100 ( 5 . 
3i9 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
LESSONS FROM THE FARM INSTITUTES. 
The institute season has closed with the largest atten¬ 
dance ever recorded. The open Winter has no doubt been 
responsible in a measure for the result. But what is of 
more value is the unusual interest in agriculture. Not before 
in my memory would people remain after session hours, stop 
in (he street, come to the hotel, and by every possible 
means get information. It did not seem to matter much 
where (hey got it, whether from the institute force or from 
their neighbor. The question uppermost was how, when and 
where. This is not alone true of New York. During the past 
eight months I have come into contact in some way with 
the agriculture of 11 Eastern States. The same spirit is de¬ 
veloping in every State. And now to give us new interest 
and to reach the fundamental cause of many of our country 
problems we are to teach principles in our rural schools. 
The Department of Public Instruction in New York has al¬ 
ready issued a syllabus and stands ready to assist so far as 
the present law will permit in helping the districts to in¬ 
augurate (he good work. Interested workers have urged this 
plan upon the Department. They have recognized the de¬ 
mand and its urgent necessity. The proposition is now be¬ 
fore the patrons of the schools. Will thev accept and make 
the most of the opportunity? The work which has been done 
in the farmers' institutes this Winter has created thought¬ 
ful interest in spite of some exceedingly shallow criticism 
recently published. The broad-minded conception and dis¬ 
cussion of rural problems and the urgent need of immediate 
attention on the part of country people must bear fruit. 
Our population, now only 35 per cent, while 40 years ago 
It was 50 per cent, and will no doubt be still further re¬ 
duced, is a fact that should open the eyes of every student 
of economics, and this should in its fullest analysis mean 
every man and woman of mature years. The country has 
been the conserves of all that has been best and safest. 
Nothing will more surely preserve its integrity than this 
move to improve the efficiency of the rural schools. 
H. E. COOK. 
CROP PROSPECTS. 
We have snow 15 inches deep (March 20) and still snow¬ 
ing. Prospects for wheat and grass crop good. Wheat about 
78 cents; corn, 50 cents: oats. 34; eggs. 16; butter, 24; 
potatoes, 65; apples, $1.50 to $1.75 per bushel. These are 
prices paid retail; some higher. p. b. 
Stark Co., O. 
We are now getting the nub of the Winter, the ther¬ 
mometer standing from 14 to 24 degrees above every morn¬ 
ing. but thawing more or less every day nearly. The ground 
is now nicely covered with snow, but it has been bare all 
Winter, and late wheat and clover are quite badly injured; 
in fact, much clover, especially where pastured last Fall, I 
fear will be entirely killed, as it is nearly all out of the 
ground. Fruit prospects are good at present. Peaches in¬ 
jured some, but plenty of buds still sound. Finished shear¬ 
ing sheep two weeks ago and sold our wool, nearly two 
tons, at 28 cents unwashed. j. s. woodward. 
Niagara Co.. N. Y. 
An article in The R. N.-Y. on the productive soil of Ken¬ 
tucky has caused me to mail one of our local papers to 
you mentioning a 10-acre tobacco crop grown within 10 miles 
of this place, and I would guess, without fertilizer, for it is 
a rare thing that growers in this section use any. Weather 
for past four days rain, sleet, snow ; temperature, 24 to 32 ; 
has been an open Winter with a light ice crop; a fine Win¬ 
ter for turning sod, breaking hemp, etc. Eggs, 10 cents; 
butter, 30; creamery, 35; milk, 30 cents; ship stuff, $1.10 
per 100; hay, $9 to $10 per ton; corn, 50 to 55 cents; 
wheat, No. 2, 85; hogs. 5 Ms to 6; good butcher cattle, 5 
cents; quite a number of young people going into the pure¬ 
bred chicken business. w. w. w. 
Mt. Sterling, Ky. 
We have had a remarkable Winter so far. Hardly any 
thawing and no hard freezing. March 15 coldest this Win¬ 
ter ; two below zero. Wild geese were going south yester¬ 
day—to-day we have a blizzard. Snowing and blowing furi¬ 
ously (March 19). 1 am delighted with the way you are 
showing up some of the doings of the Adams Express Co. 
