1872.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
4,05 
each, if sent by mail. Any of the last fifteen volumes 
(16 to 30) will also be forwarded at same price. Sets of 
numbers sent to oar office will be neatly bound in our 
regular style, at 75 cents per vol. (50 cents extra, if return- 
ed by mail.) Missing numbers supplied at 12 cents each. 
Clults can at any time be increased by remitting 
for each addition the price paid by the original members; 
or a small club may be increased to a larger one; thus: 
a person having sent 10 subscribers and $1*2, may after- 
ward send 10 more subscribers with only $S ; making a 
clnb of 20 at $1 each ; and so of the other club rates 
Other Items for which there was not room 
in the " Basket " will be found on page 437. 
Steel Eiigrsivings and Litho- 
graphs of a single color are very common and very 
cheap now, as it costs but a penny or two to strike off 
copies, after a single plate or stone is prepared, even 
though of very large size. Good steel engravings will 
always hold a high place, as they are valued by many, 
but the demand runs largely to oil-paintings in 
lively colors, and the perfect copies of them now made 
by the chromo-lithograph process, which are by far the 
most popular as well as the most pleasing. 
No more Stamps.— Since the first of 
October last, no stamps are required on receipts or legal 
documents, as deeds, mortgages, or bonds ; only bank- 
checks now require stamps. 
Gather Leaves.— There is no more val- 
uable waste product of those farms which possess wood 
lots than forest leaves. They make excellent bedding 
for all stock, are one of the best absorbents, decay very 
rapidly, possess valuable fertilizing properties, and cost 
nothing but labor to gather them. They should be raked 
np before snow falls, gathered into heaps, loaded by 
means of large barn-baskets into hay-racks with the 
open sides closed up by light boards, and stored in a shed 
for use during winter. 
Bluut's ^lushroom Strainer. — We 
have examined this very ingenious device for straining 
the water entering the suction-pipe of any kind of pump. 
"We take pleasure in recommending it as an improvement 
on all the strainers we have hitherto seen. While it will 
■work perfectly iu only three inches of water, it is better 
than the usual form for deep water, as when the water is 
let out of the suction-pipe it can not rile the well by its 
action on the bottom. Anyone having a strainer that is 
not entirely satisfactory would find this one to be all 
they could desire. 
Taylor's Horse and Cattle Food.— 
"G. E. W„" Mifflin Co., Pa., asks whether Taylor's 
Horse and Cattle Food, advertised in American Agricul- 
turist, would be any help to him in keeping his stock in 
good health.— We believe it would. We have investigated 
this article, and one of our associates lias tried it with 
good results. We find that it is favorably thought of by 
the superintendents of several horse-car companies, and 
used regularly by them. It is quite certain that cattle 
and horses need some condiment given with their feed, 
regnlarly, to keep them in good health, and we believe 
this " vegetable food" is as good as any in the market. 
Conventions of Stoelc Breeders. — 
The National Convention of Shorthorn Breeders is ap- 
pointed to meet at Indianapolis on the 27th November. 
Delegates have been appointed fronVmany of the States. 
of which we have been advised, and it is to be hoped 
that no State will fail to be represented at this Conven- 
tion. The Swine Breeders* Convention is appointed to 
meet at the same place, immediately on the close of the 
Shorthorn Breeders' meeting, and as important matters 
are to be then and there considered, those interested 
■would do well to make a point of attending. Delegates 
from each State and Canada will be in attendance. 
A German Almanac. — The Illustrirter 
Farmerfreund, 1815, an agricultural almanac edited by 
H. Nicholas Jarchow, is just published by Orange Judd 
& Co. It contains besides a calendar hints about work, 
followed by several valuable agricultural articles. This 
Almanac is beautifully illustrated. 12mo, 144 pages. 
Price 35 cents. 
Records of the Weather.— The An- 
nual Report of the Meteorological Observatory of Central 
Park. New York, is received. This is a valuable contri- 
bution to the general mass of information by which the 
apparently unstable operations of the weather arc reduced 
to tables of averages, from which laws may be deduced. 
