19 OS. 
THK RURAL NliW-YORKER 
771 
EVENTS OF THE WEEK. 
DOMESTIC.—The Prohibitionists curried Arkansas at 
the State election September 16 by 10,000 to 12,000 ma¬ 
jority, despite the Dig vote for saloons cast by negroes, the 
poll tax requirement being ignored by election officers who, 
it is alleged, were controlled by liquor interests. Little 
Rock’s vote was double that of two years ago by negroes 
voting, yet the saloon majority was reduced 500 by the 
temperance wave. The wets claim to have gained three 
counties. The poll tax requirement for voters carried, 
while the proposed bond amendment to the Constitution 
was overwhelmingly defeated. ... A terrific storm 
struck Galveston. Tex., September 17. The wind reached 
a velocity of 70 miles an hour for about two minutes, and 
held to a 62-mile an hour gale for some time. Nearly 6% 
inches of rain fell, and owing to a poor drainage system 
the streets were tilled with water to a depth varying from 
six to 30 inches. The sea wall stood the test well and 
there was not a drop of sea water on the streets of Gal¬ 
veston. . . . After spending several weeks in almost 
daily successful demonstrations of his aeroplane Orville 
Wright, the aviator, suffered Ids first serious accident at 
Wasldngton September 17, and narrowly escaped with his 
life. As a result he sustained a fractured leg and ribs 
and other serious injuries. First Lieutenant Thomas E. 
Selfridge, of the Signal Corps, United States Army, who 
accompanied 1dm as a passenger, was so frightfully hurt 
that be died three hours later. The machine had been tip 
about four minutes when the propeller broke. The machine 
was a total wreck. The small forward planes used for 
elevating and lowering bad struck the earth first and had 
been crushed under the weight of the broad main planes, 
which were lying on their sides. The framework of the 
aeroplane was broken and splintered and tlie canvas web¬ 
bing that covers the planes was torn and perforated by 
the wooden sticks that had formerly been the framework. 
. . . Much excitement has been caused in southern Mis¬ 
sissippi by night riders who are endeavoring to stop the 
ginning of cotton so as to prevent the marketing of the 
crop. The Mississippi nigld riders are operating on much 
the same lines as those in Kentucky against the tobacco 
trust. They have sent notices to the owners of gins to 
stop work under penalty of having their gins burned. The 
movement so far lias been restricted to a few counties, 
but it is feared that it will spread. Some of the insur¬ 
ance companies threaten to cancel policies on cotton gins 
and there is even talk of calling out the militia. 
Five of the crew of the British steamship Aeon, which 
sailed from San Francisco for Sydney on July ti and has 
been overdue, have arrived at Fanning Island. They 
report that the Aeon went ashore on Christmas Island on 
July 18 and was a total wreck. All the crew and pas¬ 
sengers, among whom were the wives of several American 
naval officers, are safe and well. They are camped on 
Christmas Island and have ample food and water. A 
house has been built for the women. Arrangements have 
been made for the Manuka from Vancouver to take them 
off. All the ship’s boats, excepting two, were smashed to 
pieces on the reef, and it took a month to remove the 
cargo and prepare a boat for the voyage to Fanning Island. 
The Chinese members of the crew refused to work because 
of short ration of rice. 
THE CATTLE AT NEW YORK STATE FAIR. 
The New York State Fair has closed, and a new standard 
has been set for exhibitions of dairy cattle. At no State 
fair has there ever been such a magnificent display of high- 
class dairy animals. There were over 1,000 animals in all 
the classes, but the sensational feature of the show was 
the exhibit of ItoIstein-Friesians, nearly every prominent 
breeder of the handsome black and whites being present 
with their best animals. Among these were many valued 
at $10,000 each, and others which could not be purchased 
at any price within reason. It is interesting to note that 
all (lie animals of this breed exhibited came from New 
York State except one herd from each of our neighbor 
States, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and two herds from Mas¬ 
sachusetts. The honors were divided between M. 8. Nye, 
Preble; II. A. Moyer, Syracuse; the Sfevens-IIastings Co., 
Liverpool; F. It. Hazard, Syracuse; F. 1’. Knowles, Auburn, 
Mas.; Geo. M. Carpenter, Wilkes-Barre, l'a. ; Fred F. 
