AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
30 
1800 ] 
drops of ipecacuanha wine, and mix with a desert spoon- 
fill eaeli of vinegar and honey for a dose. 
[ Remark. —We hope none of the purchasers of the 
•fifty methods” have been foolish enough to take the 
above dose—it i-s prescribed on the “ kill or cure ” plan 
entirely, with rather too much of the “ kill” in it.J 
41. Universal Liniment. —Take one fluid ounce tinc¬ 
ture of opium, and one fluid drachm tincture of iodine 
-mix. 
[Remark.— Ask your doctor what he thinks of this “ uni¬ 
versal ” affair ] 
42 Superior Paint for Brick Houses.—To lime 
w hitewash, add for a fastener sulphate of zinc, and shade 
with any color you choose ; for yellow paint, add yellow 
ochre ; for red, add Venetian red, &c. 
[Remark. —The value of sulphate of zinc (while vitriol), 
in whitewash, has recently been discussed in this journal. 
The above is nothing more than a common whitewash, 
with coloring matter added to shade it. The sulphate of 
zinc changes a pruct of it to sulphate of lime (Plaster of 
Paris), and for iiSde work makes the material slick a 
little belter than the ordinary lime wash. See last vol¬ 
ume, pages 118, 136, 197.] 
43. Paint for Rough Wood-Work. Six pounds 
melted pitch, one pint of linseed oil, and one pound of 
yellow ochre. 
[Remark.—We can not say as to the above—if good at 
all, we think there is too little oil prescribe 1.] 
44. Best Varnish. —White wax, 15 ounces; yellow 
resin, one ounce, powdered ; turpentine, one quart; sim¬ 
mer till dissolved; apply w ith a cloth, and polish w ith a 
clean piece of woolen. 
[Remark.— Better get from a dealer the kind of varnish 
and the quantity required for any particular work.] 
45. Leather Varnish. —Boiled oil, 32 parts ; Spirits 
of turpentine, 4 parts ; beeswax, 2 parts ; resin, 2 parts ; 
i eniee turpentine, 2 parts ; mix and use while hot. 
\Remark.—We are not “footed up” on the varnish 
question, and the above may be good for ought we cer¬ 
tainly know, but we should want better authorities for it, 
than the source from whence it comes.] 
46. Almond So.tr. —Best white tallow soap, 50 pounds; 
essence of bitter almonds, 20 ounces ; melt by the aid of a 
steam or water bath. 
[Remirk.— An impracticable, costly recipe, we think. 
47. Fancy Soap.— Dissolve two ounces of Venice Soap 
in two ounces of lemon juice ; add one ounce oil of al¬ 
monds and one ounce oil of tartar ; mix and stir it till it 
has acquired the consistency of honey. 
[Remark. —We fear another dollar must be sent to learn 
what " oil of tartar ” is ; we don’t know, having never 
heard of it.] 
48. Macassar Oil.— Olive oil, one pound ; oil origanum, 
one drachm ; oil rosemary, one scruple—mix. 
[Remark. —This is probably as good a preparation as 
nine tenths of the “Macassar oil” sold in the country—it be 
ing essentially sweet oil (olive oil) scented to your liking. 
49. Buffalo Oil —Take best lard oil, and perfume it 
well with equal parts of oil garden lavender and oil 
lemon. 
[Remark. —This we should call hog oil, rather than 
“ Buffalo oil ’’—but then it matters littie. Lard oil, well 
scented, may be sold under any name you choose—the 
good quality and the usefulness of these market hair oils 
depends more upon the name on the outside of the bottle, 
and y our faith, than upon the quality of the article inside.] 
50. Lavender Perfumed Water.— Two ounces oil 
garden lavender, one drachm essence ambergris, six 
drachms ojl bergamot. Mix with two quarts and a pint 
proof spirits. 
[Remaik. —Then this appears to be not a lavender water 
at all, but an alcoholic mixture—pretty strong of oil, 
and rather costly.] 
