THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
8 8 
PUBLISHER’S DESK 
One week ago I wrote you and sent 
you $1 to pay my subscription, and asked 
you to stop the paper for reasons men¬ 
tioned in my other letter. Since then I 
have not felt just right about it, having 
remembered the time I was thinking of 
investing in the Independent Harvester 
Co., of Plano, Ill. I wrote to you and 
asked you for information, and you gave 
it, thereby saving me $125. Then a few 
weeks later in our Grange the question 
came up as to buying stock in the Marley 
Twine Co. I said, “Wait until we find 
out if it is all right.’’ I was appointed 
a committee of one to investigate the 
matter. What did I do? I wrote The 
R. N.-Y. for information and got it, 
thereby saving our Grange $200 in cash. 
No. I will never stop The It. N.-Y. I 
enclose $2. w. D. s. 
Montana. 
Philosophers have written volumes to 
prove the ingratitude of human nature, 
and some platform orators are never tired 
of telling us of the ingratitude of farm¬ 
ers. As far as The It. N.-Y. is con¬ 
cerned it has no complaint of this kind to 
make. If anything we have found farm¬ 
ers appreciative of any honest service to 
them even beyond the merit of the ser¬ 
vice itself. While we deeply appreciate 
the sentiment of the above letter and 
would like to continue the subscription 
for life, we do not feel that the farmer is 
bound in gratitude to do so. We were 
here to give him information when he 
wanted it and when he was entitled to it. 
lie was justly entitled to it at the time, 
and probably the greatest reason for his 
remembering the incident is the fact that 
publishers generally, especially at that 
time, neglected any attempt to keep read¬ 
ers informed on such subjects. Our ex¬ 
perience and observation lead us to the 
conclusion that the men who complain at 
the want of gratitude of the public have 
had some selfish purpose of their own to 
promote, and their chagrin at the failure 
of the farmer to accept the alluring bait 
finds expression in the cynical complaint. 
The State Department of Foods and 
Markets has completed an investigation 
of a shortage of five barrels of apples 
from a carload of apples shipped by A. S. 
Davis, Batavia, N. Y., from Leroy. N. Y.. 
to New York City. A receipt was issued 
by the New York Central Railroad Com¬ 
pany for 150 barrels of apples consigned 
to J. & G. Lippmann, New York City. 
The apples were unloaded on the Bar¬ 
clay street dock, in New York, and turned 
over on orders from the Lippmann house 
to 16 different buyers, taking from five to 
15 barrels each. The last order for 14 
barrels was five barrels short, and the 
Lippmann credit is not disputed. The 
railroad employees insist that the seal of 
the car was examined when it reached the 
Barclay Street pier, and that the seal 
was intact, and that the barrels were 
properly tallied out of the car, and that 
it contained only 145 barrels. On this 
theory they contend that the shortage oc¬ 
curred at Leroy. On the other hand, Mr. 
Davis testifies that he counted the apples 
out himself, in runs of 50 barrels each, 
and that these were taken by the loaders 
and tallied and loaded ; that he then ex¬ 
amined the car and by his system of load¬ 
ing and inspection it was impossible for 
him to be mistaken on the number of bar¬ 
rels in the car, irrespective of the origi¬ 
nal count and tally. There can be no dis¬ 
pute that the railroad company issued a 
receipt at Leroy for 150 barrels. They 
insist themselves that only 145 barrels 
were delivered to Lippmann, and on this 
evidence the Department felt that the 
company was responsible for the short¬ 
age, unless it was able to show that the 
Leroy receipt was issued in error. No 
evidence was presented, however, to sus¬ 
tain this suggestion, although two loaders 
issued affidavits of the correct count at 
Leroy. The Railroad Company has, how¬ 
ever, refused to recognize their responsi¬ 
bility on this shortage. The amount in¬ 
volved would itself hardly justify a suit, 
but it is probable that the shipper will re¬ 
sort to the courts to test the responsi¬ 
bility of carriers in circumstances of this 
kind. 
My daughter shipped chickens to Geo. 
H. Fetzer, Philadelphia. He was out of 
the commission business but left written 
orders with express companies to turn 
over all produce 1 consigned to him to 
Green & Surro, 323 South Front Street, 
Philadelphia. The chickens have been 
traced to Green & Surro, 320 S. Front 
Street, Philadelphia. O. H. Green, of the 
firm, claims to have made returns to said 
Geo. II. Fetzer. They should have 
brought at least $20. The two coops 
were returned within a week. 
Virginia. A. L. C. 
We have been unable to get any re¬ 
sponse from Green & Surro or Fetzer & 
Co., and fear this amount will have to be 
charged up to experience. This recalls 
similar unadjusted complaints against 
Fetzer & Company, and from the above 
report it would seem as if Green & Surro 
were following in their footsteps. At any 
rate our readers will want to consign 
their shipments elsewhere. 
I enclose itemized bill against the 
Flatbush Seed Company, 2601 Tilden 
Avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y. This bill has 
been running since April, 1914. Can you 
help me? E. w. b. 
New York. 
There was no pressure we could bring 
to bear to induce payment of this claim. 
