696 
transportation. Tliis would necessarily be a severe 
blow to tlie fanner who raises market hay of this 
class, hut the burden in such a case should be 
with the man who raises undesirable plants rather 
than with the man who feels that he cannot afford 
to have such pests on his land To those who are 
oi)posed to official interference in such matters the 
suggestion is made that users of market hay de¬ 
mand, and see to it, individually, that they receive 
hay which is free fi’om seeds of plants that are 
known to be serious pests in their locality. Ex- 
])erience in other lines has indicated which will be 
more effective. Whatever the method adopted, there 
should be developed a strong sentiment against the 
condition now existing. 
A SOURCE OF THISTLE SUPPLY.—The 
writer's natural interest led him to make further 
examination of the specimen submitted, which ap- 
pai’ently was the major portion of Canada thi.stle 
plant. The seeds w’ei’e separated with sieves and 
blower, weighed, and the total number estimated 
from the weight of a given number. Such calcula¬ 
tion indicated the presence of 11 (10 Canada thistle 
seeds on the one plant examined. At least 10 per 
cent, were capable of germination. Apparently, 
many more were shattered out before the s])ecimen 
was taken from the bale. Undoubtedly, cattle do 
not reli.sh these plants with barbed wire defenses 
and, consequently, they find their way to the field 
by the manure pile roiite. Canada thistle plants 
arise to compier the crop and to stir the wrath of 
the farmer. And many times the farmer would 
vent .said wrath 'on the seed dealer because he has 
not recognized the other port of entry. 
WEED LEGISLATION.—Referring again to legis¬ 
lation again.st noxious weeds, it is interesting to 
note the character of the laws passed by New York 
and New Jer.sey several years ago, and with spe¬ 
cial reference to Canada thistle. In 1847, New 
York State enacted that Canada thistles along 
canals should be cut twice a year in specified per¬ 
iods and at the direction of the siqierintendent of 
canals. If he fails to do this at the specified time 
it shall be lawful for any person to do the cutting 
and charge costs to the superintendent, said costs 
being I’eeoverable in any court of justice. In 1881 
a similar law was passed directing railroad com¬ 
panies to do llkewi.se. By an act of 1878, supple¬ 
mented in 1887, owners of, or occupants of cultivated 
or enclosed lands abutting on highways are com* 
polled to cut down and destroy noxious weeds which 
may be growing on such lands and within the 
bounds of the highway. If the owner wilfully ne¬ 
glects to comply with this, cost of cutting shall be 
added to his tax bill. 
PENALIZING PLANT CULPRITS.—In New Jer¬ 
sey an act of 1848 imposes a fine of 25 cents for 
every stalk or branch of Canada thistle, knowingly, 
willingly or wilfully permitted to stand until its 
seeds get rijie. By an act of 1881 any person who 
knowingly and wilfully brings into the State any 
baled hay or grass or grain seeds containing Can¬ 
ada thistle or seeds of the same, or who knowingly 
or wilfully sells any manure containing Canada 
thistle or seeds of same is" liable to fine or imprison¬ 
ment or both, if convicted. The enactments in New 
York seek to give protection again.st lands which 
are not ordinarily controlled by cultivation. No 
action, however, is directed ag!\inst him who know¬ 
ingly and wilfully allows Canada thistle or other 
noxious weeds to develop on lands which do not 
abut on highways. Nor is there any protection for 
the New Jersey faianer when the New York far¬ 
mer can knowingly and wilfully bundle up pestifer¬ 
ous plants and .sell them without restriction. The 
reverse of this also holds. 
FEDERAL CONTROL NEEDED.—Persons mak¬ 
ing complaint under the New Jersey law have the 
burden of proving knowledge and intent, and in 
most cases this would be a most difficult task in¬ 
deed. What do we need. Federal control of inter¬ 
state shipments or education of the farmer to the 
point where he will not acept without a certificate 
of purity? Either will bring pres.sui’e on the pro¬ 
ducer. Doubtless, changing economic conditions 
will bring all three. J. p. h. 
