8(38 
October 2, 
Ruralisms 
THE HUMBUG OF TREE DOCTORING. 
Incompetent Workers. —A recent 
number of The R. N.-Y., in comment¬ 
ing on tree repairing, calls attention to 
the frauds who claim to “doctor” trees 
by some patent or secret process. The 
article goes on to say of these fakers 
that “strange to say, they find plenty 
of people ready to believe their ridicu¬ 
lous stories, and to give up their dol¬ 
lars.” But the people who give up 
their dollars to the fellows with the 
“magic dope” for fixing trees are not 
the only ones who are being fooled. 
Many of the supposedly legitimate tree 
doctoring companies habitually cheat 
and defraud their customers, beside of¬ 
ten doing damage to trees, and it is the 
purpose of this article to explain some 
of the ways in which they do it. With¬ 
out doubt the trimming, repairing of cavi¬ 
ties, treatment for diseases and insect 
enemies, etc., when properly and honestly 
done, is as logical and indispensable to 
the intelligent maintenance of trees as 
is the veterinarian’s service to the 
maintenance of live stock. But some 
of the work done by these tree compa¬ 
nies results in actual detriment to the 
trees. Many of the companies’ em¬ 
ployees are incompetent to do the work. 
One of the oldest firms employs largely 
boys, some of them not older than six¬ 
teen or seventeen, and young fellows 
with no sense of responsibility are often 
placed in charge of large gangs of work¬ 
men, most of them skylarking youths, 
whose only object is to have a good 
time. In one case a young man of 
eighteen, after a very few weeks of 
experience in the work, was made a 
foreman, and placed in charge of work 
done on estates of prominent and 
wealthy men of this State. Other com¬ 
panies employ ignorant foreigners with 
no knowledge of tree life. The use of 
these two classes of incompetent work¬ 
men often results in positive injury to 
the trees. The work is done in a very 
slovenly manner, and though it may 
appear all right at first, is not perma¬ 
nent, and proves injurious to the trees 
in the end. Some examples familiar 
to everyone who has worked at the 
business are bad cuts and careless and 
inefficient capping and cement work, all 
generally done high up in the tree, where 
it is not readily noticed from the 
ground. 
Dishonest Work. —Another source of 
great injury is that of inventing work 
when there isn’t any to do. Instances 
are known where, in order to prolong 
the work and thus run up a larger bill, 
cavities have been chiseled out and care¬ 
fully cemented in perfectly sound trees. 
Another example of the same thing, 
though not so productive of harm, is the 
inserting of large amounts of entirely 
useless chain. One company charges 
more for the chain than it costs, and 
so, besides the profit on the labor, they 
make a good profit on every foot used 
in the trees. Another phase of the dis¬ 
honesty of the tree companies is their 
misrepresentations of their employees. 
They represent their men as “tree ex¬ 
perts,” “experienced men,” “practical 
foresters,” etc., when as a matter of 
fact most of them have no knowledge 
of any branch of forestry, and many 
take not the slightest interest in the 
work except to draw their pay. Gen¬ 
erally the tree men charge a fixed price 
per day for the services of their men, 
this charge often being five or six dol¬ 
lars apiece. Naturally it is to their ad¬ 
vantage to prolong the work, and the 
dishonest ones stretch it out for weeks 
longer than it should take, thus rob¬ 
bing the customer sometimes of hun¬ 
dreds of dollars. As a rule, the owner 
of a large estate leaves the conduct of 
its affairs to the superintendent or gar¬ 
dener. and if it is not possible to fool 
him about the waste of time, then a 
little money slipped him on the quiet 
is often efficacious in making him blind 
to what is going on. 
One Form of Tree “Grafting.” —Dur¬ 
ing the past Summer practically every 
tree on a good-sized estate situated in 
a town close to New York City was 
doctored by a tree company which, 
claiming to be the originator of tree 
surgery, perhaps does a larger amount 
of work than any of them. On a trial 
order a few trees were treated quickly 
and well, but as soon as a contract for 
the whole job was signed the graft be¬ 
gan. The boys spent days in trimming 
THE RURAL 
an^l in treating cavities that they could 
have done in a few hours. They went 
to sleep in the trees or crawled among 
the shrubbery, or talked or sang and 
read in comfortable positions in tops 
of trees, with saws at hand ready for 
work in case anyone should approach. 
Days were spent in filling small cavi¬ 
ties with cement and tacking on zinc, 
and hours in cutting off limbs, ordi¬ 
narily the work of a few minutes. The 
owner of the place was away, and the 
superintendent winked at what was go¬ 
ing on. It is no exaggeration to say 
that half of the time put on the job 
was utterly useless, and that the owner 
was literally robbed of many hundred 
dollars. The ignorance of most people 
regarding the care of trees is profound, 
and hence they fall an easy prey to 
the professed tree doctor, with his ap¬ 
parent knowledge of the subject and 
high sounding phrases, such as “Every¬ 
thing about trees,” “Our long experi¬ 
ence at your service,” “Our corps of 
trained tree surgeons,” etc. Tree doc¬ 
toring is new, and, as time goes on, the 
business is bound to increase, and as 
the competition becomes keener and peo¬ 
ple learn more about the subject, a 
higher standard of work must prevail. 
