1901 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
873 
Events of the Week 
DOMESTIC.—Prominent cattlemen of Choctaw Nation 
will be ejected from the Indian domain, being regarded as 
intruders by the Choctaw tribal government. It is 
claimed that the Indians have the backing of the In¬ 
terior Department. Many cattlemen who own a thousand 
head of cattle have been served with ejectment notices. 
This order has created consternation among cattlemen. 
The step is being taken for the purpose of alloting graz¬ 
ing lands, which cannot be done, it is said, because cattle¬ 
men have heretofore refused to vacate lands. 
Andrew Carnegie’s gift of $10,000,000 to the nation, to be 
used to promote higher education, must be made in cash 
or the President may not advise Congress to accept it. 
It is said that President Roosevelt has already written 
to the ironmaster to this effect, for the reason that he 
does not wish the Government made the trustee of a 
fund consisting of “Steel Trust” bonds. Had Mr. Car¬ 
negie offered to give $10,000,000 in cash it is unlikely that 
there would have been any objection to the acceptance 
of the gift in behalf of the nation, but a number of mem¬ 
bers of Congress are known to have serious objection 
to the character of the gift as it is offered, feeling that 
it would be inadvisable for the Government to under¬ 
take such a trust.The finding of the Schley 
Court of Inquiry was made public December 13. Two 
reports were submitted, the court agreeing upon the facts, 
but not upon the opinions based thereon. The majority. 
Admirals Benham and Ramsay, condemn Admiral Schley 
for various acts of omission, and find that his conduct 
was “characterized by vacillation, dilatoriness and lack 
of enterprise." They say however, that in the battle he 
was “self-possessed, and he encouraged in his own per¬ 
son his subordinate oflicers and men.” Admiral Dewey 
made a separate report sustaining Admiral Schley and 
giving him credit as the officer in command for “the glori¬ 
ous victory which resulted in the total destruction of the 
Spanish ships.” The court agreed in recommending that 
no further proceedings be taken.The heaviest 
bail bond ever demanded in a criminal case was exacted 
by Judge Aspinali, of New York, December 13, in the 
case of William P. Miller, head of the 520 per cent Frank¬ 
lin syndicate. Miller, who was sentenced to a term of 
imprisonment at Sing Sing, recently obtained an order for 
a new trial, and was brought before Judge Aspinali on 
a motion for release on bail. The bond was fixed at 
$72,500.A terrific rain storm extended over 
Pennsylvania, New York, and adjacent coast States De¬ 
cember 14. The havoc in the Pennsylvania coal region 
will reach millions of dollars; mines are flooded, and rail¬ 
road property destroyed. It will be weeks before some of 
the mines can be operated again; 48 mines were flooded 
in the Schuylkill Valley, and hundreds of mules drowned. 
The Schuylkill, Juniata, Lehigh and Susquehanna Rivers 
rose 15 feet. At Syracuse, N. Y,, a sudden rise in Onon¬ 
daga Creek drove 500 families from their h5mes, and 
caused damage amounting to $250,000. At Canastota farm¬ 
ers will lose heavily from the flooding of celery fields. A 
phenomenal rise of the Mohawk River has caused great 
distress in the vicinity of Utica. At Ithaca the flood was 
the most disastrous since 1857; loss about $500,000. Some 
loss of life occurred in several localities.A rail¬ 
road collision at Perryville, Ill., December 16, caused the 
death of eight persons.At Essex, Mont,, a 
train was dei'ailed December 15; eight persons killed and 
16 injured.The business portion of Salem, W. 
Va., was destroyed by fire December 15; loss $200,000. 
