1870.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
245 
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AN IMPORTANT PAPER.-In ad- 
dition to the usual valuable reading matter given through- 
out these pages, our readers will find in this number an 
important article on Poison Antidotes, which should be 
carefully studied and treasured where it will always be 
available for reference in a moment. The house plans 
will meet the wants of a great number of persons direct- 
ly, or indirectly by way of suggestions,— judging from the 
very numerous inquiries for just such information. Other 
plans will be given hereafter, which will answer many 
other inquiries for a convenient house of moderate size. 
This is a good time for new subscribers to secure the 
American Agriculturist cheaply for five or six months. 
Are you Ashamed of your Name ? 
—It is astonishing to see how many will write upon mat- 
ters of importance to themselves, and then withhold their 
names. Anonymous letters, as a rule, go into the waste 
basket. Here are two letters in a parcel we have just 
taken up. "N. A. Y.," San Francisco, asks about a 
plant, of which we happen to have a stock, and had the 
name been given we should have willingly sent a speci- 
men. Three yonng men, " A. B. C," ask about going to 
Missouri. We cannot answer such personal matters in 
the paper, but we could have put them on the right track, 
had there been any name to which to address a reply. 
It is not only decidedly proper to sign letters, but in such 
cases as these it is to one's advantage. 
The " Mexican Everbearing- " 
Strawberry.— This berry seems to have the effect of 
the "insane root" upon its advocate?, and at last our 
usually amiable friend the Gardener's Monthly is affect- 
ed. Its first symptoms were shown in asserting its in- 
fallibility of judgment ; but now it is taken worse, and 
quotes from the Hearth and Home what it calls a " bril- 
liant specimen of vulgarity," and talks "•'• of low bar-room 
wrangles" and the "slums of New York," which it 
never would have done but for the pernicious influence 
of this strawberry. 
Fruit and Crops in Georgia,— J. S. 
Baker, of Brooks Co., writes: "A writer in your paper 
last year, from Georgia, stated that Raspberries cannot bo 
raised successfully in Georgia. I raise here, within ten 
miles of the Florida line, Common Black Caps, Down- 
ing's Improved do., and the Imperial Red. The last, 
however, only, on the north side of a wall. The first 
named I succeeded in cultivating in the suburbs of Jack- 
sonville, Fla. We are suffering from a very severe 
drouth— gardens are ruined, our pindars parched, beets 
baked, potatoes roasted, beans and squashes well stewed 
—all by solar heat, without the aid of a stove. Though 
the heavens withhold rain, cotton has resumed its reign. 
The consequence is, corn is scarce, and bids fair to be far 
more scarce another year." 
Tomatoes— Raise and Save Plenty 
of Tnem.— Nothing else, except potatoes, supplies a 
better standard article of food through the whole year. 
Cooked with plenty of bread crnmbs they furnish a very- 
palatable and nourishing table dish, especially from De- 
cember to June, when fresh garden vegetables are not 
abundant. Having sometimes failed with glass jars, we 
now use tin cans,10 inches long and 4±.{ inches in diameter 
(cut from a sheet of tin 10x14 inches, and cheaply made). 
A hole, say 1% inch in diameter, is left in one end. The 
tomatoes, in large quantity at a time, are cooked well, as 
for the table, but without salt. They are poured into the 
cans hot, and a bit of tin well soldered ou. We put up 
15 to 40 cans at a time, and call in a tinman to do the 
soldering, as we have a large number of cans ready at a 
time. Thus closely sealed they will keep perfectly a 
month, a year, or five years. To provide against a poor 
year, and insure a full supply always, we put them up for 
one or two years in advance. Scald the emptied cans 
and set them away dry, and they can be used several times 
with a little help from the tinman to smooth the heads. 
Preserving' Strawberries, ISlaek- 
berries, and Raspberries.— Pick clean, put in a 
porcelain-lined vessel with one-fourth to one-half the 
weight of white sugar, and a few spoonfuls of water, just 
enough at the bottom to prevent burning, as these fruits 
furnish juice enough. Heat slowly for a few minutes, 
and as soon as the sugar is dissolved, raise to a boiling 
heat, and dip carefully into the warm bottle so as not to 
break the fruit. Keep in a cellar or other pantry not sub- 
ject to much heat. 
Preserving Currants.— Press and strain 
the juice out of a quantity of currants. Then take, say, 
8 pounds of fresh, stemmed fruit, and put with it a quart 
of this juice and 10 pounds of sugar. (A pound or two of 
raisins improves the flavor.) Cook the whole well, boil- 
ing It half an hour or so. Then bottle. This is a pleas- 
ant sweetmeat. When desired for eating with meats, 
some add a little vinegar and spices with the sngar. 
Bottle as above directed. 
Whortleberries. — Prepare the same as 
strawberries, except that more water will be needed. 
