(282 
July 31, lozo 
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 lot- 
lei's receive no consideration. 
Will you give me your opinion of the 
enclosed circular of Citizens’Finance Cor¬ 
poration. Hackensack, N. J. ? n. s. s. 
New York. 
The country is literally flooded with 
stock-selling propositions of this kind. 
The business of this corporation is to loan 
money for the purchase of automobiles. 
Two of the officers of the company are 
reported to have been previously engaged 
in the hotel business, and the third a law¬ 
yer. It might therefore be said that none 
of the officers has had experience fitting 
him to carry on a financial institution 
of this kind. At best such investments 
are speculative, and farmers should not 
take such risks with their small savings. 
In many cases farmers can invest their 
savings in new equipment for their own 
farms to better advantage than anywhere 
else. Then Liberty bonds at present 
prices are attractive and safe. 
Can you tell me anything concerning 
the National Radio Institute, 14th and IT 
streets, Washington, D. C.V They claim 
to teach wireless by mail in about 10 
weeks, and furnish the student a course 
of 46 lessons covering practice, theory, 
code and laws of radio and telegraphy 
and telephony, five printed text books, 
one hand book, one complete set of prac¬ 
tice apparatus, including standard sending 
key and buzzer, and a universal wireless 
transmitting and receiving set. This 
course is to cost $75 cash, or $85 to $100 
in installments. They also, claim that 
anyone graduating from this course is 
prepared to pass the test fob a Govern¬ 
ment licensed operator, to begin at a sal¬ 
ary of not less than $125 per month. Do 
you know whether this is a good school, 
and will they do all they claim? Also, do 
you think it worth while for a young man 
to attempt to learn radio by mail? 
Delaware. J. n. e. 
The claim that a 10-w’eeks’ course will 
qualify the student to take a Government 
position at $125 per month is absurd. 
This, however, is the sort of bait held cut 
by these correspondence school venders to 
sell their wares. Any practical wireless 
operator will, no doubt, confirm the state¬ 
ment that it is impracticable to become ef¬ 
ficient in the subject without personal in¬ 
struction and guidance, iu addition to 
much hard experience. But common-sense 
advice of this sort will not sell correspond¬ 
ence-school dope. 
We have received a check from Sudow 
at Los Angeles for $18.20. lie has re¬ 
served 30 cents for postage. I wonder 
how r much you people. Mr. Jordan and 
we have spent for postage! I only hope 
that his check will prove to be O. Iv. I 
thank you for all the interest you have 
taken in this matter, and realize that if 
it w'ere not for you Siulow would prob¬ 
ably never have returned the money. 
Connecticut. E. A. s. 
The above refers to Fred .T. Sudow, 
formerly of Poughkeepsie, N. 1’., -whose 
methods we have been obliged to criticize 
from time to time for a good many years 
back. Dutchess County is well rid of 
such a citizen, and our commiseration 
goes across the continent to the good 
people of California. Let us hope that 
Mr. Sudow will live down on the Pacific 
coast the reputation he has earned in the 
East. 
Last February I sent $25 to Glen Rock 
Nursery & Stock Farm. Ridgewood, N. .T., 
for a dozen chickens. This was in answer 
to an advertisement in the Evening Tele¬ 
gram. I received a typewritten letter 
acknowledging my check and stating that 
the chickens would be shipped as soon as 
the weather permitted. Up to date I 
have not received them, neither have they 
answered my other letters. Could yon 
tell me hc.w‘ I can get these chickens or 
the cash? G. m. p. 
New York. 
II. W. Cobb appears to be the manager 
of the above farm. Our previous exper¬ 
ience with Mr. Cobb was in 1017, wheu 
he was manager of a farm in Denton. Md.. 
where he left an unenviable record. The 
R. N.-Y. at that time made good the losses 
of some subscribe! having dealings with 
him. We are, therefore, not surprised at 
G. M. P.’s experience, which we print 
for the guidance of our other readers. 
Later: The claim has been adjusted 
since the above item was prepared; but 
we regard the word of caution iu dealing 
with Mr, Oobb due our readers. 
An agent for the Chicago Portrait Com¬ 
pany, 500 South Wabash Avenue, Chi¬ 
cago, Ill., was through our place a few 
days ago taking orders. lie said the firm 
advertised iu your paper and used your 
name as a guarantee that they were all 
right. Now we take your paper, and I 
cannot find any such advertisement in it. 
Will you let me know if they have ever 
advertised in The It. N.-Y., and what 
you know about the firm? If they are 
falsely representing themselves as adver¬ 
tising in your paper, what is the penalty? 
New York. E. R. s. 
The claim attributed to the agent of 
the Chicago Portrait Company, Chicago, 
111., is an absolute falsehood. The Rubai. 
New-Yorker has exposed the “lucky en¬ 
velope scheme’’ employed by the agents 
of this concern for many years back, and 
warned our readers against being caught 
by it. This company has recently adver¬ 
tised in some farm papers, presumably to 
counteract the criticism of the firm’s 
methods published in these columns. But 
we should not expect much iu the way of 
veracity from a firm or its agents em- 
ploying ouch deceptive schemes to induce 
country people to sign orders for por¬ 
traits. 
