494 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[December, 
or whatever it may be—without paying a royalty upon 
our own plan! We uphold all legitimate patents, but 
THERE IS MUCH FRAUD ABOUT PATENTS. 
Some scoundrels make it a business to go about the 
country claiming a royalty upon things not patented by 
them or by any one else. The farmer fears that he must 
either pay the sum demanded or stand a law-suit. But 
do not be frightened—farmers in this country have rights 
as well as patentees. In such cases go slow. One claim¬ 
ing to have a patent knows himself whether he is a 
fraud, or has an honest claim. If his claim is a just one, 
he will feel confidence in it—he will not threaten or try 
to bully. He will know that he has the law on his side, 
will know that the farmer has unintentionally violated 
his right; at the same time, the farmer, seeing that he has 
unwittingly trespassed upon the patent of another, will 
be willing to do the fair thing. Those two—the farmer 
and the holder of the patent, if bona fide— will not be 
long in coming to a settlement satisfactory to both, 
BUT IF A FRAUDULENT CLAIM IS MADE, 
Don’t get frightened, but gc slow. In this country 
even a pretended patentee can not throw a farmer into a 
iluDgeon and feed him on bread and water. The thing 
is to be settled by law, and in a United States Court —not 
'before the nest Justice of the Peace. If one claims that 
a gate or other thing is patented, ask to see the 
patent, you are not obliged to take his word for it. If 
he has his patent, take its date and number. If he has 
not the document with him, ask for the date and num¬ 
ber. If he can't give these, tell him that when he can 
bring them, you will consider the matter further, “ but 
for the present as I am rather busy—Good Morning.”— 
If he does give date and number, tell him that you will 
write to the Patent Office to see if it is all right. Mark 
this: If one has an honest patent, he will accept the 
justice of your position, otherwise 
HE IS PROBABLY A FRAUD. 
We are aware that when a farmer feels in doubt as to 
his position, he is disposed to avoid trouble and compro¬ 
mise a claim as he best may. But a farmer should not 
stand alone in such matters. There should be a Farmers’ 
Club in every neighborhood, each member of which can 
feel that he has the support of all the others, some asso¬ 
ciate body of farmers, whether Grange, Club, or by what¬ 
ever name, to which snch matters may be referred, and in 
which the cause of one is the cause of all. An article 
bearing on this subject is given elsewhere, headed 
PATENT FARM GATES. 
It often happens that farmers and others of our readers 
visit New York, and other large cities, whether for busi¬ 
ness, for the sake of seeing the interesting things to be 
only found in large cities, or to visit their friends. The 
coming of strangers is more common in winter than at 
any other time, and at that season, in New York, and 
we suppose it is the same elsewhere, certain scoundrels 
play what we may call the 
WELCOMING THE STRANGER GAME. 
A few years ago we gave an account of our personal 
experience in this. In brief, it was done in this way: 
Always carrying a hand-bag for our letters and papers, 
and not “dressing up” to excess, we have been accosted 
a number of times, (three times in one week) as a stranger 
while on our way from the office to the boat which was 
to shirt us on the way to our home in the country. A 
smiling chap comes up, with band extended, and says, 
“Why, how do you do?—Glad indeed to see you.—When 
did you come down? How did you leave all the folks? 
Where are you stopping? When did you leave Srnit.h- 
ville ?”—An unsuspecting stranger may say: “I don’t live 
in Smithville, I’m from Jonesboro”—or other place.— 
“Oh yes, that was where I saw you—yes, yes, I was at 
both places the same summer—I’d forgotten—and how's 
good old Parson—er—er—well I’ve forgotten his name.— 
By the way, I’ve just come into the richest thing you 
ever saw—just come around into the next street and let 
me show you my luck.”—An unsuspecting man may go— 
if so he’ll come out fleeced. We have one word for 
EVERY STRANGER IN A CITY. 
When accosted in this manner, repel the chap at once. 
Make no answer to any of his questions—except to say, 
“I’m going for the nearest police-man, come along.”— 
Repel every advance from every stranger, whether he ap¬ 
proaches in this bluff manner in the streets, or comes in 
a more insinuating manner at hotels—their object is the 
same to fleece .... In the way of Medical Humbugs, 
there is not much new. We have only space for a few 
notes. All those chaps who pretend to have been mis¬ 
sionaries themselves, and have received a wonderful Re¬ 
cipe from some miserable, ignorant savage, or who have 
had a recipe from a missionary, who got it somewhere, 
and who propose 
TO SEND THE RECIPE FREE. 
Every one—and the whole “ kit and boodle,” collectively, 
are, individually and together — without any exception in 
favor of one fraud over another — utterly untrustworthy. 
