l90i 
tHE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Events of the Week 
DOMESTIC.—Frank Idings, the man who said in a 
Cleveland, O., saloon that he belonged to a society that 
would pay $50,000 to any man who would kill Fresident 
Roosevelt, was, September IS, ordered turned over to the 
Board of Manaprs of the Ohio State Penitentiary, 
Idings was identilied as a paroled convict. He was sen¬ 
tenced to the penitentiary in March, 1898, to serve five 
years for burglary and larceny, and was paroled in De¬ 
cember, 1899. As a result of his recent utterances Idings 
will serve at least two years more in the State prison. 
.... The assassin Czolgosz, when brought into the 
dock at Buffalo, refused to answer the indictment. He 
is believed to be shamming insanity. His counsel en¬ 
tered the plea of not guilty, and asked permission to 
call in alienists to examine the murderer’s mental conui- 
tlon. He was pronounced entirely sane, and was de- 
claied guilty September 24.A misplaced switch 
caused a collision between express and freight trains at 
Brocton, Mass., September 18, in which six passengers 
wei e killed and 25 injured. .... Forest fires are 
causing great damage in Boulder Co., Col. September 19, 
25 square miles of timber had been burned near Eldora, 
and the town was threatened.The report of the 
engineers who have been examining the great Brooklyn 
Bridge shows that it is now loaded to the limit, and a 
few more tons massed at one point would make the struc¬ 
ture dangerous. The experts recommend a new outside 
truss and other repairs which would cost $1,000,000. 
.... The steamer Hudson, with crew of 25, was lost 
off Eagle River, Lake Superior, during a gale September 
19.A gas explosion in the department store of 
A. M. Rothschild & Co., Chicago, 111., wrecked a huge 
wall September 19, causing a loss of $250,000; several per¬ 
sons were injured, but none killed.The State 
Insane Asylum at Norfolk, Neb., was destroyed by fire 
September 23; two lives lost. The damage reaches $150.- 
000.The Governor of Texas has signed the 
•‘Blind Tiger” bill, which imposes severe penalties and 
imprisonment for shipping intoxicating beverages into 
local option communities. 
THE LATE PRESIDENT.—Thursday, September 19, 
the remains of President McKinley were interred, after 
simple and impressive services, at Canton, O. Memorial 
services were held and public mourning displayed all over 
the country. In British India, memorial services were 
held in all the central cities, and September 19 was ob¬ 
served as a day of public mourning. The British Chan¬ 
nel Squadron and the land batteries at Gibraltar fired a 
salute of 21 guns. In France, many emblems of mourn¬ 
ing appeared among the decorations displayed in honor 
of the Czar’s visit.Tests by chemists and bac¬ 
teriologists prove conclusively that Czolgosz did not 
poison his bullets, as was suspected by Dr. Wasdin. 
.... The expense incurred by the death of the Presi¬ 
dent, including medical attendance and funeral, will be 
met through a special provision of Cong^ress. Aid will 
also be given Mrs. McKinley. 
PHILIPPINES.—Gen. Hughes has expelled a number 
of English traders from Samara for aiding the insur¬ 
gents by buying hemp and other supplies.The 
new Philippine tariff, as approved by the War Depart¬ 
ment, was enacted into law by the Philippine Commis¬ 
sion September 17, to take effect November 15. Governor 
Taft has cabled the War Department asking that printed 
copies of the new tariff in both English and Spanish be 
sent at once, in order to reach the Philippines on the 
date when it goes into effect. If the copies cannot reach 
there at that time it will be necessary to postpone the 
date when the tariff goes into effect until December 1. 
All the important features of the new tariff have been 
made public heretofore. 
GENERAL FOREIGN NEWS.—The British torpedo 
boat destroyer Cobra struck a rock in the North Sea 
September 19; an explosion followed, and she sank im¬ 
mediately; 55 lives lost. The Cobra held the record as 
the fastest vessel in the world.An explosion 
in a powder factory at Ripault, France, September 19, 
killed 11 persons, and seriously injured 17 others, most 
of them fatally.There is a renewal of activity 
among the Boers, and there is no sign of settlement in 
South Africa. It is said that President Kruger will ap¬ 
peal to President Roosevelt for intervention. 
England has been celebrating the millenary of King Al¬ 
fred the Great. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The first snow of the season 
fell at Grand Forks, N. D., September 17. It was very 
light and came at the end of a slight shower. The 
weather is very unfavorable for thrashing. Thousands 
of acres are still in shock, and there is some anxiety lest 
the farmers should be unable to finish. 
