1877.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
167 
back five, ten, twenty-fold, the coat of the hooks. We 
wish every fanner could see, as we see it, of how much 
value it would he to invest A5. §10, or better, $20 in se- 
curing' a small library, no matter how ^eat a sacrifice in 
some other direction, or how great the effort it may cost. 
The mail now bringa books to every man's door. We 
knofc that every man who wili follow our advice, and get 
such a library now, vriil in less than three years warmly 
thank us for urging him to do so. There are many good 
books advertised now. To any one desiring it, we will 
be happy to offer advice as to a selection, if he will state 
his circumstences, what he has read, etc. 
War — Piisli. in One Acre More, — 
At this writing (Apui! 16) every indication points to a 
great war in Europe, to commence between Russia and 
Turkey, but likely to extend to other nations. TUis will 
involve tha great granery of the lo.wer Danube, and lead 
to a much larger demand upou this country for many farm 
product*. While we deplore war, it is well for our far- 
mers to push their prodnciious to the highest point, not 
only by careful cultivation to increase the yield, but 
by getting in every additional acre possible this spring. 
T'he Crrasshopper Commission.— 
Congress made an appropriation, and commissioners 
have been appointed for a thorough investigation of the 
Locusts, or grasshoppers, and the means of preventing 
their devastations. The gentlemen appointed are Prof. 
C. V. Riley, of Mo.; Prof. Cyrus Thomas, of His.; and 
Doct. A. S. Packard, Jr.^ of Mass. These gentlemen 
have already taken the field in different parts of the far 
West, and will no doubt get at the " bottom facts" con- 
cerning this scourge. The question naturally suggests 
itself. What is our Department of Agriculture for? Here 
is a work that belongs eminently to that Department, 
pat in tlie hands of others. Is not the present Commis- 
sioner competent to direct such an undertaking, or is he 
so busy in sending ont seed that he has not heard of the 
gr&sshoppers ? 
Special— The " BooU Acre."— Know- 
ing, as we do, the great advantage of good books to 
every farmer, we offer the following suggestion : Select 
one acre in addition to what is now planned for, label it 
the •■ BOOK ACRE ;" cultivate it at odd hours, and re- 
solve to invest the proceeds in good books on farming. 
It will be the best paying acre, on many farms, that waa 
ever grown. Try it this year. 
A Xliin;:^ "Wortli Ooing-.— If any farmer 
will get five of his neighbors to join him in subscribing 
for the Am^r-ican AgricuUia-ist for the present year, at the 
regular rates of $1.60 each, (or sis others if he is him- 
self a subscriber now), the Publishers will send as a 
present a copy of Allen's "New American Farm Book," 
(price $2.50), post-paid. This valuable book is full of 
useful information, and it can be passed around and con- 
sulted and read by all of the six or seven persons, and 
make a good beginning fora farmers' Circulating Library. 
The cost to each, at $1.60 a year, which pays for postage 
also, will be only 3 cents a week. Surely a copy of the 
American Agriculturist in each household a whole year, 
and the use of this large instructive book, will richly re- 
pay 90 email an investment. It will pay. 
OR.— If impossible to get the six subscribers named 
above, Wt four subscriptions be made np, and select one 
of the $1.50 books from the list on third cover paije of 
this number, say Henderson's ''Gardening for Profit," or 
" Harris on the Pig," or Stewart's " Shepherds' Manual," 
or Thomas' "Farm Implements," or Waring's "Drain- 
ing for Profit." Anj^one of these books circulated and 
read, will be of great usefulness. 
Wide-a-liValfe in Australia^ I^'e^v 
Zealand, Bermuda, etc.— The following pleas- 
ant bit of commendation comes in a letter from a gen- 
tleman well known in the scientific world, who is passing 
the winter and spring in the Island of Bermuda: '^Iwaa 
riding, the »ther day, with a well known English natur- 
alist, along a quiet country road. We were passing one 
of the pretty little cottages peculiar to Bermuda, but which 
showed more than ordinary taste in its surroundings. 