Field Holstein Co., Montello, Mass. ; F. D. Adams A Son, 
Munnsville; E. A. Powell, Syracuse; E. A. Vandervort, 
Sidney ; and It. M. Stafford, Chardon, O. 
A conflict of decisions, as it appeared to many, was 
cans, (I by the awards in the aged bull class. Nye was 
awarded first, Field second, Knowles third and Carpenter 
fourth. It generally follows that the championship is 
given to the one taking the first prize, but in this case 
competition was so close that by the decision of a different 
judge, the championship was given to the bull taking the 
fourth prize. Some comment, but uo protest was made in 
consequence of t Dis decision. The Holsteins as a breed 
seem to be gaining a good reputation for the production 
of butter as well as milk. There were at least 12 cows 
with a record of 30 pounds of butter in seven days among 
the 11 brought into the ring in the three years old and 
over class, Moyer winning first and third, Field second 
and the Stevens Bros.-Hastings Co. fourth. The milk and 
butter fat test which was conducted at the fair resulted 
in a signal victory for the Holsteins, only one of the 12 
prizes offered going to a Jersey. Although the Holsteins 
were tlie sensational feature of the show other breeds were 
well represented with some of the host animals in the 
count ry. 
Tin* Jersevs came next to the Holsteins in number, a 
choice selection from 12 herds in different parts of the 
country meeting in one ring, trying for the honors. II. 
V Prentice, Worcester, Mass.; E. It. Dunn, Southington, 
Conn.; C. 15. Boss. Blanchoster, (). ; S. It. Cleveland, Water- 
town- McLaury Bros., Portbuidville ; Oakland Farms, New¬ 
port, It. I.; A. F. Pierce, Winchester, N. II.; II. W. Ayers, 
Jamestown; and .1. T. Iloopes, Bynum, Mil., each receiving 
a share of the prizes. The Guernseys were next in order 
with eight of the finest: show herds in the country. The 
prizes were distributed among I. B. and Jus. McK. Merry- 
man. Lutherville. Md.; II. A. C. Taylor, Melville, Sta„ 
Newport. R. I.; G. B. Tailman, Fayetteville; Holland and 
McCormick, Bel-Air, Md. ; and Sunset Lodge Guernsey 
Herd. El bridge, N. Y., II. A. C. Taylor winning the silver 
cup offered by ahe American Guernsey Cattle Club. C. E. 
Coll.urn, of Milford, took all the prizes in the French- 
Can.udian classes. There were four fine herds of Dutch 
Belt d cattle owned by F. It. Sanders, Bristol, N. II.; F. 
E. Stevens, Glens Falls; Guy Carr, Ossining; and I). B. 
Wilson, Waterbury, Conn., each receiving a share of the 
prizes. Only three herds of Ayrshires were shown—all 
from New York State, anil owned by .1. F. Converse & Co., 
Wood, vi lie; W. I’. Schenck, Avon; and Kent Barney, Mil¬ 
ford. The prizes were quite evenly divided among the 
three herds. 
Three herds of Polled Jerseys competed for the liberal 
prizes offered in that class, and the prizes divided between 
T I Crawford. Milford; B. II. Sheldon. West Oneonta; 
and Henry Marlett, Mt. Vision, N. Y. The Brown Swiss 
were represented by four fine herds owned by L. II. Leon¬ 
ard. Owego; 11. W. Ayers, Honey Creek, Wls.; F. R. 
Hazard, Syracuse; and Frank Frcemyor, Middloburgh. 
This breed seems to he gaining in popularity, ns they arc 
good dairy animals. Only two herds of Red Polls were 
shown, lmt they were all of excellent quality and are a 
breed which should be more widely known. Geo. Incichen 
& Sons, Geneva. Ind., and Morgan S. Myers, Rarnerville, 
each received a fair share of tin* prizes. There were three 
herd i of Devons, making as close competition as in the 
Ayrshire class, although the prizes were much smaller. M. 