Our attorney was equally unsuccessful. 
A judgment was obtained, but the sher¬ 
iff had sold the concern out, and there 
was nothing on which to realize at this 
time. 
Enclosed find money order for $1.10. 
Put me down on the Anti-Fake Club list. 
I intend to carry a big club with spikes 
in it. Send me 200 little pasters. 
Kansas. b. k. 
Your Anti-Fake Club should be encour¬ 
aged, hence my enclosure of check for 
$2.00 as a contribution toward its ex¬ 
penses. Certified public accountants see 
much of crooked finance and therefore ap¬ 
preciate the good work which such a club 
can do. B. A. 
New York. 
Enroll me as a member of the Anti- 
Fake Club. I presume this does not cover 
newspapers, none of whose advertising 
columns are perfection. Am enclosing 
five cents for 100 club pasters. It is a 
fine idea. B. M. 
Massachusetts. 
The Club is growing and members are 
coming from all over. The stamps seem 
to have created a popular demand, and 
we are glad to see them in active use. We 
selected the design shown above, and can 
supply stamps at five cents per hundred. 
Vigorous protest to the newspapers will 
not come amiss. Some of the papers have 
endeavored to weed out deceptive adver¬ 
tising, and if postage stamps are used 
freely more of them will see the neces¬ 
sity of cleaning up their advertising col¬ 
umns. 
I enclose claims for turkeys killed in 
transportation by the Southern and 
Adams Express Companies. Will you do 
what you can for me? I am sending them 
direct to you without filing with my agent 
here, for the company puts off payment of 
the claims so long, and sometimes de¬ 
clines them altogether, that it is worri¬ 
some trying to collect them. I shipped 
about 2,200 turkeys and a great many 
were lost or stolen, but as the receiver 
did not count them I cannot file claim. 
These, however, are verified and should 
be adjusted. J. A. J. 
Tennessee. 
The claims covered 19 shipments to 
Philadelphia houses, in which from one 
to three turkeys were dead on delivery. 
As notation was made on delivery receipt 
or attention of agent called to it prompt¬ 
ly, there was no reason for disputing the 
claim. However, the company did at first 
decline the claims to us, but later offered 
to settle only for those where memoranda 
had been made on the delivery sheet. We 
refused this adjustment and insisted that 
the claim was in the nature of concealed 
damage, and as prompt report had been 
made of the loss where not noted on de¬ 
livery receipt, we could not consider any¬ 
thing less than full settlement. A set¬ 
tlement on the basis of 50 per cent of the 
claim was then offered and refused. A 
later proposition to settle with an allow¬ 
ance of five per cent for commission was 
accepted as this would have been charged 
in any event. Checks for $46.03 were 
then sent. It took five to six months to 
get the adjustment. 
Cleaning Mica in Incubator. 
What is best to clean isinglass in in¬ 
cubators when same get smoked and 
black ? E. H. 
Pennsylvania. 
The isinglass of incubators and stoves, 
which isinglass isn’t isinglass, but 
mica, may be cleaned by dipping a cloth 
wet with vinegar into salt and rubbing 
the smoke deposit from the mica, after¬ 
wards drying with a clean rag. M. B. D. 
Weak Chicks. 
I have 70 Rhode Island chicks about 
three weeks old, to all appearance have 
been healthy and strong but the last day 
or two some of them seem unable to hold 
their eyes open. There is a little in¬ 
flammation on the eyelid inside, but can 
see nothing else. I have them out doors 
in the day and bring them in the brooder 
at night. They have been fed sour milk, 
water, two kinds of chick feed, eggs, stale 
bread and fish worms; have varied these 
feeds, feed them every three hours. Some 
are extra large chicks for their age. 
What is the trouble? P. A. 
New York. 
I suspect that the sleepiness of these 
chicks is simply an indication of failing 
strength which will finally end in death. 
Not knowing the cause of their trouble, 
I cannot prescribe a remedy, but if, as 
is frequently the case, they are succumb¬ 
ing to inherent lack of vitality, or to 
some unknown infection which they have 
not vigor enough to resist, there is noth¬ 
ing that can be done for them. I should 
remove from the flock all chicks that give 
evident signs of rapidly failing strength 
and count their loss, in our present state 
of knowledge, as inevitable. Keep lop- 
pered sour milk before the flock, if you 
have it, and do not overfeed. M. B. D. 
Cannibal Chicks 
This year we have, or had, about 550 
Leghorn chicks in a colony brooder, 
(coal heated.) These chicks are now 
about a week old, but in that week we 
have lost about 30 in the following man¬ 
ner. A chick will stand still for about 
a minute. This is a signal for the othei’S 
to grip it by the toe and drag it around. 
This of course will cause the foot to 
bleed in which case they worry and maul 
their victim until its entire toe is de¬ 
voured or the chick dies. The little 
cannibals are so ravenous that on several 
occasions, when I went to the rescue, they 
have refused to “let go” and have been 
lifted several feet into the air. Is this 
caused by a craving for animal food? 
I am feeding milk, both sour and sweet, 
(sour whenever possible) and plenty of 
meat scrap. The floor is well covered 
with sand, no glass or other sharp sub¬ 
stances around to start the wound. 
