1901. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
825 
Events of the Week 
DOMESTIC.—Seventeen cases of smallpox developed at 
New Hartford, Minn., recently, the result of exposure to 
the disease at a wedding. This disease is reappearing in 
many sections, and there is reason to fear a serious out¬ 
break during the Winter. The number of vaccinations 
has fallen off in some of the large cities, owing to the 
fear excited by reported cases of lockjaw following it. 
.... Twenty-live lives were lost by a lire in the 
Bullion tunnel of the Smuggler Union Mining Company, 
at Telluride, Col., November 20. The buildings at the 
mouth of the tunnel were burned, tilling the mine with 
smoke.Two limited passenger trains on the 
Santa Fe Dine crashed together, 20 miles east of The 
Needles, Cal., November 20, killing seven trainmen and 
injuring 17 persons, three of them passengers. 
The Secretary of the Interior has been asked by the 
homesteaders in the Kiowa and Comanche country, in 
Oklahoma, to decide whether or not their homestead en¬ 
tries, which conllict with alleged mining districts therein, 
will be recognized. The decision will affect 1,000 home¬ 
steads in the vicinity of the Wichita Mountains. 
The cost of the trial of Assassin Czolgosz was $1,799.50. 
Of this sum $1,000 was paid to the insanity experts, who 
examined him, and $500 to the attorneys who defended 
him.November 23-24 a furious storm did much 
damage along the Atlantic coast. The New Jersey coast 
was strewn with wreckage, and much loss of life is 
feared. Great property loss occurred at Dong Branch and 
vicinity; the big iron pier was totally destroyed, for the 
third time, carrying one man out to sea.The 
beet sugar manufacturei's of Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin 
and Minnesota met in Bay City, Mich., November 26, to 
formuiate a plan of action with regard to the efforts be¬ 
ing made to abolish the tariff on sugar imposed by the 
Dingley law.A boiler explosion in the I'enberthy 
Injector Works, at Detroit, Mich., November 26, caused 
the death of 26 men, and serious injuries to 24 others. 
The building was totally wrecked, the crash coming 
without warning, and tire followed immediately. The 
property loss is $130,090; cause of the explosion unknown. 
ADMINISTRATION.—It was stated in Washington No¬ 
vember 20 that President Roosevelt, in his message to 
Congress, wili not only recommend the reenactment of 
the Chinese Exclusion act, but will recommend that it be 
strengthened to increase its olliciency.The Sec¬ 
retary of War has directed that the order granting free 
admission of Christmas presents to the Philippines and 
Cuba shall extend only to the ollicers and men and 
civilian employees of the army and navy, but not to the 
civilian employees of the civil governments.A 
delegation of Cubans called upon the President Novem¬ 
ber 25 and presented a petition adopted by the industrial 
organizations of the Island, urging upon ids attention the 
necessity of reduction in the American tariff upon Cuban 
products, particularly upon sugar and tobacco. 
PlilDlPPINES.—Tlie force of marines, under Major 
Waller and Captains Porter and Bearss, attacked an al¬ 
most impregnable position at Sojoton, tiamar, November 
17, destroying three camps, killing 30 men, capturing 40 
bamboo guns, rice and stores. The men had to scale a 
clilf 200 feet high.Aguinaldo has written Gen¬ 
eral Chalfee, asking permission to go to Washington with 
eight Filipino friends, whom he designates, to lay before 
Congress the desires of his people.An epidemic 
of smallpox is reported to be hampering military opera¬ 
tions in the Island of Deyte. The Philippine Commission 
has decided to prepare a iaw ordering compulsory vacci¬ 
nation throughout the Archipelago. 
GENERAD FOREIGN NEWS.—The State Department 
has received olllcial conlirmation of the capture of Colon 
by the Diberals. Transit was interrupted for a brief 
period, but is now restored. Captain Perryv of the Iowa, 
at Panama, has been instructed to land marines if neces¬ 
sary to maintain transit across the isthmus. A despatch 
received at the Navy Department from Commander Mc- 
Crea says that 100 blue jackets were landed from the gun¬ 
boat Machias at Coion, and took charge of the railway 
station.The Bulgarian Foreign Oilice resents 
the insinuations that the Government is acting in bad 
faith in the matter of effecting tlie release of Miss Stone, 
and explaining its attitude toward Mr. Dickinson, the 
diplomatic agent of the United States, affirms its entire 
readiness to take any action suggested by him. Mr. Dick¬ 
inson has sent an ultimatum to the brigands, who are 
still claiming a high ransom, and say they can hold the 
prisoners as long as they please.John Goodnow, 
Consul-General at Shanghai, reports to the State Depart¬ 
ment that there are over 500,000 people in the Yangtse 
Valley who will starve this Winter unless they got help 
from outside. A committee of foreigners and Chinese 
has been formed to relieve the conditions of these people, 
and all foreigners are subscribing liberally. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The annual meeting of the 
American Shetland Pony Club was held at Chicago, Ill., 
December 3. 
