1906. 
THE RURAL 
NEW-YORKER. 
5i 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.—A. A. McKean, District County Clerk of 
Yuma county, Col., indicted for fraudulently securing tim¬ 
ber culture entries in the Akron land district, has been 
found guilty as charged on 1<5 counts of the indictment and 
has been sentenced to a term of two years at hard labor 
in the penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kan.; the case against 
p \v. Irwin and others on similar charges lias been set for 
trial on January 19 and 20. In the case of Stearns and 
Ilorsnell, indicted on the charge of having secured fraudu¬ 
lent entries for lands in I’ierre and Chamberlain land dis¬ 
tricts, South Dakota, the trial resulted in the conviction of 
both, and Stearns was sentenced to one year and six months 
in the State prison at Stillwater and to pay a tine of $1,000, 
and Ilorsnell was sentenced to nine months in prison and 
to pay a line of $500. ... On the opening of the New 
York Legislature January 3 Senator E. T. Brackett intro¬ 
duced a resolution cal'ing for the resignation of Senator 
Depew. The resolution produced a fracas. Bitter opposi¬ 
tion was offered by Senators Baines and Malby, and the 
latter in attacking the resolution declared that Senator 
Depew “was one of the greatest figures in American his¬ 
tory and one of the greatest characters in the civilized 
world.” After a bitter and acrimonious debate, in which 
the disposition of the Republican majority, aided by Sena¬ 
tor McCarren’s members, was to kill the resolution finally 
on a close vote, Brackett was permitted to withdraw it. 
The net. effect of this was to show that the Republican Sen¬ 
ators will stand by Depew. . . . The first heavy snow of 
the season began falling in Kansas January 3. The snow 
covers the entire State, ranging in depth from two to four 
inches. The storm will be of great benefit to the wheat, as 
for three months there has been very little moisture in the 
wheat belt. The grain has been growing well, but needed 
the snow. Reports from southwestern counties indicate that 
there will be loss of life there because of shortage of fuel 
if the blizzard is protracted. George B. Cones, a member 
of the State Legislature, has written to the Board of Rail¬ 
road Commissioners that there is no coal for sale in Meade 
County, and that farmers are driving as far as 40 miles to 
beg for fuel. . . . Twenty-three miners were killed by 
an explosion at the mines of the Coaldale Coal and Coke 
Company, Bluefields. W. Va.. January 4. Eighteen others 
were seriously injured. It was the third explosion within 
six months in the Pocahontas coal field and the most dis¬ 
astrous. . . . Six days in a yawl with waves dash¬ 
ing over them, with only a few tins of canned beef and a 
gallon of water, was the experience of Capt. Bodden and 
the six members of the crew of the schooner Nokomis, res¬ 
cued January 0. The vessel left Gulfport, Miss., two weeks 
before for Cuba, with lumber. Shortly afterward a leak was 
discovered. A heavy gale came on and the men had de¬ 
cided to abandon the ship when a big wave swept her, 
turning her completely over. One lifeboat, a jug of water 
and a few cans of meat were saved. The men set out for 
shore, and for six days and nights, with the seas running 
high, they struggled. At the close of the sixth day a 
big wave cast the boat upon the beach near St. Andrews. 
The men were unable to move, being unconscious from cold 
and hunger. . . . Commissioner Whipple of the New 
York State Forest, Fish and Game Commission has directed 
Deputy Attorney-General Ward, who is in charge of the 
prosecutions growing out of violations of the forest, fish 
and game laws, to begin suit against S. T. Coykendall of 
Rondout, president of the Ulster and Delaware Railroad, 
to recover the penalty of $10 a tree on 231 hard wood trees 
which it is asserted Coykendall cut from State land in the 
Catskill preserve in the construction of a private roadway 
to his private preserve. The roadway winds about in the 
forest for a distance of nearly five miles between Beecher 
and Alder lakes. CoykendaU's trespass was upon five State 
lots. ... A man whose identity is not known threw a 
bottle of sulphuric acid at Ellis Baker, a, superintendent of 
the Owego Bridge Company at Paterson, N. J.. January 6. 
