1M1. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
MR. DAWLEY SUES THE RURAL NEW- 
YORKER. 
Frank E. Dawley, of Fayetteville, N. Y., has filed 
three suits of $50,000 each against The R. N.-Y. for 
alleged libel. These suits are based on three articles 
printed in this paper in reference to Dawley's sale of 
Jersey cattle to Isaac C. Rogers, of Dansville, N. Y. 
Mr. Dawley appears to think he can make a better an¬ 
swer to Mr. Rogers’ complaint by filing these suits 
against The R. N.-Y than he could by opening his 
record books for a full and fair investigation of the 
matter in dispute. 
On July 23 Mr. Dawley came to our office with his 
attorney and expressed a desire to satisfy us as to the 
accuracy of his cattle records. He submitted several 
long affidavits to refute a sworn charge of substitution 
in another case—made by a former employee. He also 
made two positive statements regarding the cows sold 
to Mr. Rogers. First he declared that another cow had 
been substituted for Dotshome Harmony. He claimed 
that the cow which Rogers showed the committee never 
came from his place. He also claimed that Dotshome 
Queen Carey was not with calf when sold to Rogers 
and that she did not drop a calf 14 days after the sale 
as Rogers claims. Now, we knew that he had identified 
Dotshome Harmony in one case before two witnesses 
and that he did not deny her identity before the A. J. 
C. C. committee. We also knew that there is ample 
proof that the old cow now called Dotshome Queen 
Carey did give birth to a calf a few days after the sale. 
We also showed Mr. Dawley that he, himself, had 
given this name to another cow in a letter to Dr. Smead. 
In view of this evidence we told him frankly that we 
could not accept his statement or the affidavits he sub¬ 
mitted as conclusive. We did tell him that if he would 
submit the entire matter to an open and impartial inves¬ 
tigation we would pledge ourselves to see that Rogers’ 
side was presented. We told him that if such an inves¬ 
tigation should clear him of error or deception we would 
gladly give him the most complete and public vindica¬ 
tion in The R. N.-Y. We reminded him that such a 
vindication would make him stronger than ever before 
the farmers of the State and the breeders of the Nation. 
He replied that he realized that, but asked who should 
appoint a committee to investigate. We said, “You 
appoint one man, Rogers appoint another and let these 
men select a third! Or, if this will suit you any better 
we will agree to let President Darling of the A. J. C. 
C. appoint the entire committee provided the investiga¬ 
tion he an open one and you ( Dawley ) submit your 
herd and stable books for examination!” Our object 
was to convince Mr. Dawley that The R. N--Y. stands 
ready, as it always has, to do him full justice. We also 
told him that in case the committee could not make the 
papers fit the cows, we should expect their registry 
papers to be cancelled and he was to settle with Air. 
Rogers for such damages as the committee named. 
He asked what cows we referred to? We replied 
“Every cow upon which any suspicion rests.” 
Mr. Dawley positively refused to agree to an inves¬ 
tigation, and proceeded to serve the papers in his three 
suits for libel. His attorney had already threatened to 
do this unless we accept their version of the whole 
matter! Since he felt it necessary to reject a chance 
for peaceful settlement this suit was probably the only 
alternative left for Air. Dawley. If he knew that his 
records are straight and true and that his part in the 
Rogers deal could be attributed to nothing worse than 
a mistake, it is hard to understand why he should re¬ 
fuse the proposed investigation. If a breeder knew that 
his actions and records would not stand inspection he 
would naturally be reluctant to submit evidence which 
would only incriminate himself. Later we expect to give 
the exact complaint in these suits and our answer. This 
is a public matter, involving a principle which affects all 
farmers. People are entitled to the facts, and we shall 
present them from time to time. Thus far we have 
simply discussed Mr. Dawley’s connection with this sin¬ 
gle case. Now, however, as a public official, he cannot 
complain if his public record as well as his history and 
connection with other matters should come under review 
as a side light on this case. Already letters have begun 
to come to us, giving information regarding his official 
work and his Jersey cattle business. M'ost of these are 
in the nature of confidential letters from friends who 
sympathize with our position. We, of course, treat 
them in the strictest confidence, but they present the 
most valuable information, and we welcome them! They 
all go to indicate that Frank E. Dawley was never in 
his life, more ill advised than when he declined a fair 
and open investigation and opened warfare upon the 
The R. N.-Y. 