CONGRESS.—The Senate Committee on Interoceanic 
Canals has decided to pay no attention to the claims of 
the Maritime Canal Company, of Nicaragua, which claims 
to have purchased the route surveyed and recommended 
by the Canal Commission, and which insists that all 
franchises and concessions have been conveyed to it by 
the Nicaraguan Government in consideration of a large 
sum of money. The decision of the committee was 
reached upon the recommendation of Secretary Hay, who 
informed Mr. Morgan that the Government of Nicaragua 
had admitted the sale of lands to the company, and 
granting franchises and concessions, but that the sale 
had been annulled and the franchises revoked since it 
was made public that the Nicaragua route had been se¬ 
lected. Secretary Hay has decided not to consider the 
Claims of the company, but to regard the action of Nica¬ 
ragua as official and final. The effect of this action on the 
part of the State Department leaves the Maritime Com¬ 
pany without power to obstruct canal legislation during 
the present Congress. The change of front by Nicaragua, 
however strange it may be regarded, is not likely to bring 
about further complications and thus delay legislation 
for the beginning of construction.The anxiety 
of the Pacific coast over the extension of the Chinese Ex¬ 
clusion act seems to be justified by the complications that 
are appearing in the matter from day to day. The fact 
that it is seriously proposed to extend the Exclusion act 
for but two years, and that Senator Proctor has intro¬ 
duced a bill to this effect, is now giving the advocates 
of complete exclusion no small amount of annoyance. 
The Proctor bill is based on the argument that the treaty 
that was negotiated with China in 1894 has but two years 
to run, and that it would be bad policy to pass a 10 
years’ Exclusion law now, when in a short time we shall 
want to make another treaty with the Yellow Empire. 
This phase of the situation is also colored by the aim 
of the Administration to continue as far as possible the 
policy of McKinley in regard to the “Open Door.” The 
Chinese Government has already protested against the 
exclusion of their merchants and artisans from the Phil¬ 
ippines, and the argument is made that the United States 
should not expect China to grant us any special trade 
advantages if we propose to keep her people out of the 
Philippines, where they are a thrifty and rich element. 
Minister Wu has already laid before the State Depart¬ 
ment the objection of the Chinese Government to the 
attitude of the United States in regard to the free ad¬ 
mission of the Chinese in the Philippines, and the corre¬ 
spondence has been sent to Congress. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—Among exhibitors who received 
gold medals for displays of seeds at the Pan-American 
Exposition are Prank H. Battles, Rochester, N. Y.; J. J. 
Bell, Deposit, N. Y.; Briggs Bros., Rochester, N, Y.; 
Crossman Bros., Rochester, N. Y.; Cleveland Seed Co., 
Cape Vincent, N. Y.; Henry A. Dreer, Philadelphia; The 
Albert Dickinson Co., Chicago; F. H. Ebling, Syracuse, 
N. Y.; Harvey Seed Co., Buffalo; Jerome B. Rice Co., 
Cambridge, N. Y.; J. M. Thorburn & Co., New York City; 
James Vick’s Sons, Rochester, N. Y.; State of Wiscon¬ 
sin; Whitney-Eckstein Seed Co., Buffalo; Massachusetts 
Agricultural College, Amherst, Mass., agricultural and 
botanical collection. Minister of Agriculture, Buenos 
Ayres, collective exhibit of seeds. T. Howard, Canada, 
location not given, white and black oats. 
Cattle show week began in London, England, Decem¬ 
ber 9. The idea of a Christmas exhibition of cattle was 
started by the Smithfield Club, in 1798, and the show 
which was opened by the King at Agi'icultural Hall, 
Islington, December 9, is the 103d of its kind. The King 
has been a frequent prize winner at Agh'icultural Hall, 
and this year he again contributes exterisively to the 
cattle and sheep divisions. The prizes offered amount in 
value to nearly $18,000, or about $1,500 less than the 
average. 
The nineteenth annual convention of the American For¬ 
estry Association began at Washington, D. C., December 
11. Secretary Wilson made the opening address, referring 
to the increase in the movement for forestry preservation. 
