sei i 
THE RURAt, NEW-YORKER 
August 10, 
* 
PUBLISHER’S DESK 
Don’t ship produce of any kind with¬ 
out first ascertaining the reliability and 
responsibility of the party or house to 
which you are shipping. 
In writing to this department please 
sign your full name and address. No 
name will be printed without consent 
of writer; but anonymous communica¬ 
tions will receive no attention. 
I shipped four crates of peppers to a 
Richmond, Va., commission house, and the 
Southern Express Company failed to de¬ 
liver them in time and the delay along the 
road caused me a loss of $1 per crate. Will 
you collect this for me if there is any 
chance of getting it? w. e. c. 
Florida. 
The Southern Express Company took 
seven days to deliver a shipment which 
should have been delivered in three 
days at the most. It took them from 
December until the first of March to ad¬ 
mit their responsibility and make settle¬ 
ment. 
The inclosed advertisement of W. M. 
Ostrander, 12 West 31st street, New York 
City, is from “Grit,” Williamsport, Pa. If 
this is our old “friend” Ostrander send the 
publisher of “Grit” a copy of Hind-Sights. 
It should help some. x. c. b. 
Pennsylvania. 
Yes, it is the old Ostrander all right, 
but we do not think R. N.-Y. readers 
will want any of his “land” informa¬ 
tion free. Those who took his "free” 
information in the past paid pretty dear 
for the experience in the end, and we 
doubt if others will fare any better in 
the future. 
I am in receipt of a letter from Kelly 
& Connolly, inclosing checks for $900 for 
the interest in Pelican Beach property. I 
think the attorneys have done well, and 1 
want to thank you for recommending them 
to me; you and your paper are a tower 
of strength to the farmers of this country. 
Virginia. j. m. m. 
We confess that we had little hope of 
realizing on this claim when first pre¬ 
sented. We saw, however, that it was 
a case for an. attorney and turned it 
over to our own attorneys. It was 
found that other similar interests had 
been closed for $100, and the attorneys 
exercised good judgment and prudence 
in holding for a fair accounting. It is 
an instance of the value of a friend at 
court. A claim of the kind sent to the 
ordinary city attorney with no interest 
beyond this claim, would probably net 
little above the expense, even if the at¬ 
torney consented to pursue it at all 
without an advance retainer. 
I am 71 years old. live in town and have 
no farm, yet I can’t keep house without 
my old tried and true friend. To live 
along somehow without knowing how the 
Hope Farm man as well as Mother and 
the redheads were getting on, would be a 
desolate life indeed. And then Dillon will 
keep this sucker from biting at a gilded 
hook. k. w. n. 
Kansas. 
When I was a boy I used to get a lot 
of fun out of the Indian hero and the 
other smuggled fiction loaned me by the 
minister’s son. I have since spent many 
a pleasant hour with the literary gems 
of the world, but with it all 1 never 
found better entertainment than I get 
daily now in the morning mail in letters 
from the farm. There is strength and 
spontaneous expression and originality 
of thought in these letters that outstrips 
the productions of the studied writers 
and philosophers of the world. How 
are you going to express the functions 
of “Publisher’s Desk” better than in the 
last sentence of the above letter? Many 
a polished writer would envy the easy 
flow of English, unconscious wit and 
homely humor of this farm correspond¬ 
ence. 
I have your letter with check from the 
Adams Express Company in settlemeut for 
a box of sea shells which I shipped from 
Fort Myers, Fla., one year ago last Febru¬ 
ary. 1 had given up all hope of receiving 
either the box or the value of its contents, 
having long since exhausted my patience 
in interviews and correspondence with the 
intention of getting some satisfaction from 
the transportation company. l r ou have my 
sincere thanks for your efforts on my be¬ 
half, also for the hundreds of other just 
fights which you are continually making 
for your subscribers. Your management 
of this department shows so much courage, 
justice and good judgment that it is becom¬ 
ing one of the strongest features of a 
paper which is already far ahead of all 
other publications in true service to country 
people. K. p. l>. 
Pennsylvania. 
This subscriber shipped a box of sea 
shells addressed to himself at Trenton, 
N. J., which was never delivered. The 
charges were prepaid, but no trace was 
found of the box and he could get no 
attention to his claim for damage. This 
shipment originated with the Atlantic 
Coast Line, was transferred to the 
Clyde Line and they turned it over to 
Adams. It seems to have been lost 
Selecting Breeding Hens. 
while in possession of Adams Express 
Company. There was absolutely no at¬ 
tention paid to the shipper’s requests 
for tracing the box in order to effect de¬ 
livery, and no adjustment made until 
we took it up and only then after con¬ 
siderable correspondence. The prepaid 
charges have not yet been returned. 
