1505. 
429 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.—John C. Teller, a cousin ol' Senator Teller, 
of Colorado, was twice indicted at Cheyenne, Wyo., May 10, 
by a Federal grand jury for alleged thefts of Government 
timber. Teller supplies most of the ties used on the Union 
i'acitic, and. it is charged, has been cutting them on the 
public domain for 20 years. ... It was generally under¬ 
stood by both sides to the Chicago strike that there would bo 
no disturbances while President Roosevelt was in the city. 
Notwithstanding this tacit agreement there were a number of 
outbreaks May 10, one of them taking place in Michigan 
Avenue a short time after President Roosevelt had passed 
the spot. In this riot a number of men were cut and shot. 
George S. Pierce, a union teamster, was shot and killed 
May 10 by George T. Waldorn, a deputy sheriff, who was 
guarding a Wells Fargo Express wagon. Waldorn was for¬ 
merly a member of the teamsters’ union, and Pierce taunted 
him with his change in employment. Angered by the lan¬ 
guage of Pierce, Waldorn drew a revolver and fired one shot, 
the bullet striking Pierce just above the heart. Eight hun¬ 
dred pupils of the Hendricks Public School went on a strike 
May 10 because a colored teamster for the Peabody Coal 
Company delivered a load of coal at the building. Many 
teamsters stopped near the school and prompted the pupils 
in their “strike." Police sent to the school are alleged to 
have used clubs on more than one pupil. Since then strikes 
on the part of pupils, and small riots have occurred at sev¬ 
eral schools, much disorder resulting. . . . The fast 
Cleveland and Cincinnati express, west hound, on the Penn¬ 
sylvania Railroad, crashed into a wrecked east bound freight 
train In the yards east of Harrisburg, Ta., May 11. A car 
filled with low grade dynamite was exploded. The passenger 
cars were shattered and the wreckage burned. Some of the 
bodies were completely consumed by the flames, which de¬ 
stroyed the six Pullman sleepers, one day coach and one com¬ 
bination car which made up the train. The wreck was 
caused by a slight accident to the freight train. Passing the 
plant of the Paxtang Electric Company, an air hose burst, 
setting the brakes, and several cars in the middle of the 
train buckled up and fell across the passenger tracks at the 
side. Almost at the same time the fast express dashed 
along and plunged into the wrecked freight cars, Including 
the one loaded with dynamite. The shock of the explosion 
was heard for miles around. At Highsplre windows were 
broken, and the people generally shaken up badly, but no 
serious damage was done. In Middletown the shock was 
terrific and many persons jumped out of their beds and fled 
to the streets under the impression that there was an earth¬ 
quake, Across the river at New Cumberland and other 
Places there was an upheaval that badly frightened the resi¬ 
dents. Many persons when they saw the blazing wreck from 
over the river crossed in boats to the scene, and did all they 
could to assist the wounded. The dead number 22, and 130 
persons were injured. Many of the survivors were literally 
stripped of all clothing by force of the explosion, and were 
frightfully burned. ... II. Streyckmans, formerly em¬ 
ployed by Armour & Co. as a stenographer, exposed May 12 
to the Interstate Commerce Commission, at its Chicago in¬ 
vestigation of private car lines, a secret code said to have 
been used by the company in conducting its business with 
shippers and in making rebates. Streyckmans also outlined 
to the commission what he declared to be discrimination by 
the car lines in granting rebates to certain shippers. Streyek- 
mans declared that former Lieutenant Governor Aldon An¬ 
derson, of California, paid 55 per cent of the tariff rate on 
his shipments. Others said to have received more than a 
50 per cent rebate were Frank It. Buck, of San Francisco; 
the Earl Fruit Company, the Porter Brothers Company and 
the Producers' Fruit Company. Stephens & Humphreys, S. 
U. Roper, Schnadel Brothers, George D. Kellogg and others 
were declared to have received their rebates. On cross-ex¬ 
amination Streyckmans declared that George II. Robbins, 
president of the Armour Car Lines, had attempted by threats 
to get the papers and the code the witness had In’ his pos¬ 
session. . . . The town of Snyder, Okla., which was hit 
by a tornado soon after midnight May 11, Is almost in ruins. 
It had 1.200 inhabitants, mostly Texans, and many of these 
were either killed or injured. It is now believed that the 
number of dead will not exceed 100 and that over 200 were 
injured, about 50 of them seriously. The tornado’s havoc 
was not confined to Snyder. That the village or Olusee was 
also destroyed by the same tornado is believed, for all at¬ 
tempts to reach it by wire or telephone have failed. Ac¬ 
cording to the course of the storm, it would have struck 
with full force upon the little village of frail frame dwell¬ 
ings. Reports from despatches on the Santa Fe road say 
that the town of Quinlan, in Woodward County, \Yus hit 
and that three persons are known to have been killed. . . . 