The National Grange has reelected Aaron Jones, of 
Indiana, as Worthy Master. 
The Ontario Fruit Growers’ Association met at Cobourg, 
Ont., December 4-6. 
In his annual report, which will be completed soon, 
Postmaster-General Smith will ask for an Increase of the 
appropriation for the rural free delivery service from the 
present sum of $3,500,000 to $6,000,000, and will advocate 
the extension of the service as far as practicable. He 
will express the opinion that this branch of the work of 
the department is of the greatest utility, and will plead 
for most liberal consideration on the part of Congress. 
The Michigan State Horticultural Society met at Fenn- 
ville December 3-5. 
The Minnesota State Grange will hold its annual meet¬ 
ing at Minneapolis December 17. 
The Nebraska State Horticultural Society will meet at 
Dlncoln January 7, 1902; secretary, C. H. Barnard, Table 
Rock, Neb. 
The Minnesota State Dairymen's Association will meet 
at Sauk Centre December 10-12; secretary, Robert Crick- 
more, Pratt, Minn. 
The Massachusetts State Grange will meet at Spring- 
field December 10-12; secretary, C. A. Dennen, Pepperell, 
Mass. 
The Vermont State Grange will meet at White River 
Junction December 11-12. 
The New Hampshire Slate Dairymen s Association met 
at Claremont, N. H., December 5-6. 
The New Ilampfehlre State Grange will meet at Con¬ 
cord December 17-19. 
The Kansas State Horticultural Society will meet at 
Topeka December 26-23; secretary, William H. Barnes, 
State Home, Kan. 
The Kansas State Grange will meet at Topeka Decem¬ 
ber 10; secretary. Geo. Black, Olathe, Kan. 
The Winter wheat yield in Kansas this year was 90,- 
045,514 bushels, valued at $50,479,570. This breaks last 
year’s State record by 13,450,070 bushels. The area now 
sown in Winter wheat is nearly 6,000,000 acres, which, with 
favorable weather, will yield more than 100,000,000 bushels. 
The corn crop in Kansas this year was only 42,605,672 
bushels, but the value of the combined wheat ana corn 
crops was but 11.3 per cent less than that of the same 
crops in 1900. 
The National Association of Nursery Inspectors met in 
Washington recently. President Forbes, of Illinois, pre¬ 
siding. Among those present were Prof. J. B. Smith, New 
Jersey; Prof. W. B. Alwood, Virginia; Prof. Atwood, New 
York; Prof, Forbes, Illinois; Prof. Throop, Indiana; Prof. 
Scott, Georgia; Prof. Green, Ohio; Prof. Webb, Delaware; 
Prof. Summers, Iowa; Prof. Fernald, Massachusetts. 
The annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Dairy Union 
at York December 4-5, included many excellent speakers. 
Among the subjects treated were: “Commercial Food 
Stuffs,’’ Dr. W. H. Jordan, director of the New York Ex¬ 
periment Station. “Protein—Can it be Produced on the 
Farm Profitably ?’’ Professor H. J. Patterson, director of 
the Maryland Experiment Station. “Why do the Milk 
and Cream Tests Vary So?’’ Professor J. U. Hills, direc¬ 
tor of the Vermont Experiment Station. “The Essentials 
of Success in Breeding Dive Stock,” Mr. E. A. Sibley, of 
Prospect Hill stock farm. “The Importance of Hygiene 
in the Dairy,” Di'. M. E. Conard, of the University of 
Pennsylvania Veterinary College. “The Futui’e of Con¬ 
densed Milk,” Mr. C. D. Peck, Coudersport, Pa. “The 
Oleo Haws of Pennsylvania,” Secretary John Hamilton. 
“Soiling Dairy Cattle,” illustrated by slereopticon views. 
Dr. Voorhees, director of the New Jersey Experiment 
Station. “Home Buttermaking,” Mr. H. W. Eighty. “The 
Influence of the Cream Separator Upon the Dairy in¬ 
dustry,” P. M. Sharpies, West Chester, Pa. Mr. R. A. 
Pearson,- Assistant Chief of the Dairy Division of the 
Bureau of Animal Industry of the United Stales Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture, delivered an illustrated address on 
“Dairying in Porto Rico and Cuba.” 
The twenty-third annual meeting of the Ontario Agri¬ 
cultural and Experimental Union will be held at Guelph, 
Canada, December 9-10. The Ontario Provincial Winter 
Fair will be held at Guelph December 10-13. 
A. Q. Spaugh, a Wyoming cattleman, has been ordered 
to remove the fencing he has erected around 225,000 acres 
of Government land. There are more than 100 miles of 
fencing, and Spaugh declares it will taxe a force of 30 
men a month to remove it. 