Frost occurred in western Missouri and eastern Kan¬ 
sas September 18, an earlier date for the first frost than 
for many years. Vegetables planted after the breaking 
of the drought, in the hope of raising a crop before 
frost came, were damaged. 
T. S. Gold, of West Cornwall, has retired from the 
secretaryship of the Connecticut Board of Agriculture, 
after long and efficient service. His successor is Col. J. 
F. Brown, of North Stonington. 
A severe frost was experienced through northern and 
central New York September 19. Ice formed on shallow 
water and truck farm products were injured. 
Prof. C. C. Georgeson, in charge of the Alaskan experi¬ 
ment stations, has reported to the Department of Agri¬ 
culture that he has found good gardens all along the 
Yukon Valley in the cold interior region of Alaska. The 
report says that, although the season was unusually late 
this year. Prof. Georgeson found new potatoes, cabbages, 
cauliflower and beets and other vegetables ready for the 
table before the middle of August, and lettuce, radishes 
and turnips grown in the open had been in use for sev¬ 
eral weeks. Flower gardens containing a large variety 
of annuals grown from seed furnished last year were in 
full bloom. Similarly encouraging reports are given for 
Spring-seeded barley and for oats and wheat. 
October 10 is set as National Grange day at the Pan- 
American Exposition. An interesting programme has 
been arranged. Including addresses by many prominent 
workers in the Order. All Patrons of Husbandry and 
farmers generally are invited to visit the Exposition at 
that time. 
It is believed that the Oregon hop crop will not exceed 
60,000 to 65,000 bales, which is less than was anticipated, 
but the quality is good. 
THE CANADIAN CENSUS NETUHNS. 
I hear very little said about the census returns by 
farmers hei'e. I have been living here more than 40 
years, and I think that the population is increasing as 
fast as it ever did. The land in general here is rough, 
and not all suitable for farming, so the increase in popu¬ 
lation goes to other parts of Canada. A good many have 
gone from here to Manitoba, and have done well. ’The 
incomes from land are better a good deal .than in former 
years. j. h. 
The Ridge, Ont. 
1 am not in a position to give you any information tliat 
would be reliable. My own opinion, from reading the 
newspapers, would be that it had been taken in a very 
careless fashion, which might account for so small an 
increase. Concerning farm values here, farms are dear, 
taking productiveness into consideration, so much so that 
I am selling and going to the New England States. I 
am just home from there, and can buy a farm for $2,;jUU 
that would sell for $3,500 here. I do not understand it, 
but the fact remains. I am 30 miles from Montreal; in 
the eastern townships farms are much cheaper than 20 
years ago, and farmers are not making so much, but 
prospects are a little brighter now, as stock of all kinds 
is selling much higher than two years ago. f. p. k. 
St. Sophie, Quebec. 
While it is a fact that the census returns show a veiy 
small increase in the popuiation of Canada for the past 
10 years, and to a person not acquainted with the mat¬ 
ter it would appear that the population of this country 
is increasing very slowly, at the same time it is very 
evident to one living in this country, who understands 
the matter, that the increase in the population for the 
past three or four years has been very great. Until 
within the last three or four years a very large per. cent 
of the young men went to ihe United States to seek 
their fortune, and were, I am glad to say, successiul, 
and a large per cent of the immigrants to Canada only 
stopped here for a short time before they went to the 
United States also. This was a great drain on Canada 
at that time, but I am happy to say that has all ciiaiigeu 
now; the people of this country have great conlidence 
in their own land, and are mostly prosperous and doing 
successful business in their different trades. The young- 
men are now remaining in Canada, and the immigrants 
stay here. Therefore you see it has taken a very large 
per cent of the increase for the last four years to make 
up what the country lost in the six previous yeai-s. Farm 
lands in Ontario are to-day about the same value as 
they were 20 years ago. The reason for their not in¬ 
creasing in value is owing to the great western part of 
Canada opening up (which commenced about 20 years 
ago); the eastern expensive lands cannot compete with 
the cheap western iand in growing grain, and the proba¬ 
bilities are that farm lands in eastern Canada will not 
increase in value to any great extent until the very 
choice lands of western Canada become all taken up 
and settled. I was through western Canada a few weeks 
ago, and after a person takes a trip through that part 
of the country, and sees the wonderful opportunities 
which are offered for all branches of agriculture, it 
does not surprise one that farmers go west and take up 
land (which only costs $10 and homestead duties for 160 
acres) instead of purchasing the expensive eastern lands 
on which it takes a lifetime to make enough to pay for. 
