626 
August 1, 
THE RURAIi NEW-YORKER 
PUBLISHER’S DESK 
We have the following notes signed by the pro¬ 
duce commission firm, Stevens & Simpson & Co., 
262 Washington Street, New York, for collection : 
$47.81, dated April 25, 1907, and due in 90 days. 
$25.25 dated July I. 1907, and due July 30, 1907. 
$25.25, dated July 1, 1907, and due July 16, 1907. 
The notes were issued to Allen B. Wells, 
Saratoga Springs, N. Y., for produce shipped and 
sold on commission. 
On page 578 you refer to ,T. H. Downs; 
that corresponds to my experience except 
in promptness. In the Spring of 1907 I 
placed an order with him. The clay bases 
came promptly, the iron posts were so long 
in coming that I was unable to erect the 
fence until the crops were off. I was un¬ 
able to get any reply to my inquiries. The 
posts were all right, and they were bought 
to be delivered freight prepaid, but to get 
them I had to pay a freight bill. Several 
weeks later he sent bill of lading marked 
freight paid, saying he supposed that it had 
been sent, l at once wrote him, enclosing 
freight bill and bill of lading, asking him 
to correct it. To this have had no reply. 
Massachusetts. e. w. s. 
1 enclose letters and circulars which 
I get about every two weeks. They are 
after the ten dollars. If this is another 
Ostrander real estate fraud I hope you 
will tell your readers of it through the 
Publisher's Desk. it. j. w. 
New York. 
Some lime ago I answered an advertise¬ 
ment in local papers for farms. Since then 
I have been almost flooded with this kind 
of literature from these people. I wish 
to sell, but have no confidence in them. 
What can you say for them? l. j. t. 
Massachusetts. 
The above letters accompany adver¬ 
tising matter from Leonard Darbyshire, 
publisher of Spare Moments Magazine, 
asking for $10 in advance to find a 
buyer for the farm property owned by 
these parties. Ostrander’s plan was 
somewhat different, but the assurances 
of his ability to make a sale were very 
similar. Ostrander promised to adver¬ 
tise property placed in his hands in 
papers aggregating millions in circula¬ 
tion. If the advertising were all, the 
farmer could advertise in the papers 
himself, but of course Ostrander led 
him to believe that by some means 
little less than mysterious he (Os¬ 
trander) would sell the property. Many 
farmers sent Ostrander the advanced 
fee, but if any farmers ever made a 
legitimate sale through his house, we 
have never heard about it. 
Darbyshire wants $10 for an adver¬ 
tisement in Spare Moments—his letters 
and literature, however, would lead one 
to believe that all you have to do is to 
send him the $10 and the property will 
be sold at your own price. No lack of 
buyers is the impression given—his only 
difficulty is in finding places enough to 
sell. He even says sales will be quicker 
now than after the election. If you 
fail to bite on the $10 offer, you will 
get another printed letter asking you to 
send him $5 and he will trust you for 
the other $5 until your place is sold. 
When all other appeals had failed, Os¬ 
trander resorted to his famous telegram: 
"Opportunity exceptional if listed at 
once. Do you accept proposition?” The 
Spare Moments man has improved on 
the telegram idea—he will insure your 
$10 by sending you a ten-dollar 24-piece 
set of solid Lasher silver in a leather¬ 
ette case. Of course after he sells your 
place you can send him another $10 for 
the set of silver! It will be well for 
anyone desiring to invest $10 in silver¬ 
ware to know something about what 
they are buying before parting with 
their money. We have seen sets of so- 
called silverware similarly described 
that were not worth the express charges. 
The advice, “Don’t pay commission in 
advance for selling farm or other prop¬ 
erty” still holds good. 
We know of no means of getting 
money quite so despicable as the “work 
at home” schemes which have been so 
often shown up in this department. We 
are having so many inquiries about ad¬ 
vertising and distributing bureaus that 
it would seem that these concerns bid 
fair to rival the work-at-home sharks. 
