1866.1 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
309 
chasing miscellayieous seeds by the ton, and forcing mem- 
bers of Congress to act as seedsmen in general to their 
consiituency, is a nuisance which calls for Hb.itement. 
" Members of Congress are sent here to deliberate and 
legislate for the best interests of the country. But tlie 
amount of work they are called upon to perform, as claim 
agents, seedsmen, gift-book agents, and showmen to 
sight-seers, surpasses belief. And in some cases the 
amount thrown upon members by their constituencies, is 
sufficient to employ con^tiintly four or five active business 
men. Some of our members receive as many as liOO let- 
ters per aay, requesting all sorts of favors, from a gold pen 
up to a library, completely over'.vhelniing the unfortunate 
recipients, leaving them actually r.o time for legislation. 
"But," says one, "it rests with Congress itself to 
change all this." Not at all. No member likes to be 
considered churlish and indifferent to the wishes of tlie 
people ; and though greatly overworked, he is the last to 
complain. Thus it is left with the people themselves to 
consider well the legitimate duties of their representa- 
tives in Congress, and having done so, cease at once to re- 
gard tkem as claim ag;rnls, seedsmen, clothiers, or gift- 
book <ig-cu(s.— If thought necessary that the national Gov- 
ernment should continue to transact a general retail busi- 
ness, let us by all means have a department created for 
the purpose, called, say, * The Department of the Retail 
Trade,* with a commissioner and force sufficient to at- 
tend to the business, and take a burden off the shoulders 
of Congress that it may attend to legitimate duties — '* 
" The abuses flourish, however, and will continue so to 
do, so long as Congress continues to appropriate money 
for the purposes of purchasing seeds, printing books, or 
making ciothin? even. for free distribution among the thou- 
sands reat'y to take wliatever they can get at others' cost. 
"I am in favor of judicious expenditure of money in 
public printing, but am entirely opposed to the publica- 
tion of expensive books for indiscriminate distribution as 
at present canied on. For instance, the Report of the 
Census of 1S60 is published in four volumes, the last 
volume being now nearly ready for the binder. These 
vidurnes cost, so I am informed by the offii-er in charge 
at the Interior Department, about $12 each, and are cir- 
culated free by the tens of thousands. / have seen these 
$12 volu7nes for sale at paper rag stores in this city, at 
seven cents per pound, be/ore they had been/rom the press 
a month ' I may almost say they went direct from the Gov- 
ernment press back to the paper-mill. Millions of dollars 
of the people's money are thus absolutely thrown away. 
•' Another instance is the seedsman's division of the 
Department of Agriculture, the original intention of 
which was to distribute a few samples of choice seeds of 
rare production to different parts of the country, to in- 
troduce and foster the cultivation of new productions, 
but whicli has grown into an erroneous abuse, a mere 
machine for the free distribution of tons and tons of mis- 
cellaneous seeds, purchased with the people's money in 
every direction. I have received 10 packages of these 
seeds, which I forward to you, as samples, by express, 
the mails being too much encumbered by franked matter 
to render it certain you will get them by that convey- 
ance. Thougli immense amounts have already been 
distributed, I see that the Department, has a ' few more 
left.' A morning paper states that: 
' On Wednesday, at 1 o'clock, the first floor of the agri- 
cultural seed-room on F-st., between Sixth and Seventh, 
gave way, letting down about three tons of ^eeii to the 
basement. Mr. McDonald, one of the employees, went 
down v^ilh the floor, and received a few bruises. The 
seed being in bags, the damage was only to llie building.' 
*'An additional appropriation will doubtless be needed 
to procure a store-house sufficiently strong to hold the 
' tons of seed' sutBcient to supply a constantly increas- 
ing demand. I am well aware that our present Congress 
is immaculate ; but it must bear the sole responsibility of 
these abuses. So long as that bnify appropriates the peo- 
ple's money for useless expenditure, it will be expended. 
— . *<■ *-• 
A Show of all Kinds of Wheat.— An Im- 
portant Eequest, 
There is a great lack of accurate knowledge about the 
various kinds of wheat which are cultivated in different 
sections of our country. Many of these are introduced 
varieties, which may have maintained to a considerable de- 
greethe characteristics known where they originated, or 
their characters may have been greatly modified by our 
soil and climate. Besides, distinct vaiieties have probably 
originated in this country : the same variety is known by 
dift'erent names in vaiious localities, and one name is 
applied to very diverse kinds. We propose therefore to 
the readers of the Agriculturist to jnin with its Editors 
in collecting and classifying our wheats. The present 
postal regulations offer great facilities for so doing, and 
the result will, we hope, be of very great value to each 
contributor and to the whole country ; but this can only 
be if our suggestion me«ts with the hearty oo-operation of 
our readers who are wheat growers all over the country. 
