400 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[ If very query must be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer to insure attention. Be¬ 
fore asking a question, please see whether it is not 
answered in our advertising columns. Ask only 
a few questions at one time. Put questions on a 
lepr.rato piece of paper.] 
THE GAMBLE OF UNCLAIMED PACKAGES. 
In considering the exorbitant charges 
made by the express companies, attention 
might well he called to the fact that they 
incur practically no losses in their busi¬ 
ness. The expense account is, doubtless, 
enormous, but the actual loss sustained 
by them in the transportation of goods 
is almost nil. They have a very effective 
way of recouping themselves for any lia¬ 
bilities in that direction, which, so far as 
I know, is not permitted to any other 
business company on earth. Passing 
along a business street in Boston a few 
years ago, 1 noticed a stream of people 
pouring into the basement of a building 
which displayed the auctioneer’s red flag- 
The place was filled in no time, and, get¬ 
ting into the throng, I found everybody 
eager and excited over the sale of a lot 
of unclaimed goods left over with the 
Adams Express Company. Talk about 
auctions; that was the liveliest one I 
ever witnessed. There was no need of 
wit or persuasion on the part of the auc¬ 
tioneer, for the people just tumbled over 
each other to shove up their money in 
the vain expectation of getting some¬ 
thing for nothing. The gambling in¬ 
stinct, always rife, was being seductively 
appealed to, and the bundles, packages, 
boxes and trunks went off with a rush. 
And in nearly every case good money 
was freely exchanged for utter rubbish. 
1 watched the game for an hour and in 
all that time I did not see a single article 
sold that was worth one-half the price 
paid for it. In nine cases out of 10 the 
object obtained was entirely worthless, 
and was dropped in disgust upon the 
floor, and very likely the purchaser bid 
on the next article up. I noticed one 
woman who must have spent $20 at 
least, and not one thing did she get that 
she considered worth taking home with 
her. The floor was littered all over with 
all sorts of things, so useless that one 
wondered that they should ever have 
been sent by express, much less that one 
would pay to receive them. But here 
was a great express company, selling this 
worthless trash, at a large price, in order 
to cover cost of carriage and storage, 
and using the gambling device of “un¬ 
sight and unseen” in order to get “other 
people’s money.” The State of Massa¬ 
chusetts gives the express companies the 
right to sell unclaimed goods and is sup¬ 
posed to receive the proceeds after the 
costs of carriage and storage are deduct¬ 
ed, and so in a legal sense it is not gam¬ 
bling. But it takes advantage of the 
gambling instinct in human nature, and 
depends upon it for saving the company 
from loss. If it sold these goods openly 
and uncovered, it would, instead of be¬ 
ing richly paid for transportation and 
storage (and it undoubtedly makes its 
own price) lose nearly the whole amount. 
The fact that these goods were un¬ 
claimed would naturally lead to the be¬ 
lief that they had no value, but the glit¬ 
tering hope that some one has died and 
left some rare treasure unsought for, or 
that memory has slipped a cog, serves to 
inflame the chance spirit, and that is good 
enough for the express companies. 
After witnessing this spectacle I drew 
up a bill and had it introduced into the 
Mouse, the substance of which was, that 
no company should be allowed to sell 
such goods except when exposed so as 
to be clearly seen. In due time the bill 
was given a hearing, and, although the 
usual notice had been /iven, no one ap¬ 
peared but myself in its behalf. T showed 
the committee some samples of the things 
sold at that auction; a roll of old hand¬ 
bills, one lone, unmated shoe; unlabeled 
bottles of medicine, unsigned photo¬ 
THK KUKAl, NEW-YORKER 
April 8, 
graphs, a wooden model of a part of 
some machine, some dried-up bottles of 
ink, a stove shaker and a Shaker bonnet 
frame, and an assortment of other equal¬ 
ly as valueless rubbish. 1 told the com¬ 
mittee of the sale of an old trunk for 
five dollars which contained a dirty and 
ragged theatrical suit, and of another 
that held merely some antiquated wire 
hat frames. 1 said that many 
packages had been broken by handling, 
and that the company had the oppor¬ 
tunity to learn their worthlessness, as 
these packages had been carefully re¬ 
wrapped by its employees. I said that 
no other business was permitted, by such 
means, to make up its losses, and that if 
legally right it was morally wrong. The 
committee was evidently in favor of the 
bill, but on account of the lack of public 
interest in it, gave me leave to with¬ 
draw. But the defeat did not convince 
me that it was not a shameless thing for 
a great corporation to take such advan¬ 
tage of the weakness and foil}' of men 
to save itself from business losses, or 
that a great State should permit it to 
employ such a contemptible device for 
the furtherance of its own ends was not 
a stigma upon its good name. 
