IS74 
The RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
July 3, 1920 
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. 
You will be interested to know that on 
May 27 the United States Federal Trade 
Commission issued an order to “cease and 
desist” to the A. A. Berry Seed Com¬ 
pany of Clarinda, Iowa, from carrying 
on a seed business according to the man¬ 
ner and methods which they have em¬ 
ployed. The report and findings of the 
Trade Commission consist of some eight 
pages, in which they take up paragraph 
by paragraph findings as to the facts in 
regard to the seed business which these 
people have been carrying on. We ex¬ 
perience much satisfaction over the re¬ 
sults of the findings of the Commission, 
since we were the first ones to openly 
attack the company. The Trade Commis¬ 
sion presents, among others, the following- 
important findings: “Statements” made 
by the company “are in many particulars 
false and misleading and calculated to 
mislead purchasers.” Furthermore, “an¬ 
alyses in some cases show the germina¬ 
tion tests as low as 30 per cent and 40 
per cent.” Furthermore, certain “state¬ 
ments were false and misleading, in that 
this company did not secure all of its 
grass seed direct from the producers, but 
secured a large proportion thereof from 
other seed companies.” This is a fact 
which has been readily admitted many 
times by the x’eputable seed houses of the 
country, who found that carloads of their 
screenings and over-run have finally 
landed in the hands of this company. 
With reference to various statements 
made regarding the quality of clovers and 
Alfalfa, it was shown that all its (the 
Berry Company’s) brands and grades do 
contain noxious weed seeds and other 
impurities; that its clover seed of various 
kinds has been found not to consist of 
berries of strong germination, but in fact 
in many cases of a poor quality of seed 
of low germinating power; that this 
Alfalfa seed is not produced by it. as 
intimated in its catalog, but is purchased 
largely from other seed houses, and is not 
of highest quality in power of germina¬ 
tion, but in fact is generally, of medium 
or poor quality and low germination, and 
contains the seed of various kinds of 
weeds, including noxious weeds and other 
impurities. It was further found that 
the various mixtures, including the 
bonanza mixture, were not as advertised, 
according to the analyses made by anal¬ 
ysts in seven of the leading States of the 
Union. The seed company further ad¬ 
mits that a portion of the grass seed 
which it purchased is a poor class seed; 
and furthermore, that it did not in its 
catalogue advise prospective purchasers 
that any of its brands contained weed 
seeds, and did not show the weed seed 
content, on its tags attached to the bags 
of seed as required by the seed laws of 
the various States. That upon complaint 
of the various State seed analysts this 
company promised to comply with such 
State seed laws; however, the promise 
was not fulfilled. 
It was found and admitted that 
“Standard Seed Company” is a trade 
name adopted by the Berry Company for 
its wholesale business; that the seed sold 
under the name "Standard Seed Com¬ 
pany” is supplied by the A. A. Berry 
Company, and is not kept separate from 
its general stock. In the order to “cease 
and desist” the A. A. Berry Company is 
ordered to cease selling or offering for 
sale any seeds under the name “Standard 
Seed Company” without fully disclosing 
to the trade that the said “Standard Seed 
Company” is one and the same as the 
A. A. Berry Seed Company. 
M. T. MUNISr. 
New York Agricultural Experiment 
Station, Geneva, N. Y. 
Prof. Munn has done good work in ex¬ 
posing these seed sharks, and deserves 
the gratitude of every farmer in the 
State and nation. The advertising of A. 
A. Berry Seed Company has been per¬ 
sistently refused by The It. N.-Y. since 
1918. Wc published the record of the 
Minnesota Experiment Station analysis 
of the seeds sent out by this firm in the 
year 1917. 
We believe It was due to Prof. Munn’s 
efforts, who was "connected with the Min¬ 
nesota Experiment Station at the time, 
that the bulletin was issued giving to 
the public the information as to the foul 
seeds sold by the Berry Company. Many 
farm papers have smugly carried this 
firm’s advertising ^during all these years, 
and thereby helped to rob the public in 
whose interests the publications are sup¬ 
posed to be published. The Berry Com¬ 
pany will hardly ignore the order of the 
United States Trade Commission. Tt will 
have to reform or discontinue business. 
The American Mutual Seed Co.. Chicago, 
aud Dave Peck Seel Co., Evansville. 