The following letter from one in posi¬ 
tion to know is conclusive: 
I was much interested in the letter of 
W. F. H., of Pennsylvania, page 578, re¬ 
specting the fake advertising and distribut¬ 
ing bureau swindle. The thing has come 
to our notice many times. Men, out of 
work, or scrimping along on low wages 
and anxious to better their conditions, have 
answered these fake advertisements, sent 
their $2.00, $3.00 or $5.00, only to learn the dis¬ 
couraging truth. Our advice has been 
asked in the matter many times, but alas, 
usually after the victim has paid. Take 
our word for it, every distributing bureau 
which advertises for men and asks a fee 
for membership or outfit is a fake or a par¬ 
tial fake, and I hope that no farm boys 
or men will be fooled in this way. A few 
of the advertisers have a commission 
scheme for the sale of goods to follow a 
distribution which makes the matter a little 
less flagrant, but none of these plans leads 
to anything profitable in the majority of 
cases. The advertisements usually read - “$5 
per 1.000 for distributing circulars.” How 
likely the novice is to get such work may 
be imagined when the Association price 
is only $2.25 In towns of this size and $2 
in larger towns. A word or so of explana¬ 
tion may save a few dollars for a good 
many people. a. b. p. 
Medina, N. Y. 
During the past Winter Mr. D. J. 
Cronan of No. Wilmington, Mass., 
opened correspondence with Monmouth 
Chemical Co., Shrewsbury, N. J., with 
view to purchasing his season’s supply 
of fertilizer. After considerable corre¬ 
spondence Mr. Cronan placed his order 
on February 5, 1908, for something 
over $100 worth of goods to be de¬ 
livered in April, sending check for 
$50 on account. Mr. Cronan was un¬ 
able to get the goods, and after the 
planting season had passed, having ex¬ 
hausted all other means, wrote The 
R. N.-Y. asking us to use our influence 
to secure the return of his remittance. 
After several letters and personal so¬ 
licitations we induced Mr. Walter Lip- 
pincott, who is manager and owner 
of the Monmouth Chemical Co., to send 
Mr. Cronan a check on the Citizens’ 
National Bank of 'Long Branch. The 
check promptly went to protest, there 
being no funds in the bank to meet it. 
Again we persuaded Mr. Lippincott 
to send Mr. Cronan the amount owed 
him. This time he sent check on a 
bank at Red Bank, which when present¬ 
ed met with the same fate as the former 
check. 
Tt seems to have become a habit with 
Mr. Lippincott and the Monmouth 
Chemical Co. to issue checks on banks 
without having funds on deposit to 
meet them when presented, as we know 
of another case where this practice has 
been resorted to. We do not know 
whether there is any statute in New 
Jersey making this practice a crime or 
not, hut certainly such practices put 
the offender in the ranks of men hav¬ 
ing no regard for their credit or stand¬ 
ing in the business world. Our readers 
will do well to keep this transaction in 
mind if they are solicited for orders of 
fertilizers or other goods by this con¬ 
cern. 
I a'draire and appreciate the honest, 
healthy view you take of public matters, and 
the firm determination to stand by such a 
view. I wish there were more like you. 
Torto Rico. H. L. L. 
Through accident I received a copy of 
your very interesting paper, and read the 
matter contained therein very carefully. 
As a result I concluded I would invest a 
dollar and become I hope, a permanent 
subscriber. g. m. 
Maryland. 
The last two issues of The R. N.-Y. are 
worth more than the price asked for the 
paper for the whole year. m. e. k. 
Ohio. 
These are fair samples of the letters 
which come from readers. Just now 
Ohio farmers are much interested in 
that fertilizer fight, and the principle 
appeals to farmers everywhere. It would 
take most of Rockefeller’s millions to 
pay the difference between what farmers 
were guaranteed and what they really 
got in fertilizers. That 10-weeks sub¬ 
scription plan works like a charm. The 
great majority of those who try it come 
back as permanent subscribers. This 
Maryland man found a copy by acci¬ 
dent. Why can’t you take 10 of those 
little envelopes and put them where they 
will draw a subscription? The larger 
the family the larger the work we can do. 
Fining Hen Manure. —I occasionally see 
an inquiry as to the best way of reducing 
lumpy hen manure, and the way I do it is 
to let the hens work it out themselves. 