They certainly are bad sometimes. I have had a bill pending 
for eight months. They have worried me out. They simply 
don’t care, for we are at their mercy, and I am sure the 
express comnanies in Illinois have combined to bleed us 
freely. Give us the parcels post by all means. There are 
14 owls wintering in some large evergreens in my nursery; 
do not disturb chickens or rabbits; live on mice exclusively, 
as far as I am able to judge. I consider them worth $5 each 
to me in protecting the nursery stock. s. e. h. 
Illinois. 
INSURANCE AFFAIRS.—Suit for $3,370,341.66 was begun 
by the Mutual Life Insurance Company, March 23, by 
service of a complaint against its ex-I’resident, Richard A. 
McCurdy, who is now on a European trip. This sum repre¬ 
sents what the counsel for the company and Joseph II. 
Choate, counsel for the Truesdale Investigating Committee, 
figure out that Mr. McCurdy's administration cost the 
Mutual, as far as political contributions, excessive salary, 
“confidential expense fund” payments, and the improvident 
contracts with Charles II. Raymond & Co. and Robert II. 
McCurdy are concerned. The complaint served was the first 
of eight that are coming in the suits against Mr. McCurdy 
and his son, Robert II. McCurdy; his son-in-law. Louis A. 
Th^baud. and Charles II. Raymond, who first, with the 
younger Mr. McCurdy, and later with Thebaud, constituted 
the firm of Raymond & Co., general agents for the Mutual 
in the metropolitan district. In general the charges against 
Mr. McCurdy are based on allegations of unfaithfulness and 
neglect of his duties as President of the Mutual Life. There 
are nine distinct causes of action specified in the complaint. 
The first five causes of action seek recovery in the aggregate 
of $292,500 as alleged contributions to political parties 
since January 1, 1885. These contributions are stated to 
have been $15,000 in 1896. $35,000 in 1900. and $40,000 in 
1904 to the National Republican Campaign Committee, $2,500 
in the year 1904 to the Republican Congressional Committee, 
and $200,000 emfiraclng the various contributions testified 
by Senator Platt to have been made to the Republican State 
Committee since January 1, 1885. March 26 the Mutual 
Life Insurance Company formally charged ex-President 
Richard A. McCurdy with having entered into “a fraudulent 
and corrupt conspiracy" with his son-in-law, Louis A. 
Thebaud, and Col. Charles II. Raymond for the purpose of 
enriching the partnership of Raymond & Co. The charge 
is contained in a complaint served in an action brought by 
the Mutual Life against Mr. McCurdy, his son-in-law and 
Col. Raymond to recover $1,250,000 paid by the company 
to Raymond & Co. A second complaint in a suit against 
Charles II. Raymond and Louis A. Thebaud also was served. 
This latter action is to recover $500,000 paid to the Ray¬ 
mond firm as gratuities from January 1, 1893, to November 
17, 1905. It is included in the above amount. The payments 
on which these complaints served are based were included 
in the complaint served against Mr. McCurdy previously, 
but it is now alleged that the losses sustained by the plaintiff 
as a result of these payments were brought about b.v a 
fraudulent conspiracy and agreement between the three 
defendants. The previous complaint in the McCurdy action 
had merely alleged that the losses had been occasioned by 
unfaithfulness on the part of the ex-president in the dis¬ 
charge of his duties. Eight actions in all have been begun 
by the Mutual against the former president, his son, Robert 
ii. McCurdy, Thebaud and Col. Raymond. 
THE BEEF TRUST.—The meat packers who were indicted 
by a federal grand jury last Summer on charges of conspiracy 
in restraint of interstate trade and commerce were granted 
immunity from criminal prosecution under the indictment 
March 21. While the individuals are to go free, the indict¬ 
ments found against the corporations of which some of the 
indicted packers are members and others are employees are 
to stand. The individuals who go free under the decision 
are J. Ogden Armour, Edward Morris, Charles W. Armour, 
Ira N. Morris. Louis F. Swift, Edward F. Swift, Charles N. 
Swift, Edward Cudahy, Arthur Meeker, T. J. Connors, P. A. 
