l&O 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[August, 
gladly publish in August a full list of fairs, with the names 
of secretaries, so that the thousands of owners of valuable 
patented articles, who look to our journal for information, 
may be able to get it, and form their plans to go, or send 
their agents, to as many fairs as possible. This is just as 
important with reference to the county as to State fairs, 
for the time must all he filled up. The secretary-of the 
State Board of Ohio, has set others an example by pub- 
lishing early a full list of county and town fairs of his 
State. If the secretaries of other State Agricultural So- 
cieties and Boards of Agriculture would do the same, 
the cause of agricultural progress would be promoted. 
Special to Agricultural Societies. 
— Mv. W. A. Fitch, who has charge of the Advertising 
Department of the American Agriculturist^ desires to re- 
ceive proposals from the Executive Committees of Agri- 
cultural Societies for the insertion of one or more pages 
of suitable advertisements in their Annual Circular and 
Premium Lists. His address is 151 Nassau-st., New York. 
I>enth of TThonxas Brown. — An open- 
handed, free-hearted, big-souled man, fair-minded, just 
and honorable, a warm, true friend, and genial companion, 
was Thomas Brown. He was a lawyer of Cleveland, Ohio, 
established the Ohio Farmer, which is now in its 16th 
volume, a protectionist and liberal politician, a warm 
personal friend of Chief Justice Chase, by whom, while 
Secretary of the Treasury, he was made one of the special 
agents of the Treasury Department, which office he held 
at the time of his death, having exercised its functions 
with great success and credit to himself, both at San 
Francisco and in New York. His interest in agricultural 
subjects never abated. All who knew him will mourn 
his death, which took place in Brooklyn, N. Y., June 
13th, cutting short a vigorous manhood in its very prime. 
Death of John A. King.— This dis- 
tinguished citizen, ex-Governor of the State of New 
York, ex-President of the State Agricultural Society, the 
recipient from the people of many offices of trust and 
honor, died on the Sth of July, at his home in Jamaica, 
L. I. He was born in 17S8, has long been prominent as a 
friend of improved agriculture, and was an active mem- 
ber of the Queens Co. Society, and of the State Agricul- 
tural Society, while his health permitted. He was a 
good farmer and neighbor, a liberal, polished Christian 
gentleman, bringing down to our, perhaps, too democrat- 
ic times, the dignity of bearing and grace of manner 
which characterized the " old regime. 1 ' Mr. King united 
with his friends and neighbors in celebrating our Nation- 
al Anniversary just passed, and made a short address, al- 
luding to himself as passing away, and his work as done. 
A day or two only elapsed before he encountered a 
paralytic stroke, to which his life soon yielded. 
A B*ortal>le Pump invented by Mr. N. 
Page, Jr., was exhibited at this office a few days since. 
The instrument is very simple, of little weight, requires 
very little exertion to operate it, and is susceptible of 
many uses, not only as a convenient pump of small ca- 
pacity, but also for syringing in Green-houses, watering 
plants, washing wagons, windows, etc. It is so con- 
structed as to throw a single stream thirty to forty feet 
which, without change of nozzle, may he instantly 
changed to a coarse spray or fine mist, at the will of the 
operator. An advertisement of it appears on page 307. 
Leached and Unlcaclied Ashes. — 
E. C. Long, Erie Co., N. Y. At the prices you name (three 
and twelve cents per bushel,) it will probably pay to buy 
both leached and unleached ashes for manure. Leached 
ashes usually contain but very little potash, but they are 
valuable for other ingredients, and on much farm land 
where the mechanical as well as the chemical effects of 
ashes are desirable, produce marked good effects. 
Subjects on which Subscribers 
need. Information.-" Rheumatism " affecting tur- 
keys, curling up their feet. Their health otherwise being 
good. Cause and cure wanted. 
Cause of the sudden death of calves, taken, some suck- 
ing, and others after having been weaned. Symptoms:— 
They refuse to cat or suck, fall, go into spasms, and soon 
die, frothing at the mouth. 
Reason of ewes eating their lambs, and the cure 
In regard to this, C. F. IT., of Nebraska, writes :— « I have 
been troubled for throe seasons by ewes eating their 
lambs. Last year, Ifound out the guilty one, a nd knocked 
her in the head ; she was eating the, lambs of other ewes. 
I thought I was rid of the trouble, but this season it 
appeared to be as bad as ever. I killed the one I caught 
at it, but that does not seem to prevent the difficulty. They 
eat off their feet as soon as they are born. 
