1906. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
7i 
Events of the Week. 
DOMESTIC.—The National League of Commission Men 
in annual session at Milwaukee. Wis., January 10, declared 
war oft the Armour private car line. It was announced in 
the convention that Armour had sent word to a Chicago 
commission man that he had better get out of business. 
The alternative was financial ruin. This case was brought 
to the attention of the convention, and it was voted almost 
unanimously to stand back of the prosecution which the 
Chicago man is said to propose. The convention voted to 
give every cent of its funds, if needed, to the Chicago man 
to press his fight. War on the private car lines was also 
demanded in the annual address of the president. -. . At 
Minneapolis, Minn., January 10, eight persons were killed 
by suffocation or by injuries sustained in leaping from a 
burning “fire-proof" hotel. The property loss was $25,000. 
Seven of the victims were guests Of the hotel, the eighth 
being Eire Captain John Berwin. who fell from the fourth 
floor while trying to rescue a woman . . . Dr. William 
Rainey Harper, president of the University of Chicago since 
its inception ill 1801. regarded by many as the foremost 
Hebrew scholar in America, and equally renowned ns an 
educator ftnd business man, died January 10 from cancer 
Of the intestines, at his home on the university campus. 
Allhough his death was known to be inevitable within a 
comparatively short time, the end, due to physical exhaus¬ 
tion, came suddenly. lie was forty-nine years old. . . . 
The United States Grand Jury, in session at Utica. N. Y., 
reported two bills of indictment January 10 for alleged 
violation of the Elkins act against the giving of rebates to 
shippers. Both defendants are corporations. One indict¬ 
ment is against the New-YOrk Central and Hudson River 
Railroad Company and the other against the Delaware and 
Hudson Company. Both corporations are charged with 
giving a rebate of 20 cents a ton to the General Electric 
Company at Schenectady on all shipments of freight, incom¬ 
ing hhd outgoing. The Elkins law' prescribes a penalty of 
$20,000 for each and every violation of the law. The in¬ 
dictment of these two railroads for violating the Elkins law 
is the first official action taken by the Federal authorities 
in this State against the givers of rebates and discriminators 
in freight shipments. . . . President Ferguson, of the 
Western Fruit Jobbers’ Association, backed by the president 
of the Southern and Western Association, has prepared a 
bill for Congress to eliminate private freight cars, correct 
refrigerator abuses and bring express companies under the 
interstate commerce law's. This bill will prohibit the express 
companies from dealing in commodities of which they are 
general carriers, and is aimed at the private car lines. It 
is intended to regulate more strictly commerce between the 
States and with foreign nations. ... A hard blow has 
been struck to the terrorist methods of Chicago labor unions 
ip the conviction of five leaders of the Carriage and Wagon 
Workers' Union, who have been on trial for conspiracy to 
hire men to “slug" non-union w'orkmen when recent strikes 
were on. Ttyo of the hired “sluggers" have been convicted, 
and all are facing terms in the penitentiary and heavy fines. 
A year in prison and $2,000 fine has already been' meted 
out to Charles Gilhoole.v. one of the leaders of the “sluggers.” 
The other men convicted are Henry Newman, Financial 
Secretary of the Carriage and Wagon Workers' Union. No. 
4: Charles Casey, Corresponding Secretary: Edward Shields, 
Recording Secretary; Charles II. Deutscli and John Ilelden, 
members of the Executive Board, and Marcus Looney, a 
hired "thug.” . . . Trouble is piling up in Illinois 
against the Standard Oil Company. Commissioner James R. 
Garfield for several months has been conducting a secret 
investigation of its operations, taking Decatur as the start¬ 
ing point. In addition to the Federal proceedings 
suit shortly will be started by the Attorney-General to oust 
tlie Standard from Illinois. The suit will be brought under 
the Anti-Trust laws of Illinois, prohibiting partition of 
territory in restraint of trade. It will be alleged that 
Illinois is divided among the Standard Oil Company of 
Indiana, which has tlie northern part of the State; the 
Standard Oil Company of Kentucky, which looks after the 
business in the southern part; the II. A. Williamson Com¬ 
pany, which has several counties in the western part of the 
State, and (lie Waters Fierce Oil Company, which has a 
small territory in the neighborhood of East St. Louis. All 
of these companies, it is alleged, are operated in a general 
way from the offices of the Standard Oil Company. 
