4=06 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[November, 
death of any one of the number, all the rest pay $5 each. 
If only 13 die each year, the assessments upon the sur- 
vivors will be $65 each, in thirteen separate instalments. 
The company has to make 13,000 separate assessments 
and collections during each year from 1,000 persons scat- 
tered all over the country, and each member must; pay 
$74 a year. But 13 deaths a year is far too low an esti- 
mate. It would give an average length of life, to each, of 
132 years, for it would take nearly 77 years for 1,000 per- 
sons to die, at the rate of 13 a year, and 77 added to the 
original 55 years equals 133 for each. The plan might 
work if a class of 1,000 persona all resided near together, 
so that the numerous assessments could be readily and 
quickly made. Everything considered, we "believe the 
plan in general use, that of paying a fixed sum per an- 
num for a given amount of insurance in a responsible 
company, is far preferable. We have not, in this item, 
discussed the personal responsibility and reliability of 
the parties managing these "mutual benefit 1 ' companies 
—a matter of no little importance to those who fall in with 
the theories put forth by them. 
SU**»IW HtMBUGS.- The skill and 
ingenuity of the swindling gentry is often surprising, 
and we scarcely wonder that many persons of fair intelli- 
gence arc entrapped by their plausible schemes. If this 
talent were turned to honest account it would be very 
useful to the country. We have before us, recently re- 
ceived circulars— written, printed, and lithographed— of 
no less than thirty-two schemes for getting money from 
people without returning any adequate equivalent; several 
of them pocket all the money received, sending abso- 
lutely nothing in return "C. O. I>."— One of the 
common methods of securing confidence is the offer to 
send articles " C. O. D." (collect on delivery), under the 
pretense that parties can examine them and decide upon 
their merits before paying for them. This is all very 
honest in appearance, but really a sham. In all cases, a 
part of the money must be paid in advance. %£T~ Every 
one should understand that these " C. O. D." parcels can 
not be taken from the express offices or be examined until 
the accompanying bills and charges are paid. If sus- 
picion be aroused, and a parcel be refused, or returned 
after examination, the'opcrator retains the percentage of 
money previously paid to him. Never have anything to 
do with ordering or receiving C. O. D. parcels, unless for 
things known to be good, and ordered from well-known, 
reliable parties Watolies, Jewelry.— Ilun- 
dreds of thousands of dollars arc annually wasted in or- 
dering low-priced (not cluap) watches. Oroide watches, 
watches cased in some wonderful new metal or metallic 
compound, cheap watches from auction, from failed deal- 
ers or manufacturers, watches by tickets, by lot, by gift 
enterprises, etc., etc., are continually offered by advertise- 
ment and by private circulars. And the same of jewelry. 
The truth is, that good watches, like coin, like wheat, 
and like cotton cloth, are always worth and will bring a 
standard price, no matter bow many dealers or manufac- 
turers fail. Ton might just as well think of buying, at a 
great discount, -the genuine gold dollars of a failing firm 
as of getting genuine, good watches or jewelry at half- 
price. "When you go after plated cases, or any other 
metal cases than those made of coin-silver or gold, you 
are sure of " paying too much for the whistle 1 ' of get- 
ting unreliable articles at enormous prices, as compared 
with their actual value or lack of any real value — no mat- 
ter what the puffing circulars may assert. A poor 
time-piece is worse than none; it leads to errors and 
wrong calculations just when one most relies upon it. A 
very low-priced good watch is an impossibility. We 
would not take as a gift a watch of which the works— the 
"running gear ''—did not cost at least $10 to manufac- 
ture, aside from the case. A silver case Bhould weigh at 
least ft% ounces of coin silver, worth $3 to $4 for the sil- 
ver, and $3 to $5 more for making up plain. The pinch- 
beck or other low-priced cases cost nearly as much to 
manufacture. It is therefore always cheaper to buy the 
real silver. Good, reliable works (not reckoning case) 
