6 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[January, 
paid for cows the past month. Good cows sell for $G5@ 
$70, and are wanted_Calves.—Hog-dressed arc now 
arriving in sufficient numbers to affect the price of 
grassers and live veals. Grass calves sold at the close 
at 3i @ 4J-C. $ lb., alive ; the best veals brought 9@ 
9Jc. $ lb. These prices were an advance, which was 
gained through the smaller receipts during tho month. 
_Slice p and Laiiafes.—Good sheep wore never 
so low in this market as they now are. Mutton is not a 
fashionable meat, or is not estimated as well as it might 
be. With present prices, farmers might add to their 
docks with profit. The best sheep that have appeared 
here in some years, sold for ti}c. t|j) lb., alive, and fine 
Canada ewes brought 5 @ 5$c. $ lb. Fair lambs ranged 
from fc'J @ 6}c. $ lb., live -weight Swine.— 1 Tho mar¬ 
ket has been “see-sawing” back and forth during the 
month, ending where it began, the excessively Ueavj r re¬ 
ceipts bringing the scale down rapidly at tho close, with 
a promise of worse to come. Live hogs havo been dull 
at4|@ljc. $ lb., and city dressed at 5}@6c. $ lb. 
- .1 H at - 
containing a great, variety of Items, intruding many 
good Hints and Suggestions which u-e throw into smaller 
type and condensed form, for leant of room elsewhere. 
Publishers’ Notices, Terms, etc.— The Annual 
Subscription Rates of the American Agriculturist, postage 
prepaid by the Publishers, are : One Copy, $1.60 a year; Two 
Copies,!'.; Three Copies, $4.20 ($1.40 each) ; Pour Copies, 
$5..’0 ($1.30 each); Five to Nine Copies. $1.23 each ; Ten to 
Nineteen Copies, $1.20 each; Twenty Copies and upwards, 
$1.10 each ; Single Numbers, 13 cents, post-paid.—The above 
terms are for the United States and Territories, and British 
America. To the above add 14 cents extra per year for 
papers delivered by mail in N. Y. City, and for copies sent 
outside of the United States and British America, ex¬ 
cept to Africa, Brazil. British Honduras, the East Indies, 
and Mexico. For the last named five countries the extra 
charge 19 38 cents per year, to cover extra postage; Single 
Numbers, 17 cents, post-paid.It omittances, payable to 
Order of Orange Judd Company, may be sent in form of 
Checks or Drafts on N. Y. City Banks or Bankers ; or P. O. 
Money Orders ; or in Registered Letters, such letters to 
have the money enclosed in the presence of the Postmaster, 
and his receipt taken for it, and the postage and registering 
to be put on in stamps. Money remitted in any one of the 
above three methods is safe against loss. .Bound Volumes 
from Vol. 16 to 3G inclusive, supplied at $2 each, or $2.30 if to 
be sent by mail. Sets of numbers sent to tho office will be 
bound in our regular stylo for 75 cents (30 cents extra If to 
be returned by mail). Missing numbers for such volumes 
supplied at 12 cents each.—Any Numbers of the paper is¬ 
sued for 21 years past, sent post paid for 15 cents each_ 
Clubs of Subscribers can be increased at any time at. the club 
rates, if new members begin at same date as original club. 
Tlie termini AgriciilMu'ist, with its 
beautiful new cover, and other improvements, is giving 
great satisfaction. Will onr readers please inform their 
German friends and neighbors of this German paper, is¬ 
sued now for 20 years. It is every way equal to the Eng¬ 
lish edition, with a Special and extra-German Depart¬ 
ment., Edited by Hon. Fred. Munch. Terms', the same as 
the English edition, with which it may bo joined in mak¬ 
ing up c.ubs. 
Advertisers will find a valuable medium in 
the German Agriculturist. The rates are very moderate, 
and the paper circu’ates largely among readers who are 
not reached through other channels. 
Advertisements in numbers entirely un¬ 
looked for. crowded in at the last moment, and entirely 
upset the Editor’s plans for several pages of reading mat¬ 
ter, which must go over. But these business notices are 
from “good men and true,” and give a good deal of in¬ 
formation our readers are interested in. So read through 
the advertisements, and when writing to any advertiser 
tell him where you saw his advertisement. 
