186G.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
all 
Tlie Rinderpest.— The fact that this ter- 
rible malady has abated to a considerable extent in Great 
Britiiin, Cthoufjh cnrifessedly not on account of tlie meas- 
ures used by Cue government to stay iis progress, for tiiese 
-have been mo:?t imperfect and ill advised"), sliould not 
malco us less vigilant tliat it siiould not be imported here. 
The great danger is from cows used for milk on our pas- 
senger ships, ai:d we hope tliat now stringent measures 
will be taken In regard to tliese. The law of the State 
of Xew York we give in fid! on page 220. Tlie Commi.=- 
i-ionevs appointed are well known and honored through- 
out the country. No man in the Stale is moie identified 
with the cattle Interest than L, F. Allen, of Black Rock, 
Erie Co.. a man of more eneigetic executive talents 
than Gen. Patrick could liardly have been selected, and 
Mr. Kelly is discreet and cnn*er*'ntive, and is identified 
with ihe agricultural interests of the State. The law re- 
quires owners of cattle suspected of having the disease, 
to communicate the facts to tlie Commissioners, but does 
not give tiie P. O. address of either. We give Mr. Allen's 
address above, birt are not quite certain where to address 
the other gentlemen. 
Horse and Cattle *• Doctoring'."*— 
We are constantly in receipt of remedies for horn-ail, 
liovse-distemper. fouls, heaves, hog-cholera, worms, etc., 
etc., and publish but few. In fact we always dread to 
publish a remedy for any disease without accurately de- 
scribing the malady, its natuie and symptoms^ for com- 
mon names are so uncertain, and among the owners of 
cattle of any kind the desire is so strong to do something, 
that it is an even chance that they (\o not do exactly the 
wrong thing. With regard to ordinary ailments, nature 
is the best nurse and doctor, and Jn cases of the chronic 
charncter, especially if the disease be one not thorough- 
ly understood, the advice of a good veterinarian is most 
importiint. There are, however, some acute ailments, 
like Hoove, or Bloat, caused by eating much green food, 
which ferments in the stomach. Cotic, Garget, etc., which 
are very properly subjects for anybody's discreet treat- 
ment. And again there are some simple disorders, like 
colds, sores, slight fevers, scours, etc., which all farmers 
should understand, and for which they should have and 
use simple remedies. In all things carefnl investigation 
of symptoms, and an approximation to certainty in re- 
gard to the nature of the distemper should precede any 
other treatment, than, thorough grooming and the removal 
of the animal seen to be "out of sorts" to most com- 
fortable and isolated quarters, where it may have the best 
of food and care. 
TUe Sheep SIioav at Rochester was 
in some respects a success and in others a failure— a 
success so far as the exhibition of " American Merinos " 
was concerned and a failure in respect to other breeds. 
There were a few fair Cotswoid and Leicester sheep from 
this State and Canada, and one or two pens of ordinary 
South Downs. There was also a splendid lot of Silesi,in 
Merinos shown bv Mr. Chamberlain ot -Red Hook, and 
that was all. The " Gas Tar Merinos" were out in great 
force, arid if one did not know that these twenly-flve- 
pound fleeces of which so much was said, were made up 
of four or iive pounds of wool and twenty pounds of 
grease, they would be objects of real agricultural inter- 
est. But when we think tliat this grease probably costs 
as much to produce as two or three times as many pounds 
of tallow, or even more of l^esh, and that this offensive 
product is absolutely worthless, and furthermore the wool 
is not of first quality, we can but wonder that this 
breed should receive so much favor -from intelligent 
men. If this grease growing be persevered in, we fear 
ultimate injury to tiie great wool producing interest of 
the country. The Silesian sheep were in many respects 
admirable. Good constitution affording a fair carcass and 
fine wool. We hope the breeders of these sheep will 
develop the mutton producing qualities, as far as is con- 
sistent with the production of heavy fleeces of pure fine 
wool. Put llie tallow inside rather than outride among 
the wool. We feel confident that this can be done. The 
skill and intelligence required to produce heavy fleeces 
of grease and wool combined, can, if properly directed, 
give us as much wool without the grease and at least an 
equivalent for the grease in the form of good mutton and 
tallow. Success to all efforts in this direction. We ad- 
mire the Merino sheep — they are admirably adapted to 
the nature of American agriculture, and if bred with the 
right object, will prove odontoid value. 
"Rev. Edward A- "Wilson,"— The 
man who operates under this name, though often exposed 
and denounced, continues to advertise extensively from 
year to year, and of course finds poor dupes enough to 
pay him for doing so. Indeed the numerous letters of 
inquiry from our new subscribers indicate tliat his 
plausible statements, his assumed clerical name and 
garb, and his pretended benevolence, are effective with a 
large number of people. Our older reajJers will re- 
member that he claimed to be a minister of the " New- 
Haven Metliodist Conference," until we exposed his 
falseiiood by stating that there was no sucli Conference. 
