24:0 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[Junk, 
Gas-Lime. —Several subscribers ask about gas-lime. 
This is a refuse from gas-works, and, as we have before 
stated in these columns, it at first contains some injurious 
ingredients, but after lying exposed to the action of air 
and weather for some months, these are neutralized, and 
the result is a substance resembling “ air-slacked ” lime in 
composition and effect. One enquirer asks if “gas-lime can 
take the place of plaster in a compost, to increase decom¬ 
position and arrest escaping ammonia .” But plaster only 
docs one of these things, the latter ; the property which 
enables it to “ fix” the ammonia, is the very thing that 
would prevent decomposition. “Gas-lime,” when fit to 
use, is mostly a carbonate of lime (plaster is a sulphate): 
therefore, like “air-slacked lime,” its effect in a compost 
would be to promote decomposition. It has value foruse 
on heavy soils, just as ordinary slacked lime is employed. 
Cut-Worms and Cabbage-Worms.-“R.,” 
Ridgefield, Conn., writes that he mixes Paris green and 
plaster as for potatoes, and puts half a teaspoonful close 
about the stalk of each cabbage plant. As the cut-worm 
takes off cabbages even with the ground, this may an¬ 
swer. He further says that he dusts cabbages, cucum¬ 
bers, and other vines with this, and has perfect success 
in killing the insects. We see no objections to applying 
it to the vines, but we should decidedly not use it upon 
cabbages. There is too much risk in this. 
“ Please Make a Mark on My Paper.”— It 
not rarely happens that a subscriber with the intention 
of saving us trouble, suggests that we may thus answer 
his question—“ if yes, please make a mark on my paper.” 
Others suggest that we write on a slip, and “ put it in 
my paper,” or to write upon the margin. Every method 
of conveying information other than something that re¬ 
lates to the paper itself, is illegal. We now have the 
right to designate that a paper is from a particular per¬ 
son, but beyond matters like this; all conveyance of in¬ 
telligence not printed in the paper is against the law. 
Were this not so, the proposed plans are altogether im¬ 
practicable. The wrapping and mailing of the paper is 
done several stories away from the editorial rooms, and 
it would be easier, and therefore cheaper, for us to write 
several letters than to attempt to find out when the pa¬ 
pers for a particular Post-office were being mailed, and 
mark the paper for some one at a given office. All will 
see that requests like the above can not be complied with. 
Making Babbit Metal Boxes.- “F. D.,” 
Monroe Co., N. Y. In lining iron boxes with Babbit 
metal, the shaft and shell of the box are fitted together 
in the position they should occupy when the box is 
lined; pieces of thin wood are cut to fit the ends of the 
boxand the shaft, to prevent the liquid metal from run¬ 
ning out through the spaces there, as it is poured in. 
One-half of the box is filled at a time with metal melted 
in an ordinary melting ladle, the edges of the metal 
being trimmed afterwards with a chisel or fine saw, if 
necessary. There are holes drilled in the inside of the 
box, into which metal runs, and holds the lining into its 
place. The oiling holes are filled with plugs of wood, 
which fit close to the shaft, before the metal is poured 
in, or the holes may be bored out. 
Sweeny In Horses.— “J. H. D ,” Greenbrier, 
Ala. Sweeny is not a disease, but only the effect of dis¬ 
ease which prevents the use, or causes atrophy or shrink¬ 
ing, of the shoulder muscles. The source of trouble 
must be sought elsewhere. This is usually to be found 
below the shoulder, and in the joints or in the foot. Ex¬ 
amine carefully by pressure all over the limb, and by 
striking the foot with a light hammer ; when the spot is 
touched, the horse will show it by flinching. Then the 
proper treatment, which cannot be indicated without 
knowing the precise circumstances, is to be applied. A 
good veterinary work, such as “Dadd’s Horse Doctor,” 
should be kept and studied by every owner of horses. 