Tinder the two roosting poles is a gutter 
like that behind cows, but about a foot 
deep, and two feet wide. To the outer 
edge of this is nailed a board about 10 
inches high—making the gutter nearlv two 
feet deep—and into this when the hens 
take possession of the house the end of 
October, I put a few inches of dry earth, 
of which I have several barrels put under 
cover in July, and every week or two a 
little more is added. When feeding small 
grain like wheat or buckwheat I make a 
point of throwing a few handfuls into this 
gutter to induce the hens to scratch there, 
and when Spring comes the whole is fine 
enough to go on the garden. Of course a 
good deal of the scratching material of the 
house gets scratched into the gutter, mostly 
oat or wheat straw, but it is all fine the 
first week in April when it is wheeled on 
to the land, and there is never any sign 
of ammonia or other odor until the first 
warm day in that month. t. w. 
A Hen Record. —I was much interested 
in the description by “Mapes, the Hen 
Man,” of his experiments in feeding, as 
related on page 551. I think I shall have 
to feed in the same manner, although April 
28 we bought one cock, said to be half 
Barred Rock and half White Wyandotte; 
one hen, presumably pure Brown Leghorn; 
one hen, supposedly one-half Black Min¬ 
orca, one-half White Wyandotte; one hen, 
one-half Brown Leghorn, one-half White 
Wyandotte ; three hens, apparently full blood 
Barred Rocks. These six hens and cock 
had free range, with enormous quantities 
of insects, a scant gill of whole wheat in 
the morning, nothing at noon, one-half 
pint whole corn at night. Occasionallv a 
very few table scraps, nothing else. The 
week beginning May 11, 30 eggs; week 
beginning May 18, 32 eggs; week beginning 
May 25, 30 eggs. Then we were compelled 
to shut them up, and of course fed heavier, 
and they fell off to 19 eggs each of two 
weeks. Now they are moulting heavilv, 
but week ending to-day, July 12. I received 
21. I am feeding more middlings than be¬ 
fore. j. l. p. 
Barnegat, n. J. 
i 
*1^// 
’otashj 
Summer and early Fall 
seeding of Alfalfa will be suc¬ 
cessful if the plant is given a quick, 
steady, early start by the proper use 
of Potash. 
Weeds are reduced to the minimum, and 
winter-killing is practically out of the question 
where Potash is used to invigorate the young 
plant and set the crop. 
Potash Grows Alfalfa 
Send for pamphlets containing facts about soil, 
crops, manures and fertilizers. Mailed free. 
GERMAN KALI WORKS, 93 Nassau Street, New York 
Atlanta, Ga.—1224 Candler Building Chicago—Monadnock Building 
f'OLLIE PDFS from imported Stock. Females 
cheap. NELSON BROS., Grove City, Pa. 
CCOTCH COLLIES, Spayed Females, two to 
eight mos. Circ. SILAS DECKER, Montrose,Pa. 
RARY PHIPIf Q—Prompt and safe delivery 1500 
UnU I umuixo miles. World’s Best R. I. 
Reds 15c. each, $15 per 100. B. Rocks, Bl. Minorcas, 
Br. Leghorns, 10c. each, $10 per 100, Buff Orpingtons 
20c. each. CORNISH FARMS, Edwardsburg.Mich. 
R HODE ISLAND REDS-You can buy high 
class Breeders from me now for less than half 
what they would cost you next winter or spring. 
You may return at my expense, if not satisfactory. 
Sinclair Smith, Box 153, Southold, Suffolk Co., N.Y. 
V an Alstyne’s S.C.K.I.Reds-lOO breeders for 
sale to make room for young stock. Semi stamp for 
prices. Edw. Van Alstyne & Son, Kinderhook.N.Y. 
Pfllll TRYMFN -Send for our new 36-page illus- 
1 U U L I n I 1*1 Lll trated poultry catalogue. Abso- 
utely free. East Donegal PoultryYards,Marietta,Pa. 
THE AMERICAN PET STOCK FARM, 
COLLINS, Huron Co., Ohio. 
All Breeds of Dogs and Standard Bred Poultry. 
EMPIRE STATE S. C. WHITE LEGHORNS, 
May hatched cockerels and pullets from my best 
stock $1.00 each. Yearlings, heavy layers, $1.00 each. 