Big Drainage for Delaware 
We are having another southeaster. It seems as 
though it is scooping the rain out of the Delaware Bay 
and Atlantic Ocean. We have had a very wet Spring 
so far; farm work is very much delayed. This sec¬ 
tion needs drainage very much, which I think should 
be a government proposition, something similar to the 
irrigation done by the government. If there was a good 
large ditch dredged out to the river or bay so we could 
get good fall for drainage, it would be a very great 
benefit to this section, as the land is very level, and no 
other way for proper drainage. I would like to know 
how to get the government properly interested in a 
proposition of this kind, as it would be a great public 
benefit to around 50,000 acres or more of land, great- 
“Uhe RURAL NEW-YORKER 
May 10, lOlV. 
ly increase crops and reduc«‘ cost of production, and at 
the same time eliminate the breeding of disease germs 
and mosquitoes. I think the farmers of the East are 
entitled to government aid for drainage as well as the 
West is for irrigation ))urposes. Nearly every paper one 
jticks up you see farmers urged to produce more crop.s. 
What is the use of putting forth that extra effort as 
long as the produce is liondled the way it is at the 
j)resent time'.;' Often we raise farm crops at a loss, 
becau.se we do not get a decent price to pay for labor, 
seed and cost of transportation to market, and cost of 
selling to consumer. g. w. g. 
Sussex Co., Del. 
S T’CII tbing.s are usually left to the Senators and 
Rej)resentatives from each State. They are 
supposed to represent the people. Yon should get 
after your representative in Congress and also after 
The Right Time to Spray. Fig. 270. See page 698 
your State government. At first they will merely 
give you “careful consideration,” which means a 
polite way of ignoring you. They will do little or 
nothing until you can make noise enough to at¬ 
tract their attention. Keep talking and working. 
Get your neighbors interested —make them listen. 
They will come in time and then the “authoi-ities” 
will take hold. When it becomes popular the job 
will be done and there wdll be 100 men to claim 
that they started it Your plan is a good one, and 
some daj' it must be developed. In China there is 
a network of canals running all over the country. 
Water drains into them when the ground is wet. 
and in time of drought it is pumped back to irri¬ 
gate the crops. But for this saving and use of stor¬ 
age water the Chinese never could support their 
great population. ' The same plan must be developed 
in this country, and Delaware, New Jersey and 
l»arts of Maryland are ideal places for starting it. 
Keep talking about it! Put in the seed of thought. 
It w’ill grow into accomplishment. 
College Student Farm Labor 
[We have tried to obtain fair oitinion.s regarding the 
value of city raised college students for farm work. 
We have no prejudice against this class of labor—in 
fact we Would like to be able to reeommend it—now 
A Handy Wheelbarrow. Fig. 272. See page 698 
that farmers need help. We want the facts from prac¬ 
tical farmers who pay for the labor. Here is a report 
from a wmman farmer.] 
OU asked for experience in stuejent help; here’s 
ours: We hired a young man from an agricul¬ 
tural school, 20 years old, city bred, but on a farm 
two Summers. He had learned to milk at school. 
He came in June, on a Thursday night. Monday 
he brought out five shirts, three suits of underwear, 
two sets pajamas, handkerchiefs and socks by the 
dozens. Had not had any Avashing done lately. All 
the time he stayed his washings were double what 
they should be. 
We did not expect much for a few days at work, 
but as time went on he did not improve; did about 
one-third as much as a man should. By eight o’clock 
at night he was keen for a girl and walk or drive, 
anything for a good time. By nine or 9:30, if the 
girl was not available, he was ready to write let¬ 
ters in the family sitting-room, and at 10 or 11 go to 
bed. leaving the electric light on, etc.—rest of the 
family in bed at nine. Couldn’t get him tired—oh 
no—only one day. he hauled manure and riding in 
the iron-wheeled wa.gon tired him. He was intei’- 
ested in crop rotation. Alfalfa, etc., but how can he 
ever make a farmer? We paid him .$25 a month 
with board and washing. He was so incompetent 
and slow we had to hire a man at .$2 a day for a 
good mans' da.vs to get the work done when the 
two men shoidd have done most of it. He seemed 
to have no idea the fann people knew how they 
wanted to live, and his owir personal wants and 
waj’'s were first. Our superintendent is a young 
man of fine character, a graduate from the agricul¬ 
ture school, and we tried to be good and patient 
with the man for the two months. n. y. 
