206 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[June, 
many tens of thousands of dollars this first year. Take a 
single illustration. A fertilizer, called “ American Bone 
Fertilizer ,” said to be made in New Jersey, was very 
highly puffed, pronounced cheap at $60 per ton, but sold 
u for introduction ” at $55 a ton. Considerable purchases 
were made by farmers, and probably the State would have 
been flooded by it, as the statements were very plausible. 
But samples were taken to the Experiment Station, and 
after repeated careful analyses, of samples from different 
purchasers, the utmost of valuable fertilizing material 
that could be found in it, did riot amount to nine dollars a 
ion! About half of it was found to be sand !—This is the 
worst case yet brought out, but the hundreds of analyses 
already made and under way, are showing the farmers of 
that State that in some kinds of fertilizers they are get¬ 
ting two or three times as much for their money, as in 
others equally puffed, and praised, and “ certificated.” 
Maitd-BSook for S’rjiitafiqfotrers, by 
F. R. Elliott. Rochester : D. M. Dewey. This is ft small 
and useful work, intended to give those who grow fruit 
for their own use a compact guide as to treatment, and 
select lists, containing only the most desirable varieties, 
thus avoiding the bewilderment caused by the many va¬ 
rieties presented in larger works. A chapter on home 
adornments is added as an appendix to the portion treat¬ 
ing of fruits. Price, post-paid from this office, GO cents 
paper, and $1 cloth. 
■Trise AsEtHM-i'Casa ITetfeH-isifBJ-y <SC«!!= 
lege.—In former years we have often mentioned in 
terms of high commendation, the “N. Y. College of 
Veterinary Surgeons.” Some two years ago the course 
of the trustees being unsatisfactory, the whole faculty 
left the college, and formed a new institution, so that the 
Am. Veterinary College is in all its essentials the same 
as the old one, and the good words wo in former days 
applied to that, now belong to the new college. Doctors 
Liantard, Large, and others who gave prominence to the 
Faculty of the College of Veterinary Surgeons, occupy 
similar positions in the Am. Veterinary College. We 
notice that the present class, which though larger than in 
former years, numbers only about 20, when it should bo 
ten times as many. While young men are thronging the 
regular medical colleges, to prepare themselves for a pro¬ 
fession already overcrowded, there are few who choose a 
career as veterinary surgeons, an honorable profession, 
and one which calls for as thorough acquirements and 
skill as the other, and in which the opportunities for dis¬ 
tinction and profit are very much greater. Those who 
wish for information about the college, should apply to 
Prof. A. Liautard, 141 West 54th St., N. Y. City, which is 
also the locality of the hospital attached to the college. 
A Msutiisil of (lie Apiary.—By Prof. 
A. J. Cook, of the Michigan Agricultural College. This 
is an illustrated 8vo. pamphlet of about 60 pages, and 
embodies the author’s lectures and teachings in apicul¬ 
ture. As it reaches us just as we go to press, wo nre un¬ 
able to speak of its contents, other than to say that they 
look attractive, and that we know that the author is 
abundantly able to make a useful work. 
'Flic ISui-al Blew Yorker, founded, and 
until within a year or two conducted, by Mr. D. D. T. 
Moore, has recently changed hands, Mr. G. A. C. Barnett 
continues to be, as he has been for some time, the pub¬ 
lisher, and Mr. A. S. Fuller assumes the duties of editor 
in chief, with Mr. E. S. Carman as associate editor. Mr. 
Moore retires from a long editorial career with the best 
wishes of a wide circle of friends, including those of the 
Agricultural Press, with whom, personally and in his 
eolnmns, he always maintained the most pleasant rela¬ 
tions. For some time past Mr. Moore has done little ed¬ 
itorial work, else the unfair misrepresentations of the 
position of those who have criticised its articles, would 
not have appeared in its columns, nor would the un¬ 
seemly quarrel with a Rochester rival have been toler¬ 
ated. The Rural had for some time been conspicuous 
for its abuse of another journal, and a stream of epithets 
such as we are happy to say are rarely seen in agricul¬ 
tural papers, disfigured its columns. The incoming of 
the new administration was marked by a sudden cessa¬ 
tion of that style of controversy, which consists in call¬ 
ing names. Mr. Fuller has the ability to bring up the 
Rural to its former excellence, an undertaking in which 
we, with hosts of other friends, wish him much success. 
