ISOS. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.—Officers of the Nonpareil Cork Works, of 
Camden, were placed on trial May 24 in the United States 
Court at Trenton, N. J., charged with conspiring to prejudice 
lhe Federal Steamboat Inspection Service hy putting iron 
bars in cork blocks intended for life preservers. The defend¬ 
ants are J. II. Stone, II. C. Quintard, Charles Russ and 
James Iiuss. Mr. Booraem opened the case for the Govern¬ 
ment, saying that it would he shown how David Kahnweiler's 
Sons, of New York, had purchased cork from the defendants 
to make life preservers. They purchased 1,750 cork blocks, 
every eight of which were to weigh six pounds, the weight 
required in life preservers by the Government regulations. 
Each life preserver is made up of eight blocks. When the 
blocks were delivered to the Kahnweilers, it is asserted, it 
was discovered that the eight blocks only weighed five and 
a half pounds. They at once told the cork works of the 
deficiency. In reply, it is contended, the cork company 
wrote the Kahnweilers that it would send 250 extra blocks 
of heavier weights, to mix with the lighter ones. When the 
heavier blocks were received Mr. Kahnweiler became sus¬ 
picious and examined them, finding the iron bars in them. 
He telephoned to the cork company, but could get no satis¬ 
faction. Louis M. Kahnweiler was the first witness, and 
he told in substance the story outlined by the Assistant Dis¬ 
trict Attorney. James J. Jones, a negro employee of the 
cork company, was called to the witness stand. He swore 
that he had placed the iron rods in the cork blocks and 
said he had done so under the direction of James Russ, 
superintendent of the plant, and in the presence of Quintard 
and Charles Russ. He said he had made thousands of cork 
blocks, but had never used iron rods until told to do so in 
the order of 250 blocks for the Kahnweilers. A point of 
*he defense was the demonstration in court before the jury 
tfiat: life preservers loaded with iron bars showed a buoyancy 
*f 27 pounds, whereas the Government test is but 24 pounds. 
The defense is claiming that no injury was done to anyone, 
and that therefore no conspiracy exists. President Roose¬ 
velt lias asked Congress for a law making the putting of 
iron bars in life preservers a crime. . . . On May 18 
the City of Philadelphia voted to lease the city gas works to 
the United Gas Improvement Company for a term of seventy- 
five years for .$25,000,000. The action was taken amid much 
excitement, and Mayor Weaver announced himself as un¬ 
alterably opposed to the lease and in favor of postponing the 
matter until 1007. Indignation meetings were held by Phila¬ 
delphia citizens, and a delegation of one hundred ministers 
called on Mayor Weaver and urged him to stand boldly for 
the rights of the people. On May 23 Mayor Weaver summar¬ 
ily dismissed David J. Smyth, Director of Public Safety, and 
Peter E. Costello, Director of Public Works, two of the prin¬ 
cipal members of his cabinet, and declared his defiance of the 
political ‘machine” which they represented. An Injunction 
was secured hy the removed officials to prevent the men ap¬ 
pointed to succeed them from taking office, and the men re¬ 
moved returned to the places they had held and attempted to 
perform the duties. Mayor Weaver, who had secured as 
counsel Elihu Root, ex-Seeretar.v of War, and ex-.Tudge James 
J. Gordon, of Philadelphia, took steps to eject the removed 
officials from the offices they had resumed, holding that they 
were trespassers, in the effort to regain the posts of direc¬ 
tors of the departments of Public Safety and Public Works, 
which include all the principal municipal departments, with 
ten thousand employees, the “machine” managers and adher 
ents threaten to bring proceedings for impeachment against 
Mayor Weaver on the ground of malfeasance in office. The 
attempted lease of the gas works would rob the city of mil¬ 
lions, and compel the consumers to pay an excessive price for 
f ;as for an indefinite period. May 27. alarmed hy the public 
ndignation, the gas company withdrew its offer. 
