292 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[August, 
meetings, injunctions as to secrecy—a curious lot they 
are—and an injunction to 11 read the enclosed slip care¬ 
fully.” This slip, cut from a newspaper, gives an ac¬ 
count of an arrest of a man for having some of this cigar 
money, but a hank officer pronounced it genuine and the 
man is discharged. As with the old style of “ Queer ” cir¬ 
culars, these of the Cigar stamp are signed with different 
names. We do not mention this as a warning to our 
readers, for no one can be swindled by these chaps who 
is not ns big a rascal as they, but, to show how this 
form of humbugging has altered within a few years. 
We once knew an old gentleman who had a great fancy 
for attending auctions. He would buy all sorts of out of 
the way and useless t hings, such as others would not take 
for a gift, and send them to his barn. We once knew 
him to buy the pews of a church about to be torn down, 
and have them carted to that spacious barn. If any one 
questioned him as to his odd purchases his reply in effect 
would be : “ It will come into use in seven years. Keep 
anything seven years and it will come out as good as 
new.” We may say that to our knowledge the old pews, 
though not put into a church, answered a purpose “as 
good as new.” We recently came across a humbug 
which called our old friend to mind, and made us wonder 
if there was any one who stored away played-out hum¬ 
bugs in a big barn, or other storehouse of rubbish, and 
brought them out. “ as good as new ” at the end of seven 
years. It is just about seven years since that chap 
STOPPED DIEING AT HOTELS, 
and now some one has brought him out of the barn of 
things forgotten, and he dies “just as good as new.” 
This dodge is old enough to be new to a majority of our 
readers, but it is a very well worn affair, and this time it 
appears with modifications. When it had its former run 
—and at one time it was worked very lively—the dear de¬ 
parted died at a New York hotel, which had no existence, 
and the keeper thereof told the story in much fewer 
words than the San Francisco landlord, who appears to 
be new at the business. This letter was directed to a 
gentleman in Attleborough, Mass., and it, appears in the 
“Chronicle,” a wide-awake paper of that place. The 
printed letter heading is: 
Hamilton House, 
San Francisco. Cal. 
P. O. Box 102, Station A. It. V. Kingswell. 
The letter reads as follows: 
San Francisco, April 25th, 1879. 
V. II. Blackington, Esq., 
North Attleborough, Bristol Co., Mass. 
Dear Sir ■ —It is my painful duty to inform you that a 
stranger registered at this house as Mr. Blackington died 
of pneumonia on the morning of March 29th, after a short 
illness. We can find no one who knew him. But from 
among various memorandums found on his person your 
name and address is mentioned. This leads me to" be¬ 
lieve him to have been an acquaintance, at least. I have 
not written sooner, as I was in hopes that I could learn 
something more respecting him, but without avail. Tiiis 
course was necessary, inasmuch as I hold some valuable 
effects belonging to the deceased, which I must now 
make some disposition of as I am about closing out my 
business preparatory to a journey to Arizona, where I 
shall be too far out of the line of communication. Under 
the circumstances I feel that I shall be justified in send¬ 
ing tlie tilings to you. The deceased had but. $50 on his 
person, which I permitted to be paid, to the attending 
physician and, for burial. The sum to which he was in¬ 
debted to me is $30 for board and attendance. If you 
will forward that amount, I will, on the receipt, of the 
same, express the tilings to you securely packed. Should 
the deceased prove a relative or friend, allow me to offer 
my sincere condolence, and assure you that everything 
was done for him that was possible. 
Your best way to send to me would lie to merely en¬ 
close tlie amount stated (thirty dollars) either in gold 
notes or greenbacks, together with any instructions you 
may wish to give, and address as below. An immediate 
answer will oblige, Yours very respectfully, 
R. V. Kingswell, 
P. O. Box 102, Station A. San Francisco, Cal. 
This man if he didn’t “ know how to keep a hotel ” any 
better that he knows how to write a humbug letter, had 
better shut up and go to Arizona. The chaps who died 
in New York seven years ago, used to have silver-mounted 
revolvers, a gold watch and chain, and lots of things. 
