1913. 
7fc> 9 
THE COLE COMMISSION MAN’S BILL. 
The Commissioner of Agriculture is 
hard at work arranging for the enforce¬ 
ment of the Cole commission man's bill, 
which recently became a law in New 
York State; in fact all sides are getting 
busy. Some of the commission men are 
notifying their clients that after this law 
goes into effect they intend to raise 
their commission charges to a uniform 
10 per cent, on all consignments. They 
say their reason for this is that the 
law will put an extra expense on com¬ 
mission houses. The fact is that the 
average expense covering the $.‘1,000 bond 
and the $10 license fee, will in most 
cases come within $25. There is no 
way, of course, to prevent the commis¬ 
sion men from charging a higher com¬ 
mission if they see fit to do so. We 
think, however, there is opportunity for 
some of the commission houses to state 
their position frankly and continue to 
do business under the old commission. 
The expense put upon them by that bill 
will be comparatively small, while the 
advertising they will receive through 
their recognition by the State will far 
more than offset these small charges. 
The Commissioner intends to treat the 
commission men fairly in issuing the li¬ 
cense. There will be no attempt to inter¬ 
fere with the legitimate business of honest 
houses. In fact the Commissioner wishes 
to have it understood that he considers 
the bill as much an advantage to the 
commission men as it is to the shipper, 
and it certainly can be made so if the 
commission men will honestly carry out 
the provision of the bill. The following 
is a blank copy of the bond which the 
commission men must make out and sign. 
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE 
PRESENTS 
That we, . 
of . 
as principal and. 
as surety are held and firmly bound unto 
the People of the State of New York in 
the penal sum of $3,000 lawful money 
of the United States of America, well 
and truly to be paid to the said People 
of the State of New York or their legal 
representatives, attorney or assigns for 
which payment, well and truly to be 
made, we bind ourselves, our heirs, 
executors, administrators, successors and 
assigns, jointly and severally, firmly by 
these presents. 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have 
hereunto set our hands and seals this 
.day of.... 191.. 
WHEREAS, the above bouiulen prin¬ 
cipal has applied or is about to apply to 
the Commissioner of Agriculture of the 
State of New York for a license to engage 
in the business of selling farm produce 
on commission as a commission merchant 
at .. in 
the city of.New 
York, s until the first day of July, 1914, 
pursuant to the provisions of Article 
12-A of the Agricultural Law of the 
State of New York. 
NOW THE CONDITION OF THIS 
OBLIGATION IS SUCH, that if the 
Commissioner of Agriculture of the State 
of New York shall issue to the above 
bounden principal the license applied for, 
and if the said principal shall faithfully 
and honestly account for all moneys 
which may be received by said........ 
• . .from the sale 
of all farm produce consigned by any 
person, company or corporation to said 
principal and duly account for and 
promptly pay over all moneys received 
by said principal less commissions and 
other lawful charges to the proper con¬ 
signor then this obligation to be void, 
otherwise to remain in full force and 
virtue. 
Principal. 
In order to obtain a license the com¬ 
mission man must make application to 
the Commissioner of Agriculture at Al¬ 
bany. He must state the full particulars 
about his business or partnership, giving 
complete details, and must then answer 
the following questions in his application, 
Ike whole to be certified in the usual 
way. 
• State the kind or kinds of farm 
ban ID 6 "^icb applicant proposes to 
4. State location of principal place of 
easiness, giving street and number...... 
Srate location of every branch place 
, business giving street and number and 
name ot agent in charge thereof. 
»• State length of time applicant has 
1 'i‘n engaged in the sale of farm produce 
"ii commission, and place or places where 
THE RURAL 
such business has been carried on dur ug 
such period. 
7. Has judgment been entered against 
applicant upon which execution has been 
returned unsatisfied?.... 
8. Is any suit, action or proceeding 
pending against applicant which relates 
directly or indirectly to any farm pro¬ 
duce received for sale or sold by appli¬ 
cant on commission? If so, state 
plaintiff’s name and residence and the 
nature of such action or proceeding. 
For a time some of the commission 
men tried to make it appear that they 
would not apply for a license under the 
law. We think, however, that most of 
them will do so, for a failure to apply 
for such a license under the circumstances 
would be construed by most shippers and 
farmers as evidence that the applicant 
was afraid that such a license could not 
be obtained. We believe this law will be 
honestly enforced. While not all that 
we hoped for, it lays the foundation for 
very important legislation, and will in 
time grow into a very useful law. The 
first step of all as we have pointed out, 
is to prevent if possible the fakes and 
the snides from obtaining any license. 
