246 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[July, 
or firm at No. 41 Maiden Lane. This is another illus- 
tration of the risk, concerning which we have so often 
cautioned our readers, of sending money to any unknown 
parties advertising by circulars Gaicis W. Hubbard, 
Jr., again. This scoundrel who has his headquarters at 208 
Broadway, is full of ingenious swindling schemes. The 
pretended counterfeit money or sawdust game he has 
worked under a great variety of names, and in this as in 
other cases, he usually manages to operate upon other 
dishonest people iu such a way that they can not appear 
ss witnesses against him without criminating themselves. 
Here is one of his latest swindles: The following is a 
copy of many similar documents returned to us by honest 
people. Hubbard had a large lot of them written out 
aud forwarded to different parties all over the West. 
They are all alike except in the name of the person ad- 
dressed. (The Bill Head is neatly printed in the usual 
form ; the rest is written.) 
♦'New York, May 15th, 1871. 
3(r. W. P. Gillenioaltus. BofferaviUe, Tenn. 
To Durvin, Elliott & Co., 
Importers and Manufacturers of 
\\ .itches. Jewelry and Silverware, 
Wholesale Department up stairs. No. 198 Broadway. 
For repairs on Hunting, Stem-Winding, Gold Chronome- 
ter, made by Jugerson, No. 15,031, viz.: 
1 Balance Wheel and Hair Spring, $7.50 
1 Main Spring aud Cleaning, • - - 1,35 
1 Fine Lever, regulating, etc., - - - 5.00 
1 Gold Cap, Eug'd, 6.50-$20.25> 
Please remit by Express. 
Dear Sir:— The above watch received from you 21st 
Feb'y, is now ready for delivery. You were correct when 
you stated it could not be repaired outside of this City. 
We have had great difficult v with it, hut is now in thorough 
order, and we warrant it to keep correct time for five years. 
You wrote that the watch was found and desired to 
know its worth. It is a very valuable time-piece, and must 
have cost at least $500 in gold. It is now worth $ iOO, and 
for any one desiring a correct time-piece, is really cheap at 
its first cost. Please remit the amount of above bill by 
express, and the watch will be immediately forwarded. 
Oblige bv responding at once, as everyday It remains with 
ns entails additional trouble and expense. Respectfully, 
Durvin, Elliott & Co., 198 Broadway, N. Y." 
After mailing sundry thousands of the above, Hubbard 
got out a regular power of Attorney, signed by Durvin, 
Elliott & Co. (probably the real names of some of his 
employees), directing the Express Companies to deliver 
their parcels to himself. The result wa6 that many dis- 
honest people said to themselves, "well, there is no 
such person hereabouts, and if there was, the watch was 
1 found,' and did not belong to him, and so I'll privately 
forward the $20.95 and get the watch and keep it." Of 
course, Hubbard pocketed the funds and let the dupes 
whistle for their money. They dare not expose them- 
selves by complaining, and If they did, they would find 
no Durvin, Elliott & Co., at 19S Broadway, for the build- 
ing* is unoccupied — such buildings are often selected as 
their advertised headquarters by various swindlers. Of 
course no thoroughly honest person would forward 
money for a watch not belonging to him, but he would 
promptly do as Mr. Gillenwaltus and others have done, 
forward the documents to this office, or elsewhere, for 
investigation. We have given considerable space to 
the description of this particular swindle to illustrate 
how ingenious are the dodges resorted to, and to show 
that great care should be exercised in responding to cir- 
culars, etc., from unknown parties. We confess also, to 
a little satisfaction in showing those who have had a 
hand in sending the thousands of dollars in response to 
this operation, how completely they have been "done for" 
in their dishonest attempts to get watches not belonging 
to them. 
We have the usual assortment of " queer,' 1 alias 
"Sawdust," alias pretended counterfeit money, circulars 
and letters, but this subject has been so well ventilated 
that it is needless to say much. The swindled, willing- 
to-swindle, people throughout the count-ry must have, 
mostly received their dose of "sawdust" and had their 
eyes scoured open with it by this time. They have con- 
tributed enough to enable Hubbard and others to own 
Fifth Avenue Houses, splendid turn-outs, large bank ac- 
counts, and abundant solid investments, besides liberal 
expenditures for gambling, wines, etc. Geo. L. Decker 
(so-called), GSS Broadway, sends out boxes of old medicine 
bottles as a blind, with $15 to $50 C. O. D. bills, and 
writes to the victims very plausible letters. — Henry 
Parker & Co., 4S Liberty St., pretends to have city police- 
men paid to protect him and his customers. Among new 
names of " queer" operators we find Saml. J. Hale, 31 
Park Row ; Thos. Bailey & Co., 42 Liberty St.; I. F. Bur- 
roughs & Co., 1 Beekman St., and 11 Ann St.; Christopher 
Yates, 129 Nassau St.; Daniel Elliott & Co., 190 Broad- 
way ; Francis Ogden, 131 Fulton St. (old name and new 
circular); Howard L. Jones & Son, 194 Broadway, 
etc., etc. All these are merely the names adopted 
by two or three operators %W Every Recipe 
Seller, whether he advertises by circular, by news- 
paper, or otherwise, is to be let alone severely, no mat- 
ter how grand his show of profits to be made, etc. 
