1901 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
76i 
Events of the Week 
DOMESTIC.—The big packing houses of the G. H. 
Hammond Co., at Hammond, Ind., were destroyed by 
fire October 23, the damage reaching $400,000. The Ham¬ 
mond plant covers 15 acres, and 1,300 men are employed 
in the cooling department.A fire which started 
in a furniture warehouse in Philadelphia October 25. 
caused, within a short time, the death of 21 persons, and 
a property loss of $1,100,000. The entire building in which 
the fire started was aflame from top to bottom in a few 
minutes, and the victims were burned in full view of 
helpless spectators.An explosion of gas in a 
coal mine at Wilkesbarre, Pa., October 26, killed five 
men and injured 10 others.The locomotive of 
a freight train on the Wabash Railroad exploded Octo¬ 
ber 25, near Boody, Ill., killing a fireman and brakeman. 
The engine and six cars were destroyed, and 150 feet of 
track torn up. The wooden leg of a tramp was blown 
off, but he escaped injury.Disastrous prairie 
fires have been raging in the northwestern part of North 
Dakota, and thousands of dollars’ worth of range hay 
have been destroyed.A sawmill fire at Daven¬ 
port, Iowa, October 25, caused a loss of $110,000. 
A fire at Delmar, Del., October 26, rendered hundreds of 
people homeless, and caused property loss amounting to 
$160,000.Warrants were issued, October 28, for 
members of the firm of J. M. Fisher & Co., brokgrs, 
Boston, Mass., on the charge of using the United States 
malls in a scheme to defraud. It is alleged that $1,000,000 
has been taken from the public since January 1, 1900. 
People all over the country were written to and told 
what excellent chances there were to Invest money, and 
that large returns could be expected. Pools were 
formed, and those desirous of getting rich quickly were 
invited to remit. After two or three weeks investors 
would be advised that a pool had been formed on some 
well-known stock, and that as the quotations had gone 
down the margins had been swept in, and that more 
money was necessary immediately in order to save the 
stock.October 28, reports were received at New 
Orleans of a terrible race war at Balltown, La., on the 
Mississippi border. Nine negroes and one white man 
were killed.The assassin of the late President 
was executed at Auburn Prison October 29, and his body 
Interred in the prison cemetery, his relatives renouncing 
all claims to the remains.A railroad wreck 
near Lexington, N. C., October 29, killed 110 horses be¬ 
longing to Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, and caused a 
loss estimated at $60,000.During the year’s 
fishing season, just over, the town of Gloucester, Mass., 
lost nine ships and 62 men killed or drowned, leaving 17 
widows and 35 orphans. The tonnage loss was $67,000. 
ADMINISTRATION.—Great corporations in the United 
States are evincing a deep Interest in the attitude of 
President Roosevelt on the trust question, and the 
recommendations thereon which he will submit to Con¬ 
gress in his annual message. Of late many prominent 
trust representatives have come to Washington for the 
purpose of ascertaining the President’s views with re¬ 
spect to combinations of capital.The President 
has decided to hold no public receptions during the Win¬ 
ter. While he will, of course, receive visitors, and is 
doing so dally, his official family do not propose that he 
shall be placed in a position where he will be an easy 
mark for any evil-disposed person. The public will, 
therefore, be barred from the New Year’s reception, as 
well as from the other official functions to be given 
during the Winter. The President’s decision is thorough¬ 
ly approved by officials and residents of Washington. At 
the New Year’s reception, the persons who follow after 
the army and navy do not form a representative gath¬ 
ering. In fact, it is the strongest who are able to stand 
in line several hours before entering the White House 
who usually have the opportunity to shake the Presi¬ 
dent’s hand. 
PHILIPPINES.—There are 2,600 troops in the Island of 
Samar. General Chaffee does not anticipate any further 
disasters. The garrisons, he says, have been Increased, 
and every precaution has been taken to prevent another 
surprise like the one at Balangiga, which was unfortu¬ 
nate not only in the loss of the men, but in the effect it 
will have on other parts of the archipelago. Agitators 
have been endeavoring to inflame many communities by 
giving glowing accounts of the occurrences in Samar. 
The Central Filipino Committee has Issued a proclama¬ 
tion confirming Malvar as the successor of Aguinaldo. 
