Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 May 1902 — SWINDLING FARMERS. [ARTICLE]

SWINDLING FARMERS.

Sharper* Follow Up Announcements Made by the Government. While agricultural department* of the national government and the various States are doing good work, and their investigations and experiments have been of great value to farmers, gardener* and stock raisers, said a retired farmer the other day, bands of sharpers take advantage of every official announcement mad* by the authorities. For instance, a department announces the discovery of an insect that destroys the cabbage. Within twenty-four hours the sharpers are advertising * powder that will destroy these insects. A department announces the appearance of the elm pest.. In every locality in the country appear smooth-talking gentlemen who claim to be able to prevent damage to the trees by this insect. People believe them and pay them money, only to have their trees killed by the very methods which the sharpers claim will save them from destruction by the pests. The National Agricultural Department at Washington has announced recently that the 17-year locusts will appear this year, and following thi* there have suddenly sprung into existence several unique methods of destroying these infects or of preventing their ravage*.