1904 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
247 
FACTS ABOUT THE EXPERIMENT STATION. 
What Started the Warfare ? 
Some recent public statements make it evident that 
farmers do not know all the incidents that led to the 
attack upon Dr. Jordan and the Geneva Experiment 
Station. We think the facts ought to he told and 
therefore the following plain statement is made: 
Last year the Station, through two different repre¬ 
sentatives, and from three different routes, gathered 
up over 50 samples of fertilizers bearing the brands 
of the Farmers’ Fertilizer and Chemical Company of 
Syracuse. These were analyzed, and in a large p > 
centage of cases were found deficient. They were 
much below the manufacturer’s guarantee as printed 
on the bags. Report was made, as the law requires, 
to the Attorney-General. The Company settled the 
case by a payment of $450 fine without going to the 
courts, “to avoid ruinous publicity” it was alleged. 
It has been the custom of the Station, and the evident 
Intent of the Fertilizer law, to publish the result of 
such analyses in the annual report of the Station. To 
prevent this, ex-Attorney-General Hancock, acting as 
attorney for the fertilizer company, took the ground 
that under existing laws the Station had no authority 
to publish the analysis and cautioned the Director 
against doing so. This point was referred to the pres¬ 
ent Attorney-General, and he found that the law did 
not specifically give the Station authority for such 
publication. The present law directs the Station to 
take the samples and make the analysis. The result 
is of little value until published, and it was reason¬ 
ably expected that the law would be amended to pro¬ 
vide for the publication of the bulletins. But the fer¬ 
tilizer company feared that farmers would refuse to 
buy these brands after the publication of the report. 
It then developed that a number of wealthy and influ¬ 
ential politicians in and about Syracuse were inter¬ 
ested in the fertilizer company as holders of its stock 
or through accommodation paper held by their banks. 
While these men cared little or nothing for the com¬ 
pany, and probably knew little about the quality of 
goods manufactured, they had to support it in order 
to maintain the value of their securities and to real¬ 
ize on its notes held by the banks. Hence, to strike 
back at the Station, a bill was introduced at Albany to 
change the whole control of the Station management 
and in a roundabout way to depose Dr. Jordan as 
Director, and thus prevent the publication of the 
damaging reports. 
The simple recital of the facts makes plain enough 
why those interested in the securities of the fertilizer 
company should want to protect it, from the results 
of its own shortcomings, but why the company should 
find a champion among supposed friends of agricul¬ 
ture yet remains a mystery. With an evident intent 
to cover up the real offense of the fertilizer company 
a letter covertly attacking the Director of the Station 
was recently published in a farm paper. This letter 
purported to come from a farmer, but it was evidently 
dictated by some one entirely familiar with the situa¬ 
tion and with a knowledge of the laws of the State 
beyond the information of farmers or other business 
men. This letter, with other articles in the same 
paper, would give the impression by implication at 
least that the Director of the Station had been mixed 
up in some sort of a quarrel in which he had no right 
to have a part. It even went so far as to imply a 
sympathy for the offending company by insinuating 
that the Station acted on the suggestion or dictation 
of another fertilizer company that wished to kill off 
a competitor. This was indeed “throwing dust” with 
a vengeance, and the only attempt to clear the atmos¬ 
phere was an evidently studied attempt to blow away 
any reference to the fact that low-grade fertilizers 
had been found in bags labeled with a high-grade 
guarantee. If the publication of such facts—truths— 
would kill off a competitor, farmers who buy t he 
goods are not likely to inquire into the source of the 
original complaint, except it be to express approval. 
Any citizen has a right of course to make such a com¬ 
plaint, and a d( tier or manufacturer who complained 
of a rival would be pretty sure to be living up to the 
law himself. The Director of the Station was in no 
personal controversy. He was simply doing his duty 
as a State oiiicial, and deserves the approval and sup¬ 
port of every farmer of the State. It must be remem¬ 
bered in ibis connection that while the State has col¬ 
lected a fine of a petty $450 for infractions of its laws, 
the farmers who paid their money for these low-grade 
fertilizers have no redress. The prompt support of the 
readers of The R. N.-Y. and other farmers has averted 
the danger of the Station. Whatever changes are 
made now will be for its benefit. Dr. Jordan will not 
be punished for doing his duty. The farmers of the 
State, with the truth before them, will not permit 
it. The laws will be amended to provide for the pub¬ 
lication of such reports in the future, but the influ¬ 
ence of the Syracuse company may be strong enough 
to have it framed to prevent the publication of the 
analysis already made. This is the concession—the 
only concession—to be made the framers of the 
Sacket-Catlin bill and its champions. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
It will pay you well to take 10 minutes to read the lit¬ 
tle book on “Wheel Sense,” just issued by the Electric 
Wheel Co., Quincy, Ill. It tells about saving lots o! hard 
work and repair bills. 
Advance fence, in addition to being sold at wholesale 
prices, freight prepaid, is sold on the 30-day, free-trial 
plan, which enables the purchaser to be absolutely satis¬ 
fied that he has secured the right fence, or to send it 
back at manufacturers’ expense, and have his money re¬ 
turned. The Advance Fence Co., of 7235 Old St., Peoria, 
Ill., is a strong concern, doing a large business, and is 
honest and square in all its dealings. They will take 
pleasure in sending thejr new free fence book to all of 
our readers who write for it. 
