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AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
I November, 
watches or other articles, represented as worth several 
times the price asked, will find their money gone and 
themselves sold C. L. Yan Allen, who told us a while 
ago that Jus name was A. D. Bowman, now assures us 
that there is no such person. He is advertising, how- 
ever, in the name of A. D. Bowman &Co. Mr. Van Allen 
advertises also to sell rights to make " Eureka Oil," which 
is represented as very cheap, not explosive, can he made 
by everybody, etc. We received a letter from a chemist, 
stating that this article is very dangerous, so we ob- 
tained a sample bottle of the " Eureka Oil." It is simply 
benzine with, perhaps, slight additions, and explodes as 
readily as gunpowder. Any man who recommends the 
manufacture of such stuff by unskilled hands, deserves 
the gallows or the penitentiary for life. Don't touch it, 
or the advertiser of it, in any way Kelley & Co/s 
Grand Gift Concert is again postponed. Keep the tickets 
as a warning to make no more such investments, which 
not only reduce capital, but generally good nature 
too "We have numerous inquiries about Concerts 
for Soldiers' Widows and Orphans, Libraries, etc., where 
tickets are sold and prizes drawn by some means "strict- 
ly honest," aud " entirely legal," etc. We class them all 
together, without any exception, as lotteries, and all lot- 
teries as humbugs Beware of parties who take great 
palm to assure the public that they are "licensed by 
United States authority." All respectable business men 
pay for IT. S. license, and mauy who are not respectable, 
aud such license gives no authority to disregard State laws, as 
has been decided over and over again The medical 
humbugs are still extant, though we have not given them 
much attention of late. The most recent demonstration 
that we have seen is that of Dr. H. R Burner, whose four 
page circular is a curiosity in its way. It informs us that 
the "Union Combination Medical Association of Great 
Britain " lias invested $275,000 "in the United States, to 
aid and assist suffering humanity," which is a very hand- 
some thing of them to do. They publish a certificate from 
"the Executive Department, Washington, D. C," signed 
"■ G. F. Attendon, General Surgeon." Now we would like 
to know just what the "Executive Department" does 
with a surgeon, though if it must have one, " Attendon " 
is a good name for him. " Remember," says the circular, 
" he, (Dr. Burner,) is not to be classed with the Traveling 
Impostors of the land." Yery likely not, but as he "guar- 
antees a cure in every case undertaken," we class him 
with those belonging abroad. This Doctor B. is endorsed 
by the "President" of the "Union Combination Medical 
Association," "branch office, No, 200 Broadway." The 
seeker after this office on Broadway would appropriately 
bring up in St. Paul's Church-yard, which is where 200 
would be, if there were such a number. The superstitious 
might think this indicative of the fate of those who take 
the " French Remedies," or try to prove the statement of 
the circular that " the Doctor has a balm for every wound." 
Personal Snquiries. — We have had of 
late more thau the usual number of letters asking ques- 
tions of interest only to the writer. We usually answer 
as many of them as possible, but the absence of the editors 
during the season of fairs, together with the interruption 
caused by our removal, has made it necessary to leave 
many unanswered. Every one must see that we cannot 
occupy half a day in looking up information for his bene- 
fit, and that many letters are for this reason unanswerable. 
Safe I*ipe for Drinking Water.— 
Lead poisoning from water brought in lead pipe is the 
often unsuspected cause of disease and death. Galvan- 
ized iron pipe, wood, and cement pipe, are expensive aud 
inconvenient substitutes, so that people will risk their 
lives and use lead. The Lead-encased Block Tin pipe is 
even cheaper than lead, and we believe perfectly safe. 
Our faith in it has led us recently to lay some 80 feet of 
it, through which all our drinking water is drawn. 
Shade in Pastures. — " Welchruan." — 
Certain trees, like Elms, Maples, Basswoods or Lindens. 
Willows, etc., interfere with the growth of grass or any 
crop, their roots being near the surface. Hickories, Oaks, 
Pepperidges, and Beeches, send their roots deep, and grass 
grows well in their shade. Still we would not cut down 
the former class. Cows give milk better the more quiet 
and comfortable they are, and cool shade contributes es- 
sentially to their comfort. Cattle will soon fill themselves 
if the pasturage is good* then they want shade to chew 
their cuds under, and do proportionally better for it. 
Horse witli his Foot in his Month. 