Dr. B. E. Fernow, of the New York State College of 
Forestry, presided. Committee reports were discussed, 
favoring setting aside 500,000 acres of public land for 
forestry in Nebraska, the creation of the National Ap¬ 
palachian Park, for forest reserve, and consolidation of 
all Government forestry work under the Department of 
Agriculture. 
The thirtieth annual meeting of the Kansas State 
Grange began at Topeka December 10. Thirty-six accred¬ 
ited delegates were present. The largest delegation was 
from Johnson County, where the order maintains cooper¬ 
ative stores, which did a business of $240,000 in 1900. The 
main store of the Johnson County association is at 
Olathe, and branch stores are at Stanley, Gardner, Edger- 
ton and Prairie Center. This association has been in suc¬ 
cessful cooperation since 1876. It is governed by rules laid 
down by the National Grange. The stock is held by mem¬ 
bers of the order. The capital of the concern was origin¬ 
ally $20,000. It is now $100,000. Other cooperative associa¬ 
tions are maintained by the order in Miami, Osage and 
Linn Counties, but they are not as strong as the John¬ 
son County enterprise. In 1900 the State Grange num¬ 
bered 2,324 members, included in 44 subordinate Granges. 
The Colorado State Grange will meet at Denver January 
14-16, 1902; secretary, J. A. Newcomb, Golden, Col. 
The Connecticut State Dairymen’s Association will meet 
at Hartford January 22-23, 1902; secretary, George E. Man¬ 
chester, Winsted, Conn. 
The Connecticut State Grange will meet at Hartford 
January 14-16, 1902; secretary, H. F. Potter, North Haven, 
Conn. 
The Illinois State Dairymen’s Association will meet at 
Freeport January 7-9; secretary, George Caven, 154 Lake 
street, Chicago, Ill. 
The Indiana State Dairymen’s Association met at 
Plainfield, Ind., December 18-19. 
Among the approaching conventions at Lincoln, Neb., 
are the State Dairymen’s Association, January 22-24; the 
State Horticultural Society, January 7; the State Board of 
Agriculture, January 20-26; State Farmers’ Institutes, 
January 20-26, and State Sugar Beet Growers’ Associa¬ 
tion, January 20-25. 
The New Jersey State Horticultural Society will meet 
at Trenton January 8-9; secretary, H. J. Budd, Mt. 
Holly, N. J. 
The New York State Fruit Growers’ Association will 
meet at Syracuse January 8-9; secretary F. E. Dawley, 
Fayetteville, N. Y. 
The American Cranberry Growers’ Association wili meet 
in Philadelphia January 28. 
At the annual meeting of the Indiana State Horticul¬ 
tural Society the following officers were elected: Presi¬ 
dent, W. W. Stevens, Salem; first vice-president, E. B. 
Davis, Cartersburg; second vice-president, E. M. C. 
Hobbs, Salem; third vice-president, E. C. Reed, Vin¬ 
cennes; fourth vice-president, J. C. Grossman, Walcott- 
ville; secretary, W. B. Flick, Lawrence; treasurer, Syl¬ 
vester Johnson, Irvington; executive committee. Prof. 
James Troop, Purdue University, J. A. Burton, Orleans, 
and H. H. Swain, South Bend. Next year’s meeting will 
take place at the State House, Indianapolis, the first 
Wednesday after the first Monday in December. During 
the Summer the State Horticultural Society will meet 
with the Johnson County Horticultural Society. 
Under rules laid down by the new Yale School of For¬ 
estry and the Connecticut State Agricultural Experiment 
Station in New Haven, a large State park is being pro¬ 
vided for. The purchase is in the hands of Walter Mul- 
ford, who has been appointed State Forester under the 
provisions of the law passed a year ago, which provide 
for a permanent study of forestry and a State park. 
