TH K 
Opening of the Tompkins County, N.Y\, 
Farm Bureau. 
T HE formal opening of the spacious new quar¬ 
ters of the Tompkins County Farm Bureau 
and its auxiliary, the Tompkins County 
Breeders’ Association was held on Saturday, April 
-4. During the day over 300 farmers and 250 
farmers' wives (and future wives) visited the 
rooms and enjoyed the hospitality of the bureau and 
association. Refreshments were served, and both 
men and women kept up a continual conversation. 
It was the first time that many of those present 
had been able to meet with so many of their co- 
workers, and the men spent the greater paid of the 
day discussing legislation affecting the farmer. 
Great disapproval was heard on all sides of the 
law requiring farm vehicles to carry lights and of 
the law requiring a dollar tax to be paid on every 
farm dog, which was considered in 
the light of taxing a necessity by the 
majority of those present. As a result 
of the discussion some of those present 
have taken up the forming of an or¬ 
ganization to further laws which they 
believe would be beneficial to rural 
communities and to voice its disap¬ 
proval of detrimental legislation. This 
step by the farmers is needed badly in 
view of the organizations which work 
tor the passage of laws which are bene¬ 
ficial to the organizations in question, 
but which act as hardships on the 
fa rmers. 
In addition to the office of the bu¬ 
reau and association, which is shared 
with the Business Men’s Association of Ithaca, 
there are a committee room and a rest room for 
women. The latter is equipped with plenty of 
chairs, lounges and a crib where a farmer's wife 
can leave the baby in charge of the matron while 
she is shopping. Therefore, the old excuse: “I have 
to stay home with the baby." is no longer valid 
in Tompkins County. 
The feature of the day’s entertainment was the 
awarding of prizes in the contest for new members 
to the Breeders’ Association and new subscribers to 
the Breeders’ Journal. The contest was very close, 
and it was not until a few minutes before closing 
that the winner, A. T. Personius, brought in the 
necessary counts to win. The first prize, a pure¬ 
bred Holstein heifer calf, valued at $100, was pre¬ 
sented to Mr. Personius by Prof. Wing of the New 
York State College of Agriculture. The second 
prize, a purebred Holstein bull calf, valued at $50, 
was won by Earl Sincepaugh. Miss 
Clara Stevens finished third, winning 
a purebred Cheshire sow valued at $15. 
Miss Nellie Rum.sey won the fourth 
prize, a pen of purebred Rhode Island 
Reds valued at $0. The following won 
two settings of purebred eggs each: 
Reon Rothermich, W. E. Davis. Miss 
Martha Calkins, Arland Beardsley. 
Miss Eloda Sweazey and Win. Swea- 
zey. All the winners in the contest 
were under 20, so that the aim of the 
Breeders’ Association in promoting the 
rearing of purebred stock undoubtedly 
will have an influence on them. 
Mr. \ . B. Batchley. the manager of 
the Farm Bureau, felt elated over the 
success of the opening and the contest. 
The enrollment of the Breeders’ Asso¬ 
ciation was increased 20 per cent, by 
the contest and the subscribers to the 
Breeders’ Journal were increased over 
100 per cent. 
The Tompkins County Farm Bu¬ 
reau is doing wonderful work and other farm bureaus 
might well follow in its footsteps. Prof. M. C. Bur- 
ritt of the New York State College of Agriculture 
and State Director of Farm Bureaus will he glad to 
render aid either in making suggestions or planning 
projects. B y kinzey. 
NBW-VORKER 
an opportunity, notably the muskmelon and cucum¬ 
ber, and squash and pumpkin. In physical appear¬ 
ance, the plants of cucumber and muskmelon are so 
similar that many people cannot tell one from the 
other when growing in the garden. This is also 
true of the squash and pumpkin, and the theory in 
the mind of many people, that these members of 
the order will readily intercross, is quite natural, 
but theories are not facts, and as it is facts that 
are wanted in this matter, I wish to state that in 
my thirty-odd years' experience in gardening, I do 
not recall a single instance of these cultivated spe¬ 
cies of the order intercrossing. It might be possi¬ 
ble for such a thing to occur, yet the chances of its 
occurring seems to me so remote, the question is 
not worth considering seriously, and furthermore 
if inter-crossing should occur, such an event would 
in no wise affect the quality of the present year’s 
crop. The change could only take place in the seed, 
The Pigs Must Have Stout Legs. Fig. 263. 
and would not be brought to notice until the next 
year’s crop. When it is remembered that the natural 
mission of the pollen is to fertilize the bloom, prin¬ 
cipally for seed protection, so that the species may 
be enabled to perpetuate itself, it will be readily 
seen the quality of the fruit of the present year’s 
crop can in no wise be affected or changed by this 
operation of nature. 
Then again, if we will take into consideration the 
agency employed in performing the important work 
of pollenizing the blooms, the bees and other insects, 
it will again be readily seen, that the foreign pol¬ 
len, distributed by these insects in our orchards, 
would be almost certain to affect and alter the 
quality of almost every fruit on the trees, as the 
bees during their day’s work, travel many miles and 
visit many varieties of the same species of fruits, 
vegetables, etc., gathering the pollen from the stam¬ 
ens of many blooms, and depositing it on the pistils 
723 
quality of the fruit, there would scarcely be a sin¬ 
gle fruit that would retain its natural flavor, and 
possibly no two would be alike. On the other hand 
if they would inter-cross readily, and affect only the 
seed and succeeding crop, and it could do nothing 
more, there would scarcely be a single fruit of the 
cucumber, muskmelon, squash nor pumpkin that 
would be true to type or variety. We should have 
all kinds of queer freaks, cucumber-squashes, cucum¬ 
ber-pumpkins. cucumber-melons, squash-melons, 
pumpkin-melons and every other conceivable mix¬ 
ture that nature could devise. 
