1194 
October l, 1921 
The RURAL N EW* YORKER 
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 was in hopes to see you “touch up” 
the hay brokers before you left the sub¬ 
ject in “Primer of Economies.” For in¬ 
stance, as to how the dealer bids up the 
price of hay one day, and on the strength 
of the quotations farmers ship hay, and 
by the time the cars get to New York 
they have knocked the peg out and the 
poor farmer gets a letter telling him that 
prices fell off quite sharply before his 
car arrived. I think the farmer could 
cipher that out without the broker’s letter. 
The broker’s letter doesn’t mention that 
the interlocking railroad official kept him 
posted on cars en route so the broker 
could make prices up or down to suit him¬ 
self. Then, th're is that “grading” dodge. 
The broker sells the hay and makes any 
old return that suits him. Does the 
farmer know to whom the car was sold, 
or what price was actually paid by the 
buyer? He does not! And if he “puts 
up a holler” the broker smoothes his 
ruffled plumage by telling him it “didn’t 
grade well enough” to command the price 
the farmer expected. Does the farmer 
know who establishes these “grades,” or 
what makes a “grade”? He does not! 
They just sent a man to Dannemora 
prison yesterday for running a gambling 
den in Saratoga Springs and proved that 
he had crooked roulette wheels and faro 
tables, so there was not even the alleged 
“chance” for the sucker to win. The 
gambler ought to have been a hay broker, 
as that would have given him that “ap¬ 
pearance of decency” to which all crooks 
aspire. There are some good square hay 
brokers; don’t understand me as con¬ 
demning them all. I’ve had some of each 
in the past, so I know. Maybe I couldn’t 
prove it so I could get them into Dan¬ 
nemora, but you know a Jot of things you 
can't prove in the world, so I presume 
you will agree. F. F. 
New York. 
The combination between hay dealers 
and railroads is hard to beat. The most 
effective weapon is the embargo. Deal¬ 
ers speculate in hay. Sometimes they buy 
from the farmer, and often from one an¬ 
other. We have traced a carload of hay 
from one dealer to another in five or six 
different sales. When the dealers have a 
good supply in the city they force prices 
up, and farmers ship. Then, if the rail¬ 
road advices show that there is enough 
coining to affect the market, the railroad 
issues an embargo, and no more hay can 
move until they lift the embargo. Oars 
are held on the sidings outside the city 
and when the dealers are sold out the new 
ed. We can point to dozens of large ad¬ 
vertisers whose business has been thrown 
out of its columns as soon as the unfair 
practices were discovered. And still the 
argument of Higbie & Co. sounds plausi¬ 
ble enough to those who do not know 
that no amount of advertising patronage 
can influence the publication a hair’s 
breadth where the advertiser’s methods 
are deceptive or he fails to give the farmer 
a square deal. This is evident to anyone 
familiar with the large amount of adver¬ 
tising appearing in other publications that 
is rejected by The Rural New-Yorker. 
On April 5, 1921, I sent an order for 
$3.50 to the Pomona Nurseries. Dans- 
ville, N. Y., for some currant bushes and 
two shrubs. They wrote back stating 
that they would fill my order promptly. 
After waiting some time I wrote again. 
I am enclosing their reply. During Au¬ 
gust I wrote two letters, but have re¬ 
ceived no reply. If you could make them 
send m.v order or return my money I 
would be very grateful. If they are not 
a reliable company they should be ex¬ 
posed. m. j. D. 
Vermont. 
We have several complaints of this 
kind, some of them of two years’ stand¬ 
ing, in connection with orders sent to the 
various nurseries under which F. W. 
Wells does business. We understand 
several judgments have been issued 
against him, which are as yet unsatis¬ 
fied. We have no disposition to add to 
Mr. Wells’ troubles, but we would not be 
doing our duty to subscribers if we re¬ 
frained from warning them against send¬ 
ing orders to Pomona Nurseries, F. W. 