No IS.—fl*lesise Observe. Take No¬ 
tice.—It is a waste of time, talent, stationery, and post 
stamps, to write ns a letter and not siqnit with full name 
and address. We have no time to devote to nameless 
people, and the waste-basket receives their letters. Please 
don t write to ask about advertising u doctors ”—we 
do not know anything; about them. Please do not pre¬ 
face your letters with a long; apology, stating that you 
have ‘ never troubled us before.” If the inquiry made 
Is a sensible one, it is not “ troubling ” us. We wish for 
such, and are glad when they come. If yoii have taken 
the paper for five or ten years, and have never before 
asked a question, we are sorry both on your account and 
our own. One more request:—Please don’t, write with 
pencil, but better that than pale ink. Recollect we have 
to look through letters by the hundred, and pale ink, or 
what is worse still, red ink on pink paperls trying. 
A Microscope for AIL 
Important Notice! 
The Microscope offered to our readers last month, 
proves to be quite as valuable as we hoped it would 
be. It is a capital instrument for all the purposes 
for which it was recommended, and more. We 
hear of a few who have as yet failed to appreciate 
its real merits, but we know that comes from lack 
of experience in using such instruments. We shall 
try to aid such to a proper understanding of its use. 
A beginning is made in this paper, (see page 10.)— 
Many scientific men, and many others familiar with 
microscopes, have examined this one, and all speak 
of it with the highest praise. We know that when 
our readers become accustomed to using it proper¬ 
ly, it will be a source of much pleasure, and will be 
turned to practical utility as well. 
It costs a good deal more to supply them, than is 
charged for them above the subscription rates ; but 
this was anticipated, and a round sum set aside by 
the Publishers to meet the additional expense—the 
same sum, or more rather, than has in past years 
been expended upon Chromos for free presenta¬ 
tion. And now we want every reader of this jour¬ 
nal to have and enjoy one, though it would be a 
saving of expense if but few take them. Our only 
regret is that it is not possible to give them outright. 
As many thousands of new subscribers are coming- 
in who did not see the last number of this paper, 
we republish in part, on page 33, the description, 
etc., of the Microscope, which please read. 
Important about the DELIVERY of the 
Microscopes. 
The average cost of delivering one of these Micro¬ 
scopes, with the strong double-cover box needed, 
is 15 cents, to any point in the United States and 
the Canadas. We do not add this to the extra 
charge above the subscription price, and call it 55 
cents, because our subscribers come largely in 
clubs, and all the Microscopes going to one club, 
cau be sent in a single package, unpaid, to some 
member of the club, who should be designated, and 
the cost of carriage will be but a trifle on each.— 
Thus, if 10 or SO go in one parcel, and the express 
charges are 25 to 50 cents on the whole, the cost of 
carriage will be only SI to 5 cents each.—We there¬ 
fore only require the 15 cents when we send them 
prepaid. We can not pay this. There is not profit 
enough on subscriptions to pay the extra cost of 
the Microscope above what is charged for them, 
much less to pay for the carriage also. 
We have now a special arrangement with the 
ADAMS, the AMERICAN, and the UNITED 
STATES Express Companies, to deliver the Micro¬ 
scopes singly to any point in the United States or 
Canadas, where they have offices. This arrange¬ 
ment is only temporary, but we hope it may be con¬ 
tinued through the winter. They will give us suf¬ 
ficient notice, if it is not continued, to notify our 
readers in the following number. Where there is 
no office of any one of these companies, we pro¬ 
vide other means of delivery. The terms are; 
One Subscriber f Taken at the Office 
for 187S and one 1 or forwarded 
Microscope, f unpaid. 
Two Subscribers ( 
for 1878 and two 1.do. 
Microscopes, ( 
Three Subscribers ( 
for 1878 and three 1.do. 
Microscopes, ( 
$2.00. ! 
(If sent ' 
pre- \ 
’ paid, 
► $2.15. 
$1.00 1 
each.' 
| do. | 
* $2.05 
I each. 
*1.80 1 
each.' 
J do - ! 
1 $1.95 
t each. 
Four Subscribers ( 
for 1878 and four!.do... 
Microscopes, ( 
I $1.70 
(each. 
do. 
^ $1.85 
(each. 
