1907. 
433 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
EVENTS OF THE WEEK. 
DOMESTIC.—Not since the Brooklyn car riots has there 
been such street fighting in Brooklyn, as happened May 8, 
when nearly six hundred Italians and Poles joined battle in 
the Italian, quarter near Metropolitan avenue, Williams¬ 
burg. Three patrolmen were seriously injured, and when 
their comrades had broken up the riot, thirty-five rioters 
had been sent to the Williamsburg Hospital and twelve 
more locked up in the Bedford avenue station. The rioting 
was the result of the 'longshoreman’s strike. 
The Attorney General has received advices from Denver, 
Col., that officers of the Interior Department have secured 
the surrender of patents for about 1200 acres of valuable 
coal land illegally entered in Colorado, and the deeds to 
the government for the same will be put on record rorth- 
with. The value of the lands is estimated at .$200,000 . 
. . The fact that Theodore P. Shonts drew a big salary 
as president of the Clover Leaf Railroad at the same time 
he was accepting government money for supervising the 
construction of me Panama Canal militated against the 
chances of the railroad's securing a reduction of its assess¬ 
ment when W. D. Tucker, the auditor, appeared before the 
Indiana state board of tax commissioners at Indianapolis 
May 3. Mr. Tucker declared that the road's earnings had 
decreased owing to the hostile attitude of the public and 
drastic State and Federal laws, 'but in response to Commis¬ 
sioner John McArdle’s question about Shonts' double salary 
admitted it. The opinion seemed to prevail among me 
railroads that a road rich enough to pay an absentee presi¬ 
dent a big salary should be able to pay its taxes. . . . 
By overruling May 9. the motion of the defence for a bill 
of particulars setting forth what overt acts, if any, there 
were to connect the defendant with the murder of former 
Governor Frank Steunenberg, Judge Fremont Wood, of the 
District Court of Ada County, cleared the way for the trial 
of William D. Haywood, secretary of the Western Federa¬ 
tion of Miners, which began at Boise, Idaho, May 9. In all 
four men are in custody, charged with the same offence 
The others are Charles II. Moyer, president of the Western 
Federation of Miners; George A. Pettibone, a former mem¬ 
ber of the executive board of the same organization, and 
Harry Orchard, a member of the federation. Orchard, it is 
alleged, made a confession in which he admitted that he 
killed the former Governor and Implicated the other men 
under arrest, together with others, as accessories before the 
fact. Under the laws of Idaho, while it is admitted that 
Haywood, Moyer and Pettibone were not in the Slate at 
the time of the murder, they are charged with the actual 
crime, the contention under the statute being that they 
were on the spot in spirit ; that they planned, and there¬ 
fore compassed, the death of Steunenberg. The complete 
history of the case extends hack to the early period of con¬ 
flict between the union and non-union miners in the Conn* 
d'Alene region. Ten jurymen had been secured May 14 
. . . The Penn-Wyoming-Copper Company’s smelter,' con¬ 
verter, tramway terminal, and crushers at Grand Encamp¬ 
ment, Wyo., were destroyed May 9, by a fire believed to have 
been of incendiary origin. The damage is $100,000, cov¬ 
ered by insurance . . . Fire of unknown origin, which 
broke out in the Saxman Supply Companv stable at Eraden- 
vllle, l*a„ May 10, destroyed the stables, the company’s 
warehouse and meat market, and the residences of George 
Saxman, George Flickinger, and Patrick Skellev The total 
loss will reach $100,000. . . . Snow began falling at 
Utica, N. Y., May 10, and the ground was covered to a 
depth of nearly two inches. In the Adirondaeks the same 
conditions prevailed as well as throughout Oneida and ad¬ 
joining counties. ... In the Wyoming mountains a 
fierce blizzard was announced May 10; it was said that 
snow had been falling continually 'from April 15, being in 
places seven feet deep, with temperatures from zero to 10 
below. . . . Two-thirds of the business district, of New¬ 
berry, Alachua -County, Fla., the most important town in 
the phosphate belt, was burned May 9, with a loss of $100,- 
000, one-third of which is covered by insurance. . . . 
