1912. 
SENATOR RAYNOR AND FREE SEEDS. 
Senator Isidore Raynor of Maryland 
is regarded as one of the ablest lawyers 
in the .United States Senate. Still we 
think he has something to learn. On 
February 12 W. F. Allen, well known 
throughout Maryland, wrote Mr. Ray¬ 
nor this letter: 
I herewith enclose two packages of worth¬ 
less seed that practically no one would 
think of planting, and I would like to in¬ 
quire when in your opinion the Government 
will stop this waste of money and put it 
to some practical use, like a liberal parcels 
post, or something that would be of some 
use to the people. I would like to Inquire 
If you are in favor of continuing this dis¬ 
tribution of old and worthless seeds at an 
enormous expense to the Government, and 
also whether or not you are in favor of a 
liberal parcels post. My influence, if I have 
any, will be used in favor of the man who 
goes on record as stopping this free seed 
distribution and has favored a liberal par¬ 
cels post, and the people are entitled to 
know how you stand on this question. I 
am not writing for myself alone, but for 
many others who are interested. 
W. F. ALLEN. 
Now opinions may differ, but we 
consider that a fair letter and entitled 
to an answer. Yet this free seed sug¬ 
gestion seemed to hit Mr. Raynor like 
a dish of Wonderberries. We call the 
following a snarl in words: 
I have received your letter and it is 
written in such a dictatorial and discour¬ 
teous way that it really does not merit an 
answer. What am I supposed to know 
about the character of seeds sent out by the 
Government? I have sent thousands of 
packages of seeds, and your letter is the 
only one of the kind I have ever received 
from anyone to whom they were sent. And 
then again, the stand you take in reference 
to the proposition you speak of is not the 
sort of threat that has any effect on men 
who are trying to do their duty, and I 
regret that you have seen fit to write such 
a letter in the manner that you have with¬ 
out any provocation or justification from me 
whatever. Isidore uaynor. 
Perhaps the Senator thinks that is 
all there is to it. Enough said! Mr. 
Allen is of a different mind, we are 
glad to say, and he came right forward 
with the following, which we think 
Senator Raynor will have no trouble 
in understanding: 
I have before me my letter to you of 
the 12th, and your letter of the 14th. I 
cannot say your answer, because you failed 
to answer a single question that I asked 
you. I beg to say that if there is anything 
discourteous about my letter it certainly 
was not so intended, and I fail to see it. 
I simply asked you in a plain, simple, 
straightforward way some vital questions 
which not only myself but most of the 
people arc interested in. If the asking of 
a simple question is dictatorial then I sup¬ 
pose my letter was, but that is not my 
understanding of the word ; perhaps my dic¬ 
tionary is at fault. You say, “What am I 
supposed to know about the character of 
the seeds sent out by the Government?” 
My answer is, that since you are sending 
these seeds out with your name on the 
package to your constituents it seems to 
me that it is your duty to know of what 
value those seeds are and whether they are 
really desired or not by the people to whom 
you are sending them. I might ask in this 
connection, what are Senators, Congress¬ 
men, and other public officials for, if they 
are not to know something about these 
things, and I would like to ask also, if I 
can do it in a way that will not be offen¬ 
sive to you, whether you consider United 
States Senators representatives of the peo¬ 
ple, or the people’s bosses. Since your con¬ 
stituents cannot ask a simple question with¬ 
out being offensive, it is hard to realize 
in just what position you consider yourself. 
If you will takq the trouble to look up the 
records in the case I am very much mis¬ 
taken if you do not find that originally this 
seed appropriation was made for the pur¬ 
pose of looking up and testing new varieties 
of plants, seeds and fruits for the purpose 
of finding out what other things in the line 
of vegetables, fruits and cereals could be 
profitably grown in sections where they are 
not grown at present. This may not be the 
exact language, but I think it is plain 
enough so that you can see I understand 
what I am talking about. 
