374 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[Dece.mt.;;./: 
S-column pages. It is not only an ornament to every 
house, but is of great practical use; and its full definitions 
place it next to the Cyclopaedia as a source of general infor¬ 
mation. It weighs 8)j lbs., and can go by express; or be 
sent by mail for l cent perouuce within 3000 miles, or 2 cents 
per ounce over 3000 miles. 
Premium 12. 
40 Subscribers at 80 cents each, (or 21 at ?1 each,) will 
entitle the person getting up the club to one of the best 
SO!) Hand Corn Spellers—a convenient, effective, and 
■useful implement. 
Premium I. 
30 Subscribers at 80 cents eaeii, (or 10 at $1 each,) will 
entitle the person getting up the club to one extra copy of 
Vol. XX, and also to tlie 4 previous unbound Voltames 
of the American Agriculturist, )16, 17, 38, 19,) sent postpaid. 
Premium .2. 
20 Subscribers at SO cents each, (or 13 at $1 each,) will 
entitle the person getting ap the club to a Pocket Micro¬ 
scope with the celebrated “hour-glass," or Coddington 
lens, in a solid silver case. Sent post-paid. 
Premium 5£. 
25 Subscribers at SO cento each, will entitle the person 
getting up the club to an extra copy of Vol. XX, and also to 
any three of the unbound volumes 10, 17, IS, and 19 sent post¬ 
paid. Ilf"20 Subscribers at 80 cents each to an extra copy 
of Vol. XX, and two of those volumes. tW" 15 Subscribers 
at 80 cent each, to an extra copy of Vol. XX, and one of the 
previous volumes. 
Premium L. 
20 Subscribers at 80 cents each, will entitle the person get¬ 
ting up the club to an assortment of Windsor <C Newton's 
Water Color Paints— consisting of 12 colors, put up in 
a neat mahogany ease, with brushes, etc. These Paints are 
imported from London, and are by all considered the best 
in the world. They are adapted to the finest work, or they 
will make a neat and appropiate present to any of our youn¬ 
ger readers. They will he sent post-paid any where within 
3000 miles. (If to go to the British Provinces or to the Pa¬ 
cific Coast, the recipient will need to send 84 cents for the 
extra postage required above the G ceuts per ounce which 
we pay. This and the next premium, if sent with our box 
of seeds, going to California in February, can go without 
the extra postage.' 
Fremiuin M. 
15 Subscribers at 80 cents each, will entitle the person get¬ 
ting up the club to an Assortment of Osborne <£ Ilodgkinson's 
Water Color Paints, consisting of 24 colors or shade;;, 
put up in a mahogany case with brushes, cups, etc. These 
are of American manufacture, and though not so flue as the 
above, they will answer for ordinary practice by children or 
beginners, and for common'sketching. They will also be 
sent by mail, post-paid. (If to go to the British Provinces, 
or to the Pacific Coast, $1,05 will need to tie sent by the re¬ 
cipient to pay the extra postage above G cents per ounce.) 
Premium N. 
10 Subscribers at 80 cents each, will entitle the person get¬ 
ting up the club to any one of the four previous unbound 
volumes (1G, 17; 18,19,) sent post-paid. 
Premium O. 
233' Subscribers at 80 cents eacii (or 125 at $1 each) will 
ontitle the person getting up the club to one of Geo. A. 
Prince t£ Co.'s §75 Melodteoiis (5 octaves). These Melo- 
deons are of very superior tone and finish. We have our¬ 
selves used one (costing $130) for two years past, and it has 
given the highest satisfaction, and is pronounced by all who 
have heard it, as one of the very best. The different priced 
instruments are of equally good tone— the price varying witli 
the size and style of finish. The size, prices, etc., of these in¬ 
struments can be learned particularly by sending a stamp to 
Geo. A. Prince & Co., Buffalo, X. Y„ for an illustrated de¬ 
scriptive catalogue. The instruments given as Premiums, will 
he sent new directly from the factory at Buffalo, ready box¬ 
ed, and without extra expense to the recipient, except for 
freight after leaving the factory. 
The above premium list may be made up by the 
members of a congregation, or Sabbath School, and an in¬ 
strument thus secured for a church or school-room. 
Premium P. 
192 Subscribers at 80 cents eacii (or 105 at $t each) will 
entitle the person getting up the club to one of Geo. A. 
D rime <t Co.'s §50 II clod cons (1 X octaves.) See re¬ 
marks above. 
Premium Q,. 
130 Subscribers at 80 cents eacii (or 90 at $1 eacii), will 
entitle the person getting up the club to one of Geo. A. 
Prince <£• Co.'s §45 Melodious (4 octaves.) See. remarks 
above. 
IV. II.—Higher priced Melodeons will he given for larger 
lists, in the same proportion. 
Book Premiums. 
