'1'HfcC RURAL NEW-VURKKR 
1490 
December 19, lnu. 
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T IIE test of our work for the preced¬ 
ing year always conies about the hol¬ 
iday season. In the average weekly pub¬ 
lication the subscription season begins 
just before Christmas, and a large per¬ 
centage of the year's renewals come in 
the latter half of December and the first 
half of January. The test of the pub¬ 
lisher's service comes at this time. Every 
renewal is a note of confidence. Occa¬ 
sionally there is a discontinuance of a 
subscription for other causes; but if sub¬ 
scribers refuse to renew in large num¬ 
bers. the publisher and editor must seek 
the cause in their own service. Even de¬ 
layed renewals indicate a lack of enthu¬ 
siasm for the work being done. A flood 
of prompt renewals, on the other hand, 
is the strongest expression of approval 
of the work of the past and of confidence 
in the service of the future. 
The It. N.-Y. now approaches its 
readers once more with a request for 
judgment. In this pronouncement we 
must appeal to your charity as well as 
to your business judgment. Like all hu¬ 
man agencies, we have our faults. We 
are a long way from making a perfect 
paper. We are seldom, if ever, entirely 
satisfied with a single issue. We make 
no claim to perfection in results. It is 
true that we often feel ourselves that we 
ought to produce a better and more help¬ 
ful paper. Our one claim to considera¬ 
tion is that we do the best we know how. 
and we spare neither time nor work, nor 
expense in the doing. 
Twenty-five years ago farm papers 
were not run on any high ideal. Many 
of them—indeed most of them— had a 
large tendency to exploit the farmer 
rather than to serve him. Swindling ad¬ 
vertising was common : and deceptive ad¬ 
vertising disguised in text type was a 
feature of practically all of them. The 
farmer had a strong suspicion of the 
situation. It was not infrequent that 
he finished the reading of an article 
with the inquiry. “How much did it 
cost?" 
The R. X.-Y. had always stood high 
as an agricultural publication, but it was 
not entirely free from the general taint 
of the time. In assuming its manage¬ 
ment. the two men. publisher and editor, 
who were from that time on to direct 
its career, decided to dedicate its col¬ 
umns absolutely as best our judgments 
and abilities would permit to a real ser¬ 
vice to the farm and the farmer. We 
may have erred, and we may have failed; 
but we have never wavered in our pur¬ 
pose to that end. The R. N.-Y\ is the 
expression of the best service that Her¬ 
bert W. Collingwood and John .T. Dil¬ 
lon and their aides are able to give the 
farming interests of this country. If 
others succeed better and do more it is 
because of some other factor than honest 
intention pursued week after week, year 
after year, with the one dominating pur¬ 
pose to serve the industry in which we 
were bred, and the men and women by 
whom we are encouraged and supported. 
We have been encouraged to believe 
that this is the kind of service you want. 
We started with some twenty-odd thou¬ 
sand paying subscribers. Today they 
have increased to 160.000. Then the 
business employed about a dozen people. 
Today the payroll numbers nearly one 
hundred. Then a flat-bed press slowly 
turned out the weekly edition from sin¬ 
gle sheets that had to be folded and 
bound by hand or other machinery. Now 
two perfecting rotary presses take the 
paper from a roll, and turn out perfect¬ 
ly folded papers at the rate of 12,000 
copies an hour. Then the largest edi¬ 
tion we ever published was 20 pages. 
Last year the largest paper was 61 pages. 
A single issue then required about 1*4 
tons of paper. Our largest edition now 
requires about 30 tons: and the average 
issue takes 20 tons of paper. Then our 
printing was done by contract on other 
people’s presses. Today our own presses, 
established at a cost of about $50,000 
are turning out the paper. Then we 
paid $1,200 a year l'ent in a corner of 
a large loft in the down-town manufac¬ 
turing district. Today The R. N.-Y. oc¬ 
cupies its own home in the heart of the 
business section of the metropolis. 
We confess to some pride in this rec¬ 
ord; but it is not recorded here in any 
spirit of vanity. This address to you is 
not a boast, but an appeal. It is an 
expression of our acknowledgment of 
your growing confidence in our service 
and constant encouragement of our work. 
We have no right to appeal for the 
patronage of the farm on any ground, 
but that of service to it. If you believe 
that we are trying to give you an hon¬ 
est service, and that The R. N.-Y. is 
the inspiration to the farmer and his 
family that a farm paper should be, and 
the staunch champion that the interests 
of the farm demand, then we ask you to 
continue your cooperation with us in all 
rightful demands, and especially at this 
time, give us the convincing evidence of 
your approval in the prompt renewal of 
your subscription. 
