1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



397 



deceive experienced dealers. The Custom House 

 marks are easily counterfeited, and certificates 

 are never wanting." 



"I have heard," says Dr. Lee, "dealers relate 

 instances in which extensive stores had been 

 filled with these artificial wines, and when mer- 

 chants from the country have asked for genuine 

 wines, these have been sold them as such, with 

 assurances that there could be no doubt of their 

 purity." 



The late Rev. T. P. Hunt, of Wyoming, Pean., 

 ■wrote: "While I lectured in Philadelphia, I be- 

 came acquainted with a man who was engaged ex- 

 tensively in making wines, brandy, &c. Through 

 my influence he abandoned the horrid traffic. 

 He informed me, that in order to produce the 

 "nutty flavor" for which Madeira was so much 

 admired, he put a bag of cockroaches into the 

 liquor and let it remain there until the cock- 

 roaches were dissolved. I have been informed by 

 several that this is no uncommon practice. If 

 any wine drinker doubts it, he can soon settle 

 the question by experiment. Cockroaches ai-e 

 plenty, and many much more nauseous and pois- 

 onous substances are known to be employed by 

 the makers and venders of intoxicating drinks. I 

 would give you the name of the person who gave 

 the recipe for using cockroaches, but he gave it 

 in confidence, and is now occupying a much 

 more moral and useful station than that of pois- 

 oning his customers." 



Says President Nott, in his admirable lectures, 

 "I had a friend who had been himself a wine 

 dealer, and having read the startling statements, 

 some time since made public, in relation to the 

 brewing of wines, and the adulteration of other 

 liquors generally, I inquired of that friend as to 

 the verity of these statements. His reply was: 

 'God forgive what has passed in my own cellar, 

 but the statements made are true — all true, I as- 

 sure you.' " 



"That friend," says President Nott, "has since 

 gone to his last account, as have doubtless many 

 of those whose days on earth were shortened by 

 poisons he dispensed. But I still remember, and 

 shall long remember, both the terms and the 

 tone of that laconic answer, 'The statements 

 made are true — all true, I assure you.' " 



"But not on the evidence of that friend does 

 the evidence of these frauds alone depend. 

 Another friend informed me that in examining, 

 as an assignee, the papers of a house in that city, 

 which had dealt in wine, and which had stopped 

 payment, he found evidence of the purchase, 

 during the preceding year, of hundreds of casks 

 of cider, but none of wine ; and yet it was not 

 cider, but wine, which had been supposed to have 

 been dealt out by that house to its confiding cus- 

 tomers." — Michigan Farmer. 



Westfield Academy.— We notice this insti- 

 tution with pleasure because it has an Agricultu- 

 ral Department. The late Stephen Harrison, 

 (we will cherish his memory,) of Westfield, be- 

 queathed $5000 for endowing this department, 

 and the town, with great good sense, contributed 

 an additional sum of $5000. 



The course of instruction in this department, 

 we learn, is eminently practical, and includes al- 



most every topic connected with agriculture and 

 horticulture. We have heretofore spoken of the 

 Institution at Bernardston, Mass., conducted 

 upon similar principles. These are among the 

 encouraging indications of the progress of agri- 

 culture. The course of study at Westfield in- 

 cludes. 



Recitations in Scientific Agriculture. 



Agricultural Chemistry. 



Special Topics in Chemistry and Agriculture. 



Theory of Fertilizers. 



Discussions of Questions relative to Crop!, Mode* of Culture, 

 Agricultural Implements, etc. 



Feeding and Treatment of Stock. 



Directions for conducting Experiments in Agriculture. 



Discussion uf Agiicaliural bLdiisucs. 



Principles of Land Surveying. 



Horticulture. 



Fruits and Modes of Culture. 



General Principles of Taste, with Applications to Landscape 

 Gardening and Rural Architecture. 



Joseph B. Holland, M. A., Principal. 



■WORCESTER AGRICULTURAIj SOCIETY. 



FoKTiETO Annual Report. 



This report contains the award of premiums, 

 statements of committees and competitors, the by- 

 laws of the society, and a list of the members 

 from its origin. The premiums awarded amount- 

 ed to $979 50. There appears to have been a fine 

 show of neat stock, and this is always expected 

 in Worcester, for there is no finer stock to be 

 found in the State, than in Worcester county. 

 Horses were obviously a prominent feature at 

 the exhibition, and nearly one-third of the whole 

 amount of premiums awarded was for horses. 

 Two premiums of $50 each were given to one 

 person for two fast horses ! We notice, also, that 

 $331 were received for the use of the track. This 

 we suppose was for a purpose not contemplated 

 in the act incorporating the society, or for any 

 thing that would tend to promote the art of agri- 

 culture. We presume, however, that the opera- 

 tions on the track were not carried on under the 

 immediate supervision and patronage of the so- 

 ciety, but only with its knowledge and consent, 

 and the society, must therefore share in whatever 

 credit and honor may be attached to them. 



We notice that the society has a heavy debt 

 of nearly $16,000, the interest on which absorbs 

 a large portion of its income. We fear it will be 

 a long time before the profit derived from the 

 track will pay this debt. We believe the true 

 policy of all our societies is to invest as little as 

 may be in real estate, and keep their funds so in- 

 vested that they will yield an annual income, 

 which may be used for the legitimate purposes of 

 the organization. When money is invested in 

 buildings, insurance must be paid, and they con- 

 stantly require repairs, which absorb no small 

 portion of the income of the society. A cheap, 

 substantial hall, that will accommodate the exhi- 

 bition, when suitable accommodations cannot be 

 procured in the immediate neighborhood, is justi- 