EDGAR W. PREBLE. 
_ 
Grafting Persimmons. 
N. J. P., Woodbridge, Conn. —I have a 
number of seedling persimmon trees. Some 
of them arc 12 feet high; they never bear, 
and 1 want to graft them to some variety 
that is hardy enough to stand our Winters 
and hear me good fruit. Will you tell me 
where to get the grafts I want, and the 
best way and time to set them? 
Ans. —Although persimmon trees are 
exceedingly difficult to graft success¬ 
fully, it can be done. The climate of 
Connccticult is not too severe for the 
trees, but the season of growth is quite 
short for the development and ripening 
of the fruit. Only the very earliest 
varieties can be expected to mature 
there. The one called Early Golden, 
which I have grown and often eaten, 
is the best one that I know. It is grown 
by E. A. Riehl, of North Alton, Ill. 
The scions should be 'secured before 
there is any action of the sap whatever 
and stored in a very cool place, in damp 
but not wet moss. They must be kept 
in this condition until the trees have 
started into growth and then the graft¬ 
ing should be done at once and with 
extreme care. H. e. van deman. 
Knotty Fruit on Pears. 
hj. ]). H., Pinion, Mich. —I have 250 pear 
trees six years old in orchard. They bear 
every year, but the fruit is mostly knotty 
and gnarly. Is there anything 1 can do 
for the trees to prevent this? The trees are 
thrifty, no blight; varieties Bartlett, stand¬ 
ard, and Louise Bonne, dwarf. 
Ans. —It is probable that fungus dis¬ 
eases and insects are the cause of the 
knotty and otherwise undesirable pears. 
They will no doubt be greatly benefited 
by spraying with lime-sulphur and ar- , 
senate of lead. There are ample in¬ 
structions for doing this in the publica¬ 
tions issued by the Government Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture and the various 
State experiment stations, and they may 
be had for the asking. There are also 
the same directions appearing in the 
rural press very often. Anyone and 
everyone who grows fruit should be well 
informed on this subject and it is his 
own fault if he is not. Send at once for 
the booklets giving the directions needed. 
The director of the Experiment Station 
at College Point is the proper person 
for a citizen of Maryland to ask for 
them. H. E. VAN DEMAN. 
Policeman (to clubman returning 
home late) : “Here, you can’t open the 
door with that; it’s your cigar.” Club¬ 
man : “Great Scott! Then I have 
smoked my latchkey !”—Le Rire. 
% 
f V? ~»f of Slate Never 
Lightning 
.... . „ Hie Arc lossc 
endangerments of life, stock and property 
that a roof of slate on your home, barn or 
out-buildings will forever eliminate. 
Think of having a roof that lightning, sun, 
fire, water,, snow, ice, or the action of air cannot 
affect—that cannot warp, crack, rust or decay. 
Think of having a roof of natural rock, that 
is solid, enduring, ornamental; that lowers fire 
insurance premiums; increases property valua¬ 
tions; betters the appearance of any building it 
covers and never wears out, and you must 
think of— 
Sea Green and Purple 
Roofing Slate 
The one roofing by which all patent or artifi¬ 
cial roofing preparations are compared—by which 
the test of service and satisfaction of any roof¬ 
ing material is Judged— is Sea Green and 
Purple Slate. 
Don’t allow the misleading low first cost of 
these cheap roofings to prevent you from having a 
roof that lasts forever— that will never need 
repairing. Specify Slate and settle your roofing 
problem for the balance of your life. 
Send Today for Proo Booklet “Roofs” 
Investigate the Roofing question. Get the 
unbiased opinions and experiences of practical 
men of building experts now. Send for our book¬ 
let “Roofs.” Simply tell us the name of your 
nearest roofer and your copy of this booklet will 
be mailed absolutely Free. 
The American Sea Green Slate Co. 
(Roofs That Never Wear Out) 
|f Q dark Street, Granville, N. Y. 
FUMA 
| 4 BH I ■ H ■ 99 kills Prairie Dogs, 
“® ® Woodchucks, Gophers, 
and Grain Insects. 