A broken switch on the Southern Pacific at Honda, Cal., 
May 11, caused the derailment of a train having on board 
145 excursionists, mainly from the East; 32 were killed and 
many injured.The University Building at Kansas 
City, Mo., was hurried May 8. causing the death of one 
man and injuries to 15 others, loss $250,000. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The Society for the Promotion 
of Agricultural Science will meet at Lansing. Mich., May 27. 
The Michigan Agricultural College will celebrate its semi¬ 
centennial May 27-31. Many famous educators will be pres¬ 
ent, and President Roosevelt will deliver an address. 
The National Association of Nurserymen will meet at 
Detroit, Mich., .Tune 12-14. The president is Orlando Har¬ 
rison. Berlin, Md., who anticipates a fine attendance at the 
meeting. _ 
THE EASTERN FARMER TALKS. 
On page 318, J. H. W. tells of the “Largo Ideas of West¬ 
ern Farmers,” and proceeds with an expression of pity 
for the poor Eastern farmer, the great majority of whom 
‘‘plan and plod and scheme and work to make a sterile soil 
yield a meager living,” and deplores the “weazened life one 
must lead on a farm in the East.” Now I want to tell this 
good man that his sympathy is all wasted, the Eastern 
farmer needs none of it, and would not exchange an acre 
of this “sterile soil” for a hundred of the Western sort and 
take all that goes with it. The Eastern farmer of to-day 
has no use for rhat country of magnificent distances, where 
it is necessary to drive a hundred miles for a paper of 
pins or a bottle of castor oil. The Eastern farmer is quite 
well satisfied with his near-by markets on all sides, the 
best in the world, and the ones the Westerner must eventu¬ 
ally reach, after paying heavy tolls. Imagine an Easterner 
driving twenty-five, fifty or a hundred miles with a load 
of fresh vegetables, berries, eggs, broilers, butter and cream 
to market. Not any for yours truly. Here I load my 
wagon at night or early morning, eat breakfast at about 7 
A. M., and in 15 minutes I am in the outskirts of town 
and beginning to supply my customers with fresh farm 
products. 
J. IT. W. should plan a vacation, come East and in¬ 
spect some of the homes on the “sterile acres of these poor 
Eastern farmers,” it might at least furnish him food for 
reflection. w. e. r. 
Hopewell Farm, VC_ 
CROP NOTES . 
Knocker out this season by frost, will only pick about 
10 per cent of crop of strawberries. t. c. kevitt. 
Athenia, N. J. 
The frost on May 11 has done heavy damage. Apples 
pears, cherries, plums on low ground injured from 15 to 75 
per cent. On the higher points, loss much less. 
Columbia Co., N. Y. george t. POWEi.L. 
Canada is very prosperous. We had a very cold M inter. 
Sleighing May 5, and snow on the ground now. Seeding 
will be late. Cheese factories commencing operations. 
Egg trade in full swing. Present prospects good. Prices 
ruling at present to farmers: Eggs, 10 cents; cheese, new, 
11'/> cents; butter, 23 to 25 cents: potatoes, 00; oats, 45; 
beef, 4 to 4%; hay, $10 per ton. Should like to show you 
some returns for my much abused Ben Davis in Montreal. 
My No. 1 all sold for $3.25. Several hundred barrels. 
Canada. w. n. 
Tt; has been raining since I can rememlier, with occa¬ 
sional blinks of sunshine between, but not long enough to 
dry the mud ! We are fully two weeks behind the Spring 
schedule, and this morning (May 11), when I looked out 
and saw the ground covered with nearly two inches of (lie 
beautiful mantle 1 thought that Winter had again taken 
a grip of things and that Spring had retired indefinitely. 
