1805. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
7oi 
THE LITTLE ENVELOPE 
up the weeks for yourself. The sooner you send it the more papers he 
will get. You understand we send it 
which you will find in this paper is for immediate use- You have some 
friend or neighbor who is not now a reader of The R. N.-Y. Doubtless 
you have told him about the paper, and how useful it has been to you, 
but he has neglected to subscribe. Now we want his name in order to 
reach our desired list of 100,000 subscribers, and we have made it as easv 
as possible for you. to induce him by offering a liberal short-term sub¬ 
scription. We have found a trial subscription of this sort the best wav to 
interest new readers. Sample copies are well enough as far as thev go, 
but we have found that when a good farmer receives The R. N.-Y. 
regularly for several weeks he is quite likely to become a permanent 
subscriber, for it will take such a man several weeks to learn just what the 
paper can do for him. These trial subscriptions have led to a great 
permanent increase in our list. Our readers have helped greatly, because 
they have sent 11s subscriptions for good farmers and responsible men. 
You understand that the farmers’ interests need a strong and fearless 
champion. That is what we try to make of The R. N.-Y., and it must 
be evident to all that the power of such a paper to accomplish worthy 
things must be in proportion to the number of responsible readers it has 
back of its words. Thus, aside from any feeling of friendship vou mav 
have for us, it will be a useful thing for you as a farmer to help make 
your friends permanent subscribers. 
For these reasons and others which you will understand, we have 
decided to repeat the great inducement offered last year. We want 
your help in obtaining new subscribers, and, therefore, will send the paper 
fco the new subscriber every week from the time we receive the envelope 
with his name and his dime to the first of January, 1906. You can count 
Every Week for the Remainder of 
the Year for TEN CENTS. 
If you send the 10 cents yourself, as a gift to your neighbor, we will, 
of course, send the paper; but we would much prefer that you get the 
neighbor’s dime- Small as it is, it gives him more interest in the paper. 
The 10 cents will probably pay for the postage and wrapping and mailing 
—all the rest we stand. We simply want more farmers to know the 
paper. You know the kind we want. 
We have letters in every mail telling 11s the paper is better than ever 
before. We are 
glad 
to have them. It ought to be better. We are 
sparing no money or pains to make it so. We make no boasts for the 
future. Each issue will testify as the best work that is in us. We simply 
want to show our farmer friends what that best is. We feel that we 
make no .mistake in coming, straight to you with this request. You know 
us. You believe in the purposes and ambitions of the paper, and we know 
this little envelope will return with the name of a friend and his dime. 
You will find a little coin pocket for the dime at the point of the arrow. 
Make sure that the name and address are written on the blank lines before 
the envelope is sealed. 
Thanking you in advance for this interest and courtesy, we are, with 
best wishes, Sincerely yours, 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.—Miss Fannie Wickes, of Washington. D. C., 
died at Livingston, Mont., September li, from the effects of 
falling into a boiling spring in the Yellowstone National 
Park several days previous. In company with other eastern 
tourists, Miss Wickes was making a tour of the I’ark. While 
viewing a geyser, she stepped backwards in an effort to dodge 
the blinding spray of the spouter, and fell into a hot spring, 
the water of which was fairly bubbling. Her body was fear¬ 
fully scalded, and death ensued after a period of Intense 
agony. . . . W. A. Ilawgood & Co., owners of the steamer 
Iosco, which foundered in the storm on Lake Superior Sep¬ 
tember 2-3, received information September 7 from Mar- 
cpiette, Mich., saying that the bodies of four men and one 
woman have been washed ashore at Line River, with life 
preservers attached to them, bearing the name “Iosco.” The 
woman is believed to have been the wife of the cook. The 
Iosco carried a crew of 10 persons, all of whom undoubt¬ 
edly perished. The total number of lives- lost in the Lake 
Superior storm is now placed at 40. . . . In a spectac¬ 
ular lire, causing $000,000 loss, the Santa Fe grain elevator, 
Chicago, and nearly a million bushels of grain, mostly wheat, 
were totally destroyed September 0. The flames rose high 
from the burning structure and lighted up the sky for miles 
around. . . . The Rand Powder Mills at Fair Chance, 
I’a., blew ui) September 0. Twenty-five employees of the 
plant were killed, literally blown to pieces, and the buildings 
of (lie powder mill were torn to sticks and splinters. All 
that remains is a hole 1.7 feet deep and 50 yards across 
where the storage magazine stood, partially filled with 
blackened debris and heaps of blackened wreckage. The ex¬ 
plosion was the third at the Rand plant within two years. 