Valuable Hook Premiums.- Instead of the. above 
premiums, any person getting up a club of 20 or more names 
may choose any desired Books from the list (advertised on 
page 330 of inst month) to the. amount of W/. cents for each 
name forwarded at 80 cents, (or02>£ cents for each name sent 
at $1,) and the hooks will lie sent post-paid, (If to go over 
3000 miles, the recipient will need to send 20cents for extra 
postage on eacii dollar's worth of books.) "Persons mak¬ 
ing up a club for any of 1 lie above premiums, and getting 
some names over the required amount, will he entitled lo 
hooks for the surplus names. 
Barometers Cheaper. —Just as we go to press, 
we arc informed by Mr. Kendall, that improvements in 
machinery will enable him to make and sell his $10 Ane¬ 
roid Barometer at $"X. This will bring this useful in¬ 
strument within the reach of a larger number of persons. 
We make a reduction in our premium list. (See Premium 
52.) We shall keep a few on hand at the reduced price, 
to supply to those who can not get them conveniently 
elsewhere, as they are not yet on sale generally. 
-«e—«——asaO - p— o- —- —■ 
Yale Agricultural lectures. 
The public will be gratified to learn that the novel ex¬ 
periment of the Yale Agricultural Lectures of last Winter 
was so successful as to induce its repetition this Winter 
on a more complete scale. The course will commence 
Feb. 5th, and continue through the month, These lec¬ 
tures which are of great value to the whole country, and 
worthy the attention of every cultivator, are given under 
the auspices of the Yale Scientific School, or Scientific 
Department of Yale College,' as a supplement to its newly 
instituted course of practical collegiate education, and for 
the benefit of the public at large, A new and important 
feature of this course will be its complete illustration by 
specimens, drawings, models, and animals. Life-sized 
paintings of groups from celebrated herds, will be included 
in these illustrations. The lectures on training and break¬ 
ing hoises arc to be accompanied by practical illustrations. 
The lecturers of last year will take part in the course, and 
other eminent names, with a variety of new subjects, will 
be added to the list. 
The expenses of the course are provided for in part by 
subscription. The lectures are under the direction of 
Prof. John A. Porter, who may be addressed for further 
information, at New-IIivin, Conn. 
Into which arc thrown all sorts of paragraphs — such as 
Notes and Replies to Cobkespondents, with Useful or 
interesting Extracts from their Letters, <S-c., <5'C - — to be 
drawn from whenever we have room left here. 
Basket Overflowing — ©eferred. Items.—A 
large mass of queries, notes, etc, are waiting room, the 
index to the volume having crowded out several pages. 
Our plan for next volume is to devote much more space 
to this department, where a great variety of information 
can be given in condensed form. 
Send Along Items, Queries, etc.— Let all our 
readers now sending in their renewals, slip into their busi¬ 
ness letters some item of information, or of interest to 
others, or a query—to be used in the general reading col¬ 
umns, or for basket reference All sucli items should be 
marked “ for Editors” and be on a separate sheet from 
business matters. Eacii slip should also contain the date, 
and the name and address of the writer. 
Note from the Big Potato Sian,— “ I see Mr. 
Editor that you have been drawing a picture of neighbor 
Smith and myself, and promising that I would give my 
method of treating the land where you saw thatbigerop of 
potatoes. This was more than I looked for — but as I 
never break a promise, I wouldn’t like to be tlie cause of 
your breaking yours. I will write out my experience just 
as soon as J can get tilings fixed up for Winter. You will 
hear from me in time for January, or February at latest.” 
Guano Frauds. — A chapter on tlie adulteration of 
Peruvian Guano, now extensively practiced in this city, 
was crowded out of tlie preceding pages. We will only- 
say now, that probably not over three or four of all tlie 
dealers here, sell a pure article, while tlie mixing is so 
skillfully done that few can distinguish the pure from the 
adulterated. Further remarks will be offered before our 
readers need to lay in a Spring supply. 
More Pumpkins.— E. V. B., Wallingford, Conn., 
raised this season from one seed ten pumpkins', weighing 
853 lhs. The largest weighed 185 lbs., tlie nextinsize 143 lbs. 
'Plant $500 Chess Premium.— 1 There is no ques¬ 
tion about the good faith of our offer. We don’t believe it 
possible in the nature of tilings to produce chess from 
pure wheat under any circnmstanecs—sucli a thing would 
be equivalent to a new creation and would falsify tlie doc¬ 
trine of tlie “ permanence of species.” It would be ns rea¬ 
sonable to expect to raise beets from turnip seed. We 
would therefpre very cheerfully pay the $500 offered by 
us—or even morn— for the privilege of first publishing to 
tlie world so important a discovery, established by clear 
and incontrovertible evidence. Why, it would pay in a 
business point of view, as an advertisement. We do not 
call in question tlie good faitli of those who think they have 
seen the think done. We simply believe there has hern 
some mistake. If the change lias been produced, it 
can be done again under the same circumstances. There- 
fore let the believers in this theory try whatever experi¬ 
ments they choose, and if they succeed in satisfying them 
selves, the experiment can be repeated under circum¬ 
stances that will leave no doubt of its feasibility. Who¬ 
ever succeeds will be entitled to tlie reward offered 
which will be gladly paid, both as a contribution to sci¬ 
ence and for the incidental advantages named above. 
