386 
AMERICAN AGtliCtJLTtJtllST. 
[November, 
Containing a great vunftu of Items, inrliiding many 
good Hitif.t and Suggf-'^t'Ons which xoe throw into smaller 
tfipr and condensed form, for want of spaa elsewhere, 
illiirlc AH Subscriptions sent in, as Xewov Old. 
For rflarket Report, See Page 415. 
Please ^lieiul on lUe Ileiie\^'alj* of 
Subscriptions.— It v\ill greatly asMst us in the great 
work oi" re-entering and iirranging n:inies on the new 
.'\Iall Dooks for 1867, if those who finii it convenient will 
(>egin, at an early cJay, to sen>! in tlieir renewals of snb- 
sf^riptioti-. Can not every present subscriber get at least 
three others {<> join him. an-l make up a rlnb of four at 
$5? The new subscribers have the extra inducement of 
the December number free, if the names are sent this 
montli. as n'lted elsewhere. 
Ilritislt America SiiU.scrlUers-Post- 
«■§©• " Subscribers in the Canadas, New Ilrunswick, 
Nova Scoiia, etc., will save half the postage by sending 
12 cents a year to have it paid in a'lvance heie. Most do 
so, but some omit It. 
Our AdvertiAiu;^- Colnniii«9 — To 
Readers and Advertii^ers — H^xplanatton, 
etc— As this Journal goo^ to several thousarid new 
readers each week, and among these are some who ofTer 
advertisements, we give a few explanations : Wliile it is 
impossible to guarantee all the adveili-^emenls, we try to 
come as near it as praciicable. Oiiv aim is to adverlise 
notiiing we would not have read by a biolher or most 
esteemed friend. Patent medicines and all oilier secret 
things are rejected. Also all advertisements deceptive in 
form and substance. Parties offering advertisements, 
who are unknown to the edilors personally or by general 
good repute, are expected to furnish evidence that they 
have both the intention and ability to do what they 
promise to do i7i their advirtisements. Wo want none 
to advertise in these columns to whom we would nnt 
ourselves send orders, or cash in advance, if we happened 
to want what they advertise and at the price tliey ask.— 
By living up to these rules, we make the adrcrtising 
coiumns exceedingly valuable both to our veadeis and to 
the advertisers.— Our reaJerswIli find the advertisements 
worth looking all thiwigh, to learn what is for sale, and 
by whom.— We repeal a foi mer request, that those who 
order from oar advertisers or write to them for circulars, 
catalogues, etc., will state where Ihey saw the advertise- 
ments. It is usefiil and gratifying to business men to 
know through what channel they reach the largest class 
of enterprising persons. 
Correspondent !4 Please Observe j — 
Use any Initials or signature desired, but send your 
full name and. address with the article. We frequently 
wish to o'linmunicate with a writer, and are unable to do 
so for want nf tiie name. We never publish a name wiien 
some other signature U cliosen. —Always name State and 
Cininty. There are several Wasliington's, Monroe's, etc., 
and an answer often depends upon our knowing the 
climate, etc.— Do not d:iie from " Spring Grove "— *'The 
Dell ''—or any other name by which your own piace is 
know'n to yourself and Immediate friends. We cannot 
be supposed to know it, a thousand miles away.— Do not 
ask too many questions at one time, especially on dif- 
ferent subjects. — Do nnt write about farm, garden and 
household matters all on one sheet. A mixed ieiter often 
goes to the department indicated by the first query, and 
there slops. — We answer questions on their merits, and 
first, such as will interest the greatest number of readers. 
lti«^ Cal>l>ag'es. — As n?ual at this season, 
Mr. R. Criswell, "the Long Island Cabbage Farmer," 
ornaments our table with some of his fine, hard Flat 
Dutch cabbages. They weigh 22 to22>tf pounds (trim- 
med.') He t^hipped over one hifndred thousand last 
reason to Souiliern ports. 
To Post-!tEasters, an«l Sii1»!^oriUers 
— iUalling Pai»ers,-Expr.\NATioNs why Papers 
00 -ro Some before OxHEits. — as f.ist as subscriptions 
or renewals are received, tliey are numbered and record- 
ed in the Eiilry Books daily. (In busy seasons when 1.000 
to 0,000 names come in a day, an entry Book for each 
dav in the week is used.) The Posting Clerks sort out the 
namesfrom the Day Books and arrange Iheni in the Mail 
Books for the diffe-ent Sta'ei and Terrilorie*. putting all 
those at the same Post-Office togetlier, and indexing the 
Post-Oflices alphabetically. (To find any person's name 
we must know his State and Poit-Office.)— Our mail 
clerks begin a month in advance to write wrappers for 
all names tlien posted from the Daily Entry Books. 