The snow-white limestone walls were covered with vines, 
a graceful hedge of pigeon-bash concealed the out-houses 
from sight, while between the cottage and the road was 
a level well kept lawn with neat borders, dotted with 
choice shrubs: the gorgeous scarlct-bractcd Poinsettia. 
the elegant ^ Flambeau," {Poinciana pulcheJTinui), cycjids, 
shell-plants, and such a profusion of roses as only Ber- 
muda or South Carolina can show. My friend exclaimed : 
' What a neat little place ; those people must surely tako 
in the American Agriculturist.'' —1 asked him why he 
thought so. and he replied, 'Why anywhere In Nova 
Scotia or New Brunswick, where you see a house the 
clean and neat appearance of which shows that the own- 
ers take pride In having a pretty place, you maj^bo enro 
that they take in the Amejican Agriculturist. I have re- 
marked it very often in driving through the country. It 
is a most wonderful paper. I never read a number with- 
out setting several useful ideas, and it has put us up to 
no end of new contrivances. I send it occasionally to 
friends in England, who are greatly pleased with it ; they 
say there is nothing like it in Europe.'— So you see the 
American Agriculturist is appreciated abroad as well as at 
home." This Journal is the Agricultural paper of Aus- 
tralia. — It would be almost a novelty for a mail to arrive 
from that country that did not bring us a considerable 
batch of subscribers. — yew Zealand seems determined 
not to be behind her neighbors in securing the benefit of 
Yankee ideas and improvements. Yesterday came a re- 
mittance for 92 subscribers, which follow hard after pre- 
vious orders for 66 copies, 21, 30, 34, etc. 
Potash as a fertilizer. — The last of 
the series of useful circulars sent out by the "Mapes For- 
mula and Peruvian Guano Co." is devoted to a discus- 
sion of Potash in its relation to agriculture. This circu- 
lar is none the less valuable from the fact that it is largely 
made up of extracts from Prof, Atwater's articles, which 
appeared in the American Agiicultunst, due credit, of 
course, being given. The matter relating to potash, which 
the reader would have to hunt up through many months, 
is here brought together in a compact, useful form, from 
which one can learn more about the uses of potash and 
its cheapest sources than he is likely to find elsewhere. 
The Vses of Rhnbarh.— "T." says : 
Having an abundance of rhubarb as one will have who 
has any plants at all, we in former years noticed that after 
a fewpies in early spring, the novelty having worirofi", the 
rhubarb was rarely used. An inquiry at " headquarters " 
revealed the fact that rhubarb was so juicy that the pies 
would "stew over" into the oven, that the juice pre- 
vented the ''bottom crust" from baking properly; ''no 
one cared for the pies after the first ones," '"so much 
sugar," and other things, which we do not now recollect, 
but to all of which we made answer—" Brown Betty." 
The suggestion was followed, and thereafter a rhubarb 
Brown Betty became one of the institutions of the 
family. To "B. B." you need breadcrumbs, rolled, but 
not fine, the size of split peas, more or less ; rhubarb, 
cut small ; sugar, cinnamon, or other spice. Put a layer 
of crumbs in a pudding dish; a layer of rhubarb, some 
sugar, spice, more breadcrumbs, and continue alternate 
layers of rhubarb and crumbs, sweeting and spicing 
each, until the dish is full, or the material used up, fin- 
ishing at the top with crumbs. Bake until the rhubarb 
is done and the top well browned. Following this hint, 
sufficient crumbs were added to the rhubarb to absorb 
the juice in making pies, to their great improvement. 
The rhubarb now gets used— if any doubt it, let them 
look at the grocer's bill for sugar ! 
^w^eet Potato— *'Early Peabody." 
— The description of this new sweet potato in March last, 
has called out inquiries as to where it could be procured. 
Mr. Peabody informs us that he has sent a stock of seed 
potatoes to Messrs. James M. Thorbum & Co., 15 John 
St., N. Y., who will, no doubt, be able to furnish plants 
at the proper time. Our experience shows that near 
New York the first week in June is quite early enough to 
set the plants ; those put out earlier may live, but they 
make little growth until the weather gels "■settled warm/' 
Xhe National Itepository, " A Chris- 
tian Magazine," devoted to " general and religious litera- 
ture, biographies and travels, criticism and art," is one 
of the best family magazines that comes to our table — 94 
pages per number, beautifully printed, and well illus- 
trated. Edited by Dr. Curry, formerly editor of the 
" Christian Advocate." Published by Hitchcock & Wal- 
dcn, of Cincinnati. $3 per annum. Those desiring a 
first-class magazine— and what family does not ? — will 
find this a safe, instructive, high-toned periodical. 