The dishonest and inefficient man must 
go, and be succeeded by the honest 
and efficient man, who does the work 
as well as it possibly can be done. “You 
can fool some of the people all the time, 
and all of the people some of the time, 
but you can’t fool all of the people all 
of the time.” ouver e. carruth. 
This 
is the trade¬ 
mark which is 
found on every 
bottle of the 
genuine 
Scott’s Emulsion 
the standard Cod Liver Oil 
preparation of the world. 
Nothing equals it to build up 
the weak and wasted bodies 
Of yOUng and Old. All Druggists 
Send 10o., name of paper and this ad. for onr 
beautiful Barings Bank and Child’s Sketch- 
Book. Eaoh bank contains a Good Luck Penny. 
SCOTT & BOWNE, 409 Pearl St, N. Y. 
SCIENTIFIC. 
RECOGNIZED EVERY¬ 
WHERE AS THE BEST 
POWER 
FEE.D 
MILLS 
Fully guaranteed. 
50 styles and sizes. 
Write for Catalog. 
The Foos Mfg. Co. 
Box 131 Springfield, Ohio. 
Jarvis Spraying Compound. 
IS THE CHEAPEST AND BEST. IT HAS NO SUPERIOR. 
SURE CORE FOR THE SAN JOSE SCALE 
Buy direct from the manufacturer and save money Spraying 
Compound ready to mix with water. One gallon of Spraying 
Compound will make from sixteen to twenty gallons of spray. 
Terms :—In bbl. loti (50 gal.) SOe. per gal. 
We would refer you to J. H. Hale, the Peach King, or Prof. 
Jarvis, of the Connecticut Agricultural College. They will tell 
you there Is nothing better. 
THE J T ROBERTSON CO., BOX R, MA NCHESTER, COHN. 
Good’s Ca ^tne P ou sh Soap No. 3 
is the spray that kills San Jose Scale, White Fly, bugs, 
worms, lice, and all other tiee and plant parasites. En¬ 
dorsed by S. Department of Agriculture. 
Contains nothing injurious to plant-life, but fertilizes 
and assists healthy growth. 
50 lbs. $2.50 ; _ 100 lbs. $4.50. Larger 
quantities proportionately less. Booklet free. 
JAMES GOOD, Original Maker, 
945 N, Front St,, Philadelphia. 
PJ ATURAL 
The Reliable 
WHY BOY GROUND BONE OK ACID PHOSPHATE when 
for the same money In buying Natural Fine Ground Phos¬ 
phate you get three to four times as much phosphoric 
acid ? Properly applied, $1.25 worth of Ground Phosphate per 
acre is fcafe to increase your wheat crop yield 26 to 76 per cent, 
provided you use ONLY the NATURAL product, and not tho 
“Kiln Burned.” Our free booklet explains difference. 
Agents wanted. Address, 
Farmers' Ground Rock Phosphate Co., Mt. Pleasant, Tenn. 
Fine-Ground 
Phosphate 
La n d Builder* 
FUMA 
hPHBN fl kills Prairie Dogs, 
m m m Woodchucks, Gophers, 
and Grain Insects. 
“The wheels of the gods 
grind slow but exceed' 
ingly small.” So the weevil, but you can stop their 
E with “Fuma Carbon Bisulphide are doing. 
EDWARD R. TAYLOR, Penn Ian, N. Y. 1 
NEW-YORKER 
They Work Like Kodaks . 
BROWNIE 
CAMERAS 
offer the simplest and most 
inexpensive means for 
taking up satisfactory pho¬ 
tography. Made on the 
Kodak plan by Kodak work¬ 
men, they are fully capable 
of first-class work. They 
use Kodak film and require 
No Dark-Room. 
$1.00 to $12.00. 
EASTMAN KODAK CO. 
387 State Street, 
j4sk your dealer or write 
ns/or the Book of the Rochester, N. Y. 
Brownies . 
K odaks and Supplies 
A f uU line of Photographic Goods always in 
stock. Developing and printing for the 
amateur. Careful attention to all mail orders. 
Catalog and Discount Sheet free. , 
Sweet, WaJIach & Co., 74 Wabash Ave., Chicago, III. 
Lay Your Shingle, Slate, Clapboards and 
Veranda Floors with 
Our Zinc-Coated (Guaran¬ 
teed) IRON CUT NAILS. 
The heads won’t rust off. Just as pood as old- 
fashioued wrought cut nails. Will withstand cli¬ 
matic conditions and the free acid present in the 
sap of all wood. Last a lifetime. Write for prices 
and samples. 
Malleable Iron Fittings Co., Branford, Conn. 
GOES LIKE SIXTY S 
SELLS LIKE SIXTY I 
SELLS for SIXTY "" 
s ^VVGILS0N Gasoline 
ENGINE 
| pmng a For 
/AllUIIIIIHIu Cream Sepa- 
/AVrators, Churns, Wash Ma- 
BVchioei. etc. Free Trial 
to 25 Horse Power 
Ask for Catalog- 
Park. Si. Port Washington. Wis. 
