622 
September 13 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
for 38 shares of stock, and three men who had been 
associated with him in the other failures took two 
shares each. The American Farm Company as or¬ 
ganized was a mere shell, with no business or good 
will of any particular value. This value was so small 
that 9,000 shares of its capital stock were taken by 
Woodruff and held by him as “fully paid-up stock” in 
exchange for his interest in the corporation which 
preceded it. 
From these facts we believe that the American Farm 
Company was organized for the purpose of deceiving 
the public, and especially the farmers. The purpose 
was to induce farmers to subscribe for the capital 
stock and pay full value for it under the belief that 
the corporation really possessed a valuable business, 
and good will and large assets. It was well known to 
Woodruff and his associates, while these efforts to sell 
stock were being made, that the stock was without 
earning power, and that the corporation had no assets 
of substantial value. While knowing that this stock 
was of little more real value than nothing, these 
promoters, in their efforts to sell it, made what we 
believe to be false, fraudulent and deceitful represen¬ 
tations orally and in print—using circulars, pam¬ 
phlets and advertisements. Matters were promised 
in print and by word of mouth which would be im¬ 
possible of accomplishment even for a strong cor¬ 
poration, while as the promoters knew, the American 
Farm Company had little of value back of it, and was 
merely a reorganization of former financial wrecks. 
In consequence of these fraudulent statements certain 
farmers were induced to sign written contracts to pur¬ 
chase from the plaintiff various seeds and other goods. 
Others agreed to pay for stock in the corporation. 
Before the publication of these articles, the parties 
who had made contracts found that the promoters 
had used false and fraudulent representations, and 
they refused to carry out their contracts 
on the ground that the same were in¬ 
duced by fraud. They have engaged coun¬ 
sel ana stand ready to defend their rights, 
though the American Farm Company has 
not yet sued them. 
Various parties in New York and other 
States have ordered and paid for silos 
which were guaranteed by the American 
Farm Company to be first-class in all re¬ 
spects. When the silos were delivered 
they were found to be very inferior—of 
the poorest quality, and in some cases 
practically worthless. The American 
Farm Company failed to make its con¬ 
tract good or to return the purchase price. 
In his former corporations, Woodruff has 
promised and agreed to supply new and 
valuable varieties of farm seeds at a high 
figure. We allege that he has purchased 
ordinary grain in the regular market. 
There is even now an unsatisfied judg¬ 
ment against him or his company for a 
carload of ordinary western corn. We al¬ 
lege that this ordinary seed was put into 
packages and sent to farmers as some 
“new” and high-priced variety of wonderful value 
—sold at exorbitant prices and upon hard terms. 
We also find that agents or representatives ot 
the American Farm Company made oral agree¬ 
ments and promises to farmers which were well 
understood by the latter, yet, when the written con¬ 
tracts were presented, these oral promises were 
thrown aside and farmers were held to terms to which 
they did not agree. These promises were made to 
induce farmers to buy the goods and sign the con¬ 
tracts, and then broken after the farmer had legally 
bound himself to terms which ne did not fully under¬ 
stand. In the month of October, 1901, and at times 
before, the American Farm Company applied for ad¬ 
vertising space in The R. N.-Y., tendering payment 
in advance. Our knowledge of the record of former 
corporations controlled by Woodruff, obtained from 
commercial agencies, farmers and others, led us to 
reject the advertising and return the money. The 
result of our investigation convinced us that Wood¬ 
ruff, who is really the American Farm Company, had 
not dealt fairly or honestly with numerous farmers. 
We believe that the Company, through its represen¬ 
tatives, made claims and promises which could not be 
carried out. These claims were made in order to give 
false and fictitious value to stock which is practically 
worthless. 
A Buffalo lawyer appears for the plaintiff, and John 
E. Connelly, of 111 Broadway, New York City, for the 
defendant. 
WESTERN HOGS.—I think hogs will remain high for 
some time to come; besides Illinois, I have traveled 
through Kansas, Iowa and Missouri, and fat hogs, stock 
hogs, and pigs are all scarce; besides, everybody is 
working and can afford to buy plenty of meat; six men 
are employed where one was six years ago. The Poland 
China is the Warren County hog; they mature the quick¬ 
est, and that is what the farmer wants. I think the 
Poland China is by far the best hog to raise. c. H. 
