24,6 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[July, 
is two circulars, making great offers of counterfeit 
money, well executed, in lots of ones, Vs, and X's, at 
$5.00 per parcel. The object is to get the $3 out of the 
foolish and heedless, and we need only warn them of the 
wickedness of the transaction, and the facts in the case. 
We know nothing of " Jewelry Pedlers " with "black 
horses'' and "covered wagons," but advise all persons 
if they want silver-ware of any kind, or knives and forks, 
cotton or woolen fabrics, to send to some reliable firm in 
the nearest city, for every tiling of the kind they fail to 
find at home. Such things always have a fixed value, and 
great bargains are not to be had from pedlers Look 
out for Nursery Agents who come around to sell plants, 
nursery stock, &c. Every year we have complaints from 
victims to this class of swindlers. Also, don't invest in 
patent rights of any kind, especially hay-loaders, and 
other farm appliances. Nine out of every ten are worth- 
less. Also look out for the Electric Insurance Co., and their 
lightning rods Is anybody so verdant as to believe 
that Baily. Snyder & Co., will, for £2.40, send 20 yards of 
Brussels Carpeting, simply because a man pays a $3 
annual subscription to the "World at Home," and be- 
tides this, send evert/ mouth a sealed order or check en- 
titling the subscriber to from $2.75 to $103 worth of goods, 
clothing, intisical instruments, etc., etc.— the only con- 
ditions being that the recipient shall show the goods and 
tell where they came from. The following from the N. 
Y. Tribune, June 12th, shows that respectable men some- 
times aid swindlers. "An esteemed correspondent, who 
is in a position that enables him to kuow whereof he 
affirms, assures us that highly respectable merchants are 
unwittingly standing between the authorities and the 
' gift enterprise ' swindlers. For example, the New- York 
Post-Office, which was recently authorized to detain tet- 
ters addressed to spurious gift jewelry firms, denied the 
mythical firm of * George A. Cooke & Co.' the privilege 
of a box in the General Post-OflSce building, and there- 
after letters addressed to i Cooke & Co. were 
held by the Post-master, who might in this way have 
done much toward the breaking up of Cooke &> Co.'s 
'Riverside Orphan Institution' fraud. But at length 
Cooke & Co. threw dust into the eyes of the highly re- 
spectable banking firm of Smith, Randolph & Co., and 
becured from them a letter recognizing George A. Cooke 
& Co.— a letter which disarmed the Post-master, and 
compelled him to surrender the letters that he had de- 
tained. The next that was heard of George A. Cooke & 
Co. was in Essex Market Police Court, where a simple- 
minded Pennsylvania^ who had been victimized, told 
the old story of a lottery swindle. The public have a 
right to expect of our merchants that they shall kuow to 
what papers they affix their names." Perhaps this will 
account for the disappearance of Geo. A. Cooke & Co., 
as btated, and the coming forward of Read & Co. 
Catalogues. — Dealers in plants, seeds, etc., 
have sent their catalogues and circulars so numerously 
that we find it inconvenient just now to make individual 
acknowledgments. The documents will, however, have 
their use when we prepare our Annuals. 
The &quash-Yinc Borer. — A friend 
writes that covering the stem of the vine — layering it— 
np to the first blossom buds.prevents damage by the borer. 
The Weather and the Crops.— The 
beason thus far has exhibited too close a similarity to the 
last, so far as regards the Atlantic Coast, to allow farmers 
to feel very confident of good crops. TI12 prevalence of 
exceedingly wet weather has caused even potatoes to 
fail, in a measure, has necessitated the replanting of 
much corn, and has delayed plowing of many fields intend- 
ed for com, until so late that a crop is despaired of. In our 
immediate neighborhood, where corn is generally planted 
before the 20th of May, we know of much not gotten in 
until between the 1st and 15th of June. Grass promises 
well everywhere, so far as we hear, and winter grains 
have been benefited by the wet weather, if upon well- 
drained ground. Similar complaints of the prevalence 
of excessive moisture come from the upper Mississippi 
Valley, and Central Illinois, some of the farmers there 
complaining of their utter inability to get grain to mar- 
ket, on account of the state of the roads and of the unfa- 
vorable agricultural prospects caused by excessive rains. 
The intermediate country seems to be blessed with fine 
weather, and everything promises a favorable season. 
Culture :nud Products of the Vine 
in Europe. — Messrs. Marshall P. Wilder, Alex. 
