J4N IB 
37 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
to them, from several responsible firms in Cin¬ 
cinnati, as well as from the headquarters of 
the police department. A common practice 
of theirs is shown by the following extracts 
from letters to us: “They ordered seed pota. 
toes of me with instructions to ship at once, 
and draw on them for the amount of the bill. 
I shipped $81 worth, and made a draft as or¬ 
dered, but failed to get the money, and have 
not been able to get anything but promises 
from them. I have heard that they have 
done the same thing with other parties.” So 
writes n correspondent from Hartford, N. Y. 
“Last Spring I received an order for potatoes 
from them, with instructions to ship and draw 
on them for the money. In the press of busi 
ness I did not wait to investigate their stand 
ing, and as 1 had received their seed catalogue 
a few days before their order came to hand, I 
sent on the goods: but I have failed to get any 
pay for my potatoes, and as others have suf 
fered in the same way, I think the character 
of the firm should be made known to the pub¬ 
lic through the Eye-Opener, so as to prevent 
such swindling of Rural readers.” So writes 
a friend from West Troy, N. Y., and the 
other letters tell the same story with unim¬ 
portant variations. A Cincinnati advertis¬ 
ing firm writes: “They stand charged on our 
books with 830, but if anybody will give me 
810 for the account, it is his. I have little 
hope of getting anything from them.” The 
Superintendent of Police writes under date of 
December 17,1883: "The reputation of T. M. 
Hayes is ltad, and he has never had any com¬ 
mercial credit. * * * One J. M. Hayes, a 
brother, engaged in the same business, was 
within the week past expelled from the Cham 
her of Commerce for swindling. T. M. Hayes 
is said to have nothing, and uses his wife as a 
cloak for protecting some little property that 
he controls.” Other parties in Cincinnati, of 
whom inquiries were made, write in substan 
tially the same way. 
In every town of any considerable size 
there are some people who are constantly en¬ 
gaged iu the attempt to swindle farmers by 
securing goods from them either to be paid 
for promptly, as in the case of Hayes & Co., 
or to be sold on commission, the proceeds to 
be promptly remitted, and liberal advances 
to be made on consignments. Patronage is 
generally sought by these sharpers either by 
advertisements in agricultural papers, or 
more commonly, in local papers, or by 
circulars and letters. Frequently the ras¬ 
cals assume the uames of respectable well- 
known dealers, with some slight difference 
either in the initials or the spelling of the 
names, for they know that people are often 
deceived in this way. Not unfrequent’y 
their advertisements or circulars are orna¬ 
mented with cuts of liue stores or ware-houses 
on which their names appear conspicuous 
in huge letters; but such stores and ware¬ 
houses have no existence except on the ad¬ 
vertisements. Sometimes confederates travel 
through the country, and make contracts 
with farmers for butter, cheese, eggs, pota¬ 
toes, or any kind of farm produce, geuerally 
at remarkably good figures: but once the 
goods are shipped, the shipper waits in vain for 
payment. He will never see a dollar unless the 
rogues think that by excellent returns for the 
first one or two ventures, they will be able to 
make an unusually largelmul from the shipper 
or his neighbors, and in such cases the ras¬ 
cals are likely to make such a good show on 
the first transaction that they are actur ’ly 
out of pocket on that deal, just as the card 
sharpers are willing to lose on the first one 
or two games so as to make a bigger pile 
later on. 
In the papers from all parts of the 
country we frequently see accounts of 
swindling of this kind, and for one account 
that comes under our notice a hundred are 
published; and for one that is published there 
is little doubt that ten never find their wuv 
into the papers. A Bwiudler who once begins 
to make a living out of the agricultural com¬ 
munity, appears reluctant to abandon that 
particular line of “crooked” industry. Thus 
the swindling patent agent and the swindling 
lightning-rod nuisance are likely to develop 
into the swindling commission merchant or 
the swindling seedsman, using in their new 
business the local information they had 
acquired in the old, and frequently a cheat 
having been “exposed” in one section or un¬ 
der one name, changes his habitation or 
name without regret, to practice the old ras¬ 
cality under a now muue or in a uew place. 