Picton, Ont. a. m. t. 
The Canadian census returns, on the whole, were some¬ 
what disappointing. As regards Ontario observing per¬ 
sons were not expecting the census returns to show 
much of an increase for the following reasons: The ten¬ 
dency is to increase the area of the farms through the 
older settled portions of this Province. The more pro¬ 
gressive and wealthier farmers have been gradually buy¬ 
ing up the small farms adjoining them; 40 years ago a 
large pioportion owned 50 and 100-acre farms. The fam¬ 
ilies on each of those farms then were more numerous 
than now. It was not uncommon then to see families 
of eight to 12 children. Households of that size are now 
very scarce, having apparently gone out of fashion. 
Those large families, as they grew up, moved to newer 
countries, where land was cheaper, mostly to the North¬ 
west, quite a number crossing the line and swelling the 
population of our Uncle Sam. Parra help consequently 
became scarce, and machinery of all kinds came into 
use. The same set of implements doing the work on a 
200-.acre farm that would be required on 50 acres, the 
tendency has been to increase the size of the farms and 
decrease the population. The farm which I own consists 
of 316 acres; was originally owned and occupied by five 
separate parties, each having good-sized families, with 
occasionally families of laborers occupying vacant 
houses. Two of the adjoining farms have been made up 
in the same manner. This, I think, is a fair sample of 
most of the older-settled parts of Ontario. When I went 
to our district school we had an average attendance of 
over 60 pupils. Our average now is about 20, while there 
is more land worked in the same district, better tilled 
and more productive. Thirty-two years ago I bought 
the 50 acres that I now live on for $32 per acre; can sell 
it to-day for $70. My impression is that farm lands in 
this county (Oxford) are worth one-third more than 
they were 20 years ago, with no trouble to sell, the in¬ 
comes of the farmer being much larger than they were 
at that time. Then a large quantity of grain was sold 
from the farm, a great part of our barley going to the 
United States, and some of our other grains, but our 
protective walls stopped that, and we sought other mar¬ 
kets, and gradually changed our products. We now 
feed most of our grain at home, turning it into cheese, 
butter, beef and bacon, and find that this method im¬ 
proves our farms and is more remunerative. Incidentally 
I may say that I favor free trade. g. a. m. 
Embro, Ont. ____________ 
Delightful weather; finished marketing peaches to¬ 
day; large crop. Potatoes small, $1 per bushel. Very 
few apples, $2.50 per barrel at home; 40 cents per 100 for 
cider apples. Corn gathered; fair crop. Buckwheat, a 
large crop, 55 cents a bushel. Pasture good. l. t. 
Ulster Co., N. Y. 
Cropland Weather Notes. 
The past week has been unseasonably cool in nearly 
all sections east of the Rocky Mountains, with more or 
less frost in the Central and Atlantic States. Late corn 
has been nipped by frost in North Dakota and the north¬ 
ern portions of other States in the corn belt, also on 
low lands in Ohio and Indiana; but most of the crop east 
of the Mississippi is matured, and cutting is well under 
way. Heavy rains in California have damaged grain, 
hay and grapes, and cotton in the South Atlantic and 
East Gulf States has suffered from the same cause. Open 
cotton has been discolored and beaten out, and sprouting 
and rotting are also reported. Most of the tobacco crop 
is housed and in good condition. Early-sown wheat in 
the central valleys is coming up well. 
General Crop Notes. 
We have had dry and hot weather during July and 
August. First frost September 18, killing green potato 
tops. Corn nearly all ripe, one-half crop. Wheat good. 
Oats medium. Hay an average crop. Clover seed one 
to four bushels to the acre. Early potatoes scarce, late 
potatoes not dug yet; will not be more than half crop, 
no rot yet. Fruits, except apples, a fair crop. t. c. k. 
Butler, Ind. 
C. I., of Rochester, N. Y., wishes to know if any of 
the readers have sown rye after potatoes and plowed 
under for oats. We sowed rye after potatoes this Spring; 
we plowed half under for oats. We waited until the 
rye was 10 or 12 inches high. My stepson entered one 
peck each of the oats and rye at the Suffolk County Fair 
and took first premium on both the first day of fair. 