Go ahead and plant your crops as first planned, 
and rest assured you will be safe from any annoy¬ 
ance or loss, through the inter-crossing of any of 
these vegetables, at least, for the present year’s crop, 
nor any subsequent year's crop, in so far as the mix¬ 
ing of the cucumber and watermelon is concerned. 
These two species of the order will not mix. k. 
The Scientific Side of It. 
As long ago as 1S91 T made a large 
number of crosses between various 
members of the squash family, when 
I was associated with Prof. Bailey at 
Ithaca. In a few instances we were 
able to secure the development of 
fruits, but none of these fruits bore 
fertile seeds. Since then. I have re¬ 
peatedly made crosses between cucum¬ 
bers and muskmelons in the green¬ 
house, but have never yet been able 
to get a fruit to set. I suspect that I 
have done as much work of this kind 
as any single individual in the coun¬ 
try. and it is my personal opinion, 
founded upon this experience, that there is no cross¬ 
ing between cucumbers and muskmelons, no cross¬ 
ing between squash and cucumbers, and in fact 
no crossing between true pumpkins—Cucurbita 
Pepo and C. maxima or the true squash as we recog¬ 
nize it. in this country. 
The only possible way in which there could be 
any influence, except through the agency of crossing, 
would be to admit that there is an immediate effect 
of pollen. This I cannot conceive of being possible. 
In regard to the immediate effect of pollen, the 
only striking instance of this is in connection with 
corn, where it has been demonstrated that the pol¬ 
len does affect the color of the grains in the imme¬ 
diate generation, but aside from a few other in¬ 
stances, there is practically no evidence that there 
is an immediate effect of pollen which would in 
any way account for a change of color or flavor. 
From what I have said, you will appreciate that, 
personally, I do not believe there is any 
ground for the old belief that it is a 
disadvantage to plant cucumbers and 
melons together in the same patch. I 
think the low quality of muskmelons 
is more often traceable to adverse cli¬ 
matic conditions, to the variety not be¬ 
ing adapted to the region, or to the 
plant being diseased either by mildew 
or one of the wilt diseases. 
L. C. COKBETT. 
Department of Agriculture. 
The Grange and Farm Fighters. 
mz: 4 ,-; 
Y 
Do Squash and Cucumber “ Mix ” ? 
B ill you let me know whether cucumbers and water¬ 
melons will mix when planted side by side? I have 
some to plant, and wanted to plant them next to each 
Htlicr. but have been told by some that they would mix. 
I think that they are wrong. T. n. k, 
T HE order of Cucurbitacene contains about 70 
known genera and over -100 species, among 
which are the cucumber, muskmelon, water¬ 
melon. ornamental gourds, edible gourds or squash, 
pumpkins etc. All the species and their varieties 
are co-related, and some of them appear so closely 
ielated that one would almost he compelled to be¬ 
lieve they would very readily cross-breed if afforded 
The Office of the Farm Bureau. Fig. 264. 
of other blooms during the day. It is principally 
through this agency that the blooms are pollen- 
ized, and the various trees, plants, etc., are influ¬ 
enced to set fruit and seed. All the cucurbitaceie 
are abundant pollen bearers, and when they are in 
bloom, the bee is in his glory, as he can then gratify 
his pollen-gathering instincts to the limit, which he 
proceeds to do, by literally covering himself with 
it, and while doing so. he no doubt visits hundreds 
of blooms daily during the blooming period of these 
vegetables, including all the cultivated species in 
his rounds. Gathering a little pollen from this 
bloom and depositing a little on the stigma of the 
next one he visits, it is hardly conceivable that there 
would be a single bloom of one species that would 
escape being pollenized by this agency with the pol¬ 
len of some or all of the other species in the course 
of the day or two the flower remains open. There¬ 
fore if these vining vegetables would inter-cross 
readily with any one or all of their related species, 
and such inter-crossing had any effect upon the 
OFR editorial on page G26 headed 
"Who Are the Fighters,” is cer¬ 
tainly very interesting. The atti¬ 
tude of the officer of the State Grange 
to my mind is only one of thousands of 
Grange members throughout the State, 
if our local Grange is any criterion to 
go by. \Ye have had the same officers 
for the last eight years, with but slight 
change, but the Master has been the same. 
The attendance is dropping off very fast, due to 
the fact that there is no change in programs. Busi¬ 
ness is discussed in an uninteresting way. and laid 
on the table for the least excuse to get rid of it. 
Our programs are mainly “intellectual feasts” (?) 
with very little discussion of farm topics. 
T believe that for best results in Subordinate 
Granges the offices of Master and lecturer should 
not be held more than two years, no matter how 
well the Grange is run or how well the programs 
are prepared, as there will always be some one who 
can go ahead as well as the old officers, as if is due 
to the fact that the officers lose their ability to fight 
because they have a hold on the office for too long 
a time. If farmers want fighters for their rights 
where should they look for them but in the State. 
National or Subordinate Grange? 
We need more men like T. C. Atkeson of the 
West Virginia Grange if we farmers are ever going 
to get what comes to us by right of the sweat of lion 