_In medical matters we have a large budget, but all 
relate to the old dodge of 
SENDING PRESCRIPTIONS FREE, 
'by those who have cures for Nervous Debility, Catarrh, 
and various unmentionable troubles. We have had a 
wide knowledge of these free prescriptions, and have 
found that in every case save one, they were absolutely 
fraudulent. They pretend to give the names of articles 
to be made up into a syrup, decoction, or other com¬ 
pound, but, in whole or in part, these 
NAMES WERE ABSOLUTELY BOGUS, 
that is, made up in imitation of scientific names, but in 
reality have no meaning, and do not belong to botany, 
medicine, or any other science. We make above one ex¬ 
ception to the rule that all the prescriptions were non¬ 
sense. In just one case a genuine prescription is given, 
by a man calling himself a “Rev.” lie says that in view 
of the fact that some druggists do not have the ingredi¬ 
ents, lie lias made arrangements with one Syracuse drug¬ 
gist in particular to put up the stuff for $3.50, and adds, 
“ I can say of my own knowledge the price for which the 
remedy is sent, including the cost, for putting it up, etc., 
is barely remunerative ’’—which fora “ Rev.” is—well—a 
little steep. A well known druggist in Mass, writes that, 
he has the medicines in stock, and puts up the whole for 
$1—which leaves him a good margin of profit, and from 
our own knowledge of drugs, we should say that tlie chap 
who gets $3.50 has a good thing of it. Tlie “ Rev.” says 
that the price $3.50 “is barely remunerative” for the 
“ cost of putting it up, etc.'' There’s where it is. Our 
Massachusetts friends do not put in any et ccetera. They 
can make $1 cover the cost of “ putting it up,” and leave 
a fair profit. The Syracuse chap finds $3.50 “ barely re¬ 
munerative,” when besides the cost of “putting it up,” 
there is the “ etc." What is this et ccetera, that increases 
the cost by $2.50?—What is the et ccetera to which the 
“Rev.” man refers ?—Can it be that "etc." stands for 
the share of tlie $3.50, which the man of drugs pays to 
the “ Rev.” man ?—This is a conundrum—we give it up. 
Tlie Kansas State Board ot Agriculture 
issues a Quarterly Report; that for the first quarter of tlie 
present year was duly received, but we have been pre¬ 
vented from noticing it until now. As it is made up by 
Alfred Gray, the estimable Secretary of the Board, we 
knew in advance that it would be creditable, but we did 
not expect to find so much of interest to one not a resi¬ 
dent of Kansas, as an examination shows to be the case. 
It is accompanied by a map, very minute as to details, 
but admirably clear, and must be of great value to every 
resident of the State, while the reports by counties upon 
the Diseases of Animals, Grasses, Fruit Prospects, Wheat, 
and other crops, must be most welcome to every farmer. 
Besides there are articles on Castor-Bean Culture, on 
Building-stones, Coal, and other geological products, aud 
others of interest. Tlie Report is not without its amus¬ 
ing feature; a newspaper writer over tlie name of “Eli 
Perkins,” lias in one of his letters warned emigrants, in 
effect., against “Droutliy Kansas.” Mr. Perkins’ “ specu¬ 
lations” are met by an array of facts, presented with a 
pungency which must make Eli wisli he had not touched 
a point upon which all Kansasians are sensitive above 
all others. We doubt if any older State is doing so much 
for its agriculture as Kansas. 
Tlie Colorado Beetle and Paris Green.— 
This pest has greatly mitigated its unwelcome presence 
this season. Now we should make an effort to finish 
him. The last brood will gather on the late potatoes, 
and if everyone interested would exert himself, an end 
might practically be made of the insect. This has been 
an unfortunate season as regards accidents from the use 
of Paris Green. “Familiarity has bred contempt” for 
this dangerous substance, and there have been more 
horses, cows, pigs and fowls lost by poisoning, than ever 
before. There have been some curious accidents. A 
horse tied to a wagon in which was a can of Green, 
reached over, opened the can with his teeth, licked the 
poison, and died in a short time. A portion of a barrel 
of water, in which the Green had been mixed for appli¬ 
cation, was upset on a meadow r aud neglected. Cows 
pasturing on the field, ate the grass, and three died, and 
tlie others recovered with difficulty. A workman coming 
in to dinner, left the shaker, containing some “ Greened” 
flour at the door-step, some fowls came, and pecked at 
the flour, when the man came out, the fowls lay dead. A 
calf chewed up a piece of paper, in which some Green 
had been wrapped, and which was thrown down care¬ 
lessly, and blown about by the wind. The calf died. 
Such accidents as these, show that people have become 
careless. Carelessness always leads to loss, if not dis¬ 
aster, and carelessness with poisons is criminal. 
84afspberry Kust.- “ A Reader,” W. Mill Creek, 
Pa., sends specimens of Raspberry leaves, which are of 
a bright orange color on tlie under side. This trouble is 
caused by a parasitic fungus, belonging to the Rust 
Tribe, and lives upon the juices of the Raspberry leaves. 
The bright color is due to a vast multitude of small, 
orange-colored spores, in forming which, the nourish¬ 
ment of ttie leaves is used up, and they soon wither and 
die.—A fuller account of a closely related fungus—“ The 
Wlieat, Rust,” is given elsewhere. If any one has tried a 
thorough application of the Flowers of Sulphur upon the 
first appearance of tlie Rust, we should like the results. 
Rawle’s Genet, Not “ Janet.”— Last month, 
p. 252, in a note upon this apple, we quoted “ Down¬ 
ing’s Fruits of America,” for “ Rawle’s Janet,” as the 
proper name. Mr. Charles Downing, in reference to this, 
writes us as follows: "For the proper spelling of this 
apple, I refer you to the report on nomenclature, by Dr. 
Wm. M. Ilowsley. of Leavenworth. Kansas, in the Ameri¬ 
can Pomological Society’s Transactions for 1871, page 74. 