Dr. Draper shows conclusively in his report that the 
climate has undergone n» change, so far as <*an be ascer- 
tained by the records available, which date from so far 
back as 1750. On the contrary, certain periods, into 
which the whole time may be divided, show that the 
average temperature of each agrees very nearly with that 
of the others, showing that the changes in the physical 
condition of the surface of the country— the removal of 
the forests and the breaking up of the surface for culti- 
vation — has had no disturbing effect, on the whole, either 
on the temperature or the amomit of rainfall. But our 
own observation in the course of years goes to show that 
while the rainfall and temperature may remain the same, 
yet the evaporation from the soil and the rapid disappear- 
ance of the rainfall from the surface and the instability 
of streams are much augmented by the rapid clearing of 
formerly wooded countries ; and as these effects are very 
noticeable to ordinary observers, it is easy to see how the 
popular idea is created that our climate is seriously 
affected, while to a scientific observer no such results are 
apparent. And yet, practically, to the farmer there is a 
marked difference, which interferes to some extent with 
his operations. 
A L^ovel directory. — We have before 
us a neat volume of 500 pages, entitled the ''Tobacco 
Trade Directory," giving some 60.000 names and loca- 
tions of tobacco manufacturers and dealers iu varions 
parts of the world, comprised in five parts: 1st. Tobacco 
manufacturers in the United States ; 2d. Cigar manufac- 
turers in the United States ; 3d. Dealers in tobacco and 
cigars in the United States; 4th. Manufacturers and 
dealers in foreign countries ; 5th. General index for 
every town in the United States. Snch a work must have 
cost a great amount of labor, and will be useful to all in- 
terested in this branch of business. The work is issued 
by the " Tobacco Leaf Publishing Company"' of this 
city, and supplied at $5 per copy. 
Ilany Hatters. — "A Subscriber, 1 ' Balti- 
more Co., Md., sends the following inquiries: 1. "Will 
apples eaten by a cow injure the milk, in taste, or any 
other way? 2. Will Lima beans succeed in the same 
ground, year after year, if it is well manured? 3. Is it 
well to manure and plow the ground iu the fall for a corn 
crop next spring ? 4. Will plaster have as good effect on 
grass when spread in the fall as when spread in the 
spring ?— Replies. 1. No 2. Yes 3.- No. Corn loves 
fresh manure and is a rank feeder 4. No. 
An Oia Discovery.— "J. C. G.," East 
Tenn., has discovered a plan by which \y z gallon of 
syrup can be extracted from a bushel of corn-meal, and 
asks if it would do to take out a patent.— By no means. 
There are doubtless several patents referring to these 
processes now in existence, and several more expired, 
for the discovery is very old. It would be more profitable 
to make good sweet pork or beef out of this meal than 
to make a poor substitute for cane-syrup. 
Mushroom Culture. — "A. J, R.," Sara- 
toga Co.,N. Y. Henderson's Garden 'ng for Profit gives a 
chapter on mushroom culture. The lost thorough work 
upon the subject is by W. Robinson, Esq. Price. $3. 
Live-for-Ever.— "S. S. D.," Sullivan Co., 
N. Y., has some of his land "literally thatched" with 
" Live-for-ever," and wants to know how he shall get rid 
of it.— This plant, Sedum Telephium, is a nuisance, and 
needs close attention and constant work to get rid of it. 
The best method wouM be to mow it as closely as possi- 
ble, carefully raking up and burning the stems, and by 
plowing the ground and harrowing turn out the roots, 
which should be gathered up and destroyed. The ground 
may be cropped with potatoes and corn, and hoed care- 
fully, until free from the weed. Clear the headlands. 
Ayleshury Dncks, — "J. G. McR.," 
Adairsville, Ga.. has purchased some Aylesbury ducks, 
the majority of the progeny of which have black spots 
on their heads ; he fears he has been imposed upon. — 
This is questionable. Very often it is found that pure- 
bred poultry do not breed true to feather, and it is very 
rare, if ever, that a brood of young are all perfectly 
marked. It is necessary to mate only perfect birds, and 
keep weeding out the imperfect ones. 
Hexr Jersey State Fair.— The annual 
fair of the New Jersey State Agricultural Society for 
1S72, held at Waverley, was well attended, more espe- 
cially that portion of the grounds which commanded a 
view of the race-course. The show of implements was 
very meager, the fruits and vegetables, at least those 
grown in the State, were not such as should satisfy the 
requirements from such a State as New Jersey, while the 
Btock— with the exception of the horses, which were 
kept carefully preserved from view in close stalls, and of 
which nothing can therefore be said— was very deficient 
in quantity and of a very low standard. Is it that the 
interest in these things is falling away in New Jersey, 
or what is the matter ? 