The Chicago Grand jury has indicted 12 men in connec¬ 
tion with the death of Charles Carlstrom, the member of 
the Carriage Makers’ Union, who died at the result of the 
beating he received at the hands of thugs, hired by the 
officials of the union, according to their own story. The in¬ 
dicted men are George Metier, formerly president of the 
union ; Henry J. Neuman, secretary ; Charles J. Casey, busi¬ 
ness agent ; six members of the executive committee of the 
union, and Charles Gilhooley, Marcus Looney, and Edward 
Feele.v. the three men, who, it is alleged, were hired hy the 
offichils of the union to beat men who did not go on strike, 
or took the strikers’ places, ’l’lie indictments charge man¬ 
slaughter and conspiracy to commit great bodily injury. 
Judge Mack has sentenced 17 Chicago schoolboys for taking 
part in the strikes at public school buildings. Thirteen of 
the hoys were sent to the parental school, while the other 
four were remanded to the institution for boys at St. Charles. 
HI. . . . The omission of the little word “not” in the 
engrossed copy of the bill passed by the Wisconsin Senate, 
creating a commission to control and supervise railway 
rates, makes it necessary to amend the bill and pass it again. 
Section 33 of the new law was intended to read that “They” 
(the orders of the commission making rates) “shall not he 
declared inoperative, illegal or void for any omission of a 
technical nature in respect thereto.” As the bill was actually 
passed by the Senate it provides that the commission’s rui- 
iugs “shall be declared inoperative,” etc., for any omission of 
a technical nature In respect thereto. The mistake was dis¬ 
covered by accident by a member of the railroad committee, 
and had it not been noticed the bill would have become a law 
and the railway commission would have been shorn of its 
power. The situation now calls for the repassage of the bill 
in the Senate with the word “not” back in the section where 
it belongs . . . There was general strike rioting 
in Chicago May 20 throughout the lumber yards district. 
Lumber wagons returning from making deliveries were at¬ 
tacked by crowds at every available opportunity. Large 
numbers of men, armed with clubs, slungshots, and bricks, 
accompanied by jeering women and children, filled tlie side¬ 
walks along Centre Avenue, West Thirty-fifth street, Loomis 
street, and Archer avenue, waiting for wagons, which were 
believed to be unguarded. At Archer and Loomis streets 
trucks appeared with one policeman on each. The drivers 
were immediately bombarded with bricks and stones and 
several air rifles were brought into play. A bullet from one 
of these wounded policeman James Fitzpatrick in the rigjit 
hand. The policemen drew revolvers and fired over the 
heads of the rioters, holding them at bay until the driv¬ 
ers reached the yards. Fierce rioting broke out at West 
Madison and Canal streets. An American Express Company 
wagon was stopped by strikers, and the mob seized the wheels 
of the wagon in an attempt to overturn it. A riot call 
brought three patrol wagons loaded with officers. The 
police charged the crowd and arrested everybody they could 
lay hands on. They loaded the three patrol wagons full of 
men. and made three trips to the station house, carrying 
prisoners each time, but every time they returned the jeer¬ 
ing crowd was larger. Forty-two arrests were made. 
It is announced here that the Standard Oil Company 
has purchased 100,000 acres of land in Eastern North Car¬ 
olina. containing several million feet of gum timber, from 
which oil barrels will be manufactured at a cooperage plant 
to be established on the line of the projected Virginia and 
Carolina Coast Railroad, which is to run into Norfolk. 
THE EASTERN WAR.—May 27-28 a great naval battle 
was fought in the Straits of Korea, in which the Russian fleet 
was practically destroyed, only three small vessels escaping 
Official statement of Russian losses so far as ascertained: 
Following six battleships sunk : Ivniaz Souvaroff, Imperator, 
Alexander III, Borodino, Oslyabya. Sissio Velikv and Navarin. 