The bottle broke on Baker’s chin and the acid burned his 
face so badly that he had to be removed to the hospital, 
lie will be disfigured for life. The streets were, crowded 
with pedestrians, but Baker’s assailant got away, although 
he was chased for several blocks. Mr. Baker is in charge 
of the Arch street bridge, across the Passaic River, which 
the Owego company is erecting. lie is 42 years old and 
lives at Moravia, N. Y. The bridge that is being erected is 
a non-union job and Baker has been threatened with violence 
more than once. lie expected the attack at any time, as 
union men out of work have been loitering around the job 
for some time. ... At least 22 persons are believed to 
have been killed in a landslide which tore off the ends of 
five streets of ITaverstraw, N. Y., January 8. and carried 
with it a dozen houses to a pit a hundred feet beneath. 
The houses were all wooden structures, and all of them 
caught fire Immediately after the land gave way. The work 
of extinguishing the flames was made impossible, for the 
season that the landslide broke the water mains and shut 
off the supply of water. Fire from the burning buildings 
spread to other portions of the village, and for a time it 
was feared that the entire place would be in flames. The 
landslide took place on Rockland street, which is in the 
brickyard section in the northern part of the village A rich 
bed of clay closely adjoins the street, and for a dozen years 
the brickyard people have been digging into this bed deeper 
and deeper. Eventually they hollowed out a hole over a 
hundred feet deep and had gone as close to the side line 
of Division street as their rights permitted them. There 
had been much litigation over the encroachments of the 
workmen, and many efforts bad been made by the village 
authorities to secure injunctions restraining the workmen 
from going further. The landslide came gradually at first. 
The ground, weakened by the rain and snow of the last few 
days, showed crevices near the edge of the street late in the 
afternoon, and in the evening portions of the bank began to 
give way. The street was not thickly populated, for most 
of the former dwellers had left on account of fear of just 
what happened. . . . Fire in the retail district of Kan 
sas City. Mo., January 8, caused a loss of $500,000. 
Fire which started in the business part of Schenectady, 
N. Y.. January 9, caused a loss of $150,000. . . . The 
inquiry into the workings of the Standard Oil Company's 
methods In Missouri is being conducted in New York by At¬ 
torney-General Hadley of Missouri. Henry II. Rogers, vice- 
president of the Standard Oil Company, went on the stand 
January 8 and 9 and continued to decline to answer all 
questions relating to the business and stock ownership of 
the Standard Oil Company of Indiana, of which he is a 
director. The Standard Oil attorneys have compelled all 
testimony to be taken in long hand, thus lengthening the 
proceedings and their policy appears to be an attempt to 
tire out the prosecution. 
ADMINISTRATION.—By a strict party vote the Senate 
determined January 9 upon the unusual course of closing 
its doors while it discussed a matter that did not concern a 
treaty or a nomination to office. The debate which led up 
to this discussion was also held in camera. Senator Ba¬ 
con’s resolution presented in open session, designed to limit 
the authority of the delegates from the United States to the 
Morocco conference, was the subject of the secret discussion. 
Nearly three hours were consumed in its consideration, 
and the outcome was the determination reached by the 
Republican majority, with the Democrats dissenting,* to 
exclude the public and the press from the sessions at which 
Mr. Bacon’s proposal would be discussed. Stator Lodge, 
who had given notice previously that in future he would 
object to a discussion of foreign relations in the open Sen¬ 
ate, made the motion that the doors be closed. He did so 
while Mr. Bacon was making an address concerning the 
resolution. . . . The Senate decided, January 9, to have 
a thorough inquiry into all matters relating to the manage¬ 
ment of the Panama Canal, the government of the Canal 
Zone and the Panama Railroad Company. Senators say 
that the investigation will be of a sweeping character, and 
those who are anxious for the canal to be built but who 
favor the inquiry are hopeful that the committee's work 
will do much to expedite the construction of the canal. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—Beginning January 22. 1906 and 
continuing two weeks the Corn Growers and Stockmen will 
hold their annual convention at the College of Agriculture, 
Urbana, Ill., where young men and practical farmers will 
meet daily and devote the morning session to the discus¬ 
sion of such questions as are of prime importance to the 
Illinois farmers. For one hour each afternoon lectures will 
be given upon topics of gene; .1 interest to Illinois agricul¬ 
ture. The remainder ot the day will be devoted to work in 
corn judging, farm mechanics, etc. No fees of any kind will 
be charged nor any entrance examination required. Any 
farmer or farmer's son may enter this course. It is im¬ 
portant too that every one should be there at the opening 
of the session. Upon arrival at Champaign or Urbana. ap¬ 
plication should be made at the University Y. M. C. A. 