Ind.. which have been following Berry’s 
methods, may take the hint that fake 
methods will no longer be tolerated in 
the farm seed trade. 
Enclosed is some descriptive advertis¬ 
ing matter of the Wizard Jr. Automobile 
Company, Charlotte, N. C., which is be¬ 
ing promoted by some clever gentlemen 
by selling stock to the amount of $1,000.- 
000 to sell a popular-priced car at $395, 
f. o. b. factory. Please investigate the 
standing of this company, as I think this 
is too good to sound true. It may be 
sucker bait to get hard-earned money 
from the people. w. a. w. 
North Carolina. 
This company has no standing that we 
are able to discover. The proposition ap¬ 
pears to be in the same class with the 
Little Motor Kar Company of Texas, 
which promoted a similar stock-selling 
scheme, the record of which was pub¬ 
lished in the. May 1 issue. The Little 
Motor Kar C’ompany scheme proved to 
be a deliberate swindle; but whether the 
promoters of the Wizard Automobile 
Company are in the same class or not, we 
predict that the result to those investing 
in the stock will be the same. 
I gain so much information from The 
B. N.-Y. paper, and find so many good 
thing therein that I v;ish to ask about a 
nursery company representing themselves 
as the American Nursery Company, 
Smithville, Tenn. An agent canvassing 
our county is selling quite a lot of stock 
through our neighborhood. lie sells an 
orchard of 70 trees for $59.00. and agrees 
to come to spray and prune the trees for 
three years free of charge. He is selling 
a bush strawberry that never vines. I 
have raised berries for a number of years 
and I have never seen a strawberry of 
that kind. I asked him whether The R. 
N.-Y. carried their advertisement, but ho 
said no. I would like to know, if they 
are. a reliable firm, and if their berry 
would prove a success in this State. 
West Virginia. n. G. H. 
We do not know the American Nur- 
sei’y Company, Smithville, Tenn., but we 
never heard of any nursery house selling- 
stock on such conditions that lived up 
to the agreement. The promise to spray 
aud prune the trees is “sucker bait” to 
get the order, and that is all. We know 
nothing about the strawberry or the 
claims made for it, but the claims sound 
too much like Whiting and Gardner to 
give them credence. 
On April 27. 1920, I senti one 30-doz. 
case of No. 1 white eggs, parcel post in - 
sured. to Crownland Farms. Inc.. 78.‘> 
East 180th street. New York. N. Y. Since 
this date I have written them three times, 
but they have never answered, as I re¬ 
quested them to notify me if they re¬ 
ceived them or not. as if they never re¬ 
ceived them I want to make claim for 
them. I shipped them several cases of 
eggs last year; all went all right. Will 
you investigate this for me? J. J. B. 
New York. 
We have been receiving inquiries of late 
regarding the standing of the Crownland 
Farms. I. Krug, proprietor, 783 East 
ISOth stx-eet, New York. We are unable 
to find any rating in our reference books 
nor any established financial standing for 
him, and advised against making ship¬ 
ments to the concern. We have now re¬ 
ceived the above letter from a subscriber 
who made a shipment and failed to receive 
payment. We endeavored to collect the 
account, but our letters were returned by 
the Postoffice Department with the infor¬ 
mation that they could not^ind the Crown¬ 
land Farms. It is therefore evident that 
Mi\ Krug has moved and left no address. 
This again confirms our repeated advice 
to refrain from making shipments to 
houses without any financial standing. 
Last Fall we had a letter from Gus 
Reissner, 2013 Second avenue, New York, 
soliciting egg shipments. After consider¬ 
able correspondence we consigned him 
one case of our best fancy white eggs. 
Before the eggs arrived the concern had 
changed hands, aud we heard that Mr. 
Reissner was out. We were all this time 
trying to learn what, had become of our 
case of eggs. At first, our agent here 
told us that no delivery had been made, 
so we placed claim with our express 
agent here and heard nothing, but were 
finally advised they were signed for by 
Thomas Pughea. We wish you would 
collect this for us. The bill is $27. 
Indiana. h. m. 
Add this name to the undesirable par¬ 
ties soliciting egg shipments. The express 
company shows delivery, and as Mr. 