He then studied up the church documents and claimed to 
have belonged to the N. E. Conference. Here is a 
copy of his advertisement, to be found in many papers : 
To CoKSL'MPTivES.— The advertiser, having been restored 
to health in a few weeks by a very simple remedy, after 
having suffered for several vears with a severe lung att'ec- 
tion, and that dread disease. Consumption— is anxious to 
make known to his fellow-sufferers tiie means of cure. 
To all who desire it, he will send a copy of the prescription 
used ffree of charge), witli tlie directions for preparing and 
using the same, which they will find a sure cuke for Con- 
sumption. Asthma, Bronchitis, Coughs, Colds, and all 
Throat and Lung Affections. The only object of the adver- 
tiser in sending the Prescription is tobenellt the afflicted, 
and spread information whlcli he conceives to be invaluable, 
and he hopes every sutfercr will try his remedy, as it will 
cost them nothing, and may prove a blessing. Parties 
wishing the prescription, FnEE. bv return mail, will please 
address Rev. EDWARD A. WILSON, Williamsburg, Kings 
Co., New York. 
Generous man to pay tens of thousands of dollars a 
year in advertising, and then give away the recipe. 
We will publish it /ree, and do more too. We will 
publish also, to our million readers, the Recipe just as 
(Rev.) Wilson furnishes it, and thus we save to all of 
them the expense of postage, and save (Rev.) Wilson ilie 
expense of printing and mailing his prescription. Here 
it is as (Rev.) Wilson gives it : 
"Extract Bloilgetti 8 o:. ; Hiiphoi>ho>i)jhites nf Lime and 
Soda %oz. : Alantin, iPiua) l dr.; Jfeconin, (Ptira) Kxa:; 
Extract Cinchomi, 2 dr. : Loaf S'i'jitr, l m. ; Pure Port 
Wine, ^pt.: Warm Water, \ <j'l.— Compound <ind mix well 
all the powder.'! and extrnrts. place in u bottle, with }4pt. 
warm water, shake ivell : add re-it of wat^r, the ^ytffar ami 
wine {or rum or gin ) ; shake well and when cold it is ready 
for use. Do.'ie, 1 ^large tablet*poonfnl \ times a day, hefore 
each meal, and on going to bed. . .." 
There now, are we not generous, to give all this space 
whicli others would gladly pay $2 a line for? But let us 
see about the value of this prescription : " Blodgetti." 
Nobody knows it, except this (Rev.) Wilson : no regular 
druggist in the country can supply it. So the benevolently 
given prescription of (Rev.) Wilson is useless. "Alantin 
(Pura)"— in other words a starch from elecampagne 
root, no belter and no worse than so much potato starch, 
and therefore not made or kept on sale by druggists. 
" Meconin (Pura)," a constituent of opium, which no 
druggist finds it worth while to keep. " Hypophosphites 
of Lime and Soda," recommended for lung diseases in 
Paris, but not yet proved effective enough to be adopted 
in the United States Phatmacopia, and of very doubtful 
utility. The extract of Cinchona, and the Wine are com- 
mon, and will often stimulate weak or consumptive 
persons so as to make them "feel better" for a little 
while. There is not a doctor in the land who could not 
give or would not give a prescription quite as safe and 
valuable as the above. But see where the laugh, or the 
humbug, or the " benevolence " of (Rev.) Wilson comes 
in. He knows that his prescription cannot be put up by 
anybody in the world ; so he generously informs his 
dupes, that when tliey cliance to be unable to get it, he 
will condescend from his ministerial duties, and make up 
the package (except the sugar, wine, and water), and 
send it for $3.30 by mail, or in a bottle ready mixed, for 
$4, express unpaid. That's where he gets money to pay 
for adveitisements ; that's where his '"benevolence" 
comes in.— Any one calling at "165 South 2d St., Wil- 
liamsburg," to see the "Rev.," if not frightened away 
by the big dog at the front door, may be informed on 
entering that the "Rev." is "not in just then" We 
hope this extended notice will suffice to put all our 
readers, and their friends, on the guard against the as- 
sumed piety and benevolence of the self dubbed "(Rev.) 
E. A. Wilson," and a host of other similar "pious" 
pretenders, for this year at least. 
Ho>v Swindlers Oet Raines.— Cau- 
tion to Post-Masters.— In referring to this malter 
last month, we did not particularly speak of the most 
common method, which has been described to us by a 
multitude of Post-Masters. A party sends out to a thous- 
and or ten thousand Post-Masters a circular, in which 
he proposes to have a new implement or other invention 
that he wishes to introduce, and asks the favor of hav- 
ing a hundred or so of the names and P. O. addresses of 
farmers and others. In return for the favor he usually 
promises a tine painting, or engraving, or something else. 
The thing looks so plausible, that a great number of 
persons have gathered and forwarded their names, but 
the Post-Masters seldom if ever hear from the swindler 
again, or from the engraving. The men whose names 
are forwarded soon after get the humbug circulars from 
the same party under a different name. Afterwards he 
assumes a still different name and place, and sends out a 
new scheme. Sometimes the lists of names thus pro- 
cured are sold to other swindlers. One man by the name 
of Todd, who was the real Hayward & Co., of 229 
Broadway, Hammond & Co., of Brooklyn, etc., has 
privately operated directly and indirectly 'mder a score 
or more of names. Post-Masters will consult their own 
interest, and that of their neighbors, if they cast alt the.«R 
applications for names into the waste basket or fire. 
