New Ideas

Scratch-Happy. Because he reckoned that "cows know where they itch," Cattleman Bill Kirk designed a pest-killer which any range animal can apply to itself. "Old Scratch" is a flexible steel cable, strung with hundreds of steel washers, lubricated by a reservoir of oil-insecticide. The cow just rubs against Old Scratch, is automatically smeared with bug-killer, made happier, puts on weight faster as a result. Kirk, who started out with 11-c- in capital last year, has already shipped 4,500 models of Old Scratch to ranchers. Price: $198.50 f.o.b. Amarillo, Texas.

Rear View. William B. MacDonald Jr. of Chicago's Mid-States Corp. (house trailers) had a 12 1/2-in. TV set built into his 1951 Cadillac sedan.* The viewing tube is fixed at a 45-degree angle on the rear floor of the car, the antenna protrudes from the trunk. Cost of the set plus installation: $1,000.

Whole Cloth. Pabst Brewing Co. put on the market a dry-cleaning powder which literally eats stains from clothing. An enzyme, the powder will digest stains made by eggs, milk, chocolate, coffee, beer. One drawback: if used on a synthetic fabric with a protein base, the powder will eat up the cloth. Price of "Exzyme": $4.50 a pound.

Shopper-Stopper. Boston's Jordan Marsh department store last week began televising its own fashion shows in color to three receivers within the store, plans to place 20 more receivers in the store and in show windows.

* Thus disqualifying the car for use in New York State. Governor Thomas E. Dewey last week signed a bill outlawing TV sets in automobiles.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.