April 7 
25o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER] 
MICE AND HARNESS. 
I see W. M. S., March 24, wants to 
know what will protect his harness from 
rats and mice. If he will oil it with 
coon’s oil the rats and mice will let it 
alone. o. r. s. 
Pike Co.. Ill. 
If W. M. S. will keep a good-sized 
lump of salt in the barn or place where 
he hangs his harness, he will have no 
trouble with rats or mice eating or 
gnawing his harness. I have used this 
for years, and never had any trouble, 
only when I failed to replace the salt 
when they had eaten it up, for that is 
what they do. It is the salt from the 
sweat of the horse that they are after. 
Leavitt, N. C. J. d. s. 
If salt is sprinkled in the closet 
where the harness is kept, the 
mice will not disturb it. We had a 
new double harness badly chewed by 
mice. Cats, traps, etc., were of no avail, 
until a horseman told my husband that 
it was the salt left by the perspiration 
of the horse on the harness that caused 
the mice to chew it. We put salt in the 
harness closet, and since they have all 
the salt they wish the harness is not 
molested. M. J. b. 
Elmira, N. Y. 
Referring to the question of H. M. S., 
page 203, as to what will prevent mice 
and rats from gnawing harness, permit 
me to say that I have long used castor 
oil in the greasing mixture for this pur¬ 
pose. Not only does it prove effectual, 
but it keeps the leather pliable longer 
than other oils. Lately I paid $1.40 per 
gallon in this market, and, even at this 
price, I find it profitable to make one- 
half of the mixture castor oil; the re¬ 
mainder neatsfoot oil, with a little 
lamp black for color. This is an old 
recipe, but worth repeating. w. p. 
Port Chester. N. Y. 
THE RED POLLED CATTLE. 
Several readers ask us to give the 
history and general characteristics of 
the Red Polled breed of cattle. In vari¬ 
ous parts of the West this breed seems 
to be quite popular. During the past 
few years there has been a growing de¬ 
mand for what is known as the dual- 
purpose cow. That is, a cow which will 
give a fair mess of milk for dairy pur¬ 
poses, go to the block in good shape 
after s'he has finished at the pail, and 
send her son there to receive a full 
butcher’s certificate. It was tuought 
that the Short-horn dairy type would fill 
the requirements, but there are many 
who prefer the Red Poll. She seems to 
be a surer dairy animal, and then again 
there is always something in the idea 
of handling a new and novel breed of 
cattle. Curtis says that the origin of 
the Red Poll is somewhat clouded in 
obscurity. The County of Suffolk, in 
England, had from the earliest times a 
polled breed of cattle, and probably this 
Suffolk breed had much to do with 
molding the type and dishorning the 
Norfolk breed. There were originally 
two distinct breeds of cattle in the cen¬ 
tral and northern part of the British 
Islands. One of these breeds had 
medium horns, and it probably produced 
the Devon, Hereford and Sussex cattle. 
The other breed was hornless, and prob¬ 
ably produced the Galloways, Angus and 
the Red Polls, which probably came 
from combining the Suffolk and Norfolk 
Reds. It makes little difference, how¬ 
ever, to the American breeder where the 
cattle came from. He is more likely to 
ask what they are good for, and what 
they will do. They have now been in 
this country for a quarter of a century, 
and in the West especially they have 
made an excellent record. The Iowa 
Agricultural College has a choice herd 
of Red Polled cattle. Last year in writ¬ 
ing us about them, Prof. Curtiss made 
the following statements, which cer¬ 
tainly speak well for them: 
A complete record is kept of all feed 
consumed, and the amount and value of all 
dairy products and both are credited at 
prevailing market prices. This kind of a 
record is also kept of four other breeds of 
cattle that we have under investigation at 
present, viz., the Short-horns, Aberdeen- 
Angus, Jerseys and Holstein. Under this 
condition the Red Polled cattle are ren¬ 
dering a good account; a number of the 
cows in our herd are producing 300 to 400 
pounds of butter per year, and a net profit 
of $25 to $40 per cow. 
It is claimed for the Red Polls that 
they are exceedingly uniform in color, 
and that this color is well stained into 
them. Even jvhen crossed with breeds 
of different color, 80 per cent of the 
grades will be dark red. The hornless 
character, too, is almost as well fixed as 
the color, for when crossed with or¬ 
dinary cattle a large proportion of the 
calves never even Start a bud on the 
head. They are blocky in shape, smooth 
and very heavy along the loin and back, 
having almost a perfect beef shape. 
