642 
August 8, 
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 I, 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. 
I just received a circular from Stevens 
& Simpson & Co. I have written them “I 
do not like your advertisement in The R. 
N.-\ r . It does you no good.” This part of 
your paper is very valuable and the farm' 
ers appreciate your bravery. n. c. n. 
New York. 
Mr. Hopkins indicates one good way 
for farmers to use postage stamps. As 
we have frankly stated again and again, 
the only power The R. N.-Y. has is 
what comes from its readers. We point 
the way and put up the target. When 
readers put on the stamps the work is 
done. This is the way to show unfair 
dealers that the concern of one is the 
concern of the whole Rural family. 
Thus the larger the family of read¬ 
ers the more power and the more 
stamps! Every new 10-cent reader 
helps, because he is sure to become a 
regular subscriber and help push the 
good men up and the frauds down. A 
few more letters like that from Mr. 
Hopkins and those notes which deco¬ 
rate this column would be paid. 
Some three or four years since I saw 
an advertisement in a paper of Arthur P. 
Thompson, of Scranton, l’a., a great grower 
of ginseng and other seeds, and mushroom 
spawn, etc. I corresponded with him. and 
he finally induced me to buy some shares 
of stock. He at the time said he was 
going to issue $250,000 in a stock company 
called the Thompson Seed Company, of 
which he was to remain president. I 
finally purchased 25 shares of stock at $1 
per share, fully paid stock, and after the 
company formed they induced me to in¬ 
crease to 200 shares on installments like 
the first. I sent money to them from 
time to time for the first 25 shares, and 15 
shares I had no receipt for, so I didn’t 
take the other 175 shares. I kept hearing 
from the said company after to take up 
the other shares, so I wrote them that I 
hadn’t any assurance of ever getting any 
dividend from what I had, as I had re¬ 
ceived receipt for only 10 shares of the 
first 25 shares that I bought, and for 
which I had paid in full. They looked it 
up. so thev wrote me, and could find 
nothing of ‘it on file, but they had dis¬ 
charged their old bookkeeper for being in¬ 
competent, and they found other mistakes 
for which he was at fault, and the com¬ 
pany sent me a receipt for 25 shares paid 
in full, saying that they would stand the 
loss, and that they should pay a dividend 
on all full-paid stock, but I haven’t heard 
from them since. Is there any such com¬ 
pany doing business that you know of? 
They wrote me that stocks, or shares 
rather, were worth, if my memory serves 
me right, some $200 to $300 per share. I 
would like to sell my shares out. Can you 
find out and let me know about them? 
Massachusetts. f. a. s. 
We print the above letter to illus¬ 
trate the wisdom of keeping these unre¬ 
liable papers out of your homes. The 
subscription may cost you little or noth¬ 
ing, but yourself or some one of your 
family may be induced to answer some 
of the fake advertisements with which 
these cheap papers are filled that may 
cost you several hundred dollars in the 
end. A larger proportion of fakers have 
taken up the ginseng business than any 
other we know about—presumably be¬ 
cause of the lack of general knowledge 
about the possibilities of successfully 
growing it. This concern was no doubt 
organized with a view to securing 
money from just such inexperienced in¬ 
vestors. Thompson is probably work¬ 
ing a similar scheme to get easy money 
on some other stock company by this 
time. 
The business of enlarging family pic¬ 
tures seems to offer a most lucrative 
field for the operation of oily-tongued 
agents. We have yet to hear of an 
agent in this line of work who did not 
try to work some scheme to relieve the 
customer of a few extra dollars. We 
print the following letter as a warning 
te those who may be tempted to listen 
to the alluring arguments of these sales¬ 
men : 
I wish you would warn your readers 
about an agent or salesman for a firm in 
Chicago. lie is very ‘‘slickoffers to 
enlarge a picture for $1.98, said picture 
to bo 10x20 inches and the $1.98 pays for 
it without frame. When picture arrives it 
is in a frame costing $3 or $4, and of 
course you are supposed to take the frame, 
as you have signed a paper. I saw one 
of the papers, and think you would not 
have to take the frame. I know one 
place where he took an order, two pictures 
•n one photograph, charged them $4.90 for 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
the picture, then the amount for frame. 