Wells Wholesale Nurseries, Sheerin’s 
Nurseries, etc., conducted by him. 
Would you give me a little informa¬ 
tion concerning the Chicago Portrait 
Company, 509 South Wabash Avenue, 
Chicago, Ill.? Their agent was along 
here canvassing for pictures, giving a 
coupon worth $15 on a $30 picture. Are 
they a reliable company? Do they do 
good work ? w. J. R. 
New York. 
In this case the “coupon” seems to 
take the place of the “lucky envelope” 
scheme to make the prospective custo¬ 
mer believe that he.or she will get a $30 
picture for $15. It is a barefaced decep¬ 
tion, and we can only advise our readers 
to have nothing to do with any concern 
or its agents practicing such deceptions. 
How can a house be trusted in any re¬ 
spect that deliberately deceives a custo¬ 
mer in this way? The scheme of all 
these portrait agents is to sell a cheap 
frame at an exorbitant price when the 
picture is delivered. 
It takes thoudht to 
produce Mutton 
Sheep raisers have their worries. Good 
stock, excellent feed and hard work may 
fail to bring profits through a sudden dis* 
ease. But sheep men who make a study of 
their problems still raise sheep. =^>The 
proper heating of your home is just as 
difficult a problem. You don’t need to raise 
sheep, but you must heat your home— 
even if at a loss.^o^Just as proper care of 
sheep is profitable even if it costs money, 
so the proper solving of your heating 
problem is worth while. 
N P SterU nq Furnace 
Itie One Register Furnace 
does cost a few dollars more than 
other furnaces. But it repays the 
investment in longer life, less fuel 
and greater satisfaction. 
A postal will bring you the Sterling 
Reasons Why. 
SILL STOVE WORKS 
ROCHESTER, N. Y. 
supply is let in, and prices tumble. The 
speculators get it at the low price, and 
so the circle works. The railroads con¬ 
trol the cars, and shipments, and the 
storage space in the city, and .they work 
in entire harmony with the dealers. 
We have had some first-hand experience 
with this system. In 1915 the hay pro¬ 
ducers of Onondaga County requested the 
State Department of Foods and Markets 
to sell their hay at auction in New York 
City. Eleven carloads were pooled, and 
the farmers agreed to have it advertised 
as an absolute sale to the highest bidder. 
An agi'eement was made with one of the 
railroads to transport the hay and to sell 
it on the dock. After the sale had been 
thoroughly advertised the hay dealers’ 
association persuaded the railroad to de¬ 
clare an embargo and no hay could be de¬ 
livered for the sale. Complaint to the 
Public Service Commission and to the In¬ 
terstate Commerce Commission resulted 
in a promised investigation, which, as 
far as we know, is yet uncompleted. The 
combination ‘between hay dealers and 
transportation companies could be defeat¬ 
ed if we had wholesale terminal city 
markets, with facilities for storage and 
sales of bay; but the combination is too 
strong for our present available market¬ 
ing facilities and individual effort. 
The fact that we do not advertise in 
Tiie Rural New-Yorker of course 
makes them anxious to injure our busi¬ 
ness in every way. and when a firm does a 
large amount of business naturally they 
have some dissatisfied customers. You 
never see anything against any firms who 
advertise in The Rural New-1 t orker. 
Rochester, N. Y. geo. k. iiigbie & co. 
The above is the stock argument of con¬ 
cerns which, because of their methods or 
quality of goods cannot buy space in The 
R. N.-Y. Any films subject to criticism 
naturally are not advertisers of The R. 
N.-Y, because their business is not accept- 
Daniel Carmichael, local attorney, was 
appointed receiver in Pettijohn Pure Pro¬ 
ducts Company, Minneapolis, Minn., in 
the United States District Court on Sep¬ 
tember 3, 1921, and at that time took 
charge of the business. Figures are said 
not yet available from the receivers or 
others. The suit and bill asking for ap¬ 
pointment of receiver was brought by the 
Taishoff Roller Mill Works on a $3,500 
bill of goods sold. 
