1880.] 
AMERICAN AQRIG ULTURIST, 
49 
tainty that an investment will pay 20 to 50 per cent, it is 
well for those who feel tempted to remember that 
NSW YORK CAPITALISTS ARB NOT ASLEEP. 
They have millions awaiting investment in anything 
that will be reasonably safe and give a fair return. Any 
thing so sure as these stock schemes were represented to 
be, if it would pay 10 per cent, would be jumped at. It 
is very certain that no really safe, profitable business 
would be hawked all over the country seeking invest¬ 
ment in small driblets. Every good and safe chance, 
every chance to invest money that we could commend to 
our friends, is wanted in New York. The very fact of 
its going abroad is evidence that it is not of a kind 
wanted here. We have given considerable space to this 
BOGUS STOCK SCHEME, 
as it is the most important, so far as the amounts con¬ 
cerned go, of anything yet attempted, and the most per¬ 
nicious. It could never have been checked but for the 
law that prevents the use of the mails for fraudulent pur¬ 
poses. There will be an attempt, possibly at the present 
•Congress, to either repeal the law, or so amend it as to 
■destroy its efficacy. The law stands in the way of those 
who have a vast money interest in its repeal. It is to 
the direct interest of no one to lobby in its favor. The 
American Agriculturist goes into politics so far as to ad- 
-yise its readers to let the law-makers know that this 
Is a most beneflcient law, and one that must stand. 
....Now that the planting season is near at hand 
THE VENDER OP WONDERFUL PLANTS 
will be around. He has already been in Norfolk, Va., 
with the Blue Moss Rose, for which ho only asks $5. 
If he will bring a real Blue Rose, mossy or not, he can 
readily get $500, if not more. There is the firm our cor¬ 
respondent asks about in Geneva, but they never author¬ 
ized such a fraud as this pretended agent is. Do not buy 
any unusual things: Strawberries that grow on bushes. 
Self-pruning Grape-vines, the Peach budded on the French 
Willow, or any other of the marvels of horticulture... 
Among the old things that have revived of late is 
THE SELLING OP RECIPES. 
If persons who bought these recipes merely lost the 
money paid for them, it would not much matter, but the 
evil does not end here. One of the most common recipes 
is that for some kind of illuminating oil; sometimes it is 
“Solar,” or “Centennial,” or “French,” or other high 
sounding name, but all are equally dangerous, as, so far 
• as we have seen them, they have for their basis 
THAT MOST DANGEROUS LIQUID, BENZINE. 
There are several things added, but they do not in any 
manner change its character, nor is it possible to change 
it by the addition of anything. In view of the fact that 
these recipes are now sold, we must repeat our warning 
•against them. If any one has paid a dollar or any other 
sum for a recipe making an illuminating oil with Ben¬ 
zine, do not be tempted to use it. Benzine is very 
volatile, and its vapor mixed with air will explode. 
Those who sell the recipes claim that the oil will not ex¬ 
plode.—Of course not, Oil never does explode, bijt the 
vapor when mixed with air will—dangerously—fatally. 
It is very amusing to read the high sounding threats on 
these recipes, that the holder is “ not to divulge or make 
known any of the ingredients.”—" Under Penalty of the 
Law.” Bosh 1... .The “ Dictionary ” scheme is quiet, but 
“THE NEW DOMESTIC BIBLE” 
•offer, noticed last month appears to have had quite a run, 
as some papers of generally good reputation have pub¬ 
lished the advertisement. It is strange that one can read 
the advertisement and not see the catch. It gives a cut 
of a fine large Bible, and it also describes one worth $15, 
and then stales: “In order to introduce our Bibles, we 
agree, upon the receipt of 75 cents, to pay the postage 
and other expenses, to send any reader of this paper a 
copy of the Holy Bible.”—Alind, he don’t agree to send 
that Bible. 1 ‘>4 copy of the Holy Bible” is pretty good 
for Philadelphia; she will soon equal New York, or even 
■Cincinnati, in the Humbug business if she keeps on.... 
A School of Design is a good thing in any city, but 
“a national school op design” 
is the kind they have in Chicago. They advertise to send 
an “ original oil painting,” worth $10 or $15, for 25cents. 