It is safe to say that for fitting the soil for a seed bed 
no tool will equal the “Acme” harrow. Its knives cut the 
lumps and turn over the surface soil, and the flat part 
of the blades smooths and packs the surface just enough 
to make a fine seed bed. We have tried it for covering 
such seeds as grass, grain and cow peas; for filling in 
the drills when planting corn or potatoes; for working 
land before crops appear, and for half a dozen other pur¬ 
poses besides its special work of preparing the seed bed. 
It succeeds everywhere, and is the best general-purpose 
tillage tool now made. Write to D. H. Nash, Millington, 
N. J., for particulars. 
For 50 years the Cornish Company have made and sold 
their excellent pianos and organs direct from factory to 
family and the name of Cornish is a household word in 
millions of mouths, for there are over a quarter of a mil¬ 
lion families in this land who have Cornish pianos and 
organs. The splendid catalogue sent out by this company 
includes a souvenir album, and also presents some valu¬ 
able aids to purchasers. No one who thinks of buying a 
piano or organ should think of placing an order before 
they see what the Cornish Company of Washington, N. 
J., offer. They only build high-grade goods, but then 
they are sold at factory cost saving one-half. We ad¬ 
vise our readers to write for the Four Practical Helps. 
We have freely discussed the advantages of a good 
heating system in the farmhouse, but we must not forget 
that a first-class kitchen stove or range is quite as im¬ 
portant in any home. Many a housekeeper struggles with 
inadequate kitchen tools, to the detriment of nerve force 
and home comfort. If you wish to improve cooking 
facilities, write the Kalamazoo Stove Company, Kala¬ 
mazoo, Mich., for further information. This is the only 
stove manufacturing company owning and operating a 
plant in full with all departments from the melting of 
the iron to the finished product, and selling exclusively 
to the user. They make as good a line of stoves and 
ranges as can be made. They offer a fair, square-dealing 
proposition to the user, and the very lowest prices that 
can be made for first-class stoves and ranges. 
CANADA HARDWOOD ASHES, 
THE JOYNT BRAND 
Quantity and quality fully guaranteed, 
Write for prices and address 
JOHN JOYNT, Lucknow, Ontario, Canada. 
SAW MILLS 
[ The DeLoach Patent Variable Friction Feed Saw Mill 
with 4 h. p. cuts 2000 feet per day. All sizes. Shingle 
Mills, Planers, Trimmers, Corn and Buhr Hills, 
Water Wheels, Lath Mills etc. Fine catalog free 
DE LOACH MILL MFC. CO., 
Box BOO,ATLANTA, CA. ~ 
ESTMeet ua al SI, Louis 
The Advance Plan 
OF SELLING FENCE 
Direct from our Factory to Farmer 
is the result of fifteen years’ experience in the fence business. We have not only learned how to construct a fence so as to obtain the 
greatest possible amount of strength from the wire used, but how to market fence by the most economical method. This is why we 
advertise and sell our fence direct from the factory to the farmer. '1'he profit which the dealer makes is a dead loss to the farmer, 
as it makes the fence no better. In order to relieve the purchaser of all risk, and to convince him of our confidence in our goods and 
in him, we offer to sell Advance Fence 
ON 30 DAYS FREE TRIAL 
We are the originators of this unique and unquestionably fair method of selling fence. It enables you to see and test the fence for thirty 
days in actual use and be sure you are perfectly satisfied. If not perfectly satisfactory you can return it at our expense and your money 
will be refunded. The reason we have such confidence in Advance Fence is because we know that it is constructed on the right 
principle. No light wires used. The stay wire is endless, being twisted into the cable from one stay to the next. This leaves no loose 
ends at the top and bottom to become unfastened. We obtain twice as much strength from the wire used as fences with cut stay wires. 
By selling direct to the user we are enabled to quote you 
Wholesale Prices 
The dealer can’t buy it any cheaper than you. We can’t give 
the middleman a profit or we would not have any ourselves. 
We Pay Freight 
on 40 rods or more. F. O. B. factory prices are misleading. 
They don’t tell how much it will cost delivered at your station. Drop us a card and we will obtain the lowest freight rate to 
your railroad station and make you a delivered price on our complete line of Fencing, Gates. Etc. We will also send you our 
fJIJCC CCII PC DflfW which describes and illustrates 23 styles— a fence for every requirement of the farmer. Also 24 sizes 
rnCC renue DUUIV and styles of steel frame gates. It describes our Giant Stretcher and tells how to use it. This book 
should be in the hands of every farmer. You will be a better judge of fences after reading it. If you want to be a careful fence 
buyer you should study fence construction. Your name and address on a postal will bring book and wholesale prices. 
ADVANCE FENCE CO., 7236 Old St., PEORIA, ILL. 
ADVANCE 
AGENTS WANTED 
Our scales make a good line with specialties, 
implements, machinery,mill supplies, nurseiy 
stock, separators, foods, etc. Fine catalogue, 
liberal contract, no expense, no experience. 
Write for full particulars. Act Quick, 
OSGOOD SCALE CO,, Binghamton, N, V, 
103 Central Street. 
WE LEAD THE WORLD 
We are the largest manufac¬ 
turers of Grooved and Plain 
Tire Steel Farm Wagon 
Wheels in America. We 
guarantee our patent 
Grooved Tire Wheels to 
be the best made by anybody 
anywhere. Write us. 
HAYANA METAL WHEEL CO. 
HAVANA. ILL 
Local agencies and complete repair stocks every where 
MILWAUKEE 
HARVESTERS 
International Harvester Co. of America, Chicago, U. S. A 
