1908. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
57 3 
FERTILIZER FACTS FOR OHIO FARMERS. 
Last week we began giving the facts about fer¬ 
tilizers made by the Smith Agricultural Chemical 
Company. When a concern can hold up a State 
Board of Agriculture and bring suit against State offi¬ 
cials of course we might suppose they would come into 
the fight with a fine record. The Smith Company will 
hardly claim there is any personal feeling against them 
in Indiana, yet their record at the Indiana Station could 
hardly be worse. Last week we gave the printed rec¬ 
ord of the Ohio Farmers’ Fertilizer Co. in Indiana. 
Here are two more of the Smith Company’s branch 
houses: 
Abbott and Martin Rondoring Co.—Of four brands in- 
spootod bearing the label of this company 3. or 75 per cent, 
fall into the “Not within 10 per cent” column, and none 
equals the value of the guarantee. One of the brands is 
deficient more than 20 per cent in both nitrogen and pot¬ 
ash, one in available phosphoric acid and one in nitrogen, 
potash and available phosphoric acid. In the latter case 
the nitrogen is 75 per cent and potash 44 per cent below 
the guarantee. Two of the brands are between $2 and $3 
and one between $0 and $7 below the value of the guar¬ 
antee per ton. 
Chicago Fertilizer Co.—Of the 10 brands inspected bear¬ 
ing the label of this company 5. or 50 per cent, fall into 
the “Not within 10 per cent” column and only 2 or 20 
per cent equal the value of the guarantee. Two of the 
brands are deficient in nitrogen, potash and available 
phosphoric acid, the deficiency in nitrogen in one of the 
samples being 02 per cent of the guarantee. live samples 
are deficient in nitrogen, the deficiency in one being 60 
per cent and in another 58 per cent of the guarantee, and 
one sample is 58 per cent deficient in potash. One of the 
brands shows a deficiency in value of $1 to $2, two $2 to 
S3, one $3 to $4. one $4 to $5, and one $6 to $7 below the 
value of the guarantee. , 
In the circular issued by the Smith Company we 
find the following: 
We manufacture, all told, one hundred and seven differ¬ 
ent brands, and, during the above mentioned period, a few 
of these brands, have, at times, fallen under the standard, 
ns have brands of other companies. There certainly was 
nothing unusual about this, for it is absolutely impossible 
to mix large quantities of fertilizer so perfectly that a man 
who is desirous of doing so cannot get samples of some 
brand at some place that may not show, upon analysis, 
the exact formula under which it is manufactured. 
The Indiana Station analyzed 47 of those brands 
and found 44 of them below guarantee. Among the 
“few” thus found were the following, G meaning guar¬ 
antee and F what the chemist found: 
IMios. Acid 
Nit rogon 
Available 
Potash 
G. 0.8 
G. 8. 
G. 7. 
York Special . 
. F. 0.2 
F. 6.3 
F. 3.9 
G. 0.8 
G. 8. 
G. 7. 
New Leader . 
. F. 0.3 
F. 5.1 
F. 4.4 
G. 1.2 
G. 8. 
G. 10. 
Hardv's Potato Grower.. F. 0.5 
F. 6.9 
F. 8.6 
G. 0.8 
G. 8. 
G. 7. 
Hardy's Imperial . 
. F. 0.5 
F. 6.6 
F. 7.8 
G. 1.2 
G. 8. 
G. 10. 
10 Per Cent Guano 
. F. 0.5 
F. 7.1 
F. 7.8 
G. 0.8 
G. 8. 
G. 7. 
Excelsior Guano .. 
. F. 0.3 
F. 8.3 
F. 5.3 
The deficiency in value runs in 
some cases to $7 
per ton. Notice 
that the “York 
’Special,” 
“Newi 
Leader,” Hardy’s 
Imperial” and “ 
Excelsior 
Guano” 
are practically the same thing, though sold as different 
“brands.” The Smith Company holds up the State 
Board in Ohio, while right over the line in Indiana it 
faces a record so poor that the station bulletin gives 
it special mention. What is the matter with the 
“moulders of public opinion” in Ohio that Ohio 
farmers do not know these facts? 
EVENTS OF THE WEEK. 
DOMESTIC.—Greasing masts, sea hoots and oilskins 
with ambergris, valued at approximately $400 a pound, 
sailors on the British bark Antiope wasted about $20,000 
worth of the stuff, unaware of its value. It was not 
until the vessel reached 8an Francisco that the captain 
learned that he had let a fortune slip through his fin¬ 
gers. A small part of the “grease” had been saved, and 
this was ■ identified by an Oakland druggist as ambergris. 
