1866.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
173 
lei7 operators, agents, etc. It is just the same as if six 
men put a dollar each into a box to be drawn out by lot. 
If Ihey draw the whole with perfecllv fair chances, tliey 
wouhl stand an eqiiixl chance of getting their money 
back, but if the holder of the box takes out and puts in his 
own pocliet$lof the money, and leaves the whole six men 
who put in a dollar each, a sixth of a chance at only $2, 
theii' chance would be a slim one and hardly on the 
squure. Yet this is just what is done in this " Iloyal 
Havana Lottery " to those who buy their tickets here at 
■'$40 for whole tickets ; $20 for halves; $10 for quarters ; 
$5 for eighths, and $J. 50 for sixteenths."— You pay your 
share of $1,200,000 for the privilege of a chance share in 
§40(1,000. And this is about the chance one has in any 
lottery, however much the managers may mystify their 
figures, and it shows how ihey make such enormous prof- 
its, an'I why they run such risks and struggle so hard 
against just laws. The ticket buyeis i eaily have a very 
slim chance at iiest. or hardly a thii*<l of a chance when 
they pay for a whole one— yet the foolish hope that tliey 
may be successful, and so keep on invesling money, be- 
cause somebody somewheie h.is drauiia prize. — A word 
more. What is n man's chance in the above drawing, 
for example. Only 43T persons in 30,000 can by any pos- 
sibility get any prize, that is one person in sixty-nine. 
To pay :f40 for one sixty-ninlli of a chance to get even 
$200 is not a very promising investment. Again, there 
are only 44 of the 30,000 ticket buyers, or about 1 in TOO 
who can by any possibility get over $500.— Surely a man 
must have large failh in his luck to put down $40 for only 
one chance in 700 to get one of the prizes. — Unfortunate- 
ly, it is only those who have always been "unlucky," 
and are likely to be. and those who do not or can not 
look into Die ariihmelic of the thing, that w-ill and do 
patronize lotteries. 
About ** Doctors." — Old subscribers are 
well aware of our position concerning advertising "doc- 
tors," but as we get many letters asking about tins or 
that one, we presume that our mai:y new readeis do not 
understand it. We put all those \^ho set forth their own 
abilities in print — who give accounts of remarkable 
cures, and who propose to treat cases by mail, in one 
class. They aie persons whom we would not employ, 
nor would we advise any one else to do so. We know 
nothing of them individually, for they aie not the kind of 
people whose company we seek, and they are very sure 
to keep clear of us. A personal application by letter 
can only bring the reply: we know nothing of the person. 
Fittings tlic Journals to Balance 
Wlieels. — A balance wheel whicti it is nece';sary to 
take otT from its journal, should have its hub bored out 
and the liole made tapering. The journal should have a 
corresponding taper, and a nut on the end for securing 
the wheel, instead of a key fitting a slot. The taper 
ehould correspond witli the hole and should not be more 
Ihan one-eighth of an inch in tlie diameter of the hub. 
More I>itcliinjj a»lo-\TS, — Those who 
have gor>d ones should advertise them ; we have numer- 
ous inquiries. They are little used at the East, and we 
are not sufficiently familiar wUh the best modern ones to 
recommend any particular plow. 
Caloric Eng;ines lor f^arm Use. — 
Dr. " C. H. R.,"' Springfield. 111. We value so highly a 
steam ioi/fr on a farm that for our own part we would 
hardly think to inquire into the merits of an engine 
which ran without a boiler. However, for some farms, 
where the steaming of fodiler, cooking of hog feed, etc., 
is not now considered ilesirable, the case is difTerent. If 
any one has used a caloric engine for farm purposes, we 
shall be glad to hear from him concerning its merits. 
It certainly has the advantage of greater portability. 
StacUtng: CJeer for Horse Forlis.— 
J. P. Dudley, San Jose, Cal. We figured an arrancement 
for stacking with a horse fork, (p. 177, June,) in the last 
volume of the Ag^riculturist. There are other good 
plans, however, one of which is simply a pair of tall 
shears, guyed so as to have a play each side of the 
perpendicular of a few, say 4. feet. T-vo tall poles are 
chained together at the top where the fork is hung, and 
the buts are spread 12 to 15 feet apart. Oak pins are 
thrust through the buts, about 6 inches from the ends, 
so that they may easily be shifted along with a crowbar, 
a few feet at a time, as the stack grows. Some 8 feet in 
length of the stack is made at once ; then the shears are 
shifted. This makes a long stack. 
