November 20, lf>2t 
1762 
The RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
their ability to get away with the propo¬ 
sition shows a higher intellect, not re¬ 
membering that the hog is not of a high 
order of intelligence. The people who 
claim that the dairymen are making a 
good profit usually point to the fact that 
Dairyman Smith or Jones has gotten 
comfortably well off in the business. In 
fact, this proves absolutely nothin. It 
is not what a man earns, but what he 
saves, that makes for prosperity or 
failure. 
A good bunch of dairy cows, properly 
handled, will a little more than pay for 
their feed at market prices. But if one 
charges the dairy with overhead expense, 
plus $5 per day (which I am paying my 
man) the dairy will run the owner in 
debt. Of course I mean a dairy that the 
one man can handle. There ai’e any 
number of good books written on feeds 
and feeding that can be bought for the 
price of a half day’s work. Also the 
State Agricultural College issues free 
bulletins on this subject that were writ¬ 
ten by the very highest authority. 
J. GRANT MORSE. 
What About Industrial Alcohol? 
Several years ago there was much said 
about farmers making their own fuel 
alcohol. Now that gasoline has so 
greatly increased in price, why do we not 
hear more about this subject? 1 should 
think if this were done there might be 
some license system whereby trustworthy 
people could obtain it for use as fuel. 
Fairport, N. Y. 8. J. E. 
It is true that some years ago a great 
Campaign was made for “industrial alco¬ 
hol.” The Grange and other farm organi¬ 
zations were induced to join in the argu¬ 
ment that farmers would be greatly 
helped. We were told that alcohol could 
and would be made from farm wastes, 
like potatoes, apples, cornstalks and simi¬ 
lar things, and that within a few years 
this industrial alcohol would be driving 
our farm machinery. The thing was so 
plausible that all hands joined the ranks 
and put the desired bill through Congress. 
We soon found that we had simply pulled 
the chestnuts out of the fire for an asso¬ 
ciation of manufacturers who wanted 
cheap alcohol for their own use. They 
could not have forced the legislation 
through Congress without the help of 
farmers. They obtained that help by 
fooling the farm interests. This idea of 
making cheap alcohol is fine in theory, 
but has never worked out in practice. 
In France, for a time, there were small 
stills which went from farm to farm, like 
our thrashing machines or buzzsaws, and 
worked up small quantities of alcohol 
from wastes. This has since been given 
up in France, we understand, as it did 
not prove practical to make the alcohol 
in this small way. The way to do it 
would be to manufacture in central sta¬ 
tions (somewhat like the beet sugar fac¬ 
tories) where waste products could be 
brought in large quantities. Even this 
plan has never found favor here, and the 
dream of cheap industrial alcohol has 
never been developed. It ought to be 
done, and we think it will be done in the 
future, but it will require large capital 
to put it under way. 
Natural History Notes 
On page 1640 I notice an article, “A 
Friend of the Weasel.” The writer 
makes several statements which I feel 
called upon to answer. In the first place, 
he states that the weasel kills more rats 
than anything else but the rats them¬ 
selves. On a farm in Eastern Pennsyl¬ 
vania on which I lived there were hun¬ 
dreds of rate, and also plenty of weasels, 
and in 10 years’ time I never saw any 
sign of a rat killed by a weasel, and never 
caught a weasel at a rat burrow, although 
I often had traps set all over the build¬ 
ings. During the same time I saw many 
times where weasels had killed quail, 
rabbits, small birds and wood mice. I 
also never saw a weasel about the build¬ 
ings except when they were killing, or 
had just killed, some of our Leghorn 
chicks. 
He also states that the rat is more of 
a nuisance about the poultry yard than 
the weasel. If he means in regard to 
feed, corn, etc., he is right. But in those 
10 years rats killed only about a dozen 
chicks for us, and weasels killed over 
100, many of them full grown pullets. 
In two months’ time I caught 14 wea¬ 
sels- and trapped, poisoned and otherwise 
killed over 200 rats. My method of 
catching weasels is- to hang up the bait 
(a squirrel or a wood mouse is best not 
a rat) about a foot from the ground,, and 
set a steel trap directly under it. The 
weasel will stand on the trap to reach 
the bait and be caught. The bait should 
be freshly killed. 
T have never heard of anyone who 
could say that he had seeu a weasel kill 
a rat. If Mr. Ormsbee will explain this 
I will be greatly obliged to him. 
Maryland. FRED s. FUCK. 