The more they pretend to mix up the“ Missionary ” with 
their quackery, the worse humbugs they are. We have 
explained the whole method of their operations over 
and over again, and can’t repeat. Let them severely 
alone_One subscriber in Maryland, 
TAKES AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE. 
He sends us a list of several persons, some of whom we 
never before heard of, while some are miserable quacks, 
and says; “ If, so far as you know, they are reliable, we 
shall not look for any mention of their names, but if not, 
we hope to find them exposed in Sundry Humbugs.” 
We can not accept the proposition, that every one we 
don’t mention as a fraud, mist be “ reliable ”—Excuse us 
if you please.Here are two circulars that show that, 
ANCIENT SUPERSTITIONS STILL LIVE. 
One is an advertisement of a book, which the circular 
may well call “ extraordinary It relates the doings of 
one Newton, (not Isaac), and he is a “Healer,”—whatever 
that maybe. There is a good deal about “Boon to Uni¬ 
versal Humanity,” “ Human Enlightment and Progress,” 
and lots more hifalutin , but the moral of it all is, that the 
book pretends to teach others to be Healers, by a kind of 
pawing , or “ laying on of hands,” if they will send Sa¬ 
to some Newton—we won’t say where. As we are in the 
pawing line, we may notice the circular of one Evans, 
who pictures 
A MAGNETIC HAND 
at the top of his circular. This hand looks like a glove 
that has recently been stretched, and there are innumer¬ 
able flashes of a zigzag something, running into it, or 
from it, we cannot say which. At all events, it must be 
a very uncomfortable hand for the owner, or for his friends. 
A Brand New Swindle. 
A few days ago, all at once as it were, there came to us 
a sudden influx of miscellaneous papers and of letters; 
the one having a large advertisement marked to call at¬ 
tention to it, and the others inclosing the same advertise¬ 
ment cut from various city and country papers, including 
the leading New York Weekly Journals. The advertise¬ 
ment in question, is of the width of two of our columns, 
and six inches in length, and must have brought to the 
“ first-class papers ” that published it, a very large sum. 
The advertisement bears a picture of an Opera House, a 
Mint, a High School, and a Church, displayed one at 
each corner, while in the center, 
“CITY LOTS FREE,” 
in large display type, attract the eye at once, while in 
smaller type we read that the lots are “ situated in North 
Denver;” “Every Other Lot Absolutely Free,” and 
“ Warrantee Deed without Reserve.” Then follows a 
glowing description of the City of Denver. Then there 
is much more talk, all of which amounts in substance to: 
“ SEND IN YOUR DOLLAR AND GET YOUR DEED, 
and hurry too, for there are but 60 days to do it in.” 
This deed would make one the owner of a lot “ in North 
Denver, situated in Weld County, State of Colorado, and 
in immediate view , of this beautiful city ”—meaning Den¬ 
ver. We had not read far, before the whole thing seemed 
very familiar—we had read something like it before; 
and there came to mind that precious Texas land swindle 
a few years ago, which the American Agriculturist was 
the first to expose. The saying, 
“ HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF,” 
here had a new illustration. Thinking to have our share 
of the repeating, here, as in the Texas case—we at once 
wrote to parlies near by the place for direct information 
—in this case to the “Denver Tribune,” giving par¬ 
ticulars, and asking for an immediate telegraphic reply. 
Here is the response: 
“Denver, Colorado. 
To the Editor of American Agriculturist , New York: 
Denver Land Compamj a huge swindle. Will mail full 
particulars to-night. Charles A. Raymond.” 
Mr. Raymond’s letter has not arrived at this writing, 
but the Associated Press has sent on a despatch that the 
citizens of Denver were aroused. No doubt jealous of the 
good name of their city, and indignant that it should be 
made the field of such a fraud, they at once took the mat¬ 
ter up, and the movers in the swindle 
WERE AT ONCE ARRESTED, 
on the charge of using the Mails for fraudulent purposes. 
It comes out that this scheme was concocted, and elab¬ 
orated, like that other—the Texan—in Cincinnati. More 
repetition of history. The managers give the names, 
Sidney A. Grant, and A. F Wilson. These persons had 
bought a tract of land, and called it “North Denver.” 
And very much “ North ” it is, being some 40 miles 
away 1 that these gentlemen should not be accused of 
misrepresenting anything, when they speak of their lots 
as being in “ immediate view ” of Denver, we may say that , 
such is the transparency of the atmosphere in those re¬ 
gions, that one can easily see a city that is 40 miles off. 
The career of Grant and Wilson was brief at Denver, yet 
it is said that in this short time—only about eight 
days—there came to them through the mail, 
“A PERFECT AVALANCHE OF LETTERS,” 
as their advertisements had begun to meet with responses.. 
