1873.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
-t45 
Once More we close a volume of the Agri- 
tuiturisL Our fpace is too crowded for anything like a 
valedictory. The times are dull but not bad, and the 
prospect growing more hopeful daily. We speak to our 
readers every month, and on the last month in the year can 
afford to keep silence in the presence of the very eloquent 
remarks of the publishers upon another page.— Ed. 
Farms Ibr Premiums. — The publish- 
ers in another place make a most liberal offer to those 
who, during the winter months, wish to employ their 
leisure time in securing subscribers for the American 
Agriculturist and Hearth and IIome, and wc commend 
these special furm premiums to the notice of our read- 
ers. It will not be at :ill difficult for any one with ordin- 
ary energy and perseverance to secure one of these 
farms, and thus lay the foundation of a future competence, 
if not of a fortune. We expect to sec a rush for these 
grand farm premiums. 
Xlie Thtirbcr l*each.- To prevent 
further inquiries at this office and of Mr. Berckmans, we 
arc requested by Mr. B. to say that no trees will be of- 
fered for sale until the fall of 1S74. 
Importation of ftSielland Ponies. 
—Mr. J. G. Corey, of Suisun city, California, has re- 
cently imported a herd of 31 Shetland ponies, with which 
he intends to stock a breeding establishment in Califor- 
nia. It is quite possible that these diminutive animals 
may find a place among the varied industries of that 
state, as they do in their native home. 
Tamor on a. Horse's Elbow. — "A 
Subscriber,'* Brunswick, Ga. There is no way to pre- 
vent a horse lying with hiB forefeet under his shoulders ; 
it js his natural position. But the tumors upon the point 
of the elbow, which are very often caused by blows, or 
pressure of the shoe calks, may be prevented by using 
ehocs without calks. To remove the tumors apply night 
and morning iodine ointment, by which the tumor will 
be brought to the point of suppuration. When it is soft 
and the skin tense and it fluctuates under pressure, it 
may be opened with the point of a sharp penknife and 
the matter let out. The tumor should then be washed 
clean frequently, and it will heal without any other 
help. 
Orchard Grass. — - "Scott," Powhattan 
Co., Va. Orchard grass will not thrive on poor land, 
without some aid from fertilizers. Wood ashes or plan- 
ter might help to get a stand of clover upon a poor hill- 
Bide, but it would be hopeless to try orchard grass in 
each a place without manure. 
Holding up the Mills. — "Reader," 
New Bern, N. C. Wc have found the most effective plan 
to get the milk down when a cow is lucliued to withhold 
it, is to treat the cow gently and give her a pail of 
bran, slop, or Borne feed more than ordinarily enticing to 
her appetite. A haudftd of salt given to the cow at such 
a time often helps to bring the milk. The trouble is, 
doubtless, due to nervouBness and irritability on the part 
of the cow, which must be removed. 
Fence Posts.—" Subscriber," Brookfield, 
Ohio. We have found no fence posts equal to lotLSt or 
cedar; and next to those chestnut. Butternut is net bo 
durable as chestnut or white oak. Seasoning the posts be- 
fore eetting increases their durability. 
Sweet Pickles.—" H. H. S.," Huntingdon 
Co., Pa. These are made from pears, peaches, plums, 
apples, and other fruit, as well as from water-melon rind, 
the fleshy part of ripe cucumbers, etc. The material is 
cooked in water until soft enough for a straw to pass 
eaBily, and when cool placed in a jar with a few cloves 
Stuck in each. To each 7 tt>s. fruit take 3 tt>s, brown 
Bugar, 1 quart vinegar, 4 oz. cinnamon, and 2 oz. cloves. 
Boil the vinegar, sugar, and spices together for a few 
minutes and pour over the fruit. Repeat the boiling for 
three days in succession and put away for use. Fruit 
prepared in this way is by some called by the nonsensical 
and absurd name of lt euchred fruit.' 1 
Fertiliser for Grass.-" W. S. L.," 
Cross Roads, Pa. As a top-dressing for grass superphos- 
phate generally fails. We have found guano applied as 
eoon as the Bpring growth commences the most effect- 
ive fertilizer. Now that guano is becoming scarce, and 
Of variable qnality, probably dried blood and fine bone- 
dust mixed in equal quantities, would be the best substi- 
tute. 250 pounds per acre would be sufficient. 