Now coal has been found in Alaska in such quantity and 
of such quality that the Pacific coast will be supplied. At 
the time it was bought many people considered Alaska of 
little more value than an Iceberg. There are many more 
who know less about the undiscovered possibilities of their 
own farms. Perhaps your own Alaska gold mine is located 
right in sight of the barn door. 
EVENTS OF THE WEEK. 
DOMESTIC.—A tornado swept across Minnesota, Wis¬ 
consin, and Iowa August 6. In Winona, Minn., twenty or 
more buildings were unroofed. The Union Fibre Company’s 
large warehouse was a wreck. The lower railway bridge 
rails were twisted so that for hours trains cotild not cross. 
A Green Bay passenger train was wrecked by the wind 
three-quarters of a mile east of Winona. The train had 
been halted on the main track behind a dense wall of wil¬ 
lows, where It was hoped to escape the storm’s fury. Never¬ 
theless two cars were picked up by the wind, carried eight 
feet and toppled over an embankment. Reports received 
from southern Minnesota indicate enormous damage to 
crops. . . . August von Fahrig, the leader of the auto¬ 
mobile burglars arrested at Mineola, L. I., in June, was sen¬ 
tenced August 7 by County Judge Edgar Jackson to forty 
years at hard labor in Siug Sing prison. lie pleaded guilty 
to three indictments charging burglary. The homes of 
more than fifty wealthy residents of Nassau County were 
despoiled by Van Fahrig’s band, and thousands of dollars' 
worth of stolen property was recovered by the police from a 
house in Harlem, while watches, jewelry, clothing, and furs 
were found in Von Falirig's hotel, which he ran as a blind. 
Christian Schlang, another of the burglars, who turned 
State’s evidence, and who is only 10 years old, was sent to 
Sing Sing for 25 years, and his mother, Mrs. Alma Schlang, 
who pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property, was sent to 
Auburn prison for live years. . . . Justice Pitney filed 
in the Supreme Court at Trenton, N. J., August 7, a 
long opinion upholding the Perkins main stem railroad tax 
act of 1906, which places upon the railroad companies ad¬ 
ditional taxes amounting lo nearly $3,000,000. The Perkins 
act provided for the taxation of main stem property at the 
average rate of all the taxing districts in the State, this 
average rate for 1006 being $1,801 per $100 of valuation. 
Under the old law main stem property was taxed by the 
State at one-half of 1 per cent., which would be 50 cents 
on each $100 of valuation. The Perkins law provided that 
all the increased taxes, excepting an amount equal to the 
one-half of 1 per cent, should be devoted to the public 
schools of the State. The importance of the decision to the 
State is evident by a glance at the report of the State 
Board of Assessors. In 1905 the tax on railroad main stem 
(including franchise) and tangible personal property was 
$950,991. In 1906, under the Perkins act, it was $3,503,529, 
a net increase of $2,552,538. It is the validity of the in¬ 
crease which the Supreme Court sustains. . . . Three- 
fourths of the Golden Cycle Mining Company’s million dol¬ 
lar reduction plant, in the foothills of Colorado City, Col., 
was destroyed by fire August 7. Loss is estimated at $750,- 
000. Insurance, $300,000. The lire started in the roasting 
rooms and spread rapidly to other buildings, which cover 
an area of fen acres. Lack of water and inadequate tire- 
lighting facilities made the work of the firemen very dif¬ 
ficult. The mill was the largest cyanide plant in the 
West. . . . The Baltimore & Ohio grain elevator at Henri¬ 
etta and Howard streets, Baltimore, Md., was burned Au¬ 
gust 8, together with its contents. The loss is estimated 
at $175,000, of which $125,000 is on the building and 
$50,000 on the grain. The railroad company carried an 
insurance of $106,000 on the elevator. The building con¬ 
tained 50,000 bushels of grain, chiefly corn. Another Balti¬ 
more fire which quickly assumed threatening proportions 
started in stables of the Baltimore Transfer Company later 
in the day. The flames quickly communicated to the chair 
manufactory of Hechinger Brothers & Co., adjoining. The 
firemen succeeded in confining the flames to the two build¬ 
ings. The losses aggregate $90,000, of which $70,000 is on 
the chair factory and $20,000 on the transfer stable. Five 
horses perished In the latter building. . . . Fire in an au¬ 
tomobile shop on Atlantic avenue, Brooklyn, August 8, 
burned 26 machines, valued at $100,000. One of the cars 