Following five cruisers sunk: Admiral Nakhimoff. Dmitri 
Donskoi, Vladimir Monomakh, Svietlana and Jemchug. Coast 
defence ship Admiral Ousliakoff sunk. Two special service 
ships, Kamtchatka and three destroyers also sunk. Two 
battleships, Orel and Impebator Nicholas I : two coast de¬ 
fence ships, General Admiral Apraxine and Admiral Senjan- 
vin. and one destroyer reported captured. Thus Russians 
lost altogether 22 ships, the aggregate tonnage whereof 
amounted to 153.411 tons. Reports thus far received 
indicate that Admiral Togo obtained a victory without loss 
or serious damage of a single battleship or cruiser. His 
casualties are not reported, but are insignificant. It is be¬ 
lieved that the Russian casualties are heavy, although the 
Japanese appear to have rescued a large number. The cap¬ 
tured ships, with prisoners and wounded, are arriving at 
Sasebo. A number of Russian prisoners were landed on 
Tsu Tsland. Three hundred, believed to be from the trans¬ 
port Ural, have been landed on the Iwami coast. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The Grange fie’ 1 meeting at 
Amber, N. Y., on the shore of Otisco Lake. June 14. should 
be a success Worthy State Master E. B. Norris is to make 
the principal address. Excelsior Grange No. 456, Is doing 
everything possible to “gladden the heart” of everyone 
that attends. 
A joint meeting of the Ohio State Forestry Society and Col¬ 
umbus Horticultural Society will be held in Townshend Hall, 
Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, June 10. 
The next bi ennial meeting of the American Bornological 
Society—the twenty-ninth in the history of the organization 
—will be held in Kansas City, August 8-10. The meeting 
goes to Kansas City at the earnest request of the Missouri 
Horticultural Society, backed by the horticultural societies 
of the Mississippi Valley and Western States in general. 
CROP PROSPECTS. 
The Baldwins that did not bear heavy last year are set 
fairly well, same as the Greenings; but I cannot see more 
than 60 per cent of last year’s crop in sight now, and after 
the June drop that may be materially reduced. Small fruits 
seem to be set well. t. b. w. 
Hall’s Corners, N. Y. 
There is a larger crop of potatoes planted this year in 
Jamesport than there was last year. Potatoes are coming 
up well, also corn. There are a good many cauliflowers to 
be set out in June or July. Farmers are making money 
from potatoes and cauliflowers. Cabbage seed is a light crop 
here. There is a big crop of grass; it is looking well now. 
A good crop of wheat is expected this Fall. Rye is about 
five feet high now. Farms are selling very high ; Long Is¬ 
land is the place for farmers to make money. h. p. t. 
Jamesport, L. I. 
The prospects for a good crop of fruit this season in 
this locality are very promising. Peaches, pears, plums and 
cherries are setting very full. Apples are just in blossom, 
and present indications are that some varieties will be more 
abundant than last year ; perhaps not as many Baldwins and 
Kings. Weather conditions this Spring have been very favor¬ 
able for fruit thus far. Recent rains have given practical 
assurance of a good hay crop. Wheat, and oats look well. 
Early potatoes are coming up nicely. Corn planting has just 
begun. Altogether the season is earlier than usual, and 
very flattering for good crops of all kinds. f. s. 
Lewiston, N. Y. 
Judging from bloom I should say apples would be 50 per 
cent of las’: year; plums about: the same. Peaches consid¬ 
erably better than last year, but then peaches are very un¬ 
certain here ; about one crop in three or four years and not 
enough raised for local consumption. I supposed that where 
peaches failed Japan plums would fall, hut find that Burbank 
and Abundance are as sure here as Europeans, rarely a 
failure. Cherries blossomed immensely, but the result is 
light with sour and fair to good with sweet. Currants and 
gooseberries promise to be moderate. Strawberries good. 
Cherries have been light for three or four years. a. i. i,. 
North East, Pa. 
The prospect at. present is good for all kinds of fruit. 
The season has been cold, but frequent rains have given 
about the right amount of moisture. Insect enemies are 
not plenty; have not seen a tent caterpillar's nest this sea¬ 
son. The blossoms are just falling from the apple trees, 
and every careful fruit grower is preparing to give the trees 
a thorough spraying to head off any insects and fungus 
that may appear. Though the season is backward yet all 
kinds of farm crops are promising. Wheat and grass came 
through the Winter in line condition, and are looking extra 
good. The outlook for fruit is better than a year ago. 
Hilton, N. Y. b. w. b. 
