1899 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
713 
Just for October. 
This year we want to break all previous records for yearly 
subscriptions for the month of October. We are going to make it 
as easy as possible for the club-raisers to get subscriptions, and then 
we will pay the club-raiser for the work. First of all, we will send 
the paper from the time the order is received until January J, 1901, 
giving the remainder of this year free to those who subscribe now, 
and pay $1. Out of this the club-raiser will retain his commission 
Then every day we will send a dollar bill back to the club-raiser 
who sends the largest club for that day Some one will get this 
dollar every day. Then November 1, we will send seven cash prizes 
to the seven agents who send the largest seven clubs during the 
month. These prizes will be $50, $40, $30, $20, $15, $10, and 
$5. If you send 20 names and fail to get one of these seven prizes, 
we will send you an extra prize of $5. 
We want yearly subscriptions this month, but we will accept 
orders for the remainder of this year for 10 cents. There will be no 
commission on these, but four of these trials will count as one for all 
prizes. Now get up a club this month, be it large or small. Tell us 
how many samples you want, and we will send them by return mail. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, New York. 
Among: the Marketmen. 
WHAT I SEE AND HEAR. 
GAME SUPPLIES.—The market is 
now open for many different kinds of 
game, and the supply increases as the 
weather becomes cooler. The supply of 
venison 'in the market now is fair, and 
prices keep up well. I have seen a good 
many carcasses of venison on the stands 
during the past few days. Partridges 
are bringing good prices now, and 
grouse and woodcock fairly good. Reed 
birds are quite a feature in the market, 
selling by the dozen now for about 50 
cents. I suppose it is well known that 
these are our Summer friends, the bobo¬ 
links. 
GINSENG PRICES—These are ex¬ 
tremely high just now, the wild root 
selling at wholesale all the way from $5 
to $6 per pound, according to size. This 
is nearly double what the price has 
sometimes been. The price varies ac¬ 
cording to the size and quality of the 
root, the larger the root, the higher the 
price. This is a queer sort of pi'oduct, 
most of the supply that comes here 
going to China. This is the time of year 
when the wild root 'is dug in the woods, 
and at present prices, wherever it is 
found it should prove a very profitable 
business to dig and ship it. It must be 
thoroughly dried before shipping. 
IMMENSE FOOD SUPPLIES—No¬ 
thing could more clearly show the won¬ 
derful resources of this country, and 
especially of this City, than the way 
the crowds are being fed during the 
present week. In Greater New York and 
'its immediate suburbs, are not far from 
4,000,000 people dependent for their 
daily food upon the markets of this City. 
On Monday, it was estimated that there 
were 500,000 visitors in the City, who 
had been drawn here by the Dewey 
parade, and on Tuesday night, 1,000,000. 
It is calculated that considerably more 
than 2,000,000 will be here before the 
end of the week. All these must be 
lodged and fed, yet there has been 
no shortage of supplies, and no ap¬ 
preciable increase of market prices. 
There has been plenty and to spare. No 
one need go hungry who has the money 
to buy a meal. In the wholesale mar¬ 
kets, there is nothing to indicate that 
they have had an extra demand to meet; 
the supply seems as large as ever. 
A “CASE” OF GRAPES.—One cor¬ 
respondent asks how many pounds of 
grapes are contained in the “case” men¬ 
tioned in market reports. The word 
seems to indicate an indel.nite quantity 
—and it does. This package for grapes 
is used almost exclusively now in the 
Hudson River Valley. It contains 
usually six or eight little baskets or 
tills. Formerly, it was supposed to con¬ 
tain 40 pounds of grapes. But the size 
gradually shrunk until it contained, in 
the greater number of cases, so dealers 
tell me, not over 32 pounds, often less. 
Then an agreement was made to have 
a case contain 20 pounds, but that also 
shrunk in weight. One dealer said that 
it would, probably, keep on shrinking, 
until there wouldn’t be anything left 
but the crate. It’s another case similar 
to that of the short barrel. f. ii. v. 
THE USE OF A POTATO SORTER. 
Under What Circumstances Does It Pay? 
From Wisconsin.—I have a potato sorter 
in the form of a cylinder, that will sort 
potatoes as to size as fast as two men can 
shovel into the hopper; but, of course, the 
scabby ones have to be taken out by hand. 
I think the sorters are a good thing when 
a starch factory is located near by to take 
the culls, but with no factory to use the 
culls, I should xirefer to leave them on the 
ground, and then a sorter would be of no 
use. This is a great potato section, and 
only a very few sorters are used. The po¬ 
tato crop here is only fair, not over 75 per 
cent. e. h. c. 