Valentine, A. II. Yeeder, Arthur F. Evans. I. A. Carton, 
Robert C. McManus and D. E. Hartwell. The corporations 
which must stand trial are the Armour Packing Company, 
Armour & Co., the Cudahy Packing Company, the Fairbanks 
Canning Company and Swift & Co. 
PUMP IRRIGATING SCHEME.—A plan for irrigating 
a great tract of land Is reported from Texas : “Mr. Davis 
says the owners of land are making an effort to have 5,000 
acres of land cleared and in shape to be planted in sugar 
cane by the beginning of the planting season this Fall. 
This will l>e followed by other fields each season until the 
entire 120,000 acres shall have been put under irrigation 
and cultivation. The establishment of other irrigation 
plants will follow the one as the land is placed in shape 
to be used. The power to be employed in the pumping 
plants will be electricity. The power house will be on the 
railroad seven miles from the river, where the pumps are 
to be placed. The energy wil be transmitted by cables. 
Fuel oil will be used in the furnaces in the generation of 
electricity. The plant to ne built will be In all respects 
modern, and its capacity will have few eqnals in the 
Southwest.” 
The 
Wagon For You 
What kind of a farm wagon do you want? Why, the ona 
that will give you the best service in return for your money. 
How can you find it? Try this plan: 
Go to the 
Studebaker Agent 
and go over the Studebaker wagon point by point. You will find that it is more sub¬ 
stantially built, that larger timber is used in it; it is more heavily ironed and 
yet because of the Studebaker method of giving dish to the wheels and set and 
gather to the axles, it is the lightest running wagon on earth. 
You will find its slope-shoulder spokes larger and stronger; its axles deeper and j 
more heavily trussed; its hubs so seasoned and treated that they are practically 
proof against splitting, checking and cracking—in short in every feature you will find^ 
the Studebaker as nearly perfect as human skill, ingenuity and care can make it. 
If you examine it thoroughly you will sec for yourself why the Studebaker is so 
popular —why its sales are larger than those of any other wagon —why more 
than a million Studebaker vehicles are in daily use, the world over. You i 
will see, too, why it will pay you to buy a Studebaker. 
04L 
I —v «a~. -• 
We urge you to investigate. If you really want the best 
Go to the Studebaker Agent 
and examine the Studebaker line of Farm Wagons, Buggies. Surries, Carriages and Har¬ 
ness. You can see for yourselS If you don’t know a Studebaker agent, write to us En¬ 
close a two cent stamp and we'll send you the Studebaker Farmer’s Almanac for 1906, 
free. Please address Dept. 54 . 
Studebaker Bros. Mfg. Co.. South Bend, Ind. 
Selling Agents Almost Everywhere. 
The Studebaker— A wagon with a reputation behind it 
I Sell Scales Direct 
No Jobbers No Dealers No Agents 
No Money Down No Notes to Sign 
30 Days Free Trial. 
1Y/IY name is Gumbel,—H. C. Gumbel. 
I make the famous Knodig Pitless Scale, 
which for many years has been sold to Farm¬ 
ers, Stockmen, Grain Dealers and others, 
through Jobbers, Agents and Retailers. 
All other scales, including the high priced, 
expensive Pit Scales, are still sold that way. 
—But I have a new plan which saves the 
scale buyer all these middlemen’s profits. 
You now pay for the Knodig Pitless only one 
small profit, because you can buy it direct from 
the factory. 
No other scale in the world is sold this way. 
If you question this statement, just write to 
any scale manufacturer and see how quickly 
he will turn you over to some agent or dealer. 
But why should you pay more for the priv¬ 
ilege of buying scales through a third party ? 
I* there a single good rea¬ 
son why you should not deal 
directly with the factory ? 
You buy Stoves, Incu- 
bators. Organs, Buggies, . 
and a hundred other things 
that way— ~\Tr 
—And save money by do¬ 
ing it 1 Then, why not—scales? 
* * * 
I will sell you a brandjnew 1906 model Knodig 
Pitless Scale direct from the factory for about 
half the price of a pit scale. 
And it will be a better scale, too. 
Because the Knodig sets above ground, and 
all the working partsare inside the eight inch 
steel frame. 
No pit is necessary, which saves you many 
annoying and expensive features, such as— 
—Digging and walling the pit, renewing 
broken and rotted timbers. 