For terms to large clubs see page 34. The 
Order of E>eliverinig- the Micro* 
scopes, will be in the order of reception of 
names. “First come, first served.” Over 60 men 
are working on them with machinery. The call is 
beyond expectation. They will come as fast as 
made. Let no one be anxious if his Microscope 
happens to be delayed a few days. It will come in 
due time sure. 
Wintering Cows on Meal Alone, is 
a subject of much interest to dairymen. The address of 
Linus W. Miller, read before the American Dairymen's 
Association, and other meetings, has created much in¬ 
terest in what is now called the “Miller System” of 
feeding. As innovators upon established customs are 
apt to be misrepresented (not always intentionally) by 
their opponents, it is better for those who would investi¬ 
gate the matter, to read Mr. Miller’s own presentation of 
it. This he gives in a pamphlet of 82 pages, which may 
be had from this office, post-paid, for author’s price, 50c. 
44 Tlie Oniiilia, Pioneer,” 
for December, contains much valuable information for 
those who contemplate emigrating to the West. It is 
sent free on application to Mr. O. F. Davis, Omaha. 
«ff. S5. Itooi’s “ Giirdcu Manual.”— 
The sudden death of J. B. Root, of Rockford, Ill., was 
noticed just a year ago. He was in his department a 
leading man, and iiis contributions to the American 
Agriculturist, and other journals, were marked by great 
originality, and were valuable contributions to the litera¬ 
ture of vegetable gardening. He was largely engaged in 
seed growing, and the business is now carried on by Mrs. 
Root, to whom we wish much success. The present 
issue of the “Garden Manual which includes a cata¬ 
logue—is made up of articles left by Mr. Root, and selec¬ 
tions from those that have appeared elsewhere, and 
characteristically fresh, practical, and sensible. 
An Iron Mattress. —Probably the most 
comfortable of all beds is one of that hardest of sub¬ 
stances—iron. Paradoxical as this may seem, we know 
it, by experience, to he true. Iron in the form of wire may 
he so woven, netted, and. arranged with springs as to 
make a bed that readily adapts itself to the form, and re¬ 
covers its shape at once when the weight of the body is 
removed. We have tried the article made by the 
“ National Wire Mattress Co.,” of New Britain, Conn., 
and find it to be as nearly perfect as need be. 
Tlie Pennsylvania Fruit (Jr«wers 4 
Society will hold its annual meeting at Williamsport, 
Pa., commencing January lGth, 1878. It is expected 
that several prominent horticulturists will attend, and 
address the meeting, and an interesting session is ex¬ 
pected. Jof.iah Hoopes, Westchester, is President, and 
E. B. Engle, Marietta, Secretary. 
Tlie Median Fly.—How far does it ex¬ 
tend West, and South ? is what Prof. Packard, Secretary 
of the U. S. Entomological Commission, would like to 
know. In order to aid him in studying the distribution 
and extent of tlie ravages of this pest to wheat growers, 
Prof. P. would like specimens from the Middle or West¬ 
ern States. Send so that they will not be crushed, by 
mail, to Prof. A. S. Packard, Jr., Salem, Mass. 
Senders of Facers.— It often happens 
that one wishes us to see an article lie has published in 
some paper, or to call our attention to some particular 
article. The most certain way is to cut out the article, 
giving the name and date of the paper, aud send it with 
tlie letter. But if a paper is sent for the purpose, please 
mark the article distinctly, by lines drawn against the 
heading, and also put upon the wrapper “ Editorial.” 
Unless these precautions are observed, tlie paper, among 
the hundreds that come daily, may never reach us. 
’i'tae 44 American Journal of Mi¬ 
croscopy,” edited by Prof. John Phin, and published 
in New York, is especially valuable as a means of 
communication between those engaged in microscopy, 
and its articles are of a popular character-and not mere¬ 
ly for the small class of experts. 
'1'lie ABC of Bee Culture, is the title 
r a new Cyclopaedia of Apiarian matters. Part I. con- 
.ins 48 pages, with 20 engravings, and in the alpliabeti- 
il arrangement extends to “ Comb Honey.” It is pub- 
moderate price of 25c. 
]\ cw - .Jersey is a State sometimes sneered at 
by those who know nothing about it, for its old fogy- 
ways. It easily took the lead at the Centennial Exhi¬ 
bition, mid if any other State lias published a report of 
its part in tlie Exhibition in any handsomer or more 
complete form than New Jersey, we should like to see it. 
