1909. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
27T 
EVENTS OF THE WEEK. 
DOMESTIC.—Thirteen persons were killed, several 
were seriously injured, and property valued at many 
thousands of dollars was destroyed by a tornado which, 
originating fin Eonoke County, in eastern Arkansas, 
moved northeast through Lonoke, Prairie, Woodruff, and 
Poinsett Counties February 23. . . . The Govern¬ 
ment rested its case February 24 in the suit against 
the American Sugar Refining Company for alleged 
false weighing of sugar and has also reduced the 
total penalties asked for from $250,000 to $150,000. 
The difference is due to District Attorney Stimson’s 
decision not to ask the forfeiture of the entire cargo 
of the steamship Strathyre but only the actual amounts 
alleged to have been weighed falsely. It came out in 
evidence that the company pays the Government 
annually in duties $15,000,000, so that the penalty 
sued for is 1 per cent, of what is paid in in the regular 
course. . . . Entering pleas of guilty in the Federal 
Court at Springfield, Ill., to charges of rebating and 
failure to post rates and schedule, the Illinois Terminal 
Association, opei’ating a road between Alton and 
Edwardsville, was fined $4,000 and costs, and the 
Illinois Glass Company, owned by the Terminal Com¬ 
pany, $12,000 and costs. Both paid. According to the 
Interstate Commerce Commission the failure to post 
rates was a scheme which enabled the glass company, 
with the help of tlie Terminal company, to ship glass¬ 
ware through from Alton to California at a rate of $20 
less on the car than other shippers paid. . . . With 
more than a million and a half dollars' worth of wool, 
the second largest shipment ever received at this port, 
stowed below decks, the steamship Memnon came into 
port at Boston, February 26, from Melbourne, Australia. 
The shipment of wool consisted of 12,500 bales, valued at 
$1,600,000, on which the consignees will have to pay a 
duty of $460,000. . . . The Lake Shore Railroad 
announced February 26 that if the experiment of running 
a special train by wireless telegraphy from Buffalo to 
Chicago proves successful, the whole system may be 
equipped with “wireless.” Whether the new equipment 
will be telegraph or telephone depends upon future 
developments. The wireless will be tried on the Twen¬ 
tieth Century Limited first, and the initial test will be 
with the dots and dashes. . . . ITosceuting Attorney 
Campbell of Arkansas February 27 filed suits in the 
name of the State against the Cudahy Packing Com¬ 
pany, National Packing Company, Jacob Dold Tacking 
Company and the Southern Beef and Provision Company, 
asking penalties aggregating $3,300,000 each, or $19,- 
800,000 in all, for alleged violations of the State anti¬ 
trust laws, which were upheld last week by the Supreme 
Court of the United States in the case against the Ham¬ 
mond Packing Company. The suits charge the packing com¬ 
pany with being in an unlawful combination to control 
prices and with discriminating against their competitors 
from January 19, 1907, until February 27, 1909. . . . The 
United Wireless Telegraph Company received March 1 
a despatch from Juneau, Alaska, saying that all records 
from ship to shore had been broken by the transmission 
of wireless messages between the Alaska Steamship 
Company’s steamship Northwestern, at anchor in Fitzbugh 
Sound, and the United States Wireless station at Hono¬ 
lulu, 2,500 miles away. The high mountains surround¬ 
ing the harbor did not interfere with the instruments. 
. . . The Arkansas House, March 1, by a vote of 2 
to 1 passed a bill prohibiting the sale or giving away 
of liquors of any kind in that State after July 1, 1909. 
The bill passed after a spirited contest of three days in 
which ninety-three speeches were made. An effort to 
substitute a bill providing for the submission of the 
question to the voters of the State next Summer failed 
by six votes. The fate of the hill in the Senate is a 
matter of considerable doubt. Gov. Donaghey says he 
will sign the measure if passed. . . . “Lucky” Bald¬ 
win, one of the most famous of Californian millionaires, 
died February 27 at his Santa Anita X’anch, aged 81. 