Sundry Poultry blatters.— Health 
of Fowls. — " Subscriber," Ironlon. Mo. To preserve 
a llnck of fowls in robust health, it is advisable to change 
the male every year. This is easily done by procuring a 
change of eggs, and raising a broml of chicks of other 
^tock Crossing: Breeds,— To cross a Light Brah- 
ma with a White Leghorn would be undesirable. There 
is nothing about the Lcghom that can improve the Brah- 
ma, and if the Brahma impr<)ves the Le^honis, it can on- 
ly he by adding size, and producing a mongrel which will 
probably be qnile ui)satisfactor>-. . . .Turkeys.— To 
have two broods of turkeys in one season, take the poults 
from the hen turkey as soon as they arc hatched, and give 
them to a hen with a brood, or take the eirgs from the hen 
turkey after she has set upon them for a few days, and 
put them under a hen. The turki-y will then lay another 
litter of egirs. and needs no visit from the male turki-y to 
fertilizo them. .. .Incubation of Effss by Ma- 
uure4— In reply to a number of euquiries, we would 
say that unless a person has practical knowledge of the 
behavior of fermenting manure, and how to so manage it 
as to keep a steady heat, it is more than probable that an 
attempt to hatch eggs in this way would fail. We wonid 
not advise any lady to undertake this business, unless it 
be done very cautiously, and with a few eggs at a time. 
To risk a hundred egs^, without having experience, is 
imwise, and would almost certainly lead to failure. 
Sundry Humbugs. 
Very few who read the 
articles with the above head- 
ing are aware of the difflcol- 
^-^^^ ties attending the prepara- 
^^j^'g tion of them. It often re- 
quires a great deal of corre- 
spondence, or much time to 
be spent in investigation by 
trustworthy parties, before 
we can be sure of a state- 
ment which, in the giving, 
may occupy but a few lines. 
In conforming to the rulea 
we long ago established for 
our guidance — to spare no 
one, no matter what his po- 
sition, whom we know to be 
a swindler, aad at the same 
time to place no one in the 
select company of Hum- 
bugs, without being morally 
certain of his right to this 
distinction— we must, of course, spend a great deal of 
time in investigating the cases which appear here, but 
still more on those against whom the evidence is insuffi- 
cient. There are many schemes which we feel quite sure 
are fraudulent, and persons whom we believe to be swin- 
dlers, that escape simply because we are unable to con- 
firm our suspicions. A marked illustration of the diffl- 
culties attending such investigations is the case of 
"the silver mountain minisq compact," 
the circulars and pamphlets of which were a short time 
ago scattered broadcast over the country. The pamphlet 
was no more objectionable than such things often are, 
but the circular sent with it was too much after the style 
of some bogus concerns, to pass unsuspected. As the 
Company had its headquarters in New York, inquiry waa 
made of parties who should know all about it. The in- 
formarion received was embodied in an item given last 
month on p. 129, which, while it did not put the concern 
down as fraudulent, should have caused any thinking 
person to hesitate before risking his money in ii. Soon 
after the April number was out, numerous inquiries 
moved the police authorities to investigate the matter, 
and they ascertained that the names which our informant 
regarded as sound, were fictitious, and that the affair 
was for the purpose of "defrauding easily deceived 
people." It is very certain that any 
PBOEABLT Pr.OFITABLE ENTERPRISES 
have no need to resort to any such methods, to enable 
them to start operations. There is money enough at all 
commercial centres awaiting investment, and any enter- 
prise that promises fair returns without unusual riske, 
can easily command capital Lotteries and the various 
tricks and games connected therewith, appear to have 
subsided somewhat since the arrests mentioned in onr 
last, but the business is loo profitable, and there are too 
many heavy capitalists engaged in it. for it to be aban- 
doned. That form of lottery, in which articles, such as 
musical instruments, jcwelrj-, etc., are offered, instead 
of money, are still operating. 
"TttE MERCANTILE PRIZE ASSOCIATION" 
is one of these about which there are serious complaints, 
and is a good (.or rather bad) specimen of the lot. We 
sometimes think that we have little pity to waste upon 
those who are simple enough, after all the warnings that 
we have given, to be caught by these games, but every 
now and then there occurs a case in which the losers are 
so much in earnest, and to whum the loss seems such a 
hardship, that, while we arc disposed, fmm principle, to 
say, '*sar^'ed 'cm ri^ht," we arc. at the same time, sorry 
we can not help thorn. Here are two letters, both from 
Indiana, one from a German who understands no English, 
and the other from the father of a young lady, both per- 
sons being \ictimized to the same amount, viz.. $7.50. 
The plan !s to send a ticket informing the recipient that 
the ticket has drawn a jirlze. in both those cases a Melo- 
deon ; the price of the ticket is $1. and the one to whom 
it is sent is informed thrtt by fonvarding this and $6.50 
for "cxpressage and packing." the ticket "entitles the 
holder toaMelodcon valued at $125." In both these cases 
the money was sent, and in both, of course, the melo- 
deon wasn't. This •" Prize Association " has as many 
names and addresses for its oflSccrs as a dealer in coun- 
terfeit money. One circalar Is dated far up In Broftdway 