East year our peaches were in bloom on the 25th of April. 
This year on the 10 of May there were onlv a few scat¬ 
tering blossoms showing. It is possible that Summer may 
be of the protracted kind which will run into Autumn as 
it di(T last year. I suppose the season will be evened up 
some way or other, but just now it looks badly out of joint. 
Tompkins Qo., N. Y. c. j. 
In April it froze every night but five and we have had, 
on three morning's, ice this month. From observation and 
what I can learn from our orchardist, peaches are nearly 
all killed; a few 1 saved in sheltered places. Early plums, 
cherries, strawberries and small fruits ail gone! Marly 
apples badly injured. Late apples in fair condition. Wheat 
is going back every day; but few oats and a little corn 
planted. I like your paper for it is the only one that 
sticks to the farmer first, last and all the time. s. w. p. 
Newark, O. 
Tiie season opened here very early, under favorable con¬ 
ditions otherwise, not preceded by severe cold, and enough 
moisture, but it was not Spring when April came, as the 
often cold nights, and continued dry weather began to show 
on the open (lowers, the young fruit, and the garden stuff. 
I he last cold spell did the most damage, if any thing was 
left to he so affected, lint the late" rains were needed, and 
are putting the ground in tine shape for planting. The 
season can yet give us good crops with good care. We are 
Hopoflll. ..A. II. GRIESA. 
Kansas*. 
Me are having a very troublesome time about getting 
the cotton well started. It was about all in the ground three 
weeks ago and a part of it up and well started to growing, 
when the rains began and we have had one after the other 
up to this* time, intermitted with cool spells and lovely 
weather, which has killed some that was up, rotted some 
seed, most of our 700 acres is in fair fix but needs a rest 
from rain and cloudy weather. We have had over engnt 
inches by the Government gauge in our yard. We have a 
weather bureau station here now. ii. c. van demyn 
Louisiana. 
Gram seeding is nearly finished here, but not much 
preparation made yet for corn. Plum trees have not vet 
bloomed, the buds have only swelled to a large size, and 
grass just begins to show green. May 10, we had a light 
snowstorm and May 11, frost enough to freeze about three- 
fourth inch of dirt. Last Winter our Burbank and Red 
June plum and Japan Walnut trees died although they had 
passed through a more severe Winter, but not as change¬ 
able as last Winter, when we had but little snow and much 
warm weather. t p n 
As I write this (May 10), a severe snow storm is in 
progress from the" northwest, helped on by a strong wind 
and the thermometer registering three above the freezing 
o°‘HE W. ei 'e it not for the fact that this is phenomenal even 
for Michigan I should hesitate about publishing such un¬ 
becoming behavior ol gentle Spring .to our neighbors for 
tear they might think us, like the weather, a little off. As 
we look out. of the window on the great white blanket cov¬ 
ering our oats, and shall I say same of our hopes, I am 
reminded of the song our girl came bounding into the house 
with the other evening (when the sun and the heavens gave 
such a promise of a beautiful to-morrow) “Michigan my 
Michigan.” Also we are constrained to think after read¬ 
ing Burns’ poem, “Man was made to mourn,” that he 
must at sometime have lived in Michigan. Oats are not all 
in yet on the low ground. Grass is green (under the snow) 
but not enough for pasture. No fruit trees in blossom’ 
Our apple orchard bears about 50 per cent of fruit buds* 
peaches the same. Clover is looking well although late’ 
Caro, Mich. j F B ' 
Penn Yan, N. Y„ May 12.—Mercury 27, with four inches 
of snow and ice one-fourth inch thick or more. A poor out¬ 
look for fruit. Peaches that survived the Winter are now 
about all killed: currant bushes, unless protected are 
frozen badly; rose bushes also bedlv killed. The Crimson 
Rambler in my dooryard will have 'to be trimmed back to 
the root. What the result will be with apples cannot lie 
determined yet, as the trees are as bare and brown as in 
mid-winter. Garden truck of all kinds is hurt, but as the 
season has l>eon very backward the loss will not be so 
great. Farmers are from 10 days to two weeks behind in 
their work as it has been the worst time in years to get 
work done on account of cold and wet weather Yates 
County farmers appreciate the visits of the rural delivery 
mail carrier. One day last week Frank Johnson, carrier 
on Route 3, lost his horse. His natrons promptly took up 
a subscription and purchased him another. Thirty acres of 
what were known here as the Ilewson Orchards,'were sold 
recently for $100 per acre and no buildings on it either. 
