1876 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
367 
to be found in almost every city and considerable town, 
and it is known that they have boon largely sold by 
traveling salesmen in the rural portions of the South 
and West. One intending to procure a first-class piano 
will do well to consult our “Premium List,” and see 
what facilities are there offered ; if the purchase is to be 
made outright too much caution can not be exercised. 
It is better to deal at headquarters, even at a distance, 
as the freight on an instrument—if genuine, has to be 
paid from the factory, by some one—or if it is proposed 
to purchase of an agent, in this day of fast mails, it will 
take but a few days to learn by writing to the maker if 
the alleged agent is an authorized one.... Be cautious, 
not only as to pianos, hut those other musical instru¬ 
ments 
MOWERS AND REAPERS, 
and other agricultural implements and machines. Last 
month we gave on p. 354, under the title of 
“VERT LIKE A SWINDLE,” 
a brief account of some operations in Connecticut, which 
have caused a number of farmers no little trouble and 
anxiety. The plan is sufficiently set forth in the article 
referred to, the special point being that faimcrs were 
induced to act as agents for a so-called “Agricultural 
Works ” in New Hampshire ; implements were to be 
sent, the company agreeing to take back all not sold at 
a given time, and pay all expenses ; but to make matters 
all straight, the agent is asked to give a note, payable at 
some distant time when it is supposed that the goods will 
be sold,'and if they are not, why the farmer-agent has 
the agreement of the company to take them off' of his 
hands. Strange to say, there were found even in this 
reputed the cutest of Yankee States, between twen¬ 
ty and thirty men who have acknowledged that they 
were foolish enough to give their notes. How many 
gave them and had rather “pocket their loss” than ad¬ 
mit they have been swindled, we shall probably never 
know. The “ Works,” as soon as they got possession of 
the notes, immediately turned them into cash, for being 
from responsible farmers there was no difficulty in doing 
this. It is what the signers of the notes might have 
known that the holders would do. Now what did these 
note-giving farmers do ?—Write and ask us to expose 
the “ Agricultural Works ” in our Humbug column, re¬ 
questing us not to give their names ? Not a bit of it! 
They did the manly thing, one which qnite atones for 
their short-sightedness in giving the notes. The sufferers 
held a meeting and resolved to help one another, and 
among other things said as follows : “ Whereas,” so- 
and-so (giving the names of the men active in the mat¬ 
ter) “have, by false and fraudulent representations and 
by certain dishonest and grossly deceitful practices, ob¬ 
tained from the individual members of this meeting cer¬ 
tain writings, notes, and agreements, constituting one of 
the most barefaced swindles that was ever practiced 
upon the farming communities of this State; now, 
therefore, 
Resolved , That we, individually and collectively, to the 
utmost of our means, power and ability, will resist and 
defend to the court of last resort, any suit or suits at 
law or otherwise brought against us, or any of us, by 
any person, firm or corporation, for or on account of any 
of said notes, writings or agreements. 
“ Resolved , That we give notice by publishing these 
resolutions in the State papers, to any and all parties 
holding any of said notes, writings and agreements, that 
the same will bo protested and resisted ; and also in the 
same manner warn all persons of this State of and 
against the swindlers above named.” 
We give space to this because it is an excellent ex¬ 
ample to farmers all over the country. Farmers in every 
community should know one another well enough to be 
able to act together and ; rotect one another, and we look 
upon the Grange movement as doing much good in this 
way ; but whether there is a Grange or not, there should 
be a neighborly feeling which will induce each farmer to 
stand by every other. The courts are quite sure to be on 
the side of justice—indeed, the exceptions are very rare, 
and it only needs that farmers who are swindled should 
take the stand assumed by these in Connecticut, to give 
all swindlers the worst of it. Therefore we say to every 
farmer, 
DO NOT BE BULLIED OR BLUFFED 
by any lightning-rod man, any one who claims a patent 
right on any gate or other thing you have in use ; do not 
pay any note obtained under false pretenses, but when 
any of these fellows make claims of whatever kind, 
promise nothing, pay nothing, and sign nothing. If the 
claim is an honest one the claimant will allow time for 
investigation, and the very fact of his refusal of this is 
presumptive evidence of his dishonesty. There are prob¬ 
ably ten swindlers making claims on patents to one hon¬ 
est one. Every well-disposed farmer, if he finds that he 
has unintentionally infringed on the rights of another, 
will, when convinced, be ready to make reparation, and 
every well-disposed owner of a patent will be willing to 
convince another of his rights. When one of these bogus 
ones threaten, recollect that he can not hurry you, and 
that it will take a long time to get his claim before the 
United States Court, the only court in which it can be 
tried. Apropos of this subject we would say to every 
farmer, if you have no 
NEIGHBORHOOD FARMERS’ CLUB 
or Grange, organize one this fall for mutual improvement, 
as well as for mutual protection. 
