1867.] 
'AMERICAN ^AGRICULTURIST.' 
167 
herd has long stood foremost among those of American 
Shorthorns, Mr. Sheldon has heen for some years form- 
ing a herd of Duchess of Oxfords, which hears a most 
excellent reputation, and with this addition to it, becomes 
the owner of more fine animals of these families tlianany 
other breeder in the world. 
Osage Oraaag-e. — An article on this was 
crowded out. In brief we can answer many questions 
about starting the plants.— Soak the seeds 5 or 6 days in 
blood-warm water, changing each day. Don't cook the 
seeds, as onr Delaware friend did. Then keep the seeds 
damp, and in a warm place, until they sprout, stirring 
now and then to prevent heating. Sow in well prepared 
soil ; rows, a foot apart ; cover an inch deep and roll ; 
keep well weeded, and thin where too crowded. 
A Crood recreating' Shot-gun.— This, 
long a desideratum, seems now to have been accomplish- 
ed, and the favorite double-barreled fowling piece seems 
to be doomed. This engraving represents Roper's Re- 
peating Shot-gun, manufactured at Amherst, Mass., under 
the supervision of Mr. C. M. Spencer, whose name is 
world-famous as the inventor of the repeating rifle, the 
terrible seven-shooter of our mounted riflemen. This 
gun is light and handy, very neatly made, strong and 
accurate, as we judge from careful inspection, and from 
examination of several sheets of paper, shot at, at differ- 
ent distances. Metallic cartridges, using the common cap, 
are loaded before hand and inserted, four at a time in the 
magazine. The cartridge cases are light, of steel, and 
may be used many times without perceptible wear, and 
a large number, ready charged, be conveniently carried. 
American Pomology — Apples. — 
Doctor Warder's book is now before the public, and will 
receive the attention it deserves. It is in fact the only 
work where the newer fruits can be found, and will mark 
■ an era in pomological literature, in importance second 
only to the appearance of Downing's work, over 30 years 
ago. The catalogue of all the recorded varieties occupies 
26 pages, and condenses a wonderful amount of informa- 
tion in a very small space. One can sec at a glance the, 
origin, shape, color, quality, season, etc., of any of the 
many hundreds of apples there enumerated. We trust 
that the work will meet with a welcome that will encour- 
age its author to bring out his vast accumulation of mate- 
rials upon other fruits at once. A handsome volume of 
744 pages. By mail $3. 
Sundry Humbugs. — Since our last we 
have received about 2.00 letters from different parts of 
the country with swindling schemes and circulars, and 
accounts of impositions and cheating by the humbug 
operators. Many of these refer to parties described in 
this journal last month and previously. Others are con- 
cerning parties who have merely changed their places 
and names. Very many of these letters ask responses by 
mail, but the number is so large that it is out of the 
question to write to the half of them. Some ask the re- 
turn of tickets, &c, that they have previously forwarded ; 
but this-is not practicable. We have thousands of such 
tickets, and cannot afford time to hunt up any particular 
man's document, unless it be of special importance. 
Look for our exposures in past numbers before writing. 
Remember that if we do not reply to any inquiry, 
either by letter or in a following number, it is an in- 
dication that the parties inquired about are cither swind- 
lers, or at best of doubtful character. This response 
must answer for many letters asking replies, but which 
we cannot take time to respond to by letter. , .We mention 
a few new names, reserving others for more time and room 
than wo now have, and others for further investigation 
We say, unhesitatingly, that, without exception, every 
"gift enterprise" now before the country is a fraud, and 
that the investors in them will And itwo in il,9S)9 case^ out 
of every 10,000. Wo have accounts of more than fifty 
such gift enterprises now under way in various places. 
The soldiers', widows' and orphans' "sympathy schemes" 
are by far the most nnmerous. They literally " steal the 
livery of heaven to serve the devil "—that is their, own 
pockets.. .A. I). Bowman t& (7(3., (Van Allen,) we refer 
to here, not to pronounce them humbugs, but to say the 
use of Mr. Judd'snamc on their circulars as reference was 
wholly unauthorized, and would have been refused if 
asked for. Mr. J. docs not indorse anything which he has 
not examined with the greatest care, and even then he 
aims to avoid being aunoyed with a multitude of letters 
of inquiry as to the genuineness of any and every claimed 
indorsement, by refusing his signature. The " ink 
powder " was submitted by us to a good chemist, and re- 
ported " to answer for common writing 'purposes, but not 
permanent in its character," and his advertisement 
was therefore declined " Aliases." — We publish a 
multiplicity of names of swindlers, but the operators are 
comparatively few in number, and they change their 
"business" firms and names at convenience, and often 
run several names and places at the same time. In our 
calls upon the swindling gentry in various disguises, per- 
sonally and by proxy, the same individual will on succes- 
sive days turn up in several localities. For illustration, 
an old post-office clerk, whose real name is, or was, 
Thomas Fletcher, afterwards was employed in a provost 
marshal's office; again he appeared as "Whitman & 
Co." ; anon as D. H. Kellum &, Co., etc., etc. After hav- 
ing tried various other names until they became too well 
known, he lately took up his own again A Masonic 
Gift Scheme.— Geo. W. Holmes & Co., are trying to pur- 
suade all good Masons to send them $300,000 for as many 
tickets, promising chances at $10 silk hats, $75 plated 
tea sets, $1,500 pianos, $22,000 house, etc., etc., reckoned 
at $200,000 in all, and costing perhaps half as much. 