But the thing is “ nipped in the bud,” and no thanks to 
those papers who published the advertisements—some 
800 it is said. The public is saved hundreds of 
thousands of dollars Many may wonder how Grant and 
Wilson were to make much out of the scheme. That 
“ Avalanche of Letters,” tells the story. The scheme 
was a shrewd one, and shows much knowledge of human 
nature. “Large sales and small profits” was their 
motto. The chance for a “ free lot,” was to be open for 
“sixty days.” It would cost but a dollar to try it—just 
for the fun of the thing—and, as in the Texas scheme, 
thousands, and hundreds of thousands would hurry to in¬ 
close their dollar, and swell the “ avalanche of letters.” 
If Grant and Wilson had sent deeds, and no doubt they 
would have sent some at first, to create confidence, the 
whole cost would be less than 25c. for each deed, as we 
showed in the Texas case, leaving a profit of 75c. on each, 
which, if repeated enough times, will be a “ living profit.” 
The land they offered, instead of being worth $1 for 25X 
175 feet-plots, would probably be dear at 25 cents an 
acre, unless it can be reached by irrigation.—We are glad 
to report that many of our Exchanges who received the 
advertisement, delayed inserting it until they could write 
or telegraph to this office, as to its character, and they, at 
least, were saved the mortification of publishing a fraud. 
Experiments with Wheat.— S. M. Tracy, 
Professer at the Missouri Agricultural College, has given 
much attention to the growing of various kinds of wheat, 
for the past few years. Of 44 varieties, the Red May, 
ripens first, June 9, and yields 32} bushels, weighing 6* 
pounds, per acre. The Russian kinds gave an average 
of 31 bn. 1879, against 18 bu. for 1878. Prof. Tracy think® 
that by proper selecting, the time of harvest may be 
changed somewhat. 
The Use of Electricity in Agriculture.— 
A French farmer is reported as having successfully ex¬ 
perimented with an electic motor, in plowing and other 
work. This is a promising innovation, especially where 
a water power could be utilized within a mile of the farm. 
The waterfall in the case mentioned, is used to run a 
Gramme machine of 2-horse power ; a cable of tbree-flfths 
of a mile, is employed to convey the current to the barn, 
where it is made to run the fodder cutters, threshing ma¬ 
chine, root mashers, and other machines, by fixed appar¬ 
atus, and by portable apparatus to do field work. A por¬ 
table machine, with a coil of wire to convey the motive 
power, is all that is needed to carry the electricity where- 
ever it may be desired. As to its feasibility, no certain 
judgment can as yet be made; but if electricity is ever 
used as a motive force, its applicability to farm work, is 
unquestionable, under certain circumstances. 
Feed for 50 Sheep.— “H. J.,” Goderich, Ont. 
To feed 50 sheep from Nov. 15 to April 15, or 5 months, 
there will be needed about 12 tons of hay or its equivalent 
in other feed. They may be kept well on 5 tons of hay, 
10 tons of straw, and 2 tons of corn-meal, or an equiva¬ 
lent of other grain food. A sheep of 100 lbs. should have 
3 pounds of hay daily, or other food to equal it. 
Mad ItcU (Erysipelas), in Cattle.— “D. S.,” 
Morgan Co., Mo. The disease known as “Mad Itch,” is 
really Erysipelas, which is an inflammation of the skin, 
accompanied with fever. In cattle, the disease usually 
effects the head and neck, and the irritation is so violent 
as to excite frenzy in the animal. The cause is a diseased 
condition of the blood, which may arise from malaria, 
impure water, indigestible food, or from contact with dis¬ 
eased matter with open sores or wounds. The treatment 
is to clear the system with cooling purgatives, doses of 
16 ounces of Epsom Salts are usually given, and to use 
antiseptic medicines, as Hyposulphite of Soda, in one 
ounce doses, continued for some weeks. The diseased 
skin may be washed witli a solution of Sulphate of Zinc 
(White Vitriol), one dram to a quart of water. 
Carbolic SUeep Dip.— This preparation has been 
before the public for many years, and may be regarded 
as a standard article. It is very rarely that such:proper¬ 
ties have a permanent character, and when this does oc¬ 
cur, it may be taken as the strongest possible testimony 
as to its intrinsic value. 
Easy Running Wagons.— “J. R. W.,” Con¬ 
cord, N. C. An iron axle wagon, with the best kind of 
thimble skeins, runs easier than the old fashioned wooden 
axle, and wooden boxes. The friction is less, when the 
surfaces in contact are less, and when wrought iron runs 
on cast iron, than with wood on wood. For a good se 
lection of the best wagons, see the advertising columns. 