BAUNSCHEIDTISM. 
A correspondent sends us an advertisement of a 
“ Practical Baunscheidtist,” and thinks it deserves a 
place in our Humbug columns. As we understand the 
matter, this treatment' consists in pricking into the skin, 
by means of needles, a certain oil, called Oleum Baun- 
scheidlii. So far as the composition of this oil is kept a 
secret, it belongs to that class of “remedies” that we 
consider as humbugs. Inserting remedies into the circu¬ 
lation is something that should be done with the utmost 
caution, or serious effects may follow. It is bad enough 
for people to take medicines into their stomachs, but to 
introduce them beneath the skin is an operation that 
should not be performed, except by a physician. 
HOG CHOLERA MEDICINES. 
The New York Weekly Tribune allows a Kansas corre¬ 
spondent to protest in very strong terms against those 
quacks who oiler a dose of medicine for bog cholera for 
$1, and a prescription for $10, and to offer farmers the 
very excellent advice to “ give such medicines and sure- 
curc swindles a wide berth,” which wo most heartily sec¬ 
ond. The hog is a most useful if not altogether a noble 
animal, and should not be made to take quack medicines 
in any form ; it is well that the Tribune allows this plea 
to be made in favor of the hog. We judge that human 
animals are of much less consequence in the view of the 
Tribune, as it continues to publish medicines intended 
for those that are quite as quackish and mischievous as 
those it condemns for swine. 
THE EXPERIENCE OF AN OHIO FARMER 
a few weeks ago in Now York should be a warning to all 
strangers, not in New York only, but in all large cities. 
In such cities, and especially in New York, simply be¬ 
cause it is larger than others, many sharpers are always 
on the look-out for victims. The farmer in question 
asked two of these fellows on a ferryboat as to hotel 
prices; they at once offered to show him the hotels, took 
him to some low place, induced him to drink, and that 
was the last that he knew, until, on recovering his senses, 
lie found that all his money and valuable papers, includ¬ 
ing checks, were gone. Of course the liquor was drug¬ 
ged, and equally of course the two fellows were not to be 
found. Unless a stranger is a good judge of character, he 
should, in a city like New York, ask information only in 
some respectable place of business, or of policemen. 
When men are so willing to offer their services, it is very 
sure to be the case that they have no good object in view. 
Cost of Msxliiug’ Pork. —“A.,’’New 
Springfield, O. To make it pay to feed hogs at 8c. a R, 
live weight, upon corn at 80 cts. a bushel, there must not 
only be kept the best kind of hogs, such as grade Berk¬ 
shire or Essex, but the feeding and care of the hogs must 
be most careful, skillful, and economical. It may be 
made to pay, but it is very rarely done. 
As to licuitiuig' » Farm.— “A. M.” 
Springfield, O. A good farm of 90 acres, in good grass, 
should be cheap at a yearly rent of $300. It would be a 
very poor farmer who could not raise $10 worth per acre, 
and that would allow a rental of $300, or one-third of the 
produce, which is a usual rate in renting land. 
Tixnotllay asad. C3«ver willx flluBag-ii- 
rian Grass.— “J. F. W.,” Lancaster county, Pa. 
Hungarian grass is a very unsuitable crop with which to 
sow down grass and clover. Its close growth kills the 
young grass and clover plants. As to growing crops 
without manure or the means of procuring it, that will 
be uphill work and can only end in loss. It is very prob¬ 
able that if rye is sown this fall, and plowed under in 
the spring, as you suggest, and clover sown then alone 
upon the well harrowed soil, might succeed. By cutting 
one crop of hay and leaving the clover until the follow¬ 
ing spring to be plowed under, a crop of corn might bo 
taken. But there can be no crops grown without ma¬ 
nure of some kind. 
gncccssfiil IScai-iug' of OiickeiiN. 