Medical Humbugs.— Despite all we have written, we 
still receive (from new subscribers generally) large num- 
bers of inquiries in regard to this and that doctor, medi- 
cines, c'c. As a general answer to all, we say: Every 
one of the doctors, remedies, etc., inquired about in the 
numerous recent letters before us, is a humbug — no ex- 
ception—whether referring to " eyes," " ears," " lungs," 
"consumption," "early indiscretions," "premature de- 
cay," "impotence," "seminal weakness," "diseases of 
women," "urinary diseases," advertised "medical col- 
leges," "medical institutes," and "medical universi- 
ties," no matter how high the pretented State Au- 
thority Endorsements. — %W Every circular or bill 
sent through the mails, in reference to any medi- 
cine, or doctor, or medical iustitute, that we have 
ever seen, and we have seen many thousands, has been 
a swindle. We do not speak ignorantly, or at random. 
If you don't believe this, reader, but choose to risk your 
health aud your money, we can't help it. If you let one 
of these fellows have a line from you, they will worm 
themselves into your feelings and fears by ingenious 
plausible letters, and they will stick to you as long as you 
have a dollar left, or can borrow one. They will send 
you stimulants or tonics to make you "feel better" for 
the time, and then lead you on to further investments ; 
or by some other ingenious dodge get your money. 
Tansy for Cwrrant Worms.— E. 
Bonney, Jr., Syracuse, N. Y., makes a strong decoction 
of tansy and sprinkles it upon the bushes from a water- 
ing pot. He applies it when the dew is on, three morn- 
ings in succession, and then waits until the worms re- 
appear. The remedy is cheap, simple, and easily applied, 
aud in the hands of Mr. B. has proved successful. 
Cocoa, or Nut Grass.—" N. H. K.," Ful- 
ton, Miss. This is a troublesome species of sedge, grow- 
ing in the Southern Slates, which can only be killed by 
constant and thorough cultivation. Plow the land once 
a week during the season, and harrow it at least twice a 
week; or, if this plan is too expensive, plow in the 
spring and sow wheat or some other grain, applying a 
good dressing of manure, and sow ten or twelve pounds 
of clover seed to the acre. 
"The Southern Farmer/'-We learn 
that this paper, published in Memphis, Tenn., is now en- 
tirely owned by its former editor, Dr. M. W. Phillips. 
Dr. P. is a veteran in the service, and has always made a 
most excellent paper. We hope he will be equally suc- 
cessful as a publisher. 
Washing' Trees. — "Subscriber." The 
best wash for fruit-trees is a strong solution of soft-soap, 
applied with a brush. The best time to perform this 
operation is early in the spring. 
Cucumber Bugs. — "A. J. M." destroys 
them with boiling hot soap-suds, sprinkled on the vines. 
He also washes the stems of young apple-trees with the 
same, and thereby kills all lice and makes the bark shine. 
We think the soap-suds might be beneficial, especially if 
made wilh carbolic soap, which we have tried on the 
bugs with success ; but we fear the boiling heat might be 
too much for the vines ; we should advise caution in 
using it at such a temperature. 
Fairbnnk-s Patent for railroad scales has 
been extended by the Commissioner of Patents for 17 
years. The proof shows that these scales have been put 
in use to the amount of $789,000, and that they have rev- 
olutionized the railroad freighting business. The Pat- 
ent is justly extended; it is benefiting the people by 
many millions annually. 
American ISaisisis. — In the May Agricul- 
turist we made the statement that raisins could not be 
made from any American grape. This must be qualified 
so far as the Walter grape is concerned, as Messrs. L. M. 
Ferris & Son, of Poughkccpsie, N. Y., send us some 
dried berries of the Walter, which, though small, arc 
really raisins. The specimens sent were from inferior 
fruit, dried without any especial care, and give encour- 
agement to try what can be done with selected fruit 
cured in the best manner. 
Plasier on IPotnioe^. — " Virginia." 
Plaster is not generally considered beneficial to potatoes. 
All applications of lime affect the quality of this crop in- 
juriously. The potatoes boil hard, and have a disagree- 
able flavor. We have heard this maintained, and have 
also experienced it. As soils differ widely in character, 
it would be wise to try a few hills, or a single row. 
BL^ocnst for Posts.—" C. M.," Delphi, Incl. 
