358 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[December, 
Have you HiiultarS) or I a ie Flaut ? 
This supplies one of the earliest and best materials for 
pies and table sauce, and is believed to be tonic and 
healthful. It is very readily grown, and a dozen or fif¬ 
teen one-year old roots will supply a large family, one 
year after setting. The Linnaeus variety yet stands at 
the head. It is now quite common, and 1-year old roots 
or crowns can be purchased of most commercial garden¬ 
ers and nurserymen. But those who can not get the roots 
o-f tills variety should sow the seed. This does not al¬ 
ways follow the parent plant in character and value, but 
is likely to produce a good sort, and sometimes even un¬ 
improved one. We have many promising reports al¬ 
ready from seed sent out by us so abundantly the past 
year, and we shall ndtbe surprised if in several instances 
the favorite Linnaeus be far eclipsed by its offspring. We 
have again saved several bushels of the purest and best 
seed, parcels of which will be sent free to all pur subscri¬ 
bers needing it. It will be in the seed list next month. 
BlattmlMig:—A CsisitioM.—Better avoid all 
the so-called “Insurance Companies” offering to insure 
soldiers against drafts, sickness, wounds, etc. A magnifi¬ 
cent Company (on paper) nominally in Wall-street 
(really nowhere that we can find) Has recently succeeded 
in humbugging even some of the sharp editorial frater¬ 
nity, into publishing half a column or more of advertise¬ 
ments, under promise to pay in the future. 
B>eH?rrc«l Stems.— A large number of 
basket items are crowded over to next month by the index. 
SUNDRY BUSINESS ITEMS, ETC. 
1000 December Copies Free. 
The extra November edition, offered free to new subscri¬ 
bers, lasted not quite to the middle of the month. Of this (De¬ 
cember) number, we will print 1000 extra copies, to be pre¬ 
sented to the first 1000 new subscribers received for the next 
volume. All new names sent in prior to Dec. 1st, of course 
receive the December number, as previously announced. 
A Request, and Why Made. 
As soon as one number of this paper is mailed, our men 
commence writing mail wrappers for*the next, and these 
are all called over again and compared with the books, to 
be sure that there are no mistakes. They are then tied up 
in bundles for each Slate, county, post office, etc., so that 
as soon as the printing commences the mailing begins, 
and follows the presses. But this month, we must delay 
the wrappers until the renewals are received and entered 
in their, appropriate places in the books. This takes 
much time and care. We do not want to put on inex¬ 
perienced men who might make mistakes, and so our old 
clerks and bookeepers work almost night and day towards 
the last of the month. It will greatly lighten the labor, 
and assist in getting the books regulated, and in the 
prompt mailing, if our readers will send in as many 
names as may be convenient very early in December. 
flSrPlease always write names plainly, and give without 
fail the Post Office , County, a.nd'State. Let letters be 
short, and all business matters on a separate sheet from 
other topics; put name, address and date, on each sheet. 
Two Men 
Cultivate the same kind of soil, side by side, with 
equal market advantages; the one prospers, and the 
other does not. Why ?— Answer. One plans better than 
the other. He gathers all the suggestions from others 
that lie can, and keeps thinking them over himself. Read¬ 
ing about what others do or think, helps a man think him¬ 
self. Please throw out this hint to a neighbor or two, and 
ask them to get some good paper, specially devoted to 
their own pursuit. If they can get no better, let them try 
the Agriculturist for a year. 
Ssnd Along the Items. 
Anything that our readers can contribute, in the way of 
successful or unsuccessful experience, queries, hints, 
suggestions, etc., will supply material, and add to the 
general fund of knowledge. Just what one cultivator 
would talk about with his neighbor, concerning his ex¬ 
perience on his farm, or in his orchard or garden, or 
concerning household labors, is just what we would like 
to have talked over in the Agriculturist. It will be fully 
as valuable when read in printed lines, as when heard in 
conversation, though some are afraid of anything coming 
in the form of ‘ book knowledge.’ Now, when so many 
thousands are sending in their renewals, let us receive a 
store of useful material to work up during next year. 
Id©" 0 Let all such matters be on a separate piece of pa¬ 
per from business items, so that they can go to the edi¬ 
tors’ tables. All money letters are numbered and kept 
on file by themselves. Each piece of paper should con¬ 
tain the name and address of the writer, and the date. 
