1518 
Vht  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
December  15,  1923 
Working  with  the  farmer 
MORE  THAN  775,000  people  have  visited  the 
Service -Progress  Special  demonstration  train 
sent  out  over  the  New  York  Central  Lines  by  the 
Agricultural  Relations  Department. 
The  exhibits  on  this  train,  showing  the  wonderful  ad¬ 
vance  in  steam  transportation  in  the  United  States, 
and  particularly  the  interdependence  of  the  railroad 
and  the  farmer,  have  served  to  bring  closer  together 
the  New  York  Central  and  its  agricultural  patrons. 
The  New  York  Central  Lines  serve  some  of  the  richest 
farming  sections  of  Illinois,  Indiana,  Ohio,  Michigan, 
New  York  and  Pennsylvania,  and  they  haul  more  than 
a  million  carloads  a  year  of  farm  products. 
Working  with  the  farmer,  to  promote  better  and  more 
profitable  farming,  the  Agricultural  Relations  Depart¬ 
ment  has  grown  to  be  one  of  the  most  useful  in  the 
New  York  Central  organization. 
y  YONk^ 
(Central) 
^LlNES^j 
NEW  YORK  CENTRAL  LINES 
BOSTON  &  ALBANY- MICHIGAN  CENTRAL -BIG  FOUR  -  PITTSBURGH  SLAKE  ERIE 
AND  THE  NEW  YORK  CENTRAL  AND  SUBSIDIARY  LINES 
Qeneral  Offices — 466  Lexington  Ave.,  New  York 
The  GRIMM  Maple  Sugar  Making  Utensils 
Most  sugar  makers  tell  us  their  sugar  orchard  gives  them 
more  profit  than  any  other  farm  crop.  Quality  also  counts. 
We  have  in  stock  for  immediate  shipment.  Buckets,  Covers, 
Spouts,  Tanks,  etc.,  and  can  ship  an  Evaporator  and  Arch 
within  a  week  after  receiving  order.  If  you  need  utensils 
please  write  us  for  catalogue  “B”,  stating  number  of  trees 
you  tap.  G.  H.  GRIMM  COMPANY,  Rutland,  Vermont 
IF  FARMERS 
cannot  be  depended  upon  to 
keep  themselves  informed  and 
to  take  part  in  the  management 
of  their  organizations,  can 
farm  cooperation  succeed  ? 
This  problem  is  fully  discussed 
in  the  new  book 
ORGANIZED 
COOPERATION 
Edited  and  Published  by 
JOHN  J.  DILLON 
In  cloth  binding,  $1.00  a  copy 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
333  West  30th  St.,  New  York  City 
New  Lamp  Invention 
For  Home 
Beautiful  Lamp  Gives  400 
Candle  Power  For  Less 
Than  Vfc  Cent  a  Night 
Any  home  may  now  have  the  brilliant  light  at 
small  cost  through  the  remarkable  invention  of 
B.  J.  Davis,  a  Kansas  City  expert  mechanic. 
This  amazing  invention  called  the  Economy 
Lamp  is  beautifully  designed  and  an  ornament 
to  any  home.  There  is  no  wick,  chimney  or 
odor.  It  lights  instantly  and  gives  from  300  to 
400  candlepower  at  a  cost  of  less  than  %  cent 
a  night.  It  is  so  simple  a  child  can  operate  it 
with  perfect  safety  and  carry  it  anywhere. 
We  are  so  T>roud  of  this  invention  that  we 
will  send  an  Economy  Lamp  free  to  try,  to  any 
reader  who  will  write  for  it.  If1  you  want 
plenty  of  soft,  brilliant,  healthful  light  you 
should  accept  this  generous  offer  without  obliga¬ 
tion  by  simply  sending  your  name  and  address 
before  this  special  introductory  offer  is  with¬ 
drawn. 
ECONOMY  LAMP  COMPANY 
127  Economy  Bldg.  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
MAKE  MONEY 
Pulling  stumps  for  yourself 
Mid  others  with"Hereules“ 
— the  fastest,  easiest  op¬ 
erating  stump  puller  made. 