These are first sent otT, all those to the same Post-Office 
in one or more parcels, at the same hour. This is called 
the 'Tegular mail." Afterwards all names arriving 
within a month are written from the Entry Books and 
mailed in the order of reception. .Somelimes half a dozen 
different parcels go to the same P. O., but a week or more 
after tiie lesuiar mail is sent to old subscribers. These 
new names are tlien posted into the Mail Books, and the 
next month they go in the "regular mail.'' It will thus 
be undcistood why new names and renewals get their 
first copies later, and not with the first regular mail. 
This system is necessary to ensure entire accuracy. 
Plants .Wanted. — F. Bcrleno. Some Be,e:oiiia, 
probably />. /'(('■/(S(o/(/e.«, but it larks flowers Samuel 
Johns, Mo. Verljena Aubletia (early). Partridge Pea, 
Cassia Chamm^ristn (yellow), and Sabbatia angular is 
(rose) M. II. Allen, ^le. A variety of the common 
Evening Primrose, (Enofhera biennis, and Water Plan- 
tain, AUsma Planta%o Mrs. A. D. Oray, Pa. Spot- 
ted Dead-nettle, Laniiwn Tnacnlatum, an oil garden 
plant P. II. Adams, Texas. ErythrfE-j, B^ynehiiy 
one of the Centaurys.. . . D. N. Began, O. Euphorbia 
margiiiata, often grown in ganlens Mrs. E. A. 
Robinson, R. I. A green-house species of Milk-weed, 
Asclepias Curassarnca, sometimes grown as a -tedding 
plant P. F. Ferris. No. I. Gerardia quercifolia. 
No, 2, Great Purple Orchis. Platanthera peramcBna .. , , . 
J. B. Metz, Pa. Tlie common Live-for-ever, Sedum 
Telephium. It has great tenacity of life, and must be 
grubbed up comidetely. Mrs. J. Prescotl, N. J. 
Joseph's Coat, Amaranthvs /r.'roior, a very old " foIi;ige 
plant." ... .J. Fitzgerald, Pa. Gerardia pedicularis. 
A lot of rubbish and incomplete specimens remain un- 
determineil. In regard to naming plants, we are very 
glad to help those who cannot get at the name in any 
other way. and who will send us good specimens— never 
more than three at a time, and then properly marked.— 
We don't propose to spend lime irt guessing at single 
le.aves and ends of growing shoots. Nr)r can we fill our 
space with giving botanical names of garden plants. The 
person who, without name or date, enclosed ns some 
dozen or moie garden and gieen-house things, with the 
common names, and asking for the botanical names, 
should have some good, book on the subject. 
** l>onation Parties^' arc miicli in 
vogue, and often very pleasant affairs. Our business let- 
ters describe several sucli parlies a lllil--: out of the usu- 
al line. In these cases, the members of a congregation, 
headeii by two or lliree individual, have quietly raised a 
premium club of subscribers, and secured a set of the 
Cyclopedia for their Pastor, or a Sewing Machine or 
Melodeon for his family. Premiums 15 to 20. 25. 31, 39, 
etc., in this year's list, will aflbr»l pleasant additions. 
Tlie matter is easily accomplished, and a double object 
is attained; the paper is scaltereil and read more widely, 
while the useful premiums are secured without expenses. 
Where this has not been done or thought of by the peo- 
ple, the pastors themselves have secuied the much valued 
Cyclopedia, etc., by a little effort in making up a club. 
A1>ont Inseets, — Thej- cat onr potatoes^ nnd 
bore our trees, destroy our crops, sting our fruit— yea, 
even sting us and bite us, and suck our blood; they 
bless us too in a thousand ways. The study of insects 
and their habits is most useful and interesting, and every 
body is interested to read about them. We can recom- 
mend without qualification the Practical Entotnolog/st, 
published at Pliiladelplua, and refer onr rea.iers to the 
Publisher*;' advertisement. It is practical and not so 
"scientific" as not to be entirely "popular." and easily 
understood by every body. 
