i89o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
157 
♦ 
THE METHOD OF THE NIAGARA 
GRAPE COMPANY. 
I AM often asked if I would recommend 
individuals to plant the Niagara Grape 
under the scheme adopted by the Niagara 
Grape Company. I have never advised any 
one to take this course, not having been 
well informed as to what the Niagara 
Company’s scheme was, but on general 
principles I have advised my friends not to 
enter into such a contract with any one. 
First, for the reason that it is hardly pos¬ 
sible for one to comprehend what will be the 
result with such a contract; second, because 
but few farmers have sufficient knowledge 
of grape culture to comprehend what will 
be the expense of cultivating, staking, 
wiring, pruning and enriching the soil for 
12 acres of vineyard for a long period 
of years, or whether they have the nec¬ 
essary capital; nor do they understand the 
liability of an entire loss of the crop by 
frost or other calamities; nor are they in¬ 
formed as to whether their location is 
desirable for grape culture ; neither are they 
posted in regard to the prospective markets 
for grapes. In fact, they are entering into 
a business of which they know very little. 
Usually after giving such advice as oc¬ 
curred to me, I have found that the indivi¬ 
dual has already signed his contract, and is 
obliged to plant whether he desires to or 
not, which amounts to the same thing as 
locking the stable after the horse has been 
removed. 
I have just returned from a visit to the 
Monroe County Clerk’s office in order to 
inform myself in regard to the character of 
the contract, so-called, signed by those 
who have accepted the Niagara Grape Com¬ 
pany’s method. I saw but one of these con¬ 
tracts, which was recorded under the head 
of Irregular Mortgages, and covered five 
pages, each page being about 15 x 20 inches 
in size: a very formidable document, in¬ 
deed, in appearance and size. I reget that 
I have not room to give the entire contract. 
I shall attempt to give only a few of the 
clauses as nearly as I can from hasty notes, 
not attempting to be exact. 
First. The planter agrees properly to 
prepare the soil which he states is suitable 
for grape culture, to nourish, fertilize and 
enrich the soil and properly to care for the 
vines from year to year, properly prune, 
gather the fruit, pack it and sell it in the 
best markets ; also, to pack the fruit in 
such boxes as the Niagara Grape Company 
shall direct. The farmer has to pay 
$2,129.00, partly in notes payable at;the 
bank, with interest, and partly payable in 
fruit, under certain conditions. The 
maker of the notes reserves the right to 
pay $233.40 from one half of the net value of 
or amount received for all first crops; the 
said $233. 40 and net value of the other one- 
half of the crop to be paid to the Niagara 
Grape Company. If the contract is 
faithfully kept the recorded document is to 
be null and void. In case of sale of the land 
occupied by the vineyard or in case of j udg- 
ment against the same, or in case the 
farmer shall fail to make full payment for 
the vines, as above, within 10 years, the 
Niagara Grape Company may declare the 
whole sum due and payable immediately, 
and this contract shall be a lien and in¬ 
cumbrance on the land occupied by the 
vines to be sold as well as on the vines. 
I confess that this may be an inaccurate 
and incomplete report of the contract, but 
it is all I have room to give. Is it not 
astonishing that any human being should 
be so short-sighted as to sign any such 
paper, considering that he might possess the 
same vineyard at less expense without 
signing any contract of the kind. The 
objections to signing this contract are: 
First : It encumbers the farm apparently 
in such away that the owner could not give 
a good title to it in case he desired to sell it; 
nor, apparently, could he secure a loan 
upon the land from a savings bank in this 
State. Second: He would appear to be 
in the power of the Niagara Grape Com¬ 
pany should they or their successors or 
assignees desire to oppress him, for the con¬ 
ditions of the contract would appear to be 
very largely in favor of the Niagara Grape 
Company and against the party on whose 
land the grape vines are planted. For in¬ 
stance, it is stipulated that the vines shall 
be properly cared for ; and there is no jury 
in the nation that could agree upon what 
proper care of a vineyard would consist. 