cost all the way up from $20 to $50, or more. The above 
will show the unreliable character of a dozen cheap 
watch circulars now before us. One is only safe when he 
gives them all the go-by, and deals only with reliable, 
well-known parties, who can be found if wanted. More 
than half of all the circulars offering these cheap watches 
are from despicable swindlers, who operate only at dis- 
tant points, and pocket all money sent them. Their 
circulars indicate immense establishments ; their base of 
operations arc small attic rooms, always closed to actual 
callers. The pretense of wishing to send you a good 
watch as a sample, and to secure you as an agent, is 
always a trap u Sun-light Oil" is an unmiti- 
gated humbug, as wc have often shown, and no one should 
invest a dime in any recipes or " family rights *" to make 
it Klectrical appliances for the hair, etc., are 
nonsensical, when not sheer humbugs. . . .The t6 Span- 
ish Policy M scheme, an unmitigated cheat, is run by 
a thief, who changes liis name and address every few 
days. Hi* latest assumed name received is J. W. Parker, 
16 South Fifth Avenue, N. Y "Howard Asso- 
ciation." — Several new leaders arc referred to our past 
denunciations of these so-called benevolent associations, 
rim by advertising individuals. Put no confidence in a 
single one of pretended doctors of " sexual " and private 
diseases, who make great and benevolentj>retensions by 
circular and letter. Your money is what they are after, 
and if they get the slightest hold upon you, by a letter 
even, wc would not give much for any money you have 
left when they let go their hold. Their highest skill is in 
writing plausible letters The " Marriage 
Guide," now advertised by the Jersey City Picture 
Company, is such an absurdity, that we wonder where, 
even among the most ignorant and simple people, there 
can be found foolish buyers enough to pay for printing 
the advertising circulars, to say nothing of postage 
Derby's Aikin Scheme.— Wc are glad to see that 
J. C. Derby announces a positive close of his Aikin S. C. 
Land Distribution, alias Sale, alias Lottery, for there will 
then be one less of these lottery enterprises, and if the 
lists are filled, the GIG lucky ones, drawing prizes of $5 and 
upwards, will know what they get, and the 18,384 who 
get no prizes for their $5 tickets will know that also 
The Louisville (Ky.) Library Lottery is carpeting 
Broadway, near the Astor House, with its documents. 
The boys carry off the pictures pretty freely. Wonder 
how much will remain for the library after expenses arc 
paid? Ditto of the Omaha Scheme. Ditto of the S. C. 
Land and Immigration Association. Ditto the Cosmo- 
politan Benevolent Society of Nevada, alia" School Lot- 
tery. Ditto the Diamond Gift Distribution for French 
"War Victims in Washington a»tf NewTork. If anybody 
has §5 to invest in these enterprises, wc arc sure he 
will find it an every way better investment to send it to 
the Chicago sufferers— one almost as sure to get a pres- 
ent return, and sure to yield a perpetual return in in- 
ward satisfaction, infinitely greater than can be reason- 
ably hoped for from any investment in these various lot- 
teries, dubbed Library Aids, etc Medical.— A Dr. 
Dixon, of Ohio (not of New York City), sends his circu- 
lars to postmasters asking them to distribute them, and 
offering in return to doctor themselves or families or 
intimate friends free of charge I This reminds us of the 
coffin-maker who wanted an editor to advertise for him 
and take pay from his shop! A New York man is 
offering to send lots of medicines, circulars, etc., to those 
who simply pay expressagc, and take his pay when the 
medicines are sold. In this way a flood of vile stuff is 
being pushed upon poor, suffering mortals all over the 
land. What a pity the thousands of tons of deleterious 
trash, alias patent and secret medicines, were not all con- 
centrated in Chicago about October 0th! The loss of 
other property would have been in part compensated, 
and a hundred lives would have been saved elsewhere for 
every one lost in the fire " Queer,"— A correspon- 
dent in Dakota writes us that that region and the whole 
North-west is still being flooded with the pretended 
counterfeit money circulars. To what has been already 
said by us, we need only add that every dollar sent to 
these swindlers has been pocketed, and no counterfeit 
money ever returned. The result is, the loss of much 
money by those who arc dishonest enough to want to 
swindle others ; and, fortunately, no counterfeits have 
been put into circulation to bother good people. Among 
the new names assumed by operators in this line we find: 
Alex. Stephens, 5G John st. ; Jason Phelps, 633 Broad- 
way ; S. T. V. Ludlow, ISO Broadway, alias Job Spencer, 
100 Broadway; Dr. J. Homan, 310 Canal St.; J. Town- 
send Palmer, 33 Park Row ; Day & Wallace, 143 Fulton 
st., who are at it again, etc. 
Trenching: a Garden.— "E. O. A.," 
Monmouth Co., N. J., wants to know how to trench a 
garden, and how deep it should be dug. Trenching is an 
expensive process, and should be thoroughly done if at 
all. Two feet is the least depth advisable. Remove the 
surface soil of a space a yard wide and two yards long, 
lay this on one side ; then dig out one yard square of the 
subsoil to the proper depth, and lay that also ou one 
side. In its place put the square yard of subsoil re- 
maining, breaking it up finely. Then dig up another 
square yard of surface soil and place it on top of the sub- 
soil last removed. Thus one square yard is finished. 
Then continue in this manner with this strip, and when 
it is finished work backwards on another to the place 
where the commencement was made. Thus work back- 
ward and forward until the garden has been gone over, 
and the earth first removed must be used to replace the 
last piece dug out. Manure should be miscd with the 
soil and subsoil as the work proceeds. 