I hardly think it time for the Apple Consumers’ League 
to disband. The apple trees blossomed very full here, except 
the Baldwins. I doubt if there are one-tenth as many Bald¬ 
win blossoms as usual. Greenings, Spies, Roxbury Russets, 
Tolman, Blush and Twenty Ounce are vying with each other 
in their beauty. It looks as though every blossom is trying 
to turn itself into an apple. Pears seem'to be setting well ; 
a good bloom on peaches. I have not heard about prospects 
for peaches. Weather has been ideal; no hard rain or thun¬ 
der storms during blossoming time. Wheat and grass are 
doing finely: rather cool for oats to start well; no barley 
raised here now. A great many potatoes are planted for so 
early in the season. About 8,000 barrels of apples yet in big 
cold storage house. i. n. s. 
Albion, N. Y. 
At present the fruit crop is very encouraging. Apples and 
pears blossomed profusely, and the weather conditions were 
good, warm and dry. giving bees a good chance to work 
among the pollen. We had some killing frosts the week of 
May 22, but they did very little if any damage except to 
strawberries and garden truck. At the present writing I 
should say that the apple crop in the Hudson River Valley 
will be fully equal to last, year’s crop with the exception of 
Baldwins, which is the off year in most orchards. Green¬ 
ings are very heavily set, and it looks as though there would 
be more Bartlett pears than last season. All peach orchards 
that survived the Winter of 1904 are heavily set. with fruit 
also. The outlook for hay and grain is very poor, and these 
crops will be ’way below the average. s. s. d. 
Stuyvesant Falls, N. Y. 
The present outlook for fruit in this section of the Hudson 
Valley Is excellent. Apples, which were pretty short this 
last season in this vicinity, promise well. Peaches at pres¬ 
ent date look like a full crop. Pears will be reduced in 
quantity in this section for some years to come, owing to the 
great devastation to orchards from the severity of the Win¬ 
ter of a year ago. Orchards that escaped with little injury 
promise fairly well. Sweet cherries are variable, some good. 
Small fruits good. It is pretty dry here at the present time, 
and the strawberry crop will suffer if rain is delayed any 
length of time. The hay crop is needing rain very much, 
also oats. There is a very large dairy interest in this countv 
and farmers are feeling quite concerned over the dry condi¬ 
tions, there having been no good soaking rains since the 
frost came out of the ground. j. r. c. 
Newburgh, N. Y. 
Cherries very heavy bloom, with fruit getting thinner 
each day. Prospectively the crop a good half cron. Peaches 
are quite promising where care is taken and scale is kept 
down. Very few orchards are left, and a small proportion 
of what trees are left are looked after as regards the scale. 
Plums a general failure: pears were full of bloom, some 
varieties a very full set of fruit, but I look for not over one- 
quarter average crop. Apples are promising a half crop: a 
noticeable deficiency in first earlies; second earlies a better 
prospect, but not an average except the Bough apple : trees 
of this kind a very full set. All trees that were heavily 
leaded last year show little fruit this year. It is impossi¬ 
ble for a tree average years to produce two heavy crops of 
fruit in succession. It is only done with good cultivation, and 
abundance of rain during August and September. Wheat is 
a very fine show ; oats are also good, grass is short owing 
to cool mornings down to frost every morning for a week 
and quite dry. Most of the corn is planted, and after the 
fine rain of May 29 will be likely to grow rapidly. Potatoes 
are looking good ; stock is in good condition : everything Is 
done for milk production. i. j. Blackwell. 
Mercer Co., N. J. 
Rriefly stated the fruit prospect in central New Jersey is 
about as follows at this time, June 1. Apples, some vari¬ 
eties a full crop: others a very light setting: probably will 
average a good half of a crop. Pears vary according to age 
of trees and other conditions from a very light setting to a 
fair crop: on a fair average, could be called 30 per cent of a 
crop. Peaches a full crop on most varieties of all age trees: 
unless the June drop is very severe many varieties will have 
to be thinned to get good fruit. Plums almost a failure of 
nearly all varieties of the Japan strain : the European and 
native varieties a fair setting, but rot will probably destroy 
them as usual. Cherries, sour varieties, a good crop: Gov. 
