1901 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
649 
Events of the Week 
THE PRESIDENT.—The crisis in the President’s con¬ 
dition was reached September 13, and his death occurred 
early the next morning. A number of avowed anarchists 
in Chicago have been arrested as associates of Czolgosz, 
and the group In Paterson, N. J., suspected of complicity 
in the murder of King Humbert, is under close surveil¬ 
lance. There is a disposition in all European countries, 
and in the United States, to enact further special legis¬ 
lation for the suppression of this class. In this country, 
such an attempt, unless death result, is punished 
with an extreme penalty of 10 years’ Imprisonment, un* 
less a new law is enacted for his case. It is advised by 
many of the judiciary that such a crime be specified as 
treason and punished by the death penalty. Indiana 
and Wisconsin purpose introducing bills into their next 
legislatures to exclude all avowed anarchists from these 
States. Emma Goldman, the anarchist lecturer, was ar¬ 
rested in Chicago September 10, it being believed that 
her utterances inspired the attack by Leon Czolgosz. 
DOMESTIC.—Six armed men held up a passenger train 
near Texarkana, Tex, September 4, blew open the ex¬ 
press safe, and secured a large sum of money, estimated 
at $50,000.Suit has been instituted in Schuylkill 
County, Pa., by Mrs. Elizabeth Burmeister against the 
borough of Ashland, to recover $10,000 for the death of 
her husband from smallpox, the borough having failed 
to organize a board of heaith.Advices from 
northern Labrador show that Arctic fioes continue to 
blockade the coast. Such a state of things was never 
known before. The fishery is very backward; indeed, it 
is the worst on record in the more northern parts. Thou¬ 
sands of fishermen are doomed to a very poor return for 
the work of an arduous season. Numbers of bergs are 
floating southward past the Strait of Belle Isle, forming 
a serious menace to ocean navigation.Fire 
which broke out In a factory at Jefferson, Wis., Septem¬ 
ber 5, threatened to destroy the town. It was finaily 
subdued, with a loss aggregating about $60,000. 
Forest fires are ravaging sections of Newfoundland, and 
threaten several large lumbering districts. Twenty-three 
houses have been destroyed in the settiement of White 
Bay, and it is feared that other villages have also been 
burned. It is impossible to cope with the fires, and un- 
iess a heavy rainfali extinguishes them the ioss to timber 
interests will be very great.A fire at Salt Lake, 
Utah, September 10, caused damage reaching $300,000. A 
dynamite explosion caused by the fire injured four fire¬ 
men.Memorial services were held at Galveston, 
Tex., September 10, In memory of those who perished in 
the great storm a year ago, and garlands of flowers were 
spread upon the Incoming tide of the Gulf at sunset. 
. . . . The gale on lower Lake Michigan and Lake 
Huron, September 8-9, caused damage to shipping 
amounting to $300,000. No lives were lost, but 56 persons 
were rescued by life-saving crews. The gale was ren¬ 
dered more dangerous by thick smoke from forest fires. 
. . . . A fire at Denver, Col., September 8, caused loss 
reaching $100,000. 
PHILIPPINES.—The Congressional party on the trans¬ 
port McClellan, which left New York July 10, arrived at 
Manila September 9. This delegation is to examine into 
the general administration of affairs in the Philippines, 
and report back to Congress any recommendation which 
it may consider necessary for the improvement of ex¬ 
isting conditions on the Islands. The party consists of 
Senators Bacon, of Georgia, and Dietrich, of Nebraska, 
and Representatives Mercer of Nebraska; Smith, of 
Illinois; Burleson, of Texas; De Armond, of Missouri; 
Driscoll, of New York; Gaines, of Tennessee, and Green, 
of Pennsylvania. 
GENERAL FOREIGN NEWS.—The Korean govern¬ 
ment has issued an order that no rice or grain should be 
exported, the cause being that little short of a famine 
threatens the country on account of a lack of rain. The 
whole country is in a most dreadful state.The 
Butchers’ Association of Vienna has adopted a resolu¬ 
tion demanding that the maximum tariff be imposed 
upon American lard, bacon and sausages. 
Venezuelan troops have begun the bombardment of Rio 
Hacha, an important town on the coast of Colombia. 
. . . . A fire at Foo Chow, China, August 20, caused 
damage amounting to over $1,000,000, and many people 
perished in the flames, which burned for two days. Riots 
accompanied the fire, and many were killed by the troops. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The Texas State Millers’ As¬ 
sociation, representing 200 millers, reports a shrinkage 
in the wheat crop of the State of from 16,000,000 to 6,000,000 
bushels. 