S. Jones, Danville, III.; Stockwell and Gifford, Sutton, 
Mass.; and Clias. Houghtaling, Laurens, all showed some 
handsome animals, and each received a fair share of 
tin* orizes. Three* herds or Normandys were shown by F. 
N. Terpening, West Oneonta; C. 1,. Harris, Queenshury; 
and F. E. Stevens, Glens Falls. The quality of these 
animals did not seem to he up to the standard of the show. 
Three exhibitors brought the finest lot of Kerry cattle 
ever seen at the State Fair. Although these animals are 
very small their owners claim great tilings for them. The 
prizes were awarded to Howard Gould, Port Washington ; 
F. N. Terpening, West Oneonta; and G. M. Carnochan, 
New City. There were also excellent exhibits of Short¬ 
horns, Herefords and Galloways, some of the Short-horns 
in particular being good enough to show at the Inter¬ 
national Live Stock Show at Chicago. c. s. qkeenk. 
CROP PROSPECTS. 
While passing over several counties in eastern Penn¬ 
sylvania lately it was noticeable that seeding Winter 
grain commenced earlier this Fall than of recent years. 
Possibly an invitation to the Iiesslan fly, as some fields 
present a green appearance now, although growth is 
slow and spindling owing to the very severe drought in 
this section. r I’ho corn crop is fair to very good, sur¬ 
prisingly well eared considering the light rainfall. Pota¬ 
toes are half a crop or less, with some almost a total fail¬ 
ure; some fields yield fairly well, especially late planted, 
fields in good tilth well fertilized, and free from weeds. 
Clover seed yields fairly well, and more is produced than 
usual. Cabbage is almost a failure, anil turnips a poor 
crop. Apples are being gathered, a light crop, and largely 
dropped and wormy. Codling moth was very damaging 
during the warm dry weather, anil the second brood more 
injurious than usual. Fertilizers are extensively used, 
entirely too much low grade applied, some as low ns six 
per cent phosphoric acid and three per cent potash offered 
for $13 per ton. Acidulated rock phosphate, with the 
extensive word “nnammonlatcd,” is offered to the ignorant 
evidently. w. H. s. 
Very dry here, last light shower 10 days ago. Pastures 
are dried up and dusty ; roads are in most places beds of 
dust, which (lie wind anil passing vehicles keep stirred up 
until it seems that the air is full of dust all (lie time. 
To-day the wind is in the north and the sun is almost 
obscured by what seems to bo smoke driven in from fires 
somewhere, perhaps in tin* Northwest. Along railroads, 
tire is a constant menace to farm property, owing to the 
continued drought, and all fields have a protection furrow 
plowed paralleling the railways. Corn cutting is well 
finder way, and the yield will perhaps is* two-thirds an 
average crop. Owing, to the drought and heat and to the 
prevalence of dust corn cutting here is rather disagreeable 
work, yet help seems in plentiful supply. Fruit crops 
very short, peaches selling at .$1.50 per bushel, very few 
apples, plums or pears on the market here. Feeding stock 
is low in price, though fat stock brings good prices. 
Hillsboro, O. w .E, D. 
In points of southern and eastern New York (lie long- 
continued drought has proved a calamity. Crops have 
died, pastures are as brown as in December. Streams and 
wells are dry anil dust lies thick over everything. The 
air is filled with a dull haze, evidently due to the forest 
fires which are raging to the north and west. There is 
no pasture for cattle, and farmers long ago began to 
feed out the* hay upon which they depended for Winter. 
In some sections corn, where well cared for, made a fair 
crop, and as a large amount of fodder corn was planted 
fids will help out. Around Syracuse and in other sec¬ 
tions where Alfalfa grows this crop has helped out, though 
even it has been badly cut by tin* continued dry weather. 
It is a hard outlook for dairy farmers, and cows ought to 
lx* cheap tills Fall. The Idea of cutting down the price of 
milk in the face of this calamity is little short of out¬ 
rageous. When the dealers find the milk supply short or 
the cost higher they put up the price. When the feed deal¬ 
ers find the grain crop short: they charge more for feed. 