Hiram Cronk. sole survivor of the War of 1812, who cele¬ 
brated the 105th anniversary of his birth on April 20 last, 
died May 13 at his home at Dunnbrook. N. Y. In accordance 
with the arrangements made by the New York Board of Al¬ 
der men last Winter he will have a public funeral in New 
York, and will be buried in Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, 
where are interred the bodies of about 50 of his fellow sol¬ 
diers of the War of 1812. . . . May 14 the Trinity River 
at Dallas, Texas, was two miles wide, the flood being the 
worst since 1890. There is a heavy loss to live stock and 
farm property. . . Five officials of Carriage and 
Wagon Workers' Union No. 4 and three hired “sluggers" are 
under arrest in Chicago charged with a conspiracy which re¬ 
sulted in the murder of C. .T. Meyers, alias Carlson. The 
men arrested are Charles J. Casey, business agent of the 
union : Henry J. Newman, financial secretary ; George Miller. 
John Ilelden and Frank Novak, members of the executive 
committee, and Charles Gilhooley, Edward Feeley and Mark 
Loony, hired “sluggers,” not members of the union. For 10 
years Meyers had been in the employ of the Meckel Wagon 
Company. He was a union man. On April 1 the executive 
committee of the union called a strike against the Meckel 
shop. Some of the men refused to quit, among them Meyers. 
The union, it is alleged, employed as an “educational commit¬ 
tee" Gilhooley, Feeley and Looney. They attacked Meyers 
within a few feet of his home on April 13. Meyers died 
from his injuries within two weeks. Casey, the business 
agent, made a confession May 14. He says that in all the 
union paid Gilhooley $47 for murderous assaults. 
ADMINISTRATION.—-President Roosevelt will soon issue 
a proclamation setting aside about ten million acres of land 
in Idaho as a forest reserve. The matter was taken up wifh 
the President May 15 by Senator Dubois, of Idaho, and Gif¬ 
ford Pinchot. chief forester of the Department of Agricul¬ 
ture. The proposed withdrawal of the land in question has 
been the subject of animated partisan controversy in Idaho 
for several months, and it has brought about strained rela 
tions between the two Senators from that State. Senator 
Heyburn contended that the withdrawal of such a large area 
would retard the development of the State and discourage 
settlement by homesteaders. He declared further that it 
would entail great hardship on manv citizens because of the 
fact, as he put it. that the proposed reserve embraced many 
small towns. Senator Dubois took issue with his colleague. 
He replied that the sentiment of the State was in favor of 
the reserve and that not a simile town would be affected. 
Gifford Pinchot took Senator Dubois’s side. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The American Stockgrowers’ As¬ 
sociation, which was organized last January by persons who 
withdrew from the National Livestock Association, began its 
first annual convention at Denver, Col., May 9. Addresses 
of welcome were made by Governor McDonald, Mayor Speer 
and John W. Springer, a former president of the National 
Livestock Association. W. \V. Turney, president of the 
Texas Cattle Raisers’ Association, responded. Discussion 
among the members of the new association indicates that 
affiliation with the National Livestock Association is oui of 
the question at present. President Ilagenbarth, of the lat¬ 
ter organization, is in attendance at the convention, but the 
executive committee of his association failed to appear. 
"There will be no clash at tliis convention,” sad President 
Ilagenbarth. “Our organization wants peace, and is for 
everything that will promote harmony among the stockmen." 
The convention discussed ways and means of securing better 
rates and service from the railroads, and of lighting the al¬ 
leged combination of tlie packers. Since the organization of 
the new association, its president, Conrad Schaefer, has died, 
and before the convention assembled the members had prac¬ 
tically agreed upon Murdo Mackenzie, a Colorado and Texas 
cattleman, as Mr. Schaefer's successor. 
The semi-annual meeting of the Missouri State Horticul¬ 
tural Society will be held at Versailles. Morgan County, Mo., 
.Tune 13-15. 
Report up to April 28 from 72 counties in Indiana show 
that no fruit crop, except peaches, has been materially dam¬ 
aged by the low temperature during the Winter and the 
April frosts. Apples and pears are in normal condition: 
peaches indicate a half crop; plums 50 to 00 per cent: 
cherries the same; currants and gooseberries considerably 
damaged by April frosts; strawberries had the early bloom 
nipped by the frosts, but it is believed that sufficient buds 
still remain alive to insure a good crop ; grapes apparently 
in good condition. A perceptible increase in the planting 
of orchards and berry fields is noted throughout the fruit 
regions of the State, according to data compiled by W. B. 
