1881.] 
AMERICAN AGRIC LJLTTJRIST. 
393 
This is but a repetition of the Bed-bug powder of 
half a century ago. “You catch the bug, squeeze 
him until he opens his mouth, apply the powder, 
and it will sneeze out its teeth and can bite no more.” 
The Cheap Washing machine 
dodge, which in an elaborately worded postal card 
proposes for 60 cents, more or less, to send “a 
machine” on trial, is so old that we had well nigh 
forgotten it. But a friend employed on the “ South 
and North Alabama .Railroad,” writes to inform us 
that our exposure of this, some years ago, has 
prevented the working of the swindle which was 
attempted to be played in his vicinity.... Our friend 
“ G. J. K.,” Long Island, is evidently much sur¬ 
prised at the deluge of documents sent him by 
The “Royal New Brunswick Gift Distribution.” 
We have so often mentioned this as the meanest 
of the lottery schemes, that we supposed that its 
character was well understood. If one lets every 
lottery scheme alone he will escape this swindle 
with the rest. The same may be taken as a reply 
by a Massachusetts friend... .A word to “One Who 
Knows.” You send us a circular of what seems 
like a first-class fraud, and give hints as to its con¬ 
nection with other frauds. Had you given name 
and address we should have written for particulars, 
but you give neither. Any communication, con¬ 
firming your suspicions, will be entirely confiden¬ 
tial, but we can not use the document without 
further knowledge. While always ready to expose 
fraud, we will not be the means of unjustly accus¬ 
ing parties who may possibly be innocent. Many 
letters of inquiry must remain unanswered as they 
are so indefinite. For example here is a letter 
from “Millington,” askingus to read the advertise¬ 
ment of a certain “Doctor,” and give an opinion. 
There are, according to the P. O. Directory, some 
half dozen or more “ Millingtons” in the country, 
and as no State is given, we can not reply by mail. 
But the advertisement upon which an opinion is 
asked is not sent. No doubt many feel that they 
are badly treated when they receive no answers to 
their letters, but when no State is given, and the 
very item about which an opinion is asked is omit¬ 
ted, what can we do ? 
On an “Owl” Hunt. 
Complaints have been made of a paper called 
“ The Owl,” which, by the offer of a “700-page Dic¬ 
tionary ” as a premium, induced many persons to 
send $1.00, as their subscription to the paper for a 
year. “ The Owl ” claimed to have its publication 
office in Houston St., where the “ N. Y. Weekly 
Sun,” a journal doing good work in exposing hum¬ 
bugs, sought it in vain. Our “Owl” hunt was 
more successful; the bird had flown to the forest 
of Pine St., and it roosted high, for we had to climb 
to a small room near the roof of a tall building in 
order to find it. Those who appeared to be in 
authority admitted that they were just about to 
mail the first issue of “The Owl’’that had been 
published since May last. The suspension, on 
account of “ ill health,” was at an end, and pub¬ 
lication was to be resumed in September and go on 
regularly, each subscriber getting all the numbers 
paid for—unless perhaps the publishers should be 
again troubled with “ill health.” “The Owl” 
claims to be a weekly journal, but the copy before 
us is dated “ September 1881,” after the manner of 
a monthly. It claims to be 
A Journal of “ Intellectual Development,” 
while really it is an advertising medium of books 
of doubtful morality, nasty medicines and ap¬ 
pliances, and several columns of so-called “matri¬ 
monial” advertisements. The “Owl” may keep 
within the legal limit of decency, but it is a great 
pity that its suspension can not be made perpetual. 
According to its own pages, this sheet is published 
by F. E. Wallace & Co., No. 45 E. Houston St., N. 
Y. As the address is wrong, the publishers’ names 
may be equally inaccurate. It is rather strange 
that the principal person one meets at the Pine St. 
roost of the “ Owl,” is one Horton, who at one 
time published the “ Matrimonial News” in Chica¬ 
go, to which the “ Owl ” is the worthy successor. 
One the Dess. 
For the last 20 years there have been few fraudu¬ 
lent mining schemes, or swindles upon a large scale, 
set on foot, that could not be traced to one of the 
brothers Elias. The daily papers have recently 
announced the death of Elias H. Elias, and we re¬ 
peat it as a matter of news, without comment. 
The Revised New Testament 
is advertised in a religious paper in such a manner 
as to make a Virginia correspondent very indig¬ 
nant, and he asks, “ Why is this allowed in such a 
paper?” The advertisement is headed, “Revised 
New Testament. Free to you. Free to all,” and 
says “Address, giving name, etc., with two 3-cent 
stamps,” so-and-so, Boston. There is nothing in 
the advertisement to show that one who sends the 
stamps will not get the Testament. Whoever sends 
his stamps, gets in return a circular setting forth 
that if he will canvass his neighborhood, for every 
10 copies sold, one copy will be given free ! If 
this is not a deceptive advertisement, then we do 
not know the article.Even swindlers learn 
economy, not only of printer’s ink and paper, but 
of time, and have found out that the best way is 
to state their business and be done ■with it. 
The Dealers in “Queer,” 
or counterfeit money, formerly approached their 
victims in a long rigmarole occupying one or two 
finely printed pages of letter paper. Now it is 
short and decisive, as witness the following sent 
by a farmer’s wife in Yam Hill Co., Oregon, who is 
quite sure that her husband “ can not be caught 
with such a bait.” 