Could you give me any information 
about the General Oil Company, head¬ 
quarters Houston. Tex.? S. E. J. Cox 
is president. I would like to know what 
their reputation is and what standing 
they have in the business world. One 
cannot find out anything from the oil 
papers, as they all seem to stick together, 
but, -will not tell one the truth. 
New York. rr. t. r. 
Cox and the Prudential Securities Com¬ 
pany of Houston, Tex., promoters of this 
company, are the most dangerous element 
we know in the wildcat oil business. We 
especially advise against having anything 
to do with any propositions in which 
their names are connected. 
Do you want to invest in the Fox Motor 
Car Company, Philadelphia? I don’t, be¬ 
cause a fox is hard to catch. J. M. H. 
And anyone so investing would in all 
probability have equally as hard a chase 
if he tried to get the money back as 
though he entered a foot race with the 
elusive animal. It appears from the in¬ 
vitation to subscribe to an “ownership” 
that the Fox car has not yet made its 
appearance on the market. The opportu¬ 
nity to subscribe is presented as a special 
privilege not open to the public. We 
should think better of the proposition if 
•this bunk were omittted. Putting money 
into new organizations, the products of 
which have not won any measure of pub¬ 
lic approval, is about the wildest form of 
gambling that we know anything about. 
I am in receipt of your letter enclosing 
check for $186 in full payment of my 
egg claim, and wish to thank you. While 
I might well have received a part of this 
claim. I had small 1 one <■ gett.io«- it ail. 
and the fact that I have is entirely due 
to your efforts in my behalf. I would be 
glad to pav vou the usual collection fee 
If you will' accept it. egg producer. 
New York. 
This is part of our service, and no pay 
could be accepted for it Our business is 
to promote the best interest of the farm 
individually aud collectively, aud it is a 
satisfaction to know that the work is 
in some measure successful. We con¬ 
fess to some pride in the fact that in 
some instances like this the paper can 
help its friends who are not in good po¬ 
sition to demand justice for themselves. 
The R. N.-Y. is absolutely the best 
paper in the United States, if not the 
world, for farmers. More power to you 
and your pen and to our paper, p. H. 
New York. 
Whether we justify this estimate or 
not. it is worth while that our friends 
realize our purpose. We try to make the 
best paper possible for American farmers. 
The human element always includes er¬ 
rors. Our friends, no doubt, allow for 
them when they recognize the ideal. 
A Canadian Rain-water Cistern 
There are inquiries frequently in TnE 
R. N.-Y. about rain-water cisterns, and 
as I have had one in use for over 40 
years an account of my experience may 
be of interest to your readers. 
The cistern is in the cellar of my house, 
built of brick laid iu good cement. Two 
walls are supported by the stone walls 
of the house, arid are eight inches thick; 
the other two walls, not being supported, 
are 16 inches thick. The bottom is quite 
flat and two bricks (four inches thick) 
laid on the material soil. All the inside 
is plastered two inches thick with pure 
cement. Inside dimensions are 12x9 feet 
by 4 feet deep. A division wall runs 
does not filter, as it also is plastered. 
There are several openings at the bottom 
of the wall 2x8 inches, giving communi¬ 
cation between the two parts. All the 
water runs into the liquid, and filtering 
is done by simply making a heap of 
gravel, charcoal and sand over the open¬ 
ings in the division wall. The smaller 
end contains the filtered water, which is 
drawn off by the pm 'p in the room above. 
The whole top of the tank is covered by 
two-inch tongued and grooved stuff, nailed 
down, excepting a few boards, which can 
be removed for inspection and cleaning. 
The only openings in the cover are two 
four-inch holes where the conductors 
from the roof enter. This cover is always 
perfectly dry and has never been re¬ 
newed. 
When the cistern was built the place 
where we live was practically in the 
country, and there was no municipal 
water system, so all the household needs 
were dependent on the rain-water. Today 
we are a place of 20,000 people, with 
railways and some factories about us, 
but the tank has been in constant use 
all the 40 years, and the water is today 
preferred for drinking to the supply from 
the town water mains in the street. The 
water is perfectly clear and sweet, 
although the cistern has not been cleaned 
out for six or seven years. In fact, it 
has not been cleaned more than half a 
dozen times since it was built, and only 
on one occasion was there any trouble, 
and that was. caused by a nest of young 
birds getting into the water by some care¬ 
lessness. 
Like everything else worth having, a 
water cistern requires attention to give 
satisfaction. There should be wire 
strainers at the bottom of the spout 
coming from the roof to catch straws, 
leaves, etc., as well as. to prevent mice or 
bats occasionally getting into the water, 
and. the cover should never be left open, 
an important point being to exclude light. 
If possible, too, the tank should be filled 
during the rainy season in the Spring and 
Autumn, first letting the roof be well- 
washed. The water lias then a chance 
to purify itself by allowing the impalpable 
dust always flowing in the air to settle— 
this I consider an important point. This 
is not a mere fancy, as sailors on sailing 
ships know that water in good iron tanks 
is better after it has been kept, but the 
tank must be kept closed. 
