Ihe RURAL NEW-YORKER 
ICS 1 
The possibility of maize being a recent 
introduction would seem to be precluded 
by a second reference where this grain 
is referred to as one of the commodities 
paid as tribute to the King of China at 
a time that was considered ancient in 
1576. 
“The rent which remaineth vunto the 
king ordinarily is this that followeth, and 
is taken with great regard out of the 
booke of his exchecker. Yet the chinos 
do say that it is much lesse then they do 
pay at this time; for this is of old an- 
tiquitie; when as the tributes were lesse: 
jy 
The reference to maize as a tribute is 
as follows: 
“Of wheat called Mayz, twentie mil¬ 
lions two hundred and fifty thousand 
hanegs [about 30 million bushels].” 
De Candolle’s negative conclusion would 
seem to be fairly offset, at least, by the 
affirmative opinion stated by Doctor Ilance 
as follows : 
“In my judgment, the remote date as¬ 
signed by Chinese records to its intro¬ 
duction and the circumstance that the in¬ 
troducer is unknown are irreconcilable 
with the supposition that it was brought 
to this country by the Portuguese, their 
first arrival here, under Fernand _Perez 
d’Andrada, being, I believe, in 1517. and 
the earliest notice of maize in European 
literature dating later than 1530. To 
those, finally, who urge the conflicting and 
erroneous opinions of the earlier Euro¬ 
pean writers as to the country whence 
maize found its way to the West as a 
ground for regarding Chinese statements 
with equal distrust, I would answer that 
it is not logical to apply the same canons 
of criticism to Western and Chinese liter¬ 
ature, the latter being, at the period in 
question, in a very different and com¬ 
paratively far more advanced state of 
development.” 
At the same time it must be admitted 
that the present facts cannot be said to 
cxcIik 1- ' the possibility that maize might 
have reached China after the discovery of 
America. Contacts between America and 
the Orient occurred very soon after the 
discovery of America, and in some cases 
at least were very direct. One expedi¬ 
tion under Cabral left Portugal in March, 
1500. and reached Brazil on May 1 of 
that year. It remained in Brazil 22 days, 
and then proceeded direct to India. Op¬ 
portunity was thus afforded for the carry¬ 
ing of Maize from America directly to the 
East Indies instead of by way of Europe. 
No very great significance can be at¬ 
tached to the absence of references to 
maize in the accounts of early European 
travelers in China. The only really de¬ 
tailed account of China before the dis¬ 
covery of America is that of Marco Polo, 
who traveled extensively in China during 
the thirteenth century. That even this 
account is far from complete, however, 
is shown by the omission of any reference 
. to tea, a plant of much more importance 
than corn, and which is known to have 
been cultivated in China since 2000 B. C. 
From the discussion above we are left 
in doubt as to corn’s owning as its first 
habitat the Western Continent, the 
Eastern, or both. We would like to 
claim our own hemisphere as the origin 
of the race of corn, to offset the dignity 
the eastern land possesses as the place 
of origin of the race of men, but where 
doctors disagree, who may decide? Corn 
was certainly discovered in New England, 
by our Pilgrim Fathers, on November 1G. 
1020. E. F. DICKINSON. 
Massachusetts. 
Un-State Farm Notes 
Farmers Want Better Freight 
Bates. —A meeting was held in Wayne 
County recently and a committee appoint¬ 
ed to perfect an organization of farmers 
and fruit growers in Wayne, Monroe and 
Niagara counties who want to carry for¬ 
ward a movement to secure more equitable 
freight rates on peaches. The rate on 
apples is 22*4e, on lettuce 27c, and on 
peaches 53c. an unfair rate. The matter 
will be taken up with Director Walker 
D. Hines of Washington. 
Dearth of Prisoners. —The Highway 
Department is finding great difficulty in 
getting prisoners to carry on road im¬ 
provement. At the Jamesville peniten¬ 
tiary none can be had for road work, and 
only 15 for the stone quarry near, there 
being but 03 in the prison October 1. as 
compared to 415 in 1917 at the same date. 
At one time during that year there were 
527 in the prison. The decrease is credit¬ 
ed to prohibition. 
Milk Guessing Contest at State 
Fair. —It is of significance to note that 
the great guessing contest as to the milk 
production of cows was won by a woman, 
and that two other women carried off 
valuable prizes. There were nine cows 
on exhibition all the week, whose produc¬ 
tion ranged from a little over 4.000 lbs. 
of milk to over 20.000 lbs. The guesses 
numbered between 3.000 and 4.000. and 
included guesses by farmers and agricul¬ 
tural experts. The winners and prizes, 
as announced by Commissioner of Agri¬ 
culture Wilson, are as follows: First 
prize. Mrs. Nelson Thackerv, Guilford, 
bull calf: second prize. II. E. Criswell, 
Vernon Center, bull calf: third, Earl D. 
