1800 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
71 
len, Crklgfeman, and otlier seedsmen in this city, have 
plenty of pure imported seed of the Portugal onion, which 
they will he happy to retail at $1.50 a pound. Asa pound 
will sow at least 30 rods, enough to sow “two square 
rods ” will cost ten cents! 
[No. 29.] 
Egyptian Corn.— Too late for notice last month, we re¬ 
ceived a note from a Postmaster in Crawford Co., Mo., 
enclosing a “circular,” which he informed us, was being 
distributed throughout that State. This contains a glow¬ 
ing description of a wonderful Egyptian Corn-“Sent by 
the Pasha of Egypt to our Government....Most prolific 
in the world.... Yields 500 bushels to the acre.... Grows 
anywhere in the United States-Ripens in 90 days.... 
Two crops can be grown in a single season, on same 
piece of giound....Grows in the form of a tree....22 
ears have been grown on a single stalk-Averages 5 to 
]5 ears of similar shape to other varieties.. ..11 bushels 
of ears yield a bushel of shelled corn, weighing 65 lbs.... 
Makes the best of meal, and, when propelly bolted, ailour 
almost equal to wheat flour in color and fineness — By 
incurring much expense, enough has been secured for all 
desirous to try it,” etc., etc. [We call for a Committee of 
Congress to inquire about the bribe paid to our Govern¬ 
ment by this man, to secure a monopoly of this Pasha 
seed corn !] Suoh are some of the wonderful things 
claimed for this corn, which is, as he says, “ a wonder to 
all who have seen it.” A precious small number, we 
hope-notwithstanding the fact that the advertiser gen¬ 
erously offers to send for $1, not enough to plant 25 to 30 
acres, but, “ a sufficient amount to grow enough to plant 
the succedirig year from 25 to 30 acres.” Why, one seed 
r,ught to be enough to do this, with such a prolific corn. 
It would seem as if the adveriisement itself would be 
sufficient to guard people against this humbug, for such it 
is, doubtless; but we are informed from more sources 
than one, that the picture on the circular, the specious 
and apparently candid statements, and the efforts of those 
offered a commission to procure buyers, are successful in 
gulling a good many verdant buyers to invest their dol¬ 
lars. This humbug hails from Sandwich, DeKalb Coun¬ 
ty, 111., fathered, perhaps by the same party who last year 
figured in the Honeyblade Grass Swindle, in St. Louis, 
but who now operates in Missouri at a safe distance. 
We advise him to quit this business, and come East, buy 
out some journal, offer $2 worth of books for every 1$ re¬ 
ceived for subscription, and a big picture into the bargain, 
also keep a gift-book store in the Same building, but under 
another name, and puff it in the journal, &c. He can 
thus put on a more dignified air, and perhaps make more 
money than in selling honeyblade grass or Egyptian 
corn. We can point him to an example here. 
[No. 30.] 
Gift Books.— A year since we were offered $100 worth 
of advertising by each of two “ gift-book” men, which 
was, of course, refused; for we look upon these oper¬ 
ators as humbugs. Sometimes a few valuable gifts are 
given out as baits, but taken as a whole, the thing is a nuis¬ 
ance. One of the partiesfon being refused, made a great 
show of innocence and respectability, and got vouchers 
all the wav from Philadelphia for his good character, and 
almost demanded the admission of his advertisement. 
To-day, that man lies in our City prison. He ought to 
have several companions, who are now lying out of it. 
[No. 31.] 