When the farmers lose their pasture crops they are 
worse off than tin* feed dealers with a short grain crop, 
or the dealers with an increase of 20 per cent in ex¬ 
penses—yet they must stand a cut instead of a rise in milk. 
“UPLIFTING” THE FARMERS. 
A Farmer’s Wife Talks. 
I have just read “A Criticism of Farm Life” on page 
739, and I can't say it left: me feeling very mild. Mr. 
Norton infers that, farmers are either too penurious or too 
shiftless to provide comforts and luxuries for themselves, 
and families; that they are really of too low an order 
to understand or desire the esthetic. Bah ! Just, wouldn’t 
my husband and I love to remodel the old house, install a 
bath (were it ever so crude) and have time to enjoy the 
use of it! Wouldn’t we both he happy just to hire out 
a few extras, say nothing about steady help! Couldn’t 
we just delight in adding choice selections to our smalt 
library, and refurnishing our home! Yes, even if we were 
both born and reared on a farm with numerous brothers 
and sisters, and both in homes where a constant struggle 
with debt and necessity prevailed. I wonder where and 
how we became possessed of such ambitions, so foreign 
to farmers. But we who are close to the heart of the 
matter know that we must keep many desires in (lie back¬ 
ground or lie constantly miserable. Given an average farm, 
with average conditions and free from debt one might 
enjoy a good living, embracing many comforts and some 
luxuries, hut aside from a few exceptional cases, •either 
in ability or farm productiveness, or in marketing facilities, 
if a farmer is in debt he lias a tedious strife, unrelenting, 
almost interminable with that debt, especially if lie is 
trying to rear a family of lusty young Americans. As for 
tlie sneer at farmers’ board, it is too ridiculous to con¬ 
sider, and yet I suppose such articles are read by many 
who have no personal knowledge, and by such would be 
taken as truth. If President Roosevelt knows no more of 
farmers and their surroundings and needs than to give a 
thought to such a letter, much less commend the point of 
view taken, he would better try some other line of stren- 
uosity than seeking to uplift farmers. MRS. M. F. v. 
New York. 
“The Cart Before the Horse.” 
Having read “A Criticism of Farm Life” and being a 
woman, I am mightily impelled to "talk back.” Is it that 
tin* farmer lacks chiefly enlightenment that lie and his 
family must do without so many of tlie comforts of life? 
I tDink (here is another more potent reason, and that is 
tlie lack of funds. Where we ftnd a farmer who has 
abundant means, Is it not true that in most instances ho 
also lias the comforts and many luxuries as well? There 
is no denying the fact that farming does not give the 
returns that it should to compare favorably with other 
lines of business and the professions. When a professional 
or business man with no more study and not so much hard 
work can realize from $1,000 to $4,000 a year from 
liis efforts, and the farmer with hired men and 
family to help him considers himself doing well if 
lie gets half as much, there is “something wrong 
somewhere.” To be sure, there is now and then a hanl- 
hesded, close-fisted old fellow who would put his money 
into farm mortgages, eat pork and cabbage and take liis 
weekly tubbing as his forefathers took theirs to the end 
of time, but he is the exception and not the rule. It takes 
something more than "chaff” to build an icehouse and 
good wages to pay the man who cares for the garden and 
fruit. I believe the farmer is hard to find who would not 
put in a system of heating, bathroom and all tlie con¬ 
veniences of a city home if lie could do so and pay liis 
honest debts. When it takes all a man can realize from 
his produce to pay taxes, interest, hired help, provide 
necessary commodities to keep his family comfortable and 
give liis children a respectable education, it is more than 
tin* need of knowing how that keeps him from having tlie 
comforts that are so desirable and needful. We are blessed 
in Hint we have a President with a heart big enough to 
rare that the sons of (he soil are in need, and we say 
Godspeed to his commission, hut let them not get the cart 
before the horse as has our railroad friend. The problem 
in hand is one of dollars; the devising of a way whereby 
(lie farmer can borrow money to meet pressing need rather 
than sell liis produce when prices are low: also a system 
of organization and wise legislation enabling him to receive 
considerably more than 40 cents of tlie dollar the con¬ 
sumer pays for his products. Give him a fair show, an 
“honest deal” financially, legislatively, and he will build 
an icehouse, fit up a bathroom anil do a lot of other nice 
things with the help of no one except good workmen. 