How can one avoid beiug swindled by those 
sharpers! Don’t deal with them—that is the 
only way. In many respects farmers are very 
careful with their money; it costs them so 
much labor and anxiety to enru it, that very 
naturally they are inclined to look three 
times at a dollar before spending it, and then 
decide not to spend it. In the way of trusting 
others with their produce, however, there is 
uo class so liberal; and in the way of giving 
credit to a sleek, glib-tongued agent, or a 
plausible, tempting circular or advertise¬ 
ments, few in any other calling can get ahead 
of some of them. Of course, it is only a 
minority, and a small minority, that are so 
credulous; but the farming class is so large, 
that even a small minority makes so big a 
crowd that it pays the swindlers well to ap¬ 
peal specially to this gullible race. If a 
stranger personally or through circulars or 
advertisements appealed to you for cash, 
would you loud him money without inves¬ 
tigating his circumstances and character— 
without finding out whether he would be 
likely to repay the loan? If not, why should 
you lend him your goods which are readily 
convertible into cash? In loans, high inter¬ 
est implies bad security, aud in matters of 
trade it will pay to be cautious in dealing with 
all who offer exceptionally favorable terms. 
Occasionally smart business men are " taken 
in,” as in the cases of our friends above; but 
in all cases the lesson enforced Is the neces¬ 
sity of investigation before giving credit. 
Hayes & Co. were known to be untrust¬ 
worthy for years; inquiry would have shown 
their character. A smart dodge—wasn’t it? 
their sending on their catalogue just before 
asking credit? 
Physicing Animals. — The enterprising 
Kansas City Live-Stock Indicator does not 
believe in giving much medicine to ailing 
animals Veterinarians often dose the poor 
animals to death, and so do the quacks who 
call themselves veterinarians. Too little at¬ 
tention is paid to diet, pure air and cleanly 
surroundings, to rubbing and blanketing. 
The Indicator deems charcoal one of the most 
valuable medicines that “ ever went into the 
stomach of an animal.” But the veterina¬ 
rians, like the regular physicians, must re¬ 
sort to drugs that will poison and to treat¬ 
ment that will reduce the strength of the ani¬ 
mal. These two principles underlie all regu¬ 
lar medical practice. The patient is poisoned 
in the first place. A mixture is thrown into 
the stomach that causes that organ to rebel 
against the violence done to nature, and it 
heaves it out, or that causes the nerves to 
tighteu or relax, in short, that causes the en¬ 
tire system to do something that is not natu¬ 
ral for it to do. We contend that it is simple, 
common sense to say that you cannot aid na¬ 
ture by fighting her, and that it is just as 
good common sense to say that you cannot 
build up the animal system by making it 
weaker. It never was done and it never will 
lie done^ The sick human or animal that re¬ 
covers under such treatment recovers in spite 
of the treatment and not by its aid, excepting 
always that where disease is of parisitic ori¬ 
gin, poison may be necessary to kill the para¬ 
site. 
Bleeding Animals.— The editor of the 
Live-Stock Indicator refers to a veterinary 
work which was published only two years 
ago, and it is particularly severe upon those 
who denounce bleeding. Yet if there is one 
piece of folly more conspicuous than another 
in veterinary practice, it is this method of 
weakening down the system. The man who 
taps the life current in an animal system is an 
ignoramus of colossal proportions. This work 
to which we refer says that it is true that in 
the treatment of human patients bleeding is 
a thing of the past, but the author says it 
will not work at. least with the horse. Why 
not? If it is unquestionably injurious to 
bleed human beings, why is it not injurious to 
bleed a horse ? Blood is blood, w hether it is in 
human veins or in a horse’s veins. Its office 
iu both eases is precisely the same, and the 
effect of letting it out is to weaken the patient 
whether it is a man or a horse. The author 
of this work says that with his own hands 
he has bled 500 horses and mules, and in no 
cases found tiny evil consequences.” Some¬ 
body ought now to tie liis hands, for he has 
erected all the monuments to stupidity that 
two hands ought to do. Of course be has not 
seen any evil consequences. Doctors uever 
see any evil consequences. The regular doe- 
tore still go on giving mercury, and can see 
no evil consequences though hundreds are 
dropping into their graves loaded down with 
mercury. It is said that old Dr. Rush could 
see no evil consequences from bleeding. On 
his death-bed, it is affirmed, be bled himself 
uutil he hadn’t strength enough to direct the 
lance, and but very little blood left in him. and 
as he was about to die, said that, if he could 
only be bled again, he would recover. We 
do not vouch for the truth of this story, but 
it accords with the blootl letting theory. This 
author says bleediug does not impoverish the 
remaining blood. Of course it does not. But 
it takes from the animal a certain quantity of 
nutriment. If all the blood was out of it, it 
would die. would it not ? It is foil of disease, 
lacking in nutrition, and is a vehicle of 
disease, as the author of the work affirms. 