Crocker, Sennett. bull calf; fourth. Flor¬ 
ence E. Sanders. Marathon. $40; fifth, 
Minier Owen, Wellsburg, $30; sixth. S. 
B Friar. Owasco. $20; seventh, Mrs. 
Irving Wilsey, Savannah. $10. These 
prizes were valued at $1,000. The calves 
were donated by B. M. Strickland. Car¬ 
thage. F. A. Beaver, Owego, and Mark¬ 
ham & Puffer, Avon. 
Home Bureau Work. —The Cayuga 
County Home Bureau held a meeting of 
the advisory council October 1, attended 
by over 200 women. Mrs. A. E. Brig- 
den of Cortland, outlined future work of 
the Home Bureaus of the State. She is a 
member of the State organization com¬ 
mittee. Miss Florence Freer of Ithaca, 
gave an account of the working of the 25 
Home Bureaus of the State, with pointers 
on how to increase the membership. Miss 
Harriet May Wells of Syracuse, a prom¬ 
inent suffragist, spoke on civics, and Miss 
Mary Bowen, head of the work in Cay¬ 
uga County, gave a talk. A similar meet¬ 
ing of the Cortland County Home Bu¬ 
reau occurs this week in Cortland, with 
Miss Martha Van Rensselaer of Cornell 
University, as the chief speaker. Other 
prominent speakers will address Cortland 
women. The work is growing rapidly and 
proving of great value in developing com¬ 
munity interests all over the State. 
Successful Orchard.— Grant Hitch- 
ings of South Onondaga, pioneer in the 
hay mulch system of orcharding, with 100 
acres of apples, will this vear sell over 
10.000 bu„ for about $30,000 net. This 
system is economical of labor, and on 
the hilly fields of this county proves won¬ 
derfully productive. He is the biggest 
apple grower in Onondaga County. W. E. 
Killough. for 40 years the leading apnle 
buyer of Central New York, is dead. He 
was in personal touch with growers, and 
to his faith in the apple as a commercial 
crop is due many of the leading orchards 
of the northern counties. 
Cheese Buyers and Salesmen 
Agreed.— The Gouverneur Dairy Board, 
for the first time in some weeks, has set a 
price that the buyers agree to. The new 
price was 28]4c. The Watertown board 
fixed 2S]4c as a price, making the first 
quotations in three weeks. Other cheese 
markets reporting last week were: Ply¬ 
mouth. Wis., 2014c; Brockville. 27%c; 
New York. 29% to 29%e. 
State Fair Camp Grounds. —Farmers 
would like to see our State Fair Commis¬ 
sioners follow the example of the State 
1 air of Iowa, at Des Moines, and insti¬ 
tute a camping site where farmers may 
stay over night with their families, rent¬ 
ing a tent and boarding themselves. Of 
course, proper sanitary and policing meas¬ 
ures would be necessary. This would per¬ 
mit great crowds, of farmers spending the 
night at the fair to have big farmers’ 
meetings, with addresses, music and plays. 
This calls for an auditorium, which has 
long been needed. The demand is also 
made for a roomy judging pavilion for 
the accommodation of large audiences who 
wish to study and profit by the skillful 
placing of ribbons on the superior cattle 
shown at. the fair. Surely the great dairy 
industry is of more importance than horse 
breeding in this State. Yet the fine horses 
are exhibited and judged before a grand 
stand and thousands of spectators, whilej 
the former is judged in a sawdust ring 
with no provision for spectators. This is 
where hundreds of farmers would like to 
study real quality as shown in the su¬ 
perior animals exhibited, yet they cannot 
for lack of accommodation. m. g. f. 
TOzdch xtefbow-in *1919. 
-uxuJ-uHde. J&ipftehA 
4icu>e “bean, yetttrufr money foo 
tflcUO’SviS fiotrv tfve JtouSe xrf 
Sfat&c&i -diodtuf the Jadt Jive ifeaM 
1919 prices will make otker years look like 30 cents 
The 1919 Pfaelzer prices, liberal assortments and quick money will take you off 
your feet. They will open your eyes. They will establish a record, for we must 
satisfy the tremendous demand for Raw Furs and we must have them quick- 
Therefore, hurry your first 1919 shipment to the House of Pfaelzer. Write for 
the Pfaelzer price list, but ship anyway. The House of Pfaelzer will let you 
run no risk. The Pfaelzer guarantee of top prices and liberal grading is your 
absolute protection. New York is the world’s fur headquarters and the 
House of Pfaelzer is New York’s leader in boosting Prices for Raw Furs. 
M.F. Pfaelzer & Co. 
115-123 W. 29th St ./Desk 17) N.Y. 
Members Raw Fur Merchants Assn. 