True, most farming communities lack social life, hut give 
more means and 1 liis will take care of itself, for the time 
will speedily come when the choice people of the land, 
people of iwealth and brains, even railroad magnates, will 
count themselves lucky to be on the farmer’s visiting list, 
and the attractions will Do not only tin* best of material 
tilings, but refinement and culture, not alone of books and 
schools, but of battles bravely won. a farmer’s wife. 
New York. 
“If We Only Had the Cash.” 
Mr. Norton’s letter copied from tlie “Outlook,” on pago 
739, would make us farmers smile did it not have the en¬ 
dorsement of the President and one of the best magazines 
of tlie country. My observation and experience. Drought up 
in tin* country, living i« years in New York city, ana 
running my own farm for tin* last five years, is that there 
is scarcely a. grain of truth in the whole letter. We can¬ 
not, as a rule, afford delicacies out of season, nor those 
grown in distant countries, Dut, as a class, the farmers 
of I liis country set a bet ter table than any other people 
in the world who have a similar Income. We do need more 
recreation and entertainment along the line of lectures, 
theatricals, evening games, etc., anil these are being sup¬ 
plied in a measure by flu* Crange anil similar organizations. 
How long would it he before every farm would have its 
bathroom, hot anil cold water, telephone, furnace, and hard¬ 
wood floors, if what? If we could get hold of the cash! 
We work harder than any other class of people; we use 
tlie same education and brains that insure to the city 
dweller an easy and sumptuous living, and only just about 
make ends meet. We are coming to feel that the Govern¬ 
ment is against us, I lie buyers combine and cheat us out of 
our fair prices. When we buy at retail, added to tlie cost 
is the merchant’s delivery in tin* city, which is is of no 
benefit to us. About the only use the politicians have for 
us is on election day. We have hail a protective tariff and 
boosted Hie wages of the laboring man to a point whore 
we cannot obtain labor on our farms. The great need of 
the farmer for better roads was not discovered till the 
auto was perfected! A short time ago appeared an article 
in our local paper sneering at our country roads. This 
was answered hy a farmer contrasting the country roads 
with certain side streets and city roads to the city limits, 
compared to which our roads were as boulevards to Indian 
trails. Tlie farmer’s letter was not printed ! 
A lecturer in our home city not long ago stated that 
the moral influences surrounding the city hoy were much 
better than in I he country, due to tlie Y. M. <’. A. A farm 
hand on our place was recently discharged because liis 
language was the vilest, most profane, I ever heard. He 
next secured a job as janitor of the Y. M. C. A. It is 
now conceded (by tlie* city man) that the city is more 
healthful than tin* country; the old oaken bucket is found 
to contain microbes; we drain our manure piles and cess¬ 
pools into tlie well, etc., etc. These statements should 
show ns that our city friends are beginning to doubt the 
superiority of their environment, and hy way of strengthen¬ 
ing their choice of the city cast slurs at country resi¬ 
dents. Give me poverty, hard work, discourteous treat¬ 
ment wiien in the city, Dlight, blizzards, lings, but don't 
deny me tlie broad fields, the sumptuous table, the neighbor¬ 
ly neighbors, the new-laid eggs, juicy sweet fresh meats, 
fruits in season, the cows on the Dills, the neigh of the 
faithful old horse in the morning, “Tommy” purring softly 
on my shoulder waiting white I milk. "Shop's” sliorl, stiarp 
bark when he trees a squirrel or digs out a woodchuck. 
These and a thousand other incidents of farm life insure 
tin* continued loyalty of the agriculturist to liis chosen 
vocation. 0 . M . c . 
Now York. 
Something More Than Bathrooms. 
