1866.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
9 
made to hold tho pails ami so keep tliem clean, allliough 
his cows are littcieJ as well as his horses. 
Hal^tted^s Dffay o lorjk Travellor.^ 
Lycurgus Dunnaux, Lawrence Co., Ind., writes that from 
tke descriplion we published on page 213, he had one of 
Halsteds' Hay-fork Travellers made and put in opera- 
tion, and adtls : "The result is. it has inaugurated a new 
era in lifting and cunveyiag liay i[) this community. 
Without specifications for the construction, we could 
not make all the parts so perfectly as we now can ; 
but IL works well enoush, so that now the great difficulty 
is in keeping a supply of hay to pitch ; formerly it was 
to get the hay pitched. A parlioular excellence is, that 
a man of light muscle can work the fork, if he has brains 
enough, just as well as any other." 
liicc on Cattle— W. G. Wardenhall, Jef- 
ferson Co., Pa., says, that "knowing larkspur sect would 
destroy lice on human beings, lie collected a quart of 
seed, ground it fine, soaked it a ■week in one gallon of 
strong vinegar, and then applied it with a sponge to all 
parts of the animals ; has never seen louse or nit since." 
T. F. Haynes, Hartford Co., Conn., writes to the Asri- 
cultJirist ; " I keep lice off my cattle by keeping sulphur 
and salt in winter where they can lick it when they 
choose ; my cattle have had none since I practised this." 
Remedy *br Warts on Com's* Teats. 
—Andrew Burfarst, Lewis Co., N. V., inquires *' what is 
the best remedy for warts on the teats of a cow?" 
Warts on cow's teats usually extend no deeper than the 
skin. They should not be removed while the cow gives 
milk. The most effectual way is to take hold of tlie end 
of a wart with pliers and cut it off with sharp shears. 
The cut should not be deeper than the skin. This rem- 
edy will not hurt a cow as much as clipping the skin dot's 
sheep when they are being sheared ; or a piece of small 
wire may be twisted arci:iid a large wait sufficiently 
tight to obstruct the circulation of the blood, and left on 
till the wart drops off, leaving the surface smooth. 
HoTT to TVIalfe Iftanure or Weeds, 
^ritU no Pigs.-" H. M. B." New Haven Co., Conn. 
Work over your pile of weeds, potato vines, bean vines, 
lawn trimmings, any tlung of the kind, adding a quantity 
of soil ta niiioiint ta one-foiiilh or one-tliird the weisht of 
the whole. Then let the liousemaid pour over it all llie 
chamber ley and wash slops, with the dish water and 
scraps from the kitchen which you can not profitably 
dispose of otherwise. The weeds, etc., ought to be cut 
up with a slutrp spade beforo putting into the heap, and 
the heap ouglit to be worked every month or two. ex- 
cept in very cold weather, mixing in some more dirt. 
Agricaltnral Papers.—" Bob Skinflint;' 
(who has chosen a forlorn noji de plume) asks us to re- 
commend to him a first rate agricultural paper. (He takes 
the A^ricuUurist, of course). Take one "published in 
your own State. One who lives in Maine should, by all 
means, take the Maine Farmer, (Augusta) whicli is a 
weekly family newspaper, and teaches sound agriculture 
as well, which, by the way. appears in new type, an 
evidence of prosperity we are glad to notice. The same 
is true of three excellent papers published in Boston, 
the N. E. Farmer, Ploughman and Boston Cultivator. 
New Yorkers have quile a choice. There is the Coun- 
try Gentleman and Cultivator, (Albany) a quarto-week- 
ly, famous for its excellent correspondence, and emi- 
nently the gentleman farmer's paper. Moore's Rural 
New-Yorker (Rochester) is another weekly. It is a fam- 
ily- and news-paper, with a large and good agricultural 
attachment, in which the American Merinos are of late 
made a specialty. We might go on and mention the 
Ohio Farmer, (agricultural and family, Cleveland), the 
Prairie Farmer, (agricultural, Chicago), both well man- 
aged and first rate of their respective classes, and so in 
almost every western State, at least one good monthly or 
weekly paper, which ought to be well sustaineJ by the 
reading farmers. We have always found that the farmer 
who reads one agricultural pai)er will crave more. 
Farmer's Ncrap-Hoolc.— Ou tlie study 
table of a very studious farmer of Westchester Co.. N. 