“The wheels of tho gods 
grind slow but exceed¬ 
ingly small.” So the weevil, but you can stop thoir 
^vith “Fuma Carbon Bisulphide ’’are *£?£ 
EDWARD It. TAVLOR, Penn Tan, N. V. 
MAnufactuhkbs of TUDCCUITDO 
am. k i n i is of i nr . u o n el ft o 
Ad’3,S. K. CAMPBELL. Central Bridge. N-lf. 
We Want a Man 
IN YOUR VICINITY 
To show every telephone user our 
“NO RISK” Lightning arrester 
One agent writes: *T sold over 750 ‘No 
Risk’ Arresters and made a friend at each 
home.” Easy to sell, easy to install and 
operate. Several persons killed recently 
and so much damage caused by 
lightning coming in over the 'phone 
wire, people want and demand the 
best protection they can get. We 
allow our representatives a large 
commission and they make good money. Write today 
for our free book and splendid proposition. Do it now. 
W. E. ASHBY TELEPHONE CUT OUT CO., 41H LOCUS I ST., DES MOINES, IOWA 
DONT FAIL TO PLANT 
SOME OF THE 
Meadowvale Gladioli 
THIS SEASON. 
Write-for Free Illustrated Catalogue at once. 
ART HUR COWEE 
Meadowvale Farm, Box 54, BERLIN, N. Y. 
— ISO ACRES. Genesee Valley 
grown. "Not tho cheapest, but 
the best.” Never have bad San 
Jose Scale. Established 1869. 
rATAior pritc GEO. A. SWEET NURSERY CO., 
LAIALUu r Knr. 2 0 Maple St., Daitsville, N. Y. 
FRUIT TREES and PLANTS 
At prices that will astonish you. Send for Whole¬ 
sale l’riee List and Lithographs. Several good 
collections cheap. We have a complete assortment 
in all varieties of fruit trees and plants. Special 
Strawberry Catalog. Headquarter?, for the Old- 
Fashioned Sweet Cherry. No crooked or inferior 
stock sold at any price. Satisfaction guaranteed. 
L’AMORKAUX NURSERY CO., Schoharie. N. Y. 
Agents' Prtcos Cut In Two 
Direct to You 
If you want a small but choice cherry orchard, get 
our Collection No. 3 — 6 grand, sweet cherries for 
• 1.20— one-fiffh less than catalogue prices— ail two 
year old trees, 6 to 7 ft. high. 
2 Croon’s Tartarian, 1 Cov. Wood, t Napoleon, 
1 Windsor c Schmidt's Bigarroau. These will give 
you cheines from early June till fall. 
12 Best Plums only $2.35 
This is one-third off our regular catalogue price—and the 
varieties I note them: Abundance, Burbank, Gttcii, Brad¬ 
shaw, owe each; Shropshire Damson, Lombard, York State, 
Niagara, 2 each. Twelve trees all largest best stock, and at 
this special price of $2.25. 
There are many other Bargain collections of all kinds in 
our 1911 Catalogue—larger, liner, better than ever before. 
Send for it to-dav to convince yourself. We have no agents — 
th Tefore save you their big commissions. If you write soon 
and ask for it, we will send you free our souvenir book, 
** 20 Years with Fruits and Flowers.” 
GREEN'S NURSERY CO., Box 22, Rochester, N. Y. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
I t. X.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
THE APPLE BUSINESS 
Is a sure tiling—if you have the right kind of 
a tree. People may plant too many oranges 
but the good old apple is a sure thing. T he 
time to get in with that hillside is right now 
—this Spring. 
There is some discussion about the best 
aged tree to plant. Some want big trees and 
some little whips. We have them all! 
The size is a matter of opinion but every¬ 
body agrees that the health and life of the 
tree is more important. We put life and 
health in our trees—or they do it themselves. 
They grow in strong ground with no 
check from start to finish and with a long 
fall season to harden and ripen their woods. 
They are sound, free from disease and 
ready to grow. Every variety you want 
and every tree right. 
The Catalog tells all about it. 
HARRISON’S NURSERIES, Box 15, BERLIN, MD. 
FRUIT TREES AND PLANTS u, a J :XZ. 
Ppplcs ... $15.00 per .00 
Peaches ... $8.00 per lOO 
Cherries ... $10.00 per lOO 
Strictly First-Class Stock, Government In¬ 
spected. Write today for our free eat nlogue 
on Fruits and Ornamentals, ami buy direct 
from the growers. Our trees are grown in that 
great nursery belt of Ontario County. 
ONTARIO NURSERY CO., Inc. 
