558 
'X' H fcC RURAL 
NEW-YORKER 
April 10, lOl.j. 
{ EVENTS OF THE WEEK 
DOMESTIC.—The United States sub¬ 
marine F-4 was submerged at Honolulu, 
March 25, and failed to reappear. It was 
located by divers near the harbor three 
days later, but there was no hope of re¬ 
covering its crew of 21 men alive. 
The constitutionality of the law passed 
by New York State in 11)13 prohibiting 
work by women in factories between 10 
p. rn. and 6 a. m. was upheld, March 
26. by the Court of Appeals. The validity 
of the law was attacked by employers on 
the ground that it unduly interfered with 
the right of adult women to contract for 
their labor. In the opinion, written by 
Judge Hiscock in which all the other 
judges concur, it is held that the Legis¬ 
lature was justified in believing that 
night work in factories was so detri¬ 
mental to the health of women that it 
ought to be prohibited for their own sakes 
and in the interest of public welfare. 
Another rabbit killing case, which in 
some respects rivals the famous Oscar 
Phillips arrest in North Plainfield, was 
up before Justice Peter D. Lane at Far 
Hills, N. J., March 26, and as the pris¬ 
oner had not the money to pay his fine 
he was sent to the county jail for 50 
days, notwithstanding his protest that he 
was out of work and hungry and killed 
the rabbit for food only. The prisoner 
was Jasper Svarka, 24 years of age, a 
former farmhand who has been out of 
work for some time. He killed a rabbit 
with a stone, was immediately arrested, 
and fined $22.35. Having no money he 
went to jail. Last November Justice 
Snape at North Plainfield sentenced Os¬ 
car Phillips, a youth of that place, to 
serve 90 days in the county jail for hav¬ 
ing killed a rabbit, which was destroying 
his mother’s garden truck. Citizens all 
over the State became indignant and a 
number of lawyers offered to take up the 
case for the boy. Gov. Fielder was ap¬ 
pealed to and an investigation resulted 
in the release of the lad after he bad 
served something like a month. 
March 25 the Connecticut Legislature 
killed the woman suffrage bill by an unan¬ 
imous vote. 
A regiment of infantry and three bat¬ 
teries of artillery were ordered, March 
29, by the War Department to be ready 
to go to Brownsville, Tex., to protect 
lives and property there. Villa and Car- 
’■anza troops are engaged in an artillery 
battle and already two Americans have 
been injured by stray bullets. 
The pupils of parochial and private 
schools in first and second class cities 
must submit to vaccination before being 
admitted, under the terms of the Tallett 
lull, approved by Gov. Whitman of New 
York, March 30. Heretofore the provis¬ 
ions of the compulsory vaccination bill 
applied only to public schools. The meas¬ 
ure was opposed by the Anti-Vaccination 
League of America, but was favored by 
the State Education authorities. The 
bill also provides that whenever there is a 
smallpox epidemic in third class cities 
and rural communities the Commissioner 
of Education shall direct the school 
authorities to debar all unvaccinated pu¬ 
pils. Cumberland County, N. J., has re¬ 
cently suffered from an outbreak of small¬ 
pox. 
Mrs. Ruth W. McManus, widow of 
the American milk contractor slain by 
Zapatistas on the day the Convention 
army marched into Mexico City, has been 
paid an indemnity of $20,000 gold for the 
loss of her husband. 
One man was killed and another was 
seriously injured at Panama, March 31, 
when the tackle of a 14-inch gun they 
were mounting on the canal fortifications 
at Naos Island broke, and the huge ma¬ 
chine rolled down the hill, crushing them 
under it. 
The New Jersey Supreme Court by a 
decision, March 30. refused to permit the 
statute of limitations to act as a barrier 
to the recovery of $20,000 damages sued 
for by William S. Freyer and his sixteeu- 
vear-old daughter, Grace Freyer, because 
of tvphoid fever alleged to have resulted 
from the daughter’s drinking impure 
water furnished by the Mount Holly 
Water Company. The court held that the 
injury alleged was not of such a char¬ 
acter as accrued to persons resulting 
from the wrongful act, neglect or default 
of any person or persons, and therefore 
was not included in section three of the 
statute of limitation invoked by the 
water company. 
