■ 1876.1 
45 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Every family you get to reading and thinking more, you 
directly benefit. The more there are of such persons in 
a neighborhood, the more intelligent and elevated will the 
whole society be. Thus, in extending the circulation of 
this journal, and receiving the premium article, you are 
literally working “ To do good and make money."-- Try 
it now. State that you are working for a Premium, when 
you send in subscriptions. You will then have a premium 
credit for all names sent in between now and July 4tli, 
1876—and can take the premium whenever you desire it. 
containing a great variety of Items , including many 
good Hints and Suggestions which tee throw into smaller 
type and condensed fonn, ferr want of room elsewhere. 
N.B.— 1 Tlae Aew Postage law. 
—On account of the new postal law, wliicla requires 
pre-payment of postage by tike publish¬ 
ers, each subscriber must remit, in addition to the reg¬ 
ular rates, ten cents for prepayment of yearly 
postage by the Publishers, at New York. 
Every subscriber, whether coming singly, or in clubs at 
club rates, will be particular to send to this office postage 
as above, with his subscription. Subscribers in British Am¬ 
erica will continue to send postage as heretofore, for 
pre-payment here. 
Remitting' Money: — Oiecks on 
New York City Hanks or Bankers are best 
for large sums ; make payable to the order of Orange 
Judd Company. Post-OfRce Money Orders 
for $50 or less, are cheap and safe also. When these are not 
obtainable, register letters, affixing stamps for post¬ 
age and registry; put in the money and seal the letter in 
the presence of the postmaster, and take his receipt for it. 
Money sent in the above three methods is safe against loss. 
ISouml Copies of Volume Tlairty- 
four arc now ready. Price, $2, at our office; or $2.50 
each, if sent by mail. Any of the last nineteen volumes 
(10 to 34) will also be forwarded at same price. Sets of 
numbers sent to our office will be neatly bound in our 
regular style, at~5 cents per vol. (50 cents extra, if return¬ 
ed by mail.f Missing numbers supplied at 12 cents each. 
Speak :i Word for tlae German 
American Agriculturist.— For 17 years past an 
edition of this journal has been issued in the German 
language for the benefit of the large number of our citi¬ 
zens who read only the language of Vaterland. It con¬ 
tains the engravings and all the principal reading of the 
English edition. Several pages devoted to the adver¬ 
tisements in the English edition, are in the German 
edition occupied by a special extra Department, edited by 
the Hon. Frederick Munch, a distinguished cultivator of 
Missouri, which gives it additional value to the German 
reader. The colored cover only is omitted from the 
German edition. Many of our subscribers take the Ger¬ 
man copy for their gardener or their workmen. Will our 
friends make this edition known to their German friends 
and neighbors ? Having the advantage of the engravings 
of the English edition, it is larger, better, and cheaper, 
than it could he if published independently. Both edi¬ 
tions are issued ou the same terms, and clubs may con¬ 
sist of either edition, or a part of both. 
A Fair Tliis Month.— The Southern 
States’ Agricultural and Industrial Exposition, will open 
at New Orleans, La., on the 2Gth inst., (Feb.), and con¬ 
tinue for 10 days. The premium list is very large, and 
provides for a wide range of exhibits. The grounds of 
the Association are said to he of great interest for the 
variety of tropical and snh-tropical plants growing there, 
and new and large halls are erecting. Samuel Mullen, 80 
Camp St.., New Orleans, is Gen’l. Superintendent. 
A Hollar osi Interest will yield 6 to 10 
cents a year. A book in one’s house, treating on his 
business, whether it be farming, gardening, or any me¬ 
chanical pursuit, will furnish new ideas, awaken new 
thoughts, develop mental power, and in ninety-nine cases 
out of every hundred, lead to improved methods of cal- 
ture or work, that will save or bring back many times the 
cost of the book. Still more important is it where there 
are growing sons. Let them see that their calling is of 
importance enough to have hooks written upon it, and 
they will respect it more ; they will read, and that will 
cause them to think ; and thinking is what not only 
raises men above the brutes, but raises one man above 
another. IIow many parents see their children reading 
fiction, exciting and demoralizing story books, etc., and 
make no effort to make them intelligent in the direction 
of their daily work. Five, ten, or fifteen dollars put into 
books of this kind, will pay ten-fold, a hundred-fold the 
interest that can be realized in any other investment. 