** I>iainond Cat Oianiond.*'— Some- 
time ago ue insertet full paid advertisements of the 
Herald and W.uld, for the " reasons" stated last month, 
(page 345,) and two or three cried out "stop my Agri- 
culturist."' For the same " reasims " we inserted a large 
advertisement of the Tribune in September, and then 
came "a stop my paper," and complaints from others 
because we did not have in the same paper adverlise- 
nienlsof the Herald and \VorId, which chanced just tlien 
to be pulling together politically. (We did not have their 
ailvertisements. f.jr the very good reasons that they did 
not -happen to l)ring them in and pay for them.) As the 
fi lends of the World complained of us that time, we will 
call the World on the stand as a witness in our defense, 
an I quote from an ediiorial in that paper (the World) of 
Sept. 20: " We can do the public morals a service 
without being suspected of a sinister motive. That 
service is to enjoin upon every republican to buy the 
Trihime and read that, and to refuse to buy the Herald 
at any price The Tribune holds its principles iu 
sincerity, and advocates them because it really believes 
the country will be tlie belter for adopting them. The 
Herald advocates them because it thinks their advocacy- 
will pay; because it thinks they are likely to suc- 
ceed — "— — X. B. : This is not a '■ political Item.** 
We just want to show our protesting friends that we 
have pretty htgli authority for admitting an adverlise- 
ment of the Tribune, as soine seem to think we need 
to ask permission for advertising anything of any \^\u^l. 
Xlie l^alfc SHore Orape and l>Vine« 
Crro\¥'ers' Convention was lieid at Cleveland, O., 
on Ihe loth, lUii.and l-Jth,of last uuinili. The attendance 
was large, the discussions animated, nnd tlie display of 
fruit and wines very fine. The interest of the meeting 
was enhanced by tlie presence of veteran potnologlsis, 
Hon. Marsliall P. Wilder, Prof. J. P. Kirtland, Dr. War- 
der, George Graham, etc. We gatiiered many iioies at 
the meeting, and shall hereafter allude to some of the 
prominent features. 
Onr Yonn^; FolUs, pnblishcd by Mo.ssrs. 
Ticknor & Fields, Boston, has, from its cnrnmencement 
taken tlie first rank as a magazine for Boys and Girls. 
The instructive yet lively articles it contains monthly, at- 
tract the attention of many " ciiiidren of a larger growth." 
as well as always delighting the juveniles. The plans 
for Ihe coming year promise increased excellence, and 
we commend it to all who would furnish their chihiren 
with good matter which they will read. 
Hay and Cotton Presses, — These have 
been very greatly multiplied of la'e years, and increased 
in power so that many of the most bulky substances sent 
to market. Hay, Cotton, Straw, Rags, efc, are now 
pressed into small bulk and can be as easily handled, or 
loaded on cars or vessels as flour or similar mercliandlse. 
We saw recently a pre>s called the Champion, advertis- 
ed elsewhere in this paper, wldch exhibits an astf)nishin? 
combination of mechanical powers. A screw operates 
upon the periferies of two wiieels, which move a "tog- 
gle-joint" lever, which does the pressing, with great 
power and rapidity. 
^, Y, Time Tables.— Benedict Brothers, 
ITI Broadway, Issue monthly a very convenient Guide, 
giving the full time tables etc., of all the numerous Rail- 
road Trains, and the Steamboats centering in this ctty, 
including a condensed map of the city and its streets up 
to 59th street, and of parts of Brooklyn and Williams- 
burg. Price 20 cents. 
**A SoTT (writos 'X.'), o^-ncd by John Ambler, 
of Cambridge, O., recently produced a litter of 20 pigs !'' 
Itomnier's ^letliod Tor IVIaUIng; Ma- 
nure.— Some 20 years ago letters patent were issued to 
Geo. Bommer, for a method of making manure of great 
value out of the common rubbish and litter of the farm, 
at a small ex|iense for a few articles, or their equivalents, 
whirh indeed are usually at hand. This paient, now ex- 
pired, was somewhat extensively sold at $10. for a farm 
right, we believe. The account of the process was giv- 
en minutely in an 8-vo. pamphlet of 90 pages. These 
pamphlets we now offer on our Book-iixt. The informa- 
tion is just as valuable as if the patent right were still In 
force, and the process we know by expeilence and ob- 
servation is a most excellent ona to increase both ihe 
quantity and value of the manure. 
Shell Marl as a Fertilizer.— A Can- 
tlon.— The investigations which the peat swamps have 
undergone of late, have developed the fact that many of 
them are underlaid with shell marl. This Is chiefly car- 
bonate of lime, and is a valuable manure v\ here it can 
be had In large quantities. The value may be SI to $3 
per cart load. The quality of marls varies greatly, and 
the quantity applied, in like manner. Tlius li to 20 tons 
of some kinds and on some soils— and 60 to 100 Ions be- 
ing applied in oiher cases. The Idea ^f making shell 
marl an article of commerce like the phosphatic guano, 
or even the green-sand marl, to say nothing of more valu- 
able manures, is simply abturd ! 
The Ereninif Post appears .t^aln in a new 
dress, new type, and printed on better paper. Though 
tn its 66ih year, it has all the freshness and vigor of any 
of its more youthful competitors. Mr. Bryant's writings 
have always been Us principal charm, and it is gratifying 
to know that his pen Is still active as ever. See Adver'nt. 