A rescue almost without parallel took place shortly before 
dark January 14, when the little 10-ton schooner Alberta, 
buffeted by a sea that threatened every instant to swamp 
her with all on board, pushed her way from the Atlantic 
City, N. side of the Absecom Inlet to the Brigantine 
Shoals, thiee miles off shore, and saved 61 persons from the 
stranded Clyde Line steamer Cherokee, which had been 
pounding on the shoals since January 12. . . . Reports 
from Summit, Nev.. the highest point in the Sierra Nevadas. 
January 14. say that the snowfall is the heaviest in 30 
years and that more than three hundred feet of snowsheds 
on the Central Facific Railroad have been crushed by the 
mass of snow, tying up all railroad travel. . . . Many 
people are reported burning corn at Dubboo, Tex., as it is 
the only fuel they can get. Corn is worth $30 a ton. The 
roads are so bad because of heavy rains that the freighters 
cannot get from the railroad to that point. The distance is 
100 miles. . . . The organization of the General Slocum 
survivors has prepared a petition to Congress urging the 
passage of a bill introduced by Congressman Sulzer, of 
New York, on December 4, 1905, investing the Court of 
Claims with jurisdiction to hear and determine the claims 
of victims of the catastrophe and award damages to the 
heirs of the victims and to survivors. The committee, 
signing the bill on behalf of the organization, set forth in 
its appeal to Congress, that : “This horrible catastrophe was 
caused by the negligence of the officials of the United 
States Government, and the Government is primarily respon¬ 
sible in damages to the victims and their heirs, and the 
survivors who were injured and maimed. Under the law 
these people have no redress except through congressional 
action." The jury for the trial of Cant. William II. Van 
Schaick of the General Slocum in the United States Circuit 
Court was completed January 15. 
^ISTHMIAN CANAL.—Secretary Shaw transmitted January 
15 to the House a detailed estimate from the AVar 
Department of the cash requirements for an emergency 
appropriation for the Isthmian Canal Commission 
from April 1, 1906, to July 1, 1906. amounting 
to $5,340,786. This is substantially the amount 
which Congress struck off the $16,500,000 estimate at the 
last moment, when it appropriated $11,000,000. Secretary 
Taft, Fresident Shonts and Engineer Stevens satisfied the 
committee that the money must lie appronriated and that 
the estimate is not materially, if any, in excess of wdiat the 
actual expenditures will be. The amount is based upon the 
expenditure for the last three months of the last year. 
The matter of the Panama Railroad occuoied a large share 
of the attention of the committee and Secretary Taft. It 
was developed that the condition of the road with respect 
to the congestion of freight and the incidental loss of its 
earning power is due largely to the attitude of the Facific 
Steamship Company, which has refused to carry freight. 
Several instances were discovered w'here ships have left 
port with only one-third of a cargo. It was further de¬ 
veloped that this refusal of the steamship company to haul 
freight was due to the fact that the steamship company is 
owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company. Before 
1 he Committee on Iuteroceanic Canals January 16 John F. 
Stevens, chief engineer, discussed sanitary and labor prob¬ 
lems. Sanitary conditions, he declared, were as good as 
'■ould be expected. He expressed the opinion that American 
labor could not do the work, and the tropical laborers 
b'.GU*ht in from Jamaica, Martinique and elsew'here were 
unsatisfactory. Chinese labor, he thought, was the only 
kind that could be used effectively. The Eight Hour law 
bad embarrassed the work, and he suggested that the Eight 
Hour law' and the Chinese Exclusion law be suspended on 
the canal. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—Samuel B. Parsons, Sr., of 
Flushing. N. Y., died January 4, from paralysis, after an 
illness of several years. Mr. Parsons was In the eightl.v- 
seventh year of his age. He was tlie author of a book 
on the rose, and was one of the most widely known nursery¬ 
men in the United States. One son, Samuel B. Parsons, Jr„ 
superintendent of New York parks, survives him. 
The third annual meeting of the Louisiana State Horti¬ 
cultural Society was held at New Orleans January 25-26. 