Any facts of dishonest dealing with New 
York Commission men should be sent at 
once to Honorable Calvin J. Huson. 
Albany, New York. The time to do such 
things most effectively is before the 
licenses are issued, and any case of 
dishonesty should be promptly reported 
now r . 
EVENTS OF THE WEEK 
DOMESTIC.—Several people were 
killed and thousands of dollars in damage 
done to live stock and farm buildings by 
a terrific wind, rain and hail storm 
which swept over central Kentucky June 
1. Tobacco growers will probably suffer 
the greatest loss, as the plants set out 
the previous week were entirely de¬ 
stroyed. Grains were beaten down and 
totally ruined and hundreds of cattle 
were killed. Lightning destroyed many 
farm buildings and caused the burning of 
miles of timberland on the hillsides. 
One of the largest lists of steerage 
passengers brought to New r York this 
year arrived June 2 from Rotterdam 
on the IIolland-Ameriean liner Nieuw 
Amsterdam. She carried 2.042 aliens, 
most of whom are from Poland. It was 
expected that 30.000 immigrants would 
arrive at New' York during the week 
following this date. 
June 2 Governor Sulzer signed a bill 
establishing a negro regiment in New 
York City as part of the National Guard. 
Edward Payson Weston, the veteran 
pedestrian, started on a walk of over 
1,400 miles June 2, leaving New York 
for Minneapolis. 
Matamoras, opposite Brownsville, 
Texas, fell June 3 into the hands of the 
Mexican rebels under Gen. Lucio Blanco 
with 1,000 troopers. As the rebels circled 
in many Federals deserted and swam 
the river to Brownsville. Some bullets 
fell on American territory and several 
were wounded on this side of the line. 
The rebels with bombs set fire to sev¬ 
eral places in Matamoras. A railroad 
bridge between the Mexican and Ameri¬ 
can towns was set on fire. 
TV AS HIN( iTON.—The sub-committee 
on finance of the Senate has decided that 
Hour and meats shall remain on the free 
list as in the Underwood bill. At the 
same time the sub-committee holds that 
the raw materials that enter into their 
production—wheat and oats, and cattle, 
sheep and hogs—will enter the L T nited 
States market free. In the Underwood 
bill as it stands now cattle, sheep and 
hogs are taxed 10 per cent, and wheat 
and oats 10 cents a bushel. Thus the 
demand of the Northwestern millers that 
the duties on grains and the duty on 
flour be “equalized” has been now met 
by making both free. In like manner 
there has been an equalization as regards 
live stock and meats by putting them 
both on the free list. 
Charges that Frank II. Hitchcock, as 
Postmaster-General in the Taft Admin¬ 
istration, made misleading reports in¬ 
tending to show that the Department 
had attained a condition of self-support 
were set forth in a report made public 
May 31 by Postmaster-General Burleson. 
This report, which is based on an in¬ 
vestigation made by Mr. Burleson’s as¬ 
sistants. charges that Hitchcock with¬ 
held promotions, allowed vacancies to go 
unfilled to the detriment of the service 
and made a deficit of $750,000 appear to 
be a surplus. The report charges in 
effect that the general morale and effi¬ 
ciency of the postal service was sacri¬ 
ficed to a ruthlessly enforced policy of 
false economy for the sole purpose of 
presenting a showing of self-maintenance. 
It is charged that after this end was 
attained, just before the inauguration of 
the new Administration, this policy was 
NEW-YORKER. 
reversed, long standing vacancies were 
filled, postponed promotions made and 
commitments to fixed charges for long 
terms were assumed in such a way as 
to saddle the Wilson administration with 
greatly increased expenses for months and 
possibly years to come. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—The Ameri¬ 
can Peony Society’s annual convention 
and exhibition will be held this year in 
connection with the Ohio Horticultural 
Society at the Grays Armory, Cleveland, 
June 12-14. 
The Secretary of Agriculture deems it 
necessary, in order to prevent the dis¬ 
tribution of the Gipsy moth and the 
Brown-tail moth into sections of .the 
United States outside of the New Eng¬ 
land States, to extend the present quar¬ 
antine lines in New England beyond 
those indicated in notice of quarantine 
No. 4, to cover the extension, during the 
year, of the known range of these two 
insects. In compliance with section 8 
of the Plant Quarantine Act of August 
20. 1912, a public hearing will be held 
at the Department of Agriculture, Wash¬ 
ington, D. C., at 10 o’clock a. m., June 
12, 1913, in order that all persons inter¬ 
ested in the extension of these quarantine 
lines may be heard. 
