4,4r0 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[December, 
IT WILL PAY.- Half a dozen intelligent 
and thoroughly practical men are constantly engaged 
in hunting np information, examining and sifting 
all they can hear, read, and see. and the results of 
their labors are conden&d into these pages in as read- 
able form as possible. The paper is as valuable for what 
it leaves ont — as useless, or worthless, or worse — as for 
what it print?. Can any one go through eight hundred 
columns of such matter, given in this journal each year, 
without getting some hint, or some train of thought Aiat 
will, in the end, result in a profit of far more than the 
dollar, or dollar-and-a-half. it co^ts \ The four hundred 
::igs will alone give much more pleasure and 
profit than the money would bring in auy other way. 
Ten "illinn Dollars Saved !— Any- 
body who will examine the tens of thousands of letters, 
circulars, etc.. which we have received concerning the 
operations of the humbug fraternity, will very readily 
endorse the estimate recentlymade that this journal alone 
has saved to the people of the country at least ten million 
dollars that would have gone into the pockets of swin 
dlers, but for the exposures and cautions given in these 
pages. The truth is. more than half of the people of 
the entire country have been cheated by the swindling 
operators of one kind and another, though few people are 
willing to let it be known that they have been in the 
trap. But since this journal has obtained an almost 
universal circulation, the swindlers have found their 
occupation gone, or nearly so. One of the leading oper 
ators recently remarked, that " they ought to have raised 
money enough to have bought out the Agri<->iHnrixt. type 
and all. and shut it up."— Mem, It is not for sale, and will 
not be until the Humbugs are made too poor to buy it. 
Save the Index Sheet, which is put 
loosdy in this number, so that it can be bound or stitched 
at the beginning of the volnme without cutting the thread. 
Bound tropics or this Volume will 
eoon be ready. Price, $2, at our office, or $2.50 each, il 
Bent by mail. Any of the previous eleven volumes (16 to 
26) will be forwarded at the same price. Sets of numbers 
sent to our office will be neatly bound in our regular style 
for 75 cents per volume, (50 cents extra, if returned by 
mail.) Missing numbers supplied at 1-2 cents each. 
Clubs can at any time be increased, by remitting 
for each addition the price paid by the original members, 
-'.Ascriptions all date at the same starting point. 
The backnumbers will, of course, be sent to added names. 
"Death on Humbug."- The other day ! 
we received a club of subscribers from a mountainous 
coal region in Pennsylvania, sent by a miner who remark 
ed that : "We have not a foot of land to cultivate, and no 
rime above ground to work any, but we take your paper 
because it is death on humbugs. One of our miners had 
the paper sent him by an Eastern relative last year, and a 
single item in it stopped the forwarding of $400 made up 
in our mine to send to a plausible gift enterprise. 
This is only one case. A lot of us estimated last 
week that the single copy of the American Agricvl 
turist taken here has saved in one Mine several thousands 
of dollars. The paper has been loaned and read until 
each copy has been worn out. or soiled too much to be 
longer read. Our wives and children arc eager after it, 
and the pictures are greatly interesting, even to us begrim - 
cd miners "—We give this as a specimen of a mnl 
titude of other similar testimonials. The work pays in 
the satisfaction it gives, notwithstanding the labor 
it makes. — Thanks to the aid our exposures have 
drawn from Congress, the mails are measurably closed 
against a considerable class. But. like diving ducks, 
they will bob up somewhere — they are too lazy or 
naturally too dishonest to work for a living— and we shall 
keep our trusty gun well loaded, cocked, and aimed, 
ready to pick off every broad bill that comes to the surface. 