—H. T. Wadsworth of Sonoma Co., Cal., is now keeping 
800 hens and 500 chickens with satisfactory results. His 
method ensures success, and is precisely that which has 
been frequently recommended in the American Agricul¬ 
turist. The fowls are kept in separate houses, each of 
which holds 50. There is a good range in which the 
fowls mix together, but all return to their own roosts at 
night. The houses are sheds 20 by 14; eight feet high at 
front, and sloping to the ground at the back; having 
open lattice work at each end for ventilation. The roosts 
are movable, six feet long, two inches wide, and one inch 
thick, and are frequently taken down, cleaned, and soak¬ 
ed with kerosene. The sheds are kept thoroughly soak¬ 
ed with lime wash, with some carbolic acid in it occa¬ 
sionally. The sitting nests are treated similarly. The 
feed consists of shorts and bran; wheat and oats; boiled 
beef heads; chopped cabbages and corn-stalks and boiled 
potatoes alternated. Running water passes the sheds 
and coops. Eight hundred hens consume 10 Rs. of 
wheat and 20 Rs. of oats daily; 26 dozen of eggs have 
been gathered in one day. The secret of success is 
cleanliness, a variety of good food and pure water. With 
these requisites there need be no failure. 
Mills Fever. —“O.,” Petersburg, Ya. Milk 
fever results from excessive stimulation of the milk pro¬ 
ducing organs, and is only prevalent amongst high-fed 
cows. The Jerseys, being bred and fed especially with a 
view to rich milk, are consequently more subject to in¬ 
flammatory disease in calving, at which critical period 
the whole system is in an excited condition. It is not 
the rich milk they yield that is the cause of the tendency 
to milk fever, but the system of breeding by which the 
rich milking quality is encouraged. 
Oaiclcexx Lice xapom Horses.—“G. E. 
W.,” Dresden Mills, Me. When fowls are kept in horse 
stables, the lice from them frequently trouble the horses. 
As the vermin cannot easily be seen, the irritation they 
produce is not readily accounted for ; on close examina¬ 
tion, however, the very minute lice or fleas may be de¬ 
tected. The remedy is to move the fowls from the sta¬ 
ble, whitewash it thoroughly, and rub the horse with a 
brush smeared with crude petroleum, or a mixture of 
lard with a twentieth part of carbolic acid. 
Tumor osa tlae Jatrof an Ox.—“J. F. 
M.,” Spencer Brook, Minn. To dress a newly broken 
and discharging tumor with turpentine would cause it to 
continue running. It was very bad treatment, and 
would prevent healing. The proper course would have 
been to wash out the opening with warm soap and 
water, and then inject with a syringe a solution of four 
grains of chloride of zinc in one ounce of rain water. If 
the tumor is swelling again, it should be opened, washed 
out, and dressed as above. Give one ounce of hypo¬ 
sulphite of soda daily in his feed for a week or two. 
“ BtcacJer.”—Oregon. Had you given your 
name, we should have written to ask you to repeat your 
question. All that we can make out is that you wish to 
know how the Russians do something—but the writing, 
while it looks well as a whole, defies our power of de¬ 
cyphering. 
A Very Early New ftJrajse.— Mr. T. 
S. Hubbard, Frcdonia, N. Y., sent us, Aug. 12th, a clus¬ 
ter of a new grape, from a vine which is an accidental 
seedling, found a little north of New York City. The 
fruit began to color on July 19Lh, was in eating condition 
by the 31st, and fully ripe and picked Aug. 8th. The 
quality appears to be about like that of Hartford Prolific, 
but holds to the cluster much better, and is from 15 to 20 
days earlier. It is certainly a remarkably early variety, 
and will be very useful in localities where the season is 
short. The variety has not yet received a name, nor are 
any vines yet offered for sale. 
Mow fio Pack anti Man-Ice 4, IS room 
Corn.—" S. M.,” Herkimer Co., N. Y. The methods of 
curing, packing, and marketing Broom Corn are all ex¬ 
plained in a very interesting book entitled “ Broom Corn 
and Brooms,” which costs 50 cents, (or 75 cents bound 
in cloth,) sent poslage paid from this office. It is im¬ 
possible to give here, for want of space, any instructions 
that would be of practical use to you, it would therefore 
be better for you to procure the book referred to, which 
also contains valuable information about making brooms. 
muriatic (CSiloi-oJoytli-ie) Acial fox- 
Tlai-iisln.—“W. B. McK.,” Albemarle Co., Ya. This 
acid is used as a caustic for destroying the diseased tis¬ 
sues so as to permit a healthy new growth. It is there¬ 
fore used pure, being applied to the diseased parts by 
touching them with some tow tied to the end of a stick 
and dipped in the acid. The parts should be previously 
washed in warm water, and the inner portions of the 
cracked frog well cleaned by syringing. After the acid 
has been applied, the cracks should be filled with 
clean tow; the dressing and washing being frequently 
repeated. A similar but safer application is one ounce 
of chloride of zinc dissolved in a pint of watew. This 
is sufficiently strong for a caustic. 
Basket Items con¬ 
tinued on page H9IS* 