A question on page 1640 asks why the 
fur of animals at the North Pole becomes 
white just before Winter sets in. Some 
years ago I read a book entitled “Demon¬ 
strations of the Divine Perfections.” It 
states the reason everything is white, 
animals, etc., is that white objects reflect 
light and heat, which makes the surround¬ 
ing atmosphere considerably higher in 
temperature than if the heat was ab¬ 
sorbed ; otherwise animated bodies could 
not exist. On the contrary, at the equa¬ 
tor, animated bodies are invariably dark 
and black, and heat is absorbed and 
brought down to the temperature of their 
bodies; otherwise if reflected and not 
absorbed the temperature would be un¬ 
bearable. 1 have noticed personally the 
sun reflected in a. mirror or a piece of 
bright tin, can be felt at a short distance, 
but their surfaces are quite cool, while 
things dark feel warm under identical 
conditions. It seems to me feasible if 
heat was reflected at the equator and not 
absorbed the skin or surface of things 
organic or inorganic would shrivel up 
and could not exist, but being imme¬ 
diately absorbed by the man or animal 
is brought down to the temperature of 
their bodies and eliminated by perspira¬ 
tion and evaporation. I would like to 
hear from others on this interesting sub¬ 
ject. w. SMITH. 
New York. 
Selling Turkeys: Alive or Dressed 
As the holidays approach people begin 
to think and talk of a turkey for the 
Thanksgiving dinner. I can remember 
when the chief problem of the man who 
had turkeys for sale at this time was to 
dispose of them at some price. Times 
have changed, and his problem at the 
present time deals with the manner of dis¬ 
posing of them in order that they may 
net him t'he greatest sum of money. In 
other words, will it pay him best to sell 
them alive, or to kill and dress them? If 
sold alive, they are supposed to be 
weighed after having fasted for 12 hours. 
If killed and dressed, most of the markets 
in New England and westward to Chi¬ 
cago require that the entrails be removed. 
Most other markets, including those of 
New York City, prefer that the birds be 
merely bled and the feathers removed. 
There are exceptions, but this is the gen¬ 
eral statement. 
It has been found that a turkey in a 
fair average condition, if killed after a 
fast of 12 hours, and dressed according 
to the requirements of the New England 
market, will shrink closely around 10 per 
cent of its original weight. If dressed 
for the New York market, the shrinkage 
will be but seven per cent. Of course 
some latitude must be allowed to cor¬ 
respond to the amount of extra fat that 
the bird may or may not carry, but many 
comparative tests show this to lx; about 
the general average. Now, assuming that 
a bird weighs 20 pounds, and lias a mar¬ 
ket value of 40 cents per pound, live 
weight (these figures are relative and are 
used for illustration) the total value of 
the bird will be $8. Dressed for the New 
England market, its weight will be but 
IS pounds. Weighing but 18 pounds, it 
must sell for 45 cents a pound in order 
to net the $8 and allow a trifling margin 
for killing and dressing. Worked out in 
full the equation is as follows: 20 X 00 
= 18, which is the dressed weight of the 
bird. 8.00 -4- 18 = 44 2/5 cents, which 
must be the price per pound in order to 
equal $8. Adding 3/5 cents per pound to 
cover costs of killing and dressing =: 45 
cents as the selling price. In case the 
bird is dressed for the New York market, 
we multiply by .93 instead of .90, and 
carrying the equation through we have 
43 7/10 cents as the actual selling price. 
From this we may deduce the following 
rule : Subtract the percentage of shrink¬ 
age (10) from the total percentage (100). 
Multiply weight of bird (20 X 90) to 
give net weight (18). Divide, total 
vahie of bird (8 00 -4- 18) which gives 
selling price 42 2/3 cents a pound. Con¬ 
versely, if a stated sum is offered, per 
pound, dressed weight, multiply the live 
weight by .90 or by .93, as the case may 
be, to ascertain the net weight. Multiply 
this sum by the price offered per pound 
to ascertain the total value, and divide 
the amount by the live weight of the 
birds. This will give the equivalent price 
for which they should sell. 
e. o. ORMSBEE, 
Central New York Grape Crop 
The grape growers of the central lake 
regions of New York have just finished 
harvesting one of the largest crops ever 
produced in this section and received the 
highest prices paid in years. This was 
especially true of Catawba grapes, vine¬ 
yards that were well-cared for yielding 
from three to four tons per acre. Dela¬ 
ware and the earlier grapes did not fetch 
quite .$100 per ton; Concord and Catawba 
brought from .$100 to $140 per ton. We 
find tlie same as Mr. Johnson that re¬ 
gardless of wood growth there is a limit 
to the amount of fruit a vine will ripen. 
This is especially true of the Catawba. 
Thinning must be practiced on heavy 
vines. j. w . 
Hammondsport, N. Y. 