Large Pay *■ Little Work, 
Far All.— See JPa^e 433. 
** liO.ye Powders'? very l>angrer- 
ous.— In our Humbug column we have often cautioned 
our readers against the advertisers of various "love- 
powders," lotions, medicines for private diseases, etc., 
and characterized them as dangerous. Here is one actual 
illustration among thousands we could give: A young 
man (whose residence shall be nameless, for the sake of 
his friends) desired to secure the affections of a worthy 
young lady, and to help him he sent $1 to Reeves & Co. 
(shown up in these columns some time since), and pro- 
cured a so-called Ibve-powderj warranted to seenre the love 
of the person to whom it was given. He put part of it 
into some figs, and handed them to the young lady. For 
some reason she suspected him, and so informed him. He 
at once ate the figs in her presence, to show his inno- 
cence. The result was, the powder removed the skin from 
his mouth, laid him up under the doctor's care for two 
months, nearly costing his life. An examination of the 
remainder of the powder showed it to be mainly Can- 
tharides (blistering fly). The young man was obliged to 
confess, and the thing getting out, he now, in addition to 
being severely injured, has to bear in the community the 
sobriquet of " Shop-Fly." There are multitudes of cases 
of suffering from such like medicines and powders, where 
the friends of the victim are ignorant of the cause. 
A I\ew Work on Architecture. — 
Atwood's Country and Surburbau Houses. By Daniel T. 
Atwood, Architect. Illustrated. Orange Judd & Co. 
Most of the works upon architecture are too expensive, 
not only in the books themselves, but In the plans which 
they present, for persons of moderate means. In the 
present volume the author aims to give designs for 
houses which will meet the wants of a large share of 
country and suburban dwellers. Besides giving plans he 
discusses the general principles of building, and matters 
which demand attention before commencing to build. 
Price, by mail, $1.50. 
The Tabic of Wood- Ashes for 
Wheat, — A "Subscriber'" send us the following as his 
experience in using wood-ashes, viz., that in quantities 
of only eight bushels per acre they have a marked effect ; 
that they push the wheat forward several days, thus get- 
ting it ahead of that critical period when it is so apt to 
be attacked by rust; that they strengthen the stem and 
increase its solidity. All of which, and much more, we 
can readily indorse. In fact, ashes arc an excellent ap- 
plication for all crops, and especially foran orchard. 
Advice to Seedsmen, — A correspondent 
in Danville, Ky., asks us to publish the following : "Per- 
sons having Lucern seed for sale will please advertise in 
the Agrtctdtwi&t" — Wc comply with our friend's request, 
for the purpose of Baying that all first-class seedsmen 
keep all kinds of seeds. If a dealer in a large city, like 
NcwTork, Philadelphia, St. Louis, etc., receives an order 
for a seed that he has not in stock, he will send about 
among other seedsmen and find it. If he will not do this, 
he is no sort of a seedsman and had better go into some 
other business. A seedsman can not catalogue his whole 
stock in an advertisement. Send to Bcveral for catalogues, 
and you will no doubt find Lucern and every other de- 
sirable seed. 
Preserving EgjS» in "Winter. — U E. 
A. B.," Herkimer Co., N. T.. asks how to preserve eggs 
for winter use. Wc have kept egga perfectly good from 
October to March in the following manner : A piece of 
lime, as large as a quart-dipper, is put into five gallons of 
water, and salt added nutil an egg will float. This is 
strained and put into a clean keg, into which a loose 
head is made to fit easily; a knob is fitted to the head 
for a handle. The eggs arc put, as they are gathered, 
into the liquid, and the loose head placed on them to 
keep them below the surface. The keg should be kept 
in a cool place in the cellar. The liquor will not freeze 
except at a lower temperature than freezing point. Eggs 
thus preserved will sell readily as "limed eggs" until 
fresh eggs come, and are almost as good as fresh ones. 
Young Farmer, a youth of 17, at Mt. 
Vernon, Ind., complains that wc do not give sufficiently 
specific directions for performing the various farm opera- 
tions, and especially that we do not tell him what plows 
and other implements to use. When "Young Farmer" 
gets older, he will learn that each section of the country 
has its favorite farm implements, and were he to visit his 
neighbors and the county fairs he would see an abun- 
dance of excellent varieties. Our advice is to use 
those farming utensils made nearest home, provided 
they will accomplish the purpose. We can not publish 
a full treatise upon agriculture in every issue of the Agri- 
culturist. We are obliged to assume that certain funda- 
mental principles are understood by our readers. " Young 
Farmer's" letter is a very neatly put and sensible one, 
and the best wc can say to him is that when he puts us a 
