1910 . 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
101:9 
CROP NOTES. 
I am not selling much but nay and 
potatoes. Potatoes are bringing 40 cents 
a bushel and hay is selling for .<10 per 
ton. I have a son living in Connecticut. 
He writes me he is paying .$1.20 a bushel 
for potatoes. w. b. 
La Grange, Me. 
You speak of the drought. We never 
had a more ideal growing year than this. 
The rainfall has probably been below the 
normal for the 10 months of 1910. but it 
has been so evenly distributed that every¬ 
thing has grown as never before. Pastures 
are as green as as in May. New clover 
seeding is 12 to 18 inches high, and thick 
as hair on a collie’s back, but it seemed 
to be confined to Western New York. I 
was in the Eastern part of the State the 
last of July, and they were burned up. 
Monroe Co., N. Y. C. I. 
DIRECT DEALING WITH APPLE’S. 
In recent numbers of The R. N.-Y. I have 
read letters from some of your correspond¬ 
ents telling of their apple crops, and orices 
offered by packers. It has occurred to me 
that if they would put small advertise¬ 
ments in your paper, naming the varieties 
they have and the prices they expect per 
barrel, customers could be obtaiued in 
sections having no fruit. My grocer said to 
me yesterday that if he .was sure of get¬ 
ting a No. 1 pack ho would order a num¬ 
ber of barrels. There are no apples in the 
western half of Illinois, and I am sure if 
prospective buyers among your readers 
knew where good apples could be bought 
your advertisers would receive a number of 
orders. 0 . h. 
Quincy, Ill. 
It. N.-Y.-—There is no doubt about the 
business which could be developed in this 
way by harvest men who would give a 
fair pack of fruit. Of course, there are 
fakers who would try to take advantage of 
such buyers and pack wormy or cider fnrt 
in the middle of the barrel. It would be 
hard to detect them until the fruit was 
partly eaten. The best way to handle such 
a situation is for a number of growers to 
write and guarantee a uniform pack under 
a definite brand. If they will do that tiny 
would soon have more direct orders than 
they could fill. 
MARKETS FOR KANSAS APPLES. 
The daily papers have printed articles 
like the following: 
“The question as to what is to become 
of the apples that were grown in this 
section of Kansas this year is at present 
troubling the horticulturists not a little. 
There are thousands of bushels in the 
orchards without a market. The present 
storage capacity of Winfield is practically 
exhausted. A number of buyers have been 
there from other States buying and ship¬ 
ping choice specimens, and several cars 
have been loaded and shipped from there to 
Illinois, but the supply has been barely 
touched so far.” 
This item stated that hand-picked stock 
was selling at 50 cents per bushel. We 
suspected that this was a scheme to 
frighten growers and get them to let go at 
low' prices. We wrote to Walter Well- 
house, secretary of the Kansas Board of 
Agriculture, about this and he replies: 
“We also notice an item in our paper 
this morning stating that a similar condi¬ 
tion exists at Hutchinson County. We tiiink 
this condition applies only to the lower 
grades of fruit, such as are suitable for 
cider making or evaporating, except, prob¬ 
ably, in a few small orchards not large 
enough to attract buyers, and where all the 
help available was needed to care for other 
farm crops. The demand for our fruit has 
been generally good. We have met several 
buyers from New' York who were shipping 
our apples to their customers at various 
points. Illinois, Iowa and the greater part 
of Missouri and Nebraska have less than 
10 per cent of a crop, and the western part 
of our own State has very few' apples. This 
territory, with Texas included, affords a 
good market for the fruit of all who wish 
to avail themselves of it. Personally we 
have been growing and marketing apples 
here for 30 years, and in that time have 
never found it difficult to sell apples of all 
grades in any amount. In this vicinity 
this season some of the bettor grades have 
sold as high as $1.25 per bushel for No. 
l’s and 2’s on the table, the buyer furnish¬ 
ing the box and doing the packing. Our 
impression in regard to the general apple 
crop runs parallel with yours, that there 
are not more apples than needed to supply 
a healthy demand, and we look for a satis¬ 
factory marketing of the wdiole crop un¬ 
less dealers put the price so high as to 
curtail consumption. 
WALTER WELLHOUSE. 
SPORTS AT AN APPLE CARNIVAL.—An 
apple carnival was celebrated at Martius- 
burg, W. V'a., on October 27-29. Instead of 
having a large number of formal addresses 
there were exhibits of apples, banquet, a 
parade and various sports and games. 
Some of these games were quite original. 
For instance, in one contest workmen turned 
a barrel of apples for a distance of 100 feet. 
The barrel was to be kept rolling on the 
chine without a break, and the shortest 
time won the prize, which was a pair of 
trousers. There was also an apple oiling 
contest to determine which man could pile 
the largest number of apples on end in the 
shortest time without assistance. The prize 
in this contest was also a pair of trousers. 