—Dr. G. W. Booth, of Harrison Co., Lid., relates the fol- 
lowing singular occurrence in a letter to the Agriculturist : 
" A neighbor, passing the stable, observed that one of my 
riding horses was lying down, and appeared to be in dis- 
stress. He came to the house and told me. We imme- 
diately went, and found that he had his left hind foot fast 
in his mouth, the outside caulk of the shoe buried in the ) 
roof. I ran to the blacksmith shop to get something to 
pull off his shoe, and just as I got back to the stable door, 
the horse made a violent effort, and jerked the foot out, 
loosing one tooth, and tearing his mouth badly, and cut- 
ting his foot just at the top of the hoof, so that he was 
lame for several weeks. I had to shell his corn, and feed 
him cut-feed for three weeks, till his tooth grew fast." 
When to I»low for Corn.— W. S. K. 
A rolling field of mellow soil, long in grass, is to be 
broken up, and put in corn next spring. The com will 
do quite as well if planted on a fresh turned sod. Grub 
worms will suffer if the plowing be done late this fall. 
What shall be done ? We think it depends on the answers 
to two questions. Will the land wash if the winter is 
open and we have hard rains? If so, let it lie in sod. 
Will you have plenty of time to do the plowing next 
spring, or will you be crowded with work ? 
JBa-ingfiaag - up Sandy Laud, — " E. W. 
C," Carroll Co., Ark. You say your sandy land has a 
red clay subsoil. The means of renovation are then close 
at hand, provided you can touch the clay with the plow. 
All you have to do is to bi'ing it up and mingle it with 
the surface. If the clay lies too deep, then try green ma- 
nures. Sow rye now and plow it under in the spring, 
then sow Indian corn and plow that under after about 
three months. If you can not trust corn after the rye, 
bow buckwheat. Lime alone would probably be of little 
or no benefit, unless the clay comes up. 
Broom-corn Seed — Value. — "J. W.," 
Westmoreland Co., Pa. — Good seed should weigh about 
50 pounds to the bushel, and it may be used on the farm 
to take the place of oats for sheep and poultry, and 
ground, it is good feed for pigs and milch cows. Plump 
seed will go as far as oats, and probably farther, but un- 
ripe seed is very inferior. Chickens eat it as a variety, 
but are not fond of it. The probable reason why there is 
so poor a market for it is that the Quality is so variable. 
A Well in a CfeuicBcsand. — Lafayette 
Erskine, Oneida Co., N. Y., anticipates trouble in dig- 
ging a well in a quicksand. His neighbors have used a 
plank curbing, but this makes the water taste. What 
can he do ? He can surely brick up inside a curbing of 
plank, lay in the bricks in cement, but leaving the bot- 
tom open and finally draw out the planks one at a time. 
Will not our readers suggest better ways ? 
Coal Tar and Oas Tar.— " H. N. S." 
Substances composed in whole or in great part of hydrogen 
and carbon, such as bituminous coal, rosin, or even wood, 
when exposed to high temperatures, are usually decom- 
posed, becoming part gas, part tar and oils, and part a 
thick or coaly residuum, according to the degree and con- 
tinuance of the heat. The presence of water and of oxy- 
gen causes other substances to be produced, wood vine- 
gar, etc., and there is frequently nitrogen enough to 
cause the formation of a notable quantity of ammonia. 
The gas formed is a mixture of several gases ; the tar is 
a very complex mixture, varying in its composition not 
only with the substances heated, but with the tempera- 
ture. Prom whatever source these tars come, they pos- 
sess peculiar and similar properties. Among others, re- 
markable anti septic qualities. So far as we are aware, 
there has been very little difference found in the rela- 
tive values of the various coal or gas tars for preserving 
timber, painting, etc. , and we presume that tar from rosin 
isriust as good as that from Cannel coal, for these pur- 
poses. If not, we hope to be set right. 
flow to Cret Rid of Briars.— Black- 
berry bushes, both the high and the running kinds, wild 
rose bushes, and other briars, are, when young, very pal- 
atable to sheep, and if they are cut close in the winter 
or in the spring, and sheep are turned on to the land be- 
fore the thorns become stiff and woody, a single season 
will nearly eradicate them. This will not do upon very 
wet land, for the sheep will not thrive. On such ground 
mowing in August must be resorted to in addition to the 
winter or spring cutting. 
Value of Bones. — W. P. E. Ground bones 
are worth about $40 a ton. The uncrushed article bears 
various prices. Shin bones and some other pieces are 
used in the arts, and bring high prices. Such as are 
thrown out from the kitchen bring what the boys can get 
for them. We have paid twenty-five cents a barrel for 
a great many barrels, delivered at the barn, and should 
have considered them cheap at twice the price. We 
would rather pay $10 a ton for old bones than be without 
them. They are indispensable in planting fruit trees in 
the older parts of the country, and are good for all crops. 