Three men were killed in the first and 10 were injured in 
file second, which was comparatively slight. . - . . Not 
a single deafh from yellow fever occurred at New Orleans 
September 11. The record of new cases was 38. Resides the 
report of no deaths, the more important announcement was 
made by I)r. .1. II. White, United States Marine Hospital 
surgeon in charge, that the new mosquito exterminator known 
as “Culicide,” discovered by Dr. Mims, chemist for tlie city 
board of health, will be adopted by the Government. Dr. 
White announced that the disinfectant is composed of equal 
parts of carbolic acid and gum camphor. He has advised 
strongly against amateur use of the composition owing to 
its explosive character. None but skilled employees of the 
United States Marine Hospital Service will be permitted to 
use the culicide. Reports from the country parishes show 
2<i new cases and five deaths. ... A test case to decide 
whether a certain proprietary medicine should be classed as 
a “liquor" within the meaning of the law was begun Sep¬ 
tember 7 by the New York State Excise Commissioner. The 
action takes the form of a suit to compel forfeiture of the 
bond of II. I). Dwight & Co., druggists, of Syracuse, on the 
ground that they have violated the statute by selling “liquor’’ 
without a physician's prescription or a storekeeper's or saloon 
license. The United States Guarantee Company which 
bonded the drug firm, is a co-defendant. This Is the second 
action of tlie kind brought by the Excise Department in an 
effort to stop the sale by druggists of proprietary medicines 
alleged to contain a large percentage of alcohol. This case 
is scheduled for trial this Fail in Onondaga County. 
An elevated railroad train bound down town went off the 
tracks at Fifty-third street and Ninth avenue. New York, 
September 11. One car fell to the street. Eight persons 
were killed immediately. Fifty more were maimed, some of 
them so seriously that the list of dead was increased to 12. 
The direct responsibility was narrowed down to twb men 
—Paul Kelly, the motorman of the train, and C. K. Jack- 
son. the switchman at the junction of Ninth avenue and 
Fifty-third street, where part of the traffic of the upper 
West Side elevated line is separated from the Ninth avenue 
trunk line to the Ninth avenue local and the Sixth avenue 
local lines. It is said that the signals were set for Sixth 
avenue. The train was a Ninth avenue train. Kelly sent 
it at the junction at full speed, apparently without the 
slightest thought that lie was bound on any other course than 
straightway down grade through Ninth avenue. Striking 
the switch at this high speed the first car of the train, a 
heavy motor car, well tilled with passengers, .careened 
sharply, but held the rails. Following car was whipped 
off the rails, the third car also left the rails, and the smash 
came. The second car, whose passengers were doomed, 
nearly all of them, to death or maiming, turned over slowly 
and was thrust straight out above the street. The car was 
twisted and battered and rent by the strain and went all 
to pieces in the air, so that men and women came dropping 
down out of it like seeds from a bursting pod. So sudden 
had the catastrophe been that some of them clutched news¬ 
papers in both hands as they plunged. The roof of the 
car was undermost. It split and broke in 10 places, and 
whenever it buckled and gaped people fell through the holes. 
Tlie dead were horriblv mangled. 
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.—Dr. David E. Sal¬ 
mon. chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry. Department 
of Agriculture, has tendered his resignation, to take effect 
in 1 mediately upon the appointment of his successor. The 
resignation has been accepted, to take effect on October 1. 
charges filed reeentlv against Dr. Salmon related to the 
connection which he had had with George E. Howard in the 
’Tinting business, and which later resulted in the organiza¬ 
tion of the Howard Label Company of Washington. D. C. 
'Fills company holds the contract for supplying meat inspec¬ 
tion tags to the Government. The relations of Dr. Salmon 
and Mr. Howard were investigated by Solicitor McCabe of 
the Department of Agriculture, and the doctor was exon¬ 
erated, it having been shown that he withdrew from the 
company soon after the first contract was received from the 
Government. Charges were preferred against Dr. Salmon 
also in connection with the meat inspection service, which 
is conducted under the direction of his bureau. He was ex¬ 
onerated also on these charges, but the report was not ac¬ 
cepted as satisfactory by the packing concerns, whose appli¬ 
cations for meat Inspection had been denied. The report 
of Solicitor McCabe set forth that this year there have been 
12 applications for meat inspection, and that nine of these 
were denied. Dr. A. D. Melvin, assistant chief of the Bu¬ 
reau of Animal Industry, will be promoted to the vacancy. 