New York. E. w. A. 
This cannibalistic trait upon the part 
of young and old chicks is not due to a 
lack of animal food but to inherent and 
pure cussedness. Fowls are descended 
from the reptilian group of animals, and, 
while they have lost the form, they have 
retained some of the characteristics of 
reptiles; this may account for their eager¬ 
ness to eat each other alive. When young 
chicks are closely confined, and corres¬ 
pondingly idle, they are very apt to be¬ 
gin picking at each other’s toes, and, 
having gotten a taste of blood, become 
ferocious cannibals. I know of no sure 
remedy for this state of affairs; hanging 
a piece of raw beef where the chicks can 
jump and pick at it has been recom¬ 
mended by good poultrymen and is worth 
trying. Giving the chicks their liberty 
out of doors and keeping them busy hunt¬ 
ing for bugs ands worms, while prompt¬ 
ly removing any injured ones from the 
flock, has served the writer in most cases. 
There are times, however, when one will 
be put to his wit’s end to keep the young¬ 
sters from killing each other. If they 
must be confined to a brooder house, sep¬ 
arating them into several flocks, putting 
the strongest and weakest ones by them¬ 
selves, with wire netting partitions be¬ 
tween them, may save trouble. The 
quantity or kind of food given seems to 
have little or nothing to do with this vice. 
M. B. D. 
June 19, 1915. 
When you write advertisers mention Thh 
R. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
LOWER COST THAN HORSES 
TO RUY AND TO KEEP 
You would be surprised at the present cost of your 
HORSE POWER. You can save money every sea¬ 
son of the year with a 
BIG BULL TRACTOR 
ONLY $585 
MIDGET COST —GIANT POWER—WEIGHT, 4,300 LBS. 
25 H. P. at bolt (we guaranteo 20) 
Over 10 H. P. at draw bar (we guarantee 7) 
Material and workmanship guaranteed 
Many thousands distributed in every State. Plows 
six acres a day at 00c. a day. Just right for harrow¬ 
ing, discing, harvesting, threshing, silo filling, shell¬ 
ing, etc. Write for detail*. AGENTS WANTED. 
WONDER MFG. CO. 
250-260 Tallman St., Syracuse, N. Y. 
I 
ON 
U P wara TRIAL 
AMERICAN 
CREAM 
SEPARATOR 
A SOLID PROPOSITION to send 
fully guaranteed, a new, well made, 
easy running, perfect skimining separator 
for $15.95. Skims warm or cold milk, 
making heavy or light cream. The bowl 
is a sanitary marvel; easily cleaned. 
ABSOLUTELY ON APPROVAL 
Different from this picture, which illus¬ 
trates our large capacity machines. West¬ 
ern orders filled from Western 
points. Whether your dairy is large or 
small write for our handsome free catalog. 
Address: 
AMERICAN SEPARATOR COMPANY 
Box 4075 Bainbridge, N. Y. L. 
Books Worth Buying 
SIX EXCELLENT FARM BOOKS. 
Productive Swine Husbandry, Day..31.50 
Productive Poultry Husbandry, Lewis 2.00 
Productive Horse Husbandry, Gay.. 1.60 
Productive Feeding of Farm Animals, 
Woll . 1.50 
Productive Orcharding, Sears. 1.50 
Productive Vegetable Growing, Lloyd 1.50 
BOOKS ON INSECTS AND PLANT DIS¬ 
EASES. 
Injurious Insects, O’Kane .$2.00 
Manual of Insects, Slingerland. 2.00 
Diseases of Economic Plants, Stev¬ 
ens and Hall . 2.00 
Fungous Diseases of Plants, Duggar 2.00 
STANDARD FRUIT BOOKS. 
Successful Fruit Culture, Maynard. .$1.00 
Productive Orcharding, Sears . 1.50 
The Nursery Book, Bailey . 1.50 
The Pruning Book, Bailey . 1.50 
Dwarf Fruit Trees, Waugh.50 
PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOKS. 
Progressive Poultry Culture, Brig- 
Productive Poultry Husbandry, Lewis 2.00 
Principles and Practice of Poultry 
Culture, Robinson . 2.50 
Hens for Profit, Valentine . 1.50 
Diseases of Poultry, Salmon.60 
The above books, written by 
practical experts, will be 
found valuable for reference 
or study. For sale by 
The Rural New-Y orker 
333 West 30th Street, New York 
d) 
u 1 
S>„ 
LTo U 
t / j t * 
Cole Bros. Franklin Lightning Rods 
are now examined and / 
• / 
\ Approved by 
’ Underwriters* 
; Laboratories 
the very hightest authorities on lightning 
rod materials and manufacture. Protect 
your property with C B F R — the doubly 
guaranteed, 66-year tested lightning rod. 
Cole Bros. Lightning Rod Co., Est. 1849 
324 S. Seventh Street, St. Louis, U. S. A. 
Oldest and largest lightning rod factory in America 
Get the genuine —look for CBFR on coupling 
Write for 
Booklet. 
~ — -gm.- 
^ n 
CO 
-— — « =i 
