1877.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
137 
containing a great variety of Items , ineluding many 
good Hints ana Suggestions which we throw into smaller 
type and condensed form, for want of room elsewhere. 
Publishers’ Notices, Terms, etc. — The Annual 
Subscription Rates of the American Agriculturist, postage 
prepaid by the Publishers, are: One Copy, $1.60 a year; Two 
Copies, $3 ; Three Copies, $1.20 ($1.40 each) ; Four Copies, 
$5.30 ($1.30 each); Five to Nine Copies, $1.25 each; Ten to 
Nineteen Copies, $1.20 each; Twenty Copies and upwards, 
$1.10 each ; Single Numbers, 15 cents, postpaid—The above 
terms are for the United States and Territories, and British 
America. To the above add 11 cents extra per year for 
papers delivered by mall In N. T. City, and for copies sent 
outside of the United States and British America, ex¬ 
cept to Africa, Brazil. British Honduras, the East Indies, 
and Mexico. For the last named five countries the extra 
charge is 38 cents per year, to cover extra postage ; Single 
Numbers, 17 cents, post-paid. Remittances, payable to 
Order of Orange Judd Company, may be sent in form of 
Checks or Drafts on N. T. City Banks or Bankers ; or P. O. 
Money Orders; or in Registered Letters, such letters to 
have the money enclosed in the presence of the Postmaster, 
and his receipt taken for it, and the postage and registering 
to be put on in stamps. Money remitted in any one of the 
above three methods is safeagainst loss. .Bound Volumes 
from Vol. 16 to 35 inclusive, supplied at $2 each, or $2.50 if to 
be sent by mail. Sets of numbers sent to the office will be 
bound in our regular style for 75 cents (50 cents extra If to 
be returned by mail). Missing numbers for such volumes 
supplied at 12 cents each.—Any Numbers of the paper is¬ 
sued for 20 years past, sent postpaid for 15 cents each.... 
Clubs of Subscribers can be increased at any tlme.at the club 
rates, if new members begin at same date as original club. 
Every German Cultivator au<l 
Laborer on tlie Farm, or in tlie Warden, 
OUGHT to have tlie German edition of the American 
Agriculturist. It contains not only the Engravings, and 
ail the essential reading matter of the American edition, 
but an additional Special German Department, edited by 
the Hon. Frederick Munch, of Missouri, a skillful and 
successful cultivator and excellent writer. No other 
German Agricultural or Horticultural Journal in America 
has been so long issued; no other one contains so much 
useful information, or a tithe of its engravings. The 
Germans are a reading, thinking people, and know how 
to make good use of what they read. Many Americans 
supply it to their German laborers and gardeners, and ail 
would find it pay to do so.—Nothing else can compete 
with it in cheapness of price for the same amount of 
material, engravings, etc., because the expense of collect¬ 
ing and making these is largely borne by the American 
edition, and no separate office or machinery is required 
beyond a couple of German editors and tlie printers. 
Its terms are the same as the American edition, singly 
and in clubs; and clubs can be composed of subscribers 
for either edition in whole, or in part.— fW” Please call 
the attention of your German neighbors to this paper. 
It will do much to help hew comers to a knowledge of 
the system and modes of culture nsed in this country. 
Handy, JUST NOW, and Helpful. 
To have exactly the right thing at hand, at exact¬ 
ly the right time, is very satisfactory, is helpful, is prof¬ 
itable. Several millions of people, in the country 
and in villages, are planning what to do in their fields 
and gardens. It would be very handy and helpful, 
if each one of these millions had right before him, or 
her, the numerous hints, suggestions, and directions 
about work that are found in this and last month’s num¬ 
bers of this paper, and which will be given in other num¬ 
bers, all summer. For Example, the list of the best 
varieties of seeds, etc., and the “Hints about Work," 
are not guess-work clippings ; they are prepared with 
great care by practical men who have been thoroughly 
testing the plants, and crops, and methods, and who 
speak from large experience and extensive observa¬ 
tion. We claim that each of our readers will do a good 
work, will positively benefit others by, just now. in this 
month of April, calling the attention of their friends and 
neighbors to the valuable aid they can get from these 
pages, and inducing them to supply themselves with the 
paper. Moreover, those who do this will be remu¬ 
nerated by the Publishers, who offer not only some 
promising potato seed, but a great variey of valuable arti¬ 
cles to those who forward names of subscribers. See what 
they offer in the Illustrated Premium-List. (If you 
have not a copy at hand, a postal card request will bring 
a free copy.) It is worth looking into. Over 
18,000 Person* have already procured some of 
these valuable articles free, and every one else can do 
the same. This month of April is a good time to finish 
up premium lists begun, and make up new clubs of a 
few or many names. Our books show that a great num¬ 
ber did this in April last year, hard as the times were. 