Tins offer holds good for five years at least. AA'e only ask 
to be excused from answering tlie many letters which 
have been received on this subject, until some one is 
ready to report a perfectly successful new experiment. 
Improved King Philip Corn.— Edwin Budd. 
Burlington Co., N. J. Tlie improvement consists in an 
increased length of ear. It lipeDS early and gives 
a much larger yield than the old King Philip, whicli was 
specially valuable where other kinds could not be ripened 
French Asters.—J. F. Shores, Jr., Rockingham 
Co., N. H., describes a bed of these which he raised the 
past season. They began to bloom in August, were 2 to 
3 feet high, and 3}f inches to 3% inches in diameter. 
Concert Iby Cows—Bells Wanted.— The sug¬ 
gestions in our article, page 326, on improved bells for 
cows, lias called forth several pleasing responses, and tlie 
general question is, “ where shall we get them.” Bell 
makers please N. B.—Mr. M. AV. Phillips, of Edwards 
Depot, Miss., writes;' “-1 am in for the bells. If friend 
Judd will only get somebody to make the bells, good sub¬ 
stantial ones tuned to different’notes, and fitted for a wido 
neck strap, I will take 10 or 12 for cows, also some for 
calves, sheep, and goats, and rather than not have them, 
1 would use hog bells. Nothing is so pleasing to me as the 
bell at twilight, with its regular beats, the stately cow 
moving along as if she were queen indeed.... Put me 
down for a chime of cow bells, do. calf, do. sheep, and 
lastly goats.” 
Cheat ins in Seeds. —R. F. Clute, Chickasaw Co., 
Miss. The practice of “killing” seeds has been pursued 
for many years by dishonest tradesmen. AVhere see ; - 
resemble each other, the cheaper kinds are used lo adul¬ 
terate the more costly, as mustard, rape, etc., mixed with 
turnip seed. The cheat would be detected if all the see is 
should germinate ; to prevent this, the mustard or other 
cheap article is “ killed” by submitting it to some chemi¬ 
cal or other process : only tlie genuine seeds sprout, and 
the failure of tlie crop is attributed to unfavorable weath- 
er, insects, etc. 
Best time to Boot Prune,—I. A. AVliiie, Erie 
Co., Pa. In support of what was said on page 243, August 
Agriculturist, we have Thomas, Barry, and Downing, as 
authority for root pruning in Fall and AVinter. Mr. Riv-. 
ers, of England, practices it in November. Some grow¬ 
ers prefer August, and if tlie season is not too dry, that 
month answers very well, but, all tilings considered, we 
prefer, November. 
Ice Mouses with Boulblo Hollow Walls.— 
A Rural N^w-Yorker correspondent thinks his success in 
keeping ice is due to one hollow wall for confined air, and 
another adjacent space filled witli spent tan. Tan was 
also spread thickly between a dottble roof so connected 
with tlie sides as to keep them well filled. An incli and a 
half auger hole tvas bored through tlie roof for ventilation. 
Tlie room was 10 feet square and 8 feet high, extending 
2 feet under ground upon a gravel bed. 
Mot Cora for Fowls.—C. F. AVriglit, Chautauque 
Co., N. A r ., states that boiled corn fed while hot, will make 
hens lay, as he lias seen proved by two of his neighbors, 
ft seems move likely that, the cooking produced this re¬ 
sult, rather than tile feeding while hot. 
Flowering Bulbs.—Messrs. J. M. Tliorburn & Co. 
have our thanks for a fine assortment which we have 
planted around the “ Homestead.” 
Grapes.— Dr. R. T. Underhill, has laid us under obli¬ 
gations for a box of fine Isabella and Catawba grapes from 
his celebrated Croton Point Vineyards. Need we say 
they are good. 
Boston Lady Currant.—-J. N. Baker, La Salle 
Co., Ill. AVe know of no currant by this name. Red and 
AVhite Dutch are good, well tried sorts. 
Brandt on the Age of Morses. — This work, 
referred to on page 346, on further examination, appears 
to be a capital tiling. AVe have a letter from Dr. Dadd, 
Veterinary Surgeon, which speaks of it as the best tiling 
of the kind ever published. The price is also reduced 
from $1 to 50 cents. AVe can get and forward copies when 
wanted by ' our subscribers. 
Bone Bust. — S. G. Smith, AVest Brattleboro’, AVind- 
hani, Co., AT. The price of this article ranges from $3 to 
$3 50 per bid., according to tlie quantity ordered. It 
would pay to use it at lids price if good compost of muck 
and stable manure could not he procured at a reasonable 
rate. Messrs. Lister Ar Brother, advertise a good article, 
