1530 
Vh RURAL NEW-YORKER 
December 30, 1922 
PUBLISHER'S DESK 
Happy New Year 
For thirty-odd years we have had the 
great privilege of sending our holiday 
greetings and best wishes for a happy 
and prosperous New Year to an ever- 
increasing host of country patrons and 
friends of Publisher’s Desk. We now 
have the pleasure of renewing these greet¬ 
ings and felicitations for 1023 to the 
largest number of friends that it has ever 
been our privilege to address. Again: 
Happy New Year 
Our friends will recall that we always 
feel a special interest in our first sub¬ 
scription mail for the beginning of the 
New Year. This year it will be on Tues¬ 
day. January 2. Those who have not 
sent their renewals expiring in December 
or January have an opportunity to in¬ 
dulge our fancy by sending the renewal 
to reach us in that mail. This is the 
form of greeting that we most prize, be¬ 
cause it expresses approval of the best 
work that we have been able to do iu the 
past, and gives an inspiration for the 
best that is in us, which we promise as 
a service for the future. If for any rea¬ 
son whatever any of our 1922 sub¬ 
scribers do not renew with us for 1923 
we want to assure them that Publisher's 
Desk will bo pleased to have them call 
on us for anything that we may be able 
to do for them, and their place at the 
table will await them whenever they come 
to occupy it. Our hope is that 1923 will 
bring happiness and prosperity to all. 
A Few New Year’s Resolutions 
I will not buy stock of canvassing sales¬ 
men. Such stocks are usually word¬ 
less. 
I will not ship produce to commission 
men or dealers without first looking up 
the firm’s financial responsibility. 
I will not sign a contract or an order 
without readiug every condition of it. 
I will place no reliance on verbal repre¬ 
sentations made by salesmen unless in¬ 
corporated in the written agreement. 
Those who read this page regularly have 
little need of the above warnings, but 
if all farmers would heed the advice 
rogues preying on them would have a 
very unhappy 1923, 
I am enclosing letter from our old ac¬ 
quaintance, D. B. Cornell Company, Troy, 
N. Y. He appears to be in hard lack. 
What is the best to do? I have ignored 
all his threats and pleadings so far. 
Virginia. w. a. s. 
Cornell now alleges that he has lost a 
great deal of money during the past six 
years, and says he must seek employment 
to support his family. And because of 
his reduced circumstances he is about to 
sell bis “contracts” with farmers to the 
firm or Bloomingtba! & Fiukelstein, New 
York City. If the farmer will settle he 
will accept $50 In settlement of his 
claims, which run anywhere from $30<1 
to $100. The poverty plea may be true, 
but the statement that be is about to sell 
the claims is false; he is using this 
scheme to frighten farmers into settling, 
and makes the amount he offers to accept 
so small that he hopes the farmers will 
settle to avoid the expense of a lawsuit. 
A half dozen farmers have sent us the 
same circular letter, and we advise all to 
stand pat. Cornell has never dared io 
go into court on this fake contract which 
his man Looker induced many farm own¬ 
ers to sigu. Cornell is the most persis¬ 
tent fraud in the real estate game. Every 
farmer who is so unfortunate as to have 
had any dealings with him owes it to 
himself as well as his brother farmers to 
fight Cornell's demands to the last ditch. 
I sent the Dig Four Syndicate of 309 
Broadway, New York City, otic* box ot 
rabbits oh August 22. and l have not re¬ 
ceived payment for them. I gol a letter 
from them, saying they were perfectly 
satisfactory, and that they had Informed 
their treasurer to remit to me. Since 
then I have reeeived no word from them, 
although I sent them a special ami nlso 
another letter. Is there any way to get 
this? 
New Jersey. 
We have written the Big Four Syndi¬ 
cate several times in behalf of this sub¬ 
scriber, and received no response to our 
letters. 
The Big Four Syndicate is very closely 
associated with the Standard Food & Fur 
Association of the same address. As we 
understand it. the Standard Food & Fur 
Association advertises and sells pet stock 
under a “buy-back" plau, which has beeu 
several times referred to iu this depart¬ 
ment. When the time comes for the pur¬ 
chaser to ship the output, he is directed 
to ship it to the Big Four Syndicate. 
We have something like half a dozen com¬ 
plaints on file at the present time from 
shippers who have not received settlement 
for shipments. We have complaints from 
others who have beeu unable to get in¬ 
structions for the shipping of pet stock- 
raised from the animals originally pur¬ 
chased from the Standard Food & Fur 
Association. 