THE INAUGURATION.—ITesident Taft’s inauguration 
was marked by a storm that began the night, before with 
rain, and then turned from sleet to snow. The wind blew 
a gale, and all telegraphic and telephone communication 
from Washington was blocked for nine hours. The Presi¬ 
dent was sworn in indoors. The Taft administration 
begins with seven new Cabinet officers, and two held 
over from the previous Administration, Secretai-y Wilson 
remaining as Secretary of Agricultui’e, and George von 
L. Meyer changing from Postmaster-General to Secretary 
of the Navy. The new appointments are : Philander C. 
Knox of Pennsylvania, Secretary of 'State; Franklin 
MacVeagh of Pennsylvania, Secretary of the Treasury; 
Jacob McG. Dickinson of Mississippi, Secretary of War; 
Frank II. Hitchcock of Ohio, Postmaster-General; Geo. 
W. Wickersham of Pennsylvania, Attorney-Genei'al: R. 
A. Ballinger of the State of Washington, Secretary of the 
Interior; Charles Nagel of Missouri, Secretary of Com¬ 
merce and Labor. All the Cabinet are lawyers except 
Mr. Wilson and Mr. Meyei\ 
FARMERS’ TRAIN IN NEW JERSEY.—A farmers’ 
instruction train modelled on the lines of those which 
have been tried successfully in some of the other agri¬ 
cultural States began running in New Jei’sey March 1, 
principally in the southern part. The New Jersey State 
Agricultural College and the Pennsylvania Railroad are 
to cooperate in the work, the hope being that it will 
gi’eatly increase the agricultural output. The train will 
make nineteen stops in all. At each of these stops 
lectures will be given on soil fertility, potato and straw- 
beri'y production. Alfalfa, corn and dairy products. Large 
posters advertising the farmers’ special were put up in 
advance of its arrival. Two cars of the special were 
fitted up as lecture rooms and upon the arrival of the 
train at a station the farmers were invited in to hear 
two lectures of twenty-five minutes each. In addition 
the insti’uctors of the State Agricxiltural College distrib¬ 
uted pamphlets to enable the farmers to continue their 
study of the subjects touched upon. 
SUGAR BEETS IN NEW YORK. 
By looking over my accounts from the Beet Sugar 
Company, you will see that my first crop was better 
than any othei\ They had two men hei’e that Spring 
introducing their crop, and as it was late in the season 
they only tried to get farmers to raise an acre each on 
trial. I think they got 25 or 30 contracts. When the 
seed came each man’s was in a separate package, with 
his name and the variety of beet marked on it. There 
were a number of varieties, but as I thought nothing 
of it at the time I paid but little attention to it. 
Since, I have i-emembered reading 12 or 14 yeax-s ago 
that the seed for the beets xaiised in this country came 
from France and Germany; the German varieties were 
the largest and contained the smallest percentage of 
sugar. I know I l’aised beets that year weighing be¬ 
tween 14 and 15 pounds and have not come within 
five pounds of that weight since. The farmer adjoining 
me had 22 tons, raised one or two more crops and gave 
it up. My farm is a small one—50 odd aci'es—45 of it 
on the west side of the Genesee River; it must be 
somewhat like Mr. Newton’s as described by “R. O. B.,” 
and well adapted to l-aising beets. I saw no reason 
why I could not raise a better crop the next season, 
and as it turned out a little different from the general 
run will give you an account of it. 
I had bad luck to start on; sowed with a grain drill 
the first week in May. It had been dry for some time, 
but the night after I got my seed in a hard wind¬ 
storm filled the drill marks level full of dirt. This was 
followed by a heavy rain, which packed the ground, and 
when it dried out a crust formed that it was impossible 
for a beet to get through. I dragged it over and 
resowed as soon as possible, and got as fine a stand 
as one could wish for. I got them cultivated and hoed 
once, and was well through the second time, along with 
weeding and thinning on July 3. On the 4th it com¬ 
menced raining, and on the 7tlx my land with prob¬ 
ably 3000 acres more on these “flats, ’ was from one to 
six feet under water. It killed everything that was 
entirely covered except quack grass, Timothy and beets. 
I had about an acre of com and two of oats that wei’e 
tall enough to be out of water a few inches, they made 
a sickly live of it. About iy 2 acre of beets were un¬ 
der water not more than 24 hours, and I harvested 
about nine tons. If the Company had docked me for 
the 3 y> acres that were drowned out? I have a some¬ 
what friendly feeling toward the crop, as it was the 
onlv thing I got a penny out of that year, and they 
proved that when well started they can stand a pile 
of abuse, so one can nearly depend on having something 
left after a gang of Italians go through and over them. 