Now we are on the eve of better times, and the reading, 
thinking people are going to be the most prosperous. 
Three Months More remain, in which 
Premium Lists begun can be filled up, and new lists be be¬ 
gun and completed. Take a new start at it, in this spring 
time. The free Premium Articles, too numerous to men¬ 
tion, contain several things that you much want, and can 
easily get without cost, for there are many people all 
around you that would be benefited greatly by this Jour¬ 
nal, and who will take it if it is properly set before 
them, as its present readers can do, and for which they 
will be duly rewarded by the Publishers, as explained in 
the Premium List, that will be forwarded free to all who 
have not a copy. 
“A SSluelc Sheep,” or one a little “ discol¬ 
ored,” may, perhaps, at remote intervals, by some chance, 
get in among our large flock of good advertisers. If 
discovered by us, or to us, his place would be speedily 
vacated. While the advertisements help our expenses 
(the subscribers all together pay much less than the ac¬ 
tual cost of supplying the paper to them), this depart¬ 
ment is intended to be a source of valuable and reliable 
information to the readers, and it will pay them to al¬ 
ways look it all through, and especially at this season. 
It is like going through a great “Variety Bazaar,” to 
find not only what one wants, but what he don’t want. 
When writing to any of these advertisers, hint to them 
that you belong to the great army of Readers of the 
American Agriculturist , a wide-awake family, and one 
that expect and will stand no nonsense. The advertise¬ 
ments this month, as last, crowd the Editors at this open¬ 
ing business season. They will get back their usual 
reading columns next month. 
Hid It Pay? —Thirty-four years ago two 
farmers settled side by side, with about equal advantages 
as to soil, markets, etc. One of them subscribed for the 
American Agriculturist , and occasionally bought a book 
or two about his business, the whole costing him only 
$6 a year. His boys read and thought about their work, 
became interested in and respected it, and were happy in 
their toil, because they had something to think about. 
They grew up intelligent, and settled as good prosperous 
farmers, respected and influential_The other farmer 
“ couldn’t afford papers and books ” ; (he could afford 6 
cents a day, or $20 a year, for tobacco, beer, etc.) His 
boys worked sullenly by day, and “ skylarked ” at night; 
they despised and hated their work, which for them was 
only exercising brute force, with little mind applied. 
When old enough to escape parential restraint, they quit 
the farm, one for this, and another for that, and none of 
them ever amounted to anything, i Six dollars a year, or 
even $1.50 a year, would have made a wonderful differ¬ 
ence—would have changed their whole course of life. 
Would it have paid?....Please show this item to some 
of your neighbors, who have perhaps not thought of 
this matter, and invite them to try this or some other 
good journal for the present year. You may do them a 
positive good by such a hint. 
Imperial Egg Food .- 11 H.,” Stafford’s 
Springs, Conn. The Imperial egg food you inquire 
about, is intended for, and should be used as a condi¬ 
ment only, and not as a sole article of food; as a stimu¬ 
lant, occasionally given, it is useful. To give Cayenne 
pepper to poultry, without great caution, is dangerous. 
It is too heating and stimulating, when given often, or 
liberally, and becomes injurious to health. A mixture, 
properly compounded by a practiced poultry man, would 
be preferable, and the fact that this costs something, 
would doubtless have a useful tendency to make people 
properly economical in its use. 
Shape of Harrow.—“ F. W. F.,” Preble 
Co., Ohio. The harrow described on page 417, American 
Agriculturist , 1876, figure 2, is not exactly square; it is 
longer than it is wide, but the corners are square. 
Great Increase from Potatoes 
Planted.—New varieties of potatoes are produced 
from the seed of the seed balls. In planting a thousand 
seeds, no two seeds will produce tubers exactly alike. 
