174 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[Mat, 
lemon and white.animal owned by Mr. E. A. Willard, of 
Illinois. The next below him is “Major,” a Newfoundland 
dog owned by Mr. Gilson of New York. This animal has 
saved three lives from drowning, and if for no other rea¬ 
son, deserves to appear in onr picture. The dog at the 
bottom left hand corner'is an Irish Water Spaniel,“Mack,” 
owned by Mr. Lawler, Mt. Vernon, N. Y. On the upper 
right-hand corner is a Scotch Collie, “ Ray,” owned by Mr. 
Watts of New York, a sprightly specimen of the erect¬ 
eared variety of the Shepherd’s Dog ; with him is shown 
a pet Yorkshire Terrier,” Charlie,”owned by Mrs. Haines. 
Under these is a Russian Setter,“Czar,” a notable dog, the 
property of Mr. Edwin Smith, of Newark, N. J. ; with 
him is a Japanese Spaniel, “ Prinnie,” owned by Mrs. 
Pratt, of New York. The native bred Setter, “Jersey 
Duke,” owned by Mr. Von Lengerke, of Hoboken, N. J., 
is shown at the bottom right hand. This dog is a re¬ 
markably fine specimen of his breed. 
EVERY SCHOOL, Public and Private, 
and Every Academy and Seminary, not al¬ 
ready supplied, ought to have one of the new Compound 
Microscopes, described on page 172. Never before has 
there been an opportunity for so complete, so interesting, 
and so useful an instrument, at anything like so small a 
cost. In at least one public school the pupils are already 
engaged in making sketches from natural objects with 
the Camera Lueida of this instrument, for exhibition at 
the next Queens County Agricultural Fair. It would not 
be difficult to secure one of these Microscopes at the 
present low price, for every public school in the country, 
either by use of general funds, or by a subscription among 
the patrons. This Microscope brings into plain view, all 
around ns, a beautiful and interesting world of objects a 
hundredfold more numerous than all our unaided eyes 
behold. It would be a great treasure in any home also. 
A Horse-Radish Grater. —A correspondent, 
whose name we have mislaid, sends a sketch of a home¬ 
made grater. Twm wedge-shaped pieces of board a foot 
long and three inches wide at one end, with a piece to go 
across at the wide ends are nailed together; upon this 
frame is tacked a tin—a piece from a fruit can will an¬ 
swer-perforated with rough holes—as shown in the en¬ 
graving. Such a grater will be useful for many other 
purposes besides preparing-horse-radish. 
Quinby’s New Bee-keeping.— This volume, 
which was announced as in preparation, is now in press. 
Mr. Quinby’s work, in its earlier editions, has long been 
the standard practical guide on all matters relating to 
the apiary. Soon after the last revision of the work ap¬ 
peared (in 1865), discoveries and inventions were made 
that greatly modified the practice, and wonderfully ad¬ 
vanced the art of bee-keeping. Feeling that his work 
was incomplete in lacking these important matters, Mr. 
Quinby had arranged for a new edition which should in¬ 
clude these, but his sudden death prevented its com¬ 
pletion. Fortunately his son-in-law, and many years 
business associate, Mr. L. C. Root, has undertaken the 
revision, as he is not only better qualified than any one 
else to give Mr. Quinby’s latest views, but by long prac¬ 
tice and close observation, is able to contribute much of 
value from his own experience. The Book is essentially 
a new one, having been re-written almost entirely, and it 
is illustrated with a large number of engravings, most of 
which are new. There is no other work that so completely 
presents the present condition of apiarian knowledge 
and practice, and while it keeps in view the business 
aspects of the subject, the wants of those who would 
keep bees for their own amusement, or to produce a 
family supply of honey, are also provided for. Published 
by the Orange Judd Company, price $1.50, post-paid. 