They don't tell how much is to go to a " Hall and Asylum 
fund," and leave the ", time and place of distribution to be 
hereafter named." No intelligent Mason will bite at this 
bait Nur$e?y Gift. — Smith Whitticr, dating at Chicago, 
says he has " lost the head of his family," (he ought to 
lose his own head,) and wants 50,000 farmers and others 
to console him by sending in $100,000 at $2 each, and 
promises to give them a chance — a fifty-thousandth chance 
— to draw his wonderful fruit farm of 34 acres, somewhere 
in St. Joseph, Mich. — he don't tell exactly where. Plenty 
of other widowers would like a similar consolation. Go 
to digging, Smith Whittier, and not try to humbug honest 
people out of their hard earned dollars by your big pic- 
ture and great promises. . .Sam'l Bechtold & Co , of Phil- 
adelphia, ask people to send them $2 each for a sol- 
diers' orphans' home, offering in return $2 pictures, and a 
bonusof abouthalf amilliondollars worth of gifts. That 
may do to catch very "green-horns," but not anybody 
else. Before investing for charity's sake, better write to 
Jay Cooke & Co., and ask them if the reference to Geo. 
A. Cooke is allowed, or worth anything if allowed 
Of Gift Entetpiises, the meanest are those that solicit 
patronage ostensibly to aid soldiers, or their widows, and 
orphans. A score or more of them are now operating. 
Among others, Tudor, Gates & Co., of Mulberry, O., alias 
Cincinnati, give the pretended full indorsement of 
Governors, members of Congress, etc. None but very 
foolish people will pay $1 for one chance in 300,000 of 
drawing a valuable prize, even if sure that $256,000 worth 
is to be drawn for. When one wishes to aid soldiers and 
their families, better send the wltole money to responsible 
parties, and not let the ticket operators pocket three- 
fourths or nine-tenths of the money paid in to them 
The "Nassau Association" offer 12 silver spoons for $3 
in currency, and to throw in gift tickets for watches and 
other articles, "marked" from $250.00 to $2.00 each. 
Very tiny silver spoons they would be at $3 for 12, to say 
nothing of the " gifts." Lead spoons, very thinly plated 
with silver, can be bought for a trifle, and are worth no 
more. Where do the green-horns live who keep such en- 
terprises agoing? Lotteries.— -T. J. Furniss, of Cedar 
street, New York, like many others, pretends to assure a 
great many people of his ability to send them valuable 
prizes. Let everybody having an itching to try these fel- 
lows, remember, 1st, that if they can pick out lucky num- 
bers, then the whole lottery is in every way a swindle, 
and you will be surely swindled : 2d, that if conducted 
fairly the pretended agent is a liar, and will cheat you; 
3d, that if he had the ability to select lucky numbers, he 
would surely keep them himself, for he would make far 
more thus than by the commissions he could hope for 
from any customers you could possibly send ; 4th, that at 
least nine in every ten of these lottery " agents" keep 
every dime sent them, and you can never find them or 
get a word from them; and, finally, that all lotteries are 
unfair swindles, however regularly conducted, because of 
every $5 paid in, the managers and ageuts pocket from 
$3 to $4, and leave only $t to $3 to be drawn for by the 
t icki-t B .. .Frank, Mass & Co..William-st., and J. E.Brenuan 
&Co., Nassau-st., are match swindlers withT. J. Furniss. 
Beware of New Tea Companies. The so-called "Great 
American Tea Company," 31 & 33 Vesey st., advertised 
in our columns, though doing an immense business all 
over the country, has not evcu been complained of to us 
more than two or three times in as man;- years. On this 
account, as well as for other reasons wo have previously 
stated, we believe general satisfaction is given to their 
customers. But stimulated by their success, several of the 
swindling fraternity have started or pretend to have started 
other "Tea Companies,"— some copying very nearly the 
advertisements, etc., of the old company. Some of these 
we know to be humbugs, (one was noted last month.) 