The twenty-ninth session of the Pennsylvania State 
Grange began at Johnstown December 10, when Master 
W. F. Hill addressed nearly 1,000 delegates. In the even¬ 
ing there was a public meeting, at which Mayoi Wood¬ 
ruff and J. J. Thomas welcomed the Grangers, William 
T. Creasy responding. An address on “Forestry,” by 
Attorney C. C. Greer, was well received, and Attorney 
T. J. Itell, discussing “The Law of Progress,” disclosed 
radical thought along economical lines. Master Hill’s 
address was an exhaustive treatment of the agricultural 
tuatlon. In 1860, he said, there was $8,600,000,000 of wealth 
i the United States, and farmers had $5,000,000,000 of it. 
1 1890 the country’s wealth had increased to $64,000,000,000, 
Lit the farmers had but $16,000,000,000 of it, although 70 
^r cent of all wealth annually produced was pioduced 
/ the farmers. In other words, farmers possessed 60 
iT cent of the wealth of this country in 1850. During 
le next 40 years they produced more wealth than all 
her interests combined, but other interests had ab- 
irbed three-fourths of it, and the farmer finds himself 
le owner of but one-fourth of it. “Is it not our right, 
len ” he asked, “to insist that we shall have a fair 
lare of the profit our own harvests yield? Should it not 
» our aim to handle these products from sowing to 
arketlng in a skillful and businesslike manner?’ Mr. 
ill opposes the Ship Subsidy bill, favors radical refvorm 
I State taxation, advocates free rural mail delivery, 
ection of United States Senator by direct vote of the 
iople, anti-trust laws, the revision of the fees and sal- 
'ies of State and Federal officers, and the protection of 
liry Interests by the passage of House bill No. 3717. He 
lought the killing of birds for sport, causing an alarm- 
g increase of Insects, beetles and worms, should attract 
le attention of leg;1slators. 
Too Much for the Miller. 
The farmers in this section have to go some distance 
to get their wheat ground, and the millers take about 
one-half to one-third for grinding, and the flour is no 
better than we used to get 40 years ago. I would ask 
whether the millers have a right to do that, or are the 
farmers obliged to let them grind our wheat to halves? 
it comes pretty tough on the farmer who raises his 
wheat on shares, and then lets the miller take half of 
that for grinding. Is that the way they do all over the 
country? If so we would better stop raising wheat. 1 
would like to hear from other farmers on this question. 
Chautauqua Co , N. Y. J. H. a. 
R. N.-Y.—We wish to hear from other farmers about 
this. What is the toll in your neighborhood? The aver¬ 
age share for the miller is about 10 per cent. Few farm¬ 
ers take the trouble to weigh before and after grinding. 
The best plan is to agree upon a price for grinding luo 
pounds of grain and take it all home. 
“Hed Albumen" for Hens. 
Every now and then the gullible farmer is fooled, and 
the agricultural press is loud in advising him to subscribe 
for some paper to protect him. But the gullible editor 
also bites at baits himself. The notorious J. M. Bain 
would, several times a year, secure a column of free ad¬ 
vertising in the guise of an innocent-looking communica¬ 
tion. Now comes the “red albumen” man, who mentions the 
wonderful advantages of “red” albumen as an egg food. 
He gives no name, but you can get it at the drug store. 
Of course the druggist, in the face of inquiries, orders 
from the wholesalers, and the red albumen man in the 
background gets rich without paying a cent for his 
advertising, while the editor sits down and warns his 
readers against “gold bricks,” etc. Four different “red” 
albumen communications came to me, intended for as 
many different papers, the article “going the rounds” 
of the press, and probably every newspaper and agricul¬ 
tural journal received one. Samples of red albumen 
showed it to be ground meat and bone, and perhaps a 
little blood. The odor alone will expose it. it is worth, 
wholesale, about two or three cents a pound, and need 
not be bought from a druggist. There is no such thing as 
“red” albumen, unless materials containing albumen may 
be so regarded, such as blood, nor has pure albumen any 
odor. I am not finding fault with the “red” albumen 
man. He simply “worked” the agricultural press and 
did it well. The fools (editors) are not all dead yet. 
in justice to some editors, however, I will state that they 
rejected the bait. p. h. Jacobs. 
