Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1913-05-15

Topeka.-There were 162 fires in
Kansas in April, according to the re-
port made by Harrison Parkman,
state fire marshal. the new depart
ment created by the 1913 legislature.
The actual fire damage was $2S9,873.
The loss on insured property was
$247,090, while the losses on unin-
sured property was $42,7SS.
Unknown" caused the greatest
number of fires, thirty-one, while ad-
joining fires, defective chimneys,
sparks from chimneys, careless hand
ling of matches each caused thirteen
fires and incendiaries caused ten fires.
Sparks from burning metal caused
one fire, while matches and mice
caused two. One man was killed by
gas explosion, and three horses
burned during the month.
The tabulated statement of the
fire marshal showing the property
losses and the causes of fires fol-
lows.
Value Of buildings. where fire &C.
Value OF contents where fire &C.
CURED ..................... 36O,1S3
Total value of property. ...... $942, 27O
Loss OF buildings, insured. ....... $10S.330
Loss of contents, insured. ........ 1880
Loss Of buildings, uninsured. .....$ 21.s24
Loss of contents, uninsured. see. 20,S59
Loss Of insured and uninsured
buildings ...................... $3.50. 254
Loss OF insured and uninsured
contents ...................... 1888
Total insured and unins. loss. :. $685.. $50
Causes-Adjoining fires, 10; ashes
against wood, 2; Boys smoking, /;
candle, carelessness, 1 children with
fire, A. defective chimney, 10; sparks
from chimney, 10; clothing too near
stove, l; drunkard set fire, 1 elec-
trio wiring, 8; furnace, q; gas explo-
sion, /; gas jet, l; gas stove, 8; bad
gas connections, 8; gasoline stove,
l; heating tar, 1; incendiary, 10;
kerosene lamp explosion, 8; kerosene
stove, Q; lightning, 5; sparks from
locomotive, 8; matches, carelessness,
IS; matches and mice, 2; oil, l; oily
waste, 1 painters torch, l rubbish
burning, IL; smokers carelessness,
4; spontaneous combustion, l. stove
pipe too near wood, 2; stove too near
wood, 2; sparks from burning metal,
1; tramps, 1; unknown 81. Total
1872.
The present condition of all kinds
of fruit in Kansas, according to Walt
er Wellhouse, secretary of the Kan
sas Horticultural Society, is very
good, excepting some of the tenderer
varieties Of peaches. 1.-The apple
trees so far as we have heard" said
Mr.. Wellhouse, ARE reported bloom.
ing very freely, and the weather is
favorable for fertilization. We have
had no damaging frosts, nor cold rains
to prevent fertilization. 1 have seen
trees bloom heavily and cold driving
rains come along, and as a result
there were hardly any apples on the
trees. We have had no such condi-
ton to contend with this year, and in
asmuch as most of the trees have
fortified there is now little danger
from such an occurrence. The tend
erer varieties of peaches were badly
damaged in the bud by the low tenn
perature of January in some parts of
the state, though a full crop is ex-
pected in the central eastern part of
Kansas. Trees are loaded with
blooms in the eastern tier of counties
from Douglas to Crawford. Pears
are blooming as freely as the apples.
Plums are in good shape, as are also
cherries. In very few localities the
canker worm and tent caterpillar are
defoliating the apple trees. Spray
ing should be done promptly with
arsenate of lead at the proportion of
three pounds to fifty gallons of
water.
There is one text book which will
be submitted to the Kansas school
book commissioner for state publica-
ton which will be written from ac-
tual experiences. 1t is the text book
on agriculture, and will be written by
the professors and instructors and
farm demonstrators of the state agri-
cultural college. The text is already
being prepared.
Representatives of eleven sand COM
panies met with the state executive
council here to discuss the new law
passed by the 1913 legislature, which
requires that a royalty must be paid
the state on all sand and gravel taken
out of navigable streams in the state.
The executive council will meet soon
to fix the amount of the royalty. Just
to get the matter of the size of the