The Dr. has thoroughly investigated the origin, history, 
etc., of Rawle’s Genet, and also McAfee's Nonsuch, Large 
Striped Pearmain, and Fall Queen apples, and it would 
be well for those interested in Pomology, to carefully read 
the report.”—As all who are interested in fruits and 
their names, may not have (and more’s the pity,) the 
Transactions referred to, we abstract from the most in¬ 
teresting paper of Doct. Howsley, the following points. 
While Washington was President, and Jefferson Sec¬ 
retary of State, M. Genet was Minister from France. 
These dignitaries, (as dignitaries do to the present day), 
liked good things, and Jefferson, at Mr. Genet's dinner 
table, fotiDd apples, which he (G.) had sent him from 
France, and so admired them, that he (J.) procured cions 
of the variety from France, and Jefferson gave the cions 
to a Virginia nurseryman, Rawles, for propagation. 
There is much more of the story, but it is easy to see 
from this, thatthe name should be Genet; not “Janet.” 
Mole Plow,-“A. M.,” Somerset Co., Pa. A mole 
plow may be made useful in heavy clay soil, by breaking 
up the subsoil, and opening a passage for the water in 
it to escape into permanent ditches, at the foot of the 
slope. But the effect is soon lost, and the plow must be 
used every year, to be of any considerable benefit. 
Light, sandy, or gravelly subsoils do not need draining, 
and to use a mole plow in them, would be labor thrown 
away. Miner’s subsoil plow, is an excellent implement. 
Crossing Poultry.— “W. S.,” Clay Co., Mo. 
Crossing common poultry with pure bred cocks, is gen¬ 
erally found beneficial, if the breed is well chosen. To 
cross Leghorns or Games, in the hope of getting large 
fowls, for instance, would lead to failure; and the egg 
producing fowls, such as Leghorns, Hamburgs, and 
Black Spanish, crossed on native hens, do not improve 
the kind at all. The best breed for improving common 
fowls, is the Light Brahma ; this cross produces a large 
early maturing fowl, and good layers of large eggs. 
To Fatten a Milking Cow. —“ L. S. L..” Bel- 
videre. Ill. Some cows that are milking, are difficult to 
fatten, as the food goes to milk, rather than fat. But 
fine corn-meal fed dry, will fatten a cow, aud tend to dry 
up tlie milk. Give 4 quarts a day, in two feeds of 2 quarts 
each, for three or four days, then add a third feed of 
one quart at noon for a few days. Then gradually in¬ 
crease the quantity, until the cow will eat 6 or 8 quarts 
a day. If she does not fatten, or begin to fatten, then 
she is not one of the fattening kind. It will not be safe 
to stop milking, lest the exciting food may provoke 
fever and trouble with the udder. 
Oougli iu a Cow.- “G. E. E.,” Whitings, N. J. 
A cough may be caused by irritation of the air passages ; 
by the effects of cold upon the lungs ; by indigestion, and 
in young animals, by the presence of parasitic worms in 
the air passages. By neglect, a cough becomes chronic, 
and in cows, is apt to result in permanent disease of the 
lungs, which in course of time is fatal. General treat¬ 
ment for a cough, consists in giving laxative, and cool¬ 
ing medicines, such as Epsom Salts, in 8 to 12 oz. doses, 
Saltpetre, in 4 to 8 dram doses, and to apply Mustard 
paste to the throat or sides of the chest. Warm, soft 
food, and good nursing are beneficial. 
Keeping Water Cool.— Water for the harvest- 
field can be kept cool a long while if put in an earthen¬ 
ware vessel wrapped by several folds of cloth, which 
should be kept wet. The water evaporates from the 
cloth and cools tlie vessel and the contents. Every time 
the jug is used, a little water can be spiffed upon tlie sur¬ 
rounding cloth. Upon the same principle, the water ves¬ 
sels, in warm countries, are of porous, unglazed earthen¬ 
ware ; tlie small portion of tlie water that oozes through 
them and evaporates from tlie surface,cools the remainder. 
In such countries these water jars are placed in the shade 
and in a current of air, a hint that shoul l be heeded by 
those who use a cloth-covered vessel. 
Treatment or a Worm-out Meadow.— 
Meadows that have been run down, become sod bound 
or covered with moss, sorrel, or other weeds, may be 
renovated without plowing. The old sod needs to be 
disturbed, but a thorough harrowing or a chopping of the 
surface with a disk harrow will disturb it sufficiently 
without plowing. Fresh seed is needed, and a dressing 
of lime may in many cases be all that is required in the 
way of a fertilizer. If it can be afforded, a moderate 
quantity of fine manure used as a top-dressing, and har¬ 
rowed in just before sowing, will be of .great benefit. 
Tlie work may be done at any time before September, so 
that the grass and clover, the latter more particularly, 
should be well set before severe frosts occur. Orchard- 
Grass will thrive upon soils that, are not rich enough for 
Timothy ; but it is better to have the ground good enough 
for the latter even if the former is to be sown. Grass is a 
crop for which the soil can not be too rich, for if the 
growth is excessive it can be cut at any time and made 
into hay or fed green. 
Muck.— The dry weather of late summer is the best 
time to get out a supply of this valuable substance. 