Your Name! —It seems necessary to say to new 
subscribers—our old friends understand it—ttiat a letter 
without name, or signed “ A Subscriber,” “ A Reader,” 
or with initials only, has not the slightest claim to our 
attention. If an inquirer does not think the matter of 
sufficient importance to sign his letter, we do not think 
it of sufficient importance to answer it, and it goes into 
the waste basket. Please observe— More than half of the 
letters we receive, are of interest to the writer only, and 
we cannot take up space in the paper to print answers to 
one. We can not reply “in our next” or in any other 
issue, to questions, unless the answer will benefit many 
besides the one who asks. Questions of personal inter¬ 
est only, are answered by Postal card or letter—provided 
the address is given. Please observe that we do not give 
names, if a desire to the contrary is indicated. Sign the 
letter what you please, but also give the real address. 
Please observe , that it very often happens that while an 
answer to a letter would be generally useful, it often 
reaches us too late to appear in time to help the writer 
or any one else. Always in asking questions needing an 
early reply, include a post-stamp ora postal card, so that 
we may answer by mail if it is not practicable to do so in 
the paper. Three cents is a small affair to an individual; 
to us with thousands of letters, a stamp upon each is a 
heavy tax. We should not be asked to pay for the 
privilege of answering. Those who have written anony¬ 
mous letters should repeat their questions with their own 
signatures, as they cannot expect a reply. Always sign 
your name. Always include return postage. 
Shipment of Mules to Africa.— It would be 
difficult to say what peculiarly American product will 
not in time become an article of export to foreign coun¬ 
tries. After having added largely to the list of export¬ 
able merchandise, we are now shipping abroad mules in 
large numbers. Heretofore, mules have been exported 
to Cuba and other places near by; r.:\v they are going to 
Africa to supply the wants of the British government in 
the war with the Zulus. There have been sent 500 head 
in one shipment as an experiment. Horses are not suf¬ 
ficiently hardy for the climate and rough work in that 
locality, and nearly all those sent from England have 
died on the passage. As we have the best mules in the 
world, and these animals are useful everywhere, we may 
hereafter find them greatly in demand abroad, and so 
add another important item to our list of exports. Some 
one has suggested that if these mules were turned right 
end towards the enemy, they would be more effective 
than artillery. 
REPORTS 
FROM 
High Scientific Authorities 
UPON THE NEW 
American Agriculturist 
Compound Microscope. 
The first Four of these new Microscopes com¬ 
pleted early in 1879, were sent by express to the 
distinguished authorities on such matters named 
below, with the request that they give them a thor¬ 
ough examination and testing, at their earliest con¬ 
venience, and write us their opinions of them. 
They did so, making suggestions which were im¬ 
mediately adopted, and several other improvements 
have been since added, and the magnifying power 
has been much increased, so that the microscopes 
are now much more valuable and perfect, than when 
their opinions were given. We give here portions 
of the letters received in response. 
From Prof. ASA GRAY of Har¬ 
vard University, 
The author ef many works on Botany, etc., and the first 
authority in the country on this subject. 
“ Herbarium op Harvard University, ) 
Botanic Garden, Cambridge, Mass. j 
“I have been examining the new Compound Mi¬ 
croscope which you sent me for trial; and my con¬ 
clusion is, that it is the best Microscope of the kind 
I know of for anything like that money. We botan¬ 
ists, who do our ordinary work with simple micro¬ 
scopes, the glasses good doublets, or Tolies’ Para¬ 
bolics, and for high powers use instruments which 
cost anywhere from 8600 to 880, are inclined to look 
down on smaller and cheaper things. But really for 
the School Teacher or Student, I don't see why this 
new instrument does not very well serve all ordinary 
purposes. When I was a young Teacher, and $50 
or $80 were as much beyond my means as $500, this 
instrument would have been a treasure ; and so 
it may be to very many who are now in a similar 
case. The mechanism is excellent, and the magnifying 
'parts for their powers are quite satisfactory. The won¬ 
der to me is, how it can be got up for any such price . 
[Prof. Gray’s well known carefulness and conserva¬ 
tism in expressing an opinion, make the above very 
high praise of the instrument.— Ed.] 
B»rof. «. IIROW.Y GOOBE, 
Curator of the National Museum at the Smithsonian 
iNSTiTUTioNatWashington, and longoneof the fore¬ 
most, active investigating members of the United 
States Fish Commission, writes, from Washington, 
D. C. 
“ 1 have examined the new Compound Micro¬ 
scope, and believe it to be a much better instrument than 
has before been offered in the United States so low as $: SO. 