The Antiope came from Newcastle, Australia. On the 
way up, in latitude 20 degrees south, a large quantity of 
“grease” was seen floating on the surface of the ocean, 
and a calm prevailing, the men managed to scoop up 
several bucketfuls of the stuff. ..grease” was found 
excellent, and it was used for slushing down the masts, 
the rest being used by the men on their oilskins and 
boots. The captain says that much more of the material 
could have been collected. ... A burglar who blew 
open the safe in a grocery store at Springfield, O., June 
20, jumped into the river when pursued by a squad of 
detectives. 11 is pockets were so heavily weighted with 
$1,000 in gold and silver that he could not swim, and he 
was saved from drowning by the detectives with the 
greatest difficulty. . State Agricultural Commis¬ 
sioner Raymond A. Pearson of New York says that 30 
towns in this State are under quarantine for rabies or 
hydrophobia. “Officials of the department,” says Com- 
missioner Pearson, “have never known of such a serious 
outbreak of rabies as at present. Similar conditions 
exist in other parts of the country.” ... A suit 
which involves more than a million dollars in Alaskan 
property, and which is unusually interesting on account 
of its “grubstake” feature, has just been decided on an 
appeal by the Supreme Court at Seattle, Wash. Capt. 
K. T. Barnette, banker and mining operator of Fairbanks 
has been forced to make an accounting of all property 
and money which he has made while in the Tanana to 
James P. Causten, collector of customs in Porto Rico. In 
1901 Barnette got into difficulty when on bis way to trie 
head waters of the Tanana with a stock of goods. His 
steamboat sprung a leak, and Causten advanced $6,000 
to engage another boat, with the agreement that he 
should have a third interest in whatever profit Barnette 
made. Barnette, through the fortunate development of 
the Tanana became immensely wealthy, established a bank, 
and has interests in many of the richest claims in the 
district. This agreement holds good, according to the 
decision of the Supreme Court, and a third of Barnette’s 
possession is awarded to Causten. . . Grover Cleve¬ 
land. President of the United States from 1885 to 1889 
and again from 1893 to 1897. died June 24 at his home 
in Princeton, N. .1. He was born in Caldwell. Essex 
County, N. J„ on March IS. 1837. the son of a Presbyterian 
minister, the Itev. Richard Fuller Cleveland. The clergv- 
man had nine children, this bov being the fifth. When 
Grover Cleveland was four years old bis father removed 
to Fayetteville. N. Y. There be attended school until 
1849. In that year be was admitted to membership in the 
Presbyterian Church. For about a year he served as a 
clerk in a country store in the village, spending his 
nights in study. In 1851 the family removed to Clinton, 
and Mr. Cleveland continued bis preparation for 
iiitering college. In 1853 the family removed to Holland 
1 atent near TTtlea, where tin' father died. This made a 
r >ou-al <ll!m>r< ' in Grover Cleveland's plans, for the fam- 
.' had to be provided for and younger members educated 
For a year he was employed in the Institution for the 
Blind in New York, where bis brother William was an 
instructor. Believing that better opportunities could be 
found in the West, he borrowed $25 from Ingham Town¬ 
send, of Floyd, Oneida County, and started upon his 
search for work. At Buffalo he stopped to visit his 
uncle, Lewis F. Allen, a farmer, living at Black Rock, 
learning that the young man’s ambition was to bo a law¬ 
yer, but that the necessities of the family had compelled 
him to look for work that would bring immediate remun¬ 
eration. Mr. Allen induced his nephew to remain and 
assist him in the compilation of his “American Short¬ 
horn Herd Book.” Mr. Cleveland afterward assisted in 
preparing several other volumes of this work. In August, 
1855, he entered the law office of Rogers, Bowen & Rogers, 
in Buffalo, and at the end of four years he was admitted 
to the bar: but for three years he remained with the 
firm as managing clerk. Two of Mr. Cleveland’s brothers 
served in the army through the war. Mr. Cleveland was 
the first man drafted in Buffalo, but he provided a sub¬ 
stitute. He was elected sheriff of Erie Co.. N. Y., in 1870, 
Mayor of Buffalo in 1882, Governor of New York in 
1883. and President in 1884. In his inauguration speech 
Mi\ Cleveland coined the famous phrase : “Public office is 
a public trust.” He delivered a strong, eloquent ad¬ 
dress. and went into office—the first Democratic President 
since the Civil War—under promising auspices. One of 
his first official acts brought a tumult of opposition about 
his head. lie made heavy cuts into the pension list, 
which then amounted to something like $90,000,000 a year. 