GENEVA, N. Y. Box No. 21 
OLYMPIC NATURE NURSERY 
Rhoilodondroiis. Madron as. Oregon Grapes. Huckle¬ 
berries and other wild shrubs, plants and flowers. 
By mail. 10 for 50 cents, 24 for SI.00 postpaid. 
Money back if not satisfied. 
JOEL SHOMAKKIi, Nellita, Washington. 
MILLIONS OF FLOWERING 
and Decorating Plants of all kinds, including Early 
and Late Vegetable Plants in abundance, for Flor¬ 
ists. Landscape Gardeners, Parks, Institutions, 
etc., at wholesale prices Send for lists. 
ALONZO J. BRYAN. Wholesale Florist, Washington, N. J. 
200 \ nrtetle*. Also Drupes, Small Fruits, etc. Best 
rooted mock. Genuine, cheap. 2 sample currants mailed for 10c, 
Catalog free. LKW18 KOKSCH A SON, llo» k , Krcdonla, H. Y, 
CHERRY TREES 
100 Early Richmond Cherry 
TwoYear, 5 to A Feet, $16,00 
Freight paid to your station. All Other nursery 
stock sold direct to planter at lowest possible prices 
for high-grade stock. Send for descriptive price list. 
NEW HAVEN NURSERIES 
NEW HAVEN, MISSOURI 
EDI! I T TDL’L’C Pears, Bartlett, 8eckel and others. 
iKUIl lRC.r3 Chcrrien and IMiiiuk. all standard 
I varieties. Peaches grown from buds from tearing 
Block. Get wholesale prices direct from us ; also £1 Lot 
Offers. Free Catalog. Prize Hampshire sheep. Write 
W. P. RUPERT J. SON, Box 20, Sen ecu, N. Y. 
12 FRUIT TREES W »S H FOR 98c 
1 Roosevelt, 1 Bradshaw Plum, 1 
Niagara Peach, 1 Bing, 1 Napo¬ 
leon. 1 Montmorency Cherry, I 
Baldwin, 1 McIntosh, i King 
Apple, 1 Orange Quince, 1 Bartlett. 
1 Seckel Pear. All first class trees, 
2 yr., 4 ft, high for 98c. Everybody 
write for free illustrated catalogue. 
Maloney Bros. S Wells, Box 13 D&nsville, N„ Y. 
Black's Peach Trees-!911 
, , Peach Trees are one of our specialties—we 
***••*-- r ~- alone. Our 
than the] 
«, - 
direct .saving middleman's profits. 
S8*w • •• m 
J 
New bxjklet. “Springtime and Vc2 lllSfal© 
Harvest for the Fruit-grower/’ free. ** ■ ■ ■ 
Booklet 
Joseph II. Black, Son Sc Co. 
Box V, HiRhtstown,New Jersey 
Sent Free 
McM/IV’S Peach Trees -— 
MCKAY'S Dwarf Apple Trees-— 
MCKAY'S Acre Cherry Orchard, S15- 
MCKAY'S Rose Bashes on their own roots-— 
Me KAY'S Fertilizer Chemicals — 
MCKAY'S Agricultural Lime, S3 per ton 
Me KAY'S Catalopuc tells about them a in' more 
. —W. L. McKay. G ENEVA, N. Y. Box R. 
CATALPA 
SPFCIQSA 
mis 
Mine are true to name. Write for Free booklet which tells 
all about the 150 acres I am growing for telephone poles. 
H. C. ROGERS, Box 11, Mechanicsbnro, Ohio. 
Pomeroy Hardy English WALNUT TREES 
Free Illustrated Pooklet 
ENGLISH WALNUT FARM 
D, N. POME BOY LOCKPOKT, N. \ r . 
PEACH TREES 
KLUKKTA, CARMAN. HIELJEY, ami all the 
leading varieties at prices that will save yon money. 
Wo have APPLE, PEAR, PLUM, and other varieties of 
fruit trees also. Catalog free. 
BARNES BROS. NURSERY CO. 
“For the Land’s Sake, use Bowker’s 
Fertilizers; they enrich the eartli and 
those who till it.”— Adv. 
FRUIT TREES 
Our Proof to date after years of service is that 
we can save you not only money, but disap¬ 
pointment. when your trees begin to fruit. 
This Proof will be submitted with our new 
catalog —ask for it today. * * * * * 
H. S. WILEY & SON, Box 122, Cayirca, N. Y. 