Wood and other sweet grafted varieties about 50 per cent 
of a crop: probably nearly enough for the birds: this will 
be cheerful news to those sickly sentimentalists, who advo¬ 
cate the protection of the birds at the expense of the fruit 
growers. The small fruits promise a large crop, except 
blackberries, which were badly winter-killed: the Ward 
seems to be hardier than other varieties. The general light 
setting of fruits is a disappointment, as we never had a 
greater quantity of blossoms on all kinds of fruit trees: the 
late frosts, tip to and after the middle of May. probably 
caused the damage. As to the cereal crops, I would say. 
wheat and rye promise a full crop® oats look well, but need 
rain. Corn is coming up nicely: much of it was planted 
late, owing to ground being too dry for cultivation. Pota¬ 
toes are doing well; the bugs are here in full force, and 
461 
appear to be very active and healthy. The fruit crop as 
compared with last year is about as follows: As many 
apples, fewer pears and plums, a full crop of peaches, while 
last year they were a failure; the smaller fruits a much 
better crop, but these are only grown in a small way ; most 
farmers don’t grow enough for home consumption. 
Belle Mead, N. J._ w. h. s. 
BRIEFLY ANSWERED. 
When to Cut Wheat Hay. 
When is the proper stage to cut: wheat for hay? ,t. b. 
Florisant, Mo. 
We cut wheat when the first heads are observed In the 
dough stage, that is, when the berries crush into a milky 
fluid when pressed between the linger nails. Cut the wheat 
with the mower and cure like clover hay. 
Second Crop Potatoes. 
Can early potatoes of the first crop be used for seed for a 
second crop when nearly mature, If they are exposed to the 
light a few days before planting? a. i. w. 
Council Bluffs, Iowa. 
Such potatoes make good seed, but it is difficult to sprout 
them. A few days in the light, will not answer. Read the 
notes on page 372. 
Sweef Corn or Cane for Fodder. 
How will it do to sow sweet corn broadcast for fodder to 
be used either green or dry? I think I have seen it grown 
that way, but do not know the result, neither do I know the 
best way to cover the corn. I should be glad for information 
in regard to it; it certainly saves a lot of hoeing. 
Massachusetts. g. w. h. 
This plan will answer. Sow the large kinds like Ever¬ 
green or Mammoth. We have sown such corn by scattering 
it on the rough furrows and harrowing in with an Acme 
harrow with the teeth put as flat as possible. Drilling in 
close drills would be better for large seed. We have obtained 
better results by sowing Early Amber cane, about three pecks 
to the acre. We soak the seed in warm water and broadcast 
like rye or wheat. The soil should be In good condition. 
The cane makes good green fodder, but, like sweet corn, is 
hard to cure, especially in a wet Fall. 
Insect on Strawberries. 
I send a bug which is eating our strawberry plants, and 
a leaf showing some of its work. Will you tell us what 
to do to stop the destruction, and something about the bug? 
Oswego Falls, N. Y. h. a. b. 
The Insect proved to lie one of the leaf-eating beetles, and 
a first cousin of the well-known Colorado Potato beetle. The 
strawberry eater is scientifically known as Chrysomela sutu- 
ralis. It. has been recorded as injurious on opening peach 
buds in Michigan. The beetles hibernate and come forth 
with hungry appetites in the Spring, attacking tender vege¬ 
tation wherever they find it. Nothing seems to he known 
about their further life history. They may not again appear 
in the correspondent's strawberry bed in several years. If 
they do at. all. They will doubtless quickly succumb to a 
thorough application of a poison spray, the same as is ap¬ 
plied to kill the Potato beetle. M. v. slingekland. 
Orange Winter Apple. 
What, kind of an apple is the Winter Orange? Has it any 
other name? It came with some trees I bought; I never 
heard of it before. Is it: a long keeper or Is it. as good as 
King, Baldwin or Spy, or other Winter apples? 
Boston, Mass. J. b. 
The Orange Winter apple is not very well known. This 
name has recently been changed to Newell, by which it is 
now listed by the American Bornological Association and by 
the Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.. in Bul¬ 
letin No. 56, Bureau of Plant. Industry. The Newell or 
Winter Orange -apple originated in Wisconsin and is de¬ 
scribed as a very vigorous, productive, late keeping variety 
of good quality. We have no means of knowing whether it 
is as good or valuable as Baldwin or Northern Spy. These 
are standard kinds, and are quite reliable in many localities. 