and as to others we have not evidence sufficient to 'war- 
rant us in admitting their advertisements. . . Every man 
offering watches, jewelry, ctc.Aiy tick- f is to be carefully 
avoided. Nine out of ten of the most plausible of those 
fellows will send nothing for your money, and not one 
in a hundred will give you your money's worth Every 
stealer of morals, modesty, aud virtue, will be quite likely 
to steal your money if sent to him. These fellows know 
you will not make a fuss about money sent for immodest 
or immoral books and instruments, and they will keep it 
aud send nothing, unless pretty sure of making a bigger 
haid afterwards Plants, etc.— Don't spend your money, 
time, and soil, on any of the wonderfid foreign corns, 
seeds, plants, etc., that just now turns up exclusively in 
the hands of some one individual. Egyptian corn, 
Dourah corn, etc., which were tried and condemned years 
ago, are " up " for speculation again Want of space 
compels us to stop here, leaving about 50 letters un- 
answered — but they are all humbugs , so don't be troubled 
about losing some great money making chance See 
last month's exposures for sundry names in these letters. 
— I*. S. —Harris Bwthers, of Boston, received some- 
thing towards their just deserts in the Superior Court on 
April 15th, viz. : a fine of S14 9 000 ($7000 each).— Good 
for Boston : Now let N. Y. City take hold of her lottery 
and "gift enterprise 11 swindlers. 
Mr, J odd not am Office- Seeker. — 
The following appeared in a New York daily morning 
paper on April 4th : " Office Seekers.— The halls and 
ante-rooms of the Executive Mansion were literally 
blocked to-day by the crowds of office-seekers. Tha 
crowd exceeded anything of the kind for months past. 
The President was almost exhausted by 3 p. m., and not 
one-third had obtained interviews. Orange Judd, the 
publisher of the Agriculturist, and Horace Capron, of Il- 
linois, are prominent candidates for the position of Com- 
missioner of Agriculture. The President is determined 
to remove Newton." Similar telegrams have appeared 
in many other journals. From the above, it would ap- 
pear that Mr. Judd was one of the Li crowd" of candi- 
dates knocking at the Presidential door for office. We 
take the liberty to say that so far from this being the case, 
he was quietly at home looking after his gardeners and 
builders, and entirely ignorant of any efforts making, or 
to be made by anybody, to get him into office, nolens 
nolens. The Agriculturist " Office," with its half million 
of patrons and friends, is abundantly satisfactory so far 
as position, usefulness, and pay are concerned. In 
short, he is not an aspirant to any Government office. 
Worse tlian Hiim1>ng'. — The Murder of 
the unborn, is beginning to attract, in some degree, the 
attention which its great importance imperatively de- 
mands. The prevalence and recent great increase of this 
crime, the general ignorance as to its criminality, and of its 
terrible consequences upon the guilty actors themselves, 
forbid longer silence on the part of medical men, minis- 
ters and editors, who have until now feared lest public ef- 
fort should make known and increase an evil which it 
aimed to diminish. Dr. Storer's Essay, "Why Not," 
published by Messrs. Lee & Shepard, of Boston, should 
be in the hands of eveiy Physician, Clergyman, Editor, 
and of all other intelligent persons of either sex, in 
the country. (Price 50 cts.) Dr. Todd recently furnished 
an article on the subject to the Congregationalist, at Bos- 
ton, and we hear he is preparing a longer essay for publi- 
cation. The Christian Advocate, of New York, also pub- 
lished an article from an intelligent lady, entitled : " Fash- 
ionable Murder." The Northwestern Christian Advocate, 
of Chicago, 111., of March 13, devoted 7$£ editorial col- 
umns to a bold and outspoken discussion of the subject, 
which is being copied at tho West, and is worthily a waken- 
ing much attention. We learn that one of the editors, 
Rev. Arthur Edwards, Chicago, is preparing a cheap Pam- 
phlet or Tract designed for extensive circulation. We 
wrote somewhat sharply on one phase of the subject — 
the medical advertisements— in May, last year, and we are 
very glad to sec these further efforts to check a wide 
spread, growing, and terrible evil— crime I It behooves 
every woman— every man indeed— to become enlightened 
upon this subject. What shall we say of those 
journals, even such papers as claim and find admission 
into the best families, that yet, for the sake of the money 
consideration, daily spread before their readers the 
advertisements of such monsters— such murderers— as 
Restell, Maurieeau, and many others, who offer their ser- 
vices and medicines to all, married and unmarried, and 
promise for a small consideration to assist them not only 
to the most criminal deeds, but to the almost certain de- 
struction of their own future health and happiness— very 
Often of their lives. If the publishers of such journals 
lack the conscience or the intelligence required to reject 
these advertisements, their sheets should be bauished 
from the household by every one who would not nurse a 
viper in his domestic circle. — An editor, with whom wo 
recently remonstrated, excused himself by pleading ig- 
norance of the character of an advertisement. Any edi- 
tor, so simple or ignorant as not to know the intent of 
advertisements "to remove Irregularities from whatever 
cause," "monthly pills," etc.. and the like, has wofully 
mistaken his calling as an enli^htener of the public. 