It is confidently predicted that other important changes will 
follow. Something "is going to happen” to the soil-survey 
division. Whether its head. Milton Whitney, will be dis¬ 
placed or transferred to other work is not clear, but it is 
unlikely that the Department will ask Congress this Winter 
to continue the appropriation without some substantial modi¬ 
fication of its plan. Among so large a staff as this bureau 
has, some of its member are doing useful work, and an at¬ 
tempt will be made to save them from slaughter. Resigna¬ 
tions among the clerks of the Department as a whole are 
coming with considerable frequency, indicative of the clear¬ 
ing up that is going on. . . . Another branch of the ac¬ 
tivities of the Department of Agriculture, its restrictions on 
the importations of animals, has come tinder criticism. A 
delegation of bird importers has just returned from Wash¬ 
ington, where they complained to Assistant Secretary Pal¬ 
mer in regard to the system of bird inspectors employed 
by the Department. The bird men say that they secured 
no satisfaction. The Department prevents the importation 
of undesirable birds by requiring importers to secure a per¬ 
mit specifying the kinds of birds imported. The law re¬ 
quires that this permit be handed over to a representative 
of the local appraisers to verify by examining the birds. 
If the appraiser is in doubt he can call in one of three 
bird inspectors licensed by the Department of Agriculture. 
The inspector then charges the importer $5 for the inspec¬ 
tion. The bird importers allege that their permits have so 
been made out by the Department of Agriculture that In¬ 
spectors must always he called in, and that, knowing this, 
the appraisers refuse to act. One of the bird inspectors, 
it is alleged, is an insurance agent. 
ITALY.—An earthquake disaster of enormous proportions 
has taken place in Calabria. The known dead September 
8 numbered 347. Many persons were injured. Entire vil¬ 
lages have been devastated. Light shocks are reported to 
have occurred at Casteliamare, Naples, and Florence. Cal¬ 
abria is a region of southern Italy, forming the southern 
part of the former Kingdom of Naples. It is divided into 
three provinces—Oosenza, Calabria, and Catanzaro, and is 
traversed by the Apennines through its whole extent. The 
region is subject to earthquakes. Catanzaro is the capital 
of the province of the same name, and is situated 75 miles 
northeast of Reggio. In 1783 Catanzaro was shaken by an 
earthquake, which destroyed many buildings. r l’he city has 
a population of about 32,000, manufactures silk, velvet, and 
woolen fabrics, and possesses luxuriant olive groves. 
LEGAL DAMAGES FOR NURSERY STOCK. 
Several years ago we began to collect Information re¬ 
garding legal damages for trees untrue to name. Fruit 
growers often threaten to sue when, after some years of 
waiting, it is evident that nurserymen sent them tlie wrong 
varieties or diseased trees. It seems that very few such 
cases have been brought into court. 
One dealer in Grand Rapids was sued by a fruit grower 
and a judgment was given in favor of the fruit grower. I 
think this was carried to the Supreme Court, but I am 
not sure. After the first judgment was given so many suits 
were started against the man that he became insane. 
Michigan. d. w. trine. 
I have never heard of any such case, for the reason that 
all nursery firms advertise that all care will be taken to have 
stock true to name, etc,, but they will not be liable for more 
than the orig’ tal cost Of trees, so this is practically the con¬ 
tract that ail firms make with their customers. 
Nebraska. c. h. Barnard. 
I have never known a case where suit was brought to re¬ 
cover damage for trees untrue to name, or otherwise not 
as ordered. So far as I know, such cases have been set¬ 
tled In Delaware by agreement between nurseryman and 
fruit grower, but usually by the grower accepting trees to 
replace those not true to name—a slight, thing. 
Delaware. wesley webb. 
I do not know of a case where a planter has brought suit 
against a nurseryman and recovered damaged for trees sold 
that were untrue to name. Most of our nurserymen take the 
precaution to put into their contract that in cases of this 
kind they shall only be liable to the value of the trees 
furnished, or that they will furnish a new lot of trees true 
to name. Samuel b. green. 
Minnesota. 
I do not know of any case where a fruit grower has 
brought suit against a nurseryman to recover damages for 
trees untrue or defective. I know of a number of cases 
where the trees have, after a few years’ cultivation, proved 
to be untrue to name, and the parties proposed to bring 
suit, but for one reason or another the suits were never 
materialized. In some cases the attorneys have advised 
against it. w scott 
Georgia. 
I do not know of any case that lias been settled in court 
for damages on account of nurserymen selling one variety of 
fruit trees and delivering another. A few vears ago in' mv 
neighborhood, a farmer found that he had an orchard of 
Red Astrachan apples which he had bought six years before 
from a nurseryman for Ren Davis. The nurseryman was 
glad to replace the orchard with Ren Davis apple trees on a 
compromise, but no suit was brought. This Is the only case 
of tlie kind coming under my observation where damage was 
made good. geo. b. ellis. 
Missouri. 
My experience has been along the line of the frauds in the 
sale of seedlings, of both other species and the true pecan, 
as strictly budded pecan stock. I know of no case in which 
suit for damages has been taken into the courts—the usual 
practice being as you state to settle the trouble privately 
out of courts. My opinion js that a few large damage cases 
carried to the courts would prove a good lesson to some of 
our fake nurserymen ! E. mead WILCOX. 