For several years past our regular sub¬ 
scribers have got in the way of sending a 
yearly subscription of The Rural New- 
Yorker as a Christmas present to friends. 
The custom grew to such an extent that 
last year we prepared a Special Gift 
Card, which wo mailed to reach the re¬ 
cipient for Christmas or New Years, as 
directed, with the compliments of the 
donor. As a result a much larger num¬ 
ber of orders were received than ever be¬ 
fore. We are prepared to do the same 
this season. We would not assume to 
suggest to anyone to make gifts who did 
not have the purpose to do so. but most 
of us have more wish and inspiration to 
remember friends than we have means or 
time to satisfy. It is often a bother to 
know just what to send. To such friends 
we suggest a subscription to The R. 
X.-Y. You simply send the name and 
address and the dollar, and we do the 
rest for you. This is not only an annual 
remembrance, every week of the year, the 
regular visit of the paper will he a re¬ 
minder of your thought and interest in 
the person who receives it. 
On Feb. 21. 1913, I gave Bradley 
Bros., of Makanda. Ill., an order for | 
2.624 strawberry plants, sending check j 
with order to the amount of $14.20 to 
pay for plants. These plants were guar¬ 
anteed to be true to mime, as you will 
see from the enclosed guarantee. You 
will also note the number and name of 
plants marked on price list (10 varie- j 
ties). When these plants began bearing j 
last Spring they proved to be all of one 
variety and that a very poor one for 
this section. I cultivated the plants well 
and was expecting a good crop of berries 
this season, but only got a few small ber¬ 
ries, all of the same variety. I have 
written them several times and they don’t 
answer my letters. w. t. s. 
Kentuekv. I 
It will be remembered that Bradley 
Bros., of Makanda. Ill., advertised last 
season to send a dozen plants “free” to 
anyone answering their advertisement. 
When the reader of the advertisement 
made application for the “free” plants 
he was told that tin- variety offered were 
female plants and that in order to get a 
crop of berries he would have to plant 
an equal number of male plants which 
they advertised for sale. No one doubts 
that the buyer would pay for the second 
lot. all or more than both lots are worth. 
We are not surprised at the above re¬ 
port regarding any concern that will re¬ 
sort to such a fake scheme as above out¬ 
lined to sell strawberry plants. For well 
nigh 20 years we have been obliged to 
warn our subscribers against Bradley 
Bros. These brothers have assumed 
many names during this time, some of 
which are as follows: Bosky Dell Xurs- 
ery Company. Jackson County Nursery 
Company, Bradley & Bradley, Bradley 
Bros. etc. The season is near at hand 
when Bradley Bros, will be making an 
appeal for the trade of fruit growers for 
the Spring of 1915. The above exper¬ 
ience may save other fruit growers from 
similar annoyances and loss. 
The ideal of the Department of Foods 
and markets is to find a profitable market 
for the products of the farmers of the 
State of New York: and at the same time 
to devise such an economic system of dis¬ 
tribution of farm food products that, 
through the saving, the farmer may re¬ 
ceive more and the consumer pay less. 
J. J. D. 
“I see that local option is likely to 
win out your way.” “Yes,” replied Un¬ 
cle Billy Bottletop. “But the fight ain’t 
fair. A man who never uses alcohol 
generally looks like a good argument, 
while a regular rumpunisher’s liable to 
be only a horrible example.”—Washing¬ 
ton Star. 
Save The Retail Profit 
Buy galvanized steel roofing direct from 
our Mill at wholesale prices. Get the 
guaranteed quality at the price of the or¬ 
dinary grades. We pay the freight. 
Easiest to Put On—Outlasts All Others. 
Our roofing is tho easiest, quickest and 
cheapest to put on; anyone can do the 
work; no special tools required. Lasts 
longest because every sheet is coated by 
our exclusive process, with our extra- 
thick and extra-tight galvanized coating. 
Fire-proof, water-tight, anti-rusting and 
protects against lightning and the ele¬ 
ments. ^Strengthens an old building and 
makes it look like new. 
GUARANTEED 
j'TEEL ROOFING 
W T e guarantee every sheet to be first quality, open 
hearth roofing steel, full weight, free from flaws 
and brand new—or It doesn't cost you a cent. 
Don’t buy any roofing 'till you get our Free Sam¬ 
ples and compare weight and quality with all 
others. We send freight-paid prices and complete 
Roofing Book showing all patterns and directions 
for measuring and applying. Write today. 
The Ohio Galvanizing & Mfg. Co. 
57 Ann St., Niles, Ohio 
gs 
ill 
g§ 
gm 
WE PAY THE 
FREIGHT 
row 
, Strongest, most durable made. Basic 
open hearth wire. Double galvanized 
Compare our qualttyand prices with others. 