He declared that many pensioners were being unjustly 
supported. Only one out of 300 pension bills was passed 
over his veto. He made a hard fight, too, to repeal the 
Bland Act, which required the purchase and coinage of 
$4,500,000 of silver bullion per month. He failed in this 
during his first term, but succeeded in his second. An¬ 
other notable achievement of the first term was his res¬ 
toration of 100.000.000 acres of public domain to the 
people for homestead use after they had fallen into the 
hands of corporations. . . . The Federal Grand Jury 
at San Francisco June 26 returned an indictment against 
the. Southern Pncific Railroad Company containing 19 
counts charging the company with rebating in connection 
with shipments from Nevada for the Pine Box and Lumber 
Company. A similar indictment containing the same 
number of counts was also returned against the Pine 
Box and Lumber Company for accepting rebates. 
Fire June 26 destroyed Elevator “I)” of the Consolidated 
Elevator Company and No. 1 dock and sheds of the North¬ 
ern Pacific Railroad Company at Rice’s Point near Duluth, 
Minn., causing a loss of more than $1,000,000. Good work 
by a dozen tugboats, which aided the fire department, is 
probably all that saved the bay front at that point from 
being entirely swept away. The fire, which started from 
an explosion in Elevator “D,” burned for over two 
hours. . . . The railroads in New York have decided 
to withdraw their proposed increased tariff on milk and 
cream, which was to be the subject of a hearing before 
the up-State Public Service Commission. The new rate 
aroused the opposition of the large dairy interests, 
while it was generally favored by the smaller dairymen, 
the latter believing that a high rate for long hauls would 
make their fight against the so-called “dairy trusts” 
easier. The complaint against the new tariff was served 
upon the New York Central, Erie. Lackawanna, Pennsyl¬ 
vania, Buffalo. Rochester & Pittsburg, and Buffalo & Sus¬ 
quehanna Railroads. . . . plans for a gigantic build¬ 
ing to be the loftiest in the world, overtopping the 
Metropolitan tower by more than 200 feet, were filed with 
Building Superintendent Murphy of New York by D. II. 
Burnham & Co., architects, of Chicago, acting for the 
Equitable Life Assurance Society. The new building will 
be the new home of the society, occupying the site of 
the present edifice on the block bounded by Broadway 
and Nassau. Iffne and Cedar streets. With its tower the 
new Equitable Building will have 62 stories and will be 
909 feet above the curb. 209 feet higher than the Metro¬ 
politan tower with its 46 stories. The flagpole will run 
up 150 feet higher. . Four persons were drowned 
twoscore lives were endangered and much property was do- 
destroyed at Wellington, Kan., June 28, by a sudden rise 
in Ilargis Creek. . . . Fire in the dry goods district 
of Jersey City, N. ,T., caused a loss of $100,000 June 29. 
VENEZUELA.—Diplomatic relations with Venezeula 
have been practically broken off. and the affairs of the 
United States legation at Caracas have been placed in 
the hands of Brazil. W. W. Russell. American Minister 
to Venezuela, has been in the United States for several 
months on leave of absence. Thomas P. Moffatt. former 
American Consul at La Guayra. recently got leave of 
absence from his post because of the prevalence of bubonic 
plague there, and he since has been transferred to Blue- 
fields. Nicaragua. The action of the United States iu 
withdrawing its principal diplomatic and consular officers 
in Venezuela is due to the fact that there is no reason 
for maintaining further diplomatic negotiations with 
President Castro. Last Winter Secretary Root used every 
possible diplomatic means to force President Castro to 
submit the five pending claims between Venezuela and 
the United States to arbitration, hut Castro declined. 
ADMINISTRATION.- At the end of the fiscal year the 
Government receipts will show a marked falling off com¬ 
pared with the last fiscal year, and expenditures will show 
a marked advance. The deficiency will be $<50,000,000, an 
amount which has only been twice exceeded since the 
Civil War. The deficit is not as ominous as it would seem 
as the Government has been unusually active in public 
works, including the Panama Canal, for which $1<.000,000 
more was required this year than last. The disburse¬ 
ments for the year will aggregate about $659,000,000. or 
$80,000,000 more than for 1907. and $54,000.oou more 
than for any other year since 1865, not excepting the 
Spanish war period. The total receipts this year will be 
$590,000,000. Customs receipts have fallen off about 
$46,000,000 from those of 1907, and file receipts from in¬ 
ternal revenue will be* short nearly $19,000,000. The de¬ 
ficiency iu the postal revenues for the present year will 
probably reach $13,500,000. as against $7,500,000 for 1907. 
making a difference of $6,000,000. This is the largest 
postal deficiency in the history of the Government, except 
in 1905, when it reached nearly $15,000,000. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—-The fourteenth annual meeting 
of the International Apple Shippers' Association will be 
held at the International Hotel Niagara Falls, N. Y., 
August 5 and 6, 1908, for the election of officers and the 
transaction of any business properly coming before the 
meeting. 
