10] 3. 
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LETTER FROM J. S. WOODWARD. 
On April 4 our old friend Jabez S. Wood¬ 
ward celebrated his eighty-third birthday. 
Many of his friends remembered the date, 
and the mails were filled with letters of 
congratulations and good wishes. There 
were so many of these tokens of remembrance 
that Mr. Woodward could not possibly an¬ 
swer them all personally—so he sends the 
following note which we print as his mes¬ 
sage of appreciation : 
By what you said about me in The 
R. N.-Y. you have gotten me into very 
serious trouble. For the last few days 
my mail has been filled with cards," 
letters and telegrams of congratulations 
on my birthday and kind wishes for the 
future. One mail to-day brought me 82 
such, and still they come from all over, 
from Maine to California. The very 
kind words of appreciation of what I 
have done and wishes for my future 
well-being fills my heart to overflowing 
with gratitude and thankfulness. I only 
wish they were deserved. 
I have tried to live an exemplary, 
honest life, and if I have stumbled on to 
a good thing I have always been glad 
to share it with my fellow farmers, and 
to have them so freely tell me of their 
appreciation while I am still here to 
enjoy it, is far more satisfying than 
to have them told in an obituary, after 
I am dead. 
By the way, when I was so sick near 
20 years ago and word went out that I 
was dead, a paper in this State did 
publish an obituary notice of me, which 
I had the pleasure of reading after¬ 
wards. It contained some things so 
misleading that it made me ashamed, 
and I wrote the one responsible for it 
that when he wrote another be sure to 
let me revise it before published. 
With the exception of impaired hear¬ 
ing I am quite well, eat well, sleep well 
and feel as well as a boy of my age can. 
I have learned to “eat to live’’—most 
people “live to eat.” I never use tea 
or coffee, never tasted anything that 
would make a man drunk, never tasted 
tobacco in any form and never eat any¬ 
thing that does not digest well. Have 
learned the foolishness of gratifying 
taste for a few minutes and then suffer 
for hours. I am not now engaged in 
farming, but my interest in the farmer 
is as great as ever. I set out to answer 
personally all letters, but that is simply 
impossible and with your permission 
will in this way extend thanks and good 
wishes to all who have remembered me. 
May they live long, prosper and be 
happy. j. s. woodward. 
BUSINESS CONDITIONS IN THE FLOOD 
DISTRICTS. 
Some manufacturers of the State of 
Ohio write us that the reports of the 
losses in that State are exaggerated and 
the extravagance of these reports 
throughout the country has unjustly af¬ 
fected the business interests of the State. 
There are many sections that were not 
affected by the flood in any way, and 
the manufacturers in those sections have 
not been embarrassed in the matter of 
shipping goods, but the exaggerated re¬ 
ports have caused purchasers to assume 
that Ohio shippers were not in a posi¬ 
tion to fill orders. On this account some 
of the manufacturers have suffered a 
good deal more from the scare of the 
reports than from the floods themselves. 
The facts seem to be that except for a 
very limited territory the facilities for 
shipment are as good in Ohio now as 
they were before, and the manufacturers 
there are filling their orders with the 
usual promptness. It is hardly fair 
that a calamity to a small section of the 
should unfavorably affect the 
whole State and add an artificial burden 
o the unavoidable misfortune. We get 
he assurance from different reliable and 
responsible houses that while their trade 
ias i alien off on account of these re¬ 
ports, they are in position to fill their 
t ers as promptly as ever before, and 
it any purchaser is not influenced by 
en imental reasons to extend their or¬ 
ders, certainly no one should discrimi¬ 
nate against Ohio manufacturers be- 
cause of the misfortune to local sections 
or the State. 
THE RURAL/ NEW-YORKER 
BRIEF ALBANY NOTES. 
The new bill relative to labeling of fruit 
trees was introduced in the Assembly March 
28 by Mr, Vert, No. 2064, printed No. 2424. 