But it contains all the nutrition that the sys¬ 
tem can get and the very fact that it is lack¬ 
ing in nutrition is proof that all the nutrition 
it does contain ought to be let alone, and not 
wasted by bleeding the animal. 
Chills and Fever.— “We copy the follow¬ 
ing from the Rural, New-Yorker. If we 
bad seen the paragraph going the rounds of 
the press as a waif, without parentage, we 
would probably have passed it by with much 
doubt as to its efficacy, but the editor of the 
above-named paper does not chronicle frivoli¬ 
ties; therefore we conclude it means what it 
says: ‘Here is a remedy for malaria and 
chills and fever which we know has effected 
cures in a number of cases: Take three or 
four ounces of red Peruvian bark and spread 
it evenly in a pad of red flannel. This pad 
must be then quilted, so as to give it a flat¬ 
tened shape and to keep the powder in posi¬ 
tion. Place this directly over the stomach, 
holding it there by one band around the neck 
and another around the waist. It should be 
removed as soon as the patient feels that the 
disease Is broken,”' We copy the above from 
the well-conducted agricultural department of 
the National Tribune. We have since con¬ 
sulted our own doctor in regard to the recipe, 
aud he replied that there are several applica¬ 
tions that in odd cases produce cures of mala¬ 
ria that we cannot well understand. 
SHORT AND FRESH, 
It used to be a mile with on& of the best 
farmers I ever knew, whenever an animal 
got fat to sell it. He said: “ It was at its 
best then, and that was the time to make the 
most of it. ” I suppose an animal is never so 
good afterwards, whenever it has been very 
fat, and then allowed to get poor. There is 
certainly no economy in such management, 
as fat costs food and food is money, so it does 
look like making money and then losing it. 
This is not the way fortunes are made, nor 
for fanners to succeed. So speaks Mr. Tucker, 
in the Farm Journal. 
Onions don’t mind beiug raised on the 
same land year after year. But if yon would 
avoid club foot, dou't plant cabbages on the 
same land even two years in succession. 
Before ordering seeds or plants of any 
kind for 1SS4, turn to the Index and see what 
the Rural has said about them. Do it. 
Are your cellars free from decaying veget¬ 
ables? Are you sure there is no offensive 
odor arisiug from any other cause? Offensive 
odors are dangerous... 
When is the best time to cut wood? When 
the trees contain the least water. T his time 
has been found to be in the latitude of Chica¬ 
go and New York about the 1st of January. 
Is it a fact or not according to your experi¬ 
ence, reader?.. 
“Somethin' r-other is probably the cause 
of yellows in peach trees. The National 
Tribune thinks that the Professors are sadly 
mixed up as to the cause, aud that they don’t 
know auything about it..... 
“ W here berries abound, the deadly pie 
and dyspepsia-breeding compounds of grease 
and spice are more rarely seen and craved,' 7 
says Mr. Hale.” 
Mr. Hale thinks that a bushel of berries 
can be grown as easily as a bushel of potatoes 
or beans. In our experience, taking one year 
with another, that is a mistake . 
How true it is, as Dr. Boweu remarks, that 
the farmer too often overtaxes his physical 
powers. Yes. indeed, many farmers would 
enjoy life more and succeed just as well— 
yes. better—it they labored fewer hours. 
Farmers, are your sleeping-rooms on the 
first floor over the cellar? Then see that the 
air of the cellar is pure. This it can not be if 
the cellar is dark and damp. Surely that is 
plaiu. 
We beg to be excused for insisting that the 
Rural poster should he tacked up in the car¬ 
riage-house or barn of every Rural reader. 
Why not!..... 
The New York Tribune suggests respecting 
the Kioffer Pear that siuce the “doctors disa¬ 
gree” the patients should decide: that is, 
those who buy to eat the pear. That is just 
what they will do....... 
It appears from experiments made in Ger¬ 
many that the infection of diptberia may be 
communicated from fowls to children and 
men.. ... .... 
Let us have more light iu our barns........ 
The popular Science News says that Oliver 
N. Bryan, of Locust Grove, Md., sends satis¬ 
factory vouchers, showing that he has raised 
this year one symmetrical potato, of the 
Peerless variety, which weighed three pounds 
and one ounce. He also raised six others, one 
of which weighed two pounds 10 ounces; and 
the aggregate weight of the six was 14 pounds 
and two ounces... 