The sixth annual exhibit of the Walla Walla (Wash.) 
poultry show v.’ill take place February 5-10. Chas. McClave, 
New' London, O., will act as judge. 
NEW YORK STATE FAIR BUILDINGS. 
Every farmer In New York State, I am sure, applauded 
Governor Higgins’ desire for proper housing for our State 
Fair. The farmers realize as they did before the passage 
of the Agricultural College bill that a solid front for a 
just cause, with all petty jealousies eliminated, would secure 
results, so now’ every farm interest should stand soiidly 
back of the Governor and the State Fair Commission to 
make at least a beginning for eommodiOiis arid permanent 
buildings at Syracuse. A visit to the Ohio State Fair 
f 'rourids recently, made mri blush for New York. This 
ssociation has only been iri existence 20 years, holding its 
first Fair in 1886. To-day, with the exception of a half 
dozen newspaper buildings, everything is of an elaborate 
make-up. and these are soon to be replaced with a structure 
comparable to the others. The horse, cattle and poultry 
buildings are inclosed, rectangular in form with a judging 
pavilion or arena in the center. Three and four rows of 
stalls are found in this l-ettariguiar structure, each side 
opening through ft Wide passage to the pavilion. This room 
is high and provided With seats from w'hich a careful 
observation crin be made while the judge makes awards. 
These pavilions in each building are being ceiled inside 
rind painted, giving them a neat appearance. The sheep and 
swine pens are constructed upon this same rectangular form, 
with center judging room, but are jiot enclosed, providing 
plenty of air circulation for the stock. These buildings, 
together with the administration building, horticultural and 
dairy, are built of brick and slate roofed. The machinery 
buildings, three in number, are open-sided, brick paved 
floors and slate covered. One of the number is provided 
with power and shafting. There is a complete outfit of 
offices for those in immediate charge, and also for the State 
Board sessions. A permanent museum is located iri the 
administration building. The superintendent Of. grounds 
is employed by the year, rind Ml 1 . Yenum has been iri charge 
since its organization, Trees set 20 years ago now' furbish 
shade. The grounds are thoroughly . tile-drained and the 
water therefrom is SO controlled thftt three permanent 
artificial lakelets are formed- I am informed that a com¬ 
mittee frrim the New YOrk Fair Commission is to visit 
these grounds, which I hope is true, as an inspiration and 
ail education. I am under obligation to Secretary 
Miller for assistance iri seeing the buildings and for in¬ 
formation.. Mr. Miller w'as responsible for the w'hole scheme, 
and rill give him much credit for his efficient work. 
H. E. COOK. 
PURE FOOD IN MINNESOTA. 
Manufactured food products bearing the stamp, “Manu¬ 
factured in Minnesota,” will, it is predicted, become a 
guarantee for purity and quality. This was the spirit of 
tlie conference called at St. Paul January 6. Chicago, Min¬ 
neapolis and St. Paul were largely represented at this 
conference, which was called by the State Commissioner 
of Dairy and Food Products of the State of Minnesota. 
Over one hundred specimens of impure food products were 
on exhibition for the further enlightenment of those present. 
The result of these investigations has led to the passing 
of the pure food laws which go into effect in Minnesota 
after the first of March. The object of the conference as 
stated by Commissioner Slater was to give instruction on the 
law before its final enforcement, the clearing up of all 
illegal products from the shelves of dealers, and the avoid¬ 
ance of drastic measures. In his endeavor to secure this 
end he appealed to the traveling salesman and jobber to aid 
the manufacturer. The manufacturers complain that 
dealers, w'ho have extensive call for cheap goods, must l>e 
supplied with them. The nominal fine is often paid by the 
jobber rather than lose the good will of the dealer. 
According to the requirements of the new law, all food 
products containing ingredients detrimental to health are 
prohibited from being manufactured, sold or exposed for 
sale in the State of Minnesota. Substitutes for well-known 
articles must be labeled. “Mixed and Adulterated.” In the 
list of foods prohibited are those cured or colored with 
salicylic acid, coal tar dyes, aniline dyes, or butter color. 