Please send to the American Agriculturist, 41 Park 
Row, Netu York, by mail, marked "Plants only"— or 
"Seeds only." as the case may be, the following ■ 
1st. — 1 doz. heads large and small as they run, cut when 
just out of blossom, and dried in the shade, (best in the 
house, but not near the fire.) 
2d. — A stool or two with the stubble 6 inches long— or 
belter the whole plant, pulled up by the roots with the 
straw broken as little as possible in bending for packing. 
3d.— A quart of the grain — being a good average sample. 
Accompanying these the name in every case written 
clearly, and the name of the sender with P. O., County 
and State. Postage prepaid Is 2 cents for each 4 ounces. 
4th. — By letter at the same time, a concise history and 
description of each variety, es|»ecially time of Jltnceriug 
in comparison with several other kinds, the time of 'ripen- 
ing, liability to winter kill, to be injured by the midge or 
fly, or by rust ; its tendency to shell out, or not to shell ; 
also the stiffness, length and general character of the 
straw, the amount itf leaf, and other peculiarities ; also 
the different names the variety is known by, and any 
other facts which may be deemed of interest. 
We will see toil that samples are sown side by side 
under good circumstances, and so try to ourselves make 
fair comparisons between them, and of course report 
from time to time. Should it t)e too late, or incimvenient 
to send the samples of heads, or of the whole mature 
plants, we hope the sample of grain v\ith the description 
may still be sent, as the importance of a thorough in- 
vestigation of this kind can liardly be ovei-estimatcd. 
The samples of the heads and of the grain will be kept 
on exhibition and for reference, at the jlgricu/iunsi office. 
Married. 
At Palisades. Rockland County, N. Y., Thursday, April 
26, by Rev. S. Hitchcock. Mason Cogswell Weld, Asso- 
ciate Editor of the American Agriculturist, of New- York, 
and Martha M., daughter of Henry Coles, of Palisades, 
Containing a great variety of Items, including many 
good Hints and Suggestions which ice throxo into smaller 
type and condensed form, for want of space elsewhere, 
TAKE NOXaCK ! — All Snl»<^crip. 
tions begin ^vitU tUe Voliinic, unless other- 
wise desired and specified when subscribing. All sub- 
scriptions received up to June 25th are entered down for 
the entire volume, and the numbers from January Ut are 
forwarded. We keep on hand, or print as needed from 
our stereotype plates, the entire numbers of tlie volume, 
to supply to subscribers, and to others desiring them. Sub- 
scriptions received after June 25th. begin at the mid- 
dle of the volume, unless otherwise desired or specified. 
Clii1>s can always be increased at the origiual 
club price, if the snbscriplions begin at the same time. 
The back numbers are sent to the new names added. 
The Postage on this Paper is posi- 
tively only 3 cents per quarter, or 12 cents per year, 
when paid quarterly in advance at the office where re- 
ceived. Tiie law fixes this rate definitely on monthly 
journals weighing not over 4 ounces, and we carefully 
keep within this weight, having ail our paper specially 
manufactured with this end in view. 
ISoolcs. — Several valuable new books are beiug 
issued the present season, some of which are referred to 
Ui "Basket items." and a full liat of those regniarly 
supplied, is given on page 'J33. 
Those PreniiiiiiiM—lLiUst Call.— On 
page 232 we publish the lists of general and special 
premiums, which we propose to close up at the end of 
the half year (June .10), allowing sufficient time thereafter 
for names to come in from the Pacific Coast ami other 
distant points. These premiums are certainly valuable, 
and worth all the effort required to get them. Every 
Present Subscriber can readUy get one or more of the 
*'One Subscriber Premiums.'' The books are valuable, 
rantjing in price from 30 to 50 cents each. No books, 
however larg*?. have ever been issued on Flax. Hop, 
Tobacco, and Onion Culture, which are so valuable, as 
those named in the list. None of the works offered are 
" old stock," but they are all newly printed, and most of 
them are just from the press. 
iVIissIng^ Niiinhei-!^. — The mails .seem to 
have been unusually irregular lately. In several in- 
stances, papers that we positively know were mailed, 
have failed to reach titcir destination. Though it is 
hardly just that we should make up ail the diliciences of 
the Government agents, we cheerfully send duplicates of 
numbers lost by mail, without charge— not of course fur 
such as are lost or torn after their reception. 