There were also contests on facing apples, 
the usual preparation for a barrel, a bar¬ 
rel packing contest, and a heading con¬ 
test. Another contest was that of carrying 
an armful of apples for a city block. The 
man who reached the goal with the most 
apples in the shortest time was declared 
the winner. Then there was tug of war 
which was open only to men who were 
actually employed in the apple orchards of 
Berkeley County. There were three classes 
of teams, one with no man weighing over 
200 pounds, another with no one weighing 
over 175, and another limited to 150 pounds. 
In the parade the winner of the prize for 
the best live boxes of apples was given the 
place of honor as an apple king. We are 
very glad to note these original and enter¬ 
taining features planned and carried out in 
the East. The northeastern part of West 
Virginia has become famous as an apple 
section and such features as were promi¬ 
nent in this celebrated apple carnival, "reat- 
ly helped the business. 
THE FARMER’S SHARE OF POTATOES. 
For the past week I have been in the 
country where potatoes are ouo of the 
main crops. One field, so scabby on part 
of it that potatoes are no good, will not 
sell one unless at private sale, running 
less than 100 bushels to acre. Across the 
road the yield is better and the quality 
the finest ever. On the next farm quality 
pretty good, yield possibly 125 bushels, 
rather too many under-sized ones. Next 
farm to that yield 75 bushels. A mile or 
two away on the best farms in Monroe 
County yield less than 100 bushels, quality 
poor, many rotten ones. Buyers have been 
paying 40 cents, drawn direct from field to 
car, but kicked on quality of stock. They 
dropped' to 35 cents and yesterday sellers 
said they were only offering 30 cents, but 
to-day a man in from that section says 
they are up again to 40 cents. In talking 
with buyers they say they think they will 
be up to 50 to 00 cents later. I am very 
sure the crop in this county is much be¬ 
low 1909. taken altogether. 
Western New York. grower. 
R. N.-Y.—The government report shows a 
shortage for the entire country, but claims 
that tin' Eastern and North Atlantic States 
have more potatoes than last year. This does 
not agree with our own reports. Brices in 
New York now run from 35 to 00 cents a 
bushel, tiie latter for fancy lots. Choice 
Long island stock is a little higher. Ex¬ 
perience of other years shows that when¬ 
ever potatoes strike a certain price imports 
of European stock begin. It is said that 
these potatoes can be -put in New York, 
paying the tariff of 25 cents a bushel, at 
a little over one cent a pound. There are 
always plenty of potatoes on the other side. 
Last week a New York potato grower 
called here. He had come down with a 
carload of fine potatoes, and was trying 
to dispose of them to advantage. This was 
good stock, well sprayed and cultivated. 
This carload sold here for about 55 cents 
per bushel; out of that must come freight, 
commission, cartage and the traveling ex¬ 
penses of the farmer. Now. as this man 
sat here in this largo building, there were 
within 500 feet of him the workers who 
earn the food for more than 3,000 peo¬ 
ple. We found upon interviewing many of 
them that they are paying one dollar and 
upward per bushel for potatoes. In a few 
cases a family will buy a “bag” weighing 
perhaps 160 pounds. These potatoes are 
quoted wholesale here at one dollar and 
upward, and retail at $2.50 to $3. Most 
of the people here buy potatoes by the 
basket or peck, and pay at the rate of 
$1.30 or more per bushel. At this rate tjlio 
farmer who brought that carload of po¬ 
tatoes here gets about 30 cents of the con¬ 
sumer’s dollar. Fuder present conditions 
it was impossible for him to sell direct to 
the people close to him who were paying 
such prices. In order to do this he would 
be obliged to go around and take retail 
orders. Then he would be obliged to hire 
truckmen to deliver the potatoes, or send 
them by express, and many who bought would 
have no facilities for storing a bushel or 
more. He could not hold the car long 
enough to dispose of his load. In a smaller 
town or city, such direct selling from tne 
car might be possible—in fact it has boon 
done, hut in a great city like New York, 
under the present system, the middlemen 
have the advantage. A large number of 
farmers might combine and send a large 
quantity of produce here for storage and 
then advertise for direct dealing, but for 
inexperienced dealers this would be risky. 
Earthworms in a Well. —I did have 
much trouble with earthworms in my dug 
well until about four years ago. when I took 
up well down to hardpan, about three feet 
and put in a block of cement about the 
shape of a stovepipe, with the edge of rim 
next to the hardpan, then filled in with 
wet clay tamped In around cement top. I 
have had no trouble with surface water 
or angleworms since. To hold curb for 
cement I had old wagon tires cut and 
welded the size I wanted them to hold the 
staves in place. My small hoops are 28 
inches on outside and the large ones 48 
inches inside, so with one-inch boards for 
staves the cement curb is about seven 
inches thick and 30 inches inside. 
Tioga Co., N. Y. M. d. Clinton. 
