1013. 
THIS KURAI> NEW-YORKER 
963 
SKUNK LAW. 
Last year there were many complaints 
from New York farmers regarding 
skunks. Several people found skunks in 
their yards and henhouses and killed the 
intruders. When they took off the hide 
they were arrested and fined. The law 
now seems to have been changed, for un¬ 
der the act of 1913 we find this: 
Skunk. Skunk may be taken either in 
the daytime or at night and in any man¬ 
ner, but they shall not be taken from 
holes or dens by digging, smoking or the 
use of chemicals, and they may be pos¬ 
sessed from November first to January 
thirty-first, both inclusive. Skunks 
which are injuring property or have be¬ 
come a nuisance may be taken at any 
time in any manner. Propagation of 
skunks permitted. It shall be lawful to 
keep live skunks in captivity at all times 
for purposes of propagation and sale 
only, provided a license so to do shall 
first have been obtained from the com¬ 
mission. No skunk shall be thus kept 
which are taken wild during the close 
season for skunks, and skunks so kept 
shall not be disposed of in any way dur¬ 
ing the close season. 
It seems from this that a skunk can 
legally be killed when it is found close 
to the henhouse or “at bay.” The 
trouble will come if you keep the hide. 
Better bury the skunk at once. 
Hard to Kill Skunk. 
Many will remember the many notes 
in The It. N.-Y. last Winter respecting 
the game laws. One of the victims of that 
time has had a new experience lately, 
lie was arrested, tried and fined last 
Winter for killing a 'coon that was de- 
CONSTRUCTION of cistern. 
I am planning to instal a cistern in 
my cottage this'Fall, and should be glad 
of information as to the best materials, 
construction and approximate cost. My 
idea is to put it in the cellar basement, 
southeast corner; directly over this is a 
pantry containing sink with drain con¬ 
nection, and on the floor above a bed¬ 
room. Would it be practicable to have 
both pantry and bedroom supplied with 
cistern water by a force-pump? I have 
thought of having a gravity tank in the 
attic above these rooms. Would this be 
preferable to the basement cistern, and 
would it be liable to freeze in Winter? 
r>. r. g. 
Cisterns of stone or brick lined with 
cement mortar are often built in cellars 
and filled by carrying the leader from 
the roof eave troughs to them. They are 
entirely practicable and a very satisfac¬ 
tory way of storing rain water for do¬ 
mestic purposes. Small force-pumps that 
may be attached to the kitchen sink to 
draw water there and force it to the 
second story are made. A more satis¬ 
factory method of supplying the kitchen, 
as well as bathroom and water closets, 
is to construct a tank of the required 
size in the attic where water from at 
least part of the roof may be carried to 
it. This supplies water under moderate 
pressure to any part of the house below 
the attic and is a fair substitute for 
“city water.” In houses that are build¬ 
ing, large galvanized tanks are often put 
in, but this cannot well be done after the 
house walls are up. A better tank may 
be built of 2x4-inc-h scantlings laid one 
upon another and spiked together until 
of the required height and then lined 
with sheet lead. The floor of the attic 
will serve as the floor of the tank, but 
cents for a bushel bag of pea coal, the 
Coal Club is selling the same amount for 
10 cents, which is a great saving to poor 
people. The Coal Club .also aims to 
charge one price for coal throughout the 
entire year. This of course will prove 
a great benefit to those who are unable 
to buy their Winter’s coal during the 
Summer when the price is low. 
Earl H. Morton, national president of 
the Order of Railroad Station Agents, 
planted some seed of Acadian sweet 
corn, which had lain in the attic of an 
old Acadian house for over 30 years. 
This corn was planted in the lat¬ 
ter part of May, and July 19 it was 
in silk, and bids fair to result in a good 
crop. This corn does not grow very tall, 
the ears are small, and the corn is very 
sweet, there is a blood red splash on the 
leaf. This corn was said to be brought 
to Canada from Normandy by the Acadi- 
ans 250 years ago. When the French 
Acadians were expelled from Canada by 
the English, after the English, French 
and Indian war, they went to Louisiana ! 
and took their corn with them. 
Robt C. Atkinson, past master of 
Wakefield Grange, who has charge of 
all _ Grange exhibits at the Wakefield 
Fair in September, intends to introduce 
some new features at the coming fair. 
The most important one is the baby 
show, where babies from 10 months to 
three years old are to be exhibited and 
scored for points in health. “If we are 
trying for better live stock, why not 
better babies?” says Mr. Atkinson. All 
the Granges in Middlesex County exhibit 
farm products at this fair. Among the 
new features Mr. Atkinson will intro¬ 
duce competitive drills among military 
companies, also the same competitions 
between military fraternal bodies, and 
competitions in floor work, among 
Grange degree teams of both sexes. This 
will draw a crowd, and relieve the mo¬ 
notony of inspecting specimens of the j 
farm and stable. $500 in prizes to be 
awarded in the Grange exhibit, first 
prize $100; lowest one $40; prizes in 
gold for babies, and $200 for juveniles up 
to 18 years of age. f. h. s. 