This provides that all fruit trees shipped 
from points in New York must have at¬ 
tached to each car, box, bale or package a 
certificate of inspection issued by the De¬ 
partment of Agriculture. To each bundle 
of trees shall be attached a tag specifying 
name and variety of trees, and. on the re¬ 
verse side, the name of the county and State 
where trees were grown and the name and 
address of the person for whom grown. If 
a bundle contains different varieties, each 
tree must bear a like tag. In case of trees 
proving untrue to name as specified on tag, 
damages may be recovered in civil action 
by the purchaser at any time within three 
years from the first day of September of the 
year in which the trees first bear fruit. Any 
form of contract relieving the seller from 
liability shall be presumptively fraudulent 
and void. The seller must furnish itemized 
bills for sales, on which shall be printed 
copies of the sections of the law embodying 
above provisions. Persons, firms or corpor¬ 
ations outside of New York who desire to 
sell fruit trees in the State must first ob¬ 
tain a license by payment of $10 to the Com¬ 
missioner of Agriculture. Any person, firm 
or corporation acting as agent for another 
must secure an agent’s license from the 
Commissioner of Agriculture, by paying a 
fee of $1 and furnishing sworn statement 
that he will sell only duly inspected trees, 
etc. 
Among the recommendations made by 
Governor Sulzer's Good Roads Advisory' 
Commission are the following: That the 
commissioner should keep in mind that 
roads are not being constructed solely for 
the benefit of automobilists, and he should 
give proper attention to the location, con¬ 
struction and improvement of farm and 
market roads; that an investigation be 
made of the best types of roads and only 
short sections built of new types. The 
board recommends simplified specifications, 
proper maintenance and repair of roads, fair 
competition, use of local stone as well as 
imported, efficient auditing, and the build¬ 
ing at once of short connecting links be¬ 
tween improved roads and the city into 
which they lead. 
After quietly slipping through the As¬ 
sembly, the bill to tax feeding stuffs 20 
cents a ton was halted in the Senate Agri¬ 
cultural Committee by the timely protest 
of thousands of farmers and feed dealers. 
It is unlikely that the bill will make further 
progress; but another has been introduced 
providing for increased cost of license fee 
to $30. 
The bill which took from the Department 
of Agriculture the supervision of dairy pro¬ 
ducts. butter and cheese factories, etc., 
creating a milk commission to have charge 
of such work, is also reported dead. 
Senator Wagner has introduced a bill es¬ 
tablishing a Department of Efficiency and 
Economy, with a commissioner at a salary 
of $12,000 per year, to make a careful 
study of each office, institution and depart¬ 
ment and make recommendations regarding 
economy and efficiency of work and service 
therein. The bill (introductory No. 796), 
has passed both houses and is before the 
Governor. Such a bill implies that men can¬ 
not be found to run single departments 
properly. If so, where is the man coming 
from to oversee 25 or more? Perhaps such 
a one would be worth the $12,000. There 
is no apparent reason why such oversight 
should not be given by the State Comp¬ 
troller, the Fiscal Supervisor of State Char¬ 
ities, etc., to a greater extent than at pres¬ 
ent. making a new and expensive depart¬ 
ment unnecessary. 
A companion bill, No. 797 (both recom¬ 
mended by the Governor's probe committee!, 
establishes a board of contract and supply, 
composed, with one exception, of elective 
State officers, to purchase by public bid¬ 
ding. all furnishings, materials and supplies 
for State department use. A board so con¬ 
stituted would be subject to political change 
every two years or oftener. and, while there 
is no doubt that large amounts could be 
saved by purchasing the State's supplies 
on a business basis, there would be oppor¬ 
tunity for enormous graft unless the de¬ 
partment was very carefully safeguarded. 
Furthermore, it would seem that the duties 
proposed could well be added to those of 
the proposed Department of Efficiency and 
Economy. 
EVENTS OF THE WEEK 
DOMESTIC.—Flood damage continued 
April 1-8, Mount Vernon, Ingleside and 
Evansville, Ind., suffering severely. April 
2 there were no railroads running into Cairo, 
Ill. Uniontown, Ky., on the Ohio, just 
above the mouth of the Wabash, was under 
10 to 20 feet of water, which was higher 
than in 18S4, and all residents had left the 
town. At Louisville, Ky., a warehouse of 
the Rugby Distillery Co., collapsed with a 
loss of $250,000 in whisky. Less than 100 
people remained in Shawncetown, Ill., a 
town of 3,000 population, and the few re¬ 
maining buildings behind the main levee 
were declared unsafe. Gen. Frank S. Dick¬ 
son, Adjutant-General of Illinois stated April 
7 that the Wabash River valley is the most 
desolate place in the entire flood region: 
that 3.000 families are iu the most destitue 
condition there, and that smallpox fcs break¬ 
ing out in the refugee camps. Two hundred 
families in Dogtooth Bend were found in 
destitute circumstances by one relief ex¬ 
pedition and 31 persons were removed from 
a sawdust pile at Birdsmill, Mo., by another 
expedition. A new record was established 
at Paducah April 7 when the Ohio River 
reached a stage of 54.3 feet, which is one- 
tenth higher than the flood of 1SS4. With 
the arrival of the crest Paducah is prepar¬ 
ing for an epidemic of disease. 