"The Hunter and Trapper.** — In 
this little work, just published by Orange Judd & Co., 
and advertised on another page. Mr. Halsey Thrasher, an 
old hunter and trapper, relates his experience. When a 
boy, like many others, he became fond of a gun and trap, 
and his first success, as he tells us. was in making a steel 
trap in the blacksmith's shop where he had been placed 
to learn a trade. From his first exploits, of catohin? 
foxes, to the time when he became an expert trapper of 
the bear and hunter of the deer, very much, of course, was 
learned, and in his book this is all told in a manner that 
cannot fail to interest all who would care to hear an old 
hnnter'= story. The best modes of hunting and trapping 
d, with hints about guns, rifles, and traps, and 
directions for tanning skins, etc. The work is illustra- 
ted. It is neatly bound in flexible covers, and will be 
mail, post-paid, for $1. 
SPECIAL REQUEST 
TO MORE THAN 
100,000 of our Readers. 
Though many subscriptions originally extended 
beyond this year, and large numbers have already re 
newed for next year, in Premium Clubs and other- 
wise, there still remain more than 100.000 names to 
be renewed on our books before the wrapper 
writers can prepare for mailing them the next num- 
ber. It would save us a Thousand dollars at least, 
if we could have these renewals come right in at 
the beginning of this month, so that the entries 
could all be made by experienced clerks, without the 
extra help and night work usually required the lat 
ler part of December. ;^* Please oblige 
lis, friends, as soon as yon read this item, by sitting 
right down, and sending in your renewal for 1869. 
All the letter needed is, a few simple words, giv 
ing your Post-office, County, State, aud Name, and 
the amount enclosed, all plainly written. If three 
others join you, the four copies cost only *5. If 
- making up a larger Club, please let the names be 
! forwarded for entry at once. J3F~ It will take no 
I longer to attend to this about Dec. 1. than at a 
later date, while it will help our work greatly. 
We take it for granted that every present sub 
seriber will gladly continue reading this journal 
The paper has kept right on improving, for many 
lit, and this rnle will hold good hereafter 
Each year's experience, and increasing mental and 
pecuniary resources, enable us to do better the 
next. Our success has been abundantly satisfac 
tory, but we have higher aims, and we propose 
to ourselves to supply a greatly improved journal 
next year— one full of good things, of valuable 
practical information for all the people, and beauti- 
fully illustrated with the best things that first-class 
artists and engravers can bring forth. So we cor- 
dially invite all onr large circle of readers to take a 
seat in the Agriadturist family for 1S69. and bring 
along troops of new acquaintances for introduction. 
y Doors open anew For 1»<!J> at 
precisely -?"-.; A. Ra%, Tuesday. Dec. 1.- 
Admission Fee. for the whole year, 
only SI. 50. and less to companies. 
Gardening for the South ; or, How to 
Grow Vegetables and Fruits. By the late Wm. S. White, 
of Athens. Ga.. assisted by J. Tan Bnren and Dr. James 
Camak. New York. Orange Judd A- Co. Pp. 444. This 
work, which was long ago announced, is now ready. The 
death of Mr. White found a portion of the work in an in- 
complete state, but two of his horticultural friends, into 
whose hands he committed the task, kindly finished it, 
and it now appears to fill a long vacant place in our hor- 
ticnltural literature. It is the only work we have, written 
with special reference to the wants of the Southern 
States. Not only does the climate of these States require 
peculiar modes of culture, hnt it allows many things to 
be grown that cannot be raised at the North except under 
glass. It must not be supposed, however, that the work 
_is solely for the benefit of Southern gardeners : the author 
has presented a treatise on gardening that will be found 
useful either North or South, and has discussed the 
operations of horticulture more extendedly than is the 
custom with writers on gardening. The division devoted 
to fruits is mainly by Mr. J. Van Buren, a well-known 
pomologist of Clarksville. Ga., and will be found to be 
not the least valuable portion of the work. The lists of 
varieties that upon trial have been found suited to the 
South, are of especial value to those who contemplate en- 
gaging in fruit culture in that section of the country. 
The work is abundantly illustrated and contains a por- 
trait of the author.— Price by mail J2.00. 