They are, without question, the best 
dairy cattle of all so-called beef breeds, 
probably excelling in this respect the 
Short-horns, except possibly those 
strains that have been bred for years in 
milk lines. It would seem that for loca¬ 
tions where a general-purpose cow is 
required, this breed would give great 
satisfaction. For crossing in a miscel¬ 
laneous herd of cows where both milk 
and beef are desired, probably no sire 
would give more satisfactory results 
than a Red Polled bull of good breeding. 
SCRAPS. 
Farmer’s Guide says that a man who 
carries a swill pail in one hand and a club 
in the other, with which he whacks the 
hogs on their noses to make them keep out 
of the trough, is next thing to hog cholera 
for damaging the drove. 
Good Hens.— Our grade (no thorough¬ 
bred) B. P. Rocks, 72 in number, turned out 
57 dozen eggs in February, and are now lay¬ 
ing between 40 and 50 eggs per day, March 
15, being 46 eggs, and we have only had one 
rooster where Hope Farm had a dozen. 
We are not among the people who never 
make mistakes either. 
The Grocery World well says: “There is 
no objection to oleo per se. It is perfectly 
healthful—fully as healthful as butter, fre¬ 
quently more healthful. The crying shame 
of the present century is that it is sold 
with a lie. For every man who sells it as 
oleo there are a hundred—yes, a thousand 
—who sell it as butter.” 
The Breeder’s Gazette says: “The Iowa 
Supreme Court has lately handed down a 
decision that will prove of interest to all 
stockmen. A scrub bull broke into a 
neighboring pasture and served two cows. 
The owner of the cows caught the bull 
and demanded damages. Payment was re¬ 
fused, so the bull was turned over to the 
proper officer and sold in accordance with 
the law. The bull’s owner then brought 
suit for damages against the owner of the 
cows, but was defeated in the lower court. 
He appealed the case, and now the Su¬ 
preme Court has sustained the decision.” 
Cast 
Your 
Eye 
on these convincing indorsements. Two of the hun¬ 
dreds that demonstrate, prove beyond question, that 
Veterinary Pixine 
is the most marvelously effective healing ointment 
made. 
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. 
Boston, Mass. 
Veterinary Pixine has given entire satisfaction as 
a healer for all kinds of wounds and sores on horses. 
It certainly is tirst-class. Please have another lot 
sent me here. CHARLES EVANS, Supt. of Stables. 
Altamont, N. Y. 
My horse had two large sores on its breast; I had 
tried some four or five so-called healing ointments, 
with no avail After using the contents of one small 
box of Veterinary Pixine my horse was well, having 
worked him all the time. It is the best healing oint¬ 
ment on the market. IRVING! PITCHER. 
Unfailing as well for scratches. Money refunded. 
That’s our guarantee that it will not fail. At all 
druggists and dealers, or mailed postpaid. 
PRICE -! o' 02 ’ 'i?*’ 
( 8-oz. box, 
25c. 
50c. 
TliOY CHEMICAL CO., Troy, N.Y. 
D 
- - - "> 
Mr. Phinney’s Apples 
Sold for $7 a barrel, the result of judicious fertiliz¬ 
ing-, cultivation ANI) SPRAYING. We will send 
full particulars to any address free, on request. 
SAVE YOUR CROPS 
from insect pests and fungous diseases by spraying 
with I5GXAL, a combined insecticide and fungicide. 
Cheaper and more effective than any insecticide or 
fungicide separately. Send for free catalogue “C.” 
BOWKER CHEMICAL CO., 
43 Chatham St., Boston, Mass. 
CHARTER GASOLINE ENGINE 
USED 
Any Place 
By Any One 
For Any Purpow 
Statlonariee, Portable a, 
JBnginee and Pnntpt. 
State your Power Needs. 
Charter Gas Engine Co., Box 26, Sterling, III 
How to Drain Land Profitably. 
On every farm there is probably some land 
that could be made more productive by under¬ 
drainage. Properly drained laud can always 
be worked earlier, and more profitably. The 
best and most 
■ 1 -| -| 7 » | C“, 1 economical way 
Kained ln in l8 th X e 
book, “Benefits of Drainage and How to Drain,” 
which is sent free by 
JOHN H. JACKSON, Third Ave., Albany, N. Y. 
Bugs, Worms, Insects 
SWIFT’S 
of ALL kinds, injurious to trees, plants and 
vines are quickly destroyed by the use of 
ARSENATE 
OF LEAD. 