Another place he was looking at the photo¬ 
graphs, selected one and said, “I will take 
this along, with your kind permission.” The 
man of the house said, “No, you will not." 
With all his slickness the agent could not 
get permission to take the picture. My ad¬ 
vice is: Don’t let him in the house, for 
if you do he may have your order and 
leave the house before you realize what you 
have done. w. w. k. 
Pennsylvania. 
We gave Gardner Nursery Company 
a hearing on their side of the case in 
reply to the complaint of C. F. B. in 
a previous issue. The following letter 
from a New Hampshire subscriber 
states his experience so well that it 
needs no comment. 
I note what you say on page 578 in 
regard to the Gardner Nursery Company. 
I fully agree with C. F. B., on page 530, 
having had the same experience, and I 
considered it a sharp dodge. I would not 
take the gift of 100 such trees and be 
obliged to set them. Before sending to me 
they made excuses for not sending before 
and' trying to get me to place an order with 
them. The trees I received have been a 
standing joke in the family. They may 
have sent some good trees out, but not 
this way. Yours for square dealing. 
New Hampshire. a. n. p. 
I received the check from the- Seed 
Company all right. I have told many of it, 
and to ‘help you in a small way send 10 
cents, for which send The It. N.-Y. to the 
enclosed name. I will try to do more for 
you. s. E. 
Massachusetts. 
We were able to help this man get 
some money due him. He goes around 
speaking of it. What with postage 
stamps and talking our people can move 
a good share of the world. 
Please send some of the envelopes to get 
new subscribers at 10 weeks for 10 cents. 
I will bet there are not many who can 
stop it after the 10 weeks are up. 
Massachusetts. r. l. chamberlix. 
That would be a very safe bet for 
Mr. Chamberlin to make—judging from 
our records. Of course we will send all 
the 10-cent envelopes needed. You see 
we cannot show a stranger what we 
have in a single copy. It is like showing 
a single new shingle. Show 10 laps of 
shingles all nailed down and you see 
what the roof would be. How many 
envelopes can you give out? 
NOTES FOR HEN MEN. 
Do not think that because your flock 
of hens has plenty of range they are 
getting all the animal food they need, 
or all the grit they can use to advan¬ 
tage. More often than otherwise the 
natural supply has been exhausted to 
an extent that requires an artificial sup¬ 
ply, if the birds are to have what they 
need. It costs the poultryman more not 
to furnish enough of both than to buy 
it, in loss of thrift and vigor as well 
as in eggs. Besides, water-washed 
gravel is not so effective as the crushed 
grit that is sold, as the rough, cutting 
edges are worn smooth. 
If you have carried over any birds 
into their second year feed them liber¬ 
ally and keep them in good condition. 
Watch them closely and when the ten¬ 
dency to moult shows in any number of 
them market them quickly. They have 
made for you all the profit they ever 
will. 
set out some fruit trees in them. Plums 
seem to be the favorite for this pur¬ 
pose, as the birds, from chick to ma¬ 
ture fowl, seem to have a special appe¬ 
tite for the curculio, the worst foe the 
plums have to contend with. Pears 
and cherries are also suitable. Trees 
are cheap, and when they come to bear¬ 
ing will add no little to the returns 
from the poultry yards. Do not set 
trees too thick, the birds need sun as 
well as shade. 
Most of us can remember the Bel¬ 
gian hare craze, now the Belgians went 
up like a rocket and came down like 
the stick. The poor rabbit was not at 
fault, and he is just as good to-day ag 
ever. A generous piece of one roasted 
or in a pot pie is about as good eating 
as one need to have—there were a few 
staunch friends who stood by the Bel¬ 
gians in their downfall, and who are 
still breeding and advertising them. 
There is now some demand for them, 
and they are making friends again on 
their real economic worth. We predict 
a steady growth of this sentiment and 
som day their meat will be sought for 
and found in our best markets. The 
Belgians deserve better treatment than 
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EGG LAYING CONTEST. 
