452 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[November, 
Reasons for Thanksgiving 
Omitting the many mornl reasons that prompt a hearty 
giving of Thanks, let ns glance at a few of the material 
ones. First of all may be named the splendid weather 
which has prevailed all over the country. Up to this 
writing, October 15, the tenderest out-door plants have 
been scarcely nipped in this latitude, and killing frosts 
have occurred in only very limited localities. Every 
day's freedom from such frosts during the first part of 
September was worth at least a million dollars to the 
com crop. The continued genial weather for the latter 
part of September and first half of October, not only ma 
tured all the summer crops, and extended the good 
pasture season, but it has also greatly facilitated the 
putting in of a large area of winter grain, and the finish¬ 
ing up of the summer and autumn work upon the farm. 
Taking the country together, the weather has been just 
what the united wishes and wisdom of the great agri¬ 
cultural class would have askedfor ! 
The terrible war we passed through, which led to 
the financial depression and disasters of the five years 
past and the load of debt, was greatly prolonged if not 
doubled and more, by the active sympathy of Great 
Britain and, in a measure, of other western nations of 
Europe—where some classes would have rejoiced at 
the downfall of republican institutions in the New 
World. Does it not seem as if Providence had inter¬ 
posed in our behalf, when wfi recall the fact that for 
three years past our country has been blessed with won 
derful crops, while the failure of them abroad has 
opened a market for our immense surplus ? Aud this 
year, when we needed just such help to aid in the trying 
ordeal of returning to a sound currency, we have the 
climax of great crops and unprecedented foreign demand. 
Last month we wrote of the great increase of exports, 
and the inflowing tide of Gold to pay for them. The 
current has scarcely lessened. From Jan. 1 to Oct. 10th 
the imports of specie amounted to $44,294,979, of 
which $41,538,895 have arrived since Aug. 1st Of this 
amount, $12,826,800 came from Great Britain; $24,255,903 
from the Continent of Europe; $4,406,186 from the West 
Indies and South America,—the whole sum being only a 
part of the balance to our credit, after deducting our im 
ports, our payment of foreign indebtedness, aud for 
Bonds returned home.—Look a moment at the following 
two lines from our mafrket reports, in which we have re¬ 
duced the flour to its equivalent of wheat. The first 
line shows the exports from New York City alone, from 
Jan. 1 to Oct 10; and the second line the average ex¬ 
ports from the same place during the three years 1875, 
1876. and 1877, the last (1677) being the beginning of our 
greatly increased exports. . 
Exports from New Yo/i: January 1 to Oc'ober 10. 
Bushels of Wheat. Corn. Rye. 
S,504,000 
1S79.64,518,000 
1815-7, Average.. .2o.91’.G57 
Difference_10,665,343 
Corn. 
28,815,000 
14.906.136 
53 1,395 
2,969/»5 
13,318,804 
Increase about. .170 per cent. 9 ‘i per cent. 556 per cent. 
And now ns to the prices—the returns received. In 
writing of onr great Bairy interests last month, and ex¬ 
pressing onr sympathy with those who were suffering 
on account of the unremuuerative returns, we offered 
the encouragement that the then state of things would 
not, long continue. The improvement has come sooner, 
or at least much more rapidly, than we dared to predict, 
or even hope for. As compared with the August prices, 
Cheese has advanced over 100 per cent, thus doubling its 
selling value, and Butter has gone up 60 to 70 per cent. 
The following figures from onr market reports, which 
give a wide range of wholesale prices for the various 
grades, will show the advance in some leading products: 
August 11. October 15. 
Flour, Superfine to Extra Stale. .$3.80® $4.75 $5.10@$6.25 
Flour, Superfine Western.. 3.30® 4.15 5.10® 5.60 
Wheat, all kinds of White. 1.00® 1.15 1.29® 1.52 
Wheat, Spring. 75@ 1.03 1.19@ 1.41 
Rye. 63® 67 85@ 88 
Corn, mixed. 44® 46 55® 57 
Wool, Domestic Fleece. 18@ 40 22® 46 
Pork, Mess, per barrel;. 8.75® 9.29 9.95@10.25 
Lard, per TOO lbs,<,... : 5.70@ 6.20 6.05® 6.85 
Butter, State, per" lb. 5® 17 12® 27 
Butter, Western poor to fancy... 5® 17 10® 27 
Cheese. ... 2@ 5>$ 5® 12 
Is not this last table alone a sufficient cause for thanks¬ 
giving on the part of the great class of producers ? But 
every kind of business is active. Our space being limit¬ 
ed, wo close with the words of the gentleman who has 
for a quarter of a century been in onr markets daily, and 
has made up our reports during all that time: “ Alto¬ 
gether the past month lias been one of the most suc¬ 
cessful, satisfactory, and encouraging in the business 
way. which we have ever had occasion to review.” 