Santo Domingo is looking for a high-class American 
farmer of the type of Secretary Wilson of the Agricultural 
Department. The man who can come anywhere near tilling 
the bill can have a good job at a big salary. This is 
the information conveyed to the Agricultural Department 
by Dr. Jacob II. Hollander, professor of political economy 
at Johns Ilopkins University, Baltimore, and financial ad¬ 
viser fo the Dominican republic. Secretary Wilson is en¬ 
deavoring to find a man like himself for the Dominicans. 
The New York Slate Fair will be held at Syracuse, Sep¬ 
tember 14-19. 
At the regular annual meeting of the New York State 
Berkshire Breeders’ Association, held at the Vanderbilt 
Hotel in Syracuse, N. Y., on June 17 .the following offi¬ 
cers were elected : President. C. .1. Iluson, Penn Yan. 
N. Y.; vice-president, C. L. Stearns. Clay. N. Y.; secretary, 
Harry B. Ilarpending, Dundee. N. Y. : treasurer. II. M. 
Terwilliger. Kirkville, N. Y. Executive Committee : C. J. 
Iluson. Penn Yan. N. Y.: Harry B. Harpending. N. Y.; 
C. L. Stearns, Clay, N. Y.: II. N. Terwilliger. Kirkville, 
N. Y.; J. I. Bower, Kings Ferry, N. Y.; F. J. Jones, Sau- 
quoit, N. Y.: T. J. Kerr, Collins. N. Y. : William It. .Tones, 
Katonah, N. Y. It was decided to hold a public sale 
of Berkshires at Binghamton. N. Y.. next Winter in con¬ 
nection with the annual meeting of the New York State 
Breeders’ Association. 
KANSAS FRUIT PROSPECTS. 
Reports received by the Kansas State Horticultural 
Society show the condition of the fruit crop to be as fol¬ 
lows : For the State: Apples 39 per cent, pears 26 per 
cent, peaches 51 per cent, plums 38 per cent, cherries 
44 per cent, grapes 62 per cent, strawberries 48 per cent, 
raspberries 63 per cent, and blackberries 70 per cent. The 
following are reported as causes which have lessened the 
fruit crop for this year: Some trees were so affected by 
the late and continued freezes of last season that they 
did not bloom this year, notably the Ben Davis in some 
localities. Late frosts killed blossoms on low lands in 
nearly all parts of the State and on all elevations in the 
northwestern and extreme western counties. Continued 
cold rains during blooming time in some localities. Hail 
did some local damage. Fruit now growing is reported 
as in good condition. As anticipated, the Codling moth 
is conspicuous by its absence, and curcullo is reported as 
scarce. 
CROP PROSPECTS. 
We have had rain from May 11 until .Tune 18, every day 
save three. It has discouraged farmers. No such floods 
were ever known of so long duration. It is very warm, 
90 in the shade to-day (June 26), but with a cool breeze 
from the east, which indicates rain. f. c. .t. 
Sterling, Neb. 
The hay crop of L.vkens Valley is immense, and wheat 
is fine. Oats are short and rusty, owing to a dry spell we 
had in May. The corn is backward, but it has a good 
color, and will come out all right. The apple crop will not 
be heavy, owing to the great crop we bad last year. Straw¬ 
berries were fine, but not enough to reach around. The 
raspberries also were nice and quite plentiful. g. l. s. 
Millersburg, Pa. 
The crops started nicely this Spring. The indications 
were, until a few weeks ago, for a wonderful harvest in 
hay and grain, but the dry weather has greatly shortened 
the hay crop, so that there will not be so much to dispose 
of as at first thought. The wheat was shortened in the 
straw considerably on this account also. Oats are affected 
most of all ; this crop cannot fill when in need of rain. 
There is never so much sown in this county, and the little 
put out bids fair to be very light in weight. Early pota¬ 
toes, strawberries and raspberries all are about one-half 
wliat they should be on account of the drought. The evi¬ 
dence of the work of the frost is here in the scarcity of 
the tender fruits. There will be some apples: probably 
enough for home use. c. f. w. 
York, Pa. 
We are receiving a few reports of injury from grass¬ 
hoppers in different portions of the State, evidently native 
forms. Black flies, or so-called turkey gnats are active 
in some sections, even killing poultry, and making work 
in the field with horses a serious matter. The Hessian 
fly in Minnesota is increasing materially over what it 
was last year, it being a characteristic of this insect to be 
absent one year or two, and all the while is slowly in¬ 
creasing until the maximum is reached, when it again prac¬ 
tically disappears. Chinch bugs are not in evidence, and 
have not been for two years. f. i.. washbi'HX. 