Whether the Newell will prove as useful as these varieties 
remains for the future to tell. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
A windmill insurance policy is issued on the Goodhue wind¬ 
mills and towers by the manufacturers, the Appleton Mfg. Co. 
of Batavia. Ills. For a small fee they issue a regular issnr- 
ance policy running five years, agreeing to furnish free all 
repairs needed to keep the outfit in first class running 
order, and to replace any parts, furnishing an entire new 
outfit, if necessary for any outfit wrecked in storms or in any 
other way, no matter what the cause. Write Appleton Mfg. 
Co., Batavia, Ill., for an attractive booklet on windmills 
and windmill Insurance. 
The Harder Mfg. Co., Cobleskill, New York, are entitled to 
be called “the pioneers of the round silo industry.” Before 
silos were known as commercial articles, they began to In¬ 
troduce them to the public, and soon brought but the famous 
Harder Patent Continuous Open Front. The silo business of 
the Harder Company has constantly increased, as this firm 
aims to manufacture the best silo that money can produce. 
The Harder silos are in use in nearly every state east of the 
Mississippi river and many Government and State Institu¬ 
tions are equipped with them. 
The Cream Separator has proven its utility for farm use. 
In many cases it would be more profitable to sell a cow to 
pay for a separator, rather than do without one. Farmers 
with five to ten cows have found that a separator actually 
added to the profits as much as another cow would. They 
would have to pay for the keep of the extra cow, but the 
separator makes the profit and “keeps” itself. In looking 
at a separator, pay careful attention to the construction of 
its operating parts. A cheap separator, like other cheap 
apparatus, gives cheap service. The Vermont Farm Ma¬ 
chine Co., Bellows Falls, Vt., manufacturers of the United 
States Separators, that hold the world’s record for closest 
skimming, have applied to the separator problem a success¬ 
ful manufacturing experience of over 30 years. Dron them 
a postal card for a handsome little hook, entitled “The 
Dairy.” which contains profitable information for every 
farmer milking cows. 
If any man wishes an unanswerable argument as to the 
value of a oil stove, let him offer to take charge of the fam¬ 
ily ironing on a warm June day : let him stand by a big coal 
range, in a small kitchen, and there let him wrestle with the 
children’s starched clothes, while he keeps one eye on the 
day’s baking, and wonders whether a seven times heated 
furnace could be much hotter than the atmosphere in which 
a tired woman often works for hours at a stretch. If used 
for no other purpose, a modern oil stove (which Is very dif¬ 
ferent from the ill-smelling and often dangerous stoves of the 
old types) would pay for itself in one season in the addi¬ 
tional comfort given on ironing day. When we add to this 
the fact that it is only in use when heat is needed, so that 
the kitchen may be kept cool and comfortable, that it bakes 
admirably, and that it is always ready for a quick meal, we 
see a few of the advantages of an oil stove. For circulars 
and fuller information address the World Mfg. Co., 5934 
World Bldg., Cincinnati, O. 
Last year the Geneva, N. Y., Experiment Station made 
potato spraying experiments on a large scale, and 
the results given in Bulletin No. 264 show the 
effectiveness of Bordeaux as a preventive of Potato blight. 
The volunteer tests of 41 farmers showed au average increased 
yield of 58 bushels per acre. The percentage of 
culls in the unsprayed rows was much larger than where 
sprayed. In order to do effective work, the Bordeaux Mix¬ 
ture should be applied with a first class spraying machine, 
one capable of giving 75 to 100 pounds pressure, the high 
pressure being necessary in order to obtain the fine, mlst- 
like spray which covers the leaves and stalks of the plants 
thoroughly. One of the best known and most widely used 
spraying machines on the market is the Aspinwall four-row 
sprayer made at Jackson. Mich., by the Aspinwall Mfg. Co. 
With this machine from 20 to 25 acres of potatoes can be 
sprayed per day and the vines kept free from bugs and blight 
with comparatively little labor and expense. The company 
will be glad to mail their catalogue post free to anyone in¬ 
terested. 