Flick, secretary Indiana Horticultural Society. 
The twentieth annual meeting of the I-Iolstein-Friesian 
Association of America will be held at the Yates Hotel, 
Syracuse, N. Y., June 7-8. Prof. C. F. Curtiss, of the Iowa 
Agricultural College, will address the meeting June 8 on 
Holstein Characteristics. Care and Management. Secretary, 
Frederick L. Houghton. Rrattleboro, Vt. 
The twenty-first semi-annual meeting and fruit display of 
the Kansas State Horticultural Soeety will be held at: 
Wichita, Kan., June 7-9. 
The annual convention of the American Seed Trade Asso¬ 
ciation will be held at Alexandria Bav (Thousand Islands), 
N. Y.. June 20-22. 
S. C. Hood, of the Bureau of Plant Industry, United States 
Department of Agriculture, Washington, I>. C., a graduate 
of the University of Vermont in 1904. has returned to Bur¬ 
lington to take up the work in drug plants carried on by the 
experiment station in co-operation with the Department of 
Agriculture for the last two years. It is intended to grow, 
in part upon the new college property purchased from the 
Ainsworth estate and In part on other grounds many annual 
and perennial drug plants and garden herbs. The prominent 
feature of the work will be. as it has been for the past two 
years, the growth of tlie opium poppy with a view of deter¬ 
mining the possibilities of thy production of morphine in 
New England. 
An appropriation of $20,000 has been secured from the 
Rhode Island legislature for the purpose of building a green¬ 
house and also buildings for poultry instruction at the Agri¬ 
cultural College. This is in addition to the usual appropria¬ 
tions for student labor, extension work, repairs, anil $5,000 
to pay up an old debt. These bills, aggregating $31,500, 
divided into four resolutions, passed botli houses without a 
dissenting vote or a word of criticism. The college author¬ 
ities feel that, with a modern greenhouse and poultry plant, 
they can offer instruction in agriculture that will be thor¬ 
oughly up to date. This is the largest grant which the Leg 
islature has made to the college for eight or nine years, and 
indicates a thorough belief in the work of the college and a 
willingness to support it properly. 
A Winter Fair will be held at Syracuse, N. Y., in connec¬ 
tion with the next meeting of the New York State Breeders’ 
Association. December 19. 20 and 21. A premium list will 
be ready for distribution in a short time. The Chamber of 
Commerce is co-operating to insure the success of the exhi¬ 
bition. The fair will be more than a fat stock show, since 
prizes are offered for dairy cattle. There will be a dairy 
cow test and several prizes for stock foods, such as corn, 
roots and hay. At each session there will be lectures with 
regard to the animals or other objects on exhibition by men 
and women of national reputation. At the evening session 
it is expected to arrange for lectures and demonstrations on 
the cooking of meats, which will be of special interest to 
housekeepers. This exhibit will also offer valuable oppor¬ 
tunity for breeders to exhibit animals which they may wish 
to sell, although they may not be entered for premiums. 
J. C. Duncan, chairman of the exhibit committee, has re¬ 
ceived a large number of letters from breeders and feeders 
of live stock, expressing their interest in the exhibition 
and stating their intention of making an exhibit. Exhibitors 
and others Interested may obtain a premium list from the 
secretary, Frof. Thomas F. Hunt, Ithaca, N. Y. 
The next annual session of the Farmers’ National Congress 
will be helu in Richmond. Va., September 12-22, 1905.The 
Congress is composed of delegates appointed by the Governors 
of the various States on the recommendation of the agricul¬ 
tural organizations of each State. The president is Hon. 
Harvie Jordan, Monticello, Ga. ; John M. Stahl, secretary, 
Quincy, III. 
The Department of Agriculture is much interested in the 
study of American bulb growing, and desires to secure all 
possible information on the subject. It is already in touch 
with all the active bulb growers, but would be very thankful 
for any information that may lie furnished in regard to 
experiments on the growing of bulbs of any kind in America, 
whether such experiments have proven successful or not: 
and would like to enter into correspondence with all per¬ 
sons who have conducted such experiments. Address com¬ 
munications to A. J. Pieters, Botanist in Charge, Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture, Washington. 
CROP PROSPECTS. 
You will be glad to hear that we are having a beautiful 
Spring in British Columbia. The pollination of fruit trees 
generally seems to be perfect this year. We are looking 
for a bumper crop. Many home seekers are coming into this 
Province and buying land at very good prices. On the whole 
we are enjoying prosperous times and excellent health ; we 
have neither want nor suffering worth mentioning. 