Y., we examined a system of keeping an.l classifying all 
kinds of information gathered from his reading, which is 
worth copying. He has numerbus sheets of stiff brown 
paper folded once, for use as port-folios, and considerably 
larger than laije letter paper. In Ihe^e are umnerous 
other half-sheets. The poi t-fo!ios or paper-covers have 
written upon them the various subjects -wiiich most 
demand his interest and attention. For instance, one is 
probably labeled "Sheep," and in this he places all 
valuable items about sheep, cut out of newspapers which 
he does not keep whole for binding, even adVertisemeids, 
hand-bills, circulars, etc. These are pasted neatly upon 
the half-sheets, and at the same time classified still 
finther if possible. Then, also, upon writing paper he 
makes memoranda of facts, or wliere to find important 
articles whiih he meets with in his reading in liooks or in 
journals, which he preserves. In the same way he has 
a cover devoted to each class of stock, to the prominent 
classes of fruits, vegetables, and other crops, as "Stone 
Fruits," "Small Fruits," "Apples and Pears," "Roots," 
'■ Indian Corn." " Small Grains," " Grass and Hay," etc., 
and so has always ready for immediate reference a vast 
amount of valuable information, which would otherwise 
not be found when most needed. 
r.iS'litiiiBt^ fiSod S^riiadaers,— A Sub- 
scriber in Onondaga Co.. N. Y., writes stiongly of the 
operations of certain parties, who by plausible statements 
induce farmers to employ thern to put up lightning rods 
at so much per foot, tobe paid in notes. They then con- 
trive to use a great amount of rotis, and badger their 
victims into paying the bills to save further trouble. The 
notes are sold at the best terms Iliat can be got. In one 
case $300 was collected for the rods put on a hog-pen ! 
Over Sixty Thousand dollars have been taken in this way 
by a single firm of operators. The victims should com- 
bine and arrest tho swindlers— a collection of the 
testimony would establish fraud very clearly we think. 
AVe have had several good rods put up by professional 
men, strangers often, but always have had a clear state- 
ment and agreement of just what was to be done, and 
the exact price agreed upon. Twenty-five dollars, and 
usually a less sum, will pay for ample protection on any 
ordinary house or barn. If out of business, we would be 
glad to undertake to supply a thousand dwellings with 
rods, and warrant them against lightning for ten years, 
at an average price of twenty dollars each. 
CsilDiorstiasBS. f jooli out. — Av'c kara 
that a set of sharpeis upon the Isthmus are engnged iu 
selling to passengers "Greenbacks" at a considerable 
discount. Tiie seller always has a few dollars left, and 
as he is going where they will be of no use he is willing 
to sell them for gold at a great sacrifice. Several who 
liave bought in this way, found upon their arrival at New 
York that they had bought well executed counlerfeiis. 
A ^TeAV l>Ovlge— jre"%velry S\viM<iHe.~ 
For some time p;»£t, sundiy pMrties liave sent out uirculars 
offciing chtiuces for large prizes in wulolie^. jewelry, etc., 
to any une sending 25 cents for a ticket. In return for 
this they sent prize-tickets offering for $5, or ?5.*24. 
watches, etc., worth $25 to $50, alleging that these tickets 
were drawn. Of coiu'se any one remitting the money 
«ould hear nothing further from it, except in some rare 
cases, where a further and larger swindle was in view. 
A Brooklyn concern, and we know not how many others, 
aietaking a shorter method to get the f5. 24. Thus: They 
address the same letter to each of ten thousand or more 
persons at a distance, enclosing ready drawn Piize Cer- 
tificates, ostensibly for " Patent Hunting Case Watches," 
"known as t!ie Army and Navy Watch, beautifully en 
graved, patent adjusted balance, warranted a perfect 
limedieeper, etc., and worth S50.''— Another ticket en- 
titles the holder to a "Gold Vest Chain, the latest and 
most fashionable style, valued at $25." The letter ac- 
companying these tickets says: "Your letter with 50 
cents enclosed is received, for winch we send you two 
certificates. The amount of $5.24 for each certificate 
must be returned with the certificates, within 15 days, 
etc.,*' and tho article called for by tho ticket will be sent 
by mail or express. Of course, the parties receiving 
these plausible letters have never sent the .^0 cents, but 
the supposiiion (too often true) is. tliat the recipient will 
consider it a capital mistake In his behalf, and will for- 
w.ard the money to secure the prize intended for some 
one else. The parties sending these tickets can not be 
found. They pet their letters through the P. O. and 
pocket the money, until they suspect they are watched, 
and then hide, and reappear under some new nan^. 
IjOtterics A^aiai. — "Yours Sincerely, Tho- 
mas Boult & Co., Box 5713 New York City." thoiigii 
siiown up in tliese columns, are still pestering the peoj)le 
all over the country with their swindling circulars, offer- 
ing a " private and confidential " good chance for at least 
$1200, in Ihe Covin^lon, Ky.. Lottery, by sending to them 
merely $10 fur a ticket sure to draw a prize. They pre- 
tend to make this offer to get the influence of the one ad- 
dre>sed, who isexnectcJ to show his prize money and tell 
through wliom he got it, ^o as to bring them a large 
business. This is of course the sheerest lying. They 
make the same offer to every other man in the same town 
whoso name they can get. Of course no one ever heard 
from his money after sending it to Box 5713. A great 
number of Post-masters have sent us samples of these 
circulars, of which sometimes as many as a hundred or 
more have come to the same oi^if-c adtlrus^cd to as raanv 
different parlies, but each one is addressed as if lie was 
tlie only favored one in the county.— Before this reachc!? 