- - —*»«— - — - 
Great Advance in Printing Paper, but 
N o Increase in Subscription Prices. 
A CARD. 
Perhaps no other-class of persons are now feeling the 
effects of the war more than publishers. Formerly, a large 
amount of cotton waste from the cotton manufactories 
was used in making paper. Now that waste is worked 
over inlo various fabrics; and more than this, white cot¬ 
ton rags are reduced to fibre and used in Canton flannel, 
and even in muslins.. As a consequence, “ paper rags ” 
are so scarce that paper manufacturers can command 
theii own prices. As an illustration, our paper purchased 
in advance for part of the next volume cost us nearly 
a thousand dollars more for each number than it did 
a year ago.-There have been many consultations 
among publishers, and it has been concluded necess¬ 
ary to advance the rates for papers supported mainly 
bjr subscriptions, and by most of those depending upon 
advertisements. But owing to the prosperous condition 
of the Agriculturist even in this war year, we still keep 
the price the same, without at all diminishing the 
intrinsic value of the paper. If the price of paper 
continues to rise, it may require some sacrifice for the 
time being, but we prefer this, rather than to vary the 
terms from what they were twenty one years ago, and 
have been nearly all the time since. As soon as the four 
million bales of cotton now locked up in the south are 
brought into the market (and we are sure they will be in 
less than one year) printing paper will decline again. 
In consideration of the above announcement, however, 
we solicit all our friends to assist >n making the subscrip¬ 
tion list as much larger as possible. Taking into ac¬ 
count the amount expended in obtaining and condensing 
information, the exclusion of a large most profitable 
class of advertisements because likely to lead our readers 
astray, and the low subscription price maintained, we 
think the Agriculturist will bq conceded to be the cheapest 
paper in the country. The truth is, that by publishing so 
large a number, and having only one office, one set of 
editors, engravers, printers, stereotypers, etc., for the 
whole, we are able to give more for the same money, 
than if the general expenses, aside from printing paper, 
were divided among a few thousand subscribers only. 
Every name beyond fifty thousand or so costs only the 
paper, presswork, and mailing. We again ask our friends 
to make a special effort this month to add as many 
names as possible. All the proceeds will go to make a 
better paper for the wiiole.and then each will in turn 
be benefited. 
Does it Pay ? 
Just now, many of the fifty or sixty thousand persons 
whose term of subscription expires with this month, will 
perhaps insensibly ask themselves whether it will pay to 
renew for another year. Let us see. The index and 
reference figures to Volume 21, given in this number, in¬ 
dicate that there have been about two thousand separate 
articles and items. Many of the short items have involved 
no little care, investigation, and condensation. These 
with the Calendar, have embraced many thousands of 
hints and suggestions. Probably no one person 1ms been 
interested in, or benefited by the half of this ; yet has not 
every reader received some hints that are worth more 
than the subscription price? In estimating, it is proper 
to consider not only the hints directly and plainly valua¬ 
ble, but also the trains of thought set in motion, and the 
results indirectly growing out of them. In other words, 
would any one be willing for a single dollar to blot from 
his or her mind all the information, and all the thoughts 
suggested by what has been perused in this journal this 
year? We think not. We believe that the poorest paper 
published, if it only sets men to thinking, will in the end 
be valuable. It is thought and calculation, that make 
one person’s labors more profitable, and more pleasing 
than those of another. All we can say further is, that the 
next volume will be no less valuable than the past, and 
we ask only those to patronize it who, on looking over the 
whole of the past year, believe that another volume will 
pay. We will also take it as a favor, if those who think it 
pays for themselves, will also suggest to their neigh¬ 
bors and friends, that it will pay them to take it. 
Cotton Exhibition Postponed, 
We have several responses to last month’s request, in regard 
to the proposed exhibition of Northern Grown Cotton; but, 
few have the required amount, and those who have, prefer, 
at its present high price, to use what they have in experi¬ 
ments in home manufacture, rather than to prepare and send 
an exhibition in which they are not sure of receiving a 
large premium in competition. Several suggest a postpone 
ment of the exhibition to next year, and then have an early, 
definite announcement as to the conditions of growth, the 
amount of surface, the cost of production, etc. Under theso 
circumstances, and as only one unconditional offer to exhibit 
has as yet been received, it would seem to be expedient to 
postpone the exhibition for this year. In the meantime we 
hope to hear from those who have experimented the past sea¬ 
son, and thus secure at least one object of the proposed exhi¬ 
bition, namely : To learn how far North the plant has succeed¬ 
ed well, and what are the conditions of growing it profitably. 