Professor B. T. Galloway, of the Department of Agri¬ 
culture, has returned from an extended tour of the re¬ 
cently drought-stricken regions of the West. He was 
sent by Secretary Wilson to make an official and expert 
examination of the conditions of the districts where the 
suffering was most prolonged and the loss the greatest. 
He started with Michigan, and visited the States of Ohio, 
Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Colo¬ 
rado. The results of his observations will be embodied 
in an elaborate report on the causes and phases of 
drought and the remedial expedients to which the De¬ 
partment can advise farmers to resort. Mr. Galloway 
says the drought was a great moral lesson to farmers 
generally, and that they will be likely to profit by their 
experience in the development of ways to avoid the con¬ 
sequences of a failure of crops for want of rain. 
The rural free delivery service will, in a few weeks, 
furnish to its patrons stamped envelopes bearing return 
notices, stating the route on which they were mailed. 
In case of non-delivery they will be sent back to the 
carrier who first collected them, and be by him returned 
to the person who deposited the letter in the mails. This 
new feature of the service is intended to give the rural 
patron the same facilities that are now enjoyed by those 
who live in the cities, and to render their letters more 
secure in the mails. 
The Farm Crops Division of the Illinois College of 
Agriculture has been called upon to supply corn and 
other crop judges for the Illinois State Fair, the Indiana 
State Fair, the Peoria Corn Exposition, the Atlanta Fair, 
the Champaign Fair, and numerous other exhibits of 
corn and farm crops. In addition to this, the students 
of this department have been asked to judge the exhibits 
of corn, wheat and oats at nearly all of the county farm¬ 
ers’ institutes in the State this year. The work will b« 
done according to the score cards arranged for judging 
corn, wheat and oats which are used in the regular 
class instructional work at the University, 
The eleventh annual meeting of the New York State 
Veterinary Society opened at Ithaca, N. Y., September 
10. Many veterinarians from other States came from At¬ 
lantic City, where the annual meeting of the American 
Veterinary Association has been held. Among them 
were Dr. S. S. Stewart, secretary of the American asso¬ 
ciation; Dr, C. C. Lyford, one of the leading practitioners 
of Minneapolis, and Prof. M. H. Reynolds, of the Uni¬ 
versity of Minnesota. The officers of the Society for the 
present year are as follows: President, Roscoe R. Bell, 
Brooklyn; vice-president, George H. Berns, Broojilyn, 
and secretary-treasurer, Claude O. Morris, Binghamton, 
N. Y. 
The eighth annual convention of the National Hay As¬ 
sociation began at Indianapolis, Ind., September 10. 
SELLING VALUES OF FARM LANDS. 
How Has Agriculture Prospered ? 
CONDITIONS IN WASHINGTON,—Land has increased 
in value 16 per cent within the last 20 years. You will 
remember that this is a new country; 20 years ago there 
was not over one-tenth of the land taken or settled. A 
great deal of the land belonged to the Northern Pacific 
Railroad, which was sold to settlers at from 50 cents to 
$10 per acre. This same land is now selling at from $5 
to $40 per acre. Other lands are selling in like ratio. 
One cause of this is a demand for homes from people of 
the Middle West. But the principal cause Is that the 
farmers have found that a great deal of land that was 
not considered good for anytiiing but pasture is the very 
best for wheat and fruit. h. r. 
Diamond, Wash. 
A DECLINE IN A GOOD MARKET.—Tamaqua is sit¬ 
uated very nearly in the center of the anthracite coal 
fields of Pennsylvania; but north, east and south of us 
there are sections of fine agricultural land, which are 
highly productive when well farmed, and the latter is 
the rule, because of the fine home market at the mining 
towns and collieries within easy reach of the farmers. 
While the productiveness of farm land has been increased 
in the last 2u years, the land itself has decreased in 
value, and on sale now rarely sells for more than one- 
half the price it sold for 30 years ago. Money lenders 
and institutions in the towns will not loan on farm prop¬ 
erty except at a large margin. While 1 know of many 
cases where farms have sold at decreased prices, I know 
of none at an increased price. The causes may be the 
laborious character of the occupation, the inclination of 
the farmers’ sons for other occupations, and the conse¬ 
quent scarcity of farm labor. h. b. o. 
Tamaqua, Pa. 