A New Work on Bogs.— Much has been written 
upon the dog from an agricultural point of view that is 
not at all favorable to that animal. But there are dogs and 
“ dorgs,” and however, we may condemn the worthless, 
sneaking, sheep-killer, the love for a faithful, intelligent, 
and affectionate animal, is altogether too common and 
too deeply implanted in the make-up of most men for it 
to be shaken by the misdeeds and general worthlessness 
of the discreditable members of the race. A new work 
on dogs has no reference to the mongrel, nondescript, 
nameless beasts that are known by the general term of 
cur. The breeding of dogs for different uses has been 
followed so long, that the personal peculiarities that best 
adapt them to the different purposes for which they are 
to be employed are thoroughly stamped upon and mark 
the different breeds. To know the characters of these 
breeds in their purity, and the uses to which they are 
adapted, to understand the care proper to preserve the 
animals in health, and to treat them when ill, are matters 
that interest all owners of dogs, ami consequently a large 
share of those living in the country, and works giving 
this information are properly included in a general 
list of rural books. The most recent addition to this 
class of literature is a new work, published by the Orange 
Judd Company, “The Dogs of Great Britain and Amer¬ 
ica,” in which are contained the essential portions of two 
works by Stonehenge (J. R. Walsh), the great English 
authority on rural sports, and to this are added chapters by 
American authors, making one of the most complete, as 
it is one of the most beautiful, works on the dogs ever is¬ 
sued. Besides, this condensation allows the Publishers 
to furnish all that is of value in the two works for less 
than one-fourth of their original price. The illustrations 
are numerous and accurate, and the whole is produced in 
excellent style. For further particulars, see the publish¬ 
ers advertisement ou another page. Price, post-paid, $2. 
Cotton Seed Meal and Sugar Feed.— “C. L.,” 
Tivoli, N. Y. Ground cotton-seed cake is a wholesome 
and safe food for fattening cattle or sheep, and for milk 
cows. It is a rich food, and at first should be- used in 
small quantities gradually increasing up to 3 or 4 quarts 
daily. One quart a day is enough at first, and at the end 
of two weeks, a cow may receive 3 quarts safely ; a fat¬ 
tening steer may have double this quantity. In feeding 
cows, the writer esteems it worth twice as much as 
corn meal, and good for milk and butter. 
Farm Steam Engines—The Bookwalter— 
The makers of steam engines for farm use have made 
such improvements in compactness, simplicity, and 
efficiency, that with a number of them it seems hardly 
possible to improve any further in these directions. But 
there is oue respect in which there is still room for im¬ 
provement—the cost. It is often the case that the farmer 
who would be most benefited by the use of steam power, 
is the very one who can not afford to introduce it, the 
cost of the very cheapest engines now offered being more 
than farmers in moderate circumstances can well invest. 
We are glad to notice that one firm of engine makers has 
already made essential reductions in prices. The Book- 
waiter Engine, which was illustrated in the American 
Agriculturist in March, 1877, has, we are glad to learn, 
met with such an increasing sale that thg proprietors 
have been obliged to enlarge their works, and their estab¬ 
lishment at Springfield, 0., covering several acres, is one 
of the most complete in the country. With increased 
facilities for production, the proprietors are enabled to 
reduce the cost of their engines, and they issue a special 
circular to this effect. As in all such cases, the advan¬ 
tages are reciprocal; the greater the number of engines 
sold, the cheaper they can be made, and the lower the 
price at which they are offered, the more will be sold. 
Evener for 3 Horses Abreast.—“F. B.,” 
Niles, sends a method of hitching 3 horses abreast to a 
plow as follows: “ There are plows made here for three 
horses, with which the draft can be so regulated that one 
horse can walk in the fur¬ 
row, and the plow will, as 
far as side draft is con¬ 
cerned, run itself. We 
use the three-horse even¬ 
er shown in the accom¬ 
panying sketch, and think 
it equal to any unpatent¬ 
ed evener made. It con¬ 
sists of a bar of half-inch 
iron, two and a half inches 
wide at the widest part, and tapering towards the ends. 
The center horse is attached to a hook placed at the top, 
and the outside horses are fastened to the bottom by an 
evener long enough to allow the center horse to walk be¬ 
tween them easily.” This is shown in the engraving. 
Til© Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, in leaving 
the State House, Boston, made a mis-step and fell; it 
was found that the accident was more serious than was 
at first supposed, the head of the thigh bone being broken. 
This occurred late in March; a letter from an intimate 
friend of the Col. early in April says, that he “ was 
comfortable, but of course with a man over 80 it is im¬ 
possible to predict what the result may be.” There are 
few persons in the country whose circle of acquaintances 
is so wide as that of Col. Wilder, and we are sure that he 
will receive from every quarter the warmest wishes for 
his speedy recovery. Notwithstanding his advanced 
age, we may hope for more favorable results in his case 
than we might in one who had less perfectly preserved 
his bodily and mental strength and. vigor. 
