issi. ] AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
53 
'aggregate up to the end of December. The largest 
amount was received at Liverpool, which was 
''15,000 bbls. The receipts at all the foreign ports 
from the United States and Canada up to Dec. 
31st, were 976,000 bbls—nearly a million of barrels 
of apples ! Dec. 31st, Baldwins sold in Liverpool 
at 13s. and 14s., or about equal to $3.25 or $3.50. 
Sundry Humbugs, 
In our last we 
gave the “Official 
List” of those that 
the Post Office De¬ 
partment, with offi¬ 
cial brevity, terms 
“Frauds.” The util¬ 
ity of this publica¬ 
tion is shown by the 
fact that we have 
| several inquiries which would 
not have been made had our 
friends seen thi3 list before 
writing. The law depriving 
rascals of the use of the mails 
is sufficiently explicit, and the 
Post Office officials—at least those of New York 
City, where the greatest share of the business is 
done—are heartily in earnest in its enforcement. 
Yet, in spite of all this, swindling operations are 
so profitable that those engaged in them will not 
give up their business without an effort to circum¬ 
vent the law and its officers. At any rate, much is 
gained by the publication of this list. If our 
friends find a name there, that is being recorded, 
settles the matter, so far as that party is concerned. 
Electricity, Galvan ism, and Magnetism 
are all forms of one force, and one which is very 
little understood. The simplest laws of electricity 
(and we use that term as including the others) are 
so little known, that even among fairly intelligent 
people, if some one says that such a thing is due to 
“ electricity,” all the rest are silent, because know¬ 
ing nothing of the matter, they do not venture to 
discuss It. This being the case with people who are 
regarded as educated, it is not surprising that those 
who have had fewer advantages, should be hum¬ 
bugged by “Galvanic Batteries” and other things 
which owe their success to the general lack of 
knowledge of electrical matters. Any intelligent 
boy who has studied any fair school “Natural 
Philosophy” should know after an examination 
of any of these 
Galvanic Batteries 
that it would be impossible for them to produce 
any electrical effect whatever. Yet these “ bat¬ 
teries ” are sold by thousands. One of the chaps 
publishes an eight page “ Quarterly Herald,” set¬ 
ting forth the virtues of his thing, which is of no 
more use medicinally than any other lump of any 
other metal. The makers of these gimcracks as¬ 
sert their utility with much false science, but we 
can only assert their absolute worthlessness. We 
cannot tell why these things are useless without 
writing a treatise, and are, therefore, obliged to 
ask our friends to accept our assertion that we 
have examined the most prominently advertised of 
these so-called “batteries,” and know , that accord¬ 
ing to all accepted principles, it is utterly impos¬ 
sible that they can have any action whatever, 
good, bad, or indifferent. So with the so-called 
“Electric Hair Brushes.” 
They are good or bad, according to the quality 
of the bristles used in making them. Whatever 
they will do in the curative line, any other brush, 
not “ electric ” will do as well, if as well made, 
and have the advantage of not costing so much.... 
Here we have a circular somewhat different from 
the one used so many years, of the 
“ Celebrated French Illuminating Fluid,” 
“Beautiful Gas-light at your own Firesides.” 
“Brilliancy and Economy Combined.” “The Ex¬ 
celsior burners,” etc. This circular is sent “ To the 
Lady or Gentleman of the House,” who is asked to 
preserve it “ until our agent calls.” This is another 
of those murderous schemes that we have again 
and again exposed, and yet the same thing appears 
under some new form. The object of this circular 
is to induce people, under the plea of economy, to 
bum one of the cheap petroleum liquids, using 
the “ Excelsior Burner.” We can only say with 
all the emphasis that can be put into a single word, 
Don’t! 
Don’t use the “Excelsior,” or any other burner 
that requires or permits the use of Gasoline, Ben¬ 
zine, or Naphtha, or any similar liquid. If a per¬ 
son were to offer to heat the house cheaply by well- 
regulated discharges of gunpowder, every one 
would reject the plan at once, because of its dan¬ 
ger. The lighting by any of these cheap oils is not 
a bit less dangerous. We give in an article else¬ 
where one of the many melancholy illustrations 
that enforce our caution against using any of these 
cheap oils in any manner whatever. Some may 
think that we repeat this too often, but when 
we know the deadly nature of these articles, and 
see the specious devices under which people 
are induced to use them, we cannot refrain from 
giving the repeated warning.... We had some¬ 
thing to say last month about 
“County Histories” 
in New York State, and now learn that a similar 
scheme is afoot in Wisconsin. One of our friends 
writes that a “ History ” of his County is offered 
for $8, which can not be worth more thau a quarter 
of the price, and that some of the old settlers have 
paid from $40 to $50 to have their portraits insert¬ 
ed. We see no fraud about that. Personal vanity 
may lead people into foolish expense, but if one 
agrees to pay a certain sum to have his likeness 
put in a book, and it is done according to contract, 
we see no cause for complaint.... A correspon¬ 
dent in Ohio tells how farmers in the Southeastern 
part of his State and in the northern part of West 
Virginia have been 
Shorn by Means of Shears. 