Minnesota. _State Entomologist. 
THE COMING APPLE CROP AND PRICES. 
When the apple grower gets the credit of everything 
it is time to call a halt. One of the New York produce 
men lost $5,000 in the apple deal, then $10,000 in tin* 
orange deal, and had 90 cars of southern cabbages sell 
for th(> freight. It looks like anything but “a fair deal” 
to say failure from apple deal did it. For two years I 
have traveled through the apple sections to find and report 
the conditions exactly as they are, and not to misrepre¬ 
sent the conditions at all. For the two years I claim I 
have made the estimate nearer right than any estimate 
made before the crop was harvested. Last year I sold 
my crop from storage to an exporter after he inspected 
them. They were sent as they were packed, and if all 
the crop had been packed as well there would have Iteen 
no loss to the trade through the apple deal. I made my 
pstimate on apples that should be barreled, not on cider 
apples. The worst apples ever put in barrels and put on 
the market were done by dealers last Fall who bought 
orchards by the lump and as they came from the trees. 
I wish you could see some of the letters we received 
from growers and buyers after the cider apples were in 
barrels in storage and the panic had struck the country. 
Politicians will have a bard time explaining where the 
panic came from if they cannot lay it to the apple growers. 
The growers in 1906 gave me lots of “taffy” for what I 
did for the apple growers. One man in Erie County said 
I helped him get $800. In 1907 the abuse all came from 
the dealers until the panic came: then I got it from both 
sides. I have just returned from a trip fo Illinois and 
know the conditions there, also from correspondence from 
Michigan, and the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys; also con¬ 
ditions in western New York. I will make no report on 
quantity through those sections, but will say if apples 
are put up as they should be do not think for one minute 
you will have to take the prices buyers are talking now. 
but also consider this fact. You can never handle a big 
crop without dealers, and if they put their money in apples 
they are entitled to a profit. Be fair: live and let live. 
Take a list of produce dealers you have known and see 
how many are as well off as the farmer. Western havers 
are all ready beaded for western New York but don’t 
scare them to death. When they get here, we will need 
them, for California, and the big Northwest apple country 
have a big crop of apples liner than the East can produce, 
and they will come into direct competition with us this 
year. clark ali.is. 
Orleans Co., N. Y. 
THE IDEAL HOME.—A Connecticut man wants to know 
where there is a place where the farmer while walking 
behind ills plow will not he tortured by files and mos- 
ouitoes and where no rocks are to throw his plow and 
himself around. Tell him here is the ideal place; the 
land is very good and he will find the conditions here to 
suit. We are 280 feet above the Gulf of Mexico, a tine 
climate with line freestone water and a real healthy 
country. e. x. m. 
Sumner, Ala. 
NEVADA NOTES.—Fallon Is the chief town of the 
Truckee-Carson irrigation project, and the supply point 
for the new mining camps of Rawhide, Fairview, Wonder, 
Shady Run and others. Alfalfa is our principal crop. 
Owing to the cold backward Spring our first cutting is 
light: will average little more than one ton per acre. 
Several are through cutting the first crop and others have 
not yet commenced. (June 20). There are a few pieces 
in favored locations that will yield three tons per acre 
now, and are good for two more cuttings at the least, 
and some will get four. Grain and vegetables are looking 
well and promise to be a good crop. Most of the places 
are new, just located last year, and this is the first at¬ 
tempt at a crop except Alfalfa fields, which are on river 
flats and have been producing for 30 years or more. Or¬ 
chards have not been cared for properly, and are in had 
shape, but promise a fair crop of fruit of inferior grade, 
as in many instances weeds are nearly as high as the trees 
before the fruit is ripe. Most of the old ranchers leave 
everything to their hired help, chiefly Piute Indians, and 
the new ones have no fruit trees in bearing yet. All of 
our products and more are needed for home consumption, 
and the State of Nevada will always furnish us a market 
for all that we can raise. There is plenty of good land 
yet that can he taken tinder the homestead act and pri¬ 
vate land can be bought at a fair price on reasonable 
terms. Our climate is mild and healthful, latitude 39 de¬ 
grees 30 minutes, elevation 3.900 feet above the sea 
level. Highest temperature 98 degrees in the shade and 
lowest about zero. Snow is of rare occurrence and does 
not last more than a day or two when it comes. Average 
annual precipitation four to six inches; water good and a 
plentiful supply. w. l. s. 
Fallon. Nevada. 