containing a great variety of Items, ine'uding many 
good Hints and Suggestions which we throw into smaller 
type and condensed form, for want of room elsewhere. 
The German Edition.— All the principal arti- 
j cles aud engravings that appear in the American Agricul¬ 
turist arc reproduced in the German Edition. Besides 
i these, there is a special department, edited by an eminent 
j German cultivator. Our friends can do us a good service 
j by calling the attention of their German neighbors and 
j friends to the fact that they can have the paper in their 
I own language, and those who employ Germans will 
' find this Journal a most useful and acceptable present. 
Can We Recommend Them ?—Several have 
written to the Editor concerning the articles offered on 
the Premium List, asking if we can recommend this, or 
know that to be good, etc. To answer these and to an¬ 
ticipate similar inquiries, we would say, that we know 
that every article offered as a Premium was selected with 
the greatest care, and had a thorough examination by one 
or more of the firm : and we are sure that there is not a 
single article there that is not the best of its kind, and 
if one wishes such an article he need not fear its quality. 
Messrs. Hooker’s Grapes.— Many who were at 
the meeting of the American Pomological Society, at 
Rochester, in September last, visited the nurseries of 
Messrs. H. E Hooker & Co., especially to see his grape¬ 
vines. It would be difficult to find a specimen vineyard 
in which the viues were so carefully trained, or which 
could show such an abundant crop of fruit. The vines 
were trained with horizontal arms and upright canes, 
and so successfully that there was rarely a blank. To 
prevent injury by birds, wasps, etc., Mr. Hooker ran 
a piece of mosquito netting or similar fabric along 
the trellis on both sides, and as in this method of 
training, the fruit is restricted to a narrow space, a large 
vineyard could be protected in this manner with little 
expense. Wo saw here the original vine of the Brighton 
grape, a marvel of fruitfulness. This variety, to our 
taste, ranks among the very best of our native grapes. 
There were several good judges present at the time, 
some of whom regarded the Brighton as preferable to 
the Delaware—an opinion in which we can concur. 
Ashton’s Salt—Premiums.— In addition to the 
regular premiums at the Dairy Fair to he held next 
month, Messrs. Francis D. Moulton & Co., agents in 
this country, for Ashton’s Factory Filled Salt, offer $500 
in premiums to be awarded in sums of $50, $75, and 
$100, for butter and cheese salted with Ashton's salt. 
Tree Planting Laws of Iowa.— It can scarce¬ 
ly be said hereafter that fanners bear all the burdens of 
taxation, and have none of the emoluments derived from 
public expenditures. The exemptions from taxation 
claimed in Iowa under the Tree Planting Law the present 
year, as returned by the State Auditor, amount to 
$5,949,730, upon which the tax is estimated to be 
$178,492. This &aving in payments of taxes and the 
possession of the fruit trees, together with the improve¬ 
ments of property resulting therefrom, amount in the 
whole to a respectable bonus. As the exemption amounts 
to $100 for each acre of orchard planted, it follows that 
there have been nearly 60,000 acres of fruit trees planted; 
lmt 18 counties in the State fail to make claims, aud 3 
counties claim over $200,000 each; a remarkable report. 
“Worm” for a Name.— “M. G. S.,” Volcano, 
W. Va. Yonrspecimcn is the well known “ White Grub,” 
the larva state, not of a moth, hut of a beetle, the common 
May-Beetle, or ,Tune-bug, Dor-bug, etc., the brown beetle 
that, attracted by light, enters the house, and bounces 
about the ceiling and wall so noisily. The Grub and its 
work have been frequently described by us; It is a gene¬ 
ral feeder, eating not only geraniums and potatoes, as in 
your case, but everything from the roots of grass, to those 
of young trees. No remedy thus far known, hut to kill , 
whenever met with; in the grub state when plowing, in 
the beetle state when it appears. When a plant wilts, 
look at the root and a Grub will usually be found. 