Most of this is just coming into bearing. Farmers are 
paying $28 to $30 a month with board and washing and it 
is difficult to get good help at that price. w. n. v. 
CALIFORNIA ASPARAGUS 
Great stories are being told about the profits of growing 
asparagus in ('alifornia. We read of farms witli over 100 
acres of asparagus in one bunch, and of profits of $1,500 on 
one acre. A Massachusetts asparagus grower who is ranked 
as a large operator here sends us a clipping and writes this 
pleasant note: 
“I enclose one which tells of a profit of $1,000 per acre. 
Now, this is for blanched asparagus and is a long way 
ahead of anything we can show. Incidentally the white aspar¬ 
agus is not fit to eat. but if they get such'“profits” they do 
not care much for the quality. In New Jersey one 'man 
writes me of $1,500 profit on three acres exclusive of freight 
and commission. My best yield on a 15-acre field was $450 
gross per acre. The California growers plant five to seven 
feet apart, New Jersey five to six, and we 3</. to four. One 
or my townsmen received last year $1,000 from 1% acres, 
and another $450 per acre, but the rust had not hurt them 
much. Who under the sun can tell a “bigger” storv than a 
California westerner? Even eastern people who go there catch 
the “fever.” My wife came home from Los Angeles a few 
years ago and told me that some of the guests in a large 
hotel in California had to walk half a mile to their meals in 
the building! Just think of that! It reminded me of a 
Nova Scotia man who worked for mo once. He said they 
had trees so tall down there that it took a man and a smail 
boy to look to the top of them. But really large stories 
are true in California.” 
THE EGG SITUATION. 
The quantity of eggs in storage at the present time com¬ 
pared with former seasons is very much heavier than ever 
before at this season of the year. james Rowland 
New York. 
We know nothing about water glass eggs, at least there 
has never been any shipped to us as we know of. Regard¬ 
ing eggs in cold storage, there is fully 30 per cent more 
stored at this time than formerly at the same time. 
O' 1 ' 10 - c. H. HESS & co. 
We have never had any experience with eggs preserved in 
water glass so are unable to give you any information in 
that respect. So far as our city is concerned the quan¬ 
tity of eggs stored is about the same as last year How¬ 
ever, our trade papers report on the whole that there are 
about 75 per cent, more eggs in storage in United States 
than last year. p. c . chapman & co. 
People in this section do not use water glass for the pre¬ 
serving of eggs; they use cold storage entirely. As to the 
quantity of eggs in storage at this time of year, if never was 
as large, but you cannot draw any definite conclusion from 
that, as this year the flush commenced in March, and is now 
getting over in the southern part of the country. T think 
there will be from five to seven hundred thousand more 
cases In storage this year than last in the country 
Richmond, Va. g. T . N y E & 0O 
As for eggs preserved in water glass, we never heard of 
them. It is entirely new* to us. As to the quantity of eggs 
in storage as compared with former seasons, we’ presume 
you refer fo cold storage. It is an impossibility to get Die 
exact number oi cases of eggs in cold storage in this e’ty, 
as one of the principle houses here will not furnish figures 
to anyone: they will not give a»v information at which one 
can arrive at the probable numlier of eggs which they 
hold, but it is estimated by conservative judges In the 
egg trade here and those who are in a position to come close 
to it that there are held around half a million cases of eggs 
in cold storage in this city at the present time, which is 
at least a 19 per cent increase over last season. 