When a desirable tuber is obtained, it can be multiplied 
true- to itself, to any extent, by planting the tubers, or 
single eyes ; also by cutting the sprouts into small pieces 
and planting these. As ordinarily planted, one bushel o 
seed yields only from 5 to 20-fold increase. With care in 
dividing the eyes, several hundred pounds may be pro¬ 
duced from a single pound; with extra efforts in using 
the slips, the product may be run up to 2,000-fold, or 
more. For example, last year Mr. H, C. Pearson, of Pit¬ 
cairn, N. Y., grew 1,981 pounds of Ruby potatoes from 
1 lb. planted, and 1,707 lbs. of Alphas from 1 lb. J. L 
Salter, of St. Cloud, Minn., 
obtained from 1 lb. plant¬ 
ed, 1,694 lbs, of Ruby, 
and 1,665 lbs. of Alpha. 
Several others obtained 
over 1,500lbs. Methods of 
cultivation, soil, etc., and 
many other particulars, 
can be fully learned from 
B. K. Bliss & Sons’ Potato 
Pamphlet,(forwarded post¬ 
paid for 10 cts). The an¬ 
nexed engraving illus¬ 
trates a good method of 
dividing a seed potato for 
securing a large quantity 
of sets. It is desirable 
that each eye have a por¬ 
tion of the tuber with it, 
to supply nourishment to 
the young plant. With 
care the '•‘eyes" them¬ 
selves can he cut through, so as to make from two to a 
dozen pieces, each of which will send up a sprout. Hold 
any potato with the stem-end down, and it will be ob¬ 
served that the eyes are arranged spirally around it, run¬ 
ning up to the top or seed-end. The engraving shows 
very plainly the method of dividing. As oue set to 
a hill is quite as good as a dozen, it will be seen that this 
method of dividing is not only of great importance in 
planting new and costly varieties, but that it will effect a 
great saving of seed with common sorts, now worth from 
$3 to $4 a barrel. Two barrels of seed, carefully cut, are 
abundant for an acre. Four are generally used". With 
the present scarcity and high prices, an immense saving 
can he effected by a very little care in preparing the seed. 
An expert hand will cut two barrels a day, and thus save 
$6 to $8, or more, in the cost of seed. 
TRY THE YEW POTATOES.— 
Some Seed. Free.—The liability to deterioration and 
disease, of the important potato crop makes it necessary 
to frequently introduce new varieties. Those who first 
get hold of a good new variety, will find great profit in 
it. A little seed can be rapidly multiplied, as shown 
above, and those who have a supply of seed first, can dis¬ 
pose of it at many times the price of the ordinary seed. 
Those trying two, three, four, or five new varieties, will 
find it greatly profitable if even one turns out to be of su¬ 
perior excellence. The most promising new variety 
offered this year is the “ Superior,” described on 
pages 139 and 140 of this paper. The chances are that 
those who have the new seed next spring, as but few can 
procure it, will command their own price. The supply 
is very limited, probably not fifty bushels, all told. 
As stated last month, we have secured a small quantity, 
which we will distribute on the plan proposed, viz., we 
will send a half a pound of it (two medium potatoes), by 
mail, postpaid, to any present subscriber, who will ob¬ 
tain and forward one new subscriber to the American 
Agriculturist for 1877: or three parcels (or 1$ lbs.) if two 
new subscribers are sent to us, and in the same propor¬ 
tion for more subscribers. (This offer is only for new 
subscribers sent after March 1.) It will be readily seen, 
from the article above, that a single pound may be easi¬ 
ly multiplied to COO to 900 lbs. (10 to 15 bushels), or even 
much more during the present year, which may probably 
be worth anywhere from $50 to $100, or more, for seed 
next spring. We cannot, of course, guarantee that this 
potato will prove all that is hoped for it, in all localities, 
hut the chances are so much in its favor, that this offer 
is worthy of the attention of all. It will be a simple 
matter to secure one, two, or more subscribers required 
to obtain this premium. These potatoes are sold by the 
single pound,at $1 a pound. (The Early Rose, when first 
offered, was sold at $5 a pound, and paid very largely at 
that price, to most of those who got seed the first 
year.) We have none to sell, and only a limited supply 
to present, in the manner above indicated—probably en¬ 
ough for all who apply in April; but those desiring it as 
above, should act promptly, before the supply runs out 
