7ft* RURAL NEW-VORKER 
Northern Ohio Notes 
An Unfavorable Searon. —.Tune has 
firoved to ho a most peculiar month, so 
far as it relates to weather and rain; 
very cool and rainy weather. Most peo¬ 
ple have for weeks “kept the home tires 
burning.” Rains have been almost in¬ 
cessant. Only three, at most, of the days 
have been of pronounced heat, and growth 
of crops, notably garden crops, owing to 
cloudy days and very cool nights, has 
made very slow growth at best, and no 1 
end of planting over. The big frosts in 
May injured the grass crop greatly, but 
the rains and cool weather have benefited 
it greatly. The rains interfered in plant¬ 
ing both corn and potatoes; acres of the 
latter are being planted this last week 
in June. The only crop that can be said 
to be moving without interference is the 
long lines of autos and trucks going 
through to Philadelphia, Baltimore and 
New York under their own power, hun¬ 
dreds a day, and there seems to be an 
almost absolute transfer of freight be¬ 
tween Cleveland and Pittsburgh from the 
railroads to the auto truck service. This 
is amounting to about the absolute ruina¬ 
tion of our new and costly pikes, and ap¬ 
parently long before the road bonds are 
paid there will be a complete disappear¬ 
ance of paved roads. 
Farm IlRr.p.— Of far more importance 
to the farmers and talked about 10 times 
more among them than who is to he the 
next President, is where we are to get 
farm help during the approaching har¬ 
vests. The situation about here seems 
to get more acute and intense, and the 
evidence of it is seen in shrinking dairies, 
unplowed fields, smaller crop acreage and 
farm stock being sold off. While farm 
prices are on the decline, the things a 
farmer must buy. especially dairy feed, 
is on the rise. Many a farmer, as he 
looks matters over, says: “I’ll do what I 
can, and let the other fellow go hang.” 
Of course, the city man sees all this dif¬ 
ferently, hut the few city fellows who 
have bought farms lately about here to 
get sudden riches, are quietly sawing 
wood and waiting to unload onto another 
Slicker, with experience thrown in. 
Incorporated Farms. —An experiment 
In incorporated dairying is being inaug¬ 
urated in the Southeast Ohio River coun¬ 
ties among the “Friend Folk.” They 
are uniting their Jersey herds in n com¬ 
mon pool to promote their interests, with 
a capital stock of $40,000. When it. is 
known that 27 per cent of all registered 
cattle in the State are Jerseys, the im¬ 
portance of a progressive, concerted ac- 
iion among the breeders can be seen at 
a glance, and if any effiss of men can 
make this venture “go,” it will he these 
Quaker Jersey men. 
Auto Thievery.- —Auto thievery has 
become so general throughout the State 
in the rural districts that the farmers* 
organizations through the State, which 
met, in Columbus recently, indorsed the 
plan of having a State constabulary, pat¬ 
terned somewhat after the Pennsylvania 
plan, to see if something cannot lie done 
to cheek at least these night raids of 
thieves on the small stock of the farms, 
including, ns it does, all classes, from 
hens to hogs, sheep, young stock, includ¬ 
ing the farmer’s dog. Strange as it may 
appear, the labor unions are filing their 
protests to such a plan of constabulary 
patrol on the ground, it is supposed, of 
“curtailment of personal liberty.” 
Federated Churches. —For the es¬ 
pecial edification of the “Pastoral Par¬ 
son,” it may bo of interest to say that 
federated churches, comm unity centers 
and community singing are getting not 
only to be talked about, but actively put 
in actual evidence in some parts of North¬ 
ern Ohio. Several churches about here 
have federated two or more congrega¬ 
tions, and some congregations have 
merged into some known denomination, 
and to the manifest betterment, of all con¬ 
cerned. Coming as it has, along with 
general prohibition and the disappear¬ 
ance of the saloon and its counterparts, 
the country rural dweller lives in quite a 
different atmosphere from that of 10, or 
five years ago, showing that, there is 
something, after all, in the brotherhood 
of man, the elevation of society and that 
the Sermon on the Mount is still worthy 
of Consultation. In town and country 
there are yet great possibilities of mak¬ 
ing life still better worth the living 
through the agencies that are now spring¬ 
ing up on every hand. 