The food products most frequently contaminated are jellies, 
jams, preserves, canned goods, sauces, soups, butterine. 
oleomargarine, etc. Mr. Fox declared in favor of National 
legislation, and said, in his opinion, this law properly en¬ 
forced. the stamp, “Manufactured in Minnesota." would 
become an absolute guarantee for purity and quality. Other 
representatives spoke in favor of National pure food legis¬ 
lation, and urged the support in every possible way of the 
two bills on this subject now pending in Congress. A reso¬ 
lution on the subject w r as framed which read as follows: 
"Resolved, that the manufacturers and jobbers, together 
with their salesmen, in convention assembled, called by the 
Commissioner of the dairy and food department of Minne¬ 
sota, urge upon Congress the passage of the National pure 
food law now under consideration at the present session, 
and that each individual or firm urge his Congressman to 
use his utmost endeavors to that end.” 
Notice was taken of the large and constantly inereas'ing 
fruit interest of the Middle Northwest. Minnesota, Wis¬ 
consin, Michigan and Illinois, and the advantages the pure 
food movement held for the grower as well as those accruing 
to the manufacturers and consumer. c. a. 8. 
PENNSYLVANIA FARM NOTES.—I own a small farm 
of 40 acres, so do not try to farm it very extensively. My 
main business is dairying. I milk eight cows in Summer. 
I have to use soiling crops, and feed bran, about four 
quarts a day to a cow in Winter. I put in part meal or 
chop during tlie last year. We made 2016 pounds of but¬ 
ter that we sold, which brought me $481.64, and I con¬ 
sider that is nearly all clear, for I think my calves and 
hogs bring enough to cover expenses of grain bought. I 
have a separator, so raise all my calves. I also keep quite 
a flock of hens. I am experimenting; have a pen of 40 
S. C. Brown Leghorn pullets that I have confined In a 
house 10 x 20; their feed consists of cracked corn, whole 
corn, wheat and oats, the latter always in litter, oyster 
shells always before them: every other day a feeding of 
meat scraps, cabbage for green stuff, plenty of skim-milk 
and fresh water. During December they laid 494 eggs, and 
I think will do better than that this month the way they 
have started in. H. n. m. 
Union City. Pa. 
CLOVER WITH OATS IN INDIANA.—We use 2 to 2% 
bushels of oats per acre, and unless we have a very favor¬ 
able season for preparing the land early. I prefer broad¬ 
casting the seed and disking in. then harrow, and then 
sow the clover seed (sowing both with broadcast seeder) : 
roll the land to cover seed, to insure germination. If 
sowing with drill we let the clover fall behind the drill 
and depend on rain to cover the seed We have not been 
able to keep a stand of clover over the Fall season for five 
years, and are about to lay the blame to the use of acid 
fertilizers. In 1904 we bad the finest stand we ever saw. 
sown or disked in Winter oats, sown in March, on land 
that had been sown in Winter oats in the Fall and winter- 
killed. Bv die first of October there was hardly a clover 
plant to be found on the 13 acres. In March. 1905, we 
sowed 16 acres on wheat, and at cutting time there was a 
good stand of clover on most of the field, and especially 
where stable manure was used on the corn. We mowed 
the wheat and stubble as we always do, and left them as 
a mulch, and although we had fine rains all Fall the clover 
disappeared. R. A. B. 
Clark Co., Ind. 
R. N. Y.—It is well worth trying lime in such soils, as 
is done in the Eastern States. 
INTERNATIONAL STOCK SHOW.—Blaekrock, a grade 
Angus steer, was selected the grand champion steer of the 
international live stock exposition, weight being 1.650 
pounds. Like grand champions of preceding years, Bla<>k- 
rock was sold to the highest bidder and butchered, price 
being 25 cents a pound. "Shamrock.” one of the former 
champions, was sold for 56 cents a pound. To Professor 
C. F. Curtiss of the Iowa Agricultural College belongs thp 
honor of first seeing Blackcock's fine qualities, for he rescued 
the steer from a lot of feeders on their way to the slaugh¬ 
tering pens a year ago. The Iowa college furnished the re¬ 
serve champion, “General Manager, as well as the cham¬ 
pion. The American Federation of Agricultural Students 
held its first annual banquet December 19 in the dining 
room of Exchange Hall, with several leading stockmen and 
breeders as their guests. Among the speakers were Profes¬ 
sor C. F. Curtiss of Iowa, C. A, Wilson of Michigan and 
Professor C. 8. Plumb of Ohio, Whitehall Sultan was first- 
prise winner in the aged Shorthorn hulls, F. w. Reming¬ 
ton of Douglas, WyO,, wop grand championship on carload 
lot of twenty heftd Of feeding steers Or heifers. IIampsllire t 
owned by E. C. Stone of Armstrong, ill., won grand cham¬ 
pionship on single barrOws. Ohio State University won 
grand championship on pen of three barrows on Poland- 
China-Berk shire cross, ArmOur « Co. were victors in heavy 
draft geldirig class. , MOnario iL, owned by McLaughifri 
Bros., Columbus. Ohio, is Percheron champion stalllori. 
