1884 .] 
AMEEICAIs^ AGEICULTUEIST, 
561 
Xliey Did i\'ot Bite.” 
In p<ist numbers of the American Agriculturist^ we 
have exposed the lottery schemes of Mr. Martin Meyer, 
Jr., of “Hamburg, Germany,” a persistent swindler, who 
continues to flood the Middle and M’'estern States with 
lottery circulars, printed in the English and German 
languages. A subscriber, Mr. J. A., writes us from Bur¬ 
lington, Iowa, that a whole batch of these circulars have 
been sent to a College Boarding Club in that city. “The 
students, however, were not inclined to bite at such bait, 
but, on the contrary, became anxious that the public 
might be warned against this lottery.” To every sub¬ 
scriber we have to say, immediately throw into the fire 
every document of every description received from 
Martin Meyer, Jr., or any other similar swindler. 
X'lie “ Metli»d” witli 
Not long ago, the “ Havana Method ” of preserving 
eggs was offered for sale. 
We showed that it was the 
old lime process, with the 
addition, in small quanti¬ 
ties. of articles that could 
add nothing to its preserva¬ 
tive properties. Now the 
“German method” is offer¬ 
ed as a premium for sub¬ 
scribers by a Western paper. 
This sheet claim.s to “have 
finally succeeded in getting 
it (the German method), 
from Prof. Liebig, the Ger¬ 
man chemist,” and professes 
to quote from what he says 
about the method. The only 
person who could with any 
propriety be called Prof. 
Liebig, the “ German Chem¬ 
ist,” has been dead for more 
than ten years. Where has 
the “German Method” been 
all this while ? or who is it 
that this paper attempts to 
pass off as “ the German 
Chemist?” The doubtful 
manner of its introduction 
throws great doubt upon 
the German “ method.” 
“receipts” for saee. 
The same paper claims to 
have “ obtained, after much 
labor and research,” “ receipts” for sixteen of the prom¬ 
inent proprietary or secret medicines of the day, such 
as Brandreth’s Pills, Perry Davis’s Pain Killer, Hollo¬ 
way’s Ointment, etc., etc. Any one who supposes that 
any amount of “ research ” would induce the makers of 
the medicines to impart their formulas to others, can 
have very little knowledge of such matters. The so- 
called “ receipts ” can only be bogus imitations. How 
about that for the “German Method of preserving eggs?” 
pickle” for us. The gentlemen who edit this Humbug 
Column neither throw responsibility upon others, nor 
make their exit through cellar doors and elevators when 
called upon “on business.” They have neither fled 
from this city, nor do they intend to flee. They can al¬ 
ways be found here at 751 Broadway ; and parties who 
either undertake to “squelch” this concern, or to in¬ 
timidate the Editors, will find in the classic language of 
the street, that “they have bitten off more than they can 
chaw.” 
Xorciiig'tlic CiJi'owfli ol'IIssir. 
Various preparations are advertised, “ warranted ” to 
produce a “flowing beard,” or a “ luxuriant mustache,” 
in a given number of days, upon the smoothest face. 
If “ C. II. D.” will take our advice, he will not spend 
his money upon any of these nostrums, as they arc quite 
unable to perform what they promise. The abundance 
or hack of beard, etc., is hereditary, and the growth can¬ 
not be forced. Neither the article named in the inquiry, 
nor any otlier, can force the hair to grow, unless there is a 
natural tendency in that direction. Don’t waste money. 
“ liettiice ill 
When a paper, claiming to teach farmers, publishes 
such nonsense as tlie following, it should be exposed. 
“ It is said that heads of lettuce can be produced in 
winter in from twenty-four to forty-eight hours, by tak¬ 
ing a small boxfilled with rich earth, in which one-third- 
part of slaked lime has been mixed, and watering the 
earth with luke-warm water; then taking seed, which 
has been previously soaked in strong brandy twenty- 
Wontlci'iiil ?^cUcine.s. 
We are deluged by our subscribers with advertise¬ 
ments of a new publishing scheme. Some Cincinnati 
publishers have sliown a talent amounting to genius in 
devising metliods in the lincof tlieir business. Of late, 
various papers have come to us in half mouriiiug with 
the heavily black-bordered advertisement of “ Ocean to 
Ocean,” making, in heavy typo, the offer of “A Long 
Loan at Four per Cent.” The pul)lishers of “ Ocean to 
Ocean ” (whatever that may be), modestly state thafthey 
“desire to secure the names of one million subscribers” 
at two dollars each. It offers a premium engraving, which 
will be sent upon the subscriber’s forwarding forty-two 
cents (42 cents), and agreeing “ to display it in a con¬ 
spicuous place in his house or office.” 
TUE MONEY FOR THE LOANS. 