The above report from an authentic 
source is no surprise to those familiar 
with the manner the stock of the com¬ 
pany has been exploited for a number of 
years. We only hope that no reader of 
The R. N.-Y. has failed to profit by our 
many warnings. 
I am much interested in your “Pub¬ 
lisher’s Desk” columns. If all subscribers 
would profit by the wise advice given, we 
would not see over and over again the 
same sad stories. I enclose some alluring 
circulars, but cannot understand how 
any sane man can bite at such ridiculous 
offers, but they do, or such schemes could 
not live. l. a. j. 
Rhode Island. 
Right. If suckers refused to bite the 
manufacturers of bait would soon quit 
the business. The above conclusions of 
the subscriber were inspired by the re¬ 
ceipt of the promotion literature of S. E. 
J. Cox of Houston, Texas, bearing on “oil 
gushers” and a supposed potash mine. 
Married Woman’s Property Right 
Can a wife owning property in her own 
name alone, that was bought after mar¬ 
riage, with her own private money, sell 
it, without her husband’s consent? Has 
the husband anything to do about that, or 
can she do as she pleases? M. w. 
New York. 
Under the < laws of the State of New 
York a married woman can sell and dis¬ 
pose of her real property without the con¬ 
sent or signature of her husband, and it 
matters not whether the property was 
purchased before or after the marriage. 
N. T. 
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Edwards “Reo” Metal Shingles 
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Free Roofing Book 
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profits- Ask for Book J 
No. 173 
low PRICED GARAGES 
Lowest prices on Ready -Made 
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up any place. Send postal for 
Garage Book, showing styles. 
THE KDWAROS MFC. CO., 
1023-1073 Pika St., Cincinnati, 0. 
Samples & 
Roofing Book 
DOLD’S TANKAGE INCREASES PROFITS 
FIGURES TALK! 
PsOLD - QUALITY Digester Tankage is a 
superior hog flesh and bone builder. 
In a ninety-day demonstration at Union 
Stock Yards, Wichita-Kansas: 
Fifteen hogs, fed tankage, corn and shorts, each 
gained an average of 142.6 pounds; sold ala 
P rofit of $1.36 a hundred weight. 
ifteen hogs, fed only corn ana alfalfa, each gain¬ 
ed an average of 120.7 pounds, but sold at a 
profit of only 31 cents a hundred weight 
Dold’s Digester Tankage contains 609f> proteUi, 
Dold's Digester Meat Meal Tankage 46% protein. Mij 
with grain or feed separately in hoppers or slops, 
Feed hog* Tankage for ‘'mom" hog and biggs* 
profits. 
Write [or free bacilli NS 
Jacob Dold Packing Co. 
0.(0o.N.Y. 
Dept. R.N. 
Al.o Poultry Peed, Meat Script. Soil*, 
bte Blood, Poultry Bone — oil grade* j 
Charcoal, Oyater Sheila, Mineral Stone 
Crita. Pure Bone Fertiliser. 
Get More Milk 
fromlfour Cows 
ftiiic lui rice ouun uii 
DRIED BEET PULP 
The greatest fault in most dairy rations, accord¬ 
ing to authorities, is lack of bulk. Bulky feeds 
mixed with concentrates promote digestion. 
They also distend the stomach and intestinal tract 
and aid in keeping bowels open. 
Make DRIED BEET PULP 
A part of your dairy ration 
Bulk is obtained in its most palatable and healthful 
form in Dried Beet Pulp. This wonderful dairy feed is laxative, easily digested and rich in carbo¬ 
hydrates. It brings better health conditions, increases milk yields and adds to profits. You use with 
corn silage or to replace it. Free book sent on request. Address Dept. E. Low prices now in effect. 
THE LARROWE MILLING COMPANY, Detroit, Michigan 
.fc 4 ** -*v 
When you write advertisers mention The R. N.-Y. and you'll get a 
quick reply and a “square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