Chicago, Ill. covne brothers. 
We have never heard of eggs being preserved in water 
glass, and we do nof find anybody in the trade here who 
seems to know about it. Regarding the stocks of eggs in 
cold storage, we find it estimated as follows, May 1. Boston 
—1907. 280,758; 1900, 172.992; increase 113,700 cases. 
New York—1907, 748,886; 1906, 509,652; increase. 239,234 
cases Chicago—1907, 748,959; 1906, 538,333: increase 
-10,626 cases: making a total increase in the three cities 
of nearly 600,000 cases. amos keyes & co. 
Boston, Mass. 
We have at odd times handled some solution eggs, but are 
not in position to state whether or not they were preserved 
in water glass. We are of the opinion, though, that eggs 
preserved in this solution would grade the same as ordinary 
solution stock, and would bring prices in line with the other. 
It would depend entirely in what shape the stock was when 
placed on the market as to what prices they would bring. 
We have seen some very nice solution eggs which sold at 
prices within a few cents of fresh-laid stock, and some 
others we have seen were in such condition we were glad 
to dispose of them at 50 per cent of the value of fresh eggs. 
Regarding the quantity of eggs in storage this year com¬ 
pared with other years, the holdings here are greatly in 
excess of what they were last year. What amount there is 
we cannot state, but are of the opinion our storage houses 
will be filled to their capacity within a very short time. 
Pittsburg, Pa. __ w. e. osborn co. 
’ THE FARMER AND FOOD PRICES. 
Dr. Harvey W. Wiley in talking with me on the subject 
of increased food prices spoke in pointed phrases. “There 
is a spot on the sun, and you might as well attribute the 
high cost of food products to that as to blame it on the 
food !aw. Just why there should be a raid on the pocket- 
book of the consumer of this country, at this time more than 
at any other period, cannot be offered a solution by me. 
you can put this down in your book, however, that there is 
only one class of men in the United States which has a 
right to bring an Increase in products, and that is the 
American farmer. I am in favor of the farmer getting 
every cent for whatever he can grow. He is, after all. the 
backbone of the nation, and there is no getting awav from 
that fact.” “But is the farmer getting his?" the food ex¬ 
pert was asked. “It has been suggested that the hard work- 
ng farmer is having the cards stacked on him, in his fierce 
little game of trade.” 
“I think he is getting a little more on liis products than 
formerly, the chief chemist continued, “hut I doubt very 
seriously whether he Is getting what is coming to him right¬ 
fully I think he is due for a better deal, and lie's going to 
get It. too if the consumer of this great republic could be 
convinced that the honest, toiling tiller of the soil could reap 
the real profits of his labor not a kick would be uttered. 
Everybody would rejoice to see it. and you can rest assured 
that time Is not far off when the so-called trusts will see 
their influence waning.” 
“When is that time coming?” I asked 
“Public sentiment is going to accomplish it. The present 
trend of events, in the way of effective legislation curbing the 
monopolies, and the aggressiveness of the National Govern¬ 
ment in every question, where it is believed the public is 
being humbugged, indicates to mv mind that the dav of reck- 
on htg for file trusts is fast approaching.”—Walter H. 
Atkins in the Interstate Grocer. 
THE WAR TAX ON TEA. 
. of °F readers in Michigan appear to be having a 
tariff discussion, and ask us to settle it. A tariff discussion 
is much like a quarrel between husband and wife—dangerous 
lor the man who tries to play peacemaker. The point Is 
over the tax on tea during the Spanish W r ar. That there 
was such a tax is proved by the following letter; 
I have to state that the tariff act of July 24. 1897, pro¬ 
vided for the free entry of tea; that it was subjected to a 
duty of It) cents per pound by section 50 of the act lo pro¬ 
vide ways and means to meet war expenditures, etc. an- 
Proved .Tune 13, 1898. and that, by the act of April 12, 
E'ao' s . se , c , tlon wa * repealed, to take effect January 1, 
1903* since which date tea has been free of duty again. ' 
J. H. EDWARDS. 
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. 