We plow under rye for most all of our crops, potatoes, 
corn and cabbage. The cabbage for seed next season 
is looking very fine. Potatoes and corn are good. 
Calverton, N. Y. o j t 
The Clover Seed Crop. 
The clover seed crop in this vicinity Is a total failure, 
caused by the protracted drought. I don’t believe there 
will be 10 bushels thrashed in the whole county. 
Hillsboro, Ill. l. d. o 
As to the clover seed crop, I think there will be very 
little here. There were very poor stands secured from 
the sowing in 1899 and 1900. The young clover at present 
looks fine. 
Steel, Ohio. 
The crop of clover seed in this section is shorter than 
it has been for years, few farmers raising enough for 
their own seeding. I am told that the quality is not 
N. w. w. 
Knlghtstown, Ind. 
There is not over half a crop of clover, and the seed 
is very light, owing to extreme drought this Summer. 
The corn crop will be about one-third of a crop. The 
wheat is also very light. The entire region has suffered 
from drought the past Summer. w. f. t. 
Hanover, Ind. 
I got nine bushels of clover seed from about nine acres. 
A neighbor of mine, John Jones, hulled 35 bushels of seed 
from 50 acres; Wm. Douglass got 60 bushels from 15 acres. 
John Cadwallader’s 16 acres of clover yielded him about 
one-half bushel per acre; Thos. Johnson got two bushels 
from eight acres, Wm. Brann got two bushels from five 
or six acres. These yields are a fair sample of how it 
is hulling out. Mr. Douglass got a remarkably big yield 
for the season. It is generaily yielding about one bushel 
or less per acre. Owing to the severe drought we had 
the clover plant was very short and the heads small. 
It was all hulled before the rains came on it, conse¬ 
quently the quality is very fair, but the seeds are smailer 
than usual. It is worth $5 per bushel here. The chaff, 
after hulling, sells for about $5 per ton. The yield is less 
this year than common. j. c. 
Bushnell, Ill. 
The Potato Crop. 
Potatoes only about one-half a crop of former years; 
have heard of no complaint of rotting. j. s. 
Illinois. 
I should think the yield less than for the past few 
years, but there seems to be a fair crop. Not many are 
hai-vested yet. There is no rot that I have heard of. 
Dryden, Mich. p. b. 
The potato crop is extremely short in this vicinity this 
year. Late potatoes are still growing with plenty of 
rain now. Not one farmer in 10 will have enough for his 
own use. I have 25 rows 30 rods long on the best of new 
ground, which I judge will go one and one-half to two 
bushels to the row, of potatoes about the size of hen’s 
eggs. M. M. M. 
Caledonia, Ill. 
The yield of early potatoes was about an average one 
compared with former years. I think 100 bushels would 
be a fair estimate per acre. Quality good, i^nce star.i .. 
at $1, fell to 70 cents, then continued to advance until 
now they are selling at $1 to $1.10. The late crop in most 
places is not yielding above one-half crop. Some rot in 
center of tubers, and in the R. N.-Y. No. 2, I find 
some with black at stem ends. I do not know how preva¬ 
lent this will be, as they ai-e not ready yet to be dug. 
1 hear of some that have been pitted of the earlier va¬ 
rieties rotting in the pits, but cannot say at this writing 
how general it is. e. b. m. 
Bloomington, Minn. 
A short time ago the Vermont Experiment Station at 
Burlington sent out word that the Potato blight and rot 
threatened to do serious damage in Vermont this Fall. 
Later reports from the same source say that the fears 
of trouble were all realized, and that there has been in 
fact a considerable amount of loss already to potato 
growers. The rot follows the late blight and comes from 
the same cause. Those who have late blight in their 
fields, therefore, are bound to have rot; and in all such 
cases special care ought to be taken in sorting and stor¬ 
ing the potatoes for Winter. The experiment station stilt 
insists that proper spraying, backed up by proper culti¬ 
vation, will protect the potato crop from these diseases. 
Continued experiments and practical field tests covering 
a period of 10 years, or more, have proved this beyond 
the possibility of doubt. Even now, in the latter part 
of September, when most potato vines are dead, and 
many fields of potatoes already dug, the experiment sta¬ 
tion potato fields are as green as any time in July or 
August; and the potato expert claims that they are 
making potatoes now at the rate of 25 to 30 bushels a 
week for every acre. 