House where Information concerning boarding and rooming 
places may be obtained. Immediately following the Con¬ 
vention occurs the annual meeting of the Illinois Live 
Stock Breeders’ Association February 5, 6. and 7. Further 
information may be obtained from the secretary, Fred II. 
Rankin, Urbana, Ill. 
Connecticut Valley tol>acco growers are mustering their 
forces for vigorous opposition to the Payne bill, which pro¬ 
vides for 75 per cent reduction in the tariff on tobacco im¬ 
ported from the Philippines and for free trade after 1909. 
The passage of the bill means that leaf tobacco which now 
pays a duty of $1.85 per pound under the Dingley schedule 
will be dutiable at 25 per cent, of this amount, a reduc¬ 
tion which Connecticut valley tobacco interests maintain 
would absolutely remove the protective feature of the to¬ 
bacco tariff of which the late President McKinley was the 
father and which had made tobacco the money crop of the 
Connecticut valley. The 1905 New England crop of 16,000 
acres will net growers between $4,000,000 and $5,000,000. 
The second annual meeting of the American Breeders' As¬ 
sociation will be held at Lincoln, Neb., January 17-19. during 
Nebraska's “Agriculture Week." The agricultural societies 
of Nebraska meet during that week and will hold some of 
their sessions jointly with the American Breeders’ Associa¬ 
tion. A large and enthusiastic attendance is assured. 
NEW JERSEY STATE HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY MEETS. 
The New Jersey State Horticultural Society met in its 
thirty-first annual session January 4-5 in»the State House at 
Trenton. The meeting was well attended, and the pro¬ 
ceedings closely followed by members and visitors from all 
parts of New Jersey and from several adjoining States. 
The sessions of this Society have been gaining in interest 
for several years. There was a fine exhibition of apples 
and pears, probably the best ever got together by members 
of the Society. Though handsome and well-finished they 
were eclipsed by a particularly line display of fancy market 
varieties from Delaware, consisting of boxes of Lawver, 
Stark. Nero, Stayman, York Imperial and Nickajack. For 
size, color and general finish it would hustle the Oregon 
grower to show anything like this lot. r Fhe keynote of the 
meeting was the general advancement of horticulture as a 
necessary and honorable profession. The fruit industry 
alone is now gigantic, not confined to belts or localities. 
The limits of production and consumption have not nearly 
been reached. More good fruit is constantly needed, and it 
can only be produced by intelligent growers who know their 
profession and are thoroughly interested in it. While cul¬ 
tural details were not lacking in the papers and addresses 
devoted to special subjects, it is apparent the members are 
generally conversant with horticultural practice, and rather 
seek in union to promote the higher interests of their art. 
The surprising statement was brought out that New 
Jersey is, per acre of actual cultivation, the foremost fruit¬ 
growing State in the Union, judging b.% the census values 
of its fruit products. California, New York and other 
States of large area, produce more fruit, but the proportion 
to cultivated area is largely in favor of New Jersey, and 
in addition it has the best possible near markets, yet fruit 
culture has lately been declining, on account of the diffi¬ 
culty of combating scale. The trend is now to a more hope¬ 
ful view of the possibilities of controlling this and other 
pests, and it is likely a considerable increase in orchard 
planting is close at hand. Some legislative help is needed 
fo enable the grower to defend his crop and market it to 
better advantage. The recommendations in the President’s 
address to demand legislation allowing farmers to destroy 
fruit-eating birds, for establishing an effective parcels post, 
to enable electric railroads in the State to carry frei- r ht, 
and to restrict the speed of automobiles that occupy the 
public roads and often interfere with the prompt delivery 
of fruit by wagon, were all emphatically endorsed later iii 
the proceedings. 