One of our friends seeing the advertisement thought to 
please his picture-loving wife. He received the paint¬ 
ing, and sends us half of it, the other half went to the 
paper in which he saw the advertisement. “ Original I ” 
we haven’t the least doubt of it. We don’t think that 
any one—not even those who decorate the panels of street 
cars and omnibuses, could be any more original—it is 
the originalesl painting we ever saw. This “ School of 
Design” designs lots for 25 cts. in the sign painter style. 
•Our friend should not complain; we don’t think he could 
get such a picture anywhere else for half the money... It 
is so long since we have had a good, “ bang up,” real A 
No. 1 cure-all, that it is rather refreshing to get hold of 
SOMETHING NF.W IN THE MEDICAL LINE. 
Here it is, a rather neat pamphlet, all bright and fre9h 
from the press. It is headed: “ Truth is Mighty, and 
Will Prevail.”—If our memory serves us, we have heard 
something like this before. Then here is a picture; an 
old man on a bed, a young man, a bureau.—The room 
looks familiar. We must have seen that before. Then the 
story—these medicines always have a story. It is aj one 
time a visit to “ Old Mother Noble” (what has become 
of her and his diamonds ?). Again it is Eddie Eastman 
among the Indians, and Eddie’s wife too among some 
more Indians.—Eddie, “ we have missed you.’’—All these 
stories come before us with touching freshness. But this 
story; Bedside of aged father—eve of departure to “ that 
bourne”—universal remedy—about to be revealed—all 
except myself to retire—old-fashioned bureau—instructed 
me to touch secret spring—recipes for the manufacture 
and preparation of his valuable remedy.”—Pshaw 1—its 
just that same old, old story that’s done service over and 
over again, and is again revived, and now does service for 
“ THE SYSTEM RENOVATOR, & BLOOD PURIFYING SYRUP.” 
Of course it cures everything. Yon have only to “ purify 
the blood,” and “renovate the system,” and there you 
are. “ Liver complaint f ” read the symptoms—every one 
has them—“ Consumption ? ”—read the symptoms—so 
many, you must have some—Remedy—Take the afore¬ 
said—and so on through the whole catalogue. It is me¬ 
lancholy to think that people will read this stuff and 
believe it—and what is worse, take the medicine. 
Starting a Fire is a familiar daily exercise for 
thousands of thousands throughout the United States at 
this time; but there are many who do not know the best 
way. Concentration is the leading feature in this little, 
but very important domestic duty. 1st, the fuel should 
be concentrated , that is, put together in a compact heap; 
and 2d, in a place on the grating where the draft can be 
concentrated upon it. These two points gained it is an 
easy matter to produce a brisk fire. When the kindling, 
which we have presupposed was dry and in sufficient 
quantity, is well started, the wood or coal, as the case 
may be, is so put on that the draft and flame will pass 
directly through the fuel. In starting a fire, all depends 
upon having the conditions right, and great loss of time, 
and even patience, is incurred if they are not provided. 
To Dress Skins Wltli or Without the Fur 
On.— “ C. L. B.,” Saratoga Co., N. Y. Tanning is done 
by means of bark or other substances, which contain 
tannic acid; this combines chemically with the gelatine 
of the skin, and forms what we know as leather. But 
the dressing of skins with some astringent salts—as 
Alum, for instance—is called tawing, and not tanning, 
as no tannic acid is used. The hair is removed from 
skins by some alkaline matter, as lime or wood ashes, 
and with small skins this may be used as a paste spread 
upon the flesh side and left for a few days, when the 
hair may be rubbed off with ease. The alkali destroys 
the “roots” of the hair (the bulbs in the hair follicles), 
and so loosens it from the skin. The skins may be 
tawed by spreading a mixture of equal parts of finely 
powdered Alum and Salt upon the moist flesh side, doub¬ 
ling each one, or laying pairs with the flesh sides together 
and putting them away for several days. After the skin 
has taken the character of leather, it is to be stretched, 
scraped,rubbed with chalk and pumice stone until smooth 
and pulled and stretched while drying to make it soft. 
Eggs from Different Breeds of Hens.—A 
western egg-raiser, from his own and others’ experience, 
formulates the following table of weight and number of 
eggs produced by different breeds of fowls: 
Kind of Breed. 
No. of Eggs 
per jwurid. 
No. of Eggs 
per year. 