A DECLINE IN OHIO VALUES.—About 29 years ago 
David Hilty, former owner of the farm I now reside on, 
refused $135 per acre. The farm contains 171% acres; 
then had not a tile on it, and the same buildings we have 
to-day; about four acres of apple orchard. Seventeen 
years ago I bought this farm at the administrator’s sale 
for $91 per acre; have kept buildings roofed and in fair 
repair, and except being somewhat out of style, they 
are in many respects as good as new. I have tiled out 
on this farm all the wet places, laid in miles of tile, 
from two to eight-inch in size; have planted over 1,300 
fruit trees, such as peach, quince, sour cherry, pear and 
plum; many now ready to bear—a model young orchard. 
This sold at public sale on June 13, 1901, with about 30 
acres of wheat growing on it that will make 30 bushels 
and more per acre; 35 acres of Red and Alsike clover 
mixed that will make over 3% tons per acre; 75 acres of 
White clover and Blue grass pasture equal to anything 
that can be produced in famous Kentucky, for $46 per 
acre un long time. 1 have learned years ago that while 
the public press was parading the great National pros¬ 
perity voe were enjoying, that we as farmers were posi¬ 
tively and completely excluded. j. c. a. 
Rittman, O. 
DAIRY PROSPERITY.-The price of farms and dairy 
products touched bottom here just previous to the Sum¬ 
mer of 1899. The rise In price of dairy products during 
the Fall of 1899 and 1900 gave farmers here a real slice of 
prosperity, and caused farms to be in good demand at 
an advance of about 25 per cent. Before me lies a state¬ 
ment of one of the best cheese factories around here. 
The saie is from July 19 to August 1, and the net for 100 
pounds of milk is .774. The little spurt of prosperity 
for the general dairy farmer has nearly disappeared; 
and while the farmer takes .774 for his milk he finds 
himself charged trust prices on nearly everything he has 
to buy, especially labor. Tenant-farming is on the in¬ 
crease, and generally hastens run-down conditions, with 
a galaxy of docks, wild carrots, paint-brush, iive-forever, 
etc. All kinds of pests combine to make it harder for a 
farmer than 20 years ago. One of the iargest, best and 
most productive farms here about 28 years ago sold for 
$13,000. The farm and buildings were steadily improved 
and sold 12 years ago for $10,000. This year the same 
farm sold for $8,000, a decline of 33 1-3 per cent in 28 
years. In 1873 the milk from 21 cows netted $1,100 from 
the cheese factory. Last year the same farm sent a 
larger quantity of milk and received $900, and last year 
was the best in years. a. n. H. 
Norway, N. Y. 
ADVANCE IN MINNESOTA.—I came here on this 
place (soldier homestead) in 1880. It was considered 
worth $1.25 per acre. 1 have 171%, and to-day I value it 
at $4,000. The farms have all been taken under home¬ 
stead entry, mortgaged, and then abandoned. Land here 
Is being taken now by men from Iowa, Missouri, etc., 
and nearly all occupied. Values of produce, such as 
potatoes, are not quite as high as when I came here, as 
I have sold potatoes for $1.60 per bushel. They are now 
selling at 40 cents. I do not see but that my place pro- 
* duces as well or better than when I first came here, as 
I have never had a complete failure since I have been 
on it. We have a light sandy loam near me, but on 
Mississippi River have heavy clay. I will take the loam. 
I do not raise much tame hay; we have fine wild mea¬ 
dows. I think the reason of the advance in price of land 
in this locality is caused by having a better class of 
people coming in. The first ones were a kind of Okla¬ 
homa boomers trying to get something for nothing. 
There have been five new houses put up here this Sum¬ 
mer, and the places that have put them up five years 
ago could have been bought for $500 each. Now you 
could not get them for $1,000. Of course, our sales are 
a great deal more now than when we came here, for 
then the place was new. I have now only about 40 acres 
in cultivation; the rest is pasture and hay. My business 
is butter. k. a. 
Crow Wing Co., Minn. 
SOME IMPROVEMENT.—There has been a very heavy 
decline In prices of farm property; from 15 years ago to 
four or five years since from 25 to 50 per cent. What is 
the cause? I can oniy give my opinion. From 20 to 25 
years ago much property changed hands at high figures, 
men giving mortgages at high rates of interest. They 
failed to meet their obligation and this resulted in fore¬ 
closures of mortgages, thereby throwing a large amount 
of farm property on the market, and there were more 
sellers than buyers. This condition was brought about 
by so many going West to obtain cheap lands. Another 
cause was that men who had money to invest put it 
into western lands as well as bonds and mortgages, at a 
high rate of interest. High rates of interest and low 
prices of farm produce almost invariably cause cheap 
lands, while low rates of interest and a high price for 
farm produce result in high-priced lands. So a combi¬ 
nation of causes produced depreciation in farm values. 