We have many times advised our sub¬ 
scribers to have nothing to do with any 
of these “buy-back" schemes. The “buy¬ 
back" feature is merely a bait to sell the 
original stock. We have reports to the 
effect that it is impossible to grow rab¬ 
bits and hares of the qualifications speci¬ 
fied in tlie contract from tile class of 
breeding stock sent out by these con¬ 
cerns. Wo have always questioned the 
sincerity of this “buy-back" plan of the 
scheme, which has also been denounced 
iu a bulletin issued by the Department 
of Agriculture. 
A retail merchant for the past 30 years, 
I am amazed at the profits offered us by 
the Mutual Stuck Food Company of Tif¬ 
fin, to exploit rural communities. I 
am enclosing sample of the many circular 
letters we receive each month. It occurs 
to me you may want to issue a general 
warning in Publisher’s Desk against such 
selling methods, " a. g. 
New York. 
The circular letter of the Mutual Stock 
Food Company of Tiffin. O.. offers a 
profit of 50 per cent on their goods to 
agents. This is sufficient evidence iu 
itself that the Stock Food Company is 
offering inducements to their agents to 
sell the stock food to farmers at a 
price out of all proportion to their 
manufacturing cost. This concern also 
issues a guarantee health indemnity on 
live stock which lias many times been ex¬ 
posed in The U. N.-Y. as a brand of 
sucker bait to sell stock foods of ques¬ 
tionable merit. As far as the food is 
concerned, such health indemnity is not 
worth the paper I, is printed on. We 
have heard from several merchants who 
have had such experiences with stock 
food concerns located at Tiffin. O., and 
we congratulate A. G. iu refusing to take 
the easy money bait. 
BOYS AND GIRLS 
The List of Books 
Following is the complete list of books 
and poems published ou Our Page, a few 
each month, during the past year. Boys 
and girls and parents will w . .e- 
serve this list: 
1300 KS 
Among the Forest People, by Ciara D. 
Pierson. 
Andersen’s Fairy Tales. 
Captain January, by Laura E. Rich¬ 
ards. 
Children's Book of Patriotic Stories, 
by Asa D. Dickinson. 
Eight Cousins, by Louisa M. Alcott. 
Emmy Lou. by George Madden Martin. 
Hans Brinker, by Mary Mapes Dodge. 
Heroes of Today, by Mary R. Park- 
man. 
Heroines of Service, by Mary R. Park- 
man. 
Hollow Tree Nights and Days, by Al¬ 
bert Bigelow Paine. 
Iu Sunny Spain, by Katharine Lee 
Bates. 
Little Citizens, by Myra Kelly. 
Little Women, by Louisa M. Alcott. 
Paddy Paws, by Grace Coolidge. 
Rebecca of Sunny brook Farm, by Kate 
Douglas Wiggiu. 
Robin Hood, any standard edition. 
St. Nicholas Collection ot Christmas 
Stories. 
Squirrels and Ollier Fur Bearers, by 
John Burroughs. 
Stories of Little People Who Became 
Famous, by Laura M. Large. 
Stories of the Red Children, by Doro¬ 
thy Brooks. 
Stories to Tail Children, by Sara Coue 
Bryant. 
Tanglewood Tales, by Nathaniel Haw¬ 
thorne. 
Tell Me a True Story (Bible Stories), 
by Mary Stuart. 
The Boys’ Life of Lincoln, by Helen 
Nicohiy. 
The Burgess Bird Book, by Thornton 
IV. Burgess. 
The King of the Golden River, by John 
Ruskin. 
The Last of the Mohicans, by James 
Fenimore Cooper. 
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by 
Washington Irving. 
The Little Colonel, by Annie Fellows 
Johnston. 
The Little Lame Prince, by Dinah 
Maria Mulock. 
Theodore Roosevelt’s Letters to llis 
Children, by J. B. Bishop. 
The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodg¬ 
son Burnett. 
The Story id’ My Life, by Helen Kel¬ 
ler. 
The Story of the Bible, by Jesse L. 
Hulbert. 
Two Little Confederates, by Thomas 
Nelson Page. 
Uncle Remus, by Joel Chandler Har¬ 
ris. 
I ordered two barrels of oil from the 
Strickler Oil and Grease Company of* 
Mifflinlmrg, Pa., during the past Sum¬ 
mer. The order was taken by a sales¬ 
man whom I now understand to be 
Strickler himself. The oil was to be 
shipped in steel barrels, and when I pro¬ 
tested at paying for the barrels. I was 
assured that the barrels might be re¬ 
turned when empty and I would be re¬ 
funded the amount paid for the barrels. 