It is nonsense to say that a cistern in 
a cellar makes a house damp. It can 
only do so if it. leaks, which should not 
be. The wall may sweat, as the stone 
walls of a house do sometimes, through 
the moisture in the Summer air being 
condensed on them, or as the pipes com¬ 
ing in from the street water main do 
when washing is being done in the base¬ 
ment laundi-y. 
Of course, nowadays a water cistern 
would he built of cement concrete, and 
it should be kept in mind that ordinary 
concrete is not watertight by any means, 
and means must, be taken to make the 
walls tight by some of the preparations 
made for the purpose. The bottom of 
the cistern may lie perfectly flat, but the 
ground should be made solid by ramming, 
particularly if it is made ground and not 
The natural soil. There should also be 
a well about 18 inches square by two 
inches deep, in the bottom, which is a 
great help in cleaning out, as the last of 
the water can be gathered into this and 
be more easily wiped up. 
I am a believer iu good rain-water for 
country places when a good spring is not 
available. Well water is not always sat¬ 
isfactory as to quality or safety from 
pollution. R- h. 
Canada. 
Barn Floor; Spelt for Hay; Pruning 
Apple Trees 
1. I wish to put a new floor in my 
barn, 36x40 ft. I have lots of lumber I 
can cut, and a sawmill within one mile. 
Which would you prefer, the lumber or 
concrete? How much would it take of 
both? 2. What time is best to cut spelt 
for hay? 3. When should I trim apple 
trees, Fall or Spring? F. T. 
North I’harsalia, N. Y. 
1. I should much prefer the concrete, 
but might use the lumber if I bad it and 
couldn’t sell it to> advantage. The exact 
amount of lumber required would depend 
upon the way in which the floor was built. 
If SxS-in. sills were used, with 18 ft., 
3x8-in. floor joists, spaced 2 ft., it would 
require approximately 1,000 ft. of lumber 
for the former. 1.400 ft. for the latter, 
and 3.000 ft. of 2-in. planks for flooring. 
The amount of cement required will also 
vary with conditions present. The pro¬ 
portions recommended by cement manu¬ 
facturers for barn floors are one part ce¬ 
ment, two and a half parts of sand, and 
five parts gravel. A 4-in. floor for this 
barn would require 18 cubic yards of con¬ 
crete. using 90 bags of cement. A leaner 
mixture containing less cement can often 
be used, however, if the local supply of 
sand and gravel or bank run gravel is of 
sufficiently good quality. A neighbor of 
mine has just built an excellent barn base¬ 
ment wall of cement and bank run sand 
and gfavel in the proportions of one to 
eight. The experience of local masons 
with the local supply of sand and gravel 
should be ascertained before deciding to 
vary from the manufacturer’s directions. 
Often much can be saved iu this way. 
2. Spelt should be cut for hay when the 
grain is still soft. 
3. Late Fall or early Spring is the best 
time to trim apple trees. M. n. n. 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
across three feet from one end. but this 
To get your silo on time 
this year, send for the 
Globe Catalog NOW 
n 
The Globe 
Silo was first to in¬ 
troduce the famous extra¬ 
capacity extension roof. It 
gives more silo storage 
space for less silo money. 
Other exclusive features ex¬ 
plained in Catalog, 
Ohio Ensilage Cutters 
We are agents for the Ohio En¬ 
silage Cutters. With a big stock on 
hand we can make prompt ship¬ 
ment. Send for Catalog and at¬ 
tractive prices. 
Globe Silo Co., 2-12 Willow St. Sidney, N. Y. 
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. 
Make Big Money 
Saw 50 to Sawing 
CO Cords 
a Day 
Wood 
r Heip\f mpsr 
JSave CoalVL^/ one* 
y/ Coal shortage coming. Big 
'ash or \ -y demand for wood. Get your 
iasy Terms rig while we can make delivery. 
Vrite for direct low factory prices on Power Sa.ws 
ind Log Sawa with BOSCH Magneto—Free. 
WITTE ENGINE WORKS 
2897 Oakland Ave^ Kansas City, Mo. 
The THRESHING PROBLEM 
OAII/rn Threshes cowpena and soybeans 
SUliVijU from the mown vines, wheat, 
oats, rye and barley. A perfect 
;owbluatiou machine. Nothing like it. the 
machine I have been looking for for 
rears," W. F. Massey. "It will meet every 
lemand," H. A. Morgan. Director Tenn. Rxp, 
Statiou. Booklet 30 free, 
ioger Pea & Bean Thresher Co.,Morristown,Tenn. 
WELL 
D PAYa G WELL 
Own a machine of your own. Cash or easy 
terms.- Many Btyles audsizo3 for all purposes. 
Write for Circular 
WILLIAMS BROS., 432 W. State St. Macs. N. ?. 
Feeds and Feeding now $2.75 
This standard book by Henry & Mor¬ 
rison has been advanced to $2.75, 
which price we can supply it. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
333 West 30th Street New York 
