over a considerable territory, it has not greatly harmed the crop except in small spots here and there. In It would be exceptionally bad weather that would bring general harm to the crops from now on. many places the oats and wheat are being threshed, and in Nebraska it was not uncommon to hear of yields of from 20 to 35 bushels per acre, while the oats are far above the average. Forty bushels of rye was the yield of one field that had been threshed, and many others just as good were seen. It is a beautiful sight to ride across country in any part of Iowa or Nebraska and note the fine farms. This is especially true of the hilly country of western Iowa, where hills and valley alike are checkered with masses of green cornfields and pastures, and golden small grain, already harvested or rapidly ripening. The newspapers have been filled with stories of water-ruined crops and the losses of farmers from too much rain. That these losses have occurred in certain restricted sections is true, but they cover only a small percentage of the aggregate. As one sees the magnificent crops covering all these rich states, one wonders how the railways can find cars and motive power to move the grain to market. The farmers of the west are happily situated. Dozens of them were visited, and every one had the telephone. the rural route and farm papers. In the remotest place in Nebraska which was reached, a farm ten miles from the nearest village, a telephone message to the owner of the farm informed him that the stock yards strike at Chicago was renewed and that he would better arrange his feeding to suit the conditions. Asked where the message came from, he answered in a matterof-fact way that it was from a commission man in the Omaha stock yards, 150 miles away. The business man who thinks political agitation or fear of hard times is going to make the farmer hesitate about making investments is unnecessarily cautious. The farmer is in the midst of plenty this year, and never has been in a better position to buy liberally. He has had three fat years and has paid his debts and acquired a surplus that the banks handle reluctantly. Everywhere new machinery, new farm implements, new vehicles and new home comforts are being bought, and this sort of thing is going to continue for another year at least. The west is a fat land this year, and money will flow in a steady stream into the farming districts, and this money will be used to buy all the things that go to make life comfortable. Never has there been a better outlook for business than this harvest time of 1904. What to Advertise to the Stockman and HENRY WALLACE IRST, the advertiser must get a clear comprehension of the position and the wants of the up-todate stockman. He does not live in the prairie stable nor a shack. He does not any longer live in a temporary home. His ambition is to have an up-to-date home with furnace, steam, or hot water heat, acetylene gas, modern, upto-date furniture, musical instruments, and everything in harmony. On the farm he hopes to have the best up-to-date buildings, fences, and agricultural machinery. He is fast accumulating the money with which to purchase all these and live the life of a country gentleman. If advertisers could only realize this, they would know without further suggestion what to advertise. of the dealer instead of for themselves and the farmers. The best posted farmers are constantly on the lookout for the latest improved machinery and are willing to sell the old, no matter in how good repair, on condition that they can see clearly that by buying the latest improvement they are saving money. As it is now, he discovers this latest improvement only by accident, whereas he should be early directed to it through his own favorite agricultural paper. The dealer will catch on. There is no difficulty in the dealer furnishing the kind of machinery required provided the farmer demands ít. Advertising should be with the idea. of creating this demand. For example, we have just thrown away a good corn planter. Why? Because by looking up the latest improvements we find we can make money by putting it in the junk pile, or selling it to who does not know any better than to use it. every The stockman is now buying about everything for his home that the wellto-do merchant does. He is living in the style of the well-to-do where. He has the wants of the wellto-do and the means with which to gratify them. Hence, a vast amount of advertising which is now limited to the magazines should find its place in the pages of the agricultural paper, as it is to his favorite farm paper he looks for the advertisements of things he really needs, and he pays little attention to the advertising elsewhere. In a few years, every up-to-date farmer will not only have the home comforts above described, but the best machinery and appliances. The scarcity and increased cost of labor is compelling farmers to use the best, up-to-date, labor-saving machinery. No branch of advertising is so much neglected as this. Many of the manufacturers of the latest improved machinery advertise it in trade papers; advertise, so to speak, for the benefit some man In In what mediums to advertise? those to which the farmer looks for guidance and suggestions. Papers that have an individuality of their own and which are built up on their merit as agricultural papers. A vast amount of advertising is thrown away by the wrong choice of mediums. There are certain papers which the farmer habitually consults on all matters of advanced agriculture; there are other papers which he reads merely to pass away the time. It would be useless to advertise up-todate goods in anything but up-todate papers. Find out to what papers the farmers look for guidance. An advertisement in them will catch his eye and bring the answer. Find out where the up-to-date farmer looks for guidance and put your advertisement there and you will get good results from a large class of men who have money in their pockets to supply their wants. Guaranteed Advertisers are the only