This agreement was not included iu the 
order which I signed, and now the 
Strickler Oil and Grease Company re¬ 
fuses to accept the return of the barrels 
and refund the exorbitant price charged 
for them of $17.50. 1 should have rend 
the contract or the conditions of the 
order, and not put confidence in what was 
said by the stranger. h. l. b. 
Pennsylvania. 
We have taken the matter up with the 
Strickler Oil and Grease Company, and 
Mr. Strickler denies that lie agreed lo 
take the barrels back and refund the pur¬ 
chase price. The merits of the case, 
therefore, rest between the word of the 
purchaser and Mr. Strickler. We know 
that fanners are very often induced to 
sign contracts or orders that do not in¬ 
clude the verbal agreements of the sales¬ 
man. and we want lo caution farmers 
again to read carefully any order or 
agreement before signing and see to it 
that the representations and agreements 
made by the salesman are included in (lie 
written contract. 
The proprietor of the Strielder Oil and 
Grease Company is the same Mr. Strick¬ 
ler who lias in the past conducted the 
Federal Stock Food Company, and the 
Farmers' Medicated Salt Company, of the 
same place, Mifflinburg. Pa. We have 
many complaints from fanners and deal¬ 
ers regarding deceptions employed by 
Mr. Strickler in connection with the stock 
food business, and a number of such com¬ 
plaints have been published. On this ac¬ 
count we very naturally give the sub¬ 
scriber the benefit of the doubt in the 
matter of veracity between his statement 
and that of Mr. Sirickler. 
Poems 
A Boy’s Mother, by James Whitcomb 
Riley, 
Barbara Frietchie, by John Greenleaf 
Whittier. 
Flower in the Crannied Wall, by Al¬ 
fred Tennyson. 
June (in The Vision of Sir Launfal). 
by James Russell Lowell. 
‘ O Captain! My Captain! by Walt 
Whitman. 
October’s Bright Blue Weather, by 
HoIpii Hunt Jackson. 
Paul Roverc’s Ride, by Henry \\ ads- 
worth Longfellow. 
Recessional, by lllidyard Kipling. 
Scein’ Things, by Eugene Field. 
The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers in 
New England, by Felicia Hemans. 
Tlie Sandpiper, by Celia Tbaxter. 
The Three Kings, by Henry Wadsworth 
Longfellow. 
Lists of December Contributors 
The names and ages of those who sent 
pries, poems, nature puzzles, rhymes, 
Idles, words for the Box, how-to-be- 
ipp.v essays, book write-ups or letters 
e as follows: 
p.rtvwetient: Alice Matz (10). Vera lluahnell 
3), Edith Beeinan (16). Berta (.liihtln, U3). 
l,. u cionnors (9). Johu Dawson (13). Rnmona 
mis (0) 
Delnware: ltuehcl Uotthouse (14), Germaine 
ppi'iK (13) ..... 
Miiini': Rein.. Spencer 112). 
Mar via ud: Elizabeth Moffeti ill), King 
iglinin (9). . 
Massachusetts: Eleanor Hart (U). 
Michigan: Agnes llerglilild tin). 
N'ew Ilimipahlre: Gladys GuimurnoU (12). 
N'i'W Jersey: Grace Burtcw (to). Byron Bur- 
v (11). Natalie Rossuiigel till). .Tell liet tc 
k (Hi Rnh-ri Sotlcek l 121 Anna Stull 
ra Hosier, Maria Hamilton (13), Jennie 
Is (131 Jennie Kelninan (11), Tallinn 
ms (17), Edith Dean (10). 
New Volk: Lewis Wangerin 04), Edna 
: (l*J). Philip Allied (HU. Helen Blydenbnrgh 
ro, Doris (’hainlierluin (DM Verna Col via 
’) Martha Katzlnff, Maude Hibbard. Prances 
avlni* (131. Hoy Bergman ill). Iluth E'lity 
}), Julia Dan forth (til). Walter Miller, (0). 
nil Miller (O' Gladys 
r, Edward Orr (10). 
rillc Freeman tie. Lillie 
mbs (13). Autiu Rogers .. 
in 14). Evangeline Fauchrr IV.rulliy Plaher, 
irgaret Eaton UP, Genevieve Reuse (7), 
ail v. I'eldberg (12). Esther Wright (13) 
die) White (13). Isabel Raitt (12) John Raid 
)). Emma Keidel (16). Inez ITedcl (11). Car¬ 
'll Male, unktlinvu. 