Though we paid all that was asked, we beg to tender 
our most grateful thanks to the sender of the “fifty me¬ 
thods of making money ;” he only promised us fifty me¬ 
thods, and who says we have not got them ; but how 
tinlike the rest of the world, this man, for he generous¬ 
ly sends us two more then promised! Here they are; 
51. Florida AVater.— Half pint proof spirits, two 
drachms oil lemon, half drachm oil rosemary—mix. 
52. Non-Explosive Burning Fluid.— Take 5 quarts 
alcohol, 1 quart camphene, and 2 ounces pulverized 
alum ; mix, and let it stand 24 hours. If transparent, it 
is.fit for us.e : if not add sufficient alcohol to bring it to 
the natural color of the alcohol. The cover of the lamp 
must fit close, aud a tin stopper be kept over the tube, 
when not in use, to prevent evaporation. 
[Remark.— We take back our thanks above expressed. 
This last is nothing more than Ihe common “burning 
fluid” with the doubtful addition of a little alum.] 
And here endeth No. 26. Our readers will do well to 
preserve ibis list. If it would not spoil the copy of the 
paper, we would advise to cut the above 52 “ methods” 
into separate slips, and put them in a box, or shake them 
•jp. Then whenever any one advertises some wonderful 
recipe, just thrust a hand into the box, and draw out one ; 
it will be quite as likely t-o be useful, as the thing adver¬ 
tised—and perhaps will be the same thing,under a differ¬ 
ent name. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
Head Work- 
If a man is really a boor he will pass for noth¬ 
ing more, and if he is at heart a gentleman he will 
pass for nothing less ; if he is an ignorant plodder, 
men will treat him as such, and if his brains are 
well cultivated, others will not be slow to find it 
out; so that those who do not command respect, 
have themselves to blame most. A young man 
in these days has no more right to have an idle 
head, than an idle body ; neither ought he to so 
overwork his muscular system that there is no 
more nervous energy left for the brain, and as a 
consequence feel so dull and stupid, that he has 
no desire to open a book. It is preeminently the 
day of physical science. The Classics are giving 
way to rocks, and plants, and the elements with 
which nature performs her wondrous work. The 
“ Study ” is changed from the closet to the field, 
and here the farmer can, and ought to be, even 
with all. A few text books, and much close, 
thoughtful observation, will do more towards 
balancing mind and muscle, more towards mak¬ 
ing farmers men and gentlemen, than all the 
harangues on the dignity of their calling ever 
uttered. 
Turn back the leaves of the great book on 
which you tread, and read in the rocks the history 
of long gone by creations ; Trace the tree from 
embryo to perfection ; observe clouds and storm, 
wind and sunshine, and find even these erratic 
visitors of the air subject to law; turn up the 
soil, and with a chemist’s eye mark the changes 
of the mold under the influence of rain and 
manure. Carry out these ideas, and see as your 
brains get used to working, if you don’t soon feel 
the result all over,—a lightness of heart and a 
sense of equality in whatever society you may be 
thrown. “Awake thou sluggard, and arise thou 
that sleepest."’ Lover of the farm. 
Grasses, and their Importance. 
The high price of hay this winter, reaching in 
some places twenty five and thirty dollars a tun, 
leads us to notice the great importance of this 
crop The hay crop of 1850 was estimated at not 
quite 14 millions of tuns, worth in the aggregate 
at least 150 millions of dollars, and the grass crop 
from the pastures is worth as much more, mak¬ 
ing three hundred and fifty millions of dollars, as the 
annual yield of our grasses. This is none the 
less valuable, because it is mainly consumed at 
home. Indeed as a rule, it will pay a farmer a 
larger profit to use up all his grass and hay 
upon his own premises, than to sell it at the 
market price. This is the most economical 
method of increasing the productiveness of his 
farm. If all the hay be consumed at home, it 
will make a large heap of manure if it he saved, 
and this will bring larger crops of hay, grain, and 
vegetables, to feed yet larger numbers of animals. 