ArrOwside Duke is first in aged Shire stallion class. 
WANTS TO BUY GOOD APPLES.—I have taken Tiih 
R. N.-Y. for a good long time, and never have bothered ybU 
much, and now would.like to flsk a favor. It is impossible 
to buy any good apples here iri northern Illinois. WHftt 
you get have a peek.of njee ones ip each end of the barm 
and the rest are culls. I thought I would be cunning this 
Winter and serit to a concern at Rochester, N. Y., for a 
ffew barrels, expecting they would have fruit which had 
been sprayed, and that would be sound and good. I got 
left, as usual; all the difference there was between these 
apples and the ones I buy here was that they didn’t have 
even the peck of good ones In each end of the barrel. 
Would it be against the law for you to give me Mr. Ilitch- 
ings’s address, the man I read so much about who mulches 
his trees? If he lives up in northern New York, where the 
soil is stony, he ought to raise good fruit., and I would 
like to try him next year, or any other man you know of 
who knows enough and is honest enough to pack apples 
as they should be. I was raised on a Maine apple fgirm, 
and know what apples are, and I know. too. that the aver¬ 
age fanner in this, country to-day is getting to be a bigger 
thief than Rockefeller] in k. 
Winnebago Co., iii. 
R. N.-Y.—Our friend must have been buying Ben Davis 
apples. The peck of good ones at the end of the barrel are 
dry enough, but the culls will start spontaneous combus¬ 
tion of wrath. Where are the men who will supply f/ood 
apples guaranteed? We have always claimed that such men 
can obtain a first-class trade if they will go after it. There 
are lots of good apples in the country and lots of good 
buyers, too. 
NOTES FROM MONTANA.—Your note in Brevities, page 
8, as to farmers’ union reminds me of our farmers’ union 
under the A. L. U. two years ago. It turned out a failure, 
from the fact that in spite of their oath individual union 
men will buy the cheapest things, label or no label. We 
fined a few, but the example had no effect on the great 
mass of union buyers. Again, the other trades will not 
always support one another and one time we found our¬ 
selves practically boycotted in Butte, the greatest union 
town in the world, by the commission men, in spite of so- 
called moral support from the union. Out of a membership 
of several hundreds nearly all the lodges have now returned 
their charters. At the same time the fruit and vegetable 
unions of Washington, Oregon and California conducted as 
business unions only, without any connection with lal>or 
unions, are selling all around us in our own markets. As 
to your Stringfellow trees, my experiments all these years 
on that style of planting have not been uniformly successful, 
as the trees planted that way generally leafed out feebly 
and finally died the next Winter. I do not think our season 
is long enough, although grafts do well. Your modification 
has been successful with me. As to sod culture, we find it 
an advantage, as trees do not winter-kill so easily when 
planted in sod or seeded down afterwards. There are many 
orchards in Montana on that system, some veiw old and 
even planted on prairie bunch-grass, never having been culti¬ 
vated, that are a success. One near here of 5,000 trees, 
sdme 30 years old, has been in Timothy for almost that 
length of time and the hay crop taken off and has not 
weakened in size of apple more than might be expected 
on old trees. The irrigating water brings in enough fertil¬ 
izer to replace loss. Many other orchards in sod, however, 
that have not been otherwise looked after, have deteriorated 
and given sod culture a bad name. h. b. c. o. 
Montana. 