9»0 ^itrawUcrry Plants from Oaio. 
— F. A. Rich, WnllingforLi, Conn., wiites, that from one 
"Agriculturist" plant, received from this office the pre- 
vious autumn, he last season obtained 930 plants, and 
"thinks that doing pretty well for one plant in one 
season in the open groun-l." So do we; and we 
hope the fruit will be proporlionally productive, which, 
of course, can only be looked for this year on the fir<^t 
formed and most fully developed plants. 
Alfi&'eatl E^neatliiBg: Ntaehiiie Waui- 
ed.— M. B. Rodman, speaking in behalf of the New 
Bedford Orphans' Home particularly, and of house- 
keepers generally we suppose, asks if we can not have 
a small handy machine for mixing and kneaiiin^ bread, 
the staple food, which requires so much hard woman's 
work. We know of no such machine of practical utility. 
Here is an unoccupied field for clever inventors. 
Xlie A<lvei-tisenieBtt» are curtailed this 
month, to make room <m pages 232 and 233, for some 
matters usually placed in the first pages, so as to leave 
more space here fijr basket items, which many consider - 
the best jiartof the paper. Several interesting announce- 
ments of implements, platds, etc.. etc., wiil he found in 
the advertising pages, which will no doubt atttact atten- 
tion. We repeat the usual suggestion, that those writ- 
ing to advertisers for circulars, for information, or order- 
ing of them, will confer a double favor, by letting them 
know inhere their advertisements we-e seen. 
Sitntlry Hiain1>ii;;;s. — We have not space to 
describe each of the scores of swindling operations that 
have come to our knowledge within a month past. A 
large proportion of these are so similar lo those previous- 
ly described, that nothing further need be said of tiiem. 
Most of the operators in gift enterprises, prize jev^eliy 
schemes, watches, lockets, chains, sewing m.-chines, lo 
be given by tickets, etc., etc., have changed their names 
and places of business. To-day we dropjied into a new 
swindling shop, as we know iiinhe, (though it is difficult 
to [irove it so, without calling sundry witnesses here from 
Iowa,) and we found precisely the same parliesoperating, 
that last month were at another place under a different 
name. There arc still thirty to forty of these swindling 
shops here, operating only at distant puints. through the 
mails ; but we are happy to learn that the aggregate re- 
ceipts of letters by these cheats are not half what they 
were before the Agriculturist began its fresh warfare 
upon them the present year— a saving to the people of 
at least $5000 a day! We add a few notes: Jno. H. 
Bancker, of Schenectady Co., N. Y., sends a circular 
left at the houses there by a set of sharpers, who called 
themselves agents of a failed New York house, (never in 
existence,) antl promised to be along in three or four 
days with an immense stock of goods, at far below half 
price. This was a blind. They merely "sold" a few 
samples of cloth they " happened" to have along, which, 
after they were gone, proved to be woi thless shoddy, well 
glazed over. The throngs of people who came together 
to get a chance at the promised sale of cheap goods, went 
home with the countenances of two-year-old lambs 
Mitchell, Arrandale ^ Co., (one of them, if there be more 
than one) a long time operator in New York, has opened 
a swindling address at Plaistow, N. H., and sends out 
tickets, pretending to have been paid for them, offering 
an immense number of things -'worth" $f> to $350, on 
recei|>t of $5. These, like fifty other similar operators, 
are the veriest svvindier.s. They do not send watches 
worth $50 for only $5. L. A. Kirkwood, Bentonvillc, 
Ind., sends word to them that he has read the Agricul- 
turist too long, anil has too much else to do. to attend to 
the agency of such rascals. Many others send us tickets 
froEn the same concern. . . - \Vm. J. Elliott 4- Co., Lottery 
dealers, with no adveilised place of business except fi, 
P. 0. box, are operating on eloquence or higlifalutin. 
On the back of their schemes Itiey go into extasies over 
the details of numerous prizes they claim to have dis- 
tributed to " factory girls," to " bed-ridden old ladies," 
to sundry " farmers," etc., etc. Why don't they give the = 
names of these lucky people, for they ask the privilege 
of sending just such prizes on puipose to be able to 
publish their names, and to have them "make it generally 
known ivhere they got the money," as an advertisement. 
Oh: Mr. Elliott, why are you so partial? Why don't 
you give us your place of business, so that we can call in 
and get one of them are §40,000 prizes you profess to 
be scattering round so freely? Pray come out of that 
little P. O. Box and let us find you ; we ache lo get 
$10,000 for only $10 invested. It r\o\v costs $1 to get $1.07 