Farmers* Organizations. —Ohio as a 
State is fast being the congenial homo 
of a long list of farmers’ organizations 
of many kinds. Of Granges Ohio has the 
nvest ’ -one between the oceans, the 
kitate Agricultural Farm Agents’ Feder- 
ti IO j' ^‘irymen’s and State Dairymen’s 
1 mincers’ Corporation, and now the lat¬ 
ter has federated with dairy associations 
outside the State, and organized the 
Central Milk Producers’ Federation,” 
supposed to take in Michigan, Indiana, 
'ilno and Western, Pennsylvania. The 
purpose is to promote interest in dairying, 
Dytter marketing and establish standards 
o dairy excellence. Of course, they came 
to Ohio for a president, and chose II. W. 
ngersoll, a man of national reputation, 
•lien a State farmers’ buying and selling 
orporation has been formed and officered 
o promote something like a farmers’ 
liaise, both “out and in.” and 
i nitorai farm prices as nearly as may be 
throughout the State. The farmers of 
cno rive northwestern counties have or¬ 
ganized an association for mutual “of¬ 
fense and defense.” The sheep men have 
a live Wool Growers’ Association, with 
W. W. Reynolds as chief speaker and 
writer, being both its chief champion and 
defender of the wool interests of sheep 
men everywhere. J.G. 
Tanning a Hide 
I would like to experiment with a hide 
according to tanning directions on page 
383, and do not want, to buy more ma¬ 
terial than I need. How many pounds 
of hemlock hark will it take to tan a hide 
measuring 40 square feet ? Will a barrel 
he all right to use for a vat, or will it 
double the hide too much? Is the lime 
that we pack the hide in used dry? Will 
a hydrometer which is made to test lime 
and .sulphur solution he all right to use? 
Is the tanning liquor thrown away each 
time, or do we add more hark to bring 
it up to desired strength? How much 
acid for above size* hide? Dow much oil? 
How much lampblack? In case of a 
cured hide, would we have to soak it be¬ 
fore starting tanning operations? 
New Albany, Pa. I„ It. S. 
The barrel will be all right, provided 
the hide is taken out every few days, 
turned and refolded in a different manner. 
This, of course, will cause some loss of 
the tanning liquor, hut that can easily 
he replaced/ The hide must first be 
soaked in soft water until it. is as pliable 
as when fresh. Then, while still wet, 
spread it uppn the ground and sprinkle 
the. flesh side well with lime. This should 
be finely crushed, and, if partially air- 
slaked, a better leather will result, hut 
a longer time will be required in which 
to remove the hair. Fold the hide with 
the lime inside, and lay away in a damp, 
cool place until the hair will slip readily. 
Ashes will answer the purpose just as 
well as lime, or the hide may he placed 
in warm, soft, stagnant mud. In the lat¬ 
ter ease the acid will not be needed, but 
much more time will he required. Wlieu 
the hair will slip readily, make a bench 
with oue end resting on the ground anJ 
the other about breast high. This is for 
convenience in working. Throw the hide 
across the bench and scrape it with a 
blunt-edged knife until all the hair is re¬ 
moved. Turn it over and scrape the flesh 
side until it is perfectly free from all fat 
and other integument. Then, if the lime 
has been u. d. place the hide in a vat of 
soft water and add acid until the water 
has a decidedly sour taste. Let the hide 
remain in this for about a week. 
Meantime put about a peck of hemlock 
into the ban-el, pour two or three gallons 
of boiling water over it, and let it stand 
until cold. Then add enough soft water 
to half fill the barrel. The hide can 
easily be soaked in this space. Put the 
hide into the liquor and let it remain a 
month, but turning and refolding fre¬ 
quently as above directed. Meantime 
steep another peek of hark and at the end 
ot the month drain out the spent bark in 
the barrel and add the fresh decoction. 
Turn and refold the hide as before di¬ 
rected, and continue this process until 
thoroughly tanned. This will require 
anywhere from three to six months, and 
possibly more. No one can tell, for in 
tanning leather the rule of the thumb is 
the prinieipal guide. The experienced 
tanner can tell by the appearance and 
feeling of the hide when each process is 
complete, but the amateur just experi¬ 
menting would best, cut a small shaving, 
say an eighth of an inch thick, from the 
edge of the hide. If this is of even color 
and texture throughout the hide is tanned, 
but better continue the process for another 
month for good measure. Then remove 
the hide and hang up to dry. 
The bark should be crushed into pieces 
about as tine ns pens, and if a good deal 
finer, so much the better. A hydrometer 
adapted to testing the lime-sulphur solu¬ 
tion will answer the purpose as well ns 
any, but by following these directions 
none will he needed. In tanning a single 
hide there will, of course, be a waste of 
material, but that cannot be helped. It 
is in their ability to save in material and 
to utilize the by-products that the larger 
concerns gain a great advantage. When 
the hide is nearly or quite dry, rub oil 
into it until it will absorb no more. Hang 
again to dry. and then rub with oil and 
lampblack. This comes in pound pack¬ 
ages at about 50 cents a pound at retail, 
and about a cent’s worth will be needed. 