Bargain Prices — Direct From Factory 
ISO Styles —13 Cents Per Rod Up 
■ Wo pay freight onywhore. Write now 
lor free fenco book and sample to test. 
THE BROWN FENCE & WIRE CO. 
Dept. 6n Cleveland, Ohio 
MAKE BIG PAY DRILLING 
WATER WELLS 
Our Free Drillers’ Book with 
Catalog of Keystone Drills 
tells how. Many sizes; trac¬ 
tion and portable. Easy 
terms. These machines 
make good anywhere. 
KEYSTONE WATER DRILL CO 
Beaver Falls, Pa. 
• » " V.» lilt M l IUU l I I fi 
L. N.-l. and you'll get a quick reply atm a 
"squaredeal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
used now means bigger crops next year. You know 
this yourself. Manure spreading time is all the 
time- T his new No. 8 Low-Down Manure Spreader 
13 Galloway s greatest spreader. 
Positively the best spreader on earth Double chain drive, 
endless apron; force feed; front wheels eut under load; close 
hiteh; lightest draft of any low-down machine Capacity 60-70 
bushels. All steel Bear, complete with double-trees and neck- 
yoke. flexible,rake: high speed beater pulverizes finely any 
barnyard material. Steel wheels; gears coupled with channel 
Btcel, trussed Jike a steel bndgo. Box rests on rear trucks 42 
inches high. Superior in every respect to new fanglod freaks of 
heavy draft that eat you up for repairs, annoy you and kill your 
corses. 
K. K. Foust. Ashley. Ohio, write*: •'Please find draft for 
spreader recoived October 5th Assure you I am more than 
pleased with same It has proven all you claim and more. By 
looking n f f'te°r U " COmPany ' 1 Baved * 21 80 “dsot just wbat I was 
a r My Book “A Streak of Gold” FREE 
tella all about handling manure to get tho 
greatest profit. # Do not buy aopreadcr of any 
make at any price until you have dropped a 
postal asking for this great book worth 51.00 
£ c ,?£V?a y £^4? oth,n .£> .* n <I my BIG SPECIAL 
SPHLAp E R CATALOG that tells the truth 
?w U Di t A?Tv5 pread L e . r business. Mailed free, 
yet KiCiHT on this spreader proposition be* 
fore you buy. 
Wm. Galloway, Pres. 
Wm. Galloway Co. 
273 Galloway Stan Waterloo, Iowa 
Send For Book On 
EMPIRE No. 9 
EMPIRE, Jr. 
Tells why they last longest 
—why they do not rot nor sag 
—why they stay hog-tight and 
cattle-tight—why they are by_ 
fartheleastexpensivefencestobuyin the long i n 
run. Farmers, everywhere, are investigating I ' 
feneequality. Usersinsistonknowingthequnl- ] Heafttl 
ity underneath, just as they know how to judge 
ahorse. You cannot fool an experienced buyer 
withanoldhorsedoi— J — —*—*--•*— 
like a good horse. _ r __. 
er.ced buyer with a poor fence doped up to look 
like a good fence. A penny postal brings you 
Writs today 
the money-saving book. 
Bond Steel Post Co., 23 Maumee St .. Adria n,JWieh 
WELL 
DRILLING 
MACHINES 
Over TO sizes and styles, for drilling either deep or 
shallow wells in any kind of soil or rock. Mounted on 
wheels or on sills. With engines or horse powers. Strong, 
simple and durable. Any mechanic can operate them 
easily. Send for catalog. 
WILLIAMS BROS.. Ithaca, N. Y. 
PLOWS 
Gsizes, prices $10.72 to$lG.OO, 
every plow warranted. Sent 
on trial. A Iso tools. Catalog 
WM. It I*K\Y. - VorbanU, V V. 
A product without a beer’ 
Kmt0 
GALVANIZED SHEETS 
'.j Unexcelled for Oulverts. Tanks, Cisterns. Silos. Roofing. Sidiug and all 
forms of sheet metal work. Aponi.o Roofing Products givo lasting ser¬ 
vice. Sold by leading dealers. Send for "Better Buildings” booklet. 
AMERICAN SHEET AND TIN PLATE COMPANY, Frick Bldg., Pittsburgh, Pa. 
7x> 
52 Times During 
the Year 
A year’s subscription to 
The Rural New Yorker 
will bring pleasure and knowledge 
with each issue. What more suitable 
present could you give at Christmas? 
We have Special Qifl Cards which 
will be mailed to the recipient with 
your compliments. Send your order 
now and we will prepare and 
hold the card till Christmas. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
333 West 30th Street 
New York City 