The source of the money to be loaned is explained, and 
we have seen nothing equal to it since the fabled milk¬ 
maid counted up the proceeds from her unhatched 
chickens. One million subscribers at two dollars will be 
two million dollars. Having this number of subscribers, 
advertisers will willingly pay ten dollars per line for ad¬ 
vertisements, and the yearly income from this source is 
put at three million six hundred and forty thousand dol¬ 
lars, which, added to the amount from subscriptions, 
easily adds up five million six hundred and forty thou¬ 
sand dollars. Expenses for a year are estimated at one 
million seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and 
this, deducted from receipts, leaves as net profits three 
mill'^” • • 
(ah - ~ 
From tlie Tentli Census, Vol. 8tli, Just PuDIisIn 
STic <S(/tnctican d^^zdcii/titzht Satcy ftonv 1S42, and ^ ^f- ino 
nmne-zonc> -pez-iodicafc) of -tfio c^ame cfaocf -tofticfi otiginated in a fC pazfio of 
tfic cotinhtj at ot aSont tPic oamc time, oomc of tvfiicfv areo c>tiClin ficaftfttf 
ot/lezo cjuicftfij audoided. elite <StttieT>ican iSlgzicnftntiet 
woztftij of mention, Secanoe of tfie zemazttaBfe 
e>uccco:> 
ea^ietence, tofviCc 
ie> cepeoiafftj 
tftat Itae attended tfte nnicjfite and iintit>itiy effotte of ih ptopzietoz.> 
to inozeaee and ecctend ite cizciifation, tvfiicfv at one time zeac/led a point 
nndonStedft^ fiigttez titan wae evez Sefoze attained tnj a Jott-zitctC of ite 
cfaee. Ste contente ate dupficated eveztj ntontH foz a Sezntan editiott, 
'toftiefr afeo cizenfatee zvideCtj. 
tour hours, and sowing in the usual way.”—Whoever 
tries this, expecting to get heads of lettuce in the time 
mentioned, or in any other time, will find himself hum¬ 
bugged. “Strong brandy” will wonderfully increase the 
size of some heads, but they are not heads of lettuce. 
Idle Xltrcats. 
Two or three years ago, an individual residing in 
Washington, called upon us in person, and threatened to 
expend five hundred tliousand dollars in prosecuting the 
American Agriculturist, unless certain statements made 
regarding him in our Humbug Columns, were retracted. 
We have not yet seen a retraction. Six months, or more 
ago, another individual, now at the West, anticipa¬ 
ting that we would ferret out and expose the various 
schemes whereby he had absorbed the funds of widows, 
orphans, and others, wrote us a very threatening letter. 
Subsequently we were informed through a second party, 
that the most formidable libel suits were to be brought 
against us. Still later wo were notified by letter, that 
two hundred thousand dollars was in bank, for the 
purpose of “squelching the American Agriculturist." 
Now comes Pecksniff with a communication to the 
effect, that the swindler in person has “ a big rod in 
ouoi, ..iter me ueerve was 
written, the mail brought 
numerous papers with tlie 
advertisement of the “Chi¬ 
cago Globe.” This adver¬ 
tisement is similarly black- 
bordered, offers another en¬ 
graving for forly-two cents, 
and also announces a loan at 
four percent. Sentence after, 
sentence in the two adver-, 
tisements, would indicate 
the same parentage for both, 
or that one is the copy of 
the other. In the way of 
figures the “Chicago Globe” 
is only one fourth as grand 
as “ Ocean to Ocean only 
a quarter of a million sub¬ 
scribers are asked for, and 
on this basis the advertise¬ 
ments will bring in but two 
I'ateiif Medicines, 
The American Agriculturist might have added fifty 
thousand dollars last year to its revenue, if it had ad¬ 
mitted Patent Medicines indiscriminately to its columns. 
We shall continue, however, to rigidly exclude most of 
them, because while endeavoring to protect our sub¬ 
scribers from the swindling schemes of sharpers, through 
exposures in these Humbug columns, we do not propose 
to quietly permit unscrupulous Medicine Venders to 
prey upon these same subscribers, through our adver¬ 
tising columns. Be ware of’ the thousands of concoctions 
of all kinds, which claim to heal aW manner of ills. To be 
sure, there is now and then a patent or proprietary article 
possessing purity and virtue, but the number is limited. 
Don’t Xoiicit It. 
Whenever you read an advertisement now going the 
rounds, that a certain Lotion will cure eruptions, 
blotches, etc., on the face, don’t touch it. The way to 
cure eruptions is to improve the general tone of the 
system, and thereby purify the blood. Don't touch it. 
dollars and fifty cents a line, and the profits to be loaned, 
amount to only a paltry one million two hundred and sixty 
thousand dollars. Figures have long had a reputation for 
trnthfulucss, and we allow them to tell their own story. 
Socisil ITIedical Iliimlxi;;'. 
Medical Humbugs are not confined to the secret prep¬ 
arations so extravagantly advertised. It would be well if 
the law prevented prescribing by every one who is not a 
medical man. It is a popular notion that one who claims 
to teach some subjects, is capable of giving advice in 
others. We sornetiines find clergymen prescribing for 
their parishioners, and editors going out of their sphere, 
if they have one, and advising their readers to use the 
same doses whicli they think tliey have found useful in 
their slinttered health. Recently the promiscuous and 
continuous taking of small doses of quinine has been 
advised. Many arb aware how seriously large doses of 
quinine.affect the brain ; disturbed hearing and sight, in¬ 
coherent speech, and other symptoms of intoxication, be¬ 
ing present. In small and repeated doses the “ Quinine- 
Habit” is confirmed, the brain is afl'ected, and obliquity 
of moral as well as real vision may result. We have 
seen habitual takers of quinine who had lost the ability to 
distinguish right from wrong, or the difference between 
their own and other people’s property, whose speech 
uttered falsehood more readily than truth, and whose 
whole conduct appeared to be under the influence of too 
much quinine. Always avoid indiscriminate dosing. 