Crippled Doctor. — Here is one of a class of circulars sent 
out from this and other cities, got up in an attractive 
form, and well calculated to deceive the unwary. The 
writer begins by working upon the sympathy of the read¬ 
er, telling a tale of former opulence, extensive practice 
of 34 years as a ‘prominent practising physician in the 
State and City of New-York,in colleges, hospitals, etc_ 
The teacher of many of the learned medical men through¬ 
out the Union,” etc. Then we have him crippled by be¬ 
ing thrown from a carriage, when on one of his errands 
of mercy ; then ruined by the crisis of 1827 ; and now, in 
old age, poor, with only one resource—his knowledge 
and unlimited experience-to gain what will soothe his 
declining years and “sustain his family.” [According to 
his ow n account of his age, his family ought to have been 
grown up long since, to sustain themselves.] He then 
goes on to speak of his great skill in curing particular dis¬ 
eases—consumption, nervousness, etc., etc., (in short, be¬ 
fore the close of his circular, he enumerates about all the 
diseases anybody has, or dreams he, or she, has ) Now 
for the meat in that cocoa-nut. He closes by offering to 
while away his declining years in giving full and succinct 
prescriptions for the diseases named, at only a dollar 
each, and says: “Any one of his prescriptions will cost 
but a single dollar, and will last forever.” He decries 
patent medicines and common doctors generally. From 
the style of this circular, it is well calculated to deceive. 
The name of this swindler is not in the City Directory. 
He does not give his street No., but we are not going to 
grMify him with a dollar, even to get his autograph. We 
have spent the dollar, and more, however, in mflKing in¬ 
quiries of old physicians here, and no one has ever heard 
of the man, in the past or present. He is an arch hum¬ 
bug of the deepest dye, and it is very likely that he is that 
old physician (James) whose sands of life have been run¬ 
ning out for 30 years—that being about his (old)age, as 
near as we could judge by his looks. We will give our 
readers one prescription, which they may follow in all 
cases, viz: No skillful, or honest, or reliable physician, 
aged or cripple, practicing in New-York city, ever sends out 
of it for practice, by circular or advertisement. Every 
one who does so is a humbug without fail. The rule ap¬ 
plies to every other locality as well as here. We hold 
ourselves responsible for all damage to patient or “ phy¬ 
sician ” resulting from following this prescription. 
[No. 32.] 
A subscriber in Kent County, Mo., is informed that 
the Doctor, inquired about, was a former graduate of the 
Medical College referred to, but is now none the less a 
quack for that. In his present character, he would not be 
tolerated a moment by any of the medical faculty. His 
pills, extracts, books, secrets, papers, etc., etc., you will 
do well to give a wide berth. We again caution all our 
readers against responding to one of the plausible med¬ 
ical circulars, etc., sent out from this City. See also the 
prescription italicised above. The “ pure medicinal 
liquors” inquired about, are chiefly manufactured in this 
City, and not so safe or good “in sickness” as the com¬ 
monest unadulterated whiskey. 
(To be continued as needed.) 
Hints on Wire Fences. 
To the Editoi of the American Agriculturist • 
The perusal of an article on wire fences in the 
volume just closed (p. 327), induces me to offer 
the following suggestions, founded on experience 
and observation, as I reside in Illinois, where 
these fences are constructed in a variety of meth¬ 
ods, and have their strong advocates, as well as 
enemies. For myself I have no doubt of their 
utility. 
The posts should be set every eight feet. The 
first or'corner post and every fortieth post, should 
be larger than the rest, and be firmly set in the 
ground, to a depth of three to four feet, according 
to compactness of soil, and be thoroughly braced. 
The braces should not be less than twelve feet 
long. The intermediate posts may be driven in 
the ground, which is preferable when the ground 
is not too hard. In driving the posts, a machine 
similar to a pile driver may be used. The machine 
is made quite light. To use the machine, we let 
one end of the bed pieces of the machine rest on 
the hindermost axle of a wagon, the other end 
has supports so braced that the bed of the machine 
may keep nearly a horizontal position. The wagon 
loaded with posts is driven as nearly over the 
line of the fence as possible. Should the driver of 
the machine not be directly over the line in which 
the post is to be driven, it may be brought in line 
by moving to the right or left, as one end of the 
machine does not rest on the wagon. By this 
method two men and a team can distribute and 
set as many posts per day, as six men can in any 
other method with which the writer is acquainted. 
The posts should be driven until they are at the 
required hight, which is readily ascertained by a 
fence pattern carried by one of the men. 