The year 1905 was noted for its general light fruit crop 
throughout the State, yet considerable profits were realized 
from isolated orchards of peaches, pears, especially Kieffer, 
and apples that received good care and were not specially 
injured by the preceding hard Winter and scale. Strawber¬ 
ries gave a fair crop of quite high average quality, and 
realized good prices. Raspberries were not particularly 
abundant, but sold well. There was considerable winter- 
killing among red varieties. Miller suffering most and Cuth- 
bert least. Blackberries were scarce, but generally of good 
appearance and quality. Ward again proved satisfactory, 
enduring the Winter well and bearing a fine crop. The 
recommendation was made that Ward and other s'trong- 
g'-owing kinds ought not to be pruned until the bloom buds 
show, as in Winter and early Spring pruning we are likely 
to cut off too much bearing wood. Dewberries winter-killed 
everywhere where not covered or protected by snow ; currants 
are much affected by scale, but so far none on gooseberries. 
Vegetables generally brought satisfactory prices, though 
there were many losses on early potatoes. The crop was 
shortened by drought, and the great surplus of old potatoes 
kept prices below a profitable figure. The late potato crop 
was generally good and sold for fair prices. There was 
considerable disease among South Jersey sweet potatoes 
and many growers will not replant on the same land. As¬ 
paragus again proved a money-maker. The acreage in 
Monmouth County is- constantly increasing, and brings 
good net returns. J. II. Lippincott, a grower near Riverton, 
Camden County, reported a yield of 3,285 bunches, selling 
for $1,188.85, from 2% acres six years planted, 70 per 
cent of the bunches averaging a trifle under 15 spears or 
shoots to the bunch. This was indeed fancy quality. Sweet 
corn was generally profitable; fine yields and good prices. It 
brought more money into many country places than any 
other crop. Early tomatoes were poor and sold sluggishly : 
late crop very fine and generally profitable. Cabbage did 
very well. Cucumbers and melons blighted almost every¬ 
where. Bordeaux Mixture did not seem as effective as in 
former years. Peppers gave an immense crop, overstocking 
the markets. Eggplant, only medium yield, but in good 
demand thro ighout the season. Lima beans were generally 
profitable: no frosts interfered with late ripening, thus giv¬ 
ing a large yield. 
Florists and glasshouse gardeners report a good season. 
The products grown in the State are usually of fine qual¬ 
ity, and bring top prices. A great increase of interest in 
decorative shrubs and hardy flowering plants for home and 
farm yard planting is noted. 
The subject of keenest immediate interest is control of 
San Jose scale. First introduced in New Jersey from the 
Pacific Coast about 15 years ago, it has spread all over the 
State, and caused an immense reduction in the number of 
orchard trees. An estimate of the loss in peach trees places 
the number of bearing peach trees in 1889 at 4,500,000 and 
in 1905 at only 717.000—a loss of over 80 per cent. This 
appears incredible, but is doubtless not far from the truth. 
Up to 1903 no practical remedy had been found to control it, 
but the lime-sulphur combination on one hand, and the 
new soluble oils, Kill-O-Scale. Scaleclde and Target Brand 
Scale Emulsion on the other, now offer hopeful means. 