I find no difficulty in making out by its aid the 
structure of the fruit clusters of ferns, the bird’s- 
head processes of hydroids, and the circulation of 
the blood In a young fish ” (all severe tests). “It 
defines as sharply and gives almost as flat a field as 
my own large Compound Microscope with one of 
Wales’ best 1-inch objectives, and when the draw- 
tube is out, its magnifying power is much increased. 
....I have been studying ichthyology for eight 
years, with an excellent English Microscope always 
at my elbow, and have not, during that time, had 
occasion to make more than fifteen or twenty ob¬ 
servations for which the American Agriculturist Mi¬ 
croscope would not have been adequate. The 
greater size of the stage and mirror are to me the 
chief advantages in my large instrument, and these 
render it so difficult to pack, that I rarely carry it 
with me to the shore in summer.I am told that 
many beautiful illustrations of hydroids in Agassiz’s 
“ Contributions to Natural History of the United 
States," were drawn with the aid of less powerful 
glasses than those in the American Agriculturist Mi¬ 
croscope. No one but the histologist, the litholo¬ 
gist, or the student of the minutest forms of life, 
such as the diatoms and infusoria, needs or can 
often use lenses more powerful than those supplied 
with this instrument; and to be successful in these 
lines of research, one needs not only long training, 
hut the most delicate power of manipulation. 
The application of automatic machinery to the man¬ 
ufacture of Microscopes on a large scale, largely 
promoted by the efforts of Mr. Orange Judd, is a 
new enterprise, and the American Agriculturist, in 
giving to the public instruments good enough for 
all ordinary uses, at a price which puts them within the 
reach of every one, will be making still another im¬ 
portant contribution to the work of popular edu¬ 
cation... . 
Frol*. WM. YORTH RICE. 
Professor of Natural History, Geology, etc., in the Wes¬ 
leyan University who instructs classes in Microscopy, 
and also uses large costly instruments, writes: 
“ The new American Agriculturist Compound Mi¬ 
croscope you sent me, is an elegant instrument, and 
with the accessories is certainly very cheap at the 
price at which I understand yo.u propose to supply 
it. The model is graceful, and the nickel-plated 
body, and polished vulcanite stage, give it a very 
pleasing appearance. The vulcanite stage allows 
the object to slide very smoothly upon it, and is not 
liable (like a metallic one) to rust or tarnish from 
contact of fluids. The rack-movement is as smooth 
and steady as in many instruments of much higher 
price. By using the objectives separately and in 
combination, and moving the draw-tube in and out, 
a range of power is obtained from 27 to a little over 
lOO diameters. [Since increased to 150 di¬ 
ameters.] This series of powers begins just about 
where the series afforded by your Simple Microscope 
ends ; so that, taking the two instruments together, 
we get a range of powers from 7 to lOO diame¬ 
ters.The mirror is so hung as to allow an ob¬ 
lique illumination, which with many objects is ex¬ 
ceedingly desirable. The Camera Luoida is of a 
form which is the simplest,, and yet one of the most ef¬ 
ficient. By enabling the observer to draw the ob¬ 
jects seen, it adds much to the educational value of the 
microscope. In general, the instrument is adequate 
to furnish not only amusement, but real instruction. 
I should be glad if the educating influence of such 
a Microscope might be generally diffused in the 
Homes and the Common Schools of our land. 
[We aim to promote such general diffusion.—Ed.] 
Prof. JOIIY PIIIN. 
Editor of the Journal of Microscopy, author of several 
works on Microscopes, writes: 
“ I have examined carefully the new American 
Agriculturist Compound Microscope, which you 
placed in my hands, and find it a wonderfully efficient 
instrument for the price. The lenses for these, not 
professedly achromatic, are extraordinarily good. 
The magnifying powers, which range from 25 to 100 
diameters, [since increased to 150 diameters and up¬ 
wards,] according as they are used single or double, 
and witli with the draw-tube in or out, ebow a 
much wider range of objects than is ordinarily sup¬ 
posed. 
“ It is safe to say that this new Microscope will 