For other, later fruits, sco our next paper, 
SUall I Sell My Farm?"— A New 
England Farmer bought a farm of 80 acres tureo years 
ago. lie owes on it $3, (>00, at percent interest. Has 
paid his interest regularly, and some on the principal; 
but last winter he boarded a number of railroad em- 
ploycs, and lost $300 by the operation. This has so 
discouraged him that he fears he may lose his farm, and 
he writes to ask if he had better sell the farcu, and turn 
foreman. He does not give us all the facto necessary to 
form a correct judgment on the point ; for instance, as 
to what his farm cost, and how much he has paid since 
the purchase. But wc think he is unnecessarily dis- 
couraged. He has nine head of cattle, and, two years 
ago, took his cows to a thorough-bred Jersey bull in the 
neighborhood "for the purpose of improving his dairy 
stock.*' This is an encouraging sign. He is a'so mak- 
ing a good deal of manure, which is another good sign. 
On the whole, we would not sell nnless an opportunity 
occurred to do so to good advantage. If the farm is im- 
proving, the debt will be paid by and by. We should be 
more anxious about cleaning and enriching the land, 
and about getting good stock, than about reducing the 
debt. If a farmer is getting a living, and is judiciously 
improving his farm, he is not doing amiss. It is not 
pleasant or always safe to be in debt, but a farmer may 
do worse things than pay 6 per cent for money. 
Sundry Humbug's. — One of the worst 
thieves— a stealer of virtue and morality— has got a very 
small share of his deserts ; viz., a year in the State Prison 
with $1,000 fine, and to stand committed until that also is 
paid. This is Jas. S. Colgate, who called himself the 
" Eureka Photograph Company." His conviction is due to 
the persevering efforts of Mr. James Gayler, Special P. O. 
Agent. "We hope every one who can, will aid Mr. G.'s 
praiseworthy efforts to ferret out, punish, and step 
swindling, especially when through the mails, by send- 
ing him any information with regard to the operations 
of swindlers. His address is the New-York City P. O. 
Our members of Congress can hardly do a better thing 
than to speedily pass the bill now pending, for the sup- 
pression of swindling by mail Rums Stockton, pre- 
tending to be Stationer, etc., at 204 Broadway, invites 
money for the "queer 1 *, alias photographs, which are 
neither money nor counterfeits, if he sends anything. He 
has a wholesome fear of Mr. Gayler, and so in his circu- 
lars tells you no less than 13 times to send money li only 
by express." For any money sent to this scamp, nothing 
useful will come back. — We have a lot of "documents" 
from other counterfeit money pretenders, which have 
been referred to in previous chapters, as Hitchcock, 
"Wagner, etc. One of these chaps has a lot of taking 
lithographic letters all alike, and he writes on a variety 
of names, P. O. addresses, etc., as D. A. Dexter, East 
Albany, David B. Stack, East Albany, with other names 
at other adjacent Post-Oflices— a cheap and convenient 
way of dodging the officials. W. H. Wood & Co., Gled- 
dings, C. C. Perry, A. C. Collins, etc., arc new ziames of eld 
bogus money operators We have many letters show- 
ing how our exposures of " Sun Light Oil," and other 
humbugs, have saved many dollars— tens of thousands in 
the aggregate People cannot be too cautious with 
respect to any of the manufactured so-called "non-ex- 
plosive oils." Whatever the venders may say and show 
in their favor, it is safe to give all the manufacluwd 
compounded oils the go-by Many circulars continue 
to come, from G. W. Harris &, Co., " receivers "—pretend- 
ing to give a " gold watch and chain valued at $200," on 
the receipt of 5 per cent. This is a swindle ; they don't 
give a watch worth §200, no, nor even one costing $10. 
To H. C. A., and others. Lotteries are, of course, 
all humbugs and cheats. Most of the pretended agents 
keep all the money they get, and return nothing, unless it 
be bogus printed tickets containing none ol Uie real 
numbers, so that it is impossible for their dupe. Jo draw 
any prize. A few States still legalize lotteries. The U. 
S. Government has nothing to do with them, except to 
put a revenue tax on^Jl dealers in lottery tickets, in 
common with other dearers. These dealers pay their tax, 
and herald this as a U. S. endorsement. Any peddler 
might as well claim that the U. S. Government endorsed 
and recommended his shoddy goods by issuing to him a 
peddler's license on payment of a small fee It can 
hardly be necessary to denounce such humbugs as one at 
Fultonville, N. T., who advertises to send the likeness of a 
future husband or wife for 35 cents, and other particulars 
for more money. None but simpletons or fools would 
send money to such pretenders, and this class arc not 
likely to r«tf any camion To"RM.D." It is use- 
less to send us anonymous inquiries. The swindlers 
often try that scheme, hoping in some way to annoy us. 
To several subscribers: The "Howard Associa- 
tion " consists of an advertising doctor— a "quack," of 
course — who has a great skill in working upon the fears 
of people, and in making promises, and— in getting the 
last dollar that can thus be squeezed out of them "A 
Victim" writes us, that he sent $5 as security to some 
chaps in a couple of Maine towns, who offered $300 per 
month. lie received a few samples, too poor to « ive 
away, and that is the last he can hear from his $5. Tula 
is an old dodge still extensively practised, and is the 
general result of the tempting offer of $100. $300, $250, 
and other large sums per month to "agents." Never 
send any money in advance to any such parties, not 
even a postage «tamp ; and never allow them to send 
you anything "C. O. D." (collect on deliver}'.) You 