In your letter I find the following: “The 
stand you take in reference to the proposi¬ 
tion you speak of is not the sort of threat 
that has any effect on men who are trying 
to do their duty.” Since reading your let¬ 
ter I have read over my letter to you three 
times, and if there is anything like a 
threat in it I have failed to find it. I pre¬ 
sume you. refer to the parcels post proposi¬ 
tion, although you do not say. I asked 
you very plainly if you were in favor of a 
liberal parcels post and added that my influ¬ 
ence, if I had any, would be used in favor 
of the man who goes on record to stop this 
free seed distribution, and who favored a 
liberal parcels post. There is a simple 
question and a plain and forcible state¬ 
ment as to how I stand on the matter. If 
there is any threat in that I fail to see it. 
If I understand the Constitution of the 
Unted States aright, United States Sena¬ 
tors are supposed to represent the people, 
and while I have read over that document 
a number of times I have failed to find any 
intimation where the people supposed to be 
represented were debarred from asking rea¬ 
sonable questions, or where it was beneath 
the dignity of United States Senators to 
answer them. Now as to doing your duty, 
I have not intimated that you were not, but 
again, who is to be the judge as to whether 
or not you are doing your duty, you your¬ 
self or the people you represent? Since 
you have refused by omitting to answer 
the questions that I asked, I may ask again, 
to whom are you doing your duty, to the 
express companies by not doing- your part 
to obtain a liberal parcels post which the 
people are entitled to, to the politicians, 
some of whom no doubt own stock in the 
express companies, or to the people of your 
THIS RURAL NEW-YORKER 
State? I would like to ask also which 
of the above classes do you consider are 
entitled to your services in their behalf? 
You say further that you regret I have seen 
fit to write such a letter in the manner that 
I have without any provocation or justifica¬ 
tion whatever. Am I to understand by this 
that you regret you are asked to answer the 
simple questions that I asked you in my 
letter, from the fact that you are unwilling 
to answer them? If this is not the meaning, 
and it is the only one I can see, I would 
be pleased to have your meaning explained. 
While it looks very much as though you 
meant it this way, I hope such is not the 
case, as I have been an enthusiastic admirer 
of yourself 'since the hard fight that you 
made for our beloved Admiral Dewey, and 
I must say that I was shocked at the letter 
I received from you in answer to the simple 
and reasonable questions which I asked. 
One more question. May I presume to 
ask whether or not you are in favor of 
the United States Senators being elected by 
popular vote? I stat<-d in my last letter 
that I was not writing for myself alone, 
but for many others who are interested. To 
explain the above statement I will state 
that I have been doing some institute work, 
and in speaking of public matters to the 
public I would like to be correctly in¬ 
formed as to the attitude of our public 
officials on these matters. w. f. ai.i.en. 
The Mole Nuisance. 
Would you advise me in my trouble with 
meadow moles? Our low land is fairly 
overrun with these animals; traps will 
not do; I catch some alive, but there are 
too many. There are not many grubs and 
worms in the ground. They do a lot of 
damage among young plants ; it is wonder¬ 
ful how fast they can travel in loose soil. 
Alpena, Mich. r. s. 
We do not know any better way than 
to use mole traps—the kind that work with 
a spring and drive a sharp rod or spear 
into the mole. If these are used persist¬ 
ently the moles can be killed out. A smart 
little dog trained to the work will often 
get many of the moles by watching the 
ground move as they work through it. 
Bisulphide of carbon has been suggested, but 
it is not easy to put it close enough to the 
moles. 
The Corning Egg Book. —During the 
past few years all sorts of stories, large 
and small, have been told about the “Corn¬ 
ing” methods of keeping poultry. We have 
often been asked what the system really is 
or if there is any such place. There cer¬ 
tainly is, and in this book Gardner Corning 
tells the story of how they started and what 
they have done. It is an interesting book, 
well told and full of information. The 
Comings have undoubtedly made a success, 
and we think this is a fair statement of 
their methods. Everything conected with a 
successful hen, from the rooster up, feels 
privileged to crow a little when the hen 
keeps the nest busy, but the hearer or 
reader can easily get at the hen’s true 
cackle and size it up. 