Reissner cannot be located by the Post- 
office Department, it is evident he ordered 
the eggs aud had no Intention of paying 
for them. It may cost a little to look up 
a man’s 1 ‘atiug. but it would repay one 
such loss many times over. 
The Supreme Evidence of 
CREAM SEPARATOR SUPERIORITY 
Naturally the cream separator does not make or break the average 
farm user. The majority of them have no sure means of knowing just 
what their separator may be saving or wasting. 
But the big user in the whole milk creamery or city milk and cream 
plant does know, and in the long 
run the separator means success or 
failure in his case. 
That’s the reason why 98 % 
of the world’s users of factory size 
cream separators use the De Laval, 
and why the few such machines 
of other makes occasionally sold 
soon find their way to the scrap 
heap. 
And it may well be remem¬ 
bered that De Laval superiority 
means relatively just as much to 
the small as to the big user. Ten 
dollars a month mean as much to 
the farmer as ten dollars a day to 
the creameryman. 
It’s not only a matter of quan¬ 
tity and quality of cream, but of 
capacity, labor saving, dependability and durability over a long term of years. 
A De Laval catalog helps to make these facts plain. The trial of a 
De Laval machine does so better still. Every local De Laval agent 
stands ready to prove them. 
If you don’t know the nearest De Laval agent simply address the 
nearest main office, as below. 
THE DE LAVAL SEPARATOR CO. 
165 Broadway 29 East Madison Street 61 Beale Street 
NEW YORK CHICAGO SAN FRANCISCO 
50,000 Branches and Local Agencies the World Over 
SAVE All Your GRAIN 
Don't wait for the custom threvher. Do your 
threshing when the grain is light and get the 
full return from your labor. 
The Ellis Champion Thresher and Cleaner 
equipped with self feeder ami wind stacker 
makes the ideal small outfit. 
If you have only a. very little threshing to do, 
or small power, we can supply you with a 
inaeliine without self feeder or wind stacker 
and at a pi ice that will make your purchase 
a real investment. 
Just aive us the size of your eiurine anil the amount of grain 
usually raised and we’ll submit a proposition on a machine 
that will bo just the one for your work. 
ELLIS KEYSTONE AGRICULTURAL WORKS 
Pottstown - Pennsylvania 
ENGINES 2 10 30 H - p - 
Simplest in Construction 
Easiest to Operate 
Lowest priced High-Tension 
Ignition Engine ever sold at 
Factory-to-User Prices. High Tension* ia the 
only successful ignition for kerosene. All 
WITTE Engines are regularly equipped with 
H. T. battery, or Standard BOSCH Magneto on 
order. Write for latest prices. Quick delivery. 
WITTE ENGINE WORKS 
Kansas City. Mo. - Pittsburgh, Pa. 
1896 Oakland Ave. 1896’ Empire Bldg. 
KEEP LIVESTOCK HEALTHY 
BY USING 
Kreso Dip No. 1 
(STANDARDIZED) 
Easy to use; efficient; economical: kills 
parasites; prevents disease. 
Write for free booklets on the Care of 
Livestock and Poultry. 
ANIMAL INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT OF 
PARKE, DAVIS & CO. 
DETROIT, MICH. 
Bays the New Butterfly Jr. No.2>a 
Lignt running, easy cleaning 
cl otto skimming. durable. 
Llgb. _ 
cloao akimming. 
NEW BUTTERFLY 
lifetime Against defects in material and w 
man ship. Made also in four larger sizes up to 
No. ti shown bore; sold on 
30 DAYS’ FREE TRIAL 
and on a plan whereby they earn their own cost 
and more by what they save. Postal brings rreo 
Catalog Folder. Buy from the manufacturer 
and nave anonsy. 
ALBAUGH DOVER CO., 2171 Marshall Bl. Chlcaca 
CORN HARVESTER 
That beats them all. One horse cuts two rows. ( in • 
vies to the shock. Worked by 1, 2 or 3 men. K(JJ.vllo 
eer. No twine. Free trial. We also make SIUMr 
PULLERS ami TILE DITCHERS. Catalog free. Agent* 
FERTILIZERS AND CROPS by Dr. L. L. Van 
Slyko, Price. $2.50. The best general 
farm book. For sale by Rural New-Yorker 