Horse  or  hand  power.  Easy 
terms— $10  Down.  I 
Cheapest  Way 
to  Pull  Stumps 
rite  Quick  for  Agent's  Offer 
Bigr  profits  with  easy  work  for  you 
In  my  new  special  agrent’s  offer. 
Also  gret  my  new  bigr  catalog: — free, 
HERCULES  MFG.  CO. 
29th  St  Centerville,  Iowa 
Nature  Notes 
Possibilities  in  Muskrat  Farming 
Could  you  give  me  any  information  re¬ 
garding  muskrat  farming,  or  put  me  in 
touch  with  any  person  engaged  in  rat 
farming?  Also,  could  you  tell  me  the 
most  suitable  location  in  this  State  for 
such  a  farm?  I  am  tired  of  making  high- 
class  milk  for  the  price  of  garbage.  Hav¬ 
ing  had  considerable  experience  in  trap¬ 
ping,  I  know  that  muskrats  are  the  only 
fur-bearing  animal  that  will  be  raised 
successfully  by  the  ordinary  person. 
New  York.  w.  J.  M. 
We  shall  have  to  pass  this — pass  it 
over  to  someone  who  has  worked  this 
business  out.  The  Department  of  Agri¬ 
culture  at  Washington  has  issued  a 
pamphlet  on  “Fur  Farming”  which  will 
help  you.  Some  of  the  dealers  in  raw 
furs  print  advice  in  their  catalogues.  The 
publication  known  as  Fur  News  would 
help.  The  most  practical  advice  would 
naturally  come  from  people  who  have  de¬ 
veloped  such  a  business.  We  have  no 
doubt  there  are  many  of  them  among 
readers  of  Tiie  R.  N.-Y.  We  have  heard 
from  some  trappers,  but  they  do  not  give 
a  very  clear  description  of  the  way  these 
ponds  or  farms  are  developed.  We  should 
like  to  hear  from  some  of  them,  telling 
just  how  muskrat  “farming”  is  developed 
as  a  business. 
Mammal  Fish 
Will  you  tell  me  where  I  can  buy 
mammal  fish?  These  are  little  fish  about 
an  inch  and  a  half  long.  The  male  is 
covered  with  red  dots  and  the  female  is 
a  greenish  color.  Instead  of  spawning 
they  bring  forth  their  young  the  same  as 
other  animals.  H.  F. 
Bethel,  Conn. 
The  term  “mammal  fish,”  which  you 
use,  is  a  little  misleading.  The  name 
mammal  does  not  re.fer  to  the  fact  that 
the  young  are  brought  forth  alive.  There 
are  at  least  two  living  mammals  which 
lay  eggs.  Mammals  are  so  named  be¬ 
cause  they  feed  their  young  with  the  se¬ 
cretion  (milk)  from  mammary  glands. 
There  are  many  creatures  besides  mam¬ 
mals  that  produce  living  young. 
From  your  description  it  is  not  pos¬ 
sible  to  tell  which  of  several  species  of 
aquarium  fish  you  mean.  Among  the 
possibilities  are:  Guppies;  Mollienisia, 
several  species;  sword-tails;  and  mats 
(Platypoecilia) ,  several  species.  There 
are  many,  probably  several  hundred, 
species  of  fishes  of  tropical  or  semi- 
tropical  waters  which  bear  living  young 
and  in  a  large  percentage  of  them  the 
males  have  bright  spots  of  red,  green  or 
blue  while  the  females  are  greenish. 
ALFRED  C.  WEED. 
She  Deserved  a  Burial 
After  reading  “Cats  as  Rat  Catchers,” 
by  Mrs.  A.  D.  .T.,  I  want  to  add  my  cor¬ 
roboration.  I  have  a  cat  six  years  old 
that  keeps  the  barn  and  feed  room  free 
from  rats  and  mice.  Only  a  short  time 
ago  she  caught  a  rat  one-half  as  large  as 
herself.  She  showed  marks  of  the  battle, 
but  kitty  won.  Like  Mrs.  A.  D.  J.’s,  my 
cat  brings  game  to  the  house,  except 
birds,  which  she  knows  are  tabooed.  A 
cat  fed  regularly  and  properly  will  sel¬ 
dom  catch  birds. 
