint¬ 
ments of Secretary of Agriculture Hamilton and Dairy 
and Food Commissioner Cope. 
The Mississippi Valley Apple Growers’ Association met 
at Quincy, III., June 20. The meeting was unusually well 
attended and was presided over by Henry Clay Cupp, 
of Fall Creek. James Handly, of Quincy, served as sec¬ 
retary. In the immediate vicinity of Quincy it was the 
consensus of opinion that there would be but 50 per cent 
of a full crop. If this result should be readied, the crop 
will be twice as large as that of last year. This esti¬ 
mate is made in the face of the fact that in severa’ 
localities the trees are bare, and in otliers not more than 
10 or 15 per cent of the crop can be expected. In othe* 
localities in this district there is an assurance of full <'5 
per cent of a crop. Jefferson County reports it will h.'ive 
GO per cent of a crop. It is noticeable that failure of tlie 
crops is confined chiefly to the old orchards, which is an 
indication that the younger orchards are receiving more 
intelligent care and attention. In the southern part of 
Illinois the crop is more promising than in the central 
portion. In Franklin County tlie crop is unusually heavy. 
Isaac D. Snedecker, of Jerseyville, furnished a very in¬ 
teresting paper on “Spraying.” Daniel Shank, of Clay¬ 
ton, read an instructive paper on the “I^ropagation of 
the Ben Davis Apple.” Dr. C. W. Rook, of Quincy, 
favored the meeting with a timely talk on “Roots of 
Trees.” 
CROP PROSPECTS. 
Wheat very poor, hay good, beans looking well, oats 
and corn good; apples mostly fallen off. c. d. a. 
(’helsea, Mich. 
Rains came too late for oats and potatoes. Wheat 
will be short, and some thrashing outfits are being ship ■ 
ped out for work in other counties. b. 
Neosha Co., Kan. 
The apple crop will not be over 10 per cent, owing to 
rains and cool weather at blooming time. The potato 
crop will be large and very fine in this section, barring 
future contingencies. j. l. b. 
Norfolk, Va. 
The majority of No. G white wheat is hardly worth 
harvesting. The fields look as though one had sown 
chess I'uther than wlieat. A new wheat. Golden Chaff 
by name, has been grown by a few farmers near here, 
which appears to stand up against the tly. 1 have 10 
ac-res rye which stands up well. One cannot be seen in 
the Held, it is so high, put on for a cover crop but could 
not plow it under this Spring. When 1 read of your ex¬ 
perience broadcasting fertilizers, 1 smiled to think one 
would try it that way. It was only yesterday, however, 
that I was disappointed in getting a drill for that pur¬ 
pose, and four men waiting to plant potatoes. Well, we 
sowed fertilizer broadcast. 1 can now sympathize with 
you; at that time I did not. c. u. c. 
Jeddo, N. Y. 
'I’lie outlook for the hay crop in the major portion of 
the country is unusually good. Probably it will be very 
heavy in most sections. The trade in haying tools has 
been larger than usual. This seems more mtirked, as 
the trade in haying tools was not good the previous 
year. 'I’he liaying tools which we manufacture are mow¬ 
ing machines, rakes ami tedders. The improvements in 
haying machinery during the last few years have not 
consisted to any great extent in radical clianges in de¬ 
sign, but in a closer study of the macldne, resulting in 
improving materially various parts. Roller bearings have 
been introduced. There was a call for mowers of wider 
cut, and for wider liay rakes, and while this was carried 
to an extreme the trade seems to liave settled back 
somewltat to take a bar six inches or a foot wider than 
was once considered standard. Judging from the de¬ 
mand for tedders this year, we should say that they 
are being used more than ever before, especially in the 
older States. It is our opinion that the hay crop will be 
very large this yeai’, which is a fortunate thing, owing 
to the great scarcity of hay in the country. 
JOIINSTO.N’ ItAKVESTKK CO. 
JUNE 24.—Apple outlook in this and surrounding coun¬ 
ties is very discouraging. Practically no Baldwins, few 
R. I. Greenings, Ben Davis and Russets. Pears will be 
light crop. Peaches badly affected with curl-leaf. Large 
commercial growers are very despondent over the situ¬ 
ation. Rot is showing on grapes, one-half crop peaches, 
and fair crop prunes only. This is emphatically an “off” 
year, but we hope for better ones. e. w. c. 
Wayne Co.. N. Y. 
JUNE 24.—The prospects are that there will be few 
apples in this vicinity. The cold late Spring and late 
frost have damaged the crops. I think 1 shall have 
less than one-half usual yield. 1 had to drag up my 
corn ground and sow it to oats and peas; corn rotted 
in the hill. My oats and peas were not sown until June. 
The ground was so wet I could not work it. Horses 
would be knee-deep in mud, and this on ground where I 
had potatoes last year. Hay is good on new meadows 
and not so good as some suppose on old ones. Grass 
tall, but thin. Yellow clover is coming into our mea¬ 
dows and pastures. We cannot account for it. Stock 
like it. What is its feeding value? s. c. a. 
Warren Co., N. Y. 
Government Crop Report. 