The thirty-first annual convention of 
the American Seed Trade Association 
will be held in Cleveland. O., June 24-26, 
1913, with headquarters at the new Hotel 
Statler. 
MICHIGAN FRUIT OUTLOOK. 
I expect this will be a banner year for 
fruit in this section. It is possible that 
sweet cherries have been slightly dam¬ 
aged and strawberries back from the 
lake have been hurt somewhat, but out¬ 
side of this there has been no damage 
reported. j. e. m. 
Manistee County. 
May 26. Prospects for the best crop 
we ever have had of all kinds of fruit 
and berries. Everything full of buds 
and blossoms. c. H. c. 
Benzie County. 
May 25. Some small fruits were 
seriously injured but late strawberries 
are coming on well. Early apples were 
badly hurt, but late blooming, such as 
Spy, will be good. Pears, cherries and 
plums are badly injured. Fruit in fav¬ 
orable locations will be a good crop if 
nothing more goes wrong, but in all of 
the low land fruit will be scarce. 
Kent County. l. j. p. 
Apples are SO per cent, of normal; 
pears, 60; peaches, 25; plums, 75; cher¬ 
ries, sour, 80: sweet, 25; strawberries, 
75. Other small fruits normal. Grapes, 
25 per cent. e. h. 
Allegan County. 
May 27. The apple crop will be fully 
equal to last year’s unless the recent 
cold weather has affected it so much 
that it drops badly during June. Not 
much other fruit raised here commercially 
but what there is has set full. Straw¬ 
berries but slightly injured. a. m. b. 
Lapeer County. 
May 26. The cherry crop of the 
Grand Traverse country is practically 
safe. Around Grand Rapids, on the 
higher lands, the peach, pear and apple 
crops will be very satisfactory. Plums 
and sour cherries will be fair crops. 
Ingham County. o. K. w. 
Prospect is for a fair crop of fruit 
of all kinds. The cold weather hurt 
some of the blossoms on cherry and 
peach trees in low places. Baldwin 
apple will be a light crop. Wealthy, 
Greening, Snow, Roxbury, Russet, 
Duchess, Wagener, are all setting for a 
full crop. e. o. l. 
Grand Traverse County. 
May 26. Some of the fruit was dam¬ 
aged by frost but I think there is enough 
for a full crop. Wheat does not look 
as well as it ought to at this season but 
will make a fair crop. Grass is good. 
Most of the corn is planted but comes up 
slowly. Peas are doing well. j. o. 
Newaygo County. 
May 31. The prospect for strawberries 
is about 50 per cent.; apples. 75 ; peaches, 
plums, sour cherries, 70; hay and grain. 
60 to 70. Too cold and wet. Half of 
the oats not sown; no corn and very few 
potatoes planted. w. n. 
Menominee County. 
Do not think that frost injured us any. 
Some early cherries affected. I am more 
afraid of the cold, wet weather at bloom¬ 
ing time. A. L. H. 
Manistee County. 
Peaches killed by freeze of May 10-11, 
with the exception of near the lake, about 
30 per cent, of a crop left. Grapes 
badly hurt in sections. Early apples 
also hurt, about 75 per cent, of a crop 
left. Late apples will be about SO per 
cent, of a crop; pears, 50 per cent, of a 
crop. Early strawberries hurt badly. 
Berrien County. c. a. p. 
May 28. Though we had severe freez¬ 
ing three nights in succession the pros¬ 
pects for apples are good. No peaches 
to speak of; very few plums; not many 
cherries, but more pears. All early 
strawberries were killed but late varieties 
will give a fair crop. r. a. r. 
Van Buren County. 
May 29. Prospects for fruit in our 
county are very fine. I am speaking of 
the north half more particularly, but it 
is largely true of this whole region. No 
frost damage to anything worth men¬ 
tioning. Everything promises for a fine 
season. a. b. 
Leelanau County. 
May 30. Peaches, pears, plums and 
cherries all frozen; grapes, about three- 
fourths frozen; strawberries, about one- 
half frozen; apples, from 80 to 90 per 
cent, killed. s. L. w. 
Van Buren County. 
May 29. The frost did great damage 
to fruit in this vicinity. Peaches nearly 
all killed. Pears and plums badly hurt; 
early apples, one-half crop; late apples, 
especially Baldwins, we think will be 
good except that the latter variety had 
rather light bloom. j. c. J. 