The New York Assembly passed the 
Bewley bill. March 31, permitting women 
and minors to work in canning factories 
during the busy season for 72 hours a 
week instead of 60, as the law limits such 
labor now. Two other bills desired by 
the canners were beaten, 66 ayes to 67 
noes for the bill permitting women to 
work until midnight instead of 10 o’clock 
at night and 58 to 70 for the bill exempt¬ 
ing employes of canning factories from 
the law requiring one day of rest in 
every seven. 
Ravmond Swoboda, who left New York 
on February 27 with an American pass¬ 
port vised by the French Consul here, 
is under arrest in Paris charged with 
having set fire on March 6 to the steam¬ 
er La Tourame. Swoboda, 38 years of 
age. was a passenger on La Touraine 
Fire was discovered in the second hold 
on March 6. The passenger list was 
fairly large and the situation was critical 
because of the fact that there was a large 
quantity of ammunition in the cargo. 
Investigations made by the experts select¬ 
ed by Admiral Cbarlier, who is the head 
of the inquiry, revealed that the fire on 
the steamship was started by the explo¬ 
sion of a detonating device. It is fairly 
well established that this device was in a 
trunk stored in the hold. Several persons 
in New York have appeared to give testi¬ 
mony favorable to Swoboda’s character. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—A verdict of 
$2,500 against the United States Express 
Company for sending 20 hens to Wash¬ 
ington Market and an untimely death was 
brought in, March 30, by a jury of 
eleven white men and a negro before Jus¬ 
tice Vernon H. Davis in the New York 
Supreme Court. The hens belonged to 
Frederick Harries and were all prize win¬ 
ners. Cooped together they were shipped 
in 1911 from Flemington, N. J., to New 
York. This was after 10 of them had 
taken prizes at Madison Square Garden. 
The other 10 in two pens of five each, 
had taken first prizes at the Garden. 
These were White Orpingtons. All 20 
got to this city, but were delivered to G. 
Z. Hawk, a Washington Market dealer, 
who killed them. II. D. Merchant, coun¬ 
sel for the bereaved owner, produced in 
court all the ribbons and silver cups the 
hens had won. He also called experts, 
who said they were worth $5,000. The 
jury gave the full amount sued for and 
$597 interest besides. 
Charles S. Wilson, a professor in the 
State College of Agriculture at Cornell 
University, was appointed by Governor 
Whitman. March 29, as State Commis¬ 
sioner of Agriculture to succeed Calvin J. 
Huson. Professor Wilson is a son of 
Senator Thomas B. Wilson, well known 
in agricultural circles. 
The Department of Commerce, at 
Washington, has sold 10 pairs of silver 
gray foxes to the Alaska Silver Fox and 
Fur Company at Fairbanks, receiving 
$312 a pair for them. These foxes were 
raised on the Pribilof Islands by the Gov¬ 
ernment for breeding purposes. The fur 
company is obligated not to kill them for 
their pelts, but to use them for breeding. 
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE NOTES. 
A short time ago several farmers of 
Franklin and St. Lawrence counties lost 
horses from a disease which was prac¬ 
tically unknown to the local veterinar¬ 
ians. The New York State Veterinary 
College was notified and Prof. C. P. Fitch 
was given charge of the investigation. 
He discovered that the disease has never 
been found in New York before, but has 
occurred in the West, South, Canada and 
Europe, where it lias been known as 
swamp fever or infectious anaemia. Al¬ 
though the investigation has not been 
completed as yet, it may be said that very 
little treatment can be rendered, so that 
the work has been almost entirely pre¬ 
ventive. As far as is known the dis¬ 
ease is confined to horses. 
The Erie Railroad lias made arrange¬ 
ments with the State College of Agricul¬ 
ture by which a farm train will visit a 
score of towns in the western part of 
the State between April 13 and April 22. 
The train will be made up of two special¬ 
ly equipped cars, one of which will be 
used for displays and exhibits and the 
other for laboratory work and discussions. 
During the stops Prof. II. A. Hopper of 
Cornell will discuss breeds and the va¬ 
rious methods of breeding both cattle and 
horses, and the value of various feeds and 
the methods of feeding; W. W. Warsaw 
of Cornell will have charge of the work 
concerning soil fertility, lime and its ap¬ 
plication. fertilizers, manures and drain¬ 
age. and J. H. Barron of Cornell and 
Prof. C. O. Du Bois of Alfred University 
will give talks on farm crops, pastures, 
hay, potatoes, etc. All the talks will be 
noil-technical, they will be applied to the 
Western section of the State and they 
will deal with everyday problems so that 
much valuable knowledge may be gained 
by devoting the half day to the train. 
