770 
lhe RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
April 17, 1920 
Spark Plugs and 
Plowing 
W HILE plowing, you don’t want to be held up 
for an hour or more in the field because of a 
poor spark plug in your tractor. Those delays pile 
up costs and cut down yield. 
Guard against such delays by using only Bethlehem 
Spark Plugs—the plugs that have met the severest 
tests of tractor operation. 
Bethlehem plugs “pull you through.” They don’t 
go dead and leave you stranded in the field. The 
International Harvester Company thinks so much of 
Bethlehem plugs that it has adopted them as standard 
equipment for tractors and trucks. 
Bethlehem Automobile and Truck plugs are just 
as trustworthy as the famous Tractor plugs. Stude- 
baker, Marmon and 48 other manufacturers have 
chosen Bethlehems as standard equipment. To help 
you get the right plug for every purpose, we have 
prepared a little booklet, “Hit or Miss?”, which we 
will send you free on request. 
Bethlehem Spark Plug Corporation 
E. H. Schwab, President 
Bethlehem, Pa. 
The Farmer His 
Own Builder 
By H. Armstrong Roberts 
A practical ami 
handy book of all 
kinds of building 
information from 
concrete to carpen¬ 
try. Price $1.50. 
For sale by 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER 
333 W. 30th St.. N. Y. 
PULVERIZED 
POULTRY MANURE 
Latest Development in Fertilizers 
Nature's liest riant Food. Excellent for Lawns, 
Shrubs, Flowers, Gardens, Vines and Trees. 
Well Adapted for Grape Production 
Poultry Manure as a Fertilizer is well known, 
and by our Scientific Process of Preparation It 
is much improved. Ideal for garden and lawn 
and superior for farm purposes. Richer in 
Ammonia and Bone Phosphate of Lime than other 
manures and e<tual in Potash. Analysis 5% 
Ammo., 6% B. P. L., 1.00% Pot. 
Owing’ to limited supply and big demand we 
suggest ordering early. 
RESPONSIBLE DEALERS WANTED 
Samples and Quotations on Request 
Poultry Feed Company, Suite 1208, Fisher Bldg., Chicago, Ill. 
A MERICA’S greatest authority on electricity says “Lightning rods will 
* protect buildings, provided a good contact is made with wet earth.’' 
The Security system insures a permanently damp ground rod by placing 
it in a tube filled with water, which makes this rod carry off electricity, 
even in the dryest weather. 
SECURITY 
WATER GROUND UGHTNING CONDUCTORS 
have been made and used for more than 28 years. Endorsed by National Board of Fire 
Underwriters. Where they are used, a lower insurance premium is usually allowed. 
Take no chances. Get the scientifically correct water ground Security and be sure 
you are protected. Write for booklet and name of nearest Security dealer. 
The Security Lightning Rod Company 
S04 Pine Street Burlington, Wis. 
All Sorts 
A Farm Entrance Sign 
We have mentioned the bulletin on 
farm advertising issued by the South 
Dakota Experiment Station. It is a good 
pamphlet, full of excellent suggestions 
about selling farm produce. Now the sta¬ 
tion issues a circular describing a suitable 
entrance to a farm—the idea being to 
make the driveway or approach to the 
house as attractive as possible. The en¬ 
graving reproduced below shows this Da¬ 
kota suggestion. The arch over the road 
carries the name of the farm, and at either 
side are spaces for advertising any goods 
which at the time may be for sale. As 
here outlined the entrance is a little over 
20 feet wide and about 13 feet high at 
the center of the arch. This would not 
work properly on many Eastern farms, 
where it is necessary to haul loads of hay 
in from outside fields or fields across the 
road. Some of these big loads would not 
pass under such an arch, and in that case 
two posts or pillars at the sides of the 
road would he better. It is, however, a 
fine thing to improve and beautify the 
entrance to the farm. Twenty-five years 
ago, in many parts <>f the West, the trav¬ 
eler would find many fine farms with 
shabby and unkempt buildings and sur¬ 
roundings. The coming of the car with 
a newer generation is changing that, and 
neatness and beauty are appearing on 
these farms. 
Tanning Woodchuck Hides 
Will you give me a recipe for tanning 
woodchuck hides, from beginning to fin¬ 
ish? K. E. H. 
Madison, Me. 
There are hundreds of methods, and 
the end of two weeks remove and dry 
them and work neat’s-foot oil into them, 
and then remove it from the surface by 
the use of wheat bran, as already de¬ 
scribed. This method will make one of 
the softest and most pliable of leathers. 
If it is desired to tan the skins with¬ 
out the hair, wrap each skin separately 
around a quantity of hardwood ashes, 
and lay it for a week or 10 days, or until 
the hair will slip easily, in a cool, damp 
place. Then; remove the hair and inte¬ 
gument. soak for a couple of days in acid 
to remove the alkali of the ashes. Dilute 
sulphuric acid is most commonly used 
for this purpose, but vinegar will answer 
just as well. Then treat in the same 
manner as already described. If desired 
for whiplashes, whangs or snowshoe fill¬ 
ings or similar purposes, after the acid 
treatment immerse in soft soap for two 
weeks, remove, wash thoroughly with soft 
water, dry and rub with neat’s-foot oil. 
