450 
February 28, 1920i 
PUBLISHER'S DESK 
All letters to Publisher’s Desk depart¬ 
ment must be signed with writer’s full 
name and address given. Many inquiries 
are answered by mail instead of printing 
inquiry and answer, hence unsigned let¬ 
ters receive no consideration. 
I enclose a letter, or rather a circular, 
from Merchants’ Trading Association of 
Kansas City. Mo., which looks rather big 
to me. Will you tell me if they are any 
good? Perhaps it might save some one 
some hard-earned cash. If they can do 
anywhere near what they claim it would 
be an easy way to make some coin. But 
it looks too big to me to he true. 
Pennsylvania. G. E. K. 
The circular describes a plan of invest¬ 
ment by joining a pool whereby your 
money will be invested by experts, and 
large profits are promised. What the 
plan really means is that you are to turn 
your money over to the Merchants’ Trad¬ 
ing Association to gamble with it, and 
if anyone so foolish as to fall for this 
scheme ever saw a cent of the money 
again we should consider it little less than 
a miracle. 
Baltimore became aroused when it was 
ascertained that people of that city have 
been swindled out of $2,000,000 on fake 
stocks. One “sucker list” was produced 
containing 4.000 names of residents of 
the city who seem to be particularly sus¬ 
ceptible. Many wildcat schemes are origi¬ 
nating in that city, and 15 companies 
who recently floated stock are under in¬ 
vestigation. Two parties reported they 
had been swindled out of $13,000 and 
$11,000 each, while a New York clergy¬ 
man lost $15,000. Money invested in 
these fraudulent schemes is never recov¬ 
ered. A large profit or dividend indicates 
a great risk, if not a speculation. In¬ 
vestigation beforehand will save future 
loss. 
The American Railway Express Com¬ 
pany requires the following papers when 
claims are entered: 
1. Exact copy of express receipt. 
2. Itemized invoice or bill. 
3. For a lost shipment, an accurate de¬ 
scription with cut or drawing. 
4. Original or copy of customer’s com¬ 
plaint concerning loss or damage. 
In sending claim to us for collection, 
please see that we have all these original 
papers, so that we can submit copies to 
the expi-ess company. Do not give origi¬ 
nal papers to your agent, or claim agent. 
They are your only evidence. Also see 
that the claim is filed well within four 
months from date of shipment. 
Mrs. May Jennings Bennett was sen¬ 
tenced to the State Prison at Auburn for 
defrauding in a fake investment scheme. 
She represented that she had leases on 
a chain of boarding-houses, and promised 
satisfactory profits to investors. She 
swindled her victims of some $9,000. One 
victim, a widow, invested the proceeds of 
her husband’s life insurance, and Mrs. 
Bennett lived in luxury on the money 
obtained. Tbe judge classed it as a wil¬ 
ful and deliberate swindle. 
The Farmers’ Consumers’ Carbide Com¬ 
pany, Syracuse, N. Y.. announces that the 
company has entered into a contract with 
the Farmers’ Standard Carbide Company. 
Plattsburg, N. Y., to furnish all its stock¬ 
holders with carbide at a minimum rate 
of $3 per 100 lbs., the maximum rate not 
to exceed the price charged by the Farm¬ 
ers’ Standard Carbide Company to its 
stockholders. As we have previously ex¬ 
plained, the organizers of the Syracuse 
concern tvere formerly salesmen of the 
Plattsburg organization. They found the 
stock-selling game to farmers such easy 
money that they organized a stock com¬ 
pany on their own hook and they were 
going to build a factory, too. The Farm- 
ers’ Standard Carbide Company is now 
threatening to bring suit against farmers 
who have failed to make payment on con¬ 
tracts for the purchase of stock. 
I want such information as you have re¬ 
garding Chicago Correspondence Schools, 
Chicago, Ill. They advertise shorthand in 
30 days, a syllabic system, at a cost of 
$15 for tbe full 30-day course. c. T. L. 
Missouri. 
This subscriber runs true to the reputa¬ 
tion of his State—he must be shown. Our 
judgment is that no system of shorthand 
‘Ibe RURAL NEW-YORKER) 
can be successfully taught by mail or in 
30 days under any circumstances. All 
such a correspondence course can possibly 
amount to is a set of written instructions 
and suggestions and a text book. It is 
“easy money” for the vendor of such 
courses. 
Will you tell me what you know about 
the American Historical Society, 267 
Broadway. N. Y. ? K. D. N. 
Massachusetts. 
It is our information that this so-called 
American Historical Society has a scheme 
of publishing a book giving a write-up or 
history of the residents of various local¬ 
ities. We do not see that such a book 
serves any very good purpose except that 
of the personal vanity of those who see 
their pictures printed in the book, with, 
perhaps, flattering remarks about their 
career. 
Will you give me any information at 
your disposal concerning the American 
Mutual Seed Company of Chicago. Ill.? I 
have never seen their advertisement in 
The R. N.-Y. and would therefore like to 
know how reliable they are before dealing 
with them. Their prices are considerably 
lower than other seed houses quote. 
New York. s. B. 
Would you let me know if the American 
Mutual Seed Company is reliable and if 
their seeds are free from noxious weeds? 
Michigan. j. r. r. 
We have so many inquiries like the 
above that a public statement becomes 
necessary for the guidance of our readers. 