O. o, ORMSBEE. 
Killing Rats and Burning Weeds 
To kill rats, try that new English plan. 
Warm lithographer’s varnish till it will 
spread on pieces of cardboard about 15 
inches square; put bait in center of card¬ 
board. Let us hear how it works. The 
rats are said to stick and to die from 
fright. 
I would like someone to try out a 
finme-thrower as a hush and weed-con¬ 
troller along our rocky roads. Ry going 
along the road during a light rain, or 
while everything was still wet, there 
would be no danger of spreading fires. 
Two trips in one year and one trip in 
each year after that should give us grassy 
roadsides, free from bushes. 
Nova Scotia. joiin buciianan. 
EVENTS OF THE WEEK 
DOMESTIC.—Fire, following an ex¬ 
plosion at the plant of the American En¬ 
amel Works, Providence, R. I., July 2, 
partially destroyed the plant and caused 
a loss estimated at $168,000. An over¬ 
heated oven was the cause of the explo¬ 
sion, which was_ heard throughout the 
city. The enameling building, the garage, 
with three auto trucks, carpenter shops, 
nine ovens and 75 barrels of enamel, were 
destroyed. 
Luther Burbank, the “Wizard of Horti¬ 
culture,” was admitted to the Adler San¬ 
atorium in San Francisco recently from 
his home in Santa Rosa, and was oper¬ 
ated upon for a condition of the jaws re¬ 
sulting from probably long-standing tooth 
infection. The operation was stated to 
have been a complete success. 
The heaviest accident record ever 
of a Soft Spot 
marked against June is shown in the 
report of the National Highway Protec¬ 
tive Society for the last month. The re¬ 
ports for New York State show an ex¬ 
cess of deaths from automobiles, trolley 
cars, wagons and trains of 68 over June, 
1918, which was the high-record month 
up to that time. In this city 62 persons 
were killed by automobiles, as against 57 
for June, 1919. There were no deaths 
by trolleys, surface cars or wagons. Five 
persons were killed at grade crossings in 
the State, an increase of two over .Tune, 
1919. The traffic court reported $40,000 
collected in fines during the month, which 
is also a record. Seventy-five convicted 
automobilists were sent to jail from 
three to 50 days. There were 1,159 con¬ 
victed of speeding as first offenders, 82 ns 
second offenders and 17 ns third offenders. 
The Home Insurance Company, which 
is the pioneer company in America en¬ 
gaged in the insurance of goods in tran¬ 
sit through the parcels post by means of 
parcels post insurance coupons, has dis¬ 
continued that branch of its business in 
Manhattan and the Bronx. Losses through 
theft or because of damage due to care¬ 
less and incompetent handling of the 
mails going from the metropolitan section 
to. other parts of this and foreign coun¬ 
tries have become so excessive that within 
recent weeks their aggregate has exceeded 
by approximately 25 per cent the amount 
of the premiums derived by the company 
from the parcels post branch of its busi¬ 
ness. 
Indictments charging grand larceny in 
the first degree were returned July 2 in 
General Sessions, New York, against Jo¬ 
seph 8. Herron, president of the South¬ 
western Zinc, Lead & Iron Company of 
489 Fifth avenue, and Fred W. T.ang- 
borst, a stock broker, whose office is at 
51) Broad street. Both men were indicted 
on the testimony of Miss Margaret Reth.v 
of 1061 St. Nicholas avenue, who was 
the alleged victim of a scheme to sell 
stock in an abandoned lead mine in Mis¬ 
souri. 
Two young girls were burned to death 
July 5 in New York City’s “safe and 
sane” Independence Day celebration. 
More than a dozen other persons were in¬ 
jured by fireworks or wounded by etray 
1225 
bullets. Three drownings were reported 
and one death due to an automobile acci¬ 
dent. Six persons were severely injured 
in an accident on a Midland Beach, 
Staten Island, scenic railway. 
Bernado Favalo and Mike Kalachuck, 
charged with violation of the statutes 
which prohibit a person from having ex¬ 
plosives in his possession with intent to 
take human life, were each bound over in 
$50,000 July 5 at Waterbary, Conn. 
These men were arrested in connection 
with the finding on July 3 in a clump 
of bushes, of a bomb with an It-ineh fuse. 
Eight persons were killed and 12 in¬ 
jured seriously when a Missouri, Kansas 
& Texas freight train crashed into the 
rear end of a carnival company’s special 
in the Atoka yards, Atoka, Okla., July 4. 