Thompson, William J. Flagg, and Patrick Barry, were 
a committee of the U. S. Commission to the Paris Expo- 
sition to report upon f':e vine and its products. Their 
report is published in :he Monthly Report of the Dept. 
of Agriculture for March. These gentlemen visited the 
celebrated vine districts, and rive an interesting account 
of what they saw. Vine growers can doubtless obtain 
this report by applying to Commissioner Capron. 
Barn- Yards in Summer. — " B. II. 
A.," Hadley, Mass.— The yard should be supplied with 
fresh sods, loam, peat, or muck, as soon as it is cleaned 
out. There is great temptation to neglect this, in the 
hurry of summer work ; but every farmer loses money 
rapidly, who neglects it. Cart into the yard anything that 
will make an absorbent — weeds, saw-dust, corn stalks, 
hay, and swamp grass. Plow the yard frequently. 
Shade-trees in Pastures. — " A. S. D.," 
Colchester, Yt. "Ought they to be cut down?" Not if you 
are a man of taste or humanity. There are good farm- 
ers who advocate treeless pastures, and think it better 
for the cattle to rest only at night. We think otherwise. 
The art of making cattle profitable lies mainly iu keep- 
ing them comfortable. They seek the shade, enjoy it, 
and thrive under it. Let them have it, and beautify the 
landscape with clumps of trees. 
Apple Worms, — U G. H. N.," Gaines, N. 
Y. We have never found any remedy so effectual as to 
keep hogs in the orchard, to pick up the fruit as fast as it 
falls. The moth lays its eggs in the blossom end of the 
apple when it is small, and the fruit ripens prematurely. 
If the injured apples are all gathered by the swine, or 
otherwise, the worms will be kept in check. 
The Ifest Time to Cut Orass. — "J. 
D.," Orleans County. Cut the grass when in bloom, 
whether it be Timothy, clover, or red-top. This is the 
best usage, followed in all the States, and is as well settled 
as any fact in agriculture. We may not be able to state 
just how much better the hay is, but the difference will 
justify any reasonable extra labor, to cut the grass at the 
right time. Hay made a month out of date is poor stuff. 
Cotton Seed Cake and Oil.— " M. 
S.,'" Charleston, S. C. We know of no objection to your 
making oil and cake in your city. The demand for the 
oil and cake is steadily increasing, both in this country 
and in England. The oil is quoted in the Liverpool 
market at $1.17 a gallon currency, and the cake $42% a 
ton, gold. All that is wanted is the machinery, capital, 
and the requisite knowledge, to make the business pay. 
Action of" fjSypsnm. — Marius Heighton 
of Ohio asks: "Will you please tell me through the 
Agriculturist if plaster or gypsum acts as a stimulant on 
the land? Some say it acts upon the land as whiskey upon 
man.'" Gypsum acts upon the plant, rather than on 
the land, as lime may be said to do. It is stimulating, 
inasmuch as it promotes especially iu some plants a 
healthy and vigorous growth. It does not stimulate like 
whiskey in any sense, for plants stimulated by gypsum 
exhibit only a healthy growth— strength to send their 
roots farther and deeper, to mature more seed. Marina 
adds: " I have 14 acres of laud too far off to haul barn- 
yard manure upon it; 5 acres of this is planted with 
apples, and I need a fertilizer." Your case is simple. 
Sow clover on a well-mellowed soil, and top-dress with 
gypsum. The clover will make a tolerable stand next 
year and might be turned under, but it would be much 
better to wait. Feed it off with beef cattle or sheep once 
or twice, not allowing it to be bitten down too close, 
and next season turn it under, applying a good top-dress- 
ing of lime, after plowing. 
Woodward's Record of Horticul- 
ture, No. t. Edited by Andrew S, Fuller. In this 
volume Mr. Fuller reviews books, proceedings of socie- 
ties, fruits, trees, plants, implements, etc., iu his charac- 
teristically independent style. It is lively reading, and 
while ii bears the marks of hasty preparation, it contains 
much that is valuable to the amateur or professional hor- 
ticulturist. A very complete horticultural directory adds 
much to the value of the work. Sent by mail for $1.00. 
Orying Fruit. — Thereare several "Patent" 
fruit drying houses sold by the dealers in agricultural 
wares. We gave in June 1866, an easily constructed dry- 
ing house, and iu July 1S6T, a more complicated one. All 
that is needed is a contrivance for passing a current of 
hot air over the fruit. Any one of the least mechanical 
tact can contrive the means for effecting this. The house 
of which we gave the plan in June 1866 is easily built 
and will dry a large quantity of fruit very rapidly. 