The outside limit of the productiveness of the 
soil has not yet been reached by the most skill¬ 
ful cultivators. The hay crop for the country 
does not average a tun to the acre. Some farms 
average three tuns, and single acres are known 
to produce four and five tuns. There can be no 
doubt, that most farms can double their present 
yield of grass and hay, to the great pecuniary 
advantage of the owners. They want more of 
these crops, and cannot farm sueeesfully until 
they have them. 
For dry uplands, an occasional cropping with 
grain and roots, as now pursued, will no doubt 
be advisable. These crops, however, should be 
accompanied with much larger quantities of 
manure. Instead o,f the ten and twenty, there 
should he thirty and forty loads to the acre, on 
poor soil. With occasional exceptions the plow, 
also, should be allowed to run deeper,—ten, 
twelve, and fourteen inches, instead of four, five 
and six. The grasses are as much benefited by 
a deep loose soil, as other crops. Thicker seed¬ 
ing would also be a great advantage in many 
cases. Three and four dollars a bushel for herds- 
grass, and twelve cents a pound for clover seed, 
seem large prices, and there is a temptation to 
stint the quantity, which many farmers do not 
resist. But the best land will not bring a full 
crop, unless it is well stocked. A half bushel of 
herds-grass seed, or three pecks of red top is 
none too much per acre. A man should econo¬ 
mize in any other place, sooner then in the seed 
sowing.— 
But the best lands for grass are those which 
are naturally moist, swales of reclaimed 
swamps. If these are properly drained, they may 
be kept in grass without plowing. Lauds that 
have a large percent of vegetable matter in them, 
peat and muck swamps, are greatly benefited by 
a top dressing of fine gravel, or loam from Ihe 
adjacent uplands. If the surface is cleared of 
brush, and made smooth, the grass seed may he 
sown immediately upon the gravel, without har¬ 
rowing or brushing. The most of it will catch. 
Even if the ground is to soft for carting in sum¬ 
mer, the gravel can be put on when it is frozt n. 
The seed be sown any time in February or March. 
Draining, so that the water will not stand any¬ 
where within a foot of the surface, is essential 
to the highest success. Two feet or more would 
be better still. 
Such lands will ordinarily bear large crops of 
grass, from two to three tuns to the acre, and 
may be kept in a high state of productiveness, hv 
a top dressing of good compost once in three 
years. They are worth more for grass than lor 
any oilier crop, and they will pay better for good 
husbandry than any other part Of the farm. * 
For the American Agriculturist . 
Village Wastes. 
A great amount of fertilizing material may bo 
gathered at this season from the Village. The 
writer knows of large farms, once poor and 
exhausted, that have been brought up to a high 
state of productiveness, by the application of 
these wastes.—The contents of privy-vaults are 
the most valuable of those fertilizers, and they 
are generally to be had, for the carting. They 
are extensively used in the neighborhood of 
large cities, for the manufacturing of poudrette, 
and, when well made, this is a valuable fertilizer. 
But any farmer, living within a mile or two of a 
village, can have a home-made article at much 
less expense. It has a much higher value than 
stable manure, some estimating it to be worth 
four times as much. 
In cold weather it can be carted without public 
offence. There are several contrivances for 
transporting it. One is a common ox, or horsc- 
cart, made as nearly watertight as possible, with 
a partition in the middle, sliding up and down, 
like the gate of a mill pond,—This is pul in, to 
prevent spilling, when going up or down hill. 
Another apparatus, is a water tight box, made of 
stout pine timber, just large enough to fit inside 
of the cart. The hind part is furnished with three 
or four two inch holes, stopped with wooden 
plugs. The lop has a lid, or trap door, j-ust large 
enough to admit of convenient filling This is 
closed as soon as the box is filled. The liquid 
contents may be used to top dress meadows, bul 
