AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[March, 
and taken back to Toledo. Poor Mr. Young & MacRae ! 
Instead of taking in three quarters from each letter, he 
has quarters for oue in the Toledo jail. Instead of sur¬ 
veying on the broad prairies of Texas, with “good pay 
and free fare,” poor Young & MacRae has no pay, and 
his fare that of the prison ; while all his “ surveying ” is 
done between iron bars. It is very rare that those who 
throw away their money upon swindlers, can get even so 
much satisfaction as this .. .Some one, who appears to 
have neither “ name” nor“ local habitation,” compla.neth 
*fc he wrote us last January and expected to see an 
answer in this column, and seems to feel badly because he 
WAS NOT ANSWERED. 
If his letter was, like the present, nameless, dateless, 
and without address, it is easy to see why he found no 
reply. We refer to the matter here to emphasize the 
statement that we will not answer or notice anonymous 
letters of any kind, more especially not those asking ad¬ 
vice about humbugs, where everything should be open 
and in good faith There must be a large business done in 
TRASH CALLED “NOVELTIES.” 
As we get a great number of circulars issued from con¬ 
cerns in various localities, mainly in New England, New 
York, New Jersey, and Penn. The circulars or pamphlets 
are, many of them, excepting the cover, or name, pre¬ 
cisely alike, showing that many of the concerns are in 
league. The country appears to be flooded with these 
things, which offer a singularly mixed lot, of gimcricks, 
books, cards, etc.—a few possibly useful, others prob¬ 
ably amusing, and many positively pernicious. The 
things are offered at wholesale, with great inducements 
to persons to act as agents, and at retail, advertising them 
in a manner very persuasive to young persons. In look¬ 
ing over one of these lists, we find the number of useful 
articles very small, and we can see no excuse for the 
existence of these novelty shops, except that they must 
have a large sale for articles that should not be sold. If 
some of the books, cards, and other things offered are as 
bad as one would infer from the advertising, nearly all 
these concerns could be shut up, under the law against 
selling improper things. But it is one of the tricks of 
swindlers, to make it appear that they offer improper 
books, etc., while the articles are in reality merely use¬ 
less, as they well know that those tempted to buy in the 
hope of getting an obscene book or picture, will not dare 
to complain. The thing has reached the dimensions of a 
thorough nuisance, and will only be stopped when people 
cease to buy. ...Farmers continue to write us, concern¬ 
ing “ Pampas Rice,” and “ Ivory Wheat,” and we wish 
to be understood very distinctly on this point. We 
place these under Humbugs, not because the articles in 
themselves are useless, but because they are sold un¬ 
der false representations. If the potato were offered 
as the “Great Peruvian Esculent,” at $5 the tuber, the 
transaction would be a humbug, though the value of the 
potato would be unchanged. So selling a seed as a 
“ Rice ” or a “ Wheat ” when it is not properly either, 
anymore than it is an oat, a rye, or any other grain is a 
fraud. We insist that articles should be sold under their 
proper names, and proper uses stated. As we have al¬ 
ready said, we have very positive evidence—so far as the 
seeds go, and which we shall make more positive when 
the plants are grown—for we have obtained seeds of 
both, that they are only forms of the Durra, which we 
have described in full, in the American Agriculturist for 
February, as a useful forage plant. Another wonderful 
wheat is offered this season, which we shall soon know 
more about....The “note of preparation” is being 
sounded in advance of a wonderful—no, that is no name 
for it—prodigiously astounding Corn. Farmers beware 1 
Before unheard of seeds, offered by before unheard of 
parties, are things likely to prove most profitable—when 
let alone 1.. .Inquiries continue to come about 
CLARK JOHNSON, M. D. 
We sometime ago stated that this was no olh:r than 
Huyler, of Old Mother Noble, and various other kinds 
of notoriety, and that the letters coming to Jersey City, 
to C. J., M. D., were taken by a messenger to Huyler in 
N. Y. This state of affairs does not now exist. The 
post office authorities refused to deliver Johnson’s let¬ 
ters to any one but Johnson, and now a pereon by the 
name of Johnson has been found, to stand in the place 
of the Bhadow. The questions put to us respecting the 
threatening letters that are being sent in the name of C. 
J., to parties all over the country, we can not answer— 
as we are not lawyers. Those who have been foolish 
enough to sign an agreement, even with a quack, unless 
fraud can be shown, will probably have to abide by its 
terms. Those who let quack medicines of all kinds 
alone, avoid all such troubles... .Medical matters present 
very little novelty. Some year or more ago we showed 
up the character of the 
“ CLINTON MEDICAL AND SURGICAL INSTITUTE,” 
judging it by the character of the publications it sent 
out, but it now appears that it is something more than 
a simple humbug, it is a downright fraud. The concern 
was organized under the general law, as a corporation, 
some 12 corporators, (mostly with M. D. to their names), 
signed the certificate of incorporation, the tiling was re¬ 
corded, and every thing seemed right, proper and lovely. 