.The President of the United States has appointed a com¬ 
mission to Inquire into the condition of the farmers, with 
a view of bettering their condition, and as The R. N.-Y 
has invited its readers to give their ideas on tlie subject, 
based on conditions existing in their neighborhood, r take 
the liberty to write in a very crude and perhaps illiterate 
manner, some of the ways in which the business of farming 
might be made more remunerative and attractive. I have 
just been reading Mr. Norton’s letter on page 739 and 
your comment on* it on page 737, anil found in these arti¬ 
cles suggestions for the one I am about to write, i don’t 
know where Mr. Norton gets his knowledge of the home life 
of tlie farmer as he depicts it. Here in Massachusetts, or 
at least in this part of tlie State, no such conditions exist. 
Many farmers have modern conveniences, nearly all pro¬ 
vide a table fit for kings, with fresh eggs, pure milk, the 
best of fruits and vegetables, anil of tin* many farmers' 
wives of my acquaintance none but are good cooks, and set 
neat and attractive meals for their men. No dweller in 
the city even at the best hotels can possibly obtain any¬ 
thing better, if as good, as the majority of the farmers 
have to eat every day. In most towns about here there 
is also a great deal of social life, and with tlie trolleys, 
the telephone, and It. F. D. we are more nearly urban than 
suburban. Still the farmer is in many ways just as badly 
off as those not so favorably situated, anil the cause lie's 
much deeper than carpets and pianos, bathrooms or menus 
or social advantages. As you suggest, one of tlie greatest 
troubles is that he gets so small a part of the price of his 
products. Nor is the cause of this far to seek. It is one 
of the first principles of economic law that all loss, real 
loss of value, from whatever cause, falls eventually upon 
tlie actual producer of value, and naturally more heavily 
on the ground producer, the grower of raw material. 
Therefore checking much of the economic waste that is 
constantly going on must result in the producer getting 
a larger share of the value of his produce. 
The entire cost of support of the State falls upon the 
producer. Legislative, executive, police, judiciary, all abso¬ 
lutely non-productive, and if any or all of these are cost¬ 
ing more than they are worth, either through excessive 
salaries or hy peculations, the burden on the producer Is 
just so much greater. Every public utility, every pro¬ 
tected “trust,” every combination of capital, which hy 
controlling both production anil sale, have the power to 
command any price they may see fit, as well as every 
combination of labor that forces wages abnormally, all 
these working solely for their own individual gain in so far 
as they are aide to get more than their part of the product 
of the farm. Just so far is the farmers’ share lessened. 
The remedy is not with President Roosevelt or his agricul¬ 
tural commission, but lies largely with the legislative bod¬ 
ies. State and national. 
If railroads having unlimited power ask extortionate 
rates for transportation, then this power must be curtailed. 
If express companies add extortion to extortion, having 
monopolistic power, then some other way of shipment of 
parcels must lie provided, if the “trusts,” being all power¬ 
ful. put their purchasing price at the lowest possible point 
and their selling price at the highest, then legislation 
must find a way to curb their power, and make them 
amenable to those well-known economic laws, headed hy tlie 
law of supply and demand. It is little wonder the farmer 
gets so little of the result of his labor, when nearly 
all the staple commodities are controlled by trusts; when 
there is no com petition among tin* transportation and ex¬ 
press companies; when many of tlie non-producers are get- 
ting much more for their time than the actual producers. 
And if tin* farmer does enjoy many of the creature com¬ 
forts he obtains them hy long hours of exhausting labor, 
and hy temperance and economy. c. f. w. 
Massachusetts. 
Ttih figures show that the New York State Fair this 
year was larger than ever before. The total cash receipts 
from tickets was $55,560.70 against $45,775.75 Iasi year. 
The total receipts last year were $80,748.83, while this 
year’s figures are not yet complete they will exceed that 
sum. The total attendance is given as 167,936. The fol¬ 
lowing comparative statement is made: 
1908 
1906 
6.253 
20.174 
1907 
5.86 t 
1.8.746 
Tuesday . 
.19.284 
Wednesday . 
.52,553 
49.221 
25 613 
Thursday . 
.62.155 
47.382 
59.50 t 
Friday . 
.22.050 
18.417 
20,883 
Saturday . 
. 4.05.1 
2.398 
5.568 
Totals . 
.1 67.936 
143,814 
142.286 
It is reported that after paying expenses there will ho 
a surplus of about $23,000 to carry over. 