Your paper saved a friend of mine $25 a 
little time ago. I read what you said 
concerning Hampton’s Magazine. I knew 
my friend had $100 in it. I went to see 
him at once, and told him “sell for any¬ 
thing you can get.” He took my advice 
and got $25 for it. lie had $1,000 in the 
Standard Arms Co. of Wilmington, Del. 
This has gone up, and I fear there will be 
no dividend. Thank you for your many 
exceedingly useful and timely “tips” as to 
fakes, big and little. H. H. w. 
Virginia. 
Such things as that give you some 
idea of the responsibility assumed in 
such cases. That man thought he had 
good security for his $100. But when 
he read our report he did not hesitate. 
He took $25 for a piece of paper that 
cost him $100. He is ahead $25. But 
suppose the information had not been 
correct? What would he think of The 
R. N.-Y. if it had caused him a loss of 
$75? Perhaps the incident will make 
plain to some nervous and anxious peo¬ 
ple why The R. N.-Y. cannot act hast¬ 
ily or without definite and conclusive 
information. When men do not hesi¬ 
tate to sacrifice three-quarters of their 
investment on the strength of our in¬ 
formation, we must be conservative 
about the advice. Confidence of that 
kind is too precious an asset to bei dealt 
with lightly. 
I enclose the latest blast from our old 
friends the Debentures, which perhaps has 
not come to your attention, who deal in 
“bank and trust company stocks.” How 
substantial that sounds! Strange how phil¬ 
anthropic they are to go hunting out the 
dear folks who have spare money to invest 
in stocks that are going to pay 25 per cent 
in a very short time. There will also be 
only a "few” notice, from each State per¬ 
mitted to get a taste of the melon. I won¬ 
der how long it will take Iowa and the 
rest of the States to get in some investment 
laws, as has the State of Kansas, which is 
supposed to have saved the poor duffers of 
that State three million last year. I sold 
my five shares of that “busted” Currier 
Publishing Co. stock for $7 per share. The 
paper is still existing. The officers recent¬ 
ly had a meeting and changed the name so 
as to eliminate the bad taste in the mouth 
of the company by hanging on to the title 
Currier. I believe it is Woman’s World 
Publishing Co. now. I believe that I shall 
get the full worth of my investment by 
way of the dividends it is going to pay 
me in the future on experience. g. f. b. 
Iowa. 
We are glad to note the increasing- 
number of farmers who can analyze 
these investment propositions for them¬ 
selves. The prospectus referred to is 
put out by the Sterling Debenture Cor¬ 
poration, which we have referred to 
frequently in connection with the ex¬ 
ploitation of the Tclepost stock. The 
usual amount of confidence talk is hand¬ 
ed out to the prospective investor about 
future profits, but never a figure to show 
the assets and liabilities of the com¬ 
pany. The record of the Sterling. De¬ 
benture Corporation is sufficient in itself 
to deter any thoughtful man from con¬ 
sidering any proposition the concern at¬ 
tempts to promote. There is a crying 
need for some such national law for 
the control of stock selling schemes. 
We understand the Kansas law work9 
out admirably. Why not ask your can¬ 
didate for Congress this Fall if he fa¬ 
vors such a law when he is appealing 
for your vote ? 
Enclosed find $1 for another year of the 
good old reliable It. N.-Y. and the book 
“Hind-Sights.” I want it. Keep on showing 
up the grafters, the farmers are with you. 
I got “mine” to the tune of $128 on Hamp¬ 
ton's after guarding against gold bricks a 
life time. And I thought it wgs a sur’e 
thing! My advice to brother and sister R. 
N.-Y. readers is keep out of all stocks, 
bonds, land booms, in Florida, E. G. Lewis 
schemes; invest your money on your own 
farm, read more good literature and hoe 
corn. I gr'catly appreciate the good work 
you are doing. I wish we could have an 
experience meeting through your paper, and 
have our people who have been bitten tell 
us about it and thus help others. 
Indiana. J. c. A. 
Noting Mr. Cosgrove’s comment, on 
page 765, on the efforts to discover the 
laws governing the production of a lay¬ 
ing strain of hens, I suggest that the 
solution may possibly be found—not 
in selecting breeders from layers with 
large egg records, for as is well known, 
such birds have been constitutionally 
weakened through excessive activity of 
their reproductive organs. The solution, 
it would seem to me, may be found in 
selecting for future breeders, well- 
formed pullets which, in the Fall, begin 
laying earliest, eggs of the desired type; 
birds which have in addition other quali¬ 
ties which it is desired to perpetuate. 