!>|iln: Ruth Crane (ID. 
nUDhnnia: Eleanor lien’erson (13). 
IVnu-vIvanlii David Muss.-In.an (81, Elsie 
Brit- 
Sel- 
( 12 ), 
Ser 
\VH- 
Kne- 
Gorman (10). Anna 
IV** TseUantre 111). 
Sprague (1(1), Seth 
(13). Margate! Ma 
* f .. ... 
Johnson (8). Harry Shiner, Genevieve Buck. 
Conrad Link (10). Corrlne Cole (15). Ruth 
Jones (14). 
Vermont: Warren Brown (14), Arthur Ful¬ 
ton (10). 
Virginia: Celia Jones (9). 
Drawings relating to Christmas, New 
Year’s and Winter sports were received 
from : 
Connecticut: Lois Sleeken (!>). Edith Herman 
(Hi), Ruth Warner (13). Bertha King ( 12 ). 
Norman I In llock (13), Lois Smith (HI). \ era 
Biishnell (13), John Dawson (13). Mildred 
Keene (IF. Margaret Kimberly (11). Conrad 
Merz 113). Helen Nash (14). 
Delaware: Henry Marshall (10). Elsie 
Gras8elty (121. Rachel Ilotthouse (14). Ger¬ 
maine Lapping (13). 
Maine: Rebecca Spencer (12). 
Maryland: Laureinc Harris (13). Clara Cot 
(11) . Eliza belli Molten (14). 
Massachusetts: Amy Jaiiues (11), Priscilla 
Kertel (11), Ethel Hart (12), Eleanor Hart 
( 12 ) . 
Michigan: Agnes Berglund (13), Elmer Berg- 
lund ( 10 ). 
Nev* Hampshire: Gladys Gunnarson (12). 
Mihlred French. 
(0). Katherine Eckert (13). Walter Wittman 
(8), Fannie .Mnccio (14). George Mezzo (10). 
Mary Bowl by (13), Grace I'.ur lew (10), By run 
Ibirlew (11). Sablitu Coffey (l(i), Warren Hen- 
litt (IS). William Brudwny (13). 
New York: S. Olsen (13), \ era l.aeey (14), 
Elizabeth France (14). Hans Wollpsen (U), 
Catherine Collins (lilt Douglas Webster (14). 
Caroline Crunk |T), George Frank lOI, Louise 
Frank (14), Kate Rogers (11). Marjorie Youngs 
(14). To »vr Westlake iff), Ellen Rickard i t"). 
Ruth I,only (13l, Veronica Uumlbtg (14). 
Gladys Feiiihorg (121. Beatrice Rennie ((',), 
Esther Wright (151, Julia Dan forth (HI). Ward 
Blanchard (TIM, W. Gates (13). Teas TscluinD'e 
(14), Morse Crawford (Hll Lillie Sprague MO). 
Ida Dnrrow (. 81 . Winifred 8 akel‘ (IK), Lewis 
Wangerin M4), Edna Koenig (12). Rose War 
Inga ill), Gertrude Kqvsncr Ml). Clara Soli rue 
dor M3). Margnvethe Sclnoeder M2), Ida Mas 
kowitz (13i, Mndalciic I'aitsner (3). Frank Fans- 
tier |12l Edna Hawley lit), Seth Coombs M3). 
New Jersey: Mack nboads (7). Ojliil Rhoads 
Vera Colvin (121. Martha Rutziefl, Margaret 
Lacey 1121 Andrew Mcssick (15). Margaret 
Malone (141. 
Ohio: Lucille Smith (13). Orplin Smith MO). 
David Cooke (0). 
Pennsylvania: Eleanor Dibble (13). Alina 
Larson (121, Harry Shiner. Bertha Lewis (11), 
Roland Lewis (15), Ruth Jones (14). Ella 
Happe (14). 
Rhode Island: Theresa Mu|Jhews (10), Ger¬ 
trude Mathews (141. Evelyn Iferlein (8). 
Saskatchewan. Canada: lledrig Sveiinlal (tO). 
Smith Carolina' Gertrude Ramsay (14). 
Virginia: Resales Hayden (Hi), Frank Hay¬ 
den (7). 