Or if the soft soap is not available im¬ 
merse in the oil instead. The soap, how¬ 
ever, will impart a greater durability. 
C. O. OBMSBEE. 
Bi-Sulsphide of Carbon for Rats 
In thickly populated districts rats be¬ 
come such nuisance that every scheme 
known to human intellect is tested, and 
too often fails. These little rodents are 
not so silly as many people would cause 
you to think. After experimenting with 
poison, traps, plaster of Paris and other 
so-er.lled exterminators, I found Mr. Rat 
just as impudent as ever. Coming from 
a country infested with prairie dogs, and 
knowing the method of combating them, 
I applied a similar treatment to rats. 
On visiting my brooder house early one 
morning I was sickened by the sight 
which met my eyes. The floor was cov¬ 
ered with the dead bodies of my finest 
young chicks. This bouse is joined to 
my poultry-house, and has a cement iloor 
all the way to the main building. The 
tunnel made by this rat led under the 
cement and into the large compartment. 
no one knows which is best. Rut in all 
of them the skin, if dry, must he soaked 
in water until perfectly soft and pliable. 
Then it is stretched upon a board and 
scraped until all fat and flesh and inte¬ 
gument other than .skin is removed. Then 
a good method is to break a quantity of 
hemlock bark into small bits, the smaller 
the better. Steep them in boiling water 
until, when dry, the hits are of a lighter 
color than the water in which they were 
steeped. Roil the water until it will 
just hear an egg. Immerse the skins in 
this water, first having cooled it to a 
temperature not above 00 degrees, and 
allow it to remain for a month, but tak¬ 
ing the skins out as often as once a week, 
and pulling, stretching and rubbing them. 
At the end of the month remove them, 
boil the water until it is concentrated to 
one-half its original hulk. Immerse the 
skins for another month, but pull and 
stretch them every week as before. Dry 
the skins and then rub the flesh sides 
with neat’s-foot oil until they will absorb 
no more. Allow them partially to dry 
and then rub them with wheat bran until 
perfectly dry and no oil appears upon 
the surface. This method will produce 
the toughest and strongest leather of any 
method, hut the leather will he harsh and 
stiff, of a reddish color, and will possess 
an odor which may he somewhat objec¬ 
tionable. 
Another method is to stretch the skins 
tightly upon a board, remove all integu¬ 
ment, rub them with powdered chalk un¬ 
til no more can he rubbed into them. Let 
dry 24 hours. Brush off all chalk and 
rub in as much powdered alum as pos¬ 
sible. Let dry 24 hours and brush off all 
alum. This is the cheapest and quickest 
method, and makes a fair grade of leather 
for flat use. Rut if folded flat and creased 
it will eventually break at the creases. 
Another method is to dissolve salt in 
water until the brine will almost float 
an egg. Then dissolve as much alum as 
salt and immerse the skins for about two 
weeks, pulling and stretching them daily, 
for upon this manipulation depends the 
softness and pliability of the skins. At 
I studied how he could get into my pen 
of chickens. By means of dust I traced 
him up the wall four feet to a small 
crack, through which he made his en¬ 
trance and out of which he made his es 
cape. 
Now, I sought revenge, and here is 
where I enjoyed it. I procured one pint 
of carbon bisulphide and gassed him un¬ 
der the cement. After immersing two balls 
of cotton in the liquid. I nushed one 
about six inches into the hole and the 
other just inside. I prepared the outer 
exit the same way. I rolled a piece ot 
paper and called for help to watch the 
holes. I lighted the piece of paper and 
touched the cotton, which ignited much 
the same as gasoline. Hurriedly pushing 
damp straw into the hole, I rushed to the 
other exist and treated it in the same 
manner. In less than one minute the rats 
were pushing out partially asphyxiated, 
and it was easy to fall upon them with 
all our vengeance as they were unable 
to escape. After this I dug deeper 
around my house and poured cement m 
the ditch. I have often repeated this 
experiment, and find that no rat can live 
in an atmosphere impregnated with the 
gas of carbon bisulphide. Of course, every 
exit, must be treated and watched cau¬ 
tiously. If no rats come out, they are 
either not in the holes treated or they 
were suffocated and died in there. 
Mt. Rainier, Md. w. H. B. 
The snow is nearly gone. _ Farmers 
have begun plowing. Wheat is in .£ 00< J 
condition ; plenty of snow covered it all 
Winter. Because of high wages, farmers 
are selling their farms; more sah than 
have ever been known. Some farmers 
contemplate cutting down their usual 
acreage of all crops. Potatoes, $2.80 P pr 
hu.; oats, $1.05 per bu.; butter, 68c per 
lb.; eggs, 50c per doz.; hay, $20 to $-• 
per ton at baru. Veal calves, 17c per lb., 
live. The sugar makers have been having 
an unusually heavy sap run. New syrup 
is selling locally at $3 per gal, L. W. B. 
Tioga Co., N. Y. 