An alien land law that shall be effective 
in prohibiting Japanese and other foreign¬ 
ers not eligible to citizenship from holding 
or leasing real property in California will 
be enacted before the close of the present 
legislative session. Representatives of the 
Panama-Pacific Exposition protested that an 
affront to Japan by the enactment of such 
a law would affect seriously the success of 
the fair in 1915. Two measures providin'' 
for virtually the same thing—the elimina¬ 
tion of the Japanese farmers—are pending 
in the Senate, one bearing the name of 
Senator John B. Sanford, Democrat, as 
author, and the other the name of Senator 
E. S. Birdsall, Progressive Republican. The 
Birdsall bill, amended to conform as closely 
as possible to the federal laws prohibiting 
the ownership of land by aliens in the ter¬ 
ritories of the United States, will be the 
one chosen for passage. It was stated by 
Senator Thompson that the amended bil'l 
would employ the general broad terms used 
in the federal law in defining the qualifi¬ 
cations for ownership. This law, which has 
been in force in territories since 1897, con¬ 
forms to the treaty with Japan. It sets 
forth that “aliens who are not eligible to 
become citizens’’ are prohibited from own¬ 
ing or leasing real property. 
Meats are to be on the free list. Rates 
on live stock to be reduced generally, cattle 
from 25.07 per cent to 10 per cent; sheep 
from 16.41 to 10 per cent; poultry from 
13.10 to 6.67 per cent; horses from 25 to 
10 per cent; swine from $1.50 a head to 
be free. 
Wood pulp will come in free. Print 
papers at 2y s cents a pound or less are also 
on the free list. 
Silk goods are reduced from 52.58 to 
o0 per cent, ribbons from 50 to 40 per 
cent, and partially manufactured silk goods 
from 21.01 to 15 per cent. 
Linen fabrics are cut from 60 per cent 
to 45 per cent. Handkerchiefs reduced 
from 50 per cent to 35 per cent. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The Lamport & 
Ilolt liner Verdi arriving at New York 
March 30 from South American ports, 
brought 780 cases of Mcudoza grapes, grown 
about 600 miles west of Buenos Ayres, and 
Argentine peaches. This is the largest 
cargo of its kind that has ever been im¬ 
ported to New York. 
The fifth annual banquet of members of 
the American Jersey Cattle Club and their 
guests will be held on Tuesday, May 6, 
1913, the eve of the annual meeting, at the 
Hotel Manhattan, Forty-second street and 
Madison avenue, New York City. Reception 
at 6.30; dinner served at 7 p. m. There 
will be addresses on subjects of interest 
connected with the welfare of the breed. 
The annual meeting will be held at the 
Club headquarters, 324 West 23d street. 
May 7, at 11 a. m. 
_ A bulletin recently issued by the New 
York Department of Agriculture contains 
carefully prepared answers to the more 
important of thousands of questions asked 
at the 1912 farmers’ institutes, grouped for 
ready reference under such heads as soils, 
drainage, lime, manures, fertilizers, cover 
crops, meadows, pastures, forage crops, 
grain crops, potatoes, beans, cabbage, apples, 
grapes, gardening, etc. The bulletin (No. 
44), is well illustrated and printed, and 
will be sent to residents of New York 
on application to the Department at Al¬ 
bany. Others in the series are Nos. 37 and 
42, which contain many of the addresses at 
farmers’ institutes. 
Farmers’ Bulletin No. 513, entitled 
“Fifty Common Birds of Farm and Or¬ 
chard,” has just been prepared and pub¬ 
lished by the Bureau of Biological Survey of 
the United States Department of Agricul¬ 
ture. This bulletin is intended to serve the 
very practical purpose of enabling farmers 
and their boys and girls to identify the 
birds that frequent the farm and orchard. 
The accounts of the birds’ habits are neces¬ 
sarily brief, but they are believed to be 
sufficient to acquaint the reader with the 
most prominent characteristics of the sev¬ 
eral species, at least from the standpoint 
of their relation to man. All persons in¬ 
terested in birds should write for it. It is 
free. Address Division of Publication. U. 
S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, 
A vegetable gardening train was run 
over the New York Central lines early in 
April. It consisted of two cars, one con¬ 
taining an exhibit of vegetables, greenhouse 
material and models, seeds, model hotbed, 
potted plants, implements—culti-vators, seed 
drills, charts, photographs, publications, etc. 