Correct answers to the Cat-tails Nature 
Puzzle were received from tlie following 
readers, and those with a star before 
their names also sent a drawing of rite 
cat-tail: 
Conneetient: *T.uis Smith (101. Vent Basil- 
hell (13 , Ruth Warren (15). ’Albert Kirk- 
Del.a ware: ‘Elsie Grnsselly (12), Moreno 
Grasseliy (11). 
Maine: Rebecca spencer (12), Eugenia Swan- 
ton I(tit. 
Maryland: Elizabeth Moffett (14). 
Massachusetts: • Ethel Hart (12), ‘Eleanor 
Hart M 21 , •Priscilla Hertel Mil. 
Michigan: Agnes Rerglund (18). 
New Jersey *K.'irl’erine Eckert M3). Fannie 
Muecio C4). * Margaret Sullivan <131, Jeanette 
Selleek (141, Robert Sellcck 112). Margaret 
Lvtle, (1 lari' TUirlew (10), Byron Hnrlew Ml). 
William Bradway (IS). Natalie Itosstiagel l III). 
New York Velma Kells till, Dorothy Renton. 
Emma Keidel (15). Anna Orr, Louise Frank 
(14) , Lillie Sprague (10), Carolyn Male, T.inille 
i'T'eemantle, ttrMlia (hull. Helen Rlydciiburgh 
(15) , Dorothy Fisher, Doris Chamberlain I Hi). 
Martha Italzlaff, Aliil.i Bognrdus tit), ‘lluzel 
Duntz (15), Frauees Slmyloe (131, Helen Top 
ping (VI). Dora Matteson (13), Ella Rleknrd 
(15). •Gladys I’eldberg (12), Eldeeu Pindar. 
Dick Lyon (12), Inez Hertel Mil Leonard 
Brown (111, Maude Hihbard. 
Ohio: Ruth Crane (11). 
Pennsylvania: Marjorie Blake (11). Gene¬ 
vieve Bock. 
Washington: Aunita Sliepardson (12), ‘Un¬ 
known. 
Those boys and girls solved the Broom 
Riddle: 
Connecticut: Vera Rushnell (13). 
Delaware: Moreno Grasseliy (11), Elsie Gras- 
80 lly (12), Germaine Lapping (13). 
Maine: Eugenia SWanton (0), Rebecca Spen 
eer (12). 
Maryland: Laurence Harris (13), Elizabeth 
Moffett (14), Clara Cox (lit. 
New Jersey: Margaret Sullivan (13). Anna 
Stoll (12), Maria Hamilton 115). George Ma’z,, 
(10), Jennie Feinnmn Mil Grace Burlcw (TO), 
Byron Burlew Ml). William Bradwav (13) 
New York: Elileen Pindar. Margaret tBiles 
pie (431, Julia Dauforlh (10), Alvin Maher 
(17), Elizabeth Prune, > (III, Catherine Collins 
(lol, Leonard Rrown Ml). Vivian Kell* (9). 
Anna Orr, Louise Frank Mil. Lillie Sprague 
M01, Orville (holt, Dorothy Detlner (14), Helen 
Rlydenblirgh (15), Doris Chamberlain MO). 
Martha RatMoff. Anna Rogers, Margaret Ma¬ 
lone (141. 
Oklahoma: Eleanor Henderson M3). 
Pennsylvania: Margaret Fnrabntixli. Sophie 
Went/.. Anna Larson (12), Marjorie Blake (11), 
Ruth Jones (14). 
Virginia: Resales Hayden (Hi). 
Washington: Annetn Sliepardson (12). 
West Virginia: Leone Dent (5). 
Ration for Pullets 
T have about 100 White Leghorn pul¬ 
lets, which arc not matured enough f<> 
daily, the meal may be omitted from the 
mash, or materially cut down in quantity, 
lay. What would be the best ration to 
feed litem before and after they start 
laying? rr, a. 
South Davton, N. Y. 
These pullets should be fed a> laying 
hens would be, on a well-balanced ration 
containing both whole grain and ground 
grain mash. Mixed whole grains, nrie- 
ltalf part, or more, being cracked corn, 
and a mash like the following ntay be 
Used: Uqttal parts, by weight, of corn- 
meal, ground oats, wheat middlings, wheat 
bran and beef scrap. This is best kept 
before the pullets dry. and in addition 
Hie same mixture may be fed once daily in 
a moist mash, using milk or water, and 
giving the pullets all that they will 
quiqkly clean up. If all the milk that 
the millets will consume is given to them 
M. R- D. 