Vancouver, B. C. t. c. 
Corn planting is in progress now; some was planted in 
April. Rain last week hindered, or one-third of the corn 
would now lie in the ground. May 7. We had a light snow 
May 4. and a light frost in the morning the next day. It is 
still cold and backward, yet plums are in bloom earlier than 
usual, and promise a full crop, as do also apples and small 
fruits. I am trying three acres of Alfalfa this Spring. 
The first sown is a fine stand. 
Later:—I wrote you that we had good prospects for a 
crop of plums, etc., but there was a hard frost this morning 
(May 8) that changed it from good to poor, although but 
few of the plums are in bloom, and the Injury may not be 
as great as we fear. ’ w.’ h. h. 
Letcher, S. D. 
We have been out of the fields for nearly a week on ac¬ 
count of heavy rains, and will be out for some time yet. I 
have about two-thirds of my 34 acres of corn planted. The 
Alfalfa is so heavy that it is lodging. That sown this Spring 
is large enough to show what it is. Clover over the country 
is very fine, as it passed the Winter without injury, and the 
weather this Spring has been favorable to it. Wheat and rye 
very promising. Corn that is planted is coming nicely. 
Ohio. JOHN M. JAMISON. 
Destroying Mustard. —The College of Agriculture, 
Ithaca, N. Y., has issued a bulletin telling how to destroy 
wild mustard growing in many crops by means of the cop¬ 
per sulphate spray. Few farmers have yet made a practical 
trial of the method. As a part of its extension work the 
College will be glad to communicate with farmers having 
mustard in their fields, who would like to test the efficiency 
of the copper sulphate spray. J. l. stone. , 
THE ITALIAN PRUNE ON PUGET SOUND. 
Most varieties of the plum kind are in their best environ¬ 
ment. under the conditions of temperature and climate in 
general as found on the Northwest Pacific coast. Particu¬ 
larly is this the case with the Italian prune tFellenberg). 
We have a four acre orchard of these, now some 15 or 18 
years from planting, in the valley of the Skagit, about 80 . 
miles north of Seattle, and are somewhat curious to know 
how their performance tallies with the results obtained 
from orchards in the east, or elsewhere. The soil is the 
common rich, loose, alluval or sedimentary deposit of our 
rivers, taking their rise in the Cascade mountains and some 
six or eight feet above sea level. The river adjacent is 
usually bank full during the hot months of June and July, 
and the land is thus sub-irrigated when it needs water the 
most. The trees then take on the richest green, and fruit 
swells to fullest perfection. The Italian prune is unique in 
that trees need no propping, as the branches are well knit 
to their stems, and this variety invariably sheds any above 
its normal crop of fruit each season. Our trees have never 
been cultivated except first two years from planting, but are 
in grass, and pastured with sheep 10 months of the year. 
The crop now averages about 50 tons each year from the 
four acres. That is of fruit which is of the largest size 
and perfect. We have no curculio here, and no insects 
bother the trees. They have never been sprayed, and do 
not need it. and practically have never been pruned. I 
know of no other variety of the plum kind that Is so satis¬ 
factory to grow. j. v. c. 
Seattle, Wash. _ 
PAPER POTS. 
Concerning “Paper Pots for Tomatoes” (page 357) would 
Mr. Crosby tell us when and how he puts plants into pots, 
and to what size he grows them in pots before setting out 
in field? a. w. g. 
St. Thomas, Ont. 
Last year my tomato seed was sown March 1, and as 
soon as the plants had their third leaf they were put into 
the pots, and were not set out in the field until May 19. 
'I'liis year my seed was sown about the same time, but I 
deferred putting them in the pots until they were quite 
good-sized plants, about three inches high, anil I find they 
do better. If they stay in the pots too long the roots come 
through the bottom of the pot. For starting cucumbers or 
Lima beans they answer the purpose admirably. In plant¬ 
ing in the field a furrow is made, and the bottom of the pot 
is torn off and the earth drawn around the rest of the pot. 
This is better than taking off the sides too. The plants are 
put in the pots just the same as clay pots. We Jiave had 
no rain for nearly two weeks, and farming operations are 
generally at a standstill on account of the dry condition 
of Ihe ground, but I have been setting out my plants since 
day before yesterday, and they are all standing as straight 
as drum majors. I use no water at all beyond thoroughly 
soaking the plants before they are carried to the field. 
Maryland. _ p. b. crosby. 