»TRAP^HOLDS 
Send 
Driving Cattle to Pasture on Highway 
A has a farm which has pasture he 
drives cattle to every day through the 
Summer. They have to be driven on the 
highway to get to it ,B. C and D own 
land or dooryards where they have taken 
the fences down, or part down. A has to 
drive by. and in the middle of the road; 
always tries to drive cattle with care and 
keep with them. He has driven cattle 
over the same road for 40 years; with 
fences taken care of never had any 
trouble. What right has A in driving his 
cattle, or has he none? C has a building 
lot with a hall built on it. open to the 
commons; from C’s lot the fence has been 
partly taken down between C’s and B’s 
yard. Cattle sometimes run in to C’s 
open lot and from there into B’s yard, 
where there are apples on ground, and 
also from street in yard of B. where he 
has left an opening in his fence. It makes 
it very unpleasant for A when driving to 
and from pasture. A claims it is a great 
nuisance to have to chase cattle on ac¬ 
count of all the openings to induce the 
cattle to leave the road. 
CONNECTICUT FARMER. 
It is not necessary for B. C and D to 
maintain their fences along the highway. 
They do not have to fence cattle out. but 
mus.t of course, fence their cattle in. A 
must look after his cattle while they are 
on the highway and see that they do not 
commit any damage. In this case, as 
well as in nearly every case where cattle 
are driven along the highway, it is a nui¬ 
sance and bother where the fences are 
taken down, but there seems to be no 
heln for it. Fences are built along the 
highway to keep cattle on their owner’s 
property and off the highway, and not the 
other way about, in the highway and off 
the property. Possibly you can persuade 
them you are doing all you can to keep 
your cattle in the highway and away from 
their apples, and that a fence would be 
a big help, and they might be willing to 
help you. 
stamps or 
Money Order 
for 
postpaid 
sample 
of the 
Pull,Gnaw and Twist-Proof 
"TRIPLE 
CLUTCH 
High Grip 
Trap with wonderful holding power. 
Takes a 3-way grip, high up, that 
holds fast. Guaranteed against 
every defect for one season. 
TRIUMPH TRAP CO. 
66 W. Elm St.. Oneida, N.Y. 
XT T 
MUSKRAT, SKUNK, J 
MINK, ETC. 
Se nd today for 
FREE BOOKLET No. 44 
Postal or sample order brings 
“Trapping Tricks.” Tells how, 
where, when to make sets 
for muskrat, skunk, mink, 
coon, fox. etc. Fully 
illustrated. 
■XT 
—RAW FURS— 
Write for our price list today. Highest prices paid—Square 
deal guaranteed. All shipments graded personally by our 
Mr. Maurice Rosenstiel. 
ROSENSTIEL FUR CO., Inc. 
112 West 29th Street NEW YORK 
“Subhubs, why don’t you make a gar¬ 
den?” “I’m willing, if you’ll tell me what 
I can grow with a tin can substratum 
and ashes for a top soil.”—Louisville 
Courier-Journal. 
FUR SHIPPERS 
J /M ELLIS has never claimed that he had a 
better outlet. that he gave a better grade, that 
he paid more, or remitted more promply, than 
any other reliable dealer, BUT 
JIM ELLIS 
DOES claim that his outlet, that his grading, 
that his prices, and promptness in remitting, are 
the equal of any honorable FUR MERCHANT 
regardless of location. 
Established 1899 
JAMES P. ELLIS 
RAW FURS 
34&36MillSt- Middletown, N.Y. 
Reliable Quotations Sent Free 
Tag Your 
FURS 
TO A.SUSKIND 
The Raw 
Fur House 
of 
Reliability 
Write Now for Our Price List H 
and be sure to have your name on our 
mailing list to post you for the season. It 
is Free. It will pay you well to know our 
quotations as we pay exactly what we quote. 
Every shipment receives our personal attention. 
We hold shipments separate if requested. 
A well illustrated trapper’s guide will ba 
mailed free upon request. WRITE US TODAY. 
A. Suskind & Co. 
EST. 1894 t 
154-156 W. 27th St. New York, N. Y. - 
Read what a trapper writes: 
Mr. Warenoff. Dear Sir;-1 am shipping you today I bag of furs; it is no use for me to grade them 
as you have been giving me very good grades 
We 
do not 
claim to pay 
the highest price 
in the world—but we do 
claim and absolutely guar¬ 
antee to give you every dol¬ 
lar your pelts are worth 
often more than 
you yourself 
expect 
Jacob 1 ost. Ddlsburg. Pa. 
Send us a sh.pment today or write for on- price list. It s free We know our 
grading -will please- ou. so hurry up and connect with us. It s up to you. 
We 
have i 
good many 
letters on file, ail 
same as above, and un¬ 
solicited. You too will soon 
that there is more 
tbafi a promise to our 
way of doing busi¬ 
ness. Try us 
and be con- 
Sol Warenoff & Co., Inc., Qj£ ; West 25th Street, New York City 
vtno 
e<L* 