Hammonton, N. J. 
R. N.-Y.—We have received dozens of copies of the 
printed letter from the “red” albumen man. in every 
case thus far these clippings were taken from city pa¬ 
pers. We do not think that any reputable agricultural 
paper paid any attention to it; but the daily and weekly 
city papers jumped at the bait. Wholesale druggists in 
this city tell us that there has been a great demand for 
“red” albumen. At first they looked upon it as a joke, 
but orders poured in from the country until the price ad¬ 
vanced. in some cases they furnished a substance used 
for dyeing! The trick was well worked, but few agricul¬ 
tural papers were caught by it. The city papers did the 
damage in this case! 
CALIFORNIA NOTES.—The farmers in this vicinity 
are well along with their work; crops secured, and much 
of the land being put in cultivation for another crop. 
This year main crop was Lima beans; next perhaps 
comes the English walnut. Both have been fair crops 
and are selling at good prices. Hay plenty at about $10 
per ton. Lemons have done well and the harvest lasts 
most the year. Prices have not been sufficient to please 
all. Oranges are ripening and promise well. They are 
not extensively grown here, so there are not enough yet 
fully to supply the home market. Apples are a rather 
short crop, pears not over plenty, particularly on old 
trees. Olives are a large crop, but prices low delivered 
at the oil mills. Some will be pickled but that will be 
but a small part of the crop. Oil makers do not like to 
pay over two cents per pound so there will not be a large 
margin left after the cost of picking and the freight 
bills are paid. Cost of picking one-half to one cent per 
pound—when the work is hired done. Potatoes a light 
crop and well up in price. Onions scarce and high. 
Prices for grain are lower than farmers like to work 
for, and few others will work for such small pay. Weath¬ 
er nice and warm. We have had rain enough to start 
the grass but more is needed to keep the land in order 
for the plow and keep up growing crops. o. n. c. 
Santa Barbara Co., Cal. 
THE COST OF CORN.—As to the exact cost of raising 
corn on level prairie land, it differs, as you well know, 
with the cost of living. Day labor costs (except in hay¬ 
ing or harvesting) $1, but as I hire by the month at $20, 
and that generally the highest for common hands, I 
have charged 67 cents a day as the cost to me. If I 
hire horses I am charged 50 cents a day, and that is the 
price in the following figures. We generally expect a 
hand with a 16-inch plow and three horses to plow 
thoroughly three acres a day, and what I mean by thor¬ 
oughly is to stir all the ground. I have seen more 
ground gone over, but I could not call it plowed as I 
would want it. 'Three horses and man one day, $2.17, 
which would make one acre cost 72 1-3 cents. When 
harrowing with three horses and lapping well we call 
20 acres a day’s work; therefore, at the same price for 
day’s labor an acre of harrowing once is 10 1-3 cents, 
and we generally give four harrowmgs. If we put on 
four horses 24 acres is considered right, and that costs 
11% cents an acre. In planting corn with a single team 
eight acres is considered an average day’s work, and at 
the above figures would make it cost 20% cents an acre. 
In cultivating seven acres a day on an average, costing 
23 6-7 cents an acre, and as we always give three stir¬ 
rings and if possible four if the corn does not grow too 
fast ’it makes it either 71 4-7 cents or 95 3-7 cents, ac¬ 
cording to the number of stirrings. Husking costs gener¬ 
ally $1 a day for hand, or 2% cents a bushel, when 
boarding the hand. Some hands husk from 60 to 70 
bushels a day. There are some who can do more, but 
they are above the general rule of workers. This year 
our corn will cost us nearly $1.50 an acre. It would 
be right to add the interest of what all the tools cost, 
and the damage accruing to the use of same to get the 
exact cost. R- c. s. 
Campbell, Iowa. . 