This  cat’s  mother  died  last  year  at  the 
age  of  14  years.  She,  too.  was  a  ratter, 
tier  mode  of  attack  was  unique,  inasmuch 
as  upon  coming  in  contact  with  a  rat  she 
would  throw  herself  upon  her  back.  This 
gave  her  the  advantage  of  having  the  use 
of  four  feet  as  well  as  her  teeth.  This 
mode  of  attack  was  only  used  when  Mr. 
Rat  turned  and  showed  fight.  In  the  last 
years  of  her  life  she  had  lost  several 
teeth,  and  her  nails  were  worn  short  and 
blunt,  but  her  courage  and  cunning 
stayed  with  her  to  the  end.  She  was  a 
faithful  and  useful  member  of  the  family, 
and  do  you  blame  me  for  burying  her  un¬ 
der  the  big  rosebush  by  the  garden? 
New  York.  n.  h.  b. 
Catching  Hen  Hawks 
You  asked  recently  for  a  remedy 
against  hen  hawks.  My  remedy  is  to  find 
the  killed  chicken,  stake  it  down  with  a 
forked  stick,  without  moving  the  chicken. 
After  chickens  are  in  houses  put.  four 
staked-down  traps  around  the  chicken. 
Keep  chickens  locked  up  next  day,  some¬ 
times  until  afternoon.  The  staking  down 
of  the  chicken  does  the  trick.  I  catch 
half  a  dozen  hawks  every  year  that  way, 
and  often  thought  if  every  hen  man  would 
catch  the  same  number  we  would  soon  be 
rid  of  the  pest.  E.  K. 
Massachusetts. 
The  best  way  to  prevent  hawks  from 
catching  chickens  in  the  Summer  is  to 
catch  them  in  the  early  Spring  when  food 
is  short.  Last  Spring  I  placed  a  dead 
hen  out  of  sight  of  the  house  by  a  stone 
wall.  I  placed  five  traps  about  it,  with¬ 
out  any  attempt  at  concealment,  and 
caught  a  big  horned  owl,  two  hawks,  two 
crows  and  a  coon.  This  broke  up  some 
families  that  would  have  given  me  trouble 
later. 
If  a  hawk  gets  to  taking  chickens  in 
Summer  he  can  generally  be  followed  to 
his  nest,  as  he  flies  straight  to  it,  the  nest 
shot  to  pieces  and  the  young  killed.  This 
will  stop  his  depredations. 
iNew  Hampshire.  c.  o.  THURSTON. 
Curing  the  Turkey  Wing 
On  page  1422  I  noticed  an  inquiry  by 
F.  N.  B.  of  New  Jersey  wishing  to  know 
how  properly  to  prepare  and  preserve  a 
turkey’s  wing.  This  comes  under  the 
head  of  taxidermy,  but  I  will  try  to 
describe  a  simple  process  that  any  in¬ 
telligent  man  or  woman  can  easily  fol¬ 
low.  Make  two  incisions  in  the  wing  to 
be  preserved  (See  I  and  II  in  accom¬ 
panying  sketch),  and  skin  back  far 
enough  to  enable  you  to  scrape  the  meat 
from  the  bones.  Poison  well  with  arsenic 
powder  (dry),  and  sew  up.  Stretch  out 
and  let  dry  for  one  week  in  the  position 
you  desire. 
Chicken  or  smaller  birds’  wings  can 
be  dried  satisfactorily  by  putting  on  a 
stove  shelf  and  slowly  drying.  The  above 
method  is  the  proper  one  for  the  larger 
birds.  If  you  desire  you  may  run  a  wire 
up  to  the  tip  of  the  wing,  which  will 
hold  in  any  position  you  wish  by  bending 
it.  (Sharpen  wire  to  dull  point.)  R.  v. 
Warwick,  N.  Y. 
F.  N.  B.  asks  about  curing  wings  from 
fowls.  My  mother  used  to  save  the  nicest 
wings  from  hens  that  were  full  feathered 
and  free  from  pinfeathers,  and  she  did 
nothing  but  cut  the  joint  before  scalding 
the  chicken  so  there  would  be  as  little 
flesh  as  possible  and  hold  the  feathers. 