Soldiers’ Widows and Public Land 
During the past .six months we have had a number 
of letters referring to public lands. There seems to be 
a revival of interest in homesteading. All such letters 
are referred to the Interior Department, at Washing¬ 
ton, from which full description and papers can be ob¬ 
tained. Thei-e have been several letters from women 
referring to cei-tain rights given to old soldiers for 
making double entries of government land. These 
have been referred to the Commissioner of the General 
Land Office and his reply will inform many wives and 
daughters of old soldiers: 
A ny officer, soldier, seaman, or marine who 
served for not less than 90 days in the army 
or navy of the United States during the Civil War, 
receiving an honorable discharge therefrom, and 
who, prior to .Tune 22, 1874, the date of the adop¬ 
tion of the Revised Statutes, made a homestead 
entry for less than ICO acres, may, under section 
2,.306, Revised Statutes, enter an additional quantity 
of land which added to the previous entry will not 
aggregate more than 100 acres. 
This right was extended by section 2,307, Re¬ 
vised Statutes, to the widow, if unmarried, other¬ 
wise to the minor oi’phan children. If there is no 
widow unmariied and no minor orphan children, 
the right is held to be an asset of the soldier entry- 
man’s estate, to be disi)osed of by his legal repre¬ 
sentative, or by his heirs, as other personal property. 
Upon the death or remarriage of the widow with¬ 
out having exercised the right, it becomes vested in 
the minor children, if any. The right of the minor 
children is not conditioned upon an appropriation 
thereof by a guardian during their minority. When 
once vested in tlunn it becomes vested absolutely. 
Under the decision of the Supreme Court of the 
United States in the ca.se of Webster vs. Luther 
(163 U. S. 3.31), the right is as.signable without re¬ 
striction, and residence and ctiltivation are not re¬ 
quired in its exercise, either by the original bene¬ 
ficiary or by his as.signee, no m.atter whether the 
original entry was perfected or abandoned. In view 
of these facts tlu'se lights are eagerly sought by so- 
called scrip dealers who m.ake inquiries calculated 
to disclose the existence of suoh riglits, negotiate 
for the purchase of assignments thereof, and after¬ 
wards sell the rights so procured to parties desir¬ 
ing to locate them uiwii vacant public lands. 
This oliice does not pass upon the question of 
w'hether or not an additional right exists in the 
a'bsence of an aiiplication for a specific tract of 
land, which must be accompanied by a record of 
the military service, description of the entry made 
prior to June 22, 1874, competent evidence show’ing 
identity of the soldier with the entryman, that no 
subsequent entry has been made, and that the right 
has not been previously assigned. If the right is 
sought to be located by others than the soldier-en- 
tryman, appro])riate evidence must be submitted 
showing they are entitled thereto by a.ssignment. 
If it is desired to personally exercise such a 
right the owner thereof must first select a tract of 
land, and then file formal application therefore in 
the United .States local land office for the district 
in wdiich the land desired is situated, accompanying 
tne same with the evidence as to existence and 
ownership of the right above indicated, and also 
the usual non-mineral and non-occupancy affidavits. 
Furduu- information will be furni.shed by the local 
land office for the district in which the particular 
tract desired is situated. A great deal of fraud 
has been detected in connection w'ith these rights, 
caused by matching the name of a soldier with that 
of an entryman, and .several convictions have been 
secured against persons guilty of such practice. 
The purchase and sale of these rights is a private 
transaction in which the Government is not inter- 
est(>d until an application is presented for a spe¬ 
cific tract of land; therefore this office can furnish 
no information as to the value of such rights. The 
purclmse price must be fixed by agreement between 
the parties interested. This office has no blank 
forms of assignment. c. m. bruce. 
Assistant Commissioner. 