.... Admiral Rodgers has notified troops at the 
ports to be on their guard, owing to the massacre of 
troops of the Ninth at Balangiga. At Pambujan, Island 
of Samar, all of the buildings in the vicinity of the bar¬ 
racks were Immediately razed. General Smith, on his 
arrival at Calbayog, Island of Samar, sent reSnforce- 
ments to Weyler. They found the garrison, numbering 
15 men, besieged by over 100 bolomen.The constab¬ 
ulary report a fight with insurgents near Passi, Island of 
Panay, in which 25 insurgents were killed and three cap¬ 
tured, together with a quantity of arms and ammunition. 
The news from General Hughes regarding conditions in 
the Island of Cebu is encouraging. Lorega has. sur¬ 
rendered with his entire force, and one cannon and seven 
rifles, while General Hughes is negotiating for the sur¬ 
render of Maxilot, who styles himself “Governor Politlco- 
Militar.’’ His surrender will mean the pacification of the 
Province of Iloilo.Lack of food and,the haras¬ 
sing effects of the aggressive tactics now pursued by the 
American forces are having their influence upon the 
natives. In many places where rice is doled out by the 
Government only enough is given for one meal, so that 
it is hardly possible for any large quantity to find its 
way to the Insurgents. It is believed that the recent 
manifestations in the Island of Samar were chiefly due 
to the lack of food, the insurgents finding it necessary 
to make outlets to the coast in order to obtain this. 
. . . . The first labor problem growing out of the new 
tariff has arisen. A hat and umbrella factory, employ¬ 
ing 600 hands, has found it necessary to close. The law¬ 
yers are making a protest to the Civil Commission, urg¬ 
ing protection, as the same goods from Germany can be 
sold at half the price it takes to manufacture them here. 
GENERAL FOREIGN NEWS.—The difficulty between 
the German and Venezuelan governments, arising from 
the fracas between the German sailors of the cruiser 
Vineta and the police of Puerto Cabello, has been settled 
satisfactorily.The American representatives at 
Constantinople and Sofia are skid to be In communica¬ 
tion with the bandits who are holding Miss Stone a 
prisoner, but the information from the outlaws’ head¬ 
quarters is said to be unsatisfabtory. Rumors continue 
in circulation at Sofia that Miss Stone is dead. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The Missouri State Veterinary 
Medical Association met at Kansas City, Mo., October 
22-24. 
Atlanta, Ga., had a live stock show October 14-24. 
The American Short-horn Breeders’ Association held 
an exhibit at Kansas City, Mo., October 16-25, and will 
exhibit at Chicago December 2-7; secretary, John W. 
Groves, Springfield, Ill. 
The Illinois Horse Breeders’ Association will meet at 
Champaign November 18--ii; secretary. Geo. Williams, 
Athens, Ill. 
The Illinois Pure Food Commission is investigating the 
sale of horseflesh as beef in Chicago. They believe, that 
an extensive trade is going on in this line, most of the 
horse meat going to cheap restaurants and saloons. Ani¬ 
mals too old or diseased to werk are killed for this pur¬ 
pose, and the authorities regard the trade as a menace 
to public health. 
The next annual meeting of the Wisconsin State Cran¬ 
berry Growers’ Association will be held at Grand Rapids, 
Wis., January 14, 1902. 
Extensive importations of Cfittle from the drought- 
stricken districts of Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska are 
to be made by farmers of Whitman County, Wash., a 
number of whom went to Kansas City to buy several train¬ 
loads. Wheat and corn are cheap in eastern Washington, 
and as cattle can be bought low farmers see opportunity 
of making large profits. Late in the Summer James 
Woodly, of Colfax, shipped out a trainload of young 
steers from Kansas City. These are now getting fat on 
his ranch. This experiment was so successful that other 
farmers are following his example. 
The second annual meeting of the Blue Andalusian 
Club will be held in Mechanics’ Building, Boston, Mass., 
January 15, 1902; secretary, Robert W. Lovett, 234 Marl¬ 
borough Street, Boston, Mass. 
The National Live Stock Association will hold its an¬ 
nual meeting in Chicago December 3, in connection with 
the International Live Stock Exposition. 
The National Association of State Food Commissioners, 
in recent session at Buffalo, elected A. H. Jones, Food 
Commissioner of Illinois, as president. The convention 
reindorsed the Grout bill, and some such bill as the Bro- 
sius bill; also passed a resolution in favor of the passage 
of a National law regulating the sale of dairy and food 
products, and the appointment of a National commis¬ 
sioner to enforce same, with power to make rulings, etc. 
The convention also appointed Hon. H. C. Adams, Com¬ 
missioner of Wisconsin, as a committee of one to attend 
the session of Congress and look after securing the pass¬ 
age of the bill. 