River Falls. Wls. 
For Large Growers.—I think all the 
large potato growers in this part of the 
country use sorters of some kind to sort 
the crop, but I have not heard of any ma¬ 
chine run by power, except hand. Some 
of the sorters are very simple, only a 
screen on hangers with a hopper at one end, 
and made narrow at the lower end to run 
the best potatoes into a basket. One man 
shovels the potatoes in, and one swings the 
sieve by a handle, and also picks out the 
scabby or other unmerchantable stock. 
This style of sorter runs the dirt and small 
notatoes together, which is an objection. I 
am using the Webster sorter, made at 
Hightstown, N. J., and think it the best 
one I have seen. It takes out all dirt, 
leaves, etc., separate from the potatoes, 
and makes three sizes of the stock. The 
ir.an that turns the crank can also pick out 
the scabby or rough stock as the potatoes, 
pass along, and on this machine, a man can 
do that part of the work better than on 
any other machine I have seen. I haul all 
my potatoes to the cellars and sort there, 
letting the potatoes sweat first, if possible. 
Some growers sort in the field, and haul 
direct to the cars or to market. Some buy¬ 
ers sort the potatoes as they come in, and 
let the farmers haul the small potatoes, 
dirt, etc., home again. The crop is just a 
fair one in quantity, but I think fine in 
quality. I expect to get 10,000 bushels on 
60 acres. G. w. b. 
Wolverton, Minn. 
Good for Sprouting.— There are two po¬ 
tato sorters, and two only, with which I 
am acquainted, that are of any good what¬ 
ever. The Pease sorter can be used for 
sorting potatoes only, and it is so arranged 
that by moving a few thumb-screws, the 
sorting slats can be made closer together 
or farther apart, thereby enabling you to 
sort any size potatoes you wish. The 
Hoover sorter is the simplest machine of 
the kind on the market. It is shaped like 
a barrel with slats running in both direc¬ 
tions, and is really nothing but an en¬ 
larged screen. A small boy can turn the 
sorter easily as fast as a man can shovel 
the potatoes through it, and it sorts them 
in good shape; but you cannot change the 
size of the small tubers that you take out. 
I use a Hoover sorter for sprouting the 
odds and ends of seed stock that I have left 
over in the Spring. In a business like mine, 
at the close of the shipping season, I usu¬ 
ally have a couple of cars of potatoes on 
hand of perhaps a dozen different varie¬ 
ties, and in cleaning these up and shipping 
them to market, I run through this sorter 
to get the sprouts off. Three men with a 
Hoover sorter will sprout more potatoes in 
a day and sprout them better than ten men 
can in a week by hand. I am positive that 
any farmer or dealer that holds potatoes 
late enough in the Spring until they sprout 
needs a sprouter on his farm, or in his 
warehouse as much as he needs a plow. In 
our section, we have very little use for a 
sorter, as the kinds of potatoes we are 
growing at the present time produce for us 
nearly all large tubers. 
Monroe Co., N. Y. edward f. dibble. 
r HERE AND THERE. 
A'he Milk War at Brewster, N. Y., is stilK 
going on. Many of the farmers have gone 
back to the factory, being compelled by cir¬ 
cumstances to accept the prices offered. A 
number of farmers have begun to sell in 
New York and elsewhere, and a few will 
give up their cows and go out of the busi¬ 
ness on October 1. The factory at Brew¬ 
ster has been short of milk for more than 
two years, and will be badly crippled dur¬ 
ing the next six months. The slight ad¬ 
vance offered by the condensery was, evi¬ 
dently, due to the force of the farmers’ or¬ 
ganization. If the farmers supplying the 
other factories had been as well organized 
as were the farmers at Brewster, there 
seems little doubt that they would have 
succeeded in obtaining the price. This is 
another illustration of the need of thorough 
organization among local milk producers, 
and while the farmers have apparently lost 
in this instance, they have gained, for now 
they know just what they must do in order 
to succeed. 
"Ranch Methods in Maine. —The news¬ 
papers recently contained a statement to 
the effect that capitalists expected to buy 
a tract of 64,000 acres in Maine for the pur¬ 
pose of fattening cattle. The plan was to 
buy up a number of abandoned farms, Rnd 
use the buildings on them for housing 
cattle, buy cheap western stock, make en¬ 
silage, and in this way utilize the old 
farms. Some of the local papers in Maine 
have announced that the farmers of the 
State would be allowed to take stock at 
$1 a share in this enterprise. The chances 
are that this is a mere visionary scheme. 