Catalog free. C. H. ZIMMER, Weedsport, N. Y. 
“BULLETIN No. 26” 
SENT FREE “HOWTO KEEP AWAY 
CHICKEN-LICE & MITES,” by only 
ONE APPLICATION A YEAR 
Successfully used upward of 30 years 
Carbolineum Wood Preserving Co«, 
351 W. Broadway, New York, N.Y. 
BOOK FREE 
Plymouth Ttock Squabs are largest, most 
^prolific. We were FIRST ; our birds and 
J n ethods revolutionized the industry. 
Send for our 1908 Free 
Rook, telling “Howto Make 
Money Breeding Squabs.” 
PLYMOUTH ROCK SQUAB CO. 
335 Howard St. Melrose, Mass. 
DC If Ikl n IIP If C Madison Square, N. Y., 
rLIVIll UUIllVO December, 1907, Blue Rib¬ 
bon winners, April hatched, Pen of 5, good utility 
stock, $10. Leghorns, Single and Rose Comb, are 
real egg machines. Pen of 6, April hatched, good 
utility stock, $10. Best, very choice, snow white, 
yellow legs, well marked, Pen of 6, for $15. Fifty 
pens, 1,000 layers. Also Barred and White Rocks, 
White Wyandottes and Japanese Breed Ducks. 
Largest plant in vicinity of New York City. Cor¬ 
respondence invited. Ronnie Brae Poultry 
Farm, New Rochelle, N. Y. 
NEW YORK STATE FAIR 
SYRACUSE, SEPTEMBER 14-19, 1908. 
AGRICULTURAL and INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION 
Grand Circuit Races 
Increased Premiums Offered in DAIRY CATTLE CLASSES 
$400.00 in Prizes for Butter Fat Tests. 
Open to Registered Cows of All Breeds. 
DAIRY PRODUCTS Classes are so arranged 
that every person who can do good dairy work of 
some kind has a fair chance to win a valuable prize. 
Gold and Silver Medals and a large increase 
in cash premiums are offered in the Dairy Depart¬ 
ment this year. 
New Classes in the SHEEP and SWINE DE¬ 
PARTMENTS, also special prizes. 
Improved classification and Silver Cups in the 
POUL TRY DEPARTMENT. 
rioviisocl 
I Revision of the DOMESTIC CLASSES brings 
that department to date. 
Classification in the FARM PRODUCE, 
FRUIT and FLOWER DEPARTMENTS the 
most complete in years. 
The IMPLEMENT and MACHINE exhibit 
will be the largest in years. 
The New LIBERAL ARTS BUILDING will 
be completed in time to house some of the finest 
exhibits of machinery ever shown. 
Entry Fee. 
CMTDIEC PI nCC — t* 16 Cattle, Sheep, Swine and Poultry Departments on August 15th- 
Lll I nlLu U LUi3L~t n tl ? e Dau 'y- Domestic, Farm Produce, Flowers and Fruit on September 5th- 
bn ■ w tavr ''‘--Implements and ji ae }jj nes and B ut ter Fat Test, September 14th- 
Send For Frizo List. 
S. C. SHAVER, Secretary, Rosenbloom Building, Syracuse, New York. 
$250.00 For a Prize Story 
The Rural New-Yorker offers $ 250.00 for the best story of 
AMERICAN FARM LIFE 
of about 50,000 words, submitted by September 15, 1908. We 
want-a strong, wholesome story depicting the highest ideals of farm 
life. We invite the competition of the fiction writers of the world 
with or without experience. These stories will be judged solely on 
their merits by judges who will have no knowledge of the authors 
of the manuscript. We prefer to have the copy in typewriting 
though this will not be necessary. Send full name and address on 
separate sheet accompanying the manuscript. Manuscripts not 
winning prize will be paid for separately or returned for which 
postage should be sent. This competition is open freely to all who 
may desire to compete, without charge or consideration of any kind. 
Prospective contestants need not be subscribers for The Rural 
New-Yorker in order to be entitled to compete for the prizes 
offered. Address copy to 
PRIZE STORY DEPARTMENT, 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 409 PEARL ST., NEW YORK. 