The Melbourne International Exhibi¬ 
tion, Australia, not content with the exhibition at 
Sydney, this year, has provided for another in 1880, at 
Melbourne, Victoria. The programme at hand is very 
elaborate, but at present we need not say any more tham. 
that those wishing information may apply to “The- 
Agent General for Victoria, 8 Victoria Chambers, Vic¬ 
toria Street, Westminster, London, S. W,” or to “the- 
Secretary International Exhibition of 1880, Melbourne, 
Victoria, Australia.” 
Sundry Humbugs. 
We wonder if the “Royal 
Gift Swarry ” exhausted it¬ 
self in the effort to “ in¬ 
crease the sale of tickets,"' 
mentioned last month. 
While our April budget 
was largely made up of the 
_ hihags circulars of this “Royal” 
i a I 
)-*. T swindle, this month our 
cU jEji supply is confined to just 
two. One young man in 
Kansas apparently wishes 
to learn about the “ Royal 
Gift Soiree” through per¬ 
sonal experience, as he asks - 
us to send him the address 
of its authorized agent! Ex¬ 
cuse us, we are not in that 
line of advertising_Here 
is a fresh scheme, the “Ken¬ 
tucky Land Co.,” which 
proposes to “distribute” 
residences, three-acre lots, farms, and fast four-in-liand 
teams in the most impartial manner. It asks us to- 
“put in $5, draw out $225,000,” 
and the whole affair reads very Pattee-ish_It is not 
surprising, perhaps, that parties receiving a notice that 
they have “drawn a gold watch and chain valued at 
$.300,” which will be forwarded upon the payment of 
$3, “ to cover expenses, percentage, etc.,” should think 
it possibly worth looking after. We have now half a. 
dozen or more letters, in which the writers ask us to pro¬ 
cure for them watches, jewelry, or other things said to- 
have been drawn by them in some lottery. These must, 
be from newer readers as our older friends know that 
WE CAN NOT ATTEND TO TUESE COMMISSIONS. 
We have no time to waste on such errands. If the: 
place given in the letter is found at all, it is more than- 
likely to be a room at the top of some obscure building, 
with a hole in the door for letters. Should any one be 
found, the caller will be told that business is done only 
by mail, that the drawer of the prize has not complied 1 
with the conditions, which were to send $3 by mail or 
by express. Whatever else may happen, the one who- 
calls will be very sure to get no “gold watch.” For 
years past we have investigated this whole matter so- 
thoroughly that we know that in all attempts to collect 
any of these claims one “has his labor for his pains.”... 
We have to record a melancholy commercial disaster,. 
THE PARISIAN DIAMOND SHOP HAS BUST ! 
There was a shop where “ diamonds ” were sold, not 
vulgar African, nor yet Brazilian diamonds, but the real 
“ Parisian Diamonds ” of which we were told in the cir¬ 
cular that the body was crystal, on which was deposited 
—by electricity of course—a coating of diamond!! 
Probably those who knew no better believed this im¬ 
possible story. When it is known that the proprietor, 
though he called himself Humphreys, was really one of 
the Eliases (with Humphreys as a middle name), the 
diamond coating story will cease to be surprising.... 
Last month we gave some account of 
. THE DICTIONARY OFFER. 
This appears to have broken out in several places, as 
persons in other small towns in Massachusetts, besides 
the one then named, as well as parties in Brooklyn and 
New York City, send out postals offering Dictionaries 
in terms almost verbatim alike. The offer implies that 
the Dictionary is worth $6, and is offered for 56 cents. 
We stated last month that it probably did not cost over 
25 cents. In view of this, a bookseller in St. John, N. B., 
informs us that he sells the very same Dictionary (which 
is printed in Glasgow, Scotland), for 17 cts., post-paid. 
NOW LOOK OUT FOR LIGHTNING RODDERS. 
So soon as the roads become settled, there cometh the 
Lightning Rod Man, whose tongue after a winter’s rest 
is ready to wag with more than usual glibness. It is 
w-ell for every one to decide whether he wishes a light¬ 
ning rod or not. If one is needed, buy the iron and put 
it up. If one is not needed, prepare yourself with 
A BIG UNCOMPROMISING NO ! 
Don’t argue with the lightning-rodder; if yon do he 
will beat you, and you will buy his rod. There is only 
safety in a no I If he tells you how many were killed by- 
lightning last summer, admit it; if he shows you how- his- 
double and twisted rod only is safe, and that a plain iron 
rod is worse than no rod, don’t deny it. Get rid of him,. 