WINTER IN CALIFORNIA.—We are enjoying a delightful 
rainy day (December 20), Rain In this country is always 
thankfully welcomed except in fruit season, when it cracks 
our cherries and does mischief to the hay crops. Water in 
sufficient quantity, coupled with our rich soil and abundant 
sunshine, produces wonderful trees and crops. Our first 
rain^of sufficient amount to start the grass Came the middle 
of November, The fields and orchards are now carpeted in 
greeh. Many foolish farmers began plowing immediately 
before the seeds of the weeds that injure hay and grain had 
sprouted. We rirefer to wait until the weeds, ana particu¬ 
larly the Bur clover, are two or three inches high, when we 
shall turh it all under, the weeds will be killed and the 
clover will fertilize and mellow the soil. Bur clover, when 
three inches high, has roots six inches and more long, in 
our orchards we wait until February or March, when the 
clover and other weeds are mature, then irrigate, putting bn 
plenty of water, and when dry enough turn the whole mash 
under. We get best results with less labor by following this 
method. Orchards that are irrigated when naked do hot 
take water so readily.or deeply, and do not dry evenly, and 
the result is many dry spots, which turn up lumpy, and 
other w r et spots which become lumpy before they can be re¬ 
duced. We are preparing for our annual reunion and 
Christmas dinner and tree with the old folks. A possible 
57 members of the family may be there, but we do not expect 
a full attendance this year, as some of the members are far 
from home. It is doubtless a part of God’s plan that fami¬ 
lies should grow up and then scatter in all directions, carry¬ 
ing new blood and energy to other places* which, combined 
with the elements found there produce results that tend to 
greater progress than if all stayed near the old home, but it 
seems good to me to know that my immediate relatives feel 
like staying near together. h. g. keesxang. 
Santa Clara Co., Cal. 
SO. DAKOTA NOTES.—I am living in Vermillion, Clay 
Co., South Dakota, a place of a little over two thousand 
population, 35 miles west of Sioux City, Iowa. The State 
University is located here; good stone and brick buildings, 
and a fine lot of students. We are near the Missouri River ; 
the Vermillion River empties into the Missouri at this 
point. I have one block of land in the city limits, about 
3 *4 acres, which I am setting out to fruit of different 
kinds, such as apples, cherries, currants, gooseberries, rasp¬ 
berries, etc. Apples do well here, cherries fairly well; all 
small fruit is a success. This seems to be a natural cli¬ 
mate for strawberries. One of my neighbors has about 40 
acres in berries, others from one-half acre up to five and ten. 
Plums are not doing well here of late years. The trees do 
not look healthy and the plums rot on the trees, or soon 
after picking. I had my field leveled with scraper, and of 
course the top soil in places was left thin. The livery 
stables in town wanted a place to dump their manure and 
I had it. They put about 400 loads on my place, and you 
ought to see the corn I raised, even where the top soil was 
nearly all scraped off. They put more on last Fall. We 
do not use commercial fertilizer of any kind. I know of 
fields that have lxeen cropped for 20 years without any 
manure of any kind, and this year raised 60 bushels of 
corn per acre. Of course manure would be a benefit for 
corn, but not for small grain; it would lodge and not fill. 
Our main crops here are corn, cattle and hogs. Land values 
are from $45 to $70 per acre according to situation and im¬ 
provements: no waste land, every foot can be cultivated. 
The corn belt has moved north over 100 miles within the 
last 25 years, and is advancing year by year. Our weather 
is very nice ; no snow and warm enough to be out without 
our coats: we have had a great deal of sunshine so far this 
Winter. Peaches are not a success here. I have raised a 
few, the trees are short lived. I think we have too great 
variation of temperature during the Winter season. Corn 
is now selling for 26 cents a bushel: potatoes 50: at dig¬ 
ging time they brought 35. Butter 20 cents; eggs 20 cents 
per dozen fresh : meats are high, you know the reason for 
that. Anthracite coal $11 per ton; soft coal $8. Missouri 
bottom hay put in the barn $5 a ton (the best hay in the 
world). We are keeping track of your hot-water plant: 
ours was not a success; a poor boiler and a lack of radia¬ 
tion : here we need one foot of radiation to 20 cubic feet. 
I have one to about 28. We are pleased with “The Farmer’s 
Garden.” Some things I needed to know, especially about 
celery culture. h. b. 