CataSog-nie oi* asad 
otlier Tools,— We have been favored with a cata¬ 
logue of Messrs. Semple, Berge & Co., of St. Louis, 
Mo. This handsomely bound and neatly printed book, 
is also a very interesting one, as it contains engravings 
and descriptions of tools, implements, and machines, far 
too numerous to mention in detail. It is sufficient to 
say that almost every thing needed for the farm, work¬ 
shop, factory, mill, mine, or quarry, from a steam engine, 
a reaper, or a wagon, down to a bolt or nut, may there be 
found and referred to. Dealers in agricultural imple¬ 
ments and hardware of all sorts, will be particularly in¬ 
terested in this catalogue. 
'Flae American Kennel, by Arnold 
Burges. New York : J. B. Ford & Co. A handsome 
square Svo., of 200 pages, devoted to the breeding, man¬ 
agement. and breaking of sporting dogs, especially set¬ 
ters. There are several flue portraits of setters and 
pointers, and pedigrees are given of various imported 
animals and their progeny. It bears the impress of 
thorough work on the part of both author and publishers. 
Sent from this office, post-paid, for $4.00. 
Sonic Mew ArttlBltoetoaral BSoolis.— 
Works upon architecture seem to be legitimately rela¬ 
ted to rural books, and the Orange Judd Company, find¬ 
ing that orders for works on architecture came so fre¬ 
quently with those for books on rural affairs, have grad¬ 
ually increased their stock, until architectural books 
have become an important department of their business, 
and, as will be seen by their Book List, they offer a large 
number of the leading works in this specialty. Those 
noticed here are some of the latest additions to their 
stock, and are sent, post-paid, at the prices given. 
Vii.las and Cottages, or Homes for all, by Wm. M. 
Woollett, N. Y.: A. J. Bicknell & Co. This contains 
21 designs, including plans, elevations, and perspective 
views. Some of these are very pleasing, and all are 
marked by originality. Price, $3.00. 
Modern American Homesteads, by Daniel T. At¬ 
wood. Mr. Atwood is a practical architect, and most of 
these designs are of houses recently erected ; the work 
is illustrated by 46 plates of dwellings of moderate cost, 
stables, ice-houses, and other out buildings, including 
several especially designed for the Southern States. 
Price, $3.50. 
Architectural Iron Works, by Wm. J. Freyer, Jr., 
Now York: John Wiley & Sons. This work of 220 pp., 
8 vo., is full qf practical details, useful to all who make or 
employ the various forms of iron used in architecture; 
illustrated by numerous engravings. Price, $3.50. 
Ajuiaiaal l*ar!isites sua«l Messmates, 
by P. J. Van Bencden. This volume, one of D. Appleton 
& Co’s. International Scientific Series, is an attractive 
work upon a subject which, though repulsive, is not the 
less important. The fact that many of the evils which 
afflict humanity, arc due to internal parasites, that pass 
one. portion of their existence in the animals used for 
food, is now well established, and the surest way to avoid 
these is to know their histories. This work, illustrated 
by numerous engravings, gives a full account of most of 
the internal and external parasites on man and other 
animals, and gives the later discoveries In this interest¬ 
ing department of natural history. Price $1.50. 
Orchid C»«!t»ire, by E. S. Rand, Jr. New 
York: Hurd & Houghton. It shows great faith in the 
future progress of horticulture in this country, when a 
publisher puts forth a work upon such a rare specialty as 
that of Orchid Culture. The present is an exceedingly 
neat 12mo. volume of nearly 500 pages, in which the 
author gives his own experience, supplemented by that 
of others for species with which he is unacquainted. Of 
course, the value of the work as a guide can only be 
properly judged of by those familiar with orchid culture, 
for the rest, it is very full and complete, and the author 
writes with an enthusiasm that we hope may be the 
means of inducing others to engage in the culture of these 
charming plants. While most of the East Indian orchids 
require a high temperature, those from Mexico and the 
Andes do better in a moderate heat, and may be grown 
ia an ordinary grapery. We know of no branch of horti¬ 
culture that can be undertaken by persons of moderate 
means, that will give a more satisfactory return for the 
outlay than the cultivation of orchids, and we hope 
that this work may tend to increase the knowledge 
of and love for these plants. We regret that Mr. Rand 
did not give the descriptive characters of each genus, and 
are quite surprised at finding no account of the peculiar 
relations of insects to these flowers, though, perhaps, 
these may not be regarded as belonging to orchid culture. 
Sent post-paid by the Orange Judd Company for $3.50. 