Sundry Humbugs. 
We do not often get out of 
patience, but wo are driven 
almost to the extremity of 
good nature when, after all 
we have said about stock 
speculations, there still 
come letters, often several a 
day, asking either if some 
particular circular does not 
present an exception to out¬ 
general remarks, or stating 
tliewholocaseasif itwerea 
perfect novelty, and asking 
onr opinion of the scheme. 
Many letters ask as to the 
responsibility of the parties 
sending out the circulars, or 
publishing the attractive ad¬ 
vertisements, etc. Now, let 
us say just once more our 
say on this snbjecf, and we 
hope our readers will accept 
it as final, for we are really tired of going over the same 
ground again and again. We have answered scores of 
letters by mail, in order to avoid saying anything more 
in print, but yet they come, and keep coming. Please 
attend! Individuals and firms, by attractive circulars 
and advertisements, show how by small investments 
large sums may be made. They show this by an abund¬ 
ance of figures, and “ figures”—it is proverbial—“ won’t 
lie.” The usual proposition is to send the parties cer¬ 
tain sums, which said parties will use in speculating in 
the Stock Market. There is a plausible attempt to show 
by figures how a certain sum must make a large profit if 
invested in “puts and calls,” “special privileges,”and 
all the rest of it. Most of our letters inquire as to the 
money responsibility of the advertisers, and ask if they 
will do as they agree. So far as our inquiries go, the ad¬ 
vertisers appear to have abnndant capital, and the ques¬ 
tion naturally arises, if so much money is to he made, 
why they do not make it themselves. Whether they will 
do as they agree, we can not say, but know nothing to 
the contrary, as, so far as we have observed, they do not 
“ agree ” to do much besides receive the money. Now, 
to answer all letters, for we are through with writing in¬ 
dividual replies, we would say, that no business man in 
New York City would be known to be concerned in the 
speculations. His credit would be gone at once. No 
clerk, cashier, teller, book-keeper, or any other in bank, 
insurance company, mercantile firm, or whatever place 
of trust, would have it known tiiat he was engaged in 
“ Wall St. Speculations,” as he is well aware that his place 
would be taken from him at once. This is the esteem in 
which such matters arc held by the solid men of business. 
Now, if our readers think that they know belter than the 
substantial merchants and bankers, with abundant op¬ 
portunities to know all about Wall St. and its ways, let 
them act upon their knowledge. We have for years ad¬ 
vised leaving such schemes to those who can afford to 
invest in them. If they will acquire their knowledge 
through personal experience, let them take the conse¬ 
quences. No doubt many readers think we devote too 
much space to this matter. Could they see the number 
of letters that come to us, and the earnestness of the 
writers, they would think we were right in attempting to 
save hundreds from venturing their hard earnings in such 
schemes... .Although there has long been a law 
PROHIBITING THE USE OF THE MAILS 
by lottery dealers, it has been for the mosjt part a dead 
letter, and though some were at first deterred, circulars, 
tickets, and the rest have been carried by the mails as 
freely as ever. Recently Postmasters have had “ a rul¬ 
ing” from Headquarters at Washington, which, if gen¬ 
erally observed, must practically break up the lottery 
business—until some method is devised to get around, or 
over, or under il. Perhaps this may make papers which 
ADVERTISE LOTTERY SCHEMES, 
in face of the fact of their illegal character, a little cau¬ 
tious. and the uncertainly of the business, if no higher 
motive, may induce them to exclude such notices from 
their columns.. .Among the many swindles that aro In¬ 
tended espocially for the “benefit” of farmers is 
“the vitativk compound,” 
whicli came to us some time ago, with the most remark¬ 
able claims. It is sold by one Bingham, of Pennsylvania, 
and is claimed to be patented by one Waugaman. Wc 
sliaH presently show this name is not the only gammon 
that there is about it. It is sold in boxes, holding about 
two ounces, for $1, and cheap at that when we consider 
what it is claimed it will do. Wc aro told that the stuff 
“ IS PURELY CHEMICAL IN ITS CHARACTER 
and effects, containing,-in a condensed form, those ingre¬ 
dients so generally deficient in the soil [we should liopo 
they might be 1] and yet so essential to the immediate 