Think of this. Our advertising pages abound in announce- 
ments of books that should he in every farmer’s house. 
Artificial Fertilizers—Import amt 
Action.—On Jan. 13th, at the “ Conn. Agricultural Ex¬ 
periment Station," Middletown, Conn., there was a 
gathering of some sixty of the most intelligent leading 
farmers of the state, together with twenty dealers and 
representatives of manufacturers of artificial fertilizers, 
from Baltimore, New York, Boston, and various other 
points. The entire day was very profitably occupied in 
discussion and conversation. We have only space to 
give the final result. It was agreed that hereafter, the 
farmers of Connecticut will buy fertilizers only of those 
dealers and manufacturers who will subject their articles 
to the analysis and control of the Station , and sell upon a 
guaranteed composition of a uniform character and value. 
The articles sold will bo subject to frequent analyses at 
the Station, so that any deviation from the “ guaran¬ 
tees ” will he quickly detected. This action was fully 
agreed to by the dealers. This movement will he worth 
thousands of dollars to that state alone. Spurious and 
poor fertilizers will have to find a market elsewhere, and 
as farmers will hereafter he reasonably certain of getting 
what they intend to buy, they will use these helps to pro¬ 
duction more freely, and an increased production will he 
the result. Some other states will very soon feel the ne¬ 
cessity of establishing Experiment Stations , and of adopt¬ 
ing a course similar to that now fully inaugurated in 
Connecticut. 
Exit — Trice IIorti-gMltarist. — “The 
Horticulturist ’’ was founded by the late A. J. Downing, in 
184(1, and was carried on by him until his lamented death 
in 1852. During these years he gave to its pages some of 
liis best efforts, and drew to them a host of excellent con¬ 
tributions. Whoever possesses a series of the earlier 
volumes, has much that is precious in our horticultural 
literature. After Downing, the Horticulturist was some¬ 
times in able editorial hands, like (hose of Barry, hut a 
great portion of the time it lias seemed to exist without 
any editorial supervision. While it had some excellent 
contributors, it had no competent head, and now that it 
has disappeared, will not ho missed other than by its 
few remaining early readers, who had an affection for it ’ 
because it was A. J. Downing’s. It is announced that 
the Horticulturist is united with the Gardeners’ Monthly, 
and that Journal hears tlie title “ Gardeners’ Monthly and 
Horticulturist.” We arc glad to see that the “ Monthly ” 
shows no signs of dilution from the addition of so much 
weakness ; it can gain very little by the change, while 
the former subscribers to the Horticulturist will find it 
greatly to their benefit. The horticulturists cf the coun¬ 
try should support—and liberally, their one journal, and 
enable the publisher to make its mechanical part better 
than it ever yet lias been. Its editorial management could 
not he in better hands than those of Thomas Meehan. • 
Tlie Heath of Hoct. E. S. Slaill.— 
Those who attended the meeting of the Am. Bornological 
Society at Chicago, and saw the effective work done by 
Doct. Hull, ou the part of the Illinois Horticultural 
Society, were greatly shocked to learn, a few weeks after 
their return home, that the Doctor died at his residence, 
near Alton, Ill, the last week in November, probably from 
the results of over-exertion and exposure at Chicago. An 
earlier and more extended notice of his death was crowd¬ 
ed out at the time, and we can now but briefly say that 
not only western horticulture, but American horticul¬ 
ture, loses one of its most ardent workers and useful ad¬ 
vocates. So great was the shock of his sudden deatli to 
ids wife, that she survived him only four days. 
How all the Children are remembered 
by Mr. Crandall for the CENTENNIAL YE Alt, is par¬ 
tially indicated on the third cover page of this paper. 
Though half a century has passed since we wore old 
enough to enjoy toys, we confess to have been quite a 
boy again over Mr. Crandall’s “ Ye HERO of’76,” 
in changing the “ Old Soldier” into some of the hundreds 
of “ positions ” that he can be made to assume so natu¬ 
rally. One of the most interesting features of this new 
toy, is to observe how great a change in expression is 
given by a slight change in the position of a hand, foot, 
arm, cap, etc. The charming toy will teach children not 
a little in the study of the human form, and in assuming, 
expressive attitudes and postures, as well as in drawing 
human figures to characterize various emotions. While a 
single “ Hero ” will answer for all this, two or three or 
more used together, to represent a company of persons in 
different positions at the same time, will add largely to 
the effect produced. Taken all iii all, this is the finest 
thing for the amusement of children, that we have ever 
seen, and a multitude of “ grown-up children ” will spend 
many an hour over it. 