CS rapes for Missouri.- J. S. F.," Han- 
nibal, Mo. Thelona, Israella, and Eumelan have not, 
as a general thing, succeeded in your State. The answer 
to the question— " are either of them better than the 
Delaware ? "—will depend upon individual tastes. To 
the writer's taste, all these arc better than the Delaware, 
as that is to him too sweet, a fault that many will not 
find. You had better send to Isidor Bush & Son, Bush- 
berg, Mo., for their catalogue, in which the adaptability 
of varieties to your climate is most concisely given. 
Butchers 9 Oflal.— " J. F. B.," Jefferson 
Co., Ark. Butchers' off;il consists of the blood find the 
intestines or guts. The paunch is used for tripe ; the 
head, feet, liver, heart and lights are all used for 
various purposes. A good portion of them find their way 
into the common kinds of sausages. 
Cows tor Milk and Butter.— "J. P. 
F.," Salt Lake City. For the dairy there are no breeds 
of cows superior to the Ayrshire, the Jersey, and the 
Guernsey (the latter two being also called, though 
wrongly so, the Aldcrney). A mixed dairy of Ayrshire 
and Jersey is doubtless the best for quantity and quality. 
Western Penn. I*ouItry Society* — 
The Secretary writes us that the Third Annual Exhibi- 
tion of this society will be held at Pittsburgh January 
6th to 10 th inclusive, and not on January 14th to 18th, 
as before announced. 
^forth American Bee - Keepers 4 
Society.— The next annual session of this society will 
be held at Louisville, Ky., commencing the first Wednes- 
day in December and holding two or three days. Four- 
teen States, besides Canada and one or more territories, 
have been represented at the former sessions, and an in- 
teresting meeting is anticipated at the coming one. 
drrade Shorthorns for the Dairy. — 
" C. A. A.," Chillicothe, Mo. If a good class of grade 
Shorthorns are crossed with a Jersey or Ayrshire bull 
very satisfactory dairy cattle are often produced. One of 
the best dairy cows in the country is "Old Creamer,' 11 a 
cross of Ayrshire and Shorthorn. 
Chinese Wheat.-'L. E M " Will Co., 111. 
The sample of seed sent called '* Chinese wheat," is no 
wheat at all, but a species of Sctaria allied to Hungarian 
grass or millet. The grass would probably make a good 
forage for stock, but as a grain for making flour it will be 
found of no value whatever. 
A. Cure for Ci-mhhing-.— "W.W.," Stark 
Co., Ohio. In the Agriculturist for October, 1S72, we 
gave an engravingof amuzzle for a cribbing horse which 
we have found an effective cure, as have many of our 
readers who have taken the pains to inform us of the re- 
sult of its use. We know of nothing better. The muzzle 
is not patented, being an original device of one of the 
editors of the Agriculturist. 
A. Suet Butter Manufactory.— " A 
K. F.," Kansas City, Mo. What would be the cost of erect- 
ing a factory to manufacture a ton of beef suet into an 
imitation of butter we can not say with certainty. The 
process is patented, and probably some of the machines 
maybe. At a rough estimate we should say, however, 
that outside of any costs for patents, the requisite ma- 
chinery should not cost over $5,000, including steam en- 
gine, building exclusive. It should be remembered, how- 
ever, that the article produced is not butter, but Bimply 
colored suet oil flavored with milk or plain, as the case 
may be, and whoever sells such stuff as butter is open to 
the charge of obtaining money under false pretenses. 
If offered in New York it is the dnty of the Board of 
Health to seize it as an audnlterated or sophisticated 
article of food. 
Anti-balling: Pads for Horses. — 
"J B. S," Napanock, N. Y. We cannot give the ad- 
dress of the maker of the rubber foot-pad for the preven- 
tion of balling snow in the horses' feet. The Goodenongh 
shoe will entirely preventthis and also prevent the feet 
slipping upon snowy roads We would suggest the use 
of these 6hocs instead of the pad, as it would be utiliz- 
ing the natural properties of the horses' feet instead of 
artificial and secondary helps. 
Salt Water for Irrigation.— u W. P. 
L," Portsmouth, N. H. Salt water from the sea will not 
answer for irrigating a meadow. If the water is taken 
from a tidal river and can be procured when the tide is 
low and the water is comparatively fresh, an occasional 
flooding would possibly be beneficial. The experiment 
would be of such doubtful success that we should 
not advise it to be made except on a small scale. 
See Premium List on page 469. 