The train was in charge of Mr. F. S. Welch, 
agricultural representative of the railroad, 
and Professor A. C. Beal of the Department 
of Horticulture. Stops were made at New- 
burg, Kingston. Catskill, Coxsackie, Albany, 
Schenectady and Troy. Lectures were given 
on greenhouse construction, planting home 
grounds and school gardens, by Professor 
Beal; on growing early plants, planting and 
transplanting vegetables, planning gardens, 
and home gardens by Mr. A. E. Wilkinson; 
on intensive vegetable growing, irrigation, 
harvesting, packing and marketing, mar¬ 
ket gardening, and growers’ organizations, 
by Mr. Paul Work. 
In the case of William J. * H. Palmer, 
florist, against the New York State Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture to recover the value of 
2,260 Azaleas and Rhododendrons destroyed 
by order of Calvin J. Huson, Commissioner 
of Agriculture, because Gipsy-moth egg 
masses were found on two of' the plants. 
Justice Pound handed down his decision 
directing that an appraisal be had of the 
value of the plants destroyed and that Mr. 
Palmer be paid for the same. Sometime 
prior to October 16, 1911, Mr. Palmer had 
received a shipment of Azaleas and Rhodo¬ 
dendrons from Belgium and they were at 
his greenhouses in Lancaster. On October 
16 two inspectors from the State Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture visited the greenhouses 
and found an egg-mass of the gipsy moth on 
one plant and evidence that another plant 
had been similarly infected. They tele¬ 
graphed to the department asking for in¬ 
structions and some days' later got tele¬ 
graphic instructions to destroy the whole 
shipment. Notice was served on Mr. Pal¬ 
mer and the inspectors then went to Lan¬ 
caster and carried out their instructions 
from the department, destroying all the 
plants and the containers that came with 
the shipment. Mr. Palmer then demanded 
an appraisement, which was refused. 
NEW TARIFF BILL.—The new Demo¬ 
cratic tariff bill was introduced April 7. 
The new rates would reduce the Govern¬ 
ment’s customs revenue $120,000,000 a 
year, a sum which it is proposed shall be 
made up through the new tax on incomes. 
The avowed purpose* of the measure is to 
put the burden of governmental expense 
upon the wealthy and by reducing the price 
of necessaries lower the cost of living for 
the poor. 
The metals schedule: Steel rails free. 
Steel and iron wire, now $S and $12 a ton, 
to 8 per cent ad valorem; forgings, now 
30 per cent, to 15 per cent. 
Machinery to be generally reduced. Au¬ 
tomobiles unchanged. Steam engines and 
machine tools reduced from 30 per ceut 
to 15 per cent. 
Sugar ultimately to bo on the free list 
in 1916. An immediate reduction of 25 
per cent is proposed. 
Woolen cloths, knit fabrics and manu¬ 
factured goods to be reduced from 97 per 
cent to. 35 per cent. Cotton cloth is re¬ 
duced from 42.74 to 26.69 per cent. 
income tax upon every resident of the 
United States whose income is over $4,000 
u year. In all cases the first $4,000 of 
income is exempted from taxation. From 
$4,000 to $20,000 the rate is 1 per cent 
Thus on an income of $20,000 the tax would' 
be $160. From $20,000 to $50,000 a surtax 
? f L pcr cent is added, and from $50,000 
to $100,000 a surtax of 2 per cent On 
incomes in excess of $100,000 a surtax of 
3 per cent is added. Thus on an income 
2^0 a year the tax would be 
$o8.~60. The bill would repeal the present 
corporation tax law imposing a 1 per cent 
tax on the earnings of corporations and 
stock companies. The salaries of the Presi¬ 
dent of the United States, Federal Judges 
and all State officers and employees are ex¬ 
empted from the income tax. 
These are the principal changes proposed: 
Trade with the Philippine Islands is placed 
upon an absolutely free basis. Commercial 
relations with Cuba are not changed. The 
President is urged to make reciprocity trea¬ 
ties. These must be ratified by a majority 
? £ b ? tb , houses o£ Congress. The Senate 
thereby loses its exclusive power to ratify 
trade treaties. The income tax is collect¬ 
ible at the source of the income. Thus 
stock owners will receive dividends less 
the Government tax. 