J. The marker consists of three runners, the outside 
ones being movable on the cross pieces, to mark rows 
different distances apart. A pole is hinged in the middle 
and falls un either side, and to this a chain is attached, 
where it will mark the path of one of the outside run- 
ners in coming back. Mr. T. suggests that the chain 
track ought to be made for the midille runner to follow, 
for the driver in this case would have only to look ahead. 
A Convenient Tool Sled.— Every farmer 
should h.'ive one or more tool sleds, according to the 
number of teams employed on the farm, as they are far 
more convenient for tiansporting plows, harrows, an<t 
many other implements to and from the field, than 
wheeled vehicles. The illustration herewith given re- 
presents one of ttiese sleds. There are t^vo pieces of 
haid wood scantling, two Inches wide, four inches thick, 
and eight feet long, with the forward ends dressed off on 
the under side like a sleigh runner, and chamfered as 
shown at the rear end, so that the sled will pass over 
obsti uctions mnie easily than if the bottom were straight. 
Hard-wood planks, LV inches thick and three feet long, 
ate pinned, boiled, or spiked to the runners, and upon 
these 2x3 strips (raves) should be nailed. Four or five 
carriage bolls should pass through the runners, planks 
and raves on eacli side, and as the wood shrinks, the nuts 
should be screwed up tight. A clevis may be taken fiom 
a plow and attached to the forward end, as shown by the 
illustration, or a clasp and ring may be boiled on rigidly. 
When making such a sled, those parts of the runners, 
planks and raves, which are brought in contact with each 
other, should be well smeared with coal tar to exclude 
water, which will cause rapid decay if jiermitted to enter 
the seams. The advantages of such a sled over a wagon, 
or cart, are, that it can be employed for hauling slones, 
slumps, sods, and manure for short distances, and boys 
can load plows, harrows, or bags of grain on it, when 
they would not be able to put such things on a wagon or 
cart ; and more than all, the injurious exposure of 
wheeled vehicles to storms and sunshine is thus avoided. 
When a team is driven to the field to plow, no vehicle is 
more convenient than such a sled for carrying all neces- 
sary tools, extia plow points, the water jug, etc. 
Xlie miniature Frnit-Oarclen. — 
By Thomas Rivers,— This is a reprint of a work by one 
of the most widely known fruit-growers in the world. 
It has been reproduced entire from the 13th London edi- 
tion. Everyone who grows fruit trees in the garden 
will find in this some useful hints. ^m\ it contains the most 
complete directions for treatingdwaif trees as dwarfe, of 
any book with which we are acquainted. Price, $1.00. 
Corn Marlcerjs. — These implements .ire al- 
most always home-made. So we give some hints about 
them almost every year, for corn ought to be planted in 
very true rows. We gave an engraving and description 
of an excellent one last year (p. 149, May}. An improve- 
ment Is suggested by P. L. Tiiompson, of Morris Co., N. 
Oar4l<*m Culture of tlao Tomato.— 
Tomatoes grown in field culture, lie about without any 
supports, but in the garden tlie plants pay well for the 
trouble of training. In former numbers we have given 
several trellises anJ supports, and we now give the plan 
followed by the French gardeners, which they claim 
gives very early and large fruit, as well as abundant 
crops. The plants are started in the usual way under 
glass, and at the proper 
season are set out, each 
one being fui nished witli 
a single stake about six 
feet high. The plant, as 
it grows, is tied to the 
slake. When the first 
cluster of blossom buds 
appears, the lateral shoots 
which appear in the axil 
of each leaf below it, are 
carefully pinched out. 
leaving hut a single stem, 
stu'mounted by a cluster 
of flowers, and a bud 
wliich will serve lo con- 
tinue the stem. This bud 
will develop three leaves 
and a cluster of finwers, 
and all the axillary 
shoots upon it are remov* 
ed, and the stem is kept 
carefully tied up; and so on. The vine is kept to a 
single stem, without branches, and bearing only leaves 
and clusters of fruit. The writer who describes this 
method in the Revue /for?jco/e, states that he gets an 
average of 60 large tomatoes from each plant, and that 
their greater ea-liness brings him a price which pays 
well fur the increased trouble over ordinary culture. 
The same writer has a plan for covering his plants, 
wlien first put out, to protect them from lale frosts and 
cool nights, which will be readily understood from the 
figure. A double handful of straw, with the buts evened, 
is pl.iced around the slake in the form of a cone, tied, 
and the upper ends bent down and tied again. This, 
when closed, forms a shelter which may be opened 
in the dav time toward the south, and closed at night. 