The Strawberry Crop. — We ^o to 
press too early to be able to print a general account of 
the strawberry crop. Our western exchanges give very 
melancholy news. The Prairie Farmer says: "From 
all parts we get news of a poor strawberry crop." Cole- 
man*s Rural World says that in Southern Illinois, 
'* There is not half a crop." The continued rains at the 
East are having a most disastrous effect on the fruit, and 
at the present writing, it looks like a failure in all parts. 
Thunder and I^ig-Batning.— The season 
of thunder storms is at hand, and as the security which a 
good lightning rod furnishes, though not complete, is 
nevertheless considerable, and thoroughly established, 
the time is an appropriate one for us to correct an error 
which occurred when we described that model New 
England barn, built by David Lyman of Middlefield, Conn. 
Mr. Lyman's judgment in these practical things is excel- 
lent, and after he had thoroughly examined both the prin- 
ciples and the mode of construction of the various pat- 
terns of lightning rods, he adopted the Otis Patent rod 
as the best, and with this the famous barn is protected. 
It seems, going by contraries, that the name of the rod 
he liked the least was running in his mind, and he gave 
us thus the wrong name, belieing his own judgment, and 
discrediting his favorite rod. So at his request we set 
the matter right with our readers. The rod approved by 
Frauklin was a large rod of iron, capable of carrying an 
ordinary discharge safely to the ground. This was 
armed with three or more points at the top, which tended 
to draw off light charges gradually, but heavy ones were 
frequently carried down visibly, tearing the earth at the 
point where the rod entered— or, impatient of being con- 
fined to so narrow a road, they left the rod, took their own 
destructive way to the ground. The present approved 
plan is, use perfectly insulated rods, having several single 
incorrodible points at different parts of the house, to at- 
tract and quietly draw off the electricity, so that there 
shall be no flash of lightning perceptible. All rods 
should descend into the soil to a point constantly moist. 
Prolific Sow.— James Bell, of Blooming- 
ton, has a sow that farrowed a few weeks since, drop- 
ping 19 pigs, which, when we saw them, were 4 weeks 
old and doing well. She can take care of but twelve. 
Hard Milkers. — If the hard milking is due 
to a peculiar closeness of the end of the teat, the practice 
of inserting a steel wire hammered flat, about a quarter 
of an inch from the end, aud the edges ground sharp, 
is sometimes followed with good results. This is 
thrust an inch or so into the teat once or twice, and 
a small quill with a closed end put in and left a few 
hours. The operation should be very carefully conducted, 
so as to do no injury. There is occasion for something 
of the kind beiug done when one teat alone milks hard. 
Canning* Apples. — Aunt Prudence says it 
is no more trouble than to dry them. They are nicer and 
ready for use without soaking. They are a tip-top arti- 
cle^ and no one need cry for peaches, with the store- 
room well stocked with canned apples. 
A Tin Strainer. — Aunt Prudence says 
every housekeeper should have one for gravies, hops, 
and many other uses. Any tiu and sheet iron worker 
can make one. A basin S inches in diameter and 3 
inches deep is a convenient size. Put in a 6trainer 
bottom and a firm handle, and it is ready for use. 
Corn in Drill* tor Fodder. — "H. G. 
T.," Bricksburg, N. J. It may be less trouble to sow 
broadcast, but not nearly as much fodder will be yielded to 
the acre, and it is not so easily cured, if it is not all want- 
ed in the green state. If the soil is not in high condition, 
it should be well manured. Sow in drills three and a 
half feet apart, about forty kernels to the foot, and culti- 
vate every week until the corn spindles. It is a great 
safeguard against a drought in the pasture, aud an cxcel- 
leut fodder for all kinds of farm stock. 
IVIass. Agricultural College. — This 
young institution seems to have gotten bravely over the 
dangers of infancy, and to be rejoicing already in a 
sturdy youth. The fifth annual report gives the names 
of 56 students. The course of study appears very judi- 
cious. President Clark and hia assistants are obviously 
men to succeed. The report is accompanied by photo- 
graphs of several of the new buildings— the Dormitory, 
Laboratory, Botanic Museum, and Dnrfce plant houses- 
exhibiting different styles of architecture, and a little of 
the surrounding grounds. 
The Fair of the >*. K. Agi*ieui£u« 
ral Society is to be held this year during the first 
week of September in the city of New Haven, Conn. 
New Haven is easy of access to most parts of New Eng- 
land, and close enough to New York to attract both 
exhibitors and spectators, and the city and its surround- 
ings offer many attractions aside from the fair. "We 
congratulate the society on this choice of a location. 