A pile of them should be kept constantly under the shed, 
and if a bone-mill is not handy, break them with a sledge 
or stone nammer on rainy days. Such rainy days, we 
think, will pay the farmer better than clear ones. 
^Destruction of Horses. — In the annual 
report of the Belt Railroad, in this city, it is stated that 
279 horses out of 988 died during the year. The average 
life of a horse in this service is said to be only 3*4 years. 
The city is a great market for horses. The average price 
paid by this company was about $156. For those sold in 
a broken down condition, it received a trifle over $30 each. 
Rotting; Stumps Speedily. — There is 
an idea abroad that oil of vitriol poured upon a stump or 
into an auger hole in one, will cause it to decay rapidly. 
So far as we can ascertain there is no ground for such a 
notion. Nitric acid, aqua fortis, as a highly corrosive 
body containing much oxygen, would appear to be better 
adapted to this* purpose, for decay is oxidation. The 
surest way to promote the quick decay of stumps we 
should think would be to gash the main roots with an ax 
or bore holes into them, and also into the top of the 
stump, which might be cut dishing with a few well di- 
rected blows, in order that water might settle in the 
holes and work into the heart of the tree. This will 
surely cause more or less rapid decay, and substances 
like the droppings of birds and little animals, or even 
leaf-mould, would soon wash in, and expedite the process. 
t*Baort-norns Homeward BBound. — 
Eight of these animals, from the herd of James O. Shel- 
don, of Geneva, N. Y., were recently shipped from this 
port to England. John Bull cannot resist the temptation 
of fine cattle even in America. Third Duke of Geneva, 
who heads the list, will be heard from across the water 
"Chicken Cholera."— "S. V. 11 recom- 
mends the following remedy, and has the good sense not 
to call it infallible. " Take two eggs, a tablespoonful of 
powdered alum, and a sufficient quantity of flour to make 
a thin paste. Porce the fowl to take a portion of it,- if it 
will not eat voluntarily. Powdered alum, mixed in the 
food, is a good preventive. Feed no swill or sour messes.'" 
Churning in Cold Weather.— Mrs. 
Spicer, of Peoria Co., HI., gives the following sound di- 
rections: "Procure a common thermometer, costing 
from fifty cents to one dollar. Set the cream in a warm 
place, and stir occasionally, until the thermometer indi- 
cates a temperature of 64° ; rinse the churn in hot water, 
put in the cream, and churn immediately. Do not let the 
hot water stand in the churn, as the heat from it should 
not raise the cream over 65°, or the butter will "come 
soft. 11 We practised the above during the past winter,and 
were not detained at the ' crank ' over ten or twelve min- 
utes, on an average, securing good hard butter in every 
case — while under the same circumstances in other re- 
spects we have previously been from one to five hours 
churning during the cold months. 
Dogs. — It is estimated that 6,000 dogs are le- 
gally drowned in this city annually. Vermont, one of 
the best protected States in the Union, lost 500 sheep by 
dogs last year in five counties. 
Questions Proposed hy Readers 
to Readers. — 1. MUk-house. .— " What is the best 
mode of building a MUk-house above-ground. One that 
can be put up on a cheap plan by a common carpenter 
or ingenious fanner himself?" 
2. Spring-house. — " <J. W." asks for the best way of em- 
ploying the water of a spring that would fill a three-quar- 
ter-inch pipe in a fami dairy or milk-cellar, or in a house 
built for the purpose over the spring? 
3. Bake Oven. — A plan for a Pennsylvania " Out-oven" 
is called for. That is, Ave presume, a brick oven large 
enough for the wants of a large family. 
Tlie European ISooJk for Insects. — 
Is there any objection to the introduction of this bird into 
this country? With all our warfare upon insects, they 
are increasing. " Aliquis," of Michigan, writes : " I think 
that a remedy, (for insects,) is to be found in the English 
rook. This bird may be considered entirely insectivorous. 
The only exception I ever knew was in a severe and long 
continued snow-storm, when some of them paid a visit to 
a solitary wheat-stack. I am aware that they are badly 
accused, and many a day I have kept watch with a gun to 
keep them off the newly sowed grain, and many of 
them I have dissected, but I never found anything but in- 
sects in their crops. They are constantly in attendance on 
newly stirred land, and hundreds may be seen following 
the plow and harrow within two or three yards of the 
plowman's heels. Indeed, if they were a grain-eating 
bird, no grain could be raised in the neighborhood of 
rookeries, where millions are congregated. I believe the 