IVIilU Tor Children — I\ot al\rays 
Good.— We have long thought it not best to use, espec- 
ially for young children, the milk fiom bieeding cows. 
Analysis, by Lasigne, showed tliat as cows approach 
calving time, their milk is essentially changed in its con- 
stiiuetds. being deficient in caseine and milk sugar, and 
abounding in albumen and uncombined soda. From 
what is well known in regard to the human subject, we 
might well infer that milk of breeding cows is not whole- 
some. Our own practice, for ten years past, has been 
to keep a farrow cow specially for supplying milk for 
our children. A second rate, but heallhy cow, one not 
too valuable to slaughter, is kept for this purpose, and 
after 6 to 10 months, according lo her nulking capacity, 
she is diied up and fattened for the butcher, and a new 
milk cow substituted. The fattened cow about pays for 
the fresh one, so that this involves little exlra expense, 
and the result upon the little ones certainly seems to be 
favorable. This is of course more important where in- 
fants are wholly brought up by hand, and we commend 
the subject to those thus situated. The matter is dis- 
cussed more fully in the Agriculturist for February, 1856 
(V(d. XV, page 1 1").— Unfortunately we have not a copy 
of that date to supply. 
Coal Xar on "Walls. — E. C. Hubbard, 
Erie Co., N. Y. Coal Tar on the outside of a brick wall, 
will not prevent its absorbing water from below. But 
probably in laying a brick wall, coal tar might be so in- 
corporated with the mortar, that a few courses laid in 
this lar moitar would be an effectual bai riei" to the ascent 
of moisture from the grtmnd. Perhaps, even bricks 
might be dipped in tar and laid so as not to weaken the 
wall. Asphaltum has been used for mortar ever since 
tlie town of Babel w as built — at least it was used there, 
and has stood very well, considering the circumstances. 
The Practical Entomologist.— This 
little sheet is very cleverly conducted, and enleavors to 
be, as its name indicates, "practical." It was started by 
some enthusiastic naturalists upon the plan of sending it 
free to all who would remit postage. Its circulation 
being much larger than was anticipated, and involving 
an unexpected amount of labor, its publishers have wisely 
concluded to chaige 50 cents a year hereafter. Send 
subscriptions to E. T. Cresson, 518 South 13th-5t., Phila. 
Vegetable Qneries.— " A. L. G.," Jasper, 
Tenn. Martynia is exclusively for pickles, the ripe fruit 
being used. The plant is figured on page 113, and direc- 
tions for pickles given on page 104 of the Agriculturist 
for April 1S64. Chervil. Of this there are two kinds, the 
common Chervil, of which the leaves are used for flavor- 
ing in Ihe same manner as Parsley, and the Parsnip Cher- 
vil, which has an eatable root and is cooked like the po- 
tato. This last is sown in September or October, the 
same as carrots, and is ready to harvest the next year In 
August. Cauliflower is raised like cabbage ; the head is 
boiled tender inwaler, and dressed with drawn butter. 
A Musical People,— Music in the house- 
hold is something more than a luxury. It refines, ele- 
vates and soothes, while affording unexceplionable pleas- 
ure. A growing taste for it is an eiicouraging indication 
of heallhy growth in civilization. The Internal Rev- 
enue Taxes, returned by the principal manufacturers of 
Cabinet Organs, Harmoniums, Melodeons. and similar 
instruments, for the months of October, November and 
December, 1865, are of interest as showing the amount 
of business done in a single branch of the trade. Tlie 
whole aggregate of Pianos and other musical instru- 
ments sold annually in this country must be immense. 
The total taxes paid were reported as follows: Mason 
& Hamlin, $6,382.92; Geo. A, Prince & Co.. S3,139.S6 ; 
S. D. & H. W. Smith, $2,522.70 ; Carhart, Needham & 
Co.. $2,177.16, Esley&Co.,Sl,218.18;X. Spanf?. S?8T.42 ; 
Taylor & Farley. $033.07 ; B. Shoninger Melodeon Co., 
$925.66; Peloubet & Son, $898.14 ; Jewelt <fe Goodman, 
S771.72; Treat & Linsley, §769.20; Kinnard, Drcher <fc 
Co., $498.72; A. C. Chase, $4S6.C8 ; H. R. Phelps, $343.80, 
or a total of over $22 000 paid by these firms alone on 
melodeons. This is 5 per cent, on $44(i,nnn. The value 
of Pianos made is of course vastly greater. 