The latest and most effective insecticide. As It is 
white and udbeies to the leaves you can alwuys tell 
when a second application is needed. Never scalds 
or burns the foliage. Used by the Gypsy Moth Com¬ 
mission of Massachusetts. Endorsed by leading State 
Entomologists. Send for free booklet .‘‘Jnjunotu In¬ 
tern." Made and sold only by 
wm. H. SWIFT & CO., 05 Broad Street, BOSTON, MASS. 
SHEEP TIOHS 
N 
SCAB,LICE, 
FOOT U Oi. 
►etc., by dip- 
pin g youi 
sheep. 
HALLSTEEL 
DIPPING 
TANKS are Handy. 
Economical of the dip 
—never LEAK, ROT 01 
RUST —Built of Galva 
nixed Sheet Steel—shipped ready to use. This is our 
Improved tank for common use suitable to dip from 
50 to300 head—Length 8 feet—Capacity, 200 gallons of 
dip. Wo make other sizes and styles. Prices #6.50 and 
up. Write for free descriptive catalogue, showing 
also our Steel Stock Tanka and Troughs (prices $3 and 
up). Storage Tanks (from 6 to 200 barrels capacity). 
“ Tanks for Dairy and Creamery use a Specialty." Mod¬ 
erate prices. THE HALL STEEL TANK CO., 
04 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago, Ill. 
LABEL 
Dana’ S.1 
• MetalMcEAR LABELS 
stamped with any name or address with consecutive 
numbers. I supply forty recording associations and 
thousands of practical farmers, breeders and veteri¬ 
narians. Samplesfree. Axenta Wanted. 
C. II. DANA, 74 Main St.. West Lebanon. N. II. 
tt 
SWIMBATH” 
N ON-POISONOUS 
Sheep Dipping Powdei 
(PATENTED) 
prevents and destroys fly, lice, ticks and 
all parasites, on sheen, cattle, horses and 
dogs. An Invaluable cure for scab. 
Easily prepared, easily used. Most eco¬ 
nomical. Perfect satisfaction guaranteed 
If used as directed. On receipt of 50c 
sufficient powder for 20 gallons of “dip’’ 
will bo delivered free. 
Write for full particulars. 
THE TOBACCO WAREHOUSING AND TRADING CO. 
LOUISVILLE, KY. 
SHEEP-SHEARING REVOLUTIONIZED. 
Chicago Sheep-Shearing Machine. 
Stewart’s Patent. 
Price, $15.00. 
The only Sheep Shearing 
Machine ever Invented. 
The day of the old fash¬ 
ioned hand shears is past. 
Over one million sheep 
shorn last season with this 
machine. Thousands of 
testimonials. Saves from 
one-half to one pound wool 
from each sheep. Pays for 
Itself the first season. Be 
humane and don’t butcher 
your sheep. Send for large 
illustrated circular. 
CHICAGO FLEXIBLE 
SHAFT CO., 
158-60 Huron St., Chicago 
BAKER’S TRACELESS HARNESS 
Light, Strong, Flexible. No Traces. No Whiffletrees. 
Invaluable in Orchard, Vineyard or Hopyard. Perfect for all low down work. In 
no respect Ilka the Sherwood or other heavy steel rigging. On an Entirely Different 
Principle. Can’t chafe or gall. No team, young or old, know that they are not in their 
A perfect all-round Farmers’ Handy Harness. Comfort for both Team and 
old harness. 
Driver. 
Consists of two short 
wood bows, bent to 
fit the horse and 
not project beyond 
the side, suspended ( 
back of forelegs 
by padded back 
bands and covered 
by adjustable pad¬ 
ded belly bands. 
Short leather tugs 
with adjustable 
buckles and cockeyes 
guarded by leather 
7 %, direct. 
shields connect 
t he bow ends 
with the harnes, 
making the draft 
direct and just 
as in the old 
harness. The team is 
coupled up by a free- 
jointed stralght- 
wood evener, 
hooked into the loop 
in each bow. Can 
ba separated or 
unharnessed In 
an instant. 
Each horse perfectly Independent in liis movements and can close up or spread apart in 
working. A short draft chain runs from the evener-clevis to the load. Used and approved 
by the best up-to-date farmers and fruit growers In the country. We don’t furnish 
collars, headstalls or lines. Price, $12.00, cash with order. If not perfectly satisfac¬ 
tory, return at our expense and money will be refunded. Write at once for circular 
and testimonials. In ordering give size collar used. 
B. F. BAKER & CO., Burnt Hills, N. Y. 