Sundry Humbugs. 
When good, well-mean¬ 
ing persons, who lead quiet 
and exemplary lives, and 
who think that they are 
unknown beyond the imme¬ 
diate circle of their own 
neighborhood, receive from 
some far distant city, cir¬ 
culars either asking their 
cooperation in some swind¬ 
ling scheme, or proposing 
to cure troubles which they 
scarcely know by name, 
they are astonished beyond 
measure. Their first thought 
is, “ how did these rascals 
get hold of my name?”— 
We have before stated that 
LISTS OF NAMES & ADDRESSES 
were regular articles of 
merchandize, and it is not 
uncommon to find them ad¬ 
vertised in the city papers. It must be known that 
nearly all the humbugging schemes are carried on 
through the mails ; these fellows operate at a distance, 
and very rarely advertise or issue circulars in the imme¬ 
diate vicinity of the place they hail from. In a majority 
of cases an attempt to find the person who sends out 
flaming circulars, takes one to the top story of some ob¬ 
scure building, where he finds a locked door with a hole 
in it through which to drop letters. Operating so gener¬ 
ally by correspondence, it will be seen that lists of per¬ 
sons in all parts of the country, to whom circulars may 
be sent, arc a most important part of the outfit of these 
operators, and in many eases the most expensive one. 
In former articles we have shown several of the methods 
by which these lists are procured. One very easy method 
has been tried so often that it now no longer works so 
well as formerly. This is to send to the secretaries or 
other officers of such organizations as Sons of Temper¬ 
ance, Odd Fellows, and similar bodies, a circular stating 
that the subscriber is about to publish a book of great 
interest to the order, and if the officer addressed will 
send a list of the members of his society, he will receive 
a copy free in return for his trouble. We have before us 
a letter from a Rhode Island correspondent, who has re¬ 
ceived a circular from a “ Brokerage Co.” in St. Louis, 
asking for a list of ail persons in his tow r n worth over 
$2,000. As our friend did not respond, another circular 
followed the first. Let all who receive applications of 
any kind from strangers, for names, refuse to give them. 
_So sharp a look-out is kept for names, that we know 
persons who will not allow their names to go into the 
directory, as they wish to avoid the annoyance from cir¬ 
culars that is felt by most persons who live in cities.... 
Many a person who is surprised that his own name is 
known, would be still more surprised to learn that he 
has helped in making such lists. Some solicitor or book 
agent calls upon bim, and as ho is leaving, the stranger 
asks the name of the person who lives in the next house 
on the road, our friend gives his neighbor's name, not 
thinking that his own name has been obtained in a 
similar manner a few minutes before, and that the list 
of the whole neighborhood will be thus filled up_Com¬ 
plaints continue to come of certain 
BUSINESS COLLEGES AND TELEGRAPH SCHOOLS. 
Charges are made that farmers’ hoys and girls induced 
to go there by the promise that situations will be pro¬ 
cured for them, are cheated out of their money, and get 
neither valuable instruction nor situations. We have 
from time to time been solicited to “ show 7 them up.” 
We are often obliged to repeat that we do not show peo¬ 
ple up on general accusations like these. Let those who 
have been defrauded by these schools send us a substan¬ 
tiated statement of the facts. . Texas, Kansas, and Wy¬ 
oming have the unenviable notoriety of being among the 
few states and territories which countenance 
LOTTERY GAMBLING, 
and some of these schemes claim to he, and we are 
afraid are, authorized by the Legislature. Let us hope 
that this Centennial year will see the end of this legal¬ 
ized gambling, and let lotteries stand, where they belong, 
with faro, roulette, and other games of chance. There 
is one concern in Texas, the “ Mutual Benefit Associa¬ 
tion,” which is simply a swindle. It is located at Kauf¬ 
man, and its “ secretary,” Choate Somerby, continues to 
send out circulars informing persons that one of the 
tickets sent to them has drawn a valuable prize, and 
asks that the price of the ticket's, $2, be remitted in 
order that the “ valuable gift ” may be sent. It is possi- 