As Green’s Fruit Grower remarks, the 
business of mailing plants has been run into 
the ground. Competition has induced deal¬ 
ers to offer the plants so low that they cannot 
send strong plants and pay the postage also.. 
Mr. C. A. Green, duringa visit to Burling¬ 
ton County, New Jersey, saw Keiffer Pear- 
trees only four years old that, in the nursery 
rows, were loaded down with fruit........... 
It seems that the Marlboro Raspberry can¬ 
not be sold until the Fall of 1884. The share¬ 
holders are so bound... 
“Why should ’heat, moisture and vegetable 
decomposition,’ be any more dangerous in 
a marsh, than in a brewer’s vat or a silo?” is 
a question which Mr J. B. Oleott. the man 
that is too full of ideas for utterance, asks_ 
He also says that pine straw will have a mar¬ 
ket value, yet, for noiseless carpeting on 
gritty or muddy Winter walks. It makes 
them as clean and soft for the feet as a forest 
path. 
He also remarks—this Mi*. Oleott—that the 
place to see hornless cattle is in a small yard 
where they may huddle together like sheep, 
with no fighting. The cows will crowd about 
any fellow that happens to be paring au apple 
like a flock of cosset lambs . 
There is both too little aDd too much shade 
about our homes. 
Dirty cellars and polluted wells—typhoid 
fever....... 
Close sleeping rooms—blessed open fires— 
variety of food, is the spice of life. 
If a man .an’t afford to take a paper, how 
many dogs can he afford to keep?. 
If, as appears by good evidence, says the 
Connecticut Courant, the cheapest method of 
reducing bones is by layering, in pits, with 
four times their bulk of wood ashes and the 
same of fresh lime, to be moistened with water 
and shoveled out soft in three or four months, 
then farmers should be the best customers for 
raw bone, after the fat. glue and knife-handle 
men have had their pick, and possibly before. 
We sometimes pay more for manure than 
fresh butcher’s bones would cost to make au 
acre of orchard or pasture rich for a long 
life-time.. 
The first consideration, says Henry Stew¬ 
art, for the farmer should be to make his ani¬ 
mals comfortable. As he knows how grateful 
on a cold morning a cup of hot coffee is to 
him, let him provide a warm bran slop for his 
cows, and follow it up with a generous feed of 
cut hay and meal. The result will be seen m 
the full milk pail aud the thick cream from 
the cows and the continuous aud healthful 
growth of the calves. This comfortable lodg¬ 
ing aud generous feeding is the key to success¬ 
ful Winter dairying, and when bntter is 35 or 
40 cents a pound it will pay to give the cows 
the best of care.. 
The editor of the Breeders' Gazette has been 
feeding milch cows and young cattle with 
millet of late. It had been sown thick and 
was allowed to get nearly fully mature before 
being cut; more mature than was thought ad¬ 
visable. But he has found no “coarse food” 
more acceptable, or, apparently, more profit¬ 
able. Good hay, whether Timothy or clover, 
is left at any time for the millet. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Iowa, 
Lima, Fayette Co., Dec. 31.—Spring was 
cold and backward. Summer was so cool 
that corn was very backward when the early 
frost of September cut a large part of it, so 
we have only a poor corn crop. Oats about 
an average. Potatoes aud hay large crops. 
Oats are selling at 28 to 32 cents; corn, 20 to 
55 cents: potatoes, 25 cents; butter, 20 cents; 
cream, 22 and 24 cents, p. k. j. 
Osage. Mitchell Co., Dec 25.—Contrary to 
expectations, our corn crop is very bad, both 
as to quality and price. It has led the farm¬ 
ers to do a very unwise thing—they have 
been selling off their young stock aud re¬ 
ducing them usual “keep” of hogs. Trade is 
buoyant. Having a soil of unsurpassed ex¬ 
cellence far mere are making the most of it 
Our country market prices are: for wheat, 
70 cents;corn in the ear, green, 20 cents; oats, 
25 cents; barley, 40 cents: flour, best. $S.50; 
corn-meal, 81.80; potatoes, 20 cents; butter, 
per pound, IS to 30 cents; eggs, 20 cents;hogs, 
live, 84, turkeys, per pound, 7 C cents. 
L. s. E. 
Kansas. 
Junction City. Davis Co., Dec. 28.- At 