Now the question is, who paid this tax of 10 cents? The 
retail price was increased and the grocers claim that tliev 
were obliged to pay the entire tax, while others say the tax 
was divided between the growers, importers and 'shippers. 
Hero is a representative letter from a tea merchant: 
The consumers of the cheaper grades of tea certainlv were 
obliged to pav the tax. The dealers selling high-grade teas 
shouldered the biggest part of this tax themselves. 
“SAT, A DA” TEA GO. 
,, of The Tea and Coffee Trade Journal sends us 
the following note: 
tt P asaa »e of the tariff, all tea imported into the 
I nlted States was held in bonded warehouses As these 
teas were withdrawn the tax of 10 cents was paid by the 
distributors who bortght the tea from the importers: oonse- 
rpientlv the tax was not borne by the importers. The flis- 
frlbutors. such as the large wholesale grocery concerns and 
toe large jobbers, in their turn advanced their prices fo the 
retailers, but in most cases these advances did not amount 
i? j 1 ?, n l" pl1 as th e full duty. In other words, these lar-e 
distributors virtually stood part of the tax and the retail 
dealers who in turn bought from them raised their prices 
to the public In some cases, and in others contented them¬ 
selves with less profit. Your assumption that the consum- 
oILP a *Yr, , th ° on ^ a Per Shades of tea is right in the 
sense that on these grades the advances made hv the retail¬ 
ers were most marked, while on the higher grades the tax 
vfl s practically borne for the greater nart bv the whole¬ 
saler and retailer and the consumer paid but little more. 
SHARPENING DISKS.—We sharpen disks bv turning the 
ov fi!''i Pnt a p , r ank on so that the disks raav be 
evolved. lake a handspike and fasten a rasp about 16 
inches from the lower end. To fasten it drive two nails 
on each side near the ends and bend them over, sharpening 
the handspike so you can stick it in the ground Have one 
man to turn and one to bear on. Be sure to set the hand¬ 
spike at the right angle. n 0 
Unity, Wis. D ' °* 
WILLIAMSON FRUTT GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION.—This 
association started a movement last Fall for the purpose 
of getting fruit crop reports from the different Horticultural 
societies of this and adjoining states and as I know vou 
are working for the good o? the farmers we would like your 
co-operation in giving a notice in The R. N-Y., of the 'first 
meeting to be held at Sodus. Wayne Co., N. Y„ Saturday 
June 8, 1907. All growers of fruit are invited to attend 
and all societies or organizations are requested to send a 
report of the conditions of the apple and peach blossoms 
In return such societies will receive a report of the meet¬ 
ing and the prospects of the crops reported. Subsequent 
meetings will be held at Webster. Monroe Co., July 20 and 
at Wolcott. Wayne Co., August 31. Address all correspond¬ 
ence to j. b. lockey, Pultneyvllle, N. Y. 
ITA5 MACHINERY.—I note a recent inquiry about hav 
loaders. My neighbor, Mr. Nesbit, purchased and used one 
last season and was very much pleased with it. His farm 
is mostly hillside, but the loader did its work well even 
on rough land. Anv place a horse rake would work he 
used the loader. With two teams carting, one man driv¬ 
ing each team, one man on horse rake and one man 
changing from one team to the other as loader, he handled 
loads averaging 1% ton in about 39 minutes, most of 
them being drawn about one-eighth mile. Two men at 
barns with horse fork handled that end of the job Mr 
Nesbit thinks he saved more than the loader cost ($65) in 
labor last season, and it is apparently good for manv 
years use. The only objection I noted was that it needed 
a strong team after the load was about half on but horses 
of about 2,200 to the pair handled it conveniently. 
Connecticut. cha*. pierson augur. 