—But the Supreme Court of Albany differed with James 
Bryan, “ M.D.”—Complaint was made that the certificate 
of Incorporation was obtained by fraudulent means. 
That the names of the 12 corporators were all “ written 
by one James Bryan,” that he “ caused to appear ” be¬ 
fore the Notary Public “persons other than those whose 
names were attached to said certificate and there and in 
presence of said notary to personate and represent them¬ 
selves to be the persons whose names are on such ser- 
tificate... .they falsely representing and personating 
them.” As this charge was not disproved, Judge West¬ 
brook declared the certificate of incorporation “ fraudu¬ 
lent and void” and enjoined Bryan, and everybody else 
against pretending to be the “ Clinton Medical and Sur¬ 
gical Institute.” There are many persons, who are not 
familiar with such matters, who do not know that a 
Medical College, or regular Medical Association, never 
advertises to cure diseases or to sell medicines. The 
very fact of their advertising, in this way, shows their 
character. If the various concerns assuming the names 
of University, Institute, Association, etc., could be sift¬ 
ed, most of them would make as bad a showing as this 
“ Clinton ” concern, and turn out to have but one man 
at the bottom. This Bryan did not like the seizure of 
his improper books and circulars, ard didn’t like many 
other things, so 
JAMES BRYAN, “M. D.” WENT TO LAW. 
The law is a very good thing when one has a good case, 
but many who go to law come out “ wiser ” if not “ bet¬ 
ter men.” Like many other things there are two sides 
to it. Many innocents who have sued us, thought that 
they had only to present their cases, swear that they had 
been damaged, and walk out of the court with the 
thousands in their pocket. But while there is law, 
there is also justice, and the defendant has some 
rights. Very few quack doctors would go to law, did 
they know that the one whom they prosecute can put 
them under examination. It is very nice to be prose¬ 
cutor, but when they occupy the position of a witness, 
and have to answer such questions as may be asked 
them, or go to jail for contempt of court, they find that 
they get a great deal more law than they bargained for. 
Bryan was examined in his own case, and we wish we 
had space to publish his examination in full, for a more 
complete showing up of the whole quack—or as he calls 
it—“ patent” medicine business, we have not seen, (un¬ 
less it be the case of the “ M. D.” who sued us not long 
since for calling him a humbug in these columns, and 
then made us prove it in Court). The number of 
places at which he had done “business,” under a va¬ 
ried assortment of names, and the number of partners 
he has had first and last, about whose past or present 
he could tell nothing, were astonishing. Such sud¬ 
den shortness of memory as he was at times afflicted 
with, showed a remarkable mental condition for an “ M. 
D.” Indeed, while he could recollect that he received a 
diploma from a Medical College in England, he could 
not recollect its name, nor names of any of the faculty 1 
Then he had another diploma from a College in Cuba, 
but be couldn't recollect the name of that; he didn’t go 
to Cuba, but was examined in New York by some one 
who was not an officer of the college 11 James Bryan is 
only of consequence as a representative of the numerous 
quacks who flourish their titles, and lead unsuspecting 
persons to think that the title M. D. is a guarantee that 
its holder has studied medicine. A real title is only won 
by much study and hard work, and the pr-curing of it is 
too much of an event in a man’s life, to allow him ever 
to forget the names of his instructors or that of the col¬ 
lege which granted it. As to the diplomas that are 
bought—we do not wonder that even a quack is glad to 
forget all about the transaction. 
- ~ H — - 
Our House Plans are not discontinued, 
but for sufficient reasons, only temporarily postponed. 
Tlie N. JT. State Horticultural Soc. 
—The Second Annual Meeting, held at New Brunswick, 
Feb. 1st and 2nd, was well attended, and plans laid for 
the future usefulness of the Society. Among other plans 
proposed, is the collection of data relating to the early 
history of fruit culture in the State. 