Free Distribution of Seeds. 
When possible, we have always announced in the December 
Agriculturist the list of seeds to be presented to our sub¬ 
scribers for the next year. These seeds have been in part 
grown specially for the purpose, by ourselves and by others 
for us, and in part obtained from Europe. But owing to 
unexpected delay in receiving information from some of our 
correspondents abroad, and to other causes, we must neces¬ 
sarily delay our seed announcement until next month. 
The Premium Maps Discontinued, 
All Premium Maps offered have been promptly sent off in 
every case, except a few of those of the Southern States, 
which we were disappointed in obtaining, for a time. All have 
now been sent, however. Owing to the advance and scarcity 
of paper to print them on, they were not only delayed, but 
the price of all was increased twenty-five per cent beyond 
what we expected to pay when making the offer. On this ac¬ 
count, and from the difficulty experienced in obtaining a sup¬ 
ply, we shall send no more after the expiration of the previous 
offers, which extended to November 30th, with sufficient extra 
time to very distant persons. When desired, we will procure 
and send copies, post paid, as follows: The map of Virginia, 
and that of the Southern States, at twenty-five cents each ; and 
the map of the United States, including Canada and New- 
Brunswick, at fifty cents each. 
Postage Stamps still Received — Drafts— 
Demand Notes. 
Many shop-keepers, all the omnibus and railroad lines, and 
several newspapers, in this city, have announced that postage- 
stamps will no longer be received as currency. In the present 
lack of small change, we deem this course detrimental and in¬ 
convenient for the public, and so far as we are concerned t 
shall continue to receive all undefaced, clean postage stamps 
offered for subscriptions or single copies, where there are 
fractional parts of a dollar to be paid. For even dollars, 
bank bills are of course the best. 
A draft on a New-York city bank, payable to the order of 
the Publisher, is the best method of sending large sums. The 
rates of exchange are now so nearly uniform over the country, 
that drafts on New-York can be purchased quite cheaply of 
any Bank or private Banker. 
Subscribers on the Pacific coast, and in Utah and New-Mex- 
ieo, can send new postage-stamps or United States Demand- 
Notes (which are at par here,) or Drafts for large amounts. 
American Agriculturist in German. 
The AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST is published In 
both the English and German Languages. Both Editions 
are of the same size, and contain, as nearly as possible, 
the same Articles and Illustrations. The German Edition 
is furnished at the same rates as the English, singly or in 
clubs. A club may be part English, and part German. 
Bound Volumes and Bick Numbers can be 
Supplied. 
We shall immediately bind up a number of volumes of this 
year to supply when wanted. (See terms below.) Those 
who have a part of Vol. 21, or of any other volume back to 
XVI, can receive the lacking numbers at a price proportional 
to the whole year, adding one cent more per number for post¬ 
age, as this must be prepaid on copies not sent out when issued. 
We have complete sets of Vols. 16,17,18,19, 20, and 21, both 
unbound, and bound in neat covers with gilt lettered backs. 
PRICES AT THE OFFICE. 
Volumes 16,17,18,19; 20, and 21, unbound .$1,00 each. 
Volumes 16,17, 18,19, 20. and 21, bound .$1.50 each. 
PRICES WHEN SENT POST-PAID BY MAIL. 
(They can not go unpaid.) 
Volumes 16,17,18,19, 20, or 21, unbound . .$1.12 each. 
Volumes 16,17,18,19. 20, or 21, bound .$2.00 each. 
Bixding.—S ets of numbers sent to the office will be 
bound up neatly (in our regular style of binding the Agricul¬ 
turist) for 50 cents a volume. 
Prepared Covers.— Covers for binding, neatly made, with 
title, etc.,'gilt upon the back, ready for the insertion of the 
sheets by any bookbinder, can be iUrnlslied for Vols.12, to 20 
inclusive, at 25 cents per cover. Covers can not go by mail. 