“‘CONFIDENTIAL.’ 
Dear Sir :—I wish to secure the services of a 
reliable person in your county to push the sale of 
a certain class of goods which I manufacture. 
I guarantee 10(Cper cent profit and over, accord¬ 
ing to the amount of capital invested. The goods 
are used by everyone, and the business is strictly 
confidential. As it is the same as all other large 
paying enterprises, it is not exactly legitimate, 
possibly you can guess its nature ? 
This businsss is only for those open for almost 
anything there is money in. 
Should you be willing to engage, let me know as 
soon as possible, and I will send you full particu¬ 
lars. I am yours in confidence.” 
That’s business like, with little circumlocution. 
A Tether for a Horse. 
Mr. J. J. Coran, Logan Co., O., writes : 
“ Knowing that you are always glad to give 
the numerous readers of the American Agri¬ 
culturist the benefit of any useful knowledge, 
I send a sketch and description of my horse 
tether. It consists of a half-inch iron rod 
three feet long, sharpened at one end that it 
may be easily thrust into the ground. The 
other end is bent into a good-sized circle, mak¬ 
ing a handle by means of which it can be 
readily thrust into, or pulled out of, the 
ground. The remaining portion of the tether 
is simply a strip of board, 3 inches wide and 
8 feet long, with a hole bored near each end. 
The halter strap is tied into one of these 
holes, while the tether pin is thrust through 
the other and into the ground. The horse 
should be so tied that his feet may not be¬ 
come entangled in the rope, thus avoiding 
the dangers of the ordinary tether.” The 
tether above described is shown in the ac¬ 
companying engraving. 
A Silo at “iloiiglilon lF , ar^ll. ,, —An 
experimental Silo has been made at “ Hough¬ 
ton Farm,” to test the value of com fodder 
preserved in its green state as ensilage. The 
walls of the Silo are of masonry, and the 
plank cover, instead of being loaded with 
weights, is fastened with iron rods and screws 
to give the pressure required to prevent any 
access of the air. Analyses will be made of the 
com fodder in the green state, and also after 
fermentation in the silo, to determine the 
chemical changes that take place. Experi¬ 
ments will also be made to ascertain, so far as 
practicable, the feeding value and relative 
profits of the ensilage as compared with field 
corn that is allowed to ripen, and the grain 
fed with the stalks. The feeding value of 
fodder com grown for the stalks alone, will 
also be tested, both in the form of ensilage, 
and as usually cured for winter feeding. 
Blood Diseases in Animals.—Anthrax, or 
Charbon. 
BY PROF. A. T.IAUTARD, 51. D V. S. A5I. VETEr.INARV 
COLLEGE, N. V. CITY. 
Domestic animals, which form so large a 
share of the wealth of a country, in the breed¬ 
ing and raising of which so much capital is 
invested, are exposed to various contagious 
and rapidly fatal diseases. These are termed 
contagious, from the fact that they are readily 
communicated; their appearance in one 
animal may be the forerunner of their break¬ 
ing out amongst those which may have been 
in contact. Some of these diseases are con¬ 
tagious only among animals of the same 
species, while others may be communicated 
to all the domestic animals, and even to man. 
The disease known as Anthrax, or Charbon, 
is one of these general diseases,and one which, 
by its dangerous and fatal effects upon horses, 
cattle, sheep, and swine, inflicts upon the 
farmer the most serious pecuniary losses. A 
marked character of these Carbuncular Dis¬ 
eases, as they are termed, is an alteration of 
the blood. They are essentially blood diseases, 
and also termed zymotic diseases. Being prin¬ 
cipally propagated in contact with other dis¬ 
eased animals, they are contagious. A lack of 
clealiness in the stables, neglect of the removal 
of manures, imperfect drainage of the liquid 
excretions, etc., assist in their development. 
These diseases appear in two forms : one 
shows itself externally, and another does not. 
It is on account of the various forms in which 
the disease manifests itself externally, that it 
has received the different names of “ Black 
Quarter,” “Quarter Evil,” “Black Leg,” 
“ Braxy,” “ Tongue Evil,” “ Red Soldier,” etc. 
The form which is without external mani¬ 
festations is known as “Carbuncular,” or 
“Anthrax Fever.” 
These diseases are generally very sudden in 
their appearance. The animal which, but a 
short time before, was full of life and good 
health, will suddenly stop eating, become 
anxious and dull, and begin to tremble. It 
at once shows every appearance of the greatest 
prostration, and these signs rapidly increase 
and all the functions of the animal are de¬ 
ranged. The poor animal becomes agitated, 
lays down and gets up, as if it had colicky 
pains; the look becomes haggard, and the 
face has an expression of the greatest agony; 
the breathing is quickened, the urine is almost 
brownish, and frequently bloody, and some¬ 
times the faeces are mixed with blood. In 
this form death is generally likely to take 
place very soon—within three, six, or twelve 
hours. Sometimes, however, the disease may 
last for 24 or 36 hours. When it proves fatal 
in a very short time it is termed the “ Apo¬ 
plectic ” form. In the form of the disease 