The schedule of the train is as follows: 
Tues., Apr. 13—Avoea, a. m.; Bath. p. m. 
Wed., Apr. 14—Wayland, a. m.; Colioc- 
ton. p. m. Thurs., Apr. 15—Hamburg, 
a. m.; Eden Center, p. m. Fri.. Apr. 
16—North Collins, a. m.; Gowanda. p. 
m. Sat., Apr. 17—Cherry Creek, a. m.; 
Kennedy, p. m. Mon.. Apr. 19—James¬ 
town, a. m.; Randolph, p. ni. Tues.. 
Apr. 20—Tattle Valley, a. m.; Allegany, 
p. m. Wed., Apr. 21—Olcan, a. m.; 
Cuba, p. m. Thurs., Apr. 22—Wells- 
vilie until 2 :30 p. m. 
The third in a series of meetings be¬ 
ing conducted under the auspices of the 
New York State Vegetable Growers’ As¬ 
sociation was held at Syracuse on March 
20 in cooperation with the Central New 
York Vegetable Growers’ Association. 
Many round table discussions were held 
on subjects of interest to both upland 
and muck land farmers. Prof. I. C. Jae¬ 
ger of the University of Rochester spoke 
on “The Vegetable Disease Problem,” and 
on celery. Prof. Paul Work of Cornel) 
spoke on good seeds and on tomatoes 
The work of the association was dis¬ 
cussed and a campaign for new members 
was started. Through the assistance of 
the Farm Bureau Agent. S. A. Martin, 
many farmers from Fulton. Canastota. 
and Utica were present. Many more of 
these meetings are to be held in the im¬ 
mediate future. All vegetable growers 
should watch for them, as they are of 
great value. 
The New York State Fair Commission 
nominated by Gov. Whitman consists of: 
Charles A. Weiting. of Cobleskill. five 
years; Edward A. Long, White Plains, 
four years; Calvin J. Huson, Penn Yan, 
three years; W. A. Harriman, Arden, 
two years; Fred B. Parker, Batavia, one 
year, from March 1 last. 
Growing Market Peas. 
I wish to raise an acre or more of peas 
this year (wrinkled) for local market; 
shall drill them in, raising those that 
grow 20 to 30 inches high. How far 
apart should the drills be and how far 
apart the peas in the drills, also how 
deep? My land is a fairly rich loam. 
Would it be of advantage to drill in fer¬ 
tilizer with them? If so what kind of fer¬ 
tilizer would be best? Is it a good plan 
to sow two rows a few inches apart and 
the next two rows at a farther distance? 
Holland. N. Y. F. M. s. 
Peas do not require an extra rich soil, 
if it is in fairly good condition. Pure 
raw bone meal (finely ground) has al¬ 
ways given me the most satisfactory re¬ 
sults. If applied in the row 300 or 400 
pounds to the acre is sufficient. Every 
gardener has his favorite varieties of 
peas, etc., but I believe I am safe in mak¬ 
ing the statement that the Gradus or 
Prosperity, has more staunch friends 
than any other extra early wrinkled pea 
grown. This variety grows about 30 
inches high in the average soil, is very 
productive, bearing gigantic pods con¬ 
taining from six to 10 very large peas, 
the flavor is most delicious. Thos. Lax- 
ton is another superior variety. It is a 
product of the Gradus strain, and ma¬ 
tures at the same season, quality equal 
to Gradus. grows a few inches taller, and 
is somewhat more productive.' Both of 
these varieties should be planted about 
three inches deep. The rows should be 
3 % to four feet apart; sow one quart 
of seed to the hundred feet of row. Of 
the more dwarf extra early wrinkled sorts 
the following are perhaps the best: Sut¬ 
ton’s Excelsior, and Laxtonian, both sorts 
grow about 18 inches high, are very pro¬ 
ductive of very high quality peas. The 
rows may be planted six to eight inches 
closer together, using the same quantity 
of seed to the hundred feet of row as 
for the taller sorts. 