They  were  hung  up  and  dried  before 
using.  Some  covered  the  end  with  a  little 
flannel  when  cured.  Probably  a  little 
alum  and  saltpeter  might  help,  but  there 
was  no  odor  about  them,  simply  dried. 
Kalamazoo,  Mich.  k. 
My  mother  often  fixed  them  and  she 
put  a  flatiron  on  them  and  left  it  there 
for  awhile.  Must  have  been  quite  warm, 
not  too  hot,  or  feathers  might  burn. 
Hers  were  cured  perfectly,  no  smell. 
Orange  Co.,  N.  Y.  e.  b.  w. 
Defense  of  a  Dog 
I  was  much  interested  to  read  in  Nov. 
17  issue,  under  the  caption  “A  Woman’s 
Dog  Business,”  that  the  “Pekingese  is  a 
degenerate  and  stupid  dog.”  I  am  sure 
that  F.  H.  M.,  who  wrote  the  article,  has 
come  in  contact  with  very  few  Pekingese. 
I  have  been  breeding  Pekingese  since  the 
Fall  of  1917.  The  Pekingese  is  anything 
but  a  degenerate  and  stupid  dog.  lie  is 
bright,  full  of  life,  intelligent,  courage¬ 
ous.  will  go  for  dogs  bigger  than  himself, 
and  even  if  beaten  will  leave  the  field 
with  his  plume  over  his  back  and  his  head 
in  the  air,  as  if  he  were  the  victor.  He 
makes  a  splendid  watchdog,  a  dandy  com¬ 
panion  for  man,  woman  or  child.  Faith¬ 
ful  and  loving  and  most  human  in  his 
ways,  entirely  different  from  any  other 
breed  of  dog,  and  by  the  way,  his  breed 
is  very  old ;  he  comes  originally  from  the 
Summer  Palace  of  Pekin,  where  they 
were  very  jealously  guarded  by  the  order 
of  the  Chinese  empress.  When  the  Eng¬ 
lish  looted  the  palace  in  1860,  after  the 
court  had  fled  to  the  interior,  four  or  five 
of  these  little  dogs  were  found  alive  and 
taken  to  England,  and  from  them  the 
breeding  was  started  in  England  and 
later  brought  to  America.  Bronze  and 
marble  effigies  of  these  little  animals, 
known  to  be  over  2,000  years  old,  are  in 
existence  in  many  private  collections  of 
Chinese  curios,  and  in  the  American  mu¬ 
seum. 
The  Pekingese  is  not  hard  to  breed.  He 
is  hardy  and  strong,  loves  walking,  does 
not  object  to  any  kind  of  weather  and 
glories  in  the  snow.  His  food  consists  of 
meat,  bread  and  vegetables.  In  fact,  he 
is  like  any  other  dog ;  if  you  pamper  him 
and  make  an  idiot  of  him,  why,  of  course, 
he  will  be  most  undesirable ;  but  bring 
him  up  properly,  love  him.  talk  and  play 
with  him,  feed  him  right,  give  him  his  box 
or  basket  to  sleep  in,  but  be  sure  to  make 
a  companion  of  him  and  let  him  under¬ 
stand  you  are  the  boss,  but  always  kind, 
why,  you  have  a  fine  companion. 
A  dog  resembles  very  much  a  child.  It 
all  depends  upon  how  you  educate  and 
bring  him  up.  Itlalso  means  a  great  deal 
to  the  dog  in  his  future  life. 
New  York.  a.  m.  symonds. 
Witii  the  thermometer  near  zero  one 
early  moraine  last  Winter,  a  Chicago 
man  who  directs  the  operation  of  a  score 
of  newsboys,  considered  it  a  good  idea  to 
give  the  boys  some  food  <to  help  them 
combat  the  cold.  So  he  invited  them  all 
into  a  restaurant.  “Now  order  what  you 
want,”  he  told  them,  “so  you’ll  be  able 
to  keep  warm  when  you  go  out  on  the 
street.”  And  every  mother’s  son  of  them 
ordered  ice  cream. — Everybody’s  Maga¬ 
zine. 