HUMAN NATURE STUDIES—THE COUNTRY 
RAG MAN. 
Weed Problems. 
Dogbane.—This is a large family 
mostly represen ted by tropical plants, 
the oleander and periwinkle or “myrtle” 
being familiar cultivated forms. " Two 
weeds, often quite troublesome, are In¬ 
dian hemp, common dogbane or army- 
root, Apocynum cannabinum, and spread¬ 
ing dogbane, Apocynum andros;omifolium. 
Indian hemp is an erect, much-branched 
herb, two to three feet high, with tough 
fibrous bark: the inner bark is easily 
separated into tough fiber used by In¬ 
dians to make mats, baskets and nets. 
The milky juice is quite poisonous. The 
greenish white flowers, small and bell- 
slmped. grow in many-flowered clusters. 
The slender cylindrical pods contain 
seeds tipped with a tuft of silky white 
hair. The spreading dogbane is smaller, 
more slender, with more showy pink i 
flowers. As these plants are perennials, 
with spreading rootstocks and seeds 
borne by the wind, they may become 
very troublesome, especially in moist 
soil bordering old fields and thickets. 
The remedies are frequent mowing, cut¬ 
ting out with the hoe, salting and thor¬ 
ough cultivation. Mowing should begin 
before seed forms. A common name for 
Indian hemp is “small-leaved milk-weed.” 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
Ho break 
downs 
(solid steel—money maker) 
Put3 you—or your boys—in the big paying, 
fast growing business of baling hay! “Net 
profit $18 to $22 per day,” write Swartz & 
Mensch, Dixon, III. Other hustlers making 
$200 to $300 net profits monthly. And these 
men are using the Sandwich! 
c;__i • Coupled up | Friction Clutch stops 
af Tb'.C. ! ’%lri P—stanlly 
2V 2 to 31/2 
tons «er hour ^ 
Our special terms to responsible people let you 
start with little money. And you pay from your 
profits. Unless we knew the Sandwich will make 
you stacks of ready cash, we could not sell this way. 
Gas Engine on Same Truck 
Here’s the most complete hay baling outfit in 
existence. Full power is driven from engine to 
press by heavy steel roller chain. It does away 
with slipping belts. The Gas Engine is the best 
quality—hopper cooled type—gear driven mag¬ 
neto—4, 6, 8, and 10-horse power. 
The Sandwich has a simple time-tried self feeder 
and a big feed opening. A great windrow baler. 
Beats every ordinary press from 2 to 8 tons daily. 
25 tons are an everyday job for the Sandwich; 
often 30 to 40. , _ 
This Book FREE 
Write today for post¬ 
paid copy of this amaz¬ 
ing story of profits others 
are making. And if you 
are interested in Horse 
Power Presses, let us 
tell you about our large 
- line. Address 
SANDWICH MFG. CO., 125 A St., Sandwich, I1L 
Bo»12i. Council Bluffs, li. Bo« 125, Kimii Cilr. Mo. 
~Jhe 
Story 
°Sr 
fits 
pro 
SAN DW I 
H/TV* PRE 
Tkl ltni.uk > 
It pays to bale your hay in 
DEDERICK’S 
STANDARD 
Baling Presses 
Catalogue Free 
P. K. DEDERICK’S SONS. 
42 Tivoli St., Albany, N. Y. 
P% I HI Pi P rt Attachment with Corn Harvester 
§■$ | |U Rip K cuts and throws in piles on hai-ves- 
U E II W tall ter or winrows. Man and horse 
cuts and shocks equal with a Corn 
Binder. Sold in every state. Brice S20.00. W. H. BUXTON, 
of Johnstown. Ohio, writes : “The Harvester has proven 
all you claim for it; the Harvester saved me over $25 in 
labor last year’s corn cutting. I cut over 500 shocks: 
w ill make 4 bushels corn to a shock.” Testimonials and 
catalog free, showing pictures of harvester. Address, 
NEW PROCESS MFG. CO., - SAUNA, KANSAS 
Save draft — save repairs. 
Don’t rut roads or fields. Send today for free 
illustrated catalog of wheels and wagons. 
Electric Wheel Co., A8 Elm S«., Quincy, III. 
stroyiug his poultry. Clearly he had uo 
right to protect his poultry from the 
’coon. He was told that there was a way 
to manage the affair. He should petition 
the Commission for their consent to kill 
the intruder. If they saw fit to grant 
the petition he might then destroy the 
animal that was destroying his property. 