The Company I have no use for. 
Livingston Co., N. Y. J. w. downing. 
NEW YORK AGRICULTURAL LEGISLATION. 
A number of bills affecting agriculture have been inti-o- 
duced at Albany. Among others are the following: 
Bill No. 862 in the Assembly would amend the agri- 
cull ural law in relation to the manufacture and sale of 
imitation butter. The object is to define more closely 
what this imitation is. There has been considerable 
trouble in obtaining convictions against dealers because it 
was difficult to prove that the oleo or buttorine was an 
imitation. The original law was not exact, but simply 
declared against “any human food in imitation or in 
semblance of natural butter. The proposed amendment 
will go further and add the words, “Whether such imita¬ 
tion be of color, flavor or taste.” If this bill is passed it 
will make it much easier to obtain convictions against 
those who sell the imitation. On the editorial page this 
week is reference to a bill which would compel dealers 
in grass seeds, also grains or cereals, to certify either 
that the seeds were pure or to name the weed seeds 
Which go with them. 
In the Senate bill No. 476 provides for an investigation 
of certain goods relative to milk and milk products. It 
authorizes the Commissioner of Agriculture to investigate 
from time to time methods of production, keeping, trans¬ 
portation and sale of milk and its products. A sum of 
$20,000 is appropriated to meet the necessary expense of 
this investigation, and the Commissioner shall have power 
to compel persons to testify when called upon to do so. 
Another bill provides a penalty for non-payment for 
milk or its products within a reasonable time. A shipper, 
under this bill, can bring suit against a dealer who fails 
to pay, and on obtaining judgment can collect a penalty 
in addition to the amount of the bill. 
Bill No. 521 in the Senate gives the Agricultural De¬ 
partment authority to act promptly and wisely against the 
insects known as Brown-tail and Gypsy moth. All trees, 
shrubs, plants and vines are included in the bill, which 
provides for payment for valuable packing boxes which 
have to be destroyed and also payment, for trees, shrubs 
and plants destroyed on the ground, which were so 
desti-oyed because there was reasonable cause to believe 
that they wei’e or might be infected by disease or insects. 
This bill carries an appropriation of $25,000 to carry out 
its provisions. 
THE COUNTRY LIFE COMMISSION. 
President Roosevelt, in his message to Congress in¬ 
troducing the Commission’s report sums up as follows: 
“From all that has been done and learned three gi’eat 
general and immediate needs of country life stand out : 
First, effective cooperation among farmers, to put them 
on a level with the organized interests with which they 
do business. Second, a new kind of schools in the 
country, which shall teach the children as much out¬ 
doors as indoors and perhaps more, so that they will 
prepare for country life, and not as at present, mainly 
for life in town. Third, better means of communication, 
including good roads and a parcels post, which the 
country people are everywhere, and rightly, unanimous 
in demanding. To these may well be added better sani¬ 
tation ; for easily pi’eventable diseases hold several mil¬ 
lion country people in the slavery of continuous ill 
health.” 
Of course there is nothing new about this. The R. N- 
Y. has been talking these tilings for years. The advan¬ 
tage is to have them presented forcibly to Congress as 
legislative needs of other industries would be. 
It cannot be said that the report of this commission has 
made a "profound impression.” It was about what those 
who gave much thought to the matter expected. Some 
are outspoken in ridicule of the cntii’e work. James J. 
Hill, the railroad magnate, said in a public address: 
"We mioht as well listen to the twittering of the first 
robin in Spring as to the report of that commission.” 
A fair sample of eastern newspaper comment is found 
in this exti’act from the Providence Journal: 
“That the twittering of the first robin, the flowers that 
bloom in the Spi'ing and the report of the uplift commis¬ 
sion are about on a level of unimportance is an opinion 
with which many unprejudiced persons will agree. The 
commission was conceived in absurdity. How can any 
class be "improved” by the hasty investigations of a few 
men, however honest and intelligent? What reasonable 
basis of knowledge can be acquired in a hasty trip about 
the country? The whole proceeding has been, from first 
to last, one of the President's superfluous activities.” 