But within the past three or four years there has been 
a gradual stiffening of prices and greater activity in the 
market for farms, simply because there is not so much 
cheap land to be obtained in the West, and farm produce 
is bringing better prices than 20 years ago, as my book 
of saies indicates. Although no great number of farms 
have been disposed of at great advance in price, I have 
heard of several places that have sold at quite an ad¬ 
vance, and there is a strong tendency to ask more than 
formerly. I believe a reaction is taking place, and it 
will not be long before our farms will bring former prices. 
Palermo, N. Y. Q. f. h. 
A REPORT FROM MICHIGAN.—Your question, 
whether farm lands have increased in vaiue, causes me 
to give a few figures in this looaiity, Clinton Co., Mich. 
Farm lands compared with 1893 have increased in value 
about five per cent, but this is an unjust comparison. 
The farm that I occupy was purchased in 1886 at $55 per 
acre; $3,509 worth of substantial improvements have been 
made and it has been offered for $60 per acre. The an¬ 
nual income of this farm ranges from $1,400 to $1,700, be¬ 
sides furnishing milk, butter, eggs, meat, fruit of ail 
kinds, fuel and vegetables for a family of seven. A farm 
joining me sold for $41 per acre; buildings old and run¬ 
down, for which in 1876 an offer of $75 per acre was re¬ 
fused. A farm on the south sold recently for $40 that 
would have brought $60 in the year 1875. Farm values 
have not advanced since 1884; with added Improvement, 
compared with 1876, they have fallen 25 to 40 per cent; 
compared with 1893 have advanced five per cent. It is 
very evident to me that farm values have not shared 
in the boasted general prosperity, and why they do not 
I cannot see. Farming is a very profitable business in 
this section. I know of farmers who are making an an¬ 
nual payment of $800 to $1,000 a year on a 120-acre farm, 
besides a good living, but much depends upon the skill 
and management of farm and economical purchase of 
luxuries and fixtures. This is one of the richest counties 
in Michigan, the assessed valuation over $17,000,000, and 
this chiefly an agricultural district. Only one other 
county in the State has as much land under cultivation. 
St. Johns, Mich. w. n. k. 
THE NEW YORK STATE FAIR. 
The weather was against the Fair this year, and the 
attendance was not so large as was hoped for, yet it 
will go into history as one of the best of the series. It 
was as clean as a whistle. There were no objectionable 
side shows or “barkers” to draw attention from the 
legitimate exhibits, but the respectable and orderly 
crowds enjoyed themselves in true rural fashion. The 
exhibits of live stock were enormous. Some of the 
finest animals in the State were shown, and the stalls 
and pens were constantly surrounded. The display of 
fruit and vegetables exceeded anything ever seen be¬ 
fore in the State. Much of this was due to the Increased 
competition caused by the work of the New York Fruit 
Growers’ Association. This society was organized barely 
six months ago, yet it won first prize for best exhibits, 
showing all told 2,254 plates of fruit, or 462 varieties. 
These comprised 195 varieties of apples, five of crabs, 64 
pears, 74 plums, 66 grapes, seven quinces, 46 peaches, 
three exotic grapes, one chestnut and one Japan quince. 
We hope to give next week a special report or study of 
the fruit exhibit. 
As usual the most interesting feature of the Fair was 
the crowd. The farmers of New York who attend the 
State Fair are, as a rule, the cream of the profession. 
They are worthy and intelligent people, and to talk 
with them is to get a clear idea of the conditions of New 
York agriculture. Most of them are hopeful this year, 
but it must be admitted that the season has been a hard 
one. The fruit is scarce, and that means much to the 
New York State farmer. It is surprising what a factor 
in farm income good apples have become. Some of these 
careful and intelligent farmers are working out methods 
of culture and fertilizing that will make the work done 
by the experiment stations doubly effective. 
Crop and Weather Report. 
Drought still continues In portions of Texas and Okla¬ 
homa. There have been light frosts In the Rocky Moun¬ 
tain regions and Michigan, and snow has fallen In Mon¬ 
tana. Farm work in Nebraska and South Dakota has 
been hindered by rains. The Eastern States have had a 
very favorable week. In the Central West late-planted 
corn Is maturing and will soon be out of the reach of 
frost. The cotton outlook has improved, and picking Is 
in progress. The only sections where improvement Is 
noted in the apple crop are Arkansas and West Virginia. 
Wheat sowing in the Ohio Valley is progressing rapidly. 