The posts are pierced for the wires, after set¬ 
ting. Of coarse they should be set so that the 
wire will passthrough the least diameter or thick¬ 
ness, as this saves boring. The boring should be 
through the heart wood when practicable—never 
through the sap wood when it can be avoided. 
A convenient pattern is made thus : take a board 
4 inch in thickness, 24 to 3 inches wide, and as 
long as the hight of the fence. Plane it smooth, 
rounding the corners. Mark one end “ bottom,” 
and then measure off upon it, points correspond¬ 
ing with the hight of the several wires from the 
ground. At each of these points make a plain 
mark around the pattern, numbering each point 
I, 2, 3, etc., from the ground upward. The mark¬ 
ing is best done with a hot iron. Also out at each 
point a hole or mortice, a little larger than the 
bit to be used for the wire, extend the mortise 
crosswise say one inch, or £ inch each side of the 
center. Make a round 4 inch hole a foot or so 
down from the top. This is to hang it by upon a 
large cut or wrought nail driven slightly into the 
post The pattern then swings down, so as 
to bring the mortice holes perpendicularly over 
each other, along the flat side of the post. The 
wire holes are then bored in the proper places by 
inserting the bit through each of the mortised 
holes in the pattern. 
For wire, that which is annealed, and of the 
best quality only should be used. Many think No.9 
to be strong enough ; but it is liable to be broken. 
The writer in putting up some two miles offence 
the past Fall, used No. 8. The coils may he placed 
loosely upon a reel, or rod, and be unwound from 
it. The wireis first passed through ihe straining 
post, then on through each intermediate post to the 
next straining post. About a foot of the wire is 
left projecting through each straining post. 
To tighten the wires, the following method has 
the advantage of simplicity, and is effective. Cut 
for each end of the several wires a short roller, say 
six inches long and two inches in diameter, and 
bore a I inch hole near each end, making the two 
holes at right angles to each other. Fasten the 
end of the wire to the middle of the roller with a 
staple [or by thrusting it through a small hole 
and clinching the points. Ed.] The wires are 
then wound upon the rollers, first at one end, 
and then at the other. A couple of iron rods in¬ 
serted in the holes give sufficient lever power to 
tighten the wire to any required degree of 
tension. The holes in the rollers being at right 
angles, one iron bar turns the roller a quarter 
around and holds it. while the other is moved. 
When the tightening is accomplished, to hold the 
rollers from turning back; wooden pins are put 
into the lever holes, and left to rest against the 
posts. A wire being loose at any time, can be 
tightened by applying the iron bar and shifting the 
pin. 
Boring the posts is preferable to fastening thi 
wire to their sides with staples, for unruly cattle 
will break through by tearing out the staples. A 
fence built after the manner described above wih 
answer all necessary conditions for confining 
cattle and horses. There should be not less than 
five wires. The wire fence is not completed un¬ 
til three or four plow furrows are turned up 
against each side. Illixoian. 
[Remarks. The above plan appears to be a 
simple and effective one, still, the wooden rollers 
and pins would not be very durable ; and further, 
.this method does not provide for a self acting and 
constant tension, to counteract the ever varying 
contraction and expansion of the wire by heat and 
cold. We saw some fences in Illinois two years 
since, in which the wires were wound upon cast 
iron rollers, one end placed in the post, and the 
other made large and pierced with holes for 
levers, upon the ends of which, weights were 
hung, to rise and fall with the contraction and 
expansion of the wires. We shall be glad to 
hear from some of those who have used these 
rollers, as to their utility, cost, etc., and also to 
receive a sketch or drawing of one of the rollers, 
and of a section of the fence fitted up. Ed.] 
«*» < m - . . 
A nosegay is easily obtained. Four brandy 
toddies a day for a couple of months, will put you 
in the way of one that will 'astonish all your 
friends. 
A Buncombe (buncum) fence was described by 
a witness under examination in court as : a fence 
that is bull strong, horse high, and pig tight. 