GILSON MFC, CO. 
RUNNING WATER ON FARM 
THE AERM0T0R GASOLINE ENGINE 
Is designed to supply water for the farm 
building. This outfit Insures a supply of 
water at all times aud the price is within 
the reach of every farmer. Pump cap.—1600 
gala, per hour, 15 ft. elevation; 800gals. ,26 
ft.; 400 gals., 60 ft. Complete outfit $37.50, 
or del. at K. K. Sta. $42.50. 
Write for descriptive Catalog 
No. 6 giving full information. 
J. H. EDWARDS, 
59 Park Place, N. Y. 
Edwards “REO” Steel Shingles 
are stamped in sheets of finest Bessemer steel, 
5 to 10 feet long, covering width 24 inches, either 
painted or galvanized. Can be laid with hammer 
and nails. Cost Vi as much as best ent wood 
shingles, and about the same as high-grade 3-ply 
composition roofing but outwear either, four to 
six times. - 
(110,000 Guarantee Bond Against Lightning 
We will refund amount paid for our steel shingles 
if your roof is damaged by Jightning. Protect 
your family, and live-stock, and save money be¬ 
sides. Cheapest kind of fire insurance. -r 
Buy at Factory Prices. Wo aro largest makes 
of iron and steel roofing and pay the freight on all 
Steel Shingles, Plain, Corrugated. V-Orimp Roof, 
ing: Imitation Brick Siding, etc. Send size of roof 
and we will quote our lowest factory prices de¬ 
livered, and mail free catalog No. 79 Write today. 
THE EDWARDS MANUFACTURING CO. 
059-079 Lock Strool, CINCINNATI, OHIO [3) 
"W? ROOF TROUBLES 
Let me tell you, FREE, how to cure your 
root troubles for keeps. ROOF-FIX cures 
roof troubles in your felt, gravel, shingTe, steel, 
tin or Iron roofs. The longest-lived root-dress¬ 
ing made—for sound roofs. Get my new free 
book about roofs and roofing:. Write to 
ANDERSON, “The Roof-Fix Man” 
Dept. 3g Elyria, Ohio 
IRON 
and 
STEEL 
Send today for 
Factory Prices on Metal Roofing and 
Siding. Made In our own factory. 
Better than you can buy elsewhere at 
any price. Shipped at our risk. You 
Send No Money 
so you take no risk. Our guarantee 
and see-what-you-buy-before-paylng- 
Plan specify you pay nothing unless 
fully satisfied. Lowest prices on all 
roofing and roofing supplies sold 
straight to you from Factory nt real 
Factory Prices. Don’t buy till you got our prices and 
FREE Roofers' Guido— Write for this Book today. 
^hj^nllo^JFaclorlo^^Oj^oot^-^^CIovelond^j 
No Power Troubles 
always make a steam engine go. 
No tinkering and fussing with 
something you do not under¬ 
stand with a 
LEFFEL 
ENGINE 
Dependable, safe, 
economical. More 
power than you 
need. Engines in 
styles and sizes 
for all needs. 
Write for free book 
today. 
JAMES LEFFEL & CO., BOX 233, SPRINGFIELD, OHIO 
Siickney GasolineEngines 
mmhb ARE THE BEST 
Charles A.Stichney Company 
MAIN OFFICE & FACTORY ST. PAUL. MINN. 
Why? Because of the outside Igniter, 
modern open cooling system, straight- 
line valve motion and ball-bearing gov- 
ernor. Thousands in successful op- 
dration because of our years 
of experience in building the best. 
Seven sizes: lYi to 16 H.P. 
Send for our Free Catalog and 
our Catechism telling fifty-seven 
reason* why Stlckney En¬ 
gines are the Best . 
Ageat9 everywhere sell them. 
INTELLIGENT SPRAYING 
The Rural New-Yorker stated editorially. Sept. 19th, 1908The Rural Grounds now appear to be free from 
scale for the first time in 12 years. * * * It has been a long fight, excessively discouraging until the soluble oils came to the 
rescue three years ago. The prospect brightened at the first trial of these handy preparations, and repeated use seems to 
have resulted in victory.* Spraying was omitted this year. 
“SCALECIDE” 
lone did more in three years than Lime-Sulphur and other dopes did ui nine. Are you still ui the Lime-Sulphur ranks 
’BICES lo barrels and half barrels, 50c. per gallon; 10 gallon cans. S6.00; 5 gallon cans.$3.25; 1 gallon cans.Ji.uu. 
Send, for Booklet. “Orchard Insurance. 
If you want cheap crils, our “CARBOLE1NE ’’ af 30c. per gallon is the equal of anything else. 
_ — — . T71/, /.iTtnxr tome r /■'l'l T T T> f * TJ CHP HJTJ’TV VAPK ( 
141 IRRARH’Q 
GRASS AND GRAIN FERTILIZER 
The Famous “ HAY MAKER ” For Fall Seeding 
Our Almanac tells all about it 
Sent free to any address. 
THE ROGERS & HUBBARD CO., 
MANUFACTURERS OF THE HUBBARD FERTILIZERS, 
MIDDLETOWN, CONN. 