Weevils.—“ S. B.,” Tuscarawas Co., 0. The 
specimens sent are the true European grain weevil, Ca- 
landra granaria, and less common in this country than 
the black weevil. To get rid of them is a difficult mat¬ 
ter. One of our friends, who was greatly troubled with 
weevils, was asked how to get rid of them; he replied 
that he knew but one sure way —“ Burn the barn.” Pre¬ 
ventives are better than cures; the insect is not brought 
in from the fields, as some suppose, but breeds in the 
granary, hence the importance of having no cracks or 
other hiding places. It is stated that a heat of 122° Fah.„ 
while it will kill the insect, will not injure the germinat¬ 
ing power of the grain. In Europe the only method re¬ 
garded as insuring safety, is to dry the grain at the tem¬ 
perature mentioned, and then store it in granaries lined 
with sheet iron, with openings so accurately closed that 
even this minute insect can not find an entrance. The- 
pareut insect lays her egg on the outside of the grain- 
the young grub eats its way to the interior, and there 
completes its growth and transformations, and when the 
perfect weevil comes out, only a hull is left. Frequent 
moving of- the grain is considered of use, as interfering 
with the operations of the insect. 
fiSlsae Grass im Waskingfon Ter. 
is regarded as a “ terrible evil,” as we learn from a letter 
from there, shown us hy a friend. We should like to. 
know more about this. The first point to be settled is r 
whether their Blue Grass is the same as our Blue Grass.- 
Will some one of our many readers there send a specimen, 
when it comes in flower, and tell us more about it ? 
Water Witching-. —“ W. C. G.,” Bergem 
Co., N. J. The use of the divining-rod is well called, 
water witching, and belongs to the dark age when. 
“ witching” was popularly believed in, and witches were- 
drowned and burned. The claim that a magnetic influ¬ 
ence is exerted by the underground current of water, or 
the hidden vein of ore sought for, is simply “ bosh,” for 
an influence so weak that it will not effect the magnetic-.' 
needle, could not possibly affect a forked twig of apple,, 
witch hazel, or any other wood. This popular delusion, 
is kept up by occasional successes of operators who find 
veins of water. As water is almost universally present, 
beneath the surface, there are a huudred chances to one- 
that water will be found by digging, and the hundredth 
failure is excused for some paltry reason which is not 
doubted. Thus the superstition lives, and it is strange- 
that some scientific people are yet found to put faith in it- 
Loss of Weight ill Oi«i Hay. —“ C- 
B.,” Northampton Co., Pa. The weight hay will lose in. 
12 months, depends upon its condition when first put up- 
If cured very dry, timothy hay will lose very little, and 
may possibly gain something. Clover hay, cured in the. 
cock, and put up green, may lose nearly a quarter of its- 
weight in the course of a year. 
The Caulter-Worm — Now I — What¬ 
ever is used to prevent the ascent of the trunks of the- 
trees by the female (wingless) insect, should be put on. 
early, as they come out after a few warm days. Heavy 
brown paper, applied closely, so that the insects can not* 
get under, and smeared with cheap printer’s ink or tar, 
is as simple and cheap as anything. But the ink, tar, or 
whatever adhesive barrier be used, must be looked after 
every few days. Dust, dead insects, or something else 
may form a bridge, by which the live insects can cross- 
the barrier, when the work will have been in vain. 
Another Canker-Worm Gnnrd.— 
A correspondent at Selma, O., writes that the following,, 
invented by Prof. Claypole, of Antioch College, has com¬ 
pletely “circumvented the canker-worm ” in his vicinity _ 
It is as follows: Surround the trunk of the tree with a piece- 
of inch rope, nail it fast. Surround the rope (and tree too> 
with a strip of tin, 6 in. wide, the center of the tin fitting 
the rope closely, and fastened to it securely. This forms 
a channel about three inches deep above and below the 
rope, which stops the ascent of the ihsect. Simple, cheap,, 
and we doubt not as effective as a more complicated affair. 
Planting Corn in Drills.—“A. F. N.,” 
Beaver Dam, Wis. Our method of planting corn in drills 
is with the Emery Corn Planter. The ground is plowed 
and harrowed, and the com is then dropped by the- 
planter in rows three feet apart, and two or three grains 
18 inches apart in the rows. The planter opens the drill,, 
drops the seed, covers it, and rolls the ground over it, 
leaving a track so that a cultivator can be used, if needed, 
before the corn shows above ground. Or, in place of the- 
drill, open a light furrow with a one-horse plow, drop- 
the corn by hand, and cover with one of the light corn- 
coverers, or with a harrow frame without teeth. 
Quinces. — “L.” Because the quince will 
survive in a poor, wet place, it is no proof that it needs 
such a locality. Give it good soil; occasional manuring, 
and it will pay for the trouble. Set S to 10 feet apart. If 
kept in a bush form, with several stems, do not allow too- 
many to grow, but keep the center open to light and air- 
Tubs Tor Butler. —“ G. E. W.,” Dresden, 
Me. The tubs that we have found best in use for packings 
butter, are new white oak pails holding 50 pounds. Scald 
them with boiling hot brine, and then soaked thoroughly 
with cold brine, before packing the butter. When a, 
| churning is ready to be packed away, sprinkle the bottom, 