destroyed was valued at $18,000. The place was chiefly 
used for the repairing of automobiles, and many complaints 
had been made by neighbors because of the noise caused 
by night work.Judge Grosscup in the United States 
Circuit Court, at Chicago, August 9, granted tlie Standard 
Oil Company a writ of error in the rebate case in which 
the $29,240,000 fine was assessed. The action of the Stand¬ 
ard Oil attorneys in-asking Judge Grosscup for the writ was 
a radical departure from the customary procedure, and even 
when the first application for the writ was made August 
8 It was not believed that immediate action by the Court 
would follow. Government attorneys vigorously protested to 
the Standard Oil lawyers against this hasty action in the 
rebate case. Their refusal to consider the plea for delay is 
doubly significant in view of the fact that Judge Landis, 
who imposed the $29,000,009 fine, and the principal Gov¬ 
ernment attorneys In the case, were absent from Chicago. 
The Court's action means that the case will be taken to the 
United States Court of Appeals. The Oil Trust attorney 
also appealed for a writ of supersedeas, but this was de¬ 
nied by Judge Grosscup. lie said he would not grant this 
at present. Government attorneys demanded a bond be 
given by the Standard Oil Company to cover the line im¬ 
posed upon it. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The price of corn-fed steers 
reached $7.30 per 100 at the stockyards in South Omaha 
August 7. This is the top price at that market since 1902. 
l’ncking-house people say the price of fresh meats will be 
increased in proportion to the prices of live stock. 
After listening to the report of the Executive Committee, 
which reported that a good apple crop was in prospect, the 
International Apple Shippers’ Association adjourned Au¬ 
gust 9, to meet next year in Niagara Falls. The report 
gave an Itemized summary from al the districts, and said : 
“Our best crops extend from Ohio and Michigan eastward 
through New York and New England and up through Can¬ 
ada and Nova Scotia, showing considerable excess over the 
crop of a year ago. The Ben Davis district and as far West 
as Colorado shows a heavy decline from the crop of last 
year.” Much satisfaction is expressed with the rosy out¬ 
look, as it was reported earlier in the season that the frosts 
had done great damage. While many trees suffered, the 
quality of the fruit has been improved. These officers were 
elected: President, William L. Wagner, Chicago: Vice- 
President, George Olivit, New York: Secretary, A. Warren 
Patch, Boston; Treasurer, E. N. Loomis, New York. 
SOME FACTS ABOUT VETCH. 
I notice some inquiries in regard to vetch In The It. N.-Y, 
and there seems to t>e little about it from the farmers and 
common people. The scientific men seem to like to put some 
mystery about it, but I have not found it so. Vetch is a 
weed, but one of the very best weeds that ever grew, in its 
place. Its place is not on a grain farm, unless if is plowed 
under and never allowed to go to seed, and even then if I 
were a wheat grower I would not sow vetch, for the seed 
lies in the ground and comes up when conditions are favor¬ 
able. While the seed is very different from wheat I under¬ 
stand it is hard to separate, and spoils the flour. For the 
man who raises corn, has orchards and general farm crops 
instead of wheat, if he can grow vetch, and it will become a 
a weed coming In thick over his farm, he is fortunate in¬ 
deed, for the disadvantage it will be in some cases Is over¬ 
come by the advantage in others, although in some hoed 
crops it might become a serious pest. I would risk it and 
gladly have It thick all over the farm if I could get it, but 
there is the rub. I have never tried soil inoculation, and 
other scientific methods, for where we first sowed it was 
on heavy clay, and there it was a great success. On one 
little spot of nice light soil it did extra well, and I thought 
that would be the result of sowing it on the lighter soil on 
the hill, where the land had been run to death with potatoes’, 
so I sowed 40 or 50 acres of it, but my experience with it 
up here, in fact with any of the legumes, on poor, sour; 
run-down land, is much like putting a boy in college without 
any preparatory course. Such land needs a preparatory 
course of rye and buckwheat first, then after these are 
plowed under or the land well top-dressed with stable manure 
and well cultivated or worked up, we can enter the “higher 
course” with legumes. 