—Dipping water and breaking ice, replacing 
rusted parts caused by the dampness of a pit. 
_—Removing platform to get at the trash and 
dirt that constantly accumulate. 
Old style pit scale may be all right for those 
who can afford them, and don’t mind the trou¬ 
ble and expense of keeping them in repair,— 
—But if you can save about half in price and 
have notpit to dig—no big lumber bills—no ex¬ 
pensive carpenter jobs for foundations— 
Why shouldn’t you buy a Knodig ? 
* * * * 
The Knodig Pitless is movable. 
You can easily take it down and re-set it any¬ 
where on the premises, wherever the work may 
happen to be. 
It is as accurate as any high priced Pit Scale, 
because it is tested, as.they are, according to 
the U. S. Standard of Weights. 
The scales are sealed by an expert sealer. 
And finally, to prevent any possibility of er¬ 
ror, all KNODIG PITLESS SCALES are care¬ 
fully passed upon by an Inspector of Weights, 
before shipment. 
So, you see, the Knodig 
Pitless Scales must be ac¬ 
curate. 
We guarantee them un¬ 
reservedly for ten years. 
Other scales are guaran- 
v. ft ?it!ess v 
10 YEAR 
Guarantee 
w C/lUCl DUttica die KBdldll- 
•P teed only on condition that 
heavy timbers must be kept 
in good condition, etc., etc. 
I am willing to prove that the Knodig Pitless 
is the scale you want. 
I will send a set to you, or to any responsible 
Farmer, Stockman, Elevator Man, or Grain 
Dealer, on a month’s free trial. 
You have nothing to pay until you are satis¬ 
fied,—no deposit,—no notes to sign,—nothing 
to do but give the Knodig a fair, honest trial 
at my risk. 
If it doesn’t please you, just send it back, 
and I will pay freight both ways and the ex¬ 
pense of setting it up on your place. 
Write to me personally for the new Pitless 
Scale Catalogue. 
You cannot afford to buy a scale before see¬ 
ing this book. 
Write for it today. Address, 
H. C. GUMBEL, General Manager, 
National Pitless Scale Co. 2033 Wyandotte St., Kansas City, Mo. 
ACME 
SI2ES 
3 to 17 feet 
Agents 
Wanted. 
I deliver f. o. b. at 
DUANE H. 
BRANCH HOUSES: 
KANSAS CITY, MO 
ng Harrow 
Clod Crusher and Leveler, 
SENT ON TRIAL. 
To be returned at my expense if not satisfactory. 
The best pulverizer—cheapest 
Riding Harrow on earth. The 
Acme crushes, cuts, pul¬ 
verizes, turns and levels 
all soils for all purposes. 
Made entirely of cast 
iron 
♦ 
Catalog and booklet. 
Anlde&l Harrow" by 
Henry Stewart sent free. 
New York,Chicago, Columbus, Louisville, Kansas City, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Portland, etc, 
NASH, Sole Manufacturer, Millington, New Jersey. 
1 low. Washington St„ CHICAGO. 240-244 7th Ave. S., MINNEAPOLIS. 1316 W. Sth St„ 
. 216 lOth SI., LOUISVILLE, KV. Cor. Water and W. Cay Sta., COLUMBUS, OHIO. 
PLEASE ME-U1TON Tills PAPEK. 
There is no more handy and satisfactory gun to have 
about the house than a THazYcn .22 repeater. This rifle chambers 
all the different forms of ,22 cartridge s and can thus be cheaply used for 
the pleasure of target or small game shooting, and is at the same time quickly 
made serviceable as a long range rilie for such game as the fox, coon, badger, 
woodchuck, hawk, wild goose, etc. 
The fflarfin .22 has many superior features of construction which, 
with the chambering of different kinds of ,22s, places it high in the estimation 
of small bore rifle users. No rifle but a fflar/ist has Z/Yczr/cn accuracy. 
That s good to think about when you order. 
You will enjou the real hunting stories in our“Experience Book." Free, 
for 3 stamps, with our 130-page Catalogue. 
7A& 77Zar/irt jftrear/njs Co. 
157 Willow Street 
New Haven, Conn. 
