174 LETTER-FILES OF S. W. JOHNSON 



the subject were widely current, the fallibility of 

 which was not proven. "Captain Pierce 's critters" 

 alluded to in the first of the following letters were the 

 victims of experimental feeding similar to that inflicted 

 upon the better-known cows of Mr. Miller. 



Jamaica Plain, Mass., 11 April, 1875. 



My dear Johnson, Strange to say I know your hand- 

 writing at sight. That I am glad to see it goes without talk- 

 ing. I am proud and happy to expedite the Bulletins to their 

 several destinations. Pray let me know of any one who may 

 care to see them or rather make him let me know. I can 

 tell from my own sentiments how you must loathe to touch 

 pen to paper. Were it not for this standing horror I would 

 write you triweekly. Thus, I wanted to ask didn't Capt. 

 Pierce 's cattle gnaw boards or "browse," or something such, 

 what time they ate the corn per sef There is an old sea yarn 

 to the effect that a ship 's carpenter saved the cow 's life, after 

 the hay had gone overboard and she was reduced to a diet 

 of meal, by gradually planing down a spare spar and occupy- 

 ing her paunch and grinders with the shavings thereof. 

 Many a Nanny goat has been saved on long voyages by a 

 ration of barrel-hoops enlivened by bits of biscuit, and the 

 traditions of seafarers emphasize the hoops more than they 

 do the grain product, possibly of course because the latter 

 had to be sparing. 



That is a very interesting lead, which I hope you will follow 

 to the other end. 



I read your skreed on commercial manures with great in- 

 terest and commendation as I do all your Tribune articles. 

 Thine, F. H. Storer. 



New Haven, Connecticut, Apr. 17, 1875. 



My dear Storer, Yours and the Bulletins and the spurned 

 guerdon are all safely rec'd with thanks. I must rise to 