• 
The temperature for the past weeR has been generally 
favorable for growing crops, with the exception of the 
Rocky Mountain region and parts of the Pacific coast, 
where it was abnormally cool. Corn conditions are 
greatly improved, but in southern Missouri and Texas 
rain is needed. Cultivation is progressing rapidly in the 
Middle and Eastern States, whei’e tlie previous rains 
gave the weeds a great start. Winter wheat harvest is 
in full blast. Fly is doing damage to the standing crop 
in parts of Michigan. Pennsylvania and New York, and 
I list is reported in Ohio and Virginia. The outlook in 
the Spring wheat I'egion is favorable and the crop Is 
now heading out. Haying is under way in most of the 
Northern Slates. The crop is lighter than usual in parts 
of Ohio, Maryland, Missouri and Mississippi. Oats in 
the Ohio Valley and Middle Atlantic States look prom¬ 
ising. Colton in the central parts of the belt has im¬ 
proved, but in the eastern section the fields are very 
grassy and some have been abandoned. More favorable 
reports on apples are leceived from Ohio, Indiana, Illi¬ 
nois and Kansas, Init in the other principal apple States. 
Llic outlook is not so good. In the Maine potato section 
bugs are very active, and the sweet potato flea is doing 
destructive work in southern Jersey. 
Stock in Sprayed Orchard. 
I have never known a case of live stock being killed 
when allowed to run in an orchard where spraying was 
being done, except chickens. We kept some chickens 
last year confined under plum trees which we sprayed. 
There was no grass under the trees, but a few weeds, 
particularly shepherd’s purse. 'I'he chickens having no 
green stuff to eat except tliis shepherd's purse probably 
ate more freely of it than they would have done other¬ 
wise, and a few were killed. 1 have heard of one other 
such case as ihis. I have never known, however, of any 
cattle, sheep, horses or hogs being killed, although we 
have allowed them to run in the orchard during the time 
of spraying. We have even noticed that the animals 
seemed to like to follow the sprayer around and eat. the 
damp grass when it is covered with the poisonous mix¬ 
ture. but none has ever been killed. 1 have expected 
an accident of this kind, because it often liappeiis in our 
spraying that the hose becomes loosened from the pipe, 
or bursts, and considerable quantities of liquid run out 
on the grass. In order to make a thorough test of the 
matter we have kept stock in the orchard purposely, 
during all the time of spraying, and I think now that 
there is no danger, unless slock should get at the mix¬ 
ture and drink it, which would not be likely. 
Ohio Exp. Station. IProf.] w. j. green. 
FRUIT NOTES.—An Improvement is noted in the 
quality of strawberries. Some from the Oswego district 
are selling at a premium above quotations, and all 
grades are in better demand than last week. Better 
peaches are also arriving, but they are still unsatisfac¬ 
tory, and buyers are waiting for fancy grades. Water¬ 
melons are coming in at the rate of 10 or 12 cars a day. 
'I'lie quality is excellent and they are bringing good 
prices. There is an excessiv'e supply of cherries, esiieci- 
ally under grades, and any reasonable offer is accepted 
for such lots. A few southern plums are seen, but they 
do not sell well, preference being given to the C’alifornias, 
which are larger and put up in more attractive shape. 
There is a good call for iniine muskmelons, but the bulk 
of the receipts are of miserable qualby. Business In 
bush fruits is dull, and gooseberries hard to sell. 
NEW YORK FRUI'r GROWERS.—Wayne County is 
the banner county in the New York State Fruit Grower’s 
Association, having 49 members. At a recent meeting of 
the Wayne Pomona Grange Hon. li. T. Yeomans, presi¬ 
dent of the New York State Fruit Growers’ Association, 
gave a very interesting talk on “Why do the Fruit 
Growers Organize?” He spoke mainly along the line of 
protection and cooperation, and cited as examples the 
organizations of California and Delaware. He men¬ 
tioned the crop report of the Department of Agriculture, 
and criticised its estimate, which is 7G per cent for New 
York State, whereas the sources of information of the 
Association would not place the estimate over half that 
amount. The estimate from a number of growers pres¬ 
ent placed the prospect for Wayne Countv at about 25 
per cent. A great meeting of farmers and fruit growers 
is planned for August 19 at the farm of B. J. Case, Sodus, 
N. Y. c. E. c. 
CALIFORNIA PROSPECTS.—After . nearly three 
months of almost rainless weather, the last day of April 
and the first part of May gave Santa Barbara County 
and most of southern California a rainfall of from 1^ 
to nearly four inches which, with two weeks of rather 
moist cool weather, caused a large part of of the grain 
fields to take a new start, so that even where failure 
was anticipated, a good crop of hay and grain will be 
harvested. Much of the land designed for corn and 
beans was put in better trim for planting, so we have a 
brighter prospect along that line. Deciduous fruits are 
not promising well, so 1 think the result a short crop. 
Much of the fruit-bearing wood is still dormant, which 
may start during the monin of June. Lemons promise 
well and many have been and are being gathered, stored 
and sent to market. Oranges are ripe and luscious. This 
county does not grow enough for home use, so there is 
more or less shipped in from orchards further east and 
south, where there are plenty and to spare. Walnuts 
promise fairly well. Much of the best land is planted 
with beans, mostly Limas. Many of the garden varieties 
are grown for the eastein seedsmen on contract. The 
seedsmen furnish seed and pay so much per 100 pounds 
for the crop f. o. b. on cars or steamers. The rainfall 
has not been sutficient to wet thoroughly and deep, but 
we are looking for better crops than for two years past. 
All will irrigate so far as the water can be obtained. 
Water is still being deveioucd, and new plants are being 
made ready for irrigation. o. N. C. 
Santa Barbara Co., Cal. 