The twelfth annual meeting of the Missouri Dairymen’s 
Association was held at Palmyra November 6-8. 
The Minnesota State Butter and Cheese Makers’ Asso¬ 
ciation will meet at St. Cloud, November 20-21; secretary, 
J. K. Bennett, Clinton Falls, Minn. 
The Wisconsin Dairymen’s Association will meet at 
Menominee February 12-16, 1902; secretary. Geo. W. 
Burchard, Fort Atkinson, Wis. 
The National Dairymen’s Association will meet at Lin¬ 
coln January 22-24, 1902; secretary S. C. Bassett, Gib¬ 
bon, Neb. 
The South Dakota Dairy and Buttermakers’ Associa¬ 
tion will meet at Huron December 4-5; secretary, J. H. 
Hubbard, De Smet, S. D. 
The Vermont Dairymen’s Association will meet at 
Montpelier January 7-9, 1902; secretary, F. S. Davis, North 
Pomfret, Vt, 
California’s orange and lemon shipments this season 
are expected to reach 26,000 cars. 
The annual meeting of the Virginia State Horticultural 
Society will be held in the Chamber of Commerce Hall, 
Richmond, Va., January 7-8, 1902. The Society extends 
a cordial invitation to any visitors who wish to attend; 
they can feel assured of receiving a hearty welcome. 
Secretary-treasurer, Walter Whately. 
The prominent rank attained by the students of the 
Iowa Dairy School in State and National contests has 
led to a demand for special instruction in the use of 
starters and flavors and the use of the acid test in butter 
making. This course will begin January 2, 1902, and 
continue 10 days. No one but experienced buttermakers 
who have had entire charge of creameries will be ad¬ 
mitted. Beginning January 13, 1902, and continuing four 
weeks, a short course of instruction will be given in 
practical butter and cheese making and the related 
scientific and technical subjects, including dairy bacteri¬ 
ology, dairy chemistry, butter scoring, dairy machinery, 
and dairy bookkeeping. A short course in stock judging 
and grain scoring will be given January 6-8, 1902. For 
any further Information address C. F. Curtiss, Director, 
Ames, Iowa. 
Prof. W. D. Gibbs, of the Ohio State University, has 
been appointed as Director and Professor of Agriculture 
of the New Hampshire State Experiment Station at 
Durham. 
Olean, N. Y., is the place and December 11 and 12 the 
time for the next annual convention of New York State 
Dairymen’s Association. Full particulars will be given 
at a later date. 
THE FUTURE OF THE KtEFFER PEAR. 
In the Brevities of a late copy of The R. N.-Y. you 
say the “Kleffer pear has taken a back seat.” Now give 
us a reason for the faith that is in you. I have a year- 
old orchard, and contemplate planting more unless it 
shall appear that you are right. n. w. r. 
Benton Harbor, Mich. 
R. N.-Y.—We have been watching the Kleffer pear 
closely in this market. A few years ago in New York, 
during its season, the push carts and fruit stands were 
well covered with it. Many were sold to eat out of the 
hand, and the result, nine times out of 10, was evidently 
a disappointment. Gradually the fruit has disappeared 
from these’ retail stands, until now it is rarely seen. 
This is good evidence that the buying public recognize it, 
and will not buy it for eating from the hand. We be¬ 
lieve that its sale will be limited to the demand for can¬ 
ning purposes, and there are few better fruits for this 
purpose. In order to make sure we have asked some 
leading fruit dealers for opinions as to the future trade 
in Kieffers. Here they are: 
It is a fact the Kieffer do not begin to bring the prices 
that other varieties of pear do; and in our section of the 
country they seem to be overdone—too many being 
grown, and the consequence is that they are selling low 
and at unsatisfactory prices. We receive quite a gi’eat 
many of them from the Eastern Shore, Maryland and 
Delaware, and judging from our experience of the past 
few years, we feel that there are enough trees already 
on there to supply the wants of the trade in Kleffer 
pears for a long time to come. stevens brothers. 
Baltimore, Md. 
The Kieffer acreage is quite large in our own and ad¬ 
joining States, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, 
and up to this date orchards with fruit of clear color 
and good size have paid nice profits. A large portion of 
the orchards produce fruit that is dark and cloudy; such 
sells at much lower prices, as the fruiterers don’t want 
them, and they barely pay the producer. The foreign 
demand seems increasing somewhat. This will help to 
relieve the market, and it may be that large increased 
production might pay many years to come. Our judgment 
would be that for farmers having very light loamy soil, 
even if sterile, it may be one of the best crops to grow, 
the rich dark soil being given to other crops, hay, grain, 
etc., as it is the poorest light sandy soil, as a rule, that 
grows the cleanest, clearest colored fruit. 
