278 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
[July, 
cold will answer. The tobacco “ tea ” thus made 
will not injure the most delicate plant, but will be 
very destructive to the lice, upon whatever plant 
they may be. The liquid may be applied by any 
of the many garden pumps, or even with a com¬ 
mon watering pot, as the case may require. It 
sometimes happens that the lice collect in great 
numbers near the ends of the branches of trees ; 
in such cases it will be well to bend the branches 
down, and immerse the ends in the tobacco-water. 
Take Care oi'tlie Tomato Viues. 
If there is any one subject that would seem to be 
exhausted, it is the Tomato Trellises. During the 
past 30 years we have described probably twenty 
different trellises, and the story of the whole is: 
keep your Tomato vines from resting upon the 
ground. One of the simplest methods is, to drive 
in stakes at an angle of 45°, and nail, or lash to 
these, light poles of any kind ; in the absence of 
poles use wire. The whole object is to so place 
the vines that they can be reached on all sides, not 
only that we may free them from “the worm,” 
but also save the fruit from decay. If the fruit 
is left in direct contact with the soil, decay sets in 
soon after ripening begins ; supporting the clusters 
of fruit, where all can be seen, will allow of the re¬ 
moval of the poorly shapen, and when they are 
too much crowded, they may be thinned. The 
French advise training the Tomato to a single stake. 
We have tried this and do not like it. The clus¬ 
ters of fruit, as they approach maturity, become 
very heavy, and just as they are the most promis¬ 
ing will break away from the main stem. Such 
clusters can not be readily supported when the 
plants are trained to a single stake, but on a trel¬ 
lis of almost any kind they may be kept up. The 
Tomato may be cultivated in two methods: as a 
field crop in which it is allowed to have its own 
way ; or in the garden, where those who appreciate 
excellence in vegetables will find the Tomato 
to amply repay whatever care may be given to 
it. Were it only for the facilities it affords for 
catching “ The Worm,” we should always provide 
some kind of a trellis for the Tomato. Besides 
this, the handsome appearance of the ripening fruit 
is greatly in its favor. 
Think of This a Moment. 
A grand “ Mutual Aid Association ”—with a 
membership of over a million, embracing residents 
of every part of this country and many in other 
lands—with no admission fee or after assessments 
—with no self-seeking among its members, and 
no rivalry except in good works—with a manifest 
desire and effort on the part of each to aid every 
other member in any way practicable—such an as¬ 
sociation is surely most desirable, and no one 
connected with it could fail to be much benefited. 
Well, an Association somewhat like the above has 
been iu existence for a quarter of a century and 
more. It is made up of Readers of the American 
Agriculturist. Only one defect has been found iu 
its working, viz., the failure of some of the mem¬ 
bers to appreciate their opportunities for helping 
each other.—To illustrate : If a reader knows of 
some method of doing a particular work, or of 
some simple labor-saving or labor-helping device, 
which is not in common use by all his acquaint¬ 
ances, the strong probability, indeed the certainty 
is, that there are tens of thousands, if not many 
hundreds of thousands, elsewhere who are unac¬ 
quainted with it. Now if every such reader will send 
a description of the affair to the Secretaries of the 
Association (the Editors of this Journal), they will 
put it in proper form for the type, introduce en¬ 
gravings if these will help to a better understanding 
of the matter, and then multiply copies and send 
them to every member of the association through 
the length and breadth of our own land, and to 
a multitude of foreign members. Those seeing it 
will talk of it to their neighbors, and they to 
others, and thus the smallest or largest helpful 
item will reach and benefit many millions. 
To drop the figure, we wish to earnestly iuvite 
every reader of the American Agriculturist to think 
over the matter, and see if he does not know of 
something in his own experience or observation, 
which may not be known to everybody else, but 
which if known might be helpful and therefore use¬ 
ful to others. In thousands of instances, our read¬ 
ers have written that some trifling hint has been 
worth a great deal to them. We have scarcely ever 
gone over the smallest farm, or barn, or live stock 
yard, or dwelling, or garden, or orchard, without 
seeing and learning something we had not known, 
or seen elsewhere—something worth talking about 
to others. But we can not visit one place in a thou¬ 
sand that we would like to; and we feel certain 
that among our intelligent, inventive, go-ahead 
readers, there is scarcely one who has not himself 
in use, or seen among his neighbors, some good 
method or device, or mode of doing this, that, or 
the other thing, different from ten thousand others. 
Again, therefore, we ask as a matter of interest, 
not merely to the Editors, but to all readers, that 
every one send us some item. Describe some¬ 
thing, in few or many plain words, if only on a 
postal card. When needed, give a few outline 
marks, figures, dimensions, etc., so that we can get 
at the gist of it. Never mind the grammar, the 
correct spelling, or fine writing; the Editors will 
put the matter in shape and clothe it in proper 
words. Some of the best things in our recent num¬ 
bers have come from men who had no literary edu¬ 
cation, but they had practical ideas and skill, and 
in the rudest language and sketches they have fur¬ 
nished most valuable hints and suggestions that 
are useful to a very large number. 
One thing more : Do this to-day and to-morrow 
—not put it off until next week or month, or to the 
leisure of winter. Send us along something now, 
and that will lead to other communications in the 
future. If in any case time and expense are re¬ 
quired, w r e are always ready to pay for it, if the 
material is useful and is used, and the contributor 
desires remuneration. 