Monmouth, Ill. 
WHY I TAKE THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Your paper is valuable to me because it brings 
within my reach the brains and experience of the 
foremost men in my own line of business. I have 
learned a great deal from those whose life-work it is 
to study out the things which I want to know, but 
which I never would have known but for your paper. 
It keeps me posted on new varieties so that I am not 
easily gulled by the tree agents; it has saved me 
money in that line. It has helped me to solve the 
fertilizer problem, which was a most perplexing one. 
It has been to me what a course in an agricultural 
college is to those who can afford it. It is different 
from others because it makes a man want to get down 
to the bottom of things, and learn the cause of ef¬ 
fects. It enables those who read it carefully to talk 
intelligently of their business, and thus adds a little 
more dignity to a noble profession. Not the least im¬ 
portant of its lessons is that which teaches us that the 
crop of boys and girls is the chiefest crop of all, of 
which I send you a sample. See Fig. 231. 
Ontario, Canada. james davis. 
Its Influence Upon the Farm Home. 
I like The R. N.-Y. because it is dignified, kindly in 
spirit, handles public questions simply, courteously 
and to the point, neither catering to popular senti¬ 
ment nor riding roughshod over it. Because it ele¬ 
vates farming into a profession, and the intelligent, 
up-to-date farmer into a scientist. It teaches parents 
how to keep their children enthusiastic lovers of home 
and country, and aids in stemming the tide of young 
life cityward and diverting it back into healthy rural 
channels. Because it is a sturdy defender of temper¬ 
ance, honesty and all the good, old-fashioned virtues. 
Its farm topics cover an immense area and variety ot 
soil and climate; are timely, practical and useful. Our 
“t.rekkers” write: “Fred likes The R. N.-Y. because 
it is so very careful to be truthful and not print any¬ 
thing that will barm or mislead. I like Hope Farm 
Notes, for I can see, as we talk to people, that they 
are helped in many ways; in lots of families they are 
read first. I know the remarks about children have 
braced parents up to make them mind, ever so much 
better.” May the commendations of its many friends 
stimulate The R. N.-Y. to greater effort and higher 
attainments in the paths already so worthily trod. 
Clinton Co., N. Y. f. e. wheeler. 
R. N.-Y.—In connection with her essay Miss 
Wheeler sent the excellent picture, photographed by 
E. B. Woodward, shown on the first page. No word 
of description is needed to strengthen this picture of 
a fine, strong American farmer at rest with his family 
after his season of honest toil. 
WHEAT GROWING IN NEW JERSEY . 
Part I. 
At a recent meeting of the Somerset County (N. J.) 
Board of Agriculture our correspondent, Grant Davis, 
gave an interesting talk on wheat culture. The follow¬ 
ing excellent local report will interest many of our 
readers: 
I am convinced that, as a rule, farmers do not put 
enough work on the field before seeding. Although I 
never try to grow wheat without commercial ferti¬ 
lizers, I believe that I can grow a better crop with a 
thorough preparation of the seed bed, and without 
fertilizers, than with fertilizers on a field that is only 
half prepared. To plow the oats stubble immediately 
after harvest and harrow every week or 10 days there¬ 
after, until time to drill, seemed well enough in 
theory when the reasons for it are explained, but it 
was several years before I mustered up courage to 
give the plan a fair trial. That year wheat, came in 
an out-of-the-way field, where my neighbors did not 
see my work, so I harrowed and harrowed until about 
September 25, when I sowed the seed, applying with 
it 150 pounds acid phosphate per acre. With this 
small amount of fertilizer I raised the best wheat 
crop I had ever raised. The result was so striking 
that I had no longer any doubts of the practicability 
or economy of the method. I saved on the fertilizer 
bill enough to more than pay for the extra harrow- 
ings, and the improvement of the grain and grass 
crops was clear gain. There are several ways in 
which this thorough tillage is of benefit. 
lurst, it makes the ideal seed bed for wheat. Just 
why, we do not know; but experience has taught us 
all that wheat likes a loose, fine surface of two or 
three inches, and a rather compact soil beneath. Fre¬ 
quent harrowing and rolling secures these conditions 
exactly. Second is the preservation of moisture. 