Leghorn. 
9 
16C 
Hamburgs. 
9 
150 
Light Brahmas & Black Spanish 
8 
130 
Polish...... 
9 
125 
Black and White Cochins. 
8 
125 
Dark Brahmas. 
8 
120 
Plymouth Rocks. 
8 
115 
Bantams. 
16 
90 
Cross Breeding of Sheep.—“B. Bro.” Merinos 
are greatly improved as mutton sheep by crossing with 
Cotswolds or Leicesters; the former cross makes a large 
heavy-bodied sheep,with a valuable, medium, long comb¬ 
ing wool; the latter cross is not so favorable, but is a 
good mutton sheep. The information given on cross 
breeds in " The Shepherd’s Manual ” contains all that 
has as yet been learned or done in this way. Cross 
breeding must be done from year to year, and it is not a 
permanent operation, for after two or three crosses the 
produce is not to be distinguished from the pure breed 
used for the mal^animal. 
Census Assignments.— Prof. C. S. Sargent, of 
Harvard University, has charge of the department of 
Forestry, and Prof. W. H. Brewer, of Yale College, is 
employed as expert on Cereals. The Cotton is placed in 
charge of Prof. Hilgard,of the University of California,and 
special work in the agricultural department, lias been 
assigned to Hon. J. R. Dodge. Such names as these, are 
an assurance of thoroughness in this important work. 
A Wooden Hailing Honey Box.— Since 
fractional currency has gone out of use, remittances by 
Fig. 1.— THE PINE BLOCK BORED. 
mail, of sums less than a dollar, must be made in coin. 
The sending of coin by letter is both inconvenientand un¬ 
safe. A heavy coin is easily detected, and can be abstract¬ 
ed by a dishonest person, or it may wear its way through 
the envelope of its own weight. A correspondent re¬ 
cently having occasion to send us some silver “ change," 
inclosed it in a wooden box, which he made as follows: 
A pine block, a trifle larger than shown in figure 1, was 
bored nearly through in the center, with 1 ‘ 4 -inch auger 
bit, the “ worm ” passing entirely through, and thus fur¬ 
nishing a 6mall opening to allow the postmaster to in¬ 
spect the contents. A cover of thin pine, fastened by 
four tacks completes the box, as shown in the engravings. 
The whole can be made in five minutes. When filled, 
wrapping paper suitable for the directions is tied around 
it with a string. The post-office regulations require 2nd 
and 3d class matter to be tied. A box of cigars nailed 
is subject to letter postage, and so of other boxes nailed 
together, if the contents are not visible. We have 
illustrated the box as it shows, ready resources in an 
Fig. 2.—THE BOX BEADY FOB MAILING. 
emeigency. Our correspondent did not postpone or 
give up sending the amount of his subscription, because 
he had only coin. Coin would not be safe in a letter, he 
had no suitable box, so he at once made one. We have 
received insects sent by mail, put up in wooden boxes in a 
similar manner, though in these cases the bore was small¬ 
er, and made in the direction of the grain of the wood. 
Sowing; Clover Seed.— Just after a light snow is 
a favorite time with many in which to sow clover seed— 
as the seed can be distributed very evenly, and it falls into 
a good moist place as the snow melts. If Red Clover is 
sowed alone, about 20 pounds per acre should be used. 
The Agricultural College of Japan.—This 
Institution has been in existence for three years, and a 
large number of students have been educated in it. The 
government appreciates its work and its needs by en¬ 
gaging foreign teachers and aiding it in other ways. 
Sharpening the Horse«Shoes.— At this sea¬ 
son which abounds in ice, the horses’ shoes demand at¬ 
tention that they do not become smooth and thereby 
subject the animals to cruel strains that may develop 
into wind-galls, ring-bones, etc. The horse’s instinct 
teaches him he is unsafe with smooth shod feet when 
driven upon icy roads, and he is constantly in fear, 
and trembling, lest he slip and fall. It is costly and 
cruel to drive horses thus shod. The calks should be of 
hard steel and kept of even length that the weight of the 
body may be distributed evenly over the muscles of the 
limbs. If one has not “ Self-Sharpening Shoes ” it will 
pay to make frequent calls at the blacksmith’s shop so 
long as the ice lasts. Give the horses a safe footing. 