T//£ COST OF AN ACRE OF CORN. 
Estimates by Western Farmers. 
The following is a very fair estimate of the eost per acre: 
Plowing, .$1; harrowing three times, 30 cents; seeding, 30 
cents; cultivating three times, 00 cents; total, $2.50. This 
does not include seed giain. f. m. u. 
Ilawarden, Iowa. 
At present prices for labor plowing costs about $1 per 
acre ; harrowing three times, 30 cents ; planting, 25 cents; 
cultivating three times about $1.25; husking, $1, making 
a total cost of $3.80 per acre. The harrowing is done ones 
bef<ne and twice after planting. J. s. 
Corning, Iowa. 
In this locality to raise 50 acres of corn would cost 
about ns follows; ITowing, $50; dragging three times, once 
before and twice after planting, $12; planting, $15; seed, 
$0; cultivating four times, man and team, 25 days at $2.50 
per day, $02.50 ; husking and cribbing 2,500 bushels, at 3 
cents per bushel, $87.50; rent for land, $175; total cost, 
$408, or $8.16 per acre, and about 10 3-10 cents per bushel. 
The price I have charged for labor is the going wages 
around here. Fifty acres are about the amount I raise each 
year. Corn, oats and barley are our main grain crops. 
Benson, Iowa. u. a. n. 
The cost per acre on my farm for growing corn Is about 
as follows: Plowing, per acre, $1; harrowing, 20 cents; 
seed, 15 cents; planting, 20 cents; harrowing, 20 cents; 
cultivating, $1.40; rent of land, $5; total, $8.15. It must 
bo remembered that the plowing and harrowing are mostly 
done with four-horse teams, a two-row planter is used, and 
a whole-row cultivator, which economizes labor. The esti¬ 
mate Is made on the basis of $1 per day per man, and 50 
cents for each horse. The item of rent must advance, for 
the average price of land has passed the hundred-dollar 
mark. k. k. c. 
Champaign, 111. 
We have two methods of raising corn here; one is surfac# 
planting and the other Is listing. We consider 50 bushels 
to the acre is an average crop on good ground during a 
medium season. The past has been a very bad season, and 
we will not have over 40 per cent of a crop. I will give 
you cost of surface planting first: Plowing the ground, $1 
per acre (50 acres, $50) ; harrowing ground twice, four 
days, $12; planting, $12; seed, $0; cultivating three times, 
$50; gathering corn, 50 bushels to acre, 50 acres, three 
cents a bushel, $75 ; harrowing corn when It first comes up, 
before the first cultivation, two days, $0; total, $211. The 
cost will be about eight cents per bushel. Land rents for 
aj)out $5 per acre best laud. That would bring the cost 
up to 18 cents per bushel If you rented the land. Cost of 
listing corn is as follows: Listing and planting, done at 
same time, sLv days, $18 ; seed, $0; one harrowing, two days, 
$0 : three cultivatlngs, 17 days, $50; husking 2,500 bushels, 
three cents per bushel. $75 ; total, $155. I think one man in 
a good season could tend 70 acres by listing as easily as he 
could 50 by surface planting with the same cost, except that 
the gathering would amount to more; 70 acres, 50 bushels 
per acre, would be 3,500 bushels, at a cost of about $225, 
which would be about OMi cents per bushel; rent, 10 cents 
per bushel, making 10 Mi cents by listing. a. w. D, 
Waverly, Ill. 
We estimate the following to be about the average cost 
of the various operations necessary to bring a crop of corn 
to maturity, on a scale of 40 or more acres; Cost per acre 
for plowing, 80 cents; harrowing, 18 cents; seeding. In¬ 
cluding cost of choice seed, one bushel to eight acres, 30 
cents; four (usual number) cultivations, $2; total cost per 
acre for plowing, hari’owlng, seeding and cultivating, $3.28, 
This estimate Is given presupposing the use of four-horse 
(most practical) implements for plowing and harrowing 
and two-horse Implements for seeding and cultivation ; also 
the absence of any trash that might have to be removed, 
and It does not Include the wear of machinery—It Includes 
only labor and care of horses. All things considered, we 
would place the average practical cost of producing one acre 
of corn on a 40 or more acre scale at $5, This Includes the 
little jobs, such as replanting, weed pulling, etc., which are 
always more or less abundant, wear on machinery, and cost 
of husking; but allows that the horses used will pay their 
own way when not needed on this crop. u. o. 
Bluffs. Ill. 
A great deal depends upon condition of soil at time of 
planting, as some seasons It requires more labor properly to 
prepare It for planting corn than in other seasons. It also 
depends upon the wages paid In the vicinity. I believe It 
pays to put the soil In the best possible condition before 
planting. If the soli breaks up a little lumpy or dry I use 
a roller after the plow, and then harrow thoroughly before 
planting. I never roll the ground if It Is the least bit wet, 
but wait until It begins to whiten, then start the roller. 