In Maine, the same as in New York, the 
abandoned farms are scattered here and 
there, and it would be practically impos¬ 
sible to secure 64,000 acres of them in one 
patch. Several years ago, an effort was 
made to prove that sheep breeding would 
pay on these abandoned farms. Seven 
farms were bought in one section of a 
town. Efforts were made for several years 
to carry large flocks. We understand that 
now the sheep have been given up, and that 
the farm is used for dairy purposes. It is 
not likely that the western ranch methods 
of stock-keeping can ever be adopted in 
Maine. The Winters are too long and se¬ 
vere, and it is necessary to house the stock 
from November 10 until May 20. At the 
same time, many of the old farms in Maine 
can be very profitably turned into stock 
farms. They were originally used for the 
growing and feeding of cattle for market. 
Now that the silo has proved a success, 
they can be once more utilized for the same 
purpose, although it can hardly be done 
after the manner of the large western 
ranchmen. 
THE DOCTOR’S MISTAKE. 
The doctor made a mistake in the num¬ 
ber and called at the wrong house. No 
woman calls a doctor after she is once 
acquainted with 
the remedial value 
of Dr. Pierce’s Fa¬ 
vorite Prescription 
in all diseases and 
drains common to 
the sex. Without 
humiliating ques¬ 
tions or local ex¬ 
aminations the 
cure is accom¬ 
plished by the 
use of the 
“ Favorite 
Prescrip¬ 
tion ’ ’ sup- 
. pletnent- 
ed by free 
medical advice if needed. This medi¬ 
cine is harmless in any condition of the 
system and can be taken without the 
slightest fear of bad consequences. It con¬ 
tains no whisky or alcohol. There is not 
an iota of anything narcotic in it. The 
relief it gives is permanent. In this it 
differs from many preparations which 
give temporary relief only by deadening 
the sense of feeling with narcotics, and 
the dangerous stimulants they contain 
create an appetite for strong drink. 
When a dealer offers a substitute for 
Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Prescription, re¬ 
member these facts. 
When their diseases are deep-seated 
and of long standing, women will rind 
it to their interest to write to Dr. R. V. 
Pierce, Buffalo, N. Y., who has had won¬ 
derful success in curing diseases of wom¬ 
en. He gives advice free , and invites all 
to write him. Prompt, careful and per¬ 
sonal attention is paid to each letter, and 
the fullest advice is always given. 
“After five months of great suffering I write 
this for the benefit of other sufferers from the 
same affliction,” says Mrs. H. A. Alsbrook, of 
Austin, Lonoke Co., Ark. “I doctored with our 
family physician without any good results, so 
my husband urged me to try Dr. Pierce’s medi¬ 
cines—which I did, with wonderful results. I 
am completely cured. I took four bottles of 
Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Prescription, four of his 
‘ Golden Medical Discovery ’ and two vials of his 
‘Pleasant Pellets.”’ 
Wherever the pain may be, 
there is the place for an 
Allcock-s PIASTERS 
The Tip-Up Pistol. 
STEVENS 
No need to say much about this little weapon 
It is Stevens make, and all right in every re¬ 
spect. Full nickel-plated ?>% inch barrel. In 
two calibers, 22 or 30. Price, $2.50. We will 
send it and one new yearly subscription for 
$2.40; or free for a club of six yearly sub¬ 
scriptions at $1 each. 
Three Serviceable Premiums. 
Buggy Harness. —This is a single strap buggy harness. \% inch trace 
secured to breast collar. The cut shows the exact style of harness. It is made 
by one of the best horse supply 
houses in the country, and is 
sure to give nice satisfaction. 
It makes a stylish serviceable 
harness in nickel trimming. 
The price is $15. We will send 
it for a club of nine yearly sub¬ 
scriptions at $1 each and $10.50 
extra money. 
Double Harness for Light 
Driving. — This harness has 
patent leather collars, japanned 
liames, one inch flat traces, % 
inch lines, blinds and over¬ 
draw check, and nickel trim¬ 
ming, saddle and back strap, 
no breeching. The price is $25. 
AY e will send it for a club of 13 yearly subscriptions at $1 each and $19.75 extra money. 
Double Farm Harness. —This is a harness that will give good satisfaction 
for farm work. It has If inch trace with heel chains. I lip straps, hut no breech- 
iug, open bridles and open top collars, high luur.es. Price, $24. We will send it 
for a club of 12 yearly subscriptions at $1 each, and $18 extra money. 