The exposure, last month, of that 
remarkable corn, which came from 
“ Bessarabia,” by the way of Phila¬ 
delphia and the Southern States, 
has called out some amusing letters. 
One correspondent in New Mexico 
finds that he has been paying 15 cents per ounce 
for corn that he can buy at home for 21 cents per 
pound. A friend in Benzie Co., Mich., is very 
mirthful’over the whole matter. As the Boyd’s 
Batteries and the wonderful spectacles are sent out 
by those who deal in Bessarabia Corn, he proposes 
to combine the virtues of all in the corn, and issue 
a Johnny-cake that will produce the most wonder¬ 
ful effects, medicinally, and so act upon the eyes 
that people will see a great many things that they 
would prefer not to see, and will advertise it all in 
the “ New York Agriculturist,”—if he can find it. 
That “ Common Sense Incubator” 
is still inquired about. The circular professes to 
give directions for making an incubator, and gives 
detailed measurements in inches and parts of 
inches, with many rather obscure directions. It 
makes a great point of the use of saw-dust, but 
says nothing about the kind of saw-dust. If any 
one doubts that the use of pine saw-dust will kill 
the eggs, let them try it. That this circular of 
Bain is a fraud, it furnishes its own evidence. 
After showing, with apparent detail, how to build 
an “incubator,” it says: “To those who have 
never used an Incubator, we would say that you 
can get full and explicit directions for managing it, 
which will tell you at what temperature to keep 
the eggs_when and how to turn them-also 
full and complete directions for making a Brooder 
or Artificial Mother... .without which you can not 
raise them at all,” and a great deal more. This 
wonderful book can be had for $2, and the adver¬ 
tising of this book, and of eggs of various breeds, 
seems to be the sole object of this “Incubator” 
circular.—Bain, you should be ashamed of it. 
Gambling: in Grain. 
A concern in Chicago sends out a very attractive 
circular to farmers, which proposes to those who 
receive it to enter into speculative operations with 
the firm. Gambling of all kinds, w'hether in grain, 
in stocks, or at cards, is something that farmers 
should let alone. They may be sure that proposi¬ 
tions like those made in this circular can bring 
them no profit. They have in Texas this saying : 
“ Never play at a game that you do not under¬ 
stand,”—a saying that farmers may bear in mind 
when asked to take a part in doubtful schemes. 
Cutlery, Silverware, Watches, Etc. 
Those who receive circulars offering wonderful 
inducements to engage in the sale of these, should 
recollect that no special favors are shown in busi¬ 
ness. An article, whatever it may be, sells at its 
real value ; and if any concern or company pro¬ 
fesses to offer standard articles at much less than 
the market price, they may be sure that the things 
offered are not what they are represented to be. 
Poultry-Dust. 
Dust is a good thing for poultry, and aids the 
fowls in getting rid of vermin. But in parts of 
Ohio there seems to be rather too much dust. Will 
our friends who have been taken in by the loud 
professions of certain poultry papers, of which, so 
far as we can learn, only one number has been 
published, give us their experience ? As with 
those who, under cover of telling how to construct 
an incubator, advertise their books, so certain poul¬ 
try papers in Ohio advertise certain secret pro¬ 
cesses. Let us have light on this question. 
Medical Matters. 
In former numbers we have noticed the fact that 
our budget of Humbug letters of inquiry fre¬ 
quently run in a particular line. This month the 
great majority of our letters of inquiry refer to 
medicines and doctors. No other form of hum- 
buggery is so successful as this. People in general 
know so little of their own bodies and the diseases 
incident to them, that those quacks who most 
strongly assert their nostrums are sure of a hear¬ 
ing. Among our letters are several asking about 
a “Dispensary” in Buffalo, and inquiring if they 
can successfully treat patients “ by correspond¬ 
ence.” To such letters we can only give the gen¬ 
eral reply, that we do not know of a physician of 
any standing who would think of treating a patient 
without seeing him or her. We look upon all who 
profess to “ prescribe by mail ” as persons to be 
avoided, whatever their pretentions. A large share 
of the letters that come to us refer to matters 
which we do not care to discuss in full. One from 
a friend iu Minnesota, inclosing a circular of 
Old Dr. CulverwelFs Radical Regenerator, 
to which we can only answer, “don’t.” Don’t 
fool your money away upon the various nostrums 
offered by this circular. In all troubles upon which 
this quackish circular treats, the imagination plays 
a large part, and magnifies them. To all like our 
Minnesota friend, we would say, go to the nearest 
reputable physican, and make him your confidant 
and adviser, iu preference to any one advertising 
iu a distant city, of whom you know nothing. It 
is safe to consider all such self-announced “ Phy¬ 
sicians ” as quacks. Their references to cured 
persons are easily obtained. If you make inquiry 
of any of those referred to, ten to one they are 
myths, if not co-partners of the quack himself. 
The “ Pillow Inhaler,” 
Here is something which an inquiring friend at 
Mt. Vernon, O., asks what we know about it. 
Our knowledge is confined to that given in the 
circular which he sends. This claims to be a “ ra¬ 
tional way to medicate the night air, and thereby 
heal diseased lungs, and throat and air passages 
but as, after a great deal of talk, it fails to give 
any clue to the stuff used, or the “ eminent doctor 
who wrote the formula of our prescription,” we 
give our usual advice, to let every and all secret 
preparations alone, even if they are in a pillow. 