New York. s. h. & e. h. frost. 
Our opinion is that the Kieffer pear business is very 
much overdone, and instead of planting more trees they 
would better cut some down. It is no doubt a fact that 
it is a poor pear for eating out of the hand, and if it 
was not for the canners it would bring very little, owing 
to the large quantities produced. As we understand it, 
the canners this year have contracted for them at about 
17 to 20 cents for five-eighths baskets, and we should not 
suppose that the grower would get ricn at these prices. 
The Kieffer pear has no doubt hurt the sale of a good 
many other kinds, such as Duchess, etc., as the Kieffers 
are good lookers and the price is always lower. Of 
course, they do not affect the sale of Bartletts and 
Seckels, and that class of fine pears. We believe you 
would be doing a good woi’k if you would advocate not 
planting too many Kleffer pears. 
Philadelphia. brown & m’mahon. 
The Kieffer is not a very desirable pear for eating; 
it is beautiful to look at, in fact, even far superior in 
looks to many more desirable pears. This year the Kieffers 
sold very well, considering the quantity coming to mar¬ 
ket, and the reason is that other varieties were much 
scarcer, otherwise they would have fared badly. Last 
year Kieffer pears were in enormous supply and brought 
but very little by the barrel. We wouid hardly advise 
planting this tree with a view to making it profitable. 
Of course, we understand it yields largely, and is a late 
pear, when others are out of market, but it is only the 
appearance that sells it at any time. Customers are 
generally dissatisfied when they buy it, thinking it la 
an eatable pear. It may be very good for canning or 
cooking; in fact, in the South it is a pear which they 
prefer to all others, probably because they have no 
others. archdeacon & co. 
New York. 
The Demand for Good Apples. 
The following notes are from proprietors of New York 
restaurants who do a large trade every day. We find 
that the demand for fruit of high quality is constantly 
growing: 
We find either the Baldwin, Pippin or Northern Spy 
give the most general satisfaction and bake the best. 
’There is a growing demand for good baking apples, and 
if such were served in a restaurant the sales could be 
largely increased. bailey restaurant co. 
The varieties of apples most suited to our purpose are 
Greenings and Baldwins; Kings and Northern Spies are 
very good also, but do not save well. Apples seem to 
be growing more scarce each year, but judging from 
what our dealer says, who is in communication with the 
whole apple country, good saving varieties will be very 
scarce this year. I should think all farmers who are 
in the apple growing sections, that is, where it has been 
proven that apples grow well, would do well to set out 
a number of trees, and I have found from my own ex¬ 
perience that they are about the most profitable crop 
that can be raised, provided they are well cared for. 
CHILDS UNIQUE DAIRY CO. 
The Crop of Florida Oranges. 
Will the Florida orange crop be much larger than last 
year? Are there any good oranges north of Tampa? 
Are the growers inclined to pick the fruit green? 
As near as we can judge from the various reports in, 
estimates are about 1,000,000 boxes of oranges, about the 
same crop as last season. There are some good oranges 
north of Tampa. Fruit is allowed to be fairly colored 
before gathering. porter bros. 
The orange crop will be much larger than last season; 
estimates from reliable sources put it about 1,000,000 
boxes. There are very nice oranges grown in some sec¬ 
tions north of Tampa. We don’t think the growers gener¬ 
ally are inclined to pick the fruit green, as it is not 
advantageous to do so, although some have been coming 
in that condition. m’cormick, hubbs & co. 
As near as we can learn there are from 1,000,000 to 1,- 
250,000 boxes in Florida this season. The crop Is cer¬ 
tainly larger than last season, and it is also scattered 
ot^r a wide area, sections having oranges this season 
which have not had any since the grreat freeze which 
occurred several years back. Even Marion County is 
estimated as having 10,000 boxes; fruit from there form¬ 
erly was very good. From information we learn that 
^e crop of grape fruit is much smaller tnan last year. 
We already have had several hundred boxes of oranges 
from Florida, and while some of the fruit is of poor 
quality others are fairly good for so early. We are 
satisfied a good share of the growers who have fruit 
showing the slightest sign of ripeness are inclined to 
ship. We can see no reason why they should hold back 
when there is any quantity of green Immature Jamalcai 
sent here, and which the trade is willing to work on 
In our judgment this green immature fruit which is sent 
here from Jamaica should be stopped. 
p. ruhlman & co. 