Third: The fruit must be sold in the best 
market, and no jury in the country and 
no individual could decide which was the 
best market; hence the company might 
have the right to declare the grapes had not 
been sold in the best market, that the vines 
had not been properly cared for and that 
the land should be forfeited for such or 
other reasons. Fourth: It is stipulated 
that the vines should be properly pruned 
and properly boxed, properly cultivated, 
enriched, etc., all of which is very indefi¬ 
nite and all in favor of the Niagara Grape 
Company and tending to cause trouble to 
the planter if the Niagara Grape Company 
or its assignees should be disposed to be 
technical. 
I have heard many comments on the 
system conducted by the Niagara Grape 
Company, by practical fruit growers in 
Western New York, and the verdict was 
unanimously against the desirability of any 
planter entering into such a contract. The 
fact was deplored that so many had so 
foolishly encumbered their farms; and I 
have been told that the number of farmers 
who would lose their farms and their homes 
on which they have lived for many years, 
was liable to be large owing often to their 
lack of knowledge in grape culture, to their 
not having enough capital to conduct the 
business, as no income is received for sev¬ 
eral years, and but a small income for sev¬ 
eral years thereafter; and owing to the 
liability to encounter unfruitful years ; 
also, owing to the possible decrease in 
price for the Niagara Grape fruit in the 
market. These statements are not made 
with any spiteful feelings against the Niag¬ 
ara Grape Company, which I believe will 
do all it contracts to do. I do not think the 
company intends to defraud any one. So 
far as I know, it is composed of men in good 
business standing. What I desire to say is, 
that farmers who sign the Niagara' Grape 
contract as I have seen it on record, are 
acting unwisely ; that by signing such con¬ 
tracts they are liable to come to grief. 
CHAS A. GREEN. 
Rochester, N, Y. 
ICE MACHINES. 
There is a good deal of inquiry about 
ice-machines among us dairymen who sup¬ 
ply Brooklyn with milk. Every farmer 
who sells milk or makes butter uses a 
large quantity of ice. Those who live near 
the shores of our bays are making arrange¬ 
ments with the owners of sloops and schoon¬ 
ers to bring a supply from Maine. The 
freight would be about $2 per ton and by 
the time a farmer living a few miles from 
the landing could get his ice stored, it 
would cost him six to eight dollars per 
very short ton. Can the R. N.-Y. give us 
some knowledge of the cost of an ice ma¬ 
chine that could make from two to five 
tons a day ? 
Queens County, N. Y. 
R. N.-Y.—This is a sample of many let¬ 
ters ; we regret that we cannot give an en¬ 
couraging answer. We shall investigate 
the matter still further and obtain all the 
facts possible. 
The New York Ice and Cold Storage Co., 
the largest concern of the kind in the 
world, have, at 207 Fulton Street, this city, 
a plant which cost $100,000. They furnish 
cold air to a large part of Washington 
Market, manufacture about 25 tons of ice 
per day, and have extensive freezing and 
cold-storage rooms. They employ about 15 
men. They inform us that it is a difficult 
matter to estimate the exact cost of a plant 
or its capacity, because there are so many 
conditions which affect the result. The 
larger the plant, the less the proportionate 
cost of the ice. A steady, unfailing power 
is necessary, and a very firm foundation. 
It will cost less to make ice from water 
from an artesian well than from a source 
where the water is warmer. A machine 
costing about $2,000, will turn out about 
500 pounds of ice daily. Any good engineer 
can soon learn to operate one, and a care¬ 
ful, attentive man is necessary, or great 
waste may result. It is evident that the 
expense of a plant will preclude its use by 
farmers generally, though the larger 
creameries and factories may find it ad¬ 
vantageous. The machinery is said to be 
quite durable. Manufacturers of ice-ma¬ 
chines are said to be so far behindhand with 
their orders that an order placed now can¬ 
not be filled before July or August. 