Seale Eassects obi Bffotose Plants.— 
Mrs. “ L. 0. R.,” Herkimer Co., N. Y. These are easily 
removed from liard-wooded plants by means of strong 
soap-suds, applied with a stiff brush ; an old tooth-brush 
or nail-brusli will answer. Plants with soft stems would 
be injured by a scrubbing; the scale upon these maybe 
easily picked off. A sliver of wood whittled down like a 
toothpick, we find to be a sovereign remedy for mealy 
bugs, as well as scale upon soft, wooded plants. 
“ The —“ B. S.,” Washington, D. 
C., writes, that several would like to know how to treat 
“ the Cactus.” While there are many of the Cactus 
family in cultivation, there is no one that is pre-eminent¬ 
ly the Cactus. Those in general cultivation are either 
Epiphyllums, which, from their jointed stems, are com¬ 
monly called “ Crabs-claw Cactus,” or species of Cereus, 
which have long cylindrical stems, like the “ Rat-tail 
Cactus, (C. JlagelUfonnis ,) or triangular, winged, or flat, 
like the gorgeous Cereus speciossimus and its varieties and 
relatives. These plants are mostly from countries where 
months pass without n drop of rain ; when the rains 
come, they soon burst into bloom, make their growth, 
and ripen their stems all in a short time, when they go 
to rest ready for another long, dry spell. In cultivation, 
these conditions must be imitated. The Epiphyllums, or 
Crabs-claws, mostly flower in winter, one blooming in 
early spring; these need water while blooming, and mak¬ 
ing their growth immediately afterwards ; when the 
growth is complete, which will be when the new joints 
become large, firm, and like the old ones, then very little 
water will be needed, and during summer they should 
not be exposed to rains. The others, the Cereuses, are 
mostly summer bloomers ; they make grand decorations 
for verandas, and should not be, as is sometimes done, 
plunged in the borders, as their flowers, to show their 
full beauty, should be near the level of the eye. They 
bloom from May until the end of summer, and during 
this time, and while making new growth, are to be wa¬ 
tered, though moderately. When the cool nights of Sep¬ 
tember come, they must be taken into the house, and may 
be kept quite dry all winter. The reason for most of the 
failures is, keeping the dormant plants wet during the 
winter. In a greenhouse they may be stored on a top 
shelf, and left in quiet. 
Sundry Humbugs. 
In writing of humbugs 
we have heretofore men¬ 
tioned the fact, that much 
of their success is owing to 
the existence in the com¬ 
munity of a large class of 
persons so peculiarly con¬ 
stituted that they are not 
only ready to be, but appa¬ 
rently desirous of being 
cheated. Some persons 
will invest all the money 
they can raise in lottery 
schemes; often repented 
failure so far from discour¬ 
aging them, only strength¬ 
ening their belief that their 
“luck” will soon come. 
We have known persons, 
who through a long series 
of years were devoted to 
quack medicines, taking 
each new nostrum as it came out, and warmly sounding 
its praises until a newer medicine displaced it in their 
esteem. So it is with other classes of humbugs, there 
are enough who think that in some way they can get 
something for nothing to make quite a large class of 
customers. There is not, so far as we are aware, any 
help for those afflicted with this mania ; mere loss and 
failure with one, only seems to sharpen the appetite for 
another. One party sends us a list of concerns which he 
has found out to be frauds, and wishes us to publish 
them as humbugs, and at the same time asks about the 
character of certain other concerns, who are in the same 
line, put out closely similar, if not identically the same 
circulars, offering the same rubbishy stuff. The writer 
evidently not satisfied with his experience with three of 
these shops which propose to put people on the rapid 
road to fortune for 50c. or $100, is ready to make other 
ventures in the same line. The various cases in which 
we are asked 
“ IS THIS A HUMBUG f ” 
are amusing, and we have before us a number of letters 
embodying this question as to various schemes. We 
cannot reply to these in detail, but to meet these cases, 
have more than once given a very safe rule, which is, if 
a scheme or article is presented in such a way that you 
have to write us to inquire about it, let that project or 
that article alone... .Here is one “V” who wants 
“ PSTCHOMANCT, OR SOUL CHARMING,” 
anil though “ V ” would like to “ charm ” souls, he has a 
frugal mind, and would not go to the wrong shop, con¬ 
sequently he sends the names of several concerns who 
offer to sell the books or stuff to do it with, and asks 
whether they are swindlers or not. We do not know if 
we have a very clear idea as to what “ soul charming ” is, 
and not being a good judge of the article, are quite una¬ 
ble to say whether the parties referred to offer the gen¬ 
uine thing or not. “Soul charming,” indeed 1 here is a 
man with intelligence enough to write, whose letter, on 