Van Buren County. 
May 29. The prospect for fruit in this 
section is very good. Apples, pears, 
plums and sour cherries will be a normal 
crop; peaches and sweet cherries will be 
light owing to the hard freeze of May 9. 
Peaches on the high rolling land are all 
right. N. m. h. 
Oceana County. 
May 28. The prospects of fruit are 
reasonably good. Near the Lake Michi¬ 
gan and Grand Traverse Bay the frost 
has touched only slightly. Cherries are 
promising. Apple trees are in full blos¬ 
som in most orchards. Peaches look 
promising. In the inland frost has 
touched here and there. Oats and wheat 
are fair. Grass and pasturage is re¬ 
tarded ; rain enough so far. j. j. m. 
Leelanau County. 
May 26. The peach crop here has 
been hurt quite seriously, some orchards 
have fairly good crops, others none at 
all. Present indications are for about 
a 15 per cent. crop. The frost of May 
9 hurt the plums, cherries, pears and 
early apples some. Late apples promise 
very well. The strawberry crop will be 
light but gooseberries and currants good. 
Grapes have not been seriously injured. 
Van Buren County. f. a. w. 
May 27. The frost of May 9-10 
killed most of the sweet cherries, in¬ 
jured the sour cherries about one-fourth. 
Plums and pears are uninjured on high 
land. Some peach orchards badly killed 
and others on no more favorable locations 
will have nearly a full crop. Apples in 
good condition, except on low land. 
Strawberries on low land, or where 
not protected by mulch, badly 
injured. Prospects for raspberries 
and blackberries good. Grapes hurt, ex¬ 
cept on highest land. Season backward; 
not much corn planted yet. Oats grow¬ 
ing slowly; also meadows and pasture. 
Wheat and rye doing well, except where 
injured by Winter. o. f. w. 
Muskegon County. 
May 27. Bloom on the apple, pear, 
cherry and plum is excessive. The freeze 
of May 9-10 hurt the strawberry crop 
30 per cent. Raspberries and blackberries 
promise well. Peach bloom heavy. 
Benzie County. w. G. V. 
May 27. The freeze in May hit me 
very hard, ruining my grapes,* cherries, 
early apples and peaches. That is gen¬ 
eral around Eaton Rapids, but I found no 
damage to apples in orchards at Delhi, 
Grand Ledge and Coldwater. Prospects 
are for very heavy crop of Spy and 
Greening but light crop of Baldwin. 
Great damage is reported to fruits all 
over the State. I am putting the spray 
material on in clouds. While the bloom 
was very heavy on apples all over, the 
freeze and bad weather conditions since, 
and the prices last year, rather dis¬ 
couraged spraying, so I don’t think there 
is as much being done. I predict a light 
crop of apples generally and fruit of all 
kinds. x. A. F. 
Eaton County. 
May 26. Prospects for all kinds of 
fruit are at present fine. No damage by 
frosts except to strawberries. There are 
no large commercial orchards of any kind 
of fruit hero, but farmers are paying more 
attention to spraying and general care 
than ever before. About the usual acre¬ 
age of potatoes is being planted ; perhaps 
more early potatoes have been planted 
than before. The price has held near 
40 cents for the whole season ; they are 
now briuging about 75 cents. The sea¬ 
son is rather dry, cold and backward. 
Montcalm County. e. w. l. 
I have not had an opportunity to go 
about the State much, so that I could re¬ 
port on the prospects in Michigan gen¬ 
erally, but can only speak from what I 
have seen in a limited area in Kent 
County. Sweet cherries, crop very short, 
frost. Sour cherries blossomed full, but 
cold weather prevented pollenizatiou, so 
crop will be short generally, not over 50 
per cent. Enough Japan plums survived 
to make a fair crop; European plums 
40 per cent. Apples promise well, with 
the exception of Ben Davis. Peaches a 
failure. Grapes on good location, not 
much injured by freeze of May 10; lower 
locations suffered much. Some vineyards 
do not show a green sprout. These may 
send out adventitious buds, and may pro¬ 
duce fruit if Fall frosts hold out long 
enough. The gooseberry crop is only fair, 
injury both from frost and cold weather. 
Currants look well and promise a good 
crop of excellent quality. Worms are 
bothering much and will get the leaves 
unless sprayed persistently. Strawber¬ 
ries were thought to be an entire failure, 
but are showing lots of apparently good 
blossoms now. j. p. MUNSON. 
President Mich. State Uort. Society. 