The physician was soliciting informa¬ 
tion from the patieint’s wife: “Does- he 
grind his teeth in his sleep?” be asked. 
“Ob, no,” said the wife. “He don’t wear 
’em in bed.”—Credit Lost. 
CONTENTS 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, NOV, 20, 1920 
FARM TOPICS 
TTso for Annual Sweet Clover. 1760 
Salting Soil to Kill Worms. 1763 
Gassing Bean Weevils. 1763 
Coining Farmers’ Meetings. 1764 
A 1920 Com Crop. 1769 
Yams and Sweet Potatoes. 1769 
Growing and Curing Hops. 1771 
Use of Liquid Cow Manure. 1771 
LIVE STOCK AND DAIRY 
Cabbage as a Milk-producing Feed. 1761 
Buying All the Grain.1761, 1762 
Coming Live Stock Sales. 1764 
A Four-ox Team. 1767 
Official Milk Tests. 1776 
Milk for Calf. 1776 
Mammitis . 1776 
Making Woolen Yam at Home. 1779 
Rickets . 1780 
Cough . 1780 
Worms in Pigs..... 1780 
Amaurosis . 1780 
Cows Coughing . 1784 
Nettle Rash . 1784 
Dose of Fowler’s Solution. 1784 
Lameness . 1784 
THE HENYARD 
Observing the Hen! Barred Rocks Win, 
1759, 1760 
A Victory for the Barred Rocks. 1760 
Methods of Poultry Feeding. 1782 
Pullets with Colds. 1782 
HORTICULTURE 
Sulphur in Fruit Storage. 1763 
Whitewash on Trees. 1763 
Garden Notes from New England.. 1766 
WOMAN.AND HOME 
From Day to Day. 1774 
The Christmas Gift from Home. 1774 
The Rural Patterns. 1774 
Chilblain Remedies . 1774 
Candied Citron . 1775 
The Mystic Circle. 1776 
Embroidery Designs . 1775 
Christmas Handkerchiefs . 1775 
Paradise Park; Ham Dumplings; Apple 
Dumplings . 1775 
Home Work for Farm Women. 1775 
Buckwheat Cakes Without Yeast.. 1775 
TREE PROTECTORS 
Protect your Trees from Rabbits and Mice 
We offer a Protector at a little more than ]c! 
each which affords perfect protection. 
Write for description and prices. 
CALL’S NURSERIES, Perry, Lake Co., Ohio 
2ND CROP SEED POTATOES 
Cobbler, mills Pride, Giants, Green 
M.t., Superba, Red Skin 
SEED CORN-YELLOW & WHITE 
WHITE PLY. ROCK COCKERELS 
MINCH BROS. BRIDGETON, N. J. 
THE JURY AGREES 
(Experience is the Guide) 
That Grangers Lime is a blessing and a necessity 
for growing good crops. 
GRANGERS MANUFACTURING CO., Successor. 
GRANGERS LIME CO., 
Works: West Stockbridoe, Mass. 
Second Hand Apple Barrels 
re-coopered equal to new. Two heads ready to us^ 
Price, 85c. F. O. H. cars New York City. 
MAGUIRE BROS., 157th Si. and Walton Ave., New York 
LARGE ASPARAGUS, WITLOOF 
CHICORY AND RHUBARB ROOTS 
For full and winter forcing in cellar or greenhouse 
Easily and quickly grown. Catalogue and cultural direr 
ions free. Harry L. Squire*. Good Ground, >.Y 
Annual White Sweet Clover 
Garden irrown, from Prof. Hughes’original stock. Guai 
anteed genuine. I’rico. 50c per ounce or $5 per lb. Post 
paid. HENRY FIELD, Shenandoah. Iowa 
Ruuool P.Inuor Unhulled White, *7 Bu. Exp. paid; Hulled 
OuCCI UlUYtir $16. Sow now. *. BLO0MINGDRLE, Schentcfatly. N.V 
MISCELLANEOUS 
Waterproof Cotton Duck. 1760 
A Believer in Boots. 1760 
Events of the Wekk. 1764 
Maplo Syrup Fails to Keep. 1763 
Sawdust in Concrete; Drainage in Icehouse 1767 
Horse Power to Remove Watercress. 1767 
Nightshade Poisoning . 1771 
Developments of a Bankruptcy Case. 1773 
A Case of Co-operative Selling. 1773 
The Price of Cotton. 1773 
Publisher’s Desk . 1786 
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subscriptions for Rural New-Yorker 
in Ohio. Prefer men wbo have horse 
or auto. Address 
J. C. MUtHOLl AND, General Delivery, Columbus, Ohio 
or 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 333 W. 30lhSf., NevyYarkCif; 