kind we accept advertising from. The subscribers to our great weeklies have learned that they can safely do business with any one to whom we sell space in our columns. This creates confidence, promotes business and brings A Rich Harvest of Orders to all who put themselves in touch with the families into whose homes they go regularly as welcome and highly prized friends. Paid 210,000 Subscribers. Ask for rates for one or all three. No du- ORANGE JUDD COMPANY, 52 Lafayette Place. NEW YORK Joseph W. Kennedy, Rep. Springfield, Mass. 1443 Marquette Bldg. CHICAGO Geo. B. Briggs, West. Mgr. The Year's Prosperity S. L. Allen & Co., Philadelphia, Pa. We are just closing our books now for our business year. We have done the largest volume of business in our history, and we hope that the returns will prove satisfactory. Our records show that our advertising returns for the year are practically the same, as far as the number of inquiries is concerned, as last year, but we are able to trace considerably greater returns in actual sales. Avery Manufacturing Company, Peoria, Ill. We have had a very satisfactory year, considering the backwardness of the season and the partial failure of crops in many places. Our trade has been considerably better than we anticipated it would be. Many of us are given to losing sight of the fact that this country of ours is a huge one, and there are always some places where there is "something doing" and that at others unfavorable conditions exist. Another thing, we are getting a good foothold in other parts of the world, which is an excellent thing for the American manufacturer, as it gives him an opportunity to dispose of his product, even though the trade at home should be slack for any cause. Dowden Manufacturing Co., Prairie City, Ia. Owing to the fact that we started earlier than usual with our advertising, we cannot tell just what the results are, but we have already shipped as many diggers up to date as we sold all last year, and we expect to ship a great many more yet this season, for it is just now potato harvest time. It is conceded by all who have used our famous potato digger, the Dowden, that we are leading all others. W emake a machine that runs lighter than any other digger on earth, run ning the same depth and with the same size shovel. Our diggers have been known to run for ten years with but very few cents for repairs, and for this fact we can sell our output, and it will be almost impossible for us to keep up with the demand this season. We have been on the market for the past twelve years, and have forged our way to the front, where we now stand without a peer, at all times being judicious in advertising, covering only that territory where potatoes are grown the most extensively. David Bradley Mfg. Co., Bradley, Ill. The past year, although presidential, has had its pleasant features in a business way. We are doing a much heavier export business than heretofore, and although this is our dull season of the year, in which we shut down for stock taking and repairs, we have been fairly busy the past year, and our sales in the United States have been all that we could expect. S. Freeman & Sons Mfg. Co., Racine, Wis. It is very early in the year yet for us to say just what results we are getting from our newspaper advertising. Goodell Company, Antrim, N. H. The past year has been quite a good one with us as regards the sale of Cahoon seed sowers. We believe what inquiries we have received this year will do us eventually more good than the same number in previous years, as we have sent a letter to the applicant, enclosing descriptive matter on the Cahoon seed sower, and told him that he could get the machine of his local dealer, giving him the name of a responsible house in his town. We have then written the dealer that this party was interested in seed sowers, giving him the information which would enable him to secure the order if it could be obtained. Kemp & Burpee Mfg. Co., Syracuse, N. Y. Up to this time we have no objection to make as to the trade conditions. Our trade this year is much larger than that of last year, and the advertising seems to have been ef fective. There was a time during the months of April and May when the uncertain weather created a dullness in all lines, which affected us, together with other agricultural implement concerns, but conditions at the present time seem to be much more favorable, and inquiries are coming in in increasing numbers as the busy season approaches. Louden Machinery Company, Fairfield, Ia. It affords us a good deal of pleasure to be able to announce that our year's work has been very satisfactory, and this is especially true of the results we have been receiving from advertising. While there are some things that have not been just as we would have liked to have them, we are on the whole very well satisfied. We still have some other advertising on our contract, and we think it quite likely we shall wish to engage a considerable amount of space within the next month or two. Milne Manufacturing Company, Monmouth, Ill. Our business has not been as good this year as we had expected, considering the amount of advertising, mailing of circulars, etc., that we have done. We are of the opinion that the high price and scarcity of extra farm labor has been very much against the stump-puller business this year. Warsaw-Wilkinson Co., Warsaw, N. Y. It is a little early for us to say just how we are coming out this season. but the indications point to a very prosperous year indeed. It is now simply a question of good corn weather with us, and we trust that you Chicago people will not grumble at the heat which is bringing grist to our mill. The J. W. Miller Co., Freeport, Ill. The business year which we have just closed has been by far the best and most prosperous year that we have ever had in the poultry and incubator business. Our success is largely due to the fact that we have advertised persistently, using the best publications, following up our inquiries and supplying our customers |