Two harrowlngs will not put the ground In as good condition 
as the roller, unless the soil breaks up very fine; then the 
roller is not necessary. We generally cultivate our corn 
five times, and more If necessary. We never allow a crust 
to form after a heavy rain if we can help It. Basing the 
price of man and team at $3 per day, not counting board, 
harrowing the ground after the plow, and following with 
the planter, as Is the custom, I believe where a large acre¬ 
age Is planted the cost would be about as follows: I’lowlng, 
$1.75 : harrowing, 30 cents; planting, 40 cents; cultivating 
three times, 90 cents; total, $3.35. s. M. a. 
Belleville, Ill. _ 
Apples in Southern Illinois. 
Apples sold last year at 20 to 2.5 cents per bushel, track, 
at small stations. This year they are selling at from $2 
up to $3.50 per barrel; varieties, Ben Davis, Mlnkler, 
Jonathan, Grimes, etc.; crop small. t. k. d. 
Vernon, Ill. 
The principal variety here is Ben Davis; some Llm- 
bertwlg, Rome Beauty and Winesap, but mostly Ben 
Davis. As to crop I am not able to say, perhaps one- 
sixth of a crop. A great many are faulty and dropped 
from trees on account of extreme neat. One orchard of 
40 acres sold in this vicinity for $2,000; others In the county 
much higher, and from 40 cents to 90 cents per bushel, 
delivered at shipping point. o. p. 
Palmersburg, Ill. 
Selling Apples in Boxes. 
The Niagara Falls Journal In Its report of a meeting 
of the Niagara Farmers’ Club says : 
“W. II. Outwatcr, manager of the Outing I’ark at Olcott. 
gave a practical and valuable demonstration of shipping 
Niagara County apples In boxes. He exhibited a half¬ 
bushel box packed with the favorite fruit of this county, 
and It made a very attractive display. In 1890, the year 
of the great crop, Mr. Outwater shipped a carload of apples 
In boxes from his orchard to California. They were con¬ 
signed to a commission house at Los Angeles, Cal., and 
found a ready sale. After paying all expenses the apples 
netted him at the rate of $1.30 a barrel, while apples were 
ordinarily selling at from 00 to 90 cents. Including the 
barrel, that year. During the same season he shipped a 
carload of apples to Atlanta, Ga. Some were packed In 
barrels and others in boxes. The commission men were 
loath to receive the boxes, but they were urged to do 
so, as an experiment at least. When these boxes were 
placed on sale In the grocery stores in the southern city, 
with the covers removed, showing the bright red and 
green fruit In layers, they Immediately attracted attention, 
and there was a big demand for more apples In boxes. Mr. 
Outwater explained the many advantages of placing apples 
on the market In this manner; how they would find a 
more ready sale in cities, where many families have not 
the means to buy a barrel of fruit at a time, nor a place 
to store such a quantity. But the box, he said, was always 
attractive and convenient. The cost of boxes is no more 
than that of barrels, for the same quantity of fruit and 
moi'e can be shipped in a car loaded with boxes than with 
barrels.” _ 
’ ILLINOIS CORN.—We are not in the great corn belt of 
Illinois. It is from 50 to 75 miles north of us. While 
there are some large farms here, they are mostly worked 
by tenants. Most of our corn is raised on river and creek 
bottoms. Prairies are devoted to hay and small grain 
mostly. We raise something of all kinds of grain and 
grass; also stock peas, which usually do well, and we 
find they improve our land. Some are cut for hay, some 
pastured and some plowed under. This is the poorest 
crop since 1331. The Spring was very dry, so that oats 
and hay did not get a good start; then we had several 
heavy rains In June and July. W^e have not had a rain 
that wetted cultivated ground two inches since July 5. 
We could have stood the drought, but the hot winds from 
the southwest struck us when our corn was in tassel, 
blasting that, and In many cases the stalk down to the 
ear. Then early in September we had a killing frost, so 
you can see we are not shouting over our prospects—at 
least not very loud. Corn is worth anywhere from 60 to 75 
cents per bushel, and not very good quality. Oats 35 
cents, wheat 75 cents, hay $11 per ton on track. Hogs, 
which are our main money crop, five cents per pound. We 
never have two failures in succession, so we will pull 
through the Winter as best we can, and hustle In the 
Spring for all we are worth. k. w. 
Mason, Ill. _ 
Apples, cabbages, beans and wheat are staple crops in 
Orleans Co., New York, and some Immense cabbage crops 
are being harvested. One farmer I talked with had 20 men 
at work, and was putting in the storage house 60 tons 
of cabbage per day. He said that It would take at least 
seven days to clear up his crop of over 400 tons. p. 