July 6 three seamen from the steam¬ 
ship Ilelgic were held in New York under 
$2,500 bail for alleged complicity in giant 
robbery plots. It is said that millions of 
dollars’ worth of goods have been stolen 
during the past year from liners of the 
International Mercantile Marine by an 
organized gang. It was said that one of 
the schemes of the gang was to send its 
members on the ships as members of the 
crews, and that they would then open 
boxes and cases, remove the contents and 
fill the receptacles with coal and rubbish. 
Many complaints have been received from 
persons in various parts of the country 
who have received freight which had been 
opened. In one instance, it was said, 
clothing valued at $50,000 had been found 
at the bottom of the ship’s swimming pool, 
having been weighted and sunk there to 
await the landing of the vessel. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—At the forty- 
fifth annual convention of the American 
Association of Nurserymen the following 
officers were elected: President, Lloyd 
G. Stark, Louisiana, Mo.; vice-president, 
Michael R. Cashman, Owatonna, Minn.; 
secretary, John Watson. Princeton. N. .T.; 
treasurer, .T. W. Hill, Dos Moines, Iowa. 
The next convention will be held in Chi¬ 
cago, June, 1921. 
The thirty-eighth annual convention of 
the American Seed Trade Association was 
held at Milwaukee, Wis., June 22-24. The 
following officers were elected for the 
coming year: W. G. Scarlett, Baltimore, 
president; L. L, Olds, Madison, 
Wis., first vice-president; Alex Forbes, 
Newark, N. ,T., second vice-president; 
( . E. Kendel was re-elected secretary and 
reasurer. The executive committee elect¬ 
ed is as follows: Alexander Forbes, 
Newark. N. ,T.; It, W. Palmer, St. Louis, 
Mo.: George S. Green, Chicago, Ill.; L. 
B. MeCausland, Wichita, Kan., and W. 
B. Stubs. 
Flax fiber grown and manufactured in 
Manitoba by the Netherlands Canadian 
Max Company brought $1,800 a ton in 
the open market in Belgium. 
A colony of gypsy moths has taken up 
quarters in the 2,000-acre estate of James 
B. Duke, at Somerville, N. J.. which has 
been quarantined by both Federal and 
State Agricultural Departments. Until 
tno pest© have been eradicated the place 
will remain closed for fear that the 
moths might spread to other parts of the 
State. Sprays and drenchers are being 
mobilized to fight the invaders. 
City people who wish to volunteer for 
farm work are asked to apply to the 
National Security League, at 17 East 
Forty-ninth Street, or to the State De- 
partment of Labor, Bureau of Farm La¬ 
bor. 58 Cooper Square, New York City. 
The league will furnish names and ad¬ 
dresses of persous to whom applications 
may he made in any part, of the country 
preferred. 
Coming Farmers’ Meetings ' 
Canadian Agricultural Fairs—Saska¬ 
toon. July 12-17 : Regina, July 26-31. 
Summer meeting. New Jersey State 
Horticultural Society, Henry IT. Albert¬ 
son’s Green Hill Farm, Burlington. N. J., 
July 24. 
Now York State Potato Growers* As¬ 
sociation, annual meeting, Cortland, N. 
Y„ August 6-7. 
Apple Shippers* Association, Chicago, 
HI.. August 11-14. 
Vegetable Growers’ Association of 
America, twelfth annual meeting, Colum¬ 
bus. O., August 25-28. 
Hornell Fair, Hornell, N. Y., August 
31-September 3. 
Iloosac Valley Agricultural Fair, North 
Adams, Mass.. September 3-6. 
New York State Fair, Syracuse, Sep¬ 
tember 13-18. 
Agricultural Society of Queens-Nassau 
Counties, annual fair, Mineola, N. Y.. 
September 21-25. 
Sussex County Fair Association, an¬ 
nua^ fair, Branchville, N. ,T., September 
Coming Live Slock Sales 
Sept. 24—Purbrcd rams. Second an¬ 
nual sale. New England Sheep Breeders’ 
Association, Eastern States Exposition, 
Springfield. Mass. Sale committee: H. 
E. Haslett, chairman, Amherst, Mass.; 
II.. L. Gnrrigus, Storrs, Conn.; A. G. 
Skinner, Storrs, Conn. 
Oct. 13-14—ITolsteins, National Dairy¬ 
men’s sale in connection with the Na¬ 
tional Dairy Show, Chicago, Ill. E. M. 
Hastings Co., managers. 
Oct. 28-20—ITolsteins. Green County 
ITolstein-Friesian Breeders’ Club sale, 
Monroe, Wis. L. I. Ilare, Monroe, Wis., 
secretary. 
Nov. 2.2-24—ITolsteins. Watertown 
Holstein Sales Company, semi-annual 
consignment sale at Watertown, Wis. 
Francis Darcey, manager. 
