1879 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
493 
Chrysanthemum Culture. —The extent to 
■which specialities in floriculture are encouraged in Eng¬ 
land, is shown by the fact that there are exhibitions an¬ 
nounced to be held this autumn, by no less than 26 Chry¬ 
santhemum Societies! besides special shows of this flower 
by the Royal Horticultural Society. 
A Prize Jersey Cow.— “ B. J. F.,” "Wallingford, 
Conn., states that Edward Mafley, of New Haven, was 
awarded a $10 silver cup, as a premium at an agricultural 
fair, (locality not given,) for his Jersey cow “Minney.” 
This cow has given 8,686 lbs. of milk, from April 1st, to 
September 30, an average of over 37 lbs., (17 quarts) daily, 
for 183 days. He hopes for a record of 16,000 lbs. of milk 
in 12 months. This cow has averaged 15 lbs. of butter 
weekly, on grass and bran feed, (quantity not given). 
Leaves in an Ice Pond. —“ D. G. C.,’’ P. G. Co., 
Md. Water in freezing, becomes purified to some extent; 
for instance, the ice from salt water is nearly or quite 
fresh, and suspended or dissolved matters maybe precip¬ 
itated during the process of congelation. Leaves, or such 
matters, will not prevent the formation of ice in a pond, 
and unless the ice is mixed with drinking water, which 
is unnecessary, no damage will occur to the ice. The 
common method of using ice is not healthful; the ice 
should be used for cooling the water, as for cooling milk, 
etc., by placing it in a separate vessel, within, or around 
the drinking water, and not dissolved in it. 
Another “Surprise” Apple.— The little, 
pale, waxy, yellow apple, which, when cut, justifies its 
title, by the “ surprise ” its dark red flesh is sure to cause, 
With those who have not before seen it, is now surpassed, 
in size at least, if in no other quality. The “Pacific 
Rural Press," describes “ Mattison’s Seedling,”' raised 
by Mr. A. Mattison, of Nevada Co. This is a good sized 
apple, “ tending towards large,” yellowish green without, 
and “as thoroughly tinted with pink, as the core of a 
watermelon ;" flesh crisp and tender. 
A New Tanning material is coming into ex¬ 
tended use in France. It is the bark of a tree which 
grows in the Argentine Republic, called there, Quebracho 
Colorado , (a species of Loxopterygium ), and of the same 
family with the Sumachs. It is said to be superior to 
oak-bark, and shortens the time of tanning by about one 
half. One French firm recently ordered 25,000 tons. 
An Ancient Fig Tree exists at Roscoff, on the 
coast of Brittany. It was planted about the year 1621, and 
the spread of its branches is said to measure 25 yards ; 
the Wide spreading branches are propped up by 35 
stone pillars, besides several woodeu posts. 
1 Potatoes in England turn out so badly, that a 
potato famine is threatened,and the journals, “ The Lan¬ 
cet,” (medical of course), among others, are looking a- 
bout, as in 1846, for substitutes. Haricots Blancs (they 
dont “know beans” in England, but that means White 
Beans), Lentils, Rice, Oat-meal, and even the despised 
Maize, are among the proposed articles. An excellent 
substitute, would be dried potatoes. Some of our large 
evaporating establishments, should make the experi¬ 
ment. Potatoes properly dried, being first cooked, and 
ground' into coarse meal, by the addition of boiling wa¬ 
ter, make at once a dish of mashed potatoes, difficult to 
'distinguish from that prepared in the ordinary manner. 
A Climbing Gentian.— The “ Gardener’s Chroni¬ 
cle” states that Craufurdia Japonica is coming into 
flower at Kew. Judging from a dried specimen recently 
sent us by the editor of our Japanese contemporary, the 
No-gio-Zashi , it must be an attractive vine, with bright 
blue flowers, about half the size of our closed Gentian in 
the axils of the leaves. As it is found on the higher moun¬ 
tains in Japan, etc., we hope it may prove hardy with us. 
Horse-Racing at Fairs—A “Pat” Illus¬ 
tration. —On page 455, last month, we took care to 
withhold any editorial endorsement of an implied sanc¬ 
tion of horse-racing, etc., at Fairs by our stated contribu¬ 
tor. He himself wrote half in vexation at the state of 
things, as we know he has for many years labored to 
secure a different state of affairs. We refer to the matter 
now to give an extract from a letter from one of our 
Nebraska readers: “_It occurs to me that we might 
increase the usefulness of our Sunday-Schools by making 
them more attractive. This could be done by establish¬ 
ing a ' cock-pit ’ in connection with each school. It is 
‘innocent amusement’; no cock need fight unless he 
wants to ; by doing this we would attract a great many 
low characters and other people that need the influence 
of a Christian education, that can never be reached un¬ 
less our Sunday-Schools are made more attractive. 