We have used this season, as for the last two or three 
seasons past, a certain amount of box fruit, this coming 
from the Far West, we might say altogether from Colorado, 
where they have a superior article, in color, size and general 
quality, packing nothing but select fruit. When so ordered 
their seconds and off fruit are packed separately, and culled 
severely from the orchard run. This box fruit wo aim to 
sell late in the season, when weather is getting warm, and 
where local buyers, mainly, do not care to chance a barrel: 
also where-they want to be certain of getting a strictly 
first-class apple, every apple almost.alike and perfect. This 
same manner of packing will not apply to any other locality 
besides the Far West, such sections as California, Washing¬ 
ton. Oregon. Idaho and Colorado, for the reason that no 
other sections have perfect enough fruit to pack in boxes, 
and they have always in the past made a botch of the pack¬ 
ing and package, disgusting handlers. These latter com¬ 
ments apply to all apple-growing sections outside of the 
Far West, and unless they are able to grow a perfect apple, 
like the Far West, it is useless, in our idea, to advocate 
anything but the barrel package. geo. w. davison & co. 
New Orleans, I-a._ 
BUSINESS BITS. 
“Veterinary Remedies” is the title of a booklet issued by 
the well known veterinary surgeons, Moore Bros., Albany. 
N. Y. This booklet should be of great value to every owner 
of a horse, cow or other farm animal. By a careful’reading 
of it anyone can diagnose the prevalent diseases, and advice 
and remedies are suggested in each case by Dr. Edward 
Moore, than whom there is no more competent veterinaries 
in the United States. The book is free to any reader asking 
for it. 
In a new book published by the Fairbanks Company of 
New York called “Farm Power.” they tell how they have 
gone about it to solve the farm power problem, and how they 
came to establish their farm power department. The Fair¬ 
banks Company come out broadly and offer to help any of our 
readers to an understanding of farm power and how to use it. 
We suggest that you write to them, telling them about the 
machinery you have on your farm, and let them see if they 
can figure out how you can profitably use farm power. Their 
book. “Farm Power.” is sent free to any of our readers. 
Address the Fairbanks Company, New York. 
The many years’ experience of E. C. Brown & Co., Roch¬ 
ester, N. Y., in building spraying machinery accounts for 
the excellent machine they have perfected for spraying pota¬ 
toes and vineyards. We refer to their traction compressed 
air sprayer. It is designed primarily as a potato sprayer, 
and can be had to cover either five or six rows at one pas¬ 
sage, but it is equally well adapted to vineyard spraying. 
We believe potato farmers and vineyarilists will find in this 
Brown Sprayer a machine very much to their purposes. Full 
particulars on this and most any other style of sprayer may 
be had by writing direct to the Brown Company. 
There is probably nothing in which quality is more im¬ 
portant than in tools. Yet the quality of a tool is not ap¬ 
parent to the eye. and even the experienced buyer must take 
chances unless he relies upon a brand which guarantees re¬ 
liability. By simply keeping in mind when buying the name 
Keen Kutter, anyone may buy any sort of tool with full 
assurance of lasting satisfaction. The Keen Kutter line of 
tools was awarded the Grand Prize at the World's Fair, St. 
Louis. This is the only award of the kind ever made to a 
complete line of tools. If your dealer does not keep Keen 
Kutter tools, you may make sure of being supplied by writing 
to the Simmons Hardware Company, St. Iahhs, or 298 Broad¬ 
way, New York. 
The question has frequently been asked. “Can a Bordeaux 
Mixture be made mechanically in a dry form." That is 
powdering a fine quality of lime and blue vitriol together 
in the usual pronortions, thus producing a fine powder. It 
is claimed by many that such a mixture is effective and 
has advantages. When used on damp foliage a chemical 
action 1 Kes place and the result is satisfactory. We have 
seen a sample that is called “Universal Bug and Blight 
Dust,” to which has been added a small percentage of Paris- 
green. which will undoubtedly Increase its value. The mix¬ 
ture is quite inexpensive. The dust spraying Is rapidly 
coming to the front for orchard as well as field work, and 
this mixture will doubtless be welcomed. 
The blower elevator is rapidly replacing the chain carrier 
for silo filling. It requires six men a day to put up a chain 
carrier, while a blower can be put up or down in a few 
moments. The Smalley safety blower made by the Smalley 
Mfg. Co., Manitowoc. Wis.. is extensively used bv dairymen 
and stock raisers. The safety fly wheel and pulley on this 
machine insure the operator against breakdowns and per¬ 
haps fatal accidents, for if hard foreign matter gets into the 
knives the fly wheel and pulley will revolve loosely on the 
shaft, stopping the machine instantly. The progressive 
farmer appreciates the advantages of the Smallev safety 
blower, and consequently it is coming into general use. 
Smalley’s free catalogue tells all about these goods. Write 
to-day for it. 