The latter have not been fully tested as regards effects on 
tree and scale, but are favorably regarded. There is quite 
unnecessary warmth of feeling among the advocates of the 
various classes of insecticides used for the purpose. Lime 
and sulphur has been entirely satisfactory in the hands of 
certain experienced growers, and in other hands has quite 
as often failed to conquer the pest. The concensus of 
opinion is that, it must carefully he prepared from the best 
materials by long boiling and immediately sprayed by pow¬ 
erful pumps while yel warm. The soluble oils are cheap 
and convenient, requiring only mixture with the proper 
amount, of water, and make ideal applications from the 
sprayer's standpoint. A comparative trial made by the 
Pennsylvania Railroad Company in spraying 14 miles of 
Osage orange hedge showed the soluble oils to be cheaper 
than lime and sulphur when all charges for labor and 
fuel, as well as first cost of materials, were reckoned 
up. The soluble oils should not be kept long after being 
received from the factory or dealer, should be used rather 
warm and with a good force to the spray. Results of the 
coming year’s trials are awaited with much interest. The 
litnoid-kerosene mixtures were extensively tested, but not 
with encouraging results. A few successes and many fail¬ 
ures resulted. 
One address was chiefly devoted to a comparison of the 
sod and tillage methods of treating apple orchards based 
on a census of alt (he orchards over one acre in two of 
the best apple counties of New York State. r,, he conclu¬ 
sions were in favor of tillage over sod as regards yields 
and prices received in comparative five and 10-year periods. 
When well fertilized and cared for orchards under both 
sod and tillage treatment are separated the difference is 
much less, an average increase of 70 bushels to the acre beirg 
credited to the tilled orchards. The lecturer did not make 
it clear that the increased yield always compensated the 
owner for the expense of tillage, loss of pasture or hay and 
the losses from washing and leaching of tilled soils, though 
there is little doubt that neglected, unfertilized or un¬ 
mulched orchards would be benefited by tillage, where possi¬ 
ble, with its accompanying additions of fertilizing mat¬ 
ter. Sod orchards, pastured with hogs and sheep, make 
almost as good showing as well-tilled orchards in yield, and 
the fruit is often more highly colored. 
The passing of the Japan plum was noted. Years ago 
the first Japans, Kelsey, Ogon and Satsuma, came from 
California nurseries, bringing the scale with them. They 
excited much interest, and were generally planted. Kelsey 
proved too tender, Ogon and Satsuma too low in quality. 
Burbank, a Japanese variety, named by a California 
nurseryman for himself, was soon introduced, and is still 
most, successful, though terribly subject to rot. The first 
genuine boom in Japans came when a New Jersey nurseryman 
gave the popular name of “Abundance” to the Botan. a vari¬ 
ety of high quality very productive when young Abun¬ 
dance and Burbank were largely planted, and the early crops 
brought many thousands of dollars into the State. These 
fruits no longer bring good prices. Rot and scale play havoc 
with the fruit and kill the trees. The California hybrid 
plums are not better, from the market standpoint, than the 
older Japans. Shiro and Apple are good varieties for ama¬ 
teurs. The Domestica plums on the whole promise better 
than Japans, and are likely to be more planted. Good mar¬ 
ket peaches are Greensboro. Miss Lolo. Carman, Waddell, 
Champion, Mountain Rose, Stump the World, Elberta. Fox 
and Iron Mountain. Root aphis is really a worse pest than 
scale, as it works underground. Yellows and borers can be 
controlled, the firs! by digging out the diseased tree and the 
latter by digging out the worm. Scale and yellows are con¬ 
trolled by lime-sulphur and Bordeaux Mixture. Brown rot 
causes much loss; can be helped by timely applications of 
Bordeaux. 
The finances of the Society are in good condition, having 
a surplus in the treasury. Officers for the coming year 
were elected as follows: President, Horace Roberts, Fel¬ 
lowship: vice-president, Elias Black, Ilightstown ; treasurer, 
I. ,T. Blackwell, Titusville; secretary, Mary W. Budd, Mt. 
Holly. _ w. v. f. 