A glib-tongued fellow visits a farmer of means 
with a pair of pruning shears, which he shows to 
have great cutting-power. He will sell “ rights ” 
for the sale of the shears in that County. The 
shears, it is claimed, can be purchased for $1.50 
each, and sell at $5 each, affording a handsome 
profit. An excursion about the neighborhood, and 
showing the shears, convinces the farmer that they 
will be readily taken at the price. The farmer is 
convinced that he has a profitable thing, pays a 
round sum for the Township or County “right,” 
and the stranger departs. When the farmer or¬ 
ders the shears from the manufactory where they 
were said to be made, he learns that they have no 
such shears, but can make them for $7 or $8 per 
pair! Our correspondent btates that one farmer 
was induced to pay $1,500 for such a right, which 
would be incredible, did we not know of equally 
improbable things done elsewhere. It would be 
well for farmers and others to stick to their proper 
business. They may be sure that, as a general 
thing, all similar schemes of making money rapidly 
are fraudulent. In the case in hand, if the shears, 
as represented, could be bought at $1.50 and readily 
sold at $5 each, it should occur to a shrewd person 
that this man could not do better than to sell the 
shears himself. Sometimes we come across 
Medical Hnmbngs 
that are difficult to treat. For example, we have 
from several quarters an announcement of an ad¬ 
vertising doctor who makes most extraordinary 
claims, accompanied by a whole broadside sheet of 
figures of the most disgusting deformities. Yet 
there are among the references given by this “ doc¬ 
tor” (whom we would not trust with the broken 
leg of a pet cat), the names of several persons we 
have known, almost from boyhood, as being highly 
respectable and excellent men. Some, from a good- 
natured inability to say “ No,” and others who feel 
flattered at the idea that their names are thought 
valuable, often give countenance to miserable 
quackery. Still, whatever references these chaps 
may bring, we advise our readers to have nothing 
to do with those who publish their cures in this 
manner .... Here is an inquiry from Virginia about 
Shark’s Oil for Deafness. 
The writer says that it is offered by a certain 
house in New York, and he wishes us to “investi¬ 
gate said house as to its character,” and also to 
give our “ opinion of Shark’s Oil.” We will not dis¬ 
cuss this “ house,” but have no doubt that “ Shark’6 
Oil ” is just as good as any other grease for deaf¬ 
ness—or any other purpose. The belief in the effi¬ 
cacy of the fat of any particular animal belongs to 
the past ages, and has well nigh died out. No 
doubt many of our readers can recollect the time 
when Goose-grease for croup, and Skunk’s grease 
for the mumps were regarded among the “ sure 
cures.” .... Several have asked about a person ia 
New York City who 
Guarantees to Cure Fits. 
We can only say in reply to those who inquire, 
that there is no such “ Doctor ” in the “ Medical 
Register,” and that we should not employ any one 
who “ guaranteed ” to cure anything. . . Our opin¬ 
ion is asked about some one’s “ Magic Insoles,” 
for which .vonderful curative powers are claimed. 
As we are very matter-of-fact people, we prefer our 
insoles without any “ magic ” in them. . . It is 
not often that we have a humbug especially “ dedi¬ 
cated ” to the ladies, but we must now warn 
Ladies Who Cultivate Flowers’to Beware. 
He dresses well, is plausible (our informant 
says “ gassy ”) and is about 30. He represents the 
Dutch house of Van H., in Philadelphia, though he 
is not an agent, for people have been badly hum¬ 
bugged by agents. The Philadelphia Van H. is re¬ 
lated to the celebrated Van H. In Holland—indeed 
they are the only Holland people who come to 
America with bulbs. This young man of 30, who is 
not an agent, takes to an Ohio city, a piece of infor¬ 
mation which is most important, if true; so import¬ 
ant, that we wonder why it was not let loose in 
Philadelphia or elsewhere. It is nothing less than 
that Mr. Van. H. (of Holland, we presume) has 
succeeded in producing a remarkable 
Hybrid between Gladiolus and Lily! 
which gladiolus and which lily is not stated, but 
which ever it is, the hybrid has all its beauties and 
none of its faults. Moreover, it is bushy, and as 
to being a constant bloomer, why it does nothing 
but bloom! - Messrs. Van H. wish to introduce this 
floral wonder in that particular Ohio city—and very 
good of them it is. He—this well-dressed man of 
30, who is “ no agent”—is to select four ladies (for¬ 
getting that “ there’s luck in odd numbers”) two 
at each extreme of the city, give each fourteen 
bulbs each (more even numbers); the select four 
are to follow directions exactly, are to agree not to 
part with them; they are to commence forcing the 
bulbs at once; in about six weeks they will be in 
full bloom, and will continue to blow without inter¬ 
mission until September, being all the while 
The Wonder of the World, 
or that part of it located in that Ohio city. In 
autumn, this man who is not an agent, will come 
along and supply the great demand that will be 
created. These bulbs will produce only one new 
bulb in place of the old one, but the Van H.’s have 
a way of raising these hybrids from seed (!)and thus 
supply the demand. He gives the bulbs, but—you 
see the expenses of the house are great, and while 
he gives the bulbs, the lady who receives them has 
the benefit of their wonderful flowers all the sum¬ 
mer, and she might be willing to give $2 for the 
14, just to help pay travelling expenses. He will 
leave them if she will not pay the $2 now, but next 
fall her 14 bulbs will be $6, and all the rest of it. 
Our correspondent’s wife did not bite, and he asks 
us to say if she did wrong. We have often said 
that no really valuable novelty is ever introduced 
in this way. Were there such a thing as a hy¬ 
brid between the lily and gladiolus, the journals 
would have announced it as one of the great feats 
of modern horticulture. The bulbs would be 
taken up in Europe at $10, or almost any other 
price each, and it would be equally high-priced in 
this country for many years. New York, Philadel¬ 
phia, Boston, Cincinnati, and all the other horticul¬ 
tural centers would take it up at higher prices, anti 
it could by no possibility be distributed by a travel¬ 
ling young man of 30, agent or no agent. Let all 
cultivatorsof flowers be on the look out for this chap. 