In the kitchen garden, double row 
planting is extensively resorted to, as the 
space that can be allotted to peas is very 
often quite limited, the taller growing 
sorts are almost invariably given some 
kind of artificial supports, and when thus 
planted the material required for sup¬ 
ports is reduced to nearly one half that 
required for the same number of rows 
planted singly. When planted in this 
way the double rows are planted 10 to 
12 inches apart, with alleys 3% to four 
feet or more between, according to the 
height of the variety. In field culture the 
double row plan is not commendable, as 
the cultivation is done principally by 
horse power, thus reducing hand cultiva¬ 
tion to the lowest possible point. This 
economy cannot be accomplished if the 
crop is planted in double rows, as the 
hoe will have to be employed between the 
rows to loosen the soil, which will add 
much to the expense of cultivation with¬ 
out a corresponding increase in the re¬ 
turns. K. 
Size of Birdhouse. 
I am making a birdhouse for martins, 
and have made the rooms about eight 
inches square. I am told that the rooms 
are too large and that the martins will 
not inhabit the house for that reason. If 
so, what size should the rooms be and 
what should be the width and height of 
the doorway of each room? At what 
height from the ground should the house 
be set? H. N. 
Hannibal, O. 
The rooms in the martin house which 
you are building are larger than they are 
usually made. However, the martins may 
not object to them on that account. 
Houses having room six inches square 
and six inches high, entrances 2% inches 
in diameter and one inch above the floor, 
and a height above the ground of 15 or 
20 feet, are satisfactory to martins. 
These and other matters pertaining to 
bird houses are set forth in Farmers’ 
Bulletin 609 from the U. S. Department 
of Agriculture. ir. w. iienshaw, 
Chief, Biological Survey. 
Potato Inspection. 
Quarantines for powdery scab in po¬ 
tatoes are in force in parts of Maine and 
New York. Under the new rules of the 
Federal authorities, in force April 16. 
inspection at point of shipment will be 
discontinued, and inspection made at 
Portland, Maine, and Rouse’s Point, N. 
Y. This puts all responsibility on the 
shipper, who must see that the stock 
shipped is free from powdery scab and 
similar diseases or have it condemned at 
the inspection points. All potato cars 
from infected districts must bear the red 
tags furnished by the Federal Horticul¬ 
tural Board of the U. S. Department of 
Agriculture, from whom full particulars 
can be had. 
W iiex you write advertisers mention Tin: - 
It. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and n 
“square deal.” See guarantee editoriai pago. 
HOME MADE 
ACETYLENE 
brings greatest of 
city conveniences 
to the country 
The Chicago Gas Company has 
over 500,000 customers. Other 
big city gas companies have pro¬ 
portionately as many. These 
millions of city 
people would¬ 
n’t know how 
to get along with¬ 
out gas. They 
long ago found 
it so superior to 
oil and coal that ___ 
they hardly know A 
what these things MBS' 
look like. _ 
City folks used jj- 
to have this great CAS SUPPLY FOR 
convenience to THE BIC CITY 
themselves. But 
today Home-Made Acetylene is even a 
greater boon to country homes than 
city gas is to city homes. 
Acctvlcno is ten times richer than city gas— 
the light is white, more brilliant, and far more 
beautiful. Acetylene is also like city gas, a 
perfect cooking fuel. With an acetylene range 
in her kitchen the country housewife can enjoy 
cooking in cool comfort without any of the 
drudgery of handling kindling, coal or ashes. 
The light fixtures are, too, handsome brass or 
bronze—selected from a catalog of many styles. 
The men folks 
CAS SUPPLY FOR THE on the place can 
have big white 
lights of their own 
in barns and out¬ 
buildings — and 
have all fixed to 
light with the pull 
of a chain—with¬ 
out matches. 
A quarter of a 
million farmers 
now m a k o this 
light and fuel 
right at home. 
Each one fills. his 
acetylene gener¬ 
ator once a month 
with the acetylene producing stone, Vnion 
Carbide. The generator does the rest. 
The new models are inexpensive and are 
wonderful improvements over the early types. 
Ti'e will be glad to answer questions 
and mail onr very interesting 
advertising literature. Write to 
UNION CARBIDE SALES CO. Dept., B 
42nd Str.ot Building. NEW YORK, or 
Pooolo. Co. Building. CHICAGO ILL. 2> 
To 
Our 
Agents 
We have a special 
proposition to offer 
you at this time— 
Postal will bring 
details. 
Address 
Department “M” 
The Rural New-Yorker 
333 W. 30th St. 
New York City 