Charge twenty-five cents admission, ten per cent to go to 
the owner of the winning chicken, and the rest to go to 
keep up the school. This plan will also serve a good 
end in creating an interest in breeding good chickens. 
In wealthy communities, when people can afford it, we 
might have a dog fight after Sunday-School as a sort of 
side-show ; make the admission fifteen cents, and use the 
proceeds for missionary purposes and in extending the 
Sunday-School. Call a National Sunday-School Reform 
Convention, and make the writer of the article President 
and me Secretary. Get Commissioner Gen’l LeDuc to 
recommend it in his coming Report, on the ground of its 
tendency to create an interest in the improvement of 
chickens and dogs ...” 
How to Use Lime. —“J. R. P.,” Watertown, 
N. Y. Lime may be used iu any convenient manner, so 
that it is in a fine state of division, and is kept near the 
surface. From 10 to 20 bushels per acre, may be spread 
on grass fields, or pastures, and 40 or 50 bushels may be 
applied to plowed ground, and harrowed in. As it is 
slowly soluble, its effects are lasting, so long as the very 
fine particles are not washed down to the subsoil, where, 
being beyond the reach of the roots, they can do little good. 
The West or South for Sheep.—“C. E. H.,” 
Orange, N. J. The Western Territories certainly offer 
better opportunities for successful sheep keeping, than 
the South, at least at present. No doubt Montana, and 
even Eastern Oregon, are unsurpassed for sheep-pastur¬ 
ing, but there are draw-backs there, which are inseparable 
from any newly settled, and sparsely occupied country. 
Wool may be carried very far, for a small proportionate 
cost, and distance from markets is a light objection. 
Sundry Humbugs. 
We can not give in every 
issue our views about Stock 
Speculations or about Lot¬ 
teries. Circulars continue 
to be sent out by certain 
parties in and near Wall 
Street, of a most attractive 
character, showing how cer¬ 
tainly a small sura, placed 
in their hands, for them to 
invest in their particular 
way, can hardly fail to re¬ 
turn to the one sending the 
money, a very large profit 
upon the investment. 
These circulars must go to 
a large number who invest 
at once, as we know they do 
to a great many who are 
more cautious, and who 
would invest were they 
quite sure that it was safe. 
So these cautious persons write to us, and, as stated last 
month, these inquiries mainly have reference to the re¬ 
sponsibility of the parties sending the circular. As to 
this, we care nothing. Our objection is not to this or 
that individual, or firm, but we go behind all that, and 
object to the business itself. We can not repeat our 
reasons for objecting to the business ; some hints of 
these were given last month, more was said in July last, 
and we must refer recent inquirers to these numbers. We 
may concentrate all we have said in opposition to these 
Wall Street schemes thus: Such speculations are unsafe. 
A new man in Wall Street is very liable to be crushed 
between the upper and nether millstone. Any profit 
made by an outsider, no matter who is his broker, is a 
mere chance, with the chances largely against him. And 
THEY ARE A FORM OF GAMBLING. 
We make the same objection to Lotteries. These just 
now appear to be greatly troubled with the decisions of 
the Postmaster General. It now appears that the law 
does not give him all needed power in the matter, and 
that he will apply to Congress for supplementary legisla¬ 
tion. He wishes a law to exclude from the mails all 
NEWSPAPERS WHICH ADVERTISE LOTTERIES, 
which, if passed, will cause squirming among some of 
the large dailies_That “Royal Gift SoirCe ” Company 
at St. Stephen, N. B., seems to be the most active of the 
present Lotteries. It is working away as if it had all the 
old Missouri, Topeka, Wyoming, and such lotteries 
rolled into one, with Pattee himself at the helm, and all 
the Elias Bros, in the crew. It has quarterly soirees and 
monthly soirCes. To be sure, it hasn’t any Mayor in the 
management, but it has an ex-Chief of Police. And yet 
the “ SoirCe,” Royal thongh it be, is not happy. “ Un¬ 
easy lies the head that wears a crown.” The tickets of 
of the “ Swarry ” have not only a “Crown,” but the Lion 
and the Unicorn, too. The great American Eagle had a 
tussle with the Lion once before—it’s an old grudge, and 
its now gone at it through the “SoirCe;” and with all 
their parcels that they now send for, some do manage to 
get through the mails—the following is enclosed: 
“special notice. 