As soon as persistency in egg-produc¬ 
tion is demonstrated—say in the first 
three weeks of laying—the selected pul¬ 
lets should be placed on a non-stimu¬ 
lating ration, in order to check egg- 
production, and should be kept on free- 
range. By breeding from such birds 
during their second laying season it 
would seem as though good results 
would be bound to accrue. 
Among the points which have been 
suggested for an early determination of 
the laying characteristic and of rug¬ 
ged constitution, are the following: 
Early development (select young stock 
making the most rapid growth). Deep 
compact body and broad back. Medium 
to large head, with short beak. Activity. 
Appetite. Ruggedness. Prominent bright 
eyes (avoid drooping lids). Bright red 
comb. Smooth bright plumage. In a 
word, use extreme measures in culling 
for tlie coming breeders; and carefully 
restrain egg-production during the pul¬ 
let year. Be sure to start with a lay¬ 
ing strain of known vitality. A. c. 
New York. 
Australian Hen Contests. 
Egg-laying competitions are common in 
Australia, and have done much to make 
poultry growing popular. Great interest is 
shown, and .it is the custom to use the prize 
winning birds as breeders. In America the 
theory prevails that daughters of such high- 
scoring hens rarely equal their mothers. 
Improvement seems to come by using the 
sons of those great layers to head new 
flocks. One explanation of this theory is 
that the prize-winning hens are driven so 
hard that they lack the needed vitality, and 
that their chicks may prove enfeebled. The 
Australians select these high-scoring hens 
for breeders and claim that by doing so 
they inoi 
•ease the average 
egg yield. In 
proof of 
this figures are gi\ 
-en for 
the past 
six yeari 
s’ contest 
at the 
lioseworthy ex- 
periment 
station. 
Average 
Cost of 
Profit 
Average 
per 
food 
per 
price 
Year 
hen 
per lien 
lien 
of eggs 
1904-5... 
.74 
.76 
.15% 
1905-6. . . 
_ 171 
3.3 8 
1.36 
.171/2 
1907-8. . . 
_ 179.9 
3.29 
1.55 
. 191/2 
1908-9. . . 
... 390 
1.39 + 
1.92% .22 + 
1909-10. . 
,. . . 3 86 
1.33 
1.99 
.23 
1910-11. . 
_ 392.3 
1.41 
1.81 
.22 + 
There were 534 hens or 89 pens in this 
contest. The highest weekly score made by 
any pen of G birds was 41 eggs out of a 
possible 42. Each six birds occupy a good 
house 8x4% feet. 
It is claimed that these figures show 
that the plan of using eggs from the prize 
winners is a wise one, for year by year the 
average yield in these contests has increased 
as the result of such practice. 
These contests also include questions of 
feeding and the size of eggs. No competi¬ 
tor can win a prize unless his fowls lay 
eggs which average two ounces each in 
weight. This has served to check the breed¬ 
ing of hens which produce small eggs. An¬ 
other tiling studied in these contests is 
the inclination of Leghorn hens to get 
broody. This is not desired. All they want 
of the Leghorn lien is a choice and steady 
assortment of big white eggs. The incubator 
will attend to posterity for her. It seems, 
however, that in Australia, at least, broodi¬ 
ness in Leghorns is increasing, and it ap¬ 
pears to be carried on by heredity. Out of 
61 pens of Leghorns and Minorcas only nine 
showed no cases of broodiness, while in some 
pens all the hens apparently wanted to sit. 
In Australia this is called a “mischief.” It 
is said to be growing, and hen men are ad¬ 
vised not to use eggs from broody Leghorns. 
Farm produce sells high this year, as 
there was almost a failure here last year. 
Horses, good, sell for $S0 to $125, milch 
cows from $25 to $40. Milk is shipped and 
brings 1G cents per dry gallon; eggs 15 
cents per dozen. Hogs about $6.50 per 
hundred pounds. Hay, new, is $10 per ton. 
Peebles, O. J. r. j. 
When you write advertisers mention Tub 
II. N.-Y". and you’ll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
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We shall certainly keep right on 
“showing up the grafters.” Of course 
the farmers are with us—we never be¬ 
fore had such a subscription season as 
this year’s. Every man of experience 
has a “gold brick” tucked away in some 
hiding place. We all get one at least, 
but we ought to get wisdom with it, 
and not go hunting another when we 
know how the first one looks. We had 
a young friend who disregarded all ad¬ 
vice, took money out of a bank, and in¬ 
vested it in Hampton’s. J. C. A.’s ad¬ 
vice is good—especially when he says 
“invest your money on your own farm 
and hoe corn.” There are things you 
need—indoors and out—that ought to 
come as a first investment. 
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L19Sycamore SSreet, Coldwater, Ohio. 