The E>ouble B>eutzia. — Two years ago 
this month, we figured the Double Deutzia, then a recent 
introduction from Japan. Our figure, which was taken 
from a green-house specimen, scarcely did justice to the 
shrub. Now that it is becoming more common, fine spec- 
imens may be seen, and certainly nothing can be more 
beautiful ; the flowers are veiy double, and the outer 
petals have just a tinge of pink. It is perfectly hardy, a 
free bloomer, and the flowers are admirable for bouquets. 
Fill up the Clubs, and select the pre- 
miums. All subscriptions sent in this month, whether 
commencing with January or July, will count on the pre- 
mium lists. A few thousand more names may yet be 
added to this year's list by a little vigorous effort. Witt 
you have ajirerrtium? See also Special Premiums, p. 276. 
Oeyelin's Poultry Breeding, — An 
English book of G. K. Geyelin, C.E., entitled "Poultry 
Breeding in a Commercial Point of View," etc., has been 
republished by A. "Williams & Co., Boston, Mass., with 
an introductory preface, by Chas. L. Flint, Secretary of 
the Massachusetts Board of Agriculture. All contribu- 
tions of new ideas on the subject of poultry raising, from 
persons who have given real tlwitght to the subject, are 
of value, and for this reason we place a high estimate 
upon all that Mr. Geyelin writes. It is not usual for prac- 
tical men, or those who have put their theories and plans 
to the test of real use, "in a commercial point of view," 
to write out their views, and say not a single word about 
their results. There is a real practical and excellent 
chapter in this book on poultry breeding in France — the 
report of a visit of Mr. G. K. G., in search of the fabled 
monster poultry establishments of that country. This 
chapter was given to the American public, more than a 
year ago, in an appendix to Saunders 1 Domestic Poultry. 
Mr. Geyelin's connection with the establishment of the 
National Poultry Co., at Bromley, Kent, was not of long 
continuance, and so, we suppose, his ideas were never 
thoroughly carried out, still, in many respects, tbey 
seem feasible. If any egg-batching machine will work 
well, we think the one be describes will be likely to. It 
displays great ingenuity, as does also his Artificial lien, 
and his plan for a large establishment, made up of small 
independent sections. The hook is a neat 12mo. of 1*27 
pages, for sale at our counter, or sent by mail, for $1.25. 
Things hy IHuil. — Many persons seem to 
think that they have only' to do up a fruit, flower, or in- 
sect, in some kind of package, put on the requisite 
stamps, and place it in the mail to insure its safe deliv- 
ery. It is the exception that these things reach us in any 
tolerable condition, and many well-meaning people 
doubtless wonder why Ave do not notice their fruit, flow- 
ers, etc., while the fact is, their fruit has been converted 
into "jam" in the mail bags, and their flowers reduced 
to an unrecognizable pulp. It is quite useless to send 
fruit, fresh flowers, or insects, by mail, unless they are 
put in a tin, or other, box so strong that all the pounding 
the mail bags get, will not crush it. No strawberry has 
been received this year by mail in good condition. "With 
dried plants we have less trouble, though these are often 
crushed when put in common envelopes. They should 
be placed between stiff papers or pasteboards. 
The American Naturalist. — We 
made a brief announcement of the appearance of this 
journal, and intended before this to call more particular 
attention to it. The editors have gained by their expe- 
rience, and each number is better than the preceding- 
one. We have, in the July number now before us, arti- 
cles on the Sea-Horse and its Young, Recent Bird Tracks, 
Jelly Fishes, Agency of Insects in Fertilizing Plants, Ice 
Marks and Ancient Glaciers in the "White Mountains, be- 
sides a host of smaller items. The whole stoiy is pleasant- 
ly told, and those of our readers who have a taste for natural 
history, cannot do better than send $3 to the editors of 
the American Naturalist, Salem, Mass., as a year's sub- 
scription to this, our best popular scientific journal. 
Prong-horn — A Correction. — The 
spirited drawing of the Prong-horn Antelope, on the first 
page of the July Agriculturist, was erroneously credited. 
The artist who made the drawing is William J. Hays. 
Schrseder's Bromns. — In July, 1866, 
we gave a figure of thi s grass, and showed what the thing 
put out under the name of Bromus Sehrmderi really was. 
We also, upon general principles, expressed our doubts 
as to its value. In the Agricultural Gazette, (English), 
for June 20, we find an article upon those plants that 
have been forced upon the community by means of "tes- 
timonials," which says : " Schroder's Bromus, then, is an- 
other example of a plant unduly urged upon the attention 
of cultivators — another example of the way in which ad- 
vertising seedsmen injure themselves, one another, and 
those with whom they deal, hy thn&e extravagant an- 
nouncements to which -we thus call their attention, as 
damaging the agency by which alone satisfactory busi- 
ness relations can be established between them." 