Hand that is plowed up loosely and left in that condi¬ 
tion loses moisture rapidly. More surface is exposed 
to the drying action of the air, and when land lies 
undisturbed for any great length of time capillary ac¬ 
tion is established to the surface and the subsoil 
moisture passes off. With such rains as we have had 
it seems idle to talk of preserving the moisture, but 
one extreme follows another, and it is always good 
policy to preserve the rainfall, so far as it is within 
our power, for use during the dry spell. It frequently 
happens that, when land is not harrowed down after 
plowing, it is impossible to get it in order until it is 
too late for best results; whereas, if it has been har¬ 
rowed occasionally, moisture will be found just be¬ 
neath the surface, even after a protracted drought. 
The most important benefit of tillage is the libera¬ 
tion of the inert or unavailable plant food of the soil. 
Chemists tell us that in our ordinary clay loams there 
is enough potash for a thousand crops if it were only 
available. Every time you run a harrow 
over the ground and stir the soil, air is let 
in and chemical action set up by which a 
small amount of this locked-up potash is 
set free. What is true of potash is true in 
a lesser degree of nitrogen and phosphoric 
acid, and these are the trinity of horticul¬ 
ture—potash, phosphoric acid and nitro¬ 
gen—they make the growth of our crops. 
Plow early, then, and harrow often, espe¬ 
cially after a shower, so that the ground 
may not become crusted. 
For lands that are somewhat worn, and 
where the chief dependence is put on 
commercial fertilizers, the following mix¬ 
ture will make full crops, used at the rate 
of 250 to 300 pounds per acre: 50 pounds 
nitrate of soda, 550 pounds high-grade 
tankage, 1,200 pounds acid phosphate, 200 
pounds muriate of potash. It will analyze 
three per cent nitrogen, 10 per cent phos¬ 
phoric acid and five per cent potash, and 
cost $20 to $21 if the ingredients are 
bought. I have used tne above frequent¬ 
ly, but for my own part I now use plain 
acid phosphate for wheat—it is cheapest, 
considering both costs and results. It must not be 
depended upon, however, alone, but used as a help to 
other and better sources of fertility. I believe it is a 
mistake in general farming to depend exclusively up¬ 
on commercial fertilizers alone. Farmers are seeing 
the result of that error on every hand. 
LIGHTNING AND METAL ROOFS. 
On page 574 you wish to know of any building with 
metal roof being struck by lightning. A house struck 
by lightning near here had a metal roof; it struck on 
the roof, ran down, tore off the boxing, ran down the 
window facing, broke in the window, ran down over 
the porch roof, which was metal; then ran down the 
middle post of porch, and split it in two. The end 
post was split into kindling, and end of porch knocked 
off. One post was not disturbed. There was a little 
girl standing near the middle post; she was struck 
and badly burned, and unconscious for seven hours, 
but has recovered since. I witnessed this next morn¬ 
ing, as it was my brother-in-law’s house. On page 
575 J. S. Woodward says that it is hardly necessary 
to use glass insulators in putting up a lightning con¬ 
ductor; he says they become non-conductors as soon 
as wet. Our experience in this country has been tnat 
the damage was done mostly just before the rain be¬ 
gan to fall. A few weeks ago I was an eye witness to 
lightning conducted over glass insulators that were 
thoroughly wet. The only good insulators are paraf¬ 
fin, turpentine, silk, sealing wax, India rubber, gutta 
percha, dry glass, porcelain, mica, shellac, air at ordi¬ 
nary pressure, liquid and oxygen. As we could use 
none of the above for the purpose but glass, I would 
use the hollow glass insulators. geo. w. koontz. 
Pennsylvania. 
PRIZE CROP ON A CANADIAN FARM. Fig. 231. 