FRUIT IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
The description by Mr. Van Deman of the British Colum¬ 
bia country reminds me that I took a trip last Summer up 
Into the eastern portion of that Province, or more particu¬ 
larly into a portion of the mining region north of Spokane, 
and just across the boundary line. Several thriving towns 
are found there, supported by the large mining and smelting 
Interests. I had heard much of the capabilities of that and 
the Okanogan district of British Columbia as an apple pro¬ 
ducing region. Its fruit (apples) had carried off the prizes 
at the great Spokane show in competition with the best 
districts of our own and adjoining States. There is no 
doubt but that they can produce as fine an apple there as 
the finest of ours. I examined one large orchard of about 
200 acres, under irrigation, and never saw more perfect 
foliage and growth. In that comparatively dry and elevated 
region there seems to be entire immunity from fungus dis¬ 
eases; and the Codling moth or San Jos6 scale, it is said, 
has not yet arrived. With their strict inspection regula¬ 
tions they hope to keep them out. They will find It worth 
while to do this If they can, as on our side of the line, in our 
best apple growing sections, we have to spray eight to 10 
times during the season with arsenicals against the former 
insect alone. Their local markets, large, and Increasing 
fast, are the best I know of. The price per box in the city 
of Spokane, where their supply at present practically comes 
from, with 45 cents freight and 20 per cent duty added, is 
the figure the dealers have to pay for their fruit in the towns 
of Phoenix, Grand Forks, Nelson, and Rossland. As apples 
and pears are bringing $1.25 to $1.50 in Spokane just at 
present it makes pretty dear fruit for the miners up there. 
That section is aiming to ship its finer apples, when produc¬ 
tion becomes more general, to the London market, a special 
commissioner being now on the way to England with a large 
exhibit for their annual show. They have comparatively good 
shipping facilities, there being in sight from the orchard 
mentioned three different lines of railroads, two of them 
reaching from ocean to ocean. There does not seem to be 
much land suited for fruit growing, and some must be 
irrigated. j. f. c. 
Skagit, Wash. _ 
BUSINESS BITS. 
With the modern appliances manufactured by the Milne 
Mfg. Co., Monmouth, Ill., it is an easy matter to clear a 
piece of stumpy ground. Their combination stump puller, 
which can be anchored by itself or to nearby stumps, is 
an excellent piece of machinery. A man, boy and team 
can accomplish wonders with it in a short time. Certainly 
it would much more than return its cost the first year, and 
the time of operating would not be missed, either. The 
Milne people will be glad to correspond with anyone inter¬ 
ested. 
A liberal proposition is made to the farmer by the 
Western Malleable Grey Iron - Mfg. Co., 30 Chase St., Mil¬ 
waukee, Wiw. They agree to send any farmer one of their 
Simplicity gasoline engines and allow the farmer the 
privilege of taking the engine to his farm and using it until 
he is satisfied that: the engine will not only do more work 
at less cost than any other power on tin* market, but that 
i will save its cost in one season. The proposition is 
liberal and every farmer is urged to write at once for a 
complete catalogue. They will also send free a book show¬ 
ing how one farmer saved $1,000 the first year he owned a 
Simplicity gasoline engine. 
Every readet of this paper should make it a point to 
attend the fifty-first annual meeting of the New Y’ork Horti¬ 
cultural Society, which is held in Rochester January 24 and 
25, as this meeting will be valuable to him in more ways 
than one. Especially is this meeting important to those 
who are interested in power sprayers, as there will lie vari¬ 
ous kinds on exhibition. R. II. Deyo & Co. will be on 
hand with a full line of their popular air-cooled gasoline 
power spraying outfits. It has been demonstrated beyond 
doubt that, more and better fruit is obtained by using 
power sprayers, and it stands every fruit grower in hand 
to look into this questioi 'osely. 
For twenty-flve years the King Harness Company, Owego, 
Tioga County, New York, has made a specialty of selling 
harness by mail at wholesale prices, and as a result 
this company has built up a great business and a 
highly-prized reputation for square dealing. The harness 
this company sells is not cheap and trashy, made simply 
to sell at a low price; it is all custom-made of oak-tanned 
leather and is guaranteed to give satisfaction or money will 
be refunded. Purchasers have the privilege of examining 
the harness before paying for it. It will pay every owner 
of a horse to write to the company for their illustrated 
catalogue and price list, both of which will be sent free. 