Tomatoes in Michigan. — "C. W.," 
Market Gardener, Detroit, writes his experience with 
tomatoes, which we publish as an illustration of the fact 
that varieties will not be equally good in all parts of the 
country. He says : " This spring I purchased seeds of 
the Early Smooth Red. Early York. Early Cedar Hill, and 
Keyes' Prolific. This seed was all planted in hot-beds, 
March 12th. and the plants were transplanted into other 
hot-beds. April 21st. 6 inches apart each way. Theyall 
received the same care, and were planted in the open 
ground May 23d. The Smooth Red ripened first, the 
Keyes' one week behind. Cedar Hill and Early York two 
weeks later still. The Cedar Hill is one of the greatest 
humbugs ever sent out. How any man can recommend 
it to be an early and smooth variety. I cannot tell. It is 
the latest and tcortt tomato that can be planted by the 
market gardener, and the Early York is not much better."' 
Grape Testing at Hammonds-: 
port, >". L— In October last, a number of gentlemen 
were invited by the Pleasant Valley Wine Co. to - 
as a committee to subject the leading varieties of native 
grapes to the test for sugar and acids. Those who grow 
grapes on the large scale understand what this means ; to 
others we may briefly explain. The relative value of 
grapes for wine making — other things being equal — de- 
pends upon the amonut of sugar contained in the juice 
or must. Regarding the juice as a mixture of sugar and 
water, the more - present, the denser the 
liquid will be, and the instrument used in the test, called 
a saccharometer (sugar-measurer), will sink more or less 
as the liquid contains less or more sugar. To develop 
the greatest amount of sugar by proper treatment of the 
vine and ripening of its fruit is the great point with the 
vineyardist. as in selling his crop its value depends up- 
on the quality of the must. The amount of acid is of lit- 
tle importance in the better grapes, hnt is of consequence 
iu those low in sugar. Thi- is ascertained by observing 
how much solution of ammonia of a fixed strength is re- 
quired to neutralize a measured atnonnt of must. The 
committee was organized by the election of non. Mar- 
shall P. Wilder as Chairman, and the Hon. J. Staunton 
Gould as Secretary. The manipulation was skillfully per- 
formed by Mr. Wasson of the Company. A detailed ac- 
count will be published, and we only present the results 
in brief, with the remark that some of the samples of 
grapes had been subjected to the deteriorating influence 
re frost. Delaware, raised by E. H. Burgess. S8 
viccharometer, S 1 * thousandths, acid; ditto. D. 
W Burgess 103 deg sacch., 3 3 100 - acid : ditto. W B. 
Barton 93 leg. saccl ditto, Pleasant Valley 
Wine Co.. 99 d eg - 
ener, S4 dee. sacch., 5VS acid ; Iona, D. S. Wagcncr. 101 
B6-1I fibs acid: Catawl 
h., ISM acid: ditto. Crbana Wine Co.. S6 deg. 
sacch.. 13 acid: ditto. E. H. Burgess. 91 deg. saech.. 
13 2-10ths acid; ditto. Pleasant Valley Wine Co.. 91 
.. 12 3 lOths acid : Walter. Ferris A- C'aywood, 
99 deg. sacch.. 9 3-10ths acid: Diana. P. V. Win- I 
de:r. sacch.. 13 3 lOths acid : ditto. Urbana Wine Co.. 90 
deg. sacch.. 11 l-10th acid : Creveling. P. V. Wine Co., 
- . . h . 10 acid: Alvey. P. V. Wine Co. 83 deg. 
sacch., 12>; acid : Clinton, P. V. Wine Co., S3 deg. sacch.; 
Concord. P. V W I Iporto, 
P V. Wine Co., TO deg. sacch., 13 I Isabella, 
P. V. Wine Co.. 76 de2. sacch.. 12c£ acid: Scuppernone 
fromS. C. apparently not fully ripe. (SOdeg.sacch. .9'. acid. 