The DIKIGO SILO Is a QUALITY SILO through and through. It is made 
in one quality and one grade, and that the very best. 1 have no cheap 
Silo to meet competition or for the man who does not wish to buy . f -Sit 
a good one. I sell my Silos DIRECT TO YOU. I have no 
traveling men or agents to send you. If you deal with 
I want to me you can save all middlemen’s proiits. My prices j will not 
mail you my are low but I never cut quality one cent in order 8el] my gu 
catalog anil% to make a low price. I have everything to pro- to Publl0 lnst , 
pricelist of the ducequality with: I buythchighestgrade tutlons Kxperi- 
DIKIGO SILOS. material; I have skilled and inter- ment Stations or 
I will send you price ested workmen and the most up- States, in quantity for 
list in the first letter. to-date and finest equipped any i e88 than I will'sell 
These prices represent my plant in the business. kMg YOU one. This is often 
idea of actual value. I done, in fact, I have know-n 
could not furnish a better Silo Silos to bo actually given 
if I were to double the price. .ydpf 19 away when the manufacturer 
The catalog will explain in dc- thought he would get returns in 
tail my construction; it will show advertising. The farmer simply 
you my facilities for making has to pay a higher price for his 
Silos; it will tell you the quality 
of material I use; it will show 
you how, by system and organi¬ 
zation, I have been able to main¬ 
tain quality and low prices. My 
prices are uniform. Everyone 
pays exactly the same. You 
can not expect my competi¬ 
tors to meet my low prices 
as beside their own profit 
they must provide for 
expenses of trav 
eling men or a 
liberal margin 
for agents. 
Silo to make up for those that 
are given away. Ky my method 
I make none of these losses: you 
pay for your Silo, and yours 
only. I know Silos from A to 
1 have bought all the material 
for the DIRIGO SILOS for 
thirteen years, j have 
I know what actual figured every expense. 1 
value is. My idea of know to a cent what 
value is the cost of manufac- It costs to make a 
tnring in a thoroughly modern Silo. No middle- 
ant plus one reasonable profit. Ky man knows these 
my method you have nothino lo lose and things, 
everything to gain. I guarantee every SiiO to 
exactly as represented and the equal of any Silo 
made, in material, design and workmanship, no matter 
at what price the other may bo sold. If tho DIKIGO SILO is 
not exactly as I claim, and entirely satisfactory to you when 
arrives, I will allow you to cancel the order. I will do this quickly 
and pleasantly. You are your own judge. In other words, I give you 
Fairest Kind of Fair Treatment. ARTHUR H. STEVENS, President. 
STEVENS TANK 6 TOWER CO. 
Auburn, Maine 
TO RENT 
Desirable Dairy Farms in 
Hoosick ami Scliaghticoke, 
Rensselaer County, N. Y. Good buildings; near 
creamery and markets. Address LEGKAND 0. 
TIBBITS, Agent, Hoosick, N. Y. 
Farm Hands and Laborers ™ n T ™ 
stitution. Salary $30 a month and maintenance. 
Send references with application. Apply to tho 
Superintendent of Letchworth Village, Thiells, N. Y. 
TRAD* 
HARK 
REG’T. 
SAVE-THE-HORSE 
OUR LATEST Book—Is our 16 Years’ Experience and DISCOVERIES—Treating 
i 87,364 Horses—Ringbone—Thoropin—SPAVIN—and ALL Shoulder, Knee, Ankle, 
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Diuggists everywhere sell Save-The-IIorse with contract, or sent by us Express prepaid. 
The Ricker Mfg. Go. 
Rochester, 
New York. 
THE ROCHESTER 
Feed and Litter Carrier 
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For Economy’s Sake, Don’t Do Without One, 
Save Half the Time Over the Old Way. 
A Boy Can Do the Work of Two Men, 
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TAKES LESS HEAD ROOM THAN ANY OTHER 
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For Wood or Steel Track. 
1 To Meet Any 
i Condition*. 
Patented 
June 6, tOU. 
Agents Wanted. Reserve Your Territory. 
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ROCHESTER, N. Y. 
.GREAT CULTIVATOR OFFER!. 
Latest 
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the Original 
Spring 
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S PRING-TOOTH, or Solid Shovel, Pivot Axle, or Rigid Axle, 
Walking or Riding style; also wood frame Lever Drags! Which 
one do you want! Try it at our risk! Each one is perfect. 
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Detroit-American 
Write! 