Xliose CiiSiiMlon Plots.— It would be grat- 
ifying could we know how many profitable, pleasure and 
health yielding garden plots have been developed 
throughout the country, mainly through Ihe influence of 
the American Agriculturist, during the past dozen or 
twenty years. We are continually hearing of them in 
evei'y direction. Some one, prompted by onr premium 
offers, starts a list, and persuades a number of his or her 
neighbors to try the paper a year, though only clerks or 
mechanics, or professional men, or dav-laborers, and 
having only a house lot or garden plot. Well, something 
they read sets them to tluniiing about improving their 
giounds, they go to work, and then read more, think 
more, and work more, and the result is a pleasant gar- 
den, beautiful flowers, fine vegetables and fruits, in short, 
an attractive homestead, and better health. We know 
this has been the direct result in thousimds of case-s. 
This is of course a great satisfaction to us. So our 
work, our premiums, our business efforts pay in raore 
ways than one. 
<»ne of file iiJardeii Mots— What it 
Yields. — The following is one of a large number of 
similar examples on hand: H. Johnson, Windham Co., 
Conn., who is engaged in a manufacturing establishment, 
describes his twenty square rods (^a acre) garden or 
house-yard. It contains paths, gnipe-trellises, clothes- 
dryer, pen for pig, compost lieap, etc. ; II grapevines, 
of which 6 bore fruit, that last year drew 5 prizes and 
gratuities at the county fair ; 5 dwarf pear trees, one of 
which netted $4.35 for one bushel of fruit sold ; 4 peach 
trees; 2 cherry trees ; ?-2 cunant bushes; English rasp- 
berries, rhubarb or pie plants, horse ladisli, sage-bed, 
plot of sweet corn, early potatoes, and sundry other 
vegetables, plenty of flowers of vaiious kinds, and last 
but not least, strawberry plants that yielded about r* 
bushels of berries, of which 100 boxes returned $2S.40 
above expenses of selling. In this garden hi^ one Agri- 
culturist strawberry plant, received the previous autumn, 
increased to 250 plants last year. Do not such plots pay 
aside from the healthful pleasure and amusement they 
afford ? It was tilled at odd morning and evening hours. 
The Weatlier aiB<l tlie Crops. — We 
have had a remarkably dry, cold spring. Never was there 
a better time for getting in spring crops. Low. wet land 
Is now drier than it usually is in July and August, and 
thousantis of acres have been planted in good season 
that are generally reserved for buckwheat. The wheat 
and grass crops are not promising, but a few warm 
showers will revive them. 
€rar<lefii Flo^vers : Ho-^' to <wro"«' 
Tliein.— A treatise on the culture of Hardy Ornamen- 
tal Trees, Shrubs, Annuals, Herbaceous and Bedding 
Plants, by Edward Sprague Rand, Jr. Boston : J. E. 
Tilton & Co. In his first work, " Flowers for the Parlor 
and Garden," Mr. Rand gave us a very useful hand-book 
on floriculture. In the present work he has taken wider 
scope and attempted to give a florist's dictionary or refer- 
ence book for hardy ornament.d plants. The genera are 
arranged in alphabetical order, the family to which each 
belongs is indicated, brief remarks upon the culture fol- 
low, and then a list is given of those species desirable for 
cultivation. In all that relates to the cultivation of 
plants the author is clear and to the point, that being a 
subject in which he is evidently at home ; but when he 
touches the botanical names and relationships of the 
plants ho describes, we find his botany as loose as that of a 
nurseryman's catalogue. A work of this kind should 
agree with the present state of botanical science, or, if 
it adopts the peculiar views of some European botanists, 
it should agree with itself ; but this work does neither. 
In proof of the justice of this criticism we will cite a few 
instances out of many wc marked during a perusal of 
the work. Leaving out the numerous examples of bad 
spelling and incorrect terminology, we find the aullior 
quite confused as to the names of natural families. The 
Grass Family, for instance, is called Oraminece in some 
places, and Grayninacem in others ; which will the au- 
thor have us adopt? Abies, we are told, belongs to the 
Pinacets, while Pinus itself is referred to Coniferfs. 
Onlv a botanist would know that these were two names 
for the same family. The Mint Family is honored with 
th'ee different names ; Labiata, Labiarece and Lamia- 
cecB. While several of the family are referred to Lamia- 
cecB, Lamium it>elf, which has given this name to the 
family, and one which is not used in this country, is given 
as belonging to Labiacem. Surely the amateur with a 
limited botanical knowledge will conclude that botany is 
" ail a muddle." Still worse is the case of Clinfonia. 
Under Smilacina. which is properly placed in Liliacefs, 
we find "S. horeal is, moi-e properly called Cfintonia 
borealis, Is a very pretty, etc." If it is " more properly" 