The ^forth Pacific R.It.— The collec- 
tion of agricultural productions from the Territories 
opened up by the North Pacific Railroad, now exhibited 
at the American Institute Fair, -is very remarkable as 
showing the immense fertility of the soil and the favor- 
able climate of those regions. Wheat and oats are 
shown, both in the straw and grain, which are simply 
magnificent. The wheat is readily seen by the samples 
in the straw to yield the amounts stated— via., 40 bushels 
per acre of grain weighing 60 to 60 pounds per bushel. 
Oats yielding 60 bushels, weighing 45 pounds per bushel ; 
timothy sufficiently heavy to cut three tons of hay per 
acre ; several varieties of corn, roots of monstrous size 
and perfect shape, fruit of fine appearance, specimens of 
timber, coal, and other minerals — all these go to show 
that there is no production of the soil wanting to make 
these North-western regions the homes of millions or 
successful and wealthy farmers and equally successful 
and independent artisans. The exhibition is one of the 
most striking and interesting features of the Fair. 
Diseased Potatoes. — "C. G.," Cora- 
wallis. Nova Scotia, asks if it will injure cows to feed 
diseased potatoes to them. If fed raw they wBl cause 
dangerous diarrhoea, but if cooked no harm will occur. 
See Page 437 for varions items that were 
crowded out of these pages. 
SUNDRY HUMBUGS.— A Tennessee 
subscriber, referring to our September showing up of 
the so-called " Rev. Edward Wilson,*" says his advertise- 
ment is in nearly every one of the Southern newspapers, 
and nearly every place in all that section has one or more 
of his patients (dupes we should say). One of o«r corre- 
spondent's neighbors took the precaution to write to a 
Williamsburgh friend about the "Rev., 1 ' 1 and received 
the following terse reply : " First, there is no such a man 
at the number indicated. Secondly, He is a woman. 
Thirdly, it is a vile humbug.". . . .An Egyptian corn and 
"Chioo" swindler calls himself G. W. Cornwellis. His 
name is not in the New York Directory, nor is the name 
of any one of the bankers, etc., whom he gives as refer- 
ences^ — one of whom he locates at 449 Wall street, while 
there are only 120 numbers in that street! His whole 
story is a humbug, yet so plausibly told that probably he 
will catch a good many farmers, and get the $3 out of 
them which they could not afford to pay for this paper 
for a couple of years. When they get nothing for their 
money, they may become wiser and join those who enjoy 
the benefit of these columns. ...And now comes an- 
other "Old Mother Noble "—viz., old Mrs. AbbieM. Cole, 
a soldier's widow of conrse. and she wants people to dose 
themselves with "•Old Jonas Appleby's" Sour Medi- 
cines, which, according to his daughter (Mrs. A. M. 
Cole), is a cure-all for nearly all the ills that flesh is 
heir to. Well, " it takes all kinds of people to make up 
an assortment," and we suppose there are many of the 
species that swallow what Mrs. (Mr. ?) Cole tells them and 
sells them— especially the sell Hoorah ! The tem- 
perance lecturers can bang np their violins and retire. 
Druggists had better lay in a very small allowance of 
opium, for the price will soon fall trimenjusly. " 'Cause 
why?" Why, one Dr. Beers (not bier, nor beer, n»r 
bear) has discovered a cure for drunkenness— says he has 
permanently cured over 10.000 inebriates already, and 
he also advertises a cure for opium-eating. He says there 
are 100,000 opium-eaters in the U. S. ! and as all 
these want to be cured, and he can do it, won't the 
opium trade have a wonderful decline ! Nonsense. See 
report of our Libel Suit— Dr. Byrn's— who advertised a 
cure also, (in Hearth and Home, Vol. IV, No. K.) We 
charge nothing for the following ''prescriptions," which 
are similar to several we have known of being sold at 
high prices, and ours is just as effective, and we will 
merely add that our prescriptions are infallible if " taken 
according to directions," and here they are : First, To 
cure your drunkenness, stop drinking liquor. Second, 
To cure opium-eating, stop eating opium. — N. S 
" Marriage Guides," etc. We have a dozen, more or less, 
of books on matrimony, marriage, and the like, probably 
all that have been advertised by circulars and otherwise, 
and we pronounce every book of this kind a humbug. 
They are got up to advertise the maker or sellers, and 
draw customers for medicines. Don't read or touch one 
of them, if you would be safe. The latest one, pretending 
to tell you a great many things you ought to know, is 
made to appear to be written by a distinguished physician, 
and he is said to be connected with a college which does 
not exist The pretended " medical institutes," col- 
leges, etc., in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and else- 
where, including the '' Howard Associations," etc., which 
advertise medicines, and to send prescriptions, are not 