THE POULTRY EXHIBITION. 
The exhibition of the New York Fanciers’ 
club closed last Wednesday. The show was 
generally considered a success so far as at¬ 
tendance, exhibits and general interest are 
concerned. The R. N.-Y. will give full re¬ 
ports of the show later in the form of notes 
and items of interest picked up from breed¬ 
ers and exhibitors. This week we wish to 
speak more particularly of the business of 
poultry keeping as indicated by this exhibi¬ 
tion. There is every evidence that the 
poultry business is growing in importance. 
We look for a brisk trade in breeding birds 
and eggs this spring. There will be no 
boom, but a well-sustained and active de¬ 
mand. This demand will come mainly 
from men who want to improve their 
flocks and not from fanciers who lay partic¬ 
ular stress upon color and markings. 
There can be no disputing the fact that 
there is a growing desire to follow the ex¬ 
ample of cattlemen and buy and sell birds 
on the strength of their actual perform¬ 
ances as egg or meat producers, without so 
much regard for exterior points. No one 
seems to know just how this record system 
is to be worked out with poultry ; but there 
is a demand for such a thing and this de¬ 
mand is a growing one. The time is sure¬ 
ly coming when it will pay a man to be 
able to prove that his hens are of a su¬ 
perior laying strain. 
People seem to be coming to the conclu¬ 
sion that the quickest and cheapest way to 
grade up their flocks is to buy a trio of 
birds of good breeding. There is too much 
risk in buying eggs. The most important 
coming change in the poultry business 
seems to be the partial substitution of orders 
for birds for orders for eggs. There will 
be more satisfaction when this change is 
brought about. 
The incubator and brooder men all re¬ 
port fair business. It is to be hoped that 
the craze for cheap incubators has killed 
itself. There seems to be less experiment¬ 
ing with incubators. Their use now seems 
to be mainly confined to those who do bus¬ 
iness on a scale large enough to warrant 
the use of the larger incubators which con¬ 
tain all the improvements. 
There was an astonishing display of the 
heavy Asiatic breeds. The Brahma classes 
were very large. A systematic effort is be¬ 
ing made to boom Light Brahmas again. 
It hardly seems likely that it will succeed. 
Wyandottes and Plymouth Rocks made a 
fine showing. The opinion is quite general 
that for a steady, well-selling breed the Wy¬ 
andotte cannot be surpassed. The Indian 
Game class was quite large. These birds 
seem ugly and awkward, but we are assured 
that they are good layers and unsurpassed 
as table fowls. They are to be “boomed” 
this year. The egg display was disappoint¬ 
ing and the exhibit of “ dressed carcasses ” 
was a farce. This might be made a fine 
thing; but there is absolutely no sense in 
displaying half a dozen half-plucked birds 
not one of which is of superior form. The 
darkest eggs were those from Dark 
Brahma hens. This fact is mentioned be. 
cause it is understood that New York 
fashion is changing. Where snow-white 
eggs were once demanded, there now be¬ 
gins to be a call for the darkest eggs possi¬ 
ble. On the whole, the poultry business is 
promising. There will be quite a general 
desire to try the new breeds and a sound 
demand for good stock of the breeds that 
may now be considered well established. 
IMPLEMENT NOTES. 
The Acme Harrow.—A gricultural meth¬ 
ods are changing so rapidly nowadavs, that 
there is a tendency in some quarters to dis- 
f. o. b. lots, muriate of potash $42.50, sul¬ 
phate, $30, kainit about $13.50. 
Stas, itnrt flantsh 
“THE IDAHO PEAR.” 
A new and distinct variety of largest size 
and finest texture, rivaling in quality the 
best European varieties, hardy in tree and 
foliage, and destined to become immensely 
popular wherever known. 