Additional StrawbeiTy Notes. — 
We have figured on page 291 most of the novelties of the 
present season. We intended in those notes to say a 
word about the unfavorable circumstances under which 
many of the sorts were exhibited at the American Insti- 
tute. In many instances the rains bad prevented the 
fruit from ripening properly. This was particularly no- 
ticeable with DuranoVs Seedling, a variety of which we 
gave a figure last year; and expressed a favorable opinion. 
Though good-sized berries were shown, they were flavor- 
less, the flavor having been washed out. 
AbraJiam Lincoln. — There is some trick about this ber- 
ry somewhere. If there is a distinct sort with this name, 
we do not know it. We hear that the Agriculturist has 
been sold under this name, and we know that, at the show 
of the American Institute, the berry shown, under that 
name, was not different from the Jucunda. There is 
some trickery in this. If any one has a true and distinct 
seedling that he has called Abraham Lincoln, we shall be 
glad to get it, and if it is distinct, to make it known. 
Doctor Nicaise. — We have known of this variety through 
the French Horticultural Journals, but never bad the 
pleasure of seeing the fruit until Messrs. Frost & Co., the 
well-known nurserymen of Rochester, sent us specimens. 
To insure their delivery, Messrs. F. & Co. wrapped each 
berry in cotton batting. This quite dried out the speci- 
mens and took away their flavor. — We can only say that 
the fruit is very large, has a good flesh, but under the 
circumstances cannot give an opinion as to its quality. 
Ne-yr Music Store. — We have received a 
package of music published by C. H. Ditson & Co., 711 
Broadway, New York, and O. Ditson & Co., Boston. It 
gives us pleasure to notice the establishment in this city 
of a branch of that old and justly distinguished music 
publishing bouse, Oliver Ditson & Co., and we heartily 
wish to the new firm a like honorable and successful ca- 
reer. Purchasers of music, musical instruments, etc., 
will find these firms worthy of their patronage. 
The Results ofl" the Harvest. — In 
the cities business is very dull, and were it not that 
men have been cautious in their dealings, and have long 
looked for a time of financial trouble, there would before 
this have been serious embarrassment. One hears on 
every corner reference to the crops ; every traveler is in- 
quired of; the newspapers stretchout long columns of 
dry facts, and estimates of probabilities, and the weather 
and its influence is discussed on all sides. The farmer 
has the responsibility of gathering well the good crops 
vouchsafed by a bountiful Providence. With plenty here 
of all the ordinary crops, prices will range low enough to 
enable us to ship wheat and flour and corn to Europe, no 
matter bow good the crops are there. With the wheat 
and corn, our debts to Europe will be paid, gold will even 
begin to flow this way, perhaps, and business of all kinds 
will revive. The farmers who can demand and get the 
raoney,cash down, for their grain, if they sell at fair price' 
will be the first benefited, for they will be able to take ad- 
vantage of the prevailing low prices of articles of cloth- 
ing, etc. Very soon, with a buoyant money market, goods 
now held very low, will be "marked up." The results 
of the harvest of spring grains, and the prospects of the 
corn crop, will attract public attention after this, as of 
great importance. We hope our readers will favor us 
with brief statements of the weather as affecting these 
crops, and the results as soon as known. 
A Lady's Invention.— The Garment Con- 
formator, advertised in another column, is an ingenious 
arrangement for fitting dresses, etc. Ladies of our 
acquaintance who have tried it, say it works admirably, 
and especially in fitting forms of irregular shape. 
5*lca and Testimony for the 
Robins. — "B. Bros.," St. Paul, Minn., writes: "We 
observe your correspondent's indictment against the 
robin, and would ourselves feel guilty to have sentence 
passed upon him without giving our testimony in his 
favor. They reached here about the middle of April, and 
busied themselves eating sumach berries mitil it became 
warm enough for the appearance of insects. We had two or 
three acres of borage plowed late in the fall, which, on the 
first days of warm weather in May, was almost alive with 
squash bugs. The robins left the sumach, and for several 
days remained the greater part of the time on the plowed 
ground, eating millions of the bugs as they appeared on 
the surface. So well satisfied were we with the destruc- 
tion of the bugs that we planted an acre of squashes, which 
are growing finely, unmolested. 1 ' 