The Roseworthy, South Australia, Agri¬ 
cultural College, held a 54-week egg-laying 
competition recently. The object of the test 
was to encourage selection and development 
of special egg-producing strains in the 
various breeds. There were 75 houses 
6x5x4 feet, with yards 10x40 feet, and each 
coop contained six hens. The yards were 
covered six inches deep with wheat straw 
and husks, and all necessary precaution 
taken to keep the quarters clean and free 
from vermin. Shade was provided for Sum¬ 
mer. The fowls were fed at 7 a. m. a mash 
of one part bran to 1% pollard ( a product 
corresponding to our middlings), mixed, dur¬ 
ing cold weather with soup, to which cut 
vegetables and green stuff were added, with 
a little salt. The mash was fed warm and 
in a crumbly condition. The quantity given 
each pen varied from 18 to 33 ounces, de¬ 
pending on appetite. Green food was 
given at noon in cold weather. In warm 
weather chopped Alfalfa was mixed with 
the mash, the proportion being one-third 
Alfalfa. At 4.30 whole grain (wheat, corn 
and peas), was fed in the litter, and an 
ample supply of shells and grit was always 
on hand. 
For 18 weeks during the breeding season 
a male was kept in each pen, and the eggs 
were sold at a reasonable price for breed¬ 
ing purposes. The total cost of food was 
$630, and included 331 bushels whole 
wheat, 537 pollard, 430 of bran and 1,050 
pounds of meat meal. About $10 worth of 
corn and $5 of peas were fed, the exact 
measure not being give. 
Pnill TRYMCN- Sen,i for our new 36-page illns- 
lUUL I I! I III LII tvated poultry catalogue. Abso- 
utely free. East Donegal I’oultryYards,Marietta,l’a. 
EMPIRE STATE S. G. 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. 
F ox Terrier and Scotch Collie Dogs and 
Silver Laced Wyandotte Fowls. Choice 
Stock For Sale. Stamp for Prices. The American 
Pet Stock Co., Collins, Huron Co., Ohio. 
V an Alstyne’s S.C.K.I.Reds—100 breeders for 
sale tomake room for young stock. Send stampfor 
prices. Edw. Van Alstyne & Son, Kinderhook.N.Y. 
RHODE ISLAND REDS. 
I have sold all the breeders I can spare. Cockerels 
and pullets will be ready in September. SINCLAIR 
SMITH, Box 153, Southold. Suffolk Co., N. Y. 
D A D V PUIPYQ— Prompt and safe delivery 1500 
DAD I unilmo 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. 
DCtflll DIIP1/O—Madison Square, N. Y„ 
I CIV 111 UUUiVw 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 ol 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. Bonnie Brae Poultry 
Farm, New Koclielle, N. Y. 
In the 54 weeks the winning pen of six 
White Leghorns laid 1.531 eggs, and 14 
other pens produced from 1,200 to 1,500. 
The 75 pens gave 80.959 eggs, which were 
sold for $1,329. about 1 3-5 cent apiece. 
Eggs weighing less than 1 % ounce were not 
taken into account. The winning pen aver¬ 
aged 25% ounces per dozen. The nine high¬ 
est pens were White Leghorns, but mem¬ 
bers of this breed were scattered all through 
the list, some very near the end, thus show¬ 
ing that the individual hens, rather than the 
breeds, are the most important factors. 
Prof. Laurie, who conducted the test, be¬ 
lieves that by careful mating and selection 
it is possible to increase the egg production, 
and at the same time increase robust consti¬ 
tution and egg fertility. The winning pen 
of six pullets were the progeny of a hen 
tested to 279 eggs per year, and the mother 
of the second pen had laid 285. yet the 
percentage of strong chickens hatched from 
these pens and their mothers was very 
high. 
Send for our Terms 
to Subscription 
Workers now. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, 
New York. 
Who is to be the first one to start 
an egg farm with ducks? I think it 
would pay, and the duck is probably 
the Indian Runner. Duck eggs will sell 
much of the time for more than hen 
eggs, and if a constant supply was as¬ 
sured the demand would grow in pro¬ 
portion. There are many places suit¬ 
able for ducks which are not suitable 
for hens. 
It is a mistake to let small chicks run 
with large ones, or with the old fowls. 
They can never get their share of the 
feed, and there are always some in the 
large flock who seem to have a grudge 
against the little fellows, and will peck 
and drive them constantly. I have seen 
the little fellows literally scalped by 
these big bullies. The hen family have 
many traits of the human family. 
If your runs are not provided with 
shade lay your plans this Summer to 
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