Alabama. 
The writer knew of a case where a suit was brought in 
Michigan against a New York State nurseryman for dam¬ 
ages sustained, because the varieties of a peach orchard 
fruited otherwise than correct. Almost none of the trees 
proved true to name. The parties could not get service on 
tlie New York nurseryman; however, he paid several hundred 
dollars to settle the case, notwithstanding the fact that he 
sold the trees as he bought them of a Pennsylvania grower. 
New Y’ork. g. l. planders. 
I know of no case of the kind having been brought to 
court, though I have frequently been appealed to for advice 
in such claims. I have always been able to show, however, 
that as the whole burden of proof is or should be upon the 
planter, there would be great difficulty in making good a 
claim for diseased or injured trees accepted at the time of 
planting. In the case of trees untrue to name, it seems that 
the case should be a better one, provided the original label¬ 
ing and bills could be brought in evidence. But no. such 
case lias been tried to my knowledge. e. a. popenoe. 
Kansas. 
Commonly in the case of large planters the buyer Is care¬ 
ful about buying, and the chances are the nurseryman will 
have the variety true to name, or not take the risk of 
selling a large quantity of stock about which there is un¬ 
certainty. Substitution or dishonest labeling and careless¬ 
ness is more likely to occur in the case of small mixed or¬ 
ders. Then if some kinds prove disappointing the buyer, 
it seems, while lamenting the misfortune, regards it as of in¬ 
sufficient importance to justify going to law for redress. 
There are Instances, no doubt, where unscrupulous dealers or 
nurserymen have taken advantage of the situation. In other 
instances mistakes are traceable to the careless or inefficient 
laborers employed in filling orders. I know of instances in¬ 
volving considerable quantities, and serious enough to war¬ 
rant legal proceedings for recovery of damages, but the 
orchardist or owner only “cussed awhile” and bore the 
loss, or went patiently about top-working the trees. The 
nearest approach to a case at law involving the principle 
in question was one which came up some time ago near 
here. A nurseryman bought out the stock of an older nurs¬ 
ery whioh was preparing to withdraw from business. The 
nurseryman bought the bulk of the stock (principally apple 
trees) as good marketable stock. Inspection later revealed 
the fact that the trees were affected with crown gall to the 
extent of about 40 per cent. On learning this the buyer 
refused to receive or pay for the stock contracted for. He 
was sued for the value. The case was decided favorably to 
the defendant. This case involved a partial compromise. 
Arkansas. _ ernest walker. 
POTATO CROP. 
Potatoes are blighting badly ; tons nearly dead ; will be dead 
in two weeks and the potatoes are rotting quite badly. In 
regard to selling too early, it will depend on the price; 
it is too early to tell about, that now. As to the crop, should 
say about 65 per cent of a full crop. homer j. brown. 
Cortland Co., N. Y. 
The potato crop around here will be light this season, and 
in some places they are rotting badly. There is not a verv 
large amount of potatoes raised right here, but I think the 
farmers will mostly hold what few they have to sell for a 
while. If this month continues as wet all through as July 
and August a large amount will rot. j. w h 
Sligo, I’a. ' ' 
The present lookout for potatoes is discouraging. Farm¬ 
ers are not digging yet. but indications are that there will 
not be over 50 per cent of a crop for this section Many 
complain of rot. About one-half of the crop is sold in the 
Fall; the remainder is usually sold along in the Winter 
part being held for the Spring trade. l. n. nelson 
Wisconsin. 
Potatoes are badly blighted all over western New York 
A vigorous green field on September 1 was a rarity seldom 
seen ; of course this means light yields of uncertain quality 
Crops of questionable keeping quality will without doubt 
be rushed to market, while sound stock with storage facili¬ 
ties will be held for higher prices. As a general expression 
I would say that small growers would welcome an early 
realization from their crops this Fall, owing to the unsatis¬ 
factory prices of last season. This fact may influence grow¬ 
ers to market early. c . w. bdrnett. 
New York. 
The outlook is not. at all promising in this section for 
anything more than one-half of an average potato crop 
The vines are all dead, or practically so, from blight So 
far as we have been able to note, the Carmans are eiitirelv 
dead and have been so ever since August 15-25, varvftig in 
different, sections. Rot is appearing, and with this in view 
the prospects are very doubtful of the crop coming up to the 
above estimate. On account of potatoes selling for such a 
fair price last Fall, and the price ruling so low later in the 
season, farmers were planning quite generally to dispose of 
the crop early, but no doubt the present outlook will chance 
the situation considerably. hileh brothers 
Steuben Co., N. \ T . 