We have carried the advertising of the 
American Mutual Seed Company in the 
columns of The R. N.-Y. up to the pres¬ 
ent season. The reports from the New 
York Experiment Station last year showed 
that the grass seeds shipped into this 
State by the American Mutual Seed Com¬ 
pany contained a considerable amount of 
noxious and troublesome weed seeds, and 
furthermore that the vitality of the seeds 
did not come up to the standard. The 
strong appeal of the firm for trade is that 
good seeds are offered at bargain prices. 
The Experiment Station shows by analy¬ 
sis that after throwing out the weed 
seeds, trash and dead seed, the cost of 
what remains is higher than the price of 
A No. 1 grade of seeds in the regular mar¬ 
ket. To illustrate: A sample of clover 
seed with regard to which the company 
states, “This Red clover was mixed with 
a little Crimson clover at elevator” 
showed about 70 per cent Red- clover, of 
which SO per cent is viable, and about 30 
per cent Crimson clover, 74 per cent via¬ 
ble. The station makes the following 
comment on this mixture: 
This seed is offered at $26.S0 per bu., or 
4414c per lb., or $44.50 per 100 lbs. In 
New York best quality red clover is of¬ 
fered today at $58 per 100 lbs. Now, 
then, the farmer who buys tliis seed pays 
for 30 lbs. of Crimson clover at 44 y 2 C, 
worth 12c if high grade; however, this 
Crimson clover, as such, in this lot of 
goods, is worthless; therefore, the pur¬ 
chaser pays freight or express on 30 lbs. 
of worthless goods and pays $44.50 for 69 
lbs. of clover, or at the rate of 64c per lb., 
to say nothing of freight charges. 
This feature of the Station’s work is 
under the direction of Prof. M. T. Munn, 
whom we believe to be entirely conscien¬ 
tious and without prejudice. The American 
Mutual Seed Company, Chicago, and the 
A. A. Berry Seed Company, Clarinda, Ill., 
appear to be very closely allied. Both firms 
advertise a mixture of clover and Tim¬ 
othy without a definite statement as to the 
proportions of each. This practice is also 
followed by Dave Peck Seed Company, 
Evansville, Ind. We understand Mr. 
Peck received his seed education with the 
A. A. Berry Seed Company. We regard 
the practice with disfavor and the adver¬ 
tising of all three firms has been re¬ 
fused. The importance of good seeds can¬ 
not be overestimated and it is the one 
purchase above all others on the farm 
where quality should have first considera¬ 
tion. It is usually the case that the bar¬ 
gain (?) offers in any line, upon close 
analysis, prove to be the most expensive 
and the buyer gets less for his money than 
if he purchased standard goods at stand¬ 
ard prices. 
Mrs. Newlywed was speaking proudly 
to her caller of their new house, and told 
of its having hollow block construction, 
thus ensuring plenty of ventilation. “I 
don’t think your modern dwelling has any¬ 
thing on our old-fashioned frame house in 
that respect.” returned her caller. “Every 
night we lock the cat in the cellar and let 
her out of the attic in the morning.”— 
Credit Lost. 
EFFICIENT 
HOW MUCH 
FUELareYOU 
WASTING ? 
Why continue to waste fuel T5y in¬ 
efficient heating methods when it’s so 
high and so scarce? You can have 
better heating at less cost with the 
CaloriC Pipeless Furnace. The 
IS SAVING Vs TO Vz 
THE FUEL IN OVER 
76.000 BUILDINGS 
The CaloriC is the original system 
of heating buildings of 18 rooms or 
less through one register by natural 
circulation of air. The CaloriC works 
with nature—heats as the sun heats. 
Circulates pure, balmy, healthful, clean heat 
into every nook and corner of every room, 
upstairs and down. Burns any fuel. So 
simple a child can operate it. Temperature 
regulated from first floor. Installed in old 
homes or new, usually in one day. Costs 
less than the number of stoves required to 
heat the same space. Sold on a money-back 
guarantee to heat your home to 70“ tempera¬ 
ture in coldest weather. See the CaloriC dealer 
nearest you, or write today for CaloriC book 
and names of users in your locality. 
Manufactured and Guaranteed by' 
THE MONITOR STOVE COMPANY 
(The Monitor Family) 
101 Years in Business 
127 Woodrow St. CINCINNATI, OHIO 
. W! 
ICIENT 
THE 
ilil® < — 
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ORIGINAL PIPELESS FURNACE TRIPLE-CASING PATENT 
»*#s 
“ *% 
Yon 
Let me tell you the won¬ 
derful story of terracing. At 
a cost of from $1.00 to $2.00 per 
acre thousands of fields have been saved. 
The work is easily done. Requires no scientific 
knowledge. With the wonderful Martin machine it 
is almost as simple as plowing. 
You are losing the valuable top soil and your high-priced fertilizer after 
every rain. Stop it! Let me show you how. Send me your name. 
Farm Ditcher 
Field Terracer 
and Grader 
Sold on lO Days’ Trial 
Reversible, adjustable, no wheels or cogs. 
All steel. Made in 2-, 4- and 6-horse and 
tractor sizes. It will do your farm Ditching 
for Open Drainage, Tiling or Irrigation, 
Terracing, Road Making, Filling, Leveling, 
and it builds Dikes, moves Snow, cleans oui wced- 
Clogged Ditches, does practically every dirt-moving 
job. Send me your name. I’ll do the rest. 
W, A. STEELE, Pres, and 
Gen’l Mgr. 
Owensboro Ditcher & 
Grader Company, Inc. 
Boxl034> Owensboro, Kentucky 