the reader, we hope to have the Police succeed in catch- 
ing "Yours Sincerely, Thomas Boult A Co.," or who- 
ever calls for the letters in Box 571.T ; yet, he knows, 
none of his dupes will acknowledge their greenness and. 
appear as witnesses, and so he will jirobably be set at 
liberty to reappear under some new name and guise. We 
have had many of these fellows arrested and their business 
broken up, but often with the above result. The best we 
can do is to keep on showing them up in the Agriculturist 
as we have for years past. If everybody read this journal, 
these swindlers would soon be upon short rations. Let 
us all try to get as many to reading the paper, as possible. 
iHreasin^ Boots, etc— Charles Booth, of 
Erie Co., O.. takes exception to the item on this topic in 
the December Agriculturists He infers we have not worn 
cowhide boots, in which he is mistaken. We "grew" up in 
them on the farm and greased them too much. He says 
they w ill become as hard as wood without frequent greas- 
ing, which is the case with poorly tanned leather con. 
tinually exposed to wetting and drying. But we did ad- 
vise a "surface coat of oil (or grease) when the 
foet are likely tobe exposed to much water," and we 
might have added a frequent one, but not so heavy as to 
entirely saturate and close up the pores. Stout bootsof 
well tanned cowhide, Avith thick bottoms, are the best for 
those constantly exposed to water or the damp ground, 
and prettv free application of grease are useful when 
one works much on wet ground. 
Light sandals, that is, rubber shoes willi open tops, hav- 
ing only rubber straps across the top of the feet to hold 
them on, so as to leave the leather open as much as pos- 
sible, are preferable to full rubbers. Those sitting stilt, 
as in writing, for part of the day, will do well to use 
these, but only while out on the wet ground. In all cases 
give the perspiration from the feetopportunity to escape. 
A dry pair of socks in Ihe latter part of the day, especially 
when sitting down for the evening, or when going our for 
evening riding, or work, adds greatly to one's comfort 
and health. — .Afr. B. says he finds our mixture of lard and 
resin an nxccllent application to boots. 
€5iiiap4&^vfller Stcnderetl If armless, — 
One of the company of English capitalists, who have 
been travelling in this country, not long since demon- 
strated the practical character of a recent English dis- 
covery oefore a company of scientific and practical men, 
in Jersey City. After taking a quantity of common gun- 
powder and proving its genuinene^:s. he mixed with it 
three times its w^eight of powdered glass. He then thrust 
a red hot poker into the mixture, whicli caused it to burn 
up slowly without the least explosion or harm to any- 
thing. The effect of the ground glass is purely mechan- 
ical, separating the grains of powder and thus preventing 
a rapid combustion. Alixed with four times its weight of 
glass, the powder was burned with great difliculty, those 
grains only burning which were in direct contact with 
the poker. By the use of a sieve the powder was again 
separated, in a condition of efficiency — apparently as 
good as ever. The value of the invention consists in the 
prevention of accidental explosion, thus securing per- 
sonal safety and greatly reducing the cost of storage. 
Some apprehensions have been expressed that the pow- 
der, after being thus mixed wilh the glass, will foul the 
guns in which It Is used ; that nothing is said about this, 
gives ground for ttie suspicion that it is true. 
]^Ieasiiranjj Hay. — There is no rule that 
will prove at all reliable for measuring fine and coarse. 
loose and well-packed hay. Some kinds of Iiay, after 
being pressed beneath a heavy mow, vvi.l weigh a ton per 
1000 cubic feet. In a hay loft, it would t'equire 2000 cubic 
feet of the same kind of hay for one io;i. 
IIoiiTmaofa is a I5arre3. — "J. M. P." A 
barrel of ei-ier. vinegar, and wine, molasses, syrup and 
milk, is 31}S gallons. A barrel must be made to hold 195 
lbs. of flour, or 2S0 lbs. of salt— the latter larger than for 
flour. Apple barrels are made the size of flour barrels, 
though salt barrels well cleansed arc ujed for apples, 
pears and potatoes. .Salt barrels hoi I more than is re- 
quired of apple barrels. A barrel should contain not less 
thiin 2,'^ bushels of fruit, or vegetables, sealed measure. 
To Etcop ISats froiBa Eating Har- 
nes.— '■ Philomen,"of Champaign Co., writes: ■' I have 
a remedy that has never failed with me. It is simply 
aaltins the rats resularly. I do this by laying salt on the 
siih and ties of tlie stable, if that is tlio place they most 
frequent ; but in fact, they w id hunt fur it. It will occur 
to any firmer ih-tt sees this rerneJy. that harness is most 
cut wliere the greatest amount of sweat has dried, an 
indication that salt contained in it is what they want." 
XnJi and Ton.— J. M. Porter, Ross Co., O. 
Tan \t never properly used to express weight, butii' 