Potatoes are grown here year after year on the same land, 
the tops burned off out of the way, many hundreds of acres 
seeing little or no 'stable manure for years, and the land gets 
sour and very poor, lacking humus, and to undertake to bring 
it up with Tegmnes is starting at the wrong end. Few 
farmers seem to realize the mistake they make in burning 
off everything out of the way, even burning over grass fields 
641 
so they will plow under easily. Part of the preparatory 
course of every young farmer ought to be to have a small 
orchard at least under the mulch system of culture, where 
he will have to scratch around and save everything available 
for mulch ; then he will be slower to set. a match to anything 
that will interfere with easy plowing and save it, for it 19 
all valuable. 
I notice the statement that vetch Is easily plowed under, 
but that depends on the plow, and the man behind it or on 
top of it. With a disk plow on land where a disk plow would 
work it would be easy enough, but nnything but fun with the 
ordinary style of walking or sulky mouldboard plow, without 
an attachment that would cut through the vines, some of 
which grow eight feet each way on good ground. We have 
sowed vetch from Spring until grain-sowing time in the 
Fail. On th§ heavy clay we used only five to 10 pounds of 
seed per acre to let stand for seed. It produces well on 
clay, but on the sour land very little, although this same 
sour land, after being top-dressed with stable manure, and 
well worked, has every appearance of producing heavily this 
year, if it were allowed to go to seed. On land prepared for 
Alfalfa the vetch came in and added very much to the crop 
on the first cutting of Alfalfa, but plants of vetch allowed 
to blossom apd then cut seldom start up again, and for that 
reason does not compare in value with Alfalfa. To raise 
seed sow vetch rather thin, five, 10 to 16 pounds per acre, 
depending on the land, and when the pods are about all ripe 
take ordinary mower and follow with fork, if one has not 
the attachment for the purpose, and throw back each swath 
before driving around again, as it will save a Lot of seed. 
The seed is easily thrashed. Alsike clover and vetch make 
a good combination, and ripen about the same time. Vetch 
sowed any time until early Fall, so it will get strong enough 
to stand over Winter, will produce seed next year if the 
land is suitable. i. c. it. 
Livingston Co., N. Y. 
LABOR TROUBLES IN KENTUCKY . 
The daily papers have given several accounts of serious 
trouble among Kentucky farmers. It was reported that a 
thrashing machine belonging to John Field was blown up. 
Packages of dynamite were put into bundles of wheat, 
and when these were run through the machine the dynamite 
exploded, causing serious loss. Reports also are made of 
“infernal machines” made of bottles of kerosene and matches 
which are tucked in grain bundles. The trouble is reported 
to be between members of an association and those who do 
not belong. A number of our readers have written us about 
it, the following being a fair statements: 
TROUBLE? IN KENTUCKY.—We have an association 
composed of the farmers of Kentucky, Tennessee and Vir¬ 
ginia, known as the Planters’ Tobacco Protective Associa¬ 
tion of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. It is an incor¬ 
porated body, governed by a px-esident, secretary and treas¬ 
urer. The business of said association is done through an 
executive committee, containing the chairman from .each 
district. Those who do not belong to the association are 
termed “hill-billies.” The object of said association is to 
get a fair living price for our tobacco. We are fighting no 
one but the American Tobacco Trust. To give you an idea 
of what we have accomplished, I will give you my experi¬ 
ence. In 1904 I sold 40 odd thousand pounds of tobacco 
at. an average of $3.50 per hundred, and hauled it 12 miles. 
This year I sold a very inferior crop at an average df 
nearly $8 per hundred, and my neighbors have done equally 
as well, and some better. Now there has been a good deal 
of lawlessness done in different neighborhoods, all of which 
has been laid on the members of the association, but in 
not a single case have they been able to prove it, or even 
trace it. Several parties have been arrested, but in every 
case they have been acquitted. Those who have been doing 
this mischief are known as “Night Riders.” In the case 
you refer to, Mr. Fields, who owned the tln - ashing machine, 
was a member of the association. He was thrashing wheat 
for a man who was not a member. The dynamite was con¬ 
cealed In the bundles of wheat, and exploded when they 
were fed through the machine. A good many think that 
It is the opposition to the association that is doing all this 
devilment, in order to break up the association. I don't 
know. What I do know Is, that, whereas we were raising 
tobacco at a loss, now we are getting a living price. 