“On account of certain now regulations in the U. 8, 
Postal Department, until further notice, all communica¬ 
tions, registered letters, etc., must be addressed thus— 
Henry G.”—but we won’t advertise the SoiiCe by giving 
Henry’s full name. But the ex-Chief of Police must 
stand in the rear_It will be recollected that in Septem¬ 
ber last, we gave an account of our search for 
HORTON AND HIS STUMP EXTRACTOR, 
and that iu October we gave a fac-simile of the engrav¬ 
ing, showing how to harness the stnmp with a wire, so 
as to hold it still while electricity could do its work. 
We stated then that we had the box of powder which 
was to be put “ on the head of the nail in the top of the 
stump.” We are glad that our Insurance offices didn’t 
know that we had a box of powder in the house, but as 
we kept it away from the heads of any nails, we felt tol¬ 
erably safe. But wishing to finish up the history of this 
remarkable “Stnmp Extractor,” we sent the powder to 
Prof. Atwater, at the Wesleyan University, at Middle- 
town, Conn. It was too much for him. No doubt fear¬ 
ing that if he meddled with a thing that would blow up a 
stump, he could apply no more “ Science to Farming,” 
so he, in the exercise of due caution, gave it over to the 
care of one of his assistants, Mr. A. W. Harris, who soon 
MADE THE POWDER TELL ITS STORY, 
and here it is. There was Na+H Cl. and Ca-fCO.j, and 
moreover Fe. Besides these there were some undissolved 
fragments, apparently of C. and Si.O a . One would be 
.warranted in thinking this a pretty lively powder, if he 
didn’t know that this is a chemist’s short way of saying: 
“This powder consists of Salt, Chalk, and some Oxide 
of Iron to color it, and there was some Coal and Sand 
left undissolved.” Salt and Chalk 1 Horton must be a 
green hand at humbugs, for he sold almost four ounces 
for a dollar, and directed a whole pinch to be applied at 
a time. Had he sent only a dram for a dollar, and di¬ 
rected the application to the head of the nail of what 
could be taken up on the point of a penknife, it would 
have destroyed the stump just as quick, and saved him 
much postage. Horton, you are a disgrace to the hum¬ 
bug profession—you’ll never succeed. We’re disgusted 
with you. 
THE OLD, OLD STORY, 
comes from a town in Connecticut. Traveller comes 
with a Mowing Machine Sharpener—oh 1 that some easy 
way could be found to sharpen farmers’ wits, when these 
chaps cornel He represents the “Empire Company." 
He would establish an agency. As Farmer is not to pay 
for sharpeners until sold, he becomes agent, and sharp¬ 
ening machines are sent him. Soon after Farmer gets 
machines, another chap comes to collect the bill, or 
make some settlement. Of course he wants a note, of 
course—there seems to be a fatality about it. 
FARMER GIVES TnE NOTE. 
and the jig is up with the Farmer. We have these 
months and years cautioned him not to do it. We began 
a long time ago printing in every issue: 
FARMERS, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SIGN, 
until we were tired of the sight of it. After a while, we 
changed the caution, and it read: 
FARMERS, DON’T SIGN ANYTHING FOR STRANGERS. 
We cannot see that much good resulted to some read¬ 
ers, for about every month we get the same story. Our 
Connecticut farmer was told by the glib-tongued chap 
that at the end of six months the note would be presented 
by the “Company” and he would only have to pay for the 
machines sold. This was not in writing, mind you,— 
the note was. Farmer gets suspicious. He finds that he 
has made a negotiable note, he wants his note back. 
Too late—said note has been sold to some one in Phila¬ 
delphia, and when due the Philadelphian will no doubt 
collect it. Our farmer seing that he is done for, writes 
to tell us how he was done, in the hope that he may warn 
others.—We hope it may, but fear it won’t. The writer 
of the “Humbugs” would give to the Farmer—every 
farmer—his last word for the year. It is: 
DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING FOR STRANGERS. 
We receive many inquiries asking if this or that simple 
device is patented. These questions relate more than to 
any other thing else, to 
GATES AND FENCES. - , 
A farmer builds a fence or gate according to a descrip¬ 
tion or illustration he finds in the American Agriculturist 
or other journal, and in course of time is visited by 
some one claiming to have a patent on the plan, asking 
a royalty and if refused threatening a prosecution. We 
can not tell, off-hand, whether a given thing is patented 
or not; that can only be ascertained by application at 
the Patent Office. We hold that every inventor should 
have the benefit of his invention, and we, in justice to 
both inventors and the public, never publish a patented 
article without most distinctly stating that it is patented. 
Yet our patent laws are very faulty. If, for example we 
publish an entirely new' device of our own, a person in 
some remote State can go and patent it, and then, if he 
chooses, can actually prevent us from building a gate—- 