An Illustrated Pamphlet will be sent on 
application with full history and descrip¬ 
tion of this pear, and the opinions of such 
men as Prof. Budd, Dr. Hexamer. Parker 
Earle, P. Barry, P. J. Berckmans, Dr. Hos¬ 
kins, Waldo F. Brown, T. T. Lyon, W. Fal¬ 
coner, Storrs & Harrison, T. Y. Munson, H. 
M. Engle, Samuel Miller, E. S. Carman, E. 
Van Deman, etc., etc. 
Single Tree by mail, post-paid, S3.50 
Three for $6.00. 
All trees are sent out under the seal of 
our registered trade-mark. 
THE IDAHOTPEAR CO., 
LEWISTON. IDAHO. 
GRAPE VINES 
P ita ot' dost 40 . 111 : 7 . Warranieatrue to nims. iiowoat 
i. Largest Stock and Assortment o f Old and New 
ties. Send for Price List. 
BUSH & SON Is MSISSNEB, Bnstaerg, Mo. 
ROCHESTER 
COMMERCIAL 
NURSERIES. I 
AddressW ,S. UTTLEj 
Rochester, N.Y. 
NEW and RARE, OLD RELIABLE. Both) 
Fruit and Ornamental. ROSES, Vines. Clematis, 
Rhododendrons, etc. Two illustrated catalogues 6c. | 
Free to customers. Wholesale List, FREE. 
Kind Friend, 5? you grow 
CABBAGE 
and do not already know that 
TILLINCHAST’S PUCET 
SOUND SEEDS are the best 
in the World, please send me 
your address and I will mail you 
some free trial packages. 
Isaac F. Tillinghast, La Rume, Pa. 
BERRY GROWERS. 
Improved Folding Paper Berry 
Basket for shipping & delivering. 
Heavier Paper. Square Bail and 
Cover. Send $2. for 500 baskets 
or a cent stamp for sample- 
Detroit Paper Novelty C®» 
Detroit* .Rich* 
. Ifentionthls'DaDer. 
Lorillard Tomato. 
Introduced by us last sea¬ 
son, is the most solid and 
delicious variety grown ; 
unequalled for forcing or 
garden culture. For 15 
cents we will send, post 
paid, a pkt of the original 
grower’s seed, and our il¬ 
lustrated catalogue. 
A. D. COWAN & CO., 
114 Chambers St., 
P. 0. Box 2541, New lork. 
FRUIT PACKACES 
card sound old methods of culture for the 
simple reason that they are old. This ten¬ 
dency is nowhere more noticeable than in 
the use of harrows. Most of the recently 
invented harrows should not be called har¬ 
rows at all. They are diggers or shallow 
plows. They stir up the soil to a greater 
depth than was done by the old harrows, 
but they leave the surface in a very poor 
condition for seeding. Unless a genuine 
harrow is used after them, a seeding 
can hardly be fully successful, as the 
surface may be left lumpy and uneven. 
The great office of the Acme pulverizing 
harrow, clod crusher and leveler is to pul¬ 
verize, crush and level. For this special 
work it is probably unsurpassed. It will 
not do to neglect a thorough preparation of 
the surface of the seed-bed, and it must be 
remembered that the nearer a harrow ap¬ 
proaches the work of a plow the poorer its 
surface work is likely to be. 
POTASH FOR FERTILIZERS. 
H. C., Wallace, N. Y.—The business 
department of the R. N.-Y. just suits me. 
Where can I get potash for a potato ferti¬ 
lizer and at what price ? 
The Mapes Formula Co., 158 Front Street, 
New York, will_ supply_it. Prices, In ton 
OF EVERY DESCRIPTION. 
Peach, Pear and Grape Baskets; 
(-3,1-2 and I Bushel Boxes; 
Bushel & 1-2 Bu. Stave Baskets, 
Illustrated Catalogue FREE. 
yhth A PAC 
J^tETABLE SHI 
\YRICE&I 
\ rv \ to IU)V 
M-fcA NY, *■ 