SUNDRY HUMBUGS.— Letters of in- 
quiry continue to come in relation to the *' Union Fur- 
nishing Company" of Chicago. In last month's notes 
wc alluded to the concern without mentioning name* 
intending to ask our representative in Chicago to inves- 
tigate the matter. Soon after the November number 
went to press we received through the courtesy of 
the editor of the Western Rural, advance slips of 
that paper for Oct. 25th. Being upon the spot the 
Western Rural looked after the Union Furnishing Co. 
and does not hesitate to denounce the whole affair in 
unmeasured terms. The very fact of Belling tickets all 
over the country at 25 cents each, which entitle buyers 
to purchase goods at a low rate to be delivered at a future 
date, is suspicious upon the face of it. It is safe to 
avoid all companies who employ unusual and unneces- 
sary machinery to do business which may be transacted 
in ,l simple and open way Among the curiosities of 
humbuggcry is the 
LINCOLN L1BEARY SCHEME. 
A grand. "Gift Concert'* is announced to take ;>lacea 
Newark, N. J., at which $'225,000 in cash is to be dis 
tributcd. The circular is in the usual flaming style of 
such affairs, but singularly enough it is dated at Atchi- 
son, Kansas, and the tickets are beautiful in silver and 
green. We can hardly think it possible that the people 
of Newark need to go into the gift concert humbug in 
order to raise means for a library, or that they would 
fix upon Atchison, Kansas, as their Western agency. A 
correspondent at Eureka, Cal., informs us that California, 
is flooded with circulars of the Lincoln Library affair. 
Our advice is to let this and al! other lottery schemes se- 
verely alone A correspondent calls our attention to 
the fact thatHarpera Weekly of November 8th gives* 
full-page illustration of the drawing of the Kentucky 
Lottery. We were as much surprised to see it there as 
he was. Even the high reputation of the Harpers will 
not make lotteries respectable. We will not say what 
effect of this semi-indorsement of a lottery scheme may 
have upon the reputation of the Harpers. 
A SWINDLING SEEDSMAN AND FLORIST. 
Many dealers in Europe and in this country have been 
victimized by W. II. Lyman, of Leverett, Mass. Oncol 
our seed-dealers who returned home not long ago in- 
formed us that at almost every establishment he visited 
in Europe inquiries were made about Lyman. The 
Amherst Record of Oct. 15th gives a very full account 
of this swindler's operations. He left Leverett in a 
hurry— tar and feathers being talked of— and took pas- 
sage for Chicago with a "lady " who was not his wife. 
Onr Chicago friends should be on their guard against 
this chap, whose operations are not confined to eeeftfi 
and plants, but who has a weakness f,or purchasing steam- 
engines, printing presses and material, or anything else 
he can get upon short credit and turn into cash. 
CHEAP BttRNrNG OIL8. 
We repeat the caution not to touch them. Attractive 
circulars are going about offering "rights 11 to make 
"French, 11 " Sunlight, " and other burning oils. We 
have seen the dncuious for making several of these; 
nnd they are dangerous in the highest degree. No com- 
pound containing benzine, gasoline, or any of the light 
petroleum products is safe, and these rascals know it. 
Ab you value your life and safety aDd those of your 
family, go to bed at dark rather than be tempted to nee 
any of these dangerous mixtures. 
BIGHTS 
to make this, tnat, and the other thing which shall puS 
the vender thereof ,l on the high road to wealth,' 1 arc 
freely offered. There may be some of these recipea 
thus offered that are worth something, but we have ex- 
amined hundreds and have never yet seen one worth 
haying. If the articles for which recipes are sold are so 
valuable, and meet with such a ready and profitable stale 
that hundreds are, as they represent, making money 
with them, why do not these fellows make the article* 
and get rich instead of selling their secret for a dollar* 
"MEDICAL" LITERATUnE 
has been rather tame of late, but here we have rick 
reading in " Mrs. M. G. Brown's Metaphysical Pamphlet. 
A Synopsis of Metaphysics. Cause, Cure, and Prevea- 
tien of Disease. Life Lengthened, Disease Kept at 
Bay." A stranger farrago was never printed, in which 
quotations from Scripture and Mrs. Brown's medicine 
are mingled in a most remarkable manner. Sacrefi 
things are handled in a manner bo trivial as to verge 
close upon blasphemy. The burden of the whole story 
is— buy my Btuff and live, or neglect it and die. 
THE QUACK MEDICINE BUSINESS 
Is such a thorough fraud from beginning to end that *ve 
wonder that it should be almost as successful now as it 
was fifty years ago. We have kept a very close run of 
these things for some forty years. One of these quack 
affairs runs but a short time and falls out of existence. 
That portion of the community who purchase such stuff 
