Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1900-12-05
SWIRDLING THE FARMER
MANY Victims of a New Seed
Potato Fraud.
PAYING DEARLY FOR EXPERIENCE

II Is Estimated That During the Last
Three Months Farmers In lnoi-
ana, Missouri, Illinois and Minne-
sofa Have Been Robbed of Nearly
S75O,OOO.
Farmers Of the central west, says
q Milwaukee dispatch to the St Paui
Pioneer Press, have been swindled by
q confidence game that somewhat re-
sembles the Bohemian oat deal OF
years ago. 1t is estimated by bankers
and lawyers, who are in position to
know. that in Indiana, Missouri, ILL
nos and Minnesota the man with the
hoe has contributed in the last three
months not less than $4,000 to the
hank account Of the originator Of
new scheme which proved an alluring
bait.
Early last winter a company was,
Incorporated with an alleged capital
of S1,O0O.OOO. Soon after the company /.
was incorporated the mails were filed,
with letters. sent in each case to some.
well to do farmer This letter stated
that the company had purchasede-a .
new thing in the potato line; that,
with ordinary ground, this potato
which they were handling was guar
anteed to yield from 900 to 1000 bush
els per acre. Seed could be procured
of them only at a cost Of $40 per bush
ell. and no less than two and a half
bushels would be sold to any pur-
chaser at this price. In no case was
payment desired in advance, and the
company would undertake by contract
TO buy back the following season an
equal number of bushels at the. same
price. Those who were interested were
invited to correspond with the new
company.
Inclosed with the letter was O clip
ping from a Chicago paper containing
the following encouraging informa-
ton:
"Long Island farmers have discov-
cred potato which returns phenom-
email yield. The failure in this vicinity
through blight this season Of the po-
tato crop compelled the farmers to look
about for q variety new to their, soil.
There is much promise in one promul-
gated about two years ago in Suffolk
county, which is said to be not only
most prolific producer, but excellent In
quality as well. A few pounds each
have been distributed to farmers for
trial, and the results reported from
them are somewhat phenomenal From
one pound tests co to 90 pounds have
been produced, and one farmers yield
was at the rate Of 900 bushels per
acre."
This served to whet the appetite OF
the granger for more recommends
tons concerning the prolific potato.
The seed offered was known as the
''Pink Producer" and was declared to
be satisfactory for any use. OF course
there were many responses to these
letters, and the farmer would then re-
ceive an answer to the effect that the
state agent would soon call. Within a
fortnight O we'll dressed business man
would appear with q sample peck OF
the potatoes. They were clean eyed
specimens and each one bright pink
color. A deal would be made for any
where from 215 to 10 bushels, delivery
to be made In ten days. The farmer
would give his promissory note, due IN
two, three or four months, as the case
might be, and he would receive In time
an agreement to purchase @ CORE
spending number of bushels at the $40
price the next season, to give the farm
er the township agency If he preferred
It. OF course all the farmers notes
were discounted at the nearest bank,
or, In any event, they passed into
third and an innocent purchasers
hand In Ortonville and Odessa, MIMI,
alone over $1,000 worth Of these notes
were collected last month. All along
the line of the Milwaukee railway,
from Glencoe to Moorhead, there is
hardly q station where dupes have not
been found. Minnesota must have been
touched" for full 100000, while In
diana was swindled worst of all. The
residents of Illinois are said to have
contributed over double the amount
that is credited to Minnesota.
1t has been discovered that the pota-
toes sold under the name Of "Pink Pro-
Queer" were bought last spring in Ohio
and, after being carefully washed,
were given a bath Of aniline dye,
which added the desired tint. In other
respects they were Of the ordinary va
riety.
This fraud probably would not have
come to light so early in the year had
1t not been for a personal difficulty
which two members of the company
had recently in Detroit. One thought
he was getting the worst Of the finan-
cial end Of the deal and protested. The
other tried to convince him he didn't
know what he was talking about. and
the result was blows and the police
court. The former then told about the
paying scheme and is now sojourning
in Windsor, Canada, waiting for the
storm to blow over.
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