_ H. B. D. 
CROP NOTES . 
Fruit is an entire failure here, except berries. Wheat 
one-quarter crop; oats almost a failure; com will be a 
light crop, unless we have plenty of rain from now on. 
Purdy, Mo, k. d. t. 
Corn better than 1906; potatoes promise a splendid crop; 
oats poor; barley good. Apples set well and are large for 
this date. A very large acreage of hay is yet uncut, and a 
large tonnage badly damaged; pastures fine. f. o. l. 
Mt. Vernon, N, Y. 
The hay harvest Is over; the crop was-very good, but an 
anxious time saving it, just catching it between showers, 
yet it was saved without loss after all. Many planned to 
cut oats to-day, but it is raining; the oat crop is nothing 
extra. Corn the same. I call the fruit crop a failure, though 
some few orchards, have a fair quantity of apples. Apples 
sell in the market at $1.25 per bushel. We are certainly 
having a peculiar season. a. m. ii. 
Toledo, Ohio. 
Farmers are busy hauling in oats and hauling out the 
manure; wheat, is good; oats a good crop; corn and to¬ 
bacco a little late on account of late Spring, both looking 
well and look like a good crop. Potatoes dying off; corn, 
64 cents per bushel; potatoes, 70 cents per bushel. Apples 
fair; pears poor; peaches good; blackberries poor; elder¬ 
berries good. Butter selling at 20 to 25 cents per pound; 
eggs, 17 cents per dozen; young chickens. 15 cents per pound. 
We have fine weather; plowing is started. b. d. k. 
York, Pa. 
The Sumatra and Havana leaf crop of tobacco is all gath¬ 
ered, and one-half the crop has been shipped out pole cured, 
to be sweated, assorted and baled for the cigarmakers. Our 
crop is very fine and will average 1,000 pounds per acre. 
We have 30"acres grown under half shade; it was contracted 
for six years, at 40 cents per pound, pole cured, and this is 
the fifth year of the contract. We could sell it at 85 cents 
per pound, had it not been sold in advance. We have formed 
a stock company, with $100,000 capital, and will grow 80 
acres under naif shade another year, and will Irrigate the 
whole ami grow vegetables after the tobacco is off. 
Dade City, Fla. w. e./ e. 
The season of 1907 will go on record as one of the most 
peculiar ever known as to conditions affecting the farmer 
and horticulturist. The Winter was an unusually severe 
one on small fruits and all kinds of shrubbexw, and I heard 
more complaints of winter-killing in raspberries, roses, etc., 
than ever before in this locality. The phenomenally warm 
weather during the latter part of March was followed by a 
cold April and almost a colder May, and scarcely any growth 
in vegetation until well along in June. Haying was fullv two 
weeks later in beginning than usual, but’with more favor¬ 
able weather after growth had really begun. The hay crop 
of this country will he fully up to the average, and hi some 
neighborhoods considerably more even than an average crop. 
There are scarcely any plums or pears in any part of the 
county, and while but few comparatively of these are grown 
here anyway, the shortage will he severelv felt in this sea¬ 
son of general scarcity of fruit. Apples will be a very light 
crop in many neighborhoods, farmers not having enough for 
their own use. Oats are generally looking well, but the 
oat crop here in recent years is not a large factor in agri¬ 
cultural production. Potatoes, which are never gxmwn com¬ 
mercially to any extent in this countv, except to a limited 
extent in portions of two or three towns in the northern 
part of the county, look quite promising now, and the Po¬ 
tato bugs have been less numerous than for many years 
past. Milk is of course the main product now in this sec¬ 
tion, but while milk pidees are high the piesent season the 
prices on grain are correspondingly higher, so there is a 
general complaint among our farmers of little real profit 
from their dairies. b. j. b. 
Delaware County, N. Y. 