Acting upon this information recently he 
drove to town and saw the game protec- 
tor after a skunk had killed seven of his 
chickens. The game protector advised 
that he would write to the Commission 
at Albany and find if they approved of 
the slaughter of the skunk. If so he 
would go over and slay the animal, pro¬ 
vided of course he could find him. If the 
skunk destroyed all the chickens in the 
meantime it is an open question whether 
the State might not in right be responsi¬ 
ble for the loss. This was some days ago, 
hut nothing has yet been heard from the 
( ommission, and no one dares to kill the 
skunk. It would apparently cost the 
man who did kill him from $5 to $25. 
I here are different interpretations to be 
put upon the law, but what a ridiculous 
condition this is that there is any appar¬ 
ent need for a farmer to drive five miles 
to the game protector, wait for him to 
" 1 to Albany and get permission to 
kill a skunk that is destroying a man’s 
chickens! It is ridiculous that such a 
course may be followed, whether it is 
necessary or not. h. h. l. 
L. N.A . In the latest revised edition 
of the New York Game Laws, Part S, 
Section 199, we are clearly told that 
skunks which are injuring property or 
have become a nuisance may be taken at 
any time in any manner.” 
unless the floor joists are closed together 
and well supported, some special provi¬ 
sion may need to be made to carry the 
extra weight. A tank eight by eight feet 
square and four feet deep will hold 60 
barrels of water and will weigh eight 
tons when filled. The writer built such 
a tank in bis kitchen attic some years 
ago where it gave the utmost satisfac¬ 
tion, and though in the most exposed 
part of the house, nothing rnoi'e than a 
thin film of ice ever formed upon it in 
Bedstraw. — The weeds variously 
known as bedstraw, cleavers, goosegrass 
and Lathrop-weed (the last a local name 
only) are varieties of Galium. They are 
so delicate in growth, hooking themselves 
by tiny spines upon strong plants, that 
they do not seem likely to become a pest, 
but they seed very profusely, so that 
they are sometimes troublesome. Some 
are perennials and some annuals; clean 
cultivation will control them. They 
should not be allowed to seed; some care¬ 
ful farmers pull up and burn any plant 
they may see. Damp fields or wood¬ 
lands and the edges of brooks are their 
chosen homes. 
Equal To Finest Auto Springs 
rin principle, quality of steel and grade 
r of workmanship—in fact, made in a large 
auto spring plant—Harvey Bolster Springs can I 
not be excelled for resiliency, durability and ] 
appearance. Get a set and save many dollars j 
hauling your perishables. Beware of 
substitutes. If not at your dealer's, write us. 
Harvey Spring Co., 71617tt>Sf. ( Bacine, WIs. 
IV E Y BOLSTER SPRINGS: 
the coldest weather. m. b. d. 
Parcel Post Possibilities. 
Has anyone found it practicable to 
sell fruit in an individual compartment 
package similar to the egg pack? Re¬ 
cently I sent a pound box of sweet peas 
to New York for seven cents which 
would easily have brought a quarter and 
returned a good profit. s. r. T. 
Ashtop, Md. 
As parcel post was only started in 
January, fruit growers have not yet had 
a chance to try such a plan. We be¬ 
lieve they will do so with fine fruit this 
fall and Winter. 
Human Notes from New England. 
E. Horace Perley, a prominent 
Granger, and a member of Wakefield, 
Mass., Grange. No. 293, lias started a 
Co-operative Coal Club among the Grang¬ 
ers of that town which has proved a 
great success. The club has been iu ex¬ 
istence only a short time, nevertheless it 
is proving a paying proposition. The 
Goal Club now owns a fair-sized plant 
where 500 tous of coal can be stored at a 
time. The club is selling coal much 
cheaper than the dealers and paying six 
per cent dividends on its shares. The 
shares were sold at $5 each. Local deal¬ 
ers and grocers have been charging 15 
OWN THIS SMALL THRESHER 
It’s cheaper for you to thresh with your own machine if you raise a limited amount of grain. We 
have figures to pro\e it. 1 his money saving, little thresher was built to supply such need* We make all 
sizes to suit. Capacities from 400 to 1200 Bushels daily. 
THRESHERS 
EASY TO BUY 
Capacities as low as 
400 bushels daily 
Thresh 
Grain 
Y ourself 
On Skids 
or Trucks 
bave no real competitors. Gray Machines stand in a class all 
by themselves. Famous now after 70 years of manufacture 
they have fulfilled all our claims for durabiitty. lightness (ideal 
for billy districts!, strength, easy running with medium pow- 4 
er. correct capacity rating and reasonable price. If you raise 
grain send for our new 1913 Catalog full of pictures and 
figures. It’s ftee. A. W. GRAY’S SONS 
14 South Street, Middletown Springs, Vermont 
Gray Threshers 
Gray Horse Powers 
Gray Saw Machines, Gray Ensilage Cutters 
Gray Gasoline Engines 