That which you refer to as Black Locust is probably the 
Robinia Pseudacacia, known in the East as Yellow Locust, 
from the color of its wood. It is one of the most valuable 
and durable sorts of timber for posts and other uses. 
Large quantities are used in all ship-yards for tree-nails. 
If you should fail to want them for your own use, they 
will surely come to a good market. The great drawback 
to their cultivation in the West has been the borer, which 
honeycombs the collar, and soon destroys the tree. 
Scald the seed before it is sown. For full directions for 
sowing and cultivation see back numbers. We have no 
experience with the Honey Locust for post timber. 
Traveling Snows.— We well know by 
experience, the anxiety that parents undergo in reference 
to proper amusement for their children— and especially 
is this the case, when the great half-acre, high-colored, 
show-bills appear, announcing some traveling show, 
circus, menagerie, or other exhibition. The little ones 
are all excitement, and if there is not a prompt decision 
that they are to go, or a positive negative, the amount of 
solicitation, teasing, and ingenious argument one hears, 
is amusing— often painful. An ordinary circus is not re- 
fining, and its accompaniments are such that its influence 
upon young or old people, or upon a community, is dele- 
terious. A well conducted menagerie is instructive, and 
when kept clear of low characters and performers, can be 
safely visited by families with profit. As a rule, parents 
should always go with their children to all such places, 
or keep them at home. We have frequent inquiries from 
all parts of the country, as to whether a Christian man 
can visit with his family the Traveling Exhibition of 
Mr. Phineas T. Barnum. We have not personally seen 
it, but some intelligent friends have, and from their re- 
port, and from what we know of Mr. Barnum personally, 
we judge that he carefully excludes all immoral features, 
and that he has a collection of animals, curiosities, etc., 
more worthy of visiting than usual, and on the whole 
more entertaining, and less objectionable than one will 
ordinarily be likely to meet with. 
A Prolific Graft- U H. H.," Riverside, 
Me., set some apple grafts in 1S70. One of them made a 
growth of seven feet, and at the time of writing this 
spring it had twenty-four clusters of blossoms upon it. 
He asks what he shall do with it. A graft should be 
treated as if it was a young tree; its growth may be 
controlled, if need he, by pinching, aud it should not be 
allowed to overbear. 
Sm »t in Wheat.— "J. T.," Nolcesville, 
Va. Smut is not a disease, properly speaking, but it is 
the cause of an injury which may be regarded as a dis- 
ease. It is a minute fungus, living in and upon the grain, 
and is propagated by spores, which answer the purpose of 
seeds. These spores are so very small that they may ad- 
here to the seed grain unnoticed, and from them the 
smut will be developed more or less abundantly, as the 
season is favorable or otherwise to its growth. The 
usual preventives are soaking the seed wheat, just before 
sowing, in very strong brine or in a strong solution of 
Blue Vitriol (Sulphate of Copper), in cither case drying 
the grain by the use of quick-lime. 
IMnehing- the 65rape«vine. — " Sub- 
scriber" should have pinched his vine shoots as soon as 
the leaves could be distinctly seen. It is now too late, 
but had he done as every person should who writes to an 
editor or any one else — given his name and address, he 
would have had a timely answer by mail. 
Potato Rugs once More.— "I. B. D.," 
Lockport, (State not given), writes that he has used a de- 
coction of May-weed or Dog-fennel (Maruta Cotula), to 
which soft-soap had been added. When the decoction is 
cool, the plants arc sprinkled with it from a watering- 
pot. Our correspondent speaks of using it for the Potato 
bug. As there are many Potato bugs, we have no means 
of knowing if it is the dreaded Colorado beetle, or some 
other insect, that is killed by the above mixture. 
The First ISoolc of Botany, by Eliza 
A. Youmans.— When the first edition of Miss Youmans* 
book appeared, we commended it to the notice of teach- 
ers. We now have a revised edition, enlarged by extend- 
ing the subject upon the same plan. The work is ad- 
mirably calculated to "cultivate the observing powers 
of children," and to teach botany in the only way in 
which it can be successfully taught— from the plant itself. 
We are glad to learn that the work has met with a favor- 
able reception by teachers, and though intended for quite 
young children, older persons can, by its aid, lay a good 
foundation for the study of more advanced works. 
Sumach. — G. W. Walker, Lowell, Mass. 
We know of no attempts to cultivate our native Sumach, 
and cannot tell you what the yield per acre would be. 
It is cut from the middle of July until frosts. Crude, dry 
leaves were worth at the mills in Virginia, last year, $1.75 
per 100 lbs. The European Sumach is Rhus Coriaria, but 
it is not white-berried. Our native white-berried sumachs 
are poisonous. We do notfind the European in the cata- 
logues of our nurserymen, but it is in the French ones. 