A SWEET .TOP..—The Hudson (N. Y.l 
Oazette prints the following. Mr. Myer- 
dick gets the entire consumer’s dollar and 
has a good trip thrown in. 
••John Myerdick made his annual trip to 
New York, selling honey along the way 
with his horse and wagon, this Fall, as in 
former years. He finds that more honey 
can be sold for cash and at better prices 
to families living along the way between 
Germantown and New York City than in 
New York City itself. The honey is sold 
in containers varying in size from one to 
60 pounds each and several tons are sold 
at a fine profit within two or three weeks’ 
time spent at the work. In starting from 
Germantown, a full wagon load of honey 
is taken, and as this is sold further sup¬ 
plies are obtained at various points to 
which it had previously been shipped.” 
HAPPY TEXAS DAYS.—Our Dallas 
State Fair (the largest in the United 
States, remember), ran from October 15 
to the 31st. Last year one day’s attend¬ 
ance showed the remarkable number of 
98.000 people. This fair is a State in¬ 
stitution. and by law all profits have to 
go back into the buildings, grounds, im¬ 
provements, etc. They have some mighty 
fine buildings, a mile racetrack on which 
Dan Patch. Minor Heir, etc., are now 
performing, and many acres of valuable 
land. We have experienced more or less 
droughty weather in Texas the last three 
years. The whole northern, western and 
southwestern parts of the State are now 
without water, which is somewhat re¬ 
markable. but the cotton farmers aie 
happy, and they will make just as much 
with present prices as they would in a 
bounteous year. The crop will either be 
short or at most an average crop with 
a greater consumption. Everything now 
depends on the frost date. I expect frost 
around about November 12 for north 
Texas : our five years average is November 
1 8 . All in all. I believe the Texas farmer 
is the happiest man in these parts to¬ 
day. Our pecan crop is going to be fair 
to large: nuts of about average quality: 
that is, pretty well filled out, in spite of 
the droughty weather that has prevailed. 
Dallas, Tex. y. i„ 
No amount of care and cultivation 
Will mafe a crab tree bear pippins 
It’s the same with paint. All the formulas, fine machinery 
and painstaking care in the world will not make good paint 
unless the ingredients are pure and of the best quality. 
My people do not have to take anybody’s word on raw 
material—they produce it. They have their own linseed oil 
plants, lead mines and zinc mines. They are paint makers 
from start to finish—not mere assemblers—and when they say 
their paint for your house, barns, machinery, fences, wagons 
and every other farm purpose is the best for you, it isn’t a 
guess. They know. 
Have you a copy of our Farm Book? It gives just the 
paint or varnish for everything about a farm that needs paint 
and tells how to apply it. You had better send for a copy of 
this book and then locate a Sherwin-Williams dealer. The 
book has the information, the dealer has the right paint and 
you have the time and the ability to do the work. The result 
will be a farm in the pippin class. 
Address THE LITTLE PAINT MAN, care of 
Sherwin-Williams 
PAINTS & VARNISHES 
635 Canal Road, Cleveland, Ohio. In Canada, 639 Centre Street, Montreal 
Established 1802 
RED CROSS 
DYNAMITE 
Low-Freezing 
Slow-Freezing 
Quick-Thawing 
All other standard brands freeze 
at temperatures of 45° F. to 
50° F. and become so insensi¬ 
tive that they will not do good 
work until they are thawed. 
Red Cross Dynamite 
will not freeze until water Ireezes 
and thaws when ice melts. 
Thawing dynamite is a slow 
process. II you use a brand 
that does not have to be thawed 
except in freezing weather you 
will save time and trouble. 
Write for free illustrated catalogue. 
Ask your dealer for Red Cross 
Dynamite. If he does not 
keep it write to us and we will 
ship it to you. 
E. I. du Pent de Nemours Powder Co. 
Wilmington, Del., U. S. A. 
Steel Wheels- 
That’s So! Hired hands an 
getting scarcer every day 
,but LOW DOWN STEEI 
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their place. Then, too, tin 
J.sun don’t affect a steel whee 
ijlike it does the best of hirec 
help. More brain and les 
muscle nowadays. Cata 
logue free to you. 
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Box 17, Havana, IU. 
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bearings and working parts turned, finished 
and machined, reducing friction, increasing 
posver, making , it extremely light-running. 
9 Hitch on to any stump 
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Also pulls largest- 
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Save big money 
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FREE BOOKS 
HERCULES MANUFACTURING CO. 
13Q 17th Street, Centerville, Iowa 
: 
HANDY 
WAGON 
lasts that long under ordinary conditions. First, the life 
of a wagon depends upon the wheels. This one is 
equipped with our Klectrlc Steel Wheels, with straight 
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THOUSANDS NOW IN DAILY USE 
Don't buy a wagon until vou get our free book, "Wheel Sens.'.” 
KLEOTKIO WHEEL CO., Box 48 Quincy, JUL 
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MTPLEASANT 