In sending this one of our readers in Rhode Island 
expresses his conviction as follows: 
"The enclosed clipping from this morning’s ‘Journal’ 
expi’esses my sentiments so well about the ‘Uplift Com¬ 
mission’ that I am desirous you should see it, and have ils 
evidence that even city people can see the futility of 
‘while you wait’ remedies for disorders and weaknesses 
that; have their origin deep in the constitution of human¬ 
ity, and derive strength and persistence from the structure 
of society. The attempt to bring about improvement by 
such ridiculously inadequate methods as the commission, 
l’ecalls the case of Dame Partington’s attack upon the 
ocean, and the outcome will obviously be the same. If 
the economic environment of the farmer improves, com¬ 
missions to uplift him will not be needed, and until these 
conditions are secured, no amount of windy platitudes or 
solemn involutions will be of much avail. The farmer 
may or may not need uplifting, but he is surely in much 
need of some way by which he may escape from the grip 
of the numerous agencies that are striving continually 
to submerge him. If he can be released from the abuses 
and exactions of transportation and middlemen, unwar¬ 
ranted discrimination and governmental competition, as 
exemplified in the irrigation projects, whereby the farmer 
is asked to pay the cost of producing unneeded com¬ 
petitors, the farmer may be safely trusted to not only 
lift himself, hut to extend a helping hand to the rest of 
the people who possibly would not be injured by a little 
elevation above their present position.” w. 
We take a somewhat more cheerful view of the situa¬ 
tion. The twittering of the robin is useful if it will start, 
the farmer to get busy and ready for work. This com¬ 
mission's report is a “sign.” It shows that farmers are 
thinking and getting ready to act. What we feel sorry 
for is that some member of that commission did not issue 
a minority l’eport, radical and cutting, like a knife into 
the real evils which we all know are gnawing at us. 
Such a report would have been fully justified by the 
testimony. To the last sentence of the above letter we 
say Amen! with all our power! 
Quality in Tools 
Tools for the workshop, farm or home must be tools of quality. 
A plane, for instance, to smooth a board properly, must nave a 
keen blade, carefully adjusted—its surface must be true and it 
must fit the hand. 
m/t mm 
Tools and Cutlery 
rv< 
ft KtfNi 
mm 
are carefully inspected, adjusted and tested before 
leaving the factory. 
Look for the Keen Kutter trademark on every tool 
you buy—it guarantees the tool to be satisfactory or 
money refunded. 
The name Keen Kutter covers a full line of tools for 
shop, garden and farm, as well as scissors, shears, 
pocket knives, razors and table cutlery. 
If not at your dealer’s, write us. 
SIMMONS HARDWARE COMPANY (Inc ), St. Louis mo New York. U. S. A. 
Fun by 
’Phone 
The telephone en¬ 
ables you and your 
neighbors to share 
pleasures. A new piece 
on the phonograph or piano, 
a good story or an interesting bit of 
news may be passed along to a friend 
miles away as readily as to one next door. 
But unless you can hear distinctly 
your telephone is useless. 
Electric Rural Telephones 
have the same transmitters and receivers that are xised on telephones that carry 
messages from Boston to Omaha (1500 miles) and New York to Chicago (900 miles). 
They have the best transmission qualities and their maintenance expense is low. 
AH the material needed to build the very best rural telephone line 
will cost you and your neighbors less than 20 bushels of wheat each 
Write us a postal or letter, or write your name and 
address on the margin of this advertisement and cut 
it out, mail it to-day and our Free Bulletin No. 48. 
will be sent to you immediately. 
TE 
Eastern 
New York 
Philadelphia 
Boston 
Pittsbnrg 
Atlanta 
Central 
Chicago 
Indianapolis 
Cincinnati 
Minneapolis 
The world’s oldest and largest 
telephone manufacturer; there 
are over 4,000,000 Western Elec¬ 
tric Telephones in nse in tire 
United States to-dnv. 
Rural Telephones a specialty 
Western 
Saint Lonis 
Kansas City 
Denver 
Dallas 
Omaha 
Northern Electric and Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Montreal and Winnipeg 
Pacific 
San Francisco 
Los Angeles 
Seattle 
Salt Lake City 