NEW JERSEY COLLEGE VISITORS’NAMES 
Governor Fielder of New Jersey ha 
named the following for members of th 
Board of Visitors to the State Agricultura 
College : First District, Robert T. Seegrave 
Salem; Ephraim T. Gill. Haddonfield, rear 
pointed. Second District, Llewellyn Hil 
dreth, Rio Grande; Benjamin Lippincotl 
Riverton. Third District, James C. Rich 
dale, Phalanx; James Neilson, New Bruns 
wick, reappointed. Fourth District, Josial 
T. Allinson, Yardville; John R. Foster 
Three Bridges. Fifth District, Robert C 
Plume, Cranford ; Theodore F. King, Ledg 
wood. Sixth District, Arthur Lozier, Ridge 
wood, reappointed ; Levi H. Morris, Newton 
Seventh District, Thomas F. Morris, Pater 
son: Francis J. Marley, Little Falls. Eightl 
District, Edwin J. Ball, Newark; James Me 
Carthy. Jersey City, reappointed. Nintl 
District, George Doer. East Orange, reap 
pointed; George Smith. East Orange. Tentl 
District, George E DeCamp, Roseland, reap 
pointed; Harry Backus. Caldwell. Eleventl 
District. Henry A. Gaede, Hoboken, reap 
pointed , Richard R. Meany, Weehawken 
Twelfth District, Addison T. Hastings, Jr. 
Jersey City; John B. Hartung, Jersey City 
reappointed. p. t. h. 
COMING FARMERS’ MEETINGS. 
National Drainage Congress, Planters’ 
Hotel. St. Louis, Mo., April 10-12. 
Sixteenth annual convention of the Cana 
dian Horticultural Association will be he!< 
at Peterboro, Ont., in August. 
New Y'ork State Fair and Grand Circui 
Meeting, Syrr?use, N. Y.. September 8-13. 
Lancaster Fair, Lancaster, Pa., Septem 
ber 30-October 3. 
American Jersey Cattle Club, annua 
meeting, 324 West 23d Street, New York 
May 7. 
Dutch Belted Cattle Association o 
America, annual meeting. Hotel Imperial 
New York, May 8. 
WINTER GRAIN CONDITIONS. 
The Government report of April 8 give 
the average condition of Winter wheat a 
91.6 per cent of normal, which is 11 pe 
cent better than one year ago. The ry 
outlook is 89.3 per cent, or 1.4 above las 
year. The wheat percentage in some of th 
leading States are: New York, Ohio an 
Indiana. 91 ; Pennsylvania, 96: Illinois an 
Missouri. 93; Iowa. Kansas and Arkansas 
90; Nebraska and Kentucky, 92. 
The average prices received by producer’ 
of the United States for articles named, or 
date indicated, are reported by the U. S 
Department of Agriculture : 
Corn, per bushel... 
Wheat, per bushel. 
Oats, per bushel... 
Barley, per bushel. 
T? VA rvAl* K n r.1 
•Dancy, per ousr 
Rye. per bushel. 
Buckwheat, per bushel 
Flaxseed, per bushel 
Potatoes, per bushel 
Cotton, per pound. 
Butter, per pound... 
Chickens, per pound 
Eggs, per dozen 
Hay, per ton... 
April 1 
1913 
. .53.7 
79.1 
. 33.1 
. 48.5 
62.9 
68.3 
.113.6 
50.3 
April 1 
1912 
71.1 
92.5 
52.0 
92.3 
85.1 
76.9 
191.3 
117.1 
Hogs, per 100 lbs... 
Beef cattle. 100 lbs. 
Veal calves, 100 lbs. 
Sheep, per 100 lbs.. 
Lambs, per 100 lbs. . 
Cabbage, per 100 lbs 
Apples, per bushel 
Beans, per bushel. 
Onions, per bushel 
Timothy, per bushel 
Alfalfa per bushel. 
Wool (unwashed) lb. 
Hops, per lb. 
Peanuts, per lb. 
Maple sugar, per lb. 
Maple syrup, per gal 
. . 
11.8 
10.1 
27.6 
26.1 
1.. 
11.6 
10.8 
16.4 
17.8 
11.15 
16.79 
March 15 
March 15 
1913 
1912 
$5.94 
. 5.88 
4.75 
. 7.49 
6.11 
. 4.97 
4.12 
. 6.56 
5.38 
. 1.03 
2.88 
. .82 
1.04 
. 2.10 
2.42 
. .77 
1.67 
?1. 
.10.42 
12.89 
. 1.72 
7.33 
. 8.19 
. .1S4 
.169 
• . . . . 
.401 
- .047 
.050 
. .126 
.111 
. 1.065 
1.051 
