4 : 4:6 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[December, 
the fine points and lines in the pictures (on pages 460 
and 161 for example) and see how skillfully the work is 
done ; and then how carefully it is printed with fine ink, 
not to have any blots, or filling in the cut away spaces. 
Such pictures instruct, and cultivate one’s taste, while 
the majority of coarsely cut, roughly printed pictures 
usually seen, are far less beautiful and instructive. We 
pride ourselves on our engravings, even those on the 
cover, a large portion of which are new in every paper. 
We give 500 to 600 of these Pictures in every volume. 
They cost a great many thousands of dollars; but hun¬ 
dreds of thousands of people see and enjoy them, and 
are instructed by them. Did you ever think, that while 
some of these engravings cost from $100 to $200 each, 
your beautiful copies of them, in the paper, cost yon less 
than half a cent each f even if you allow nothing for all 
She rest of the paper i Six hundred of these engravings 
in a year, at $1.50, is only a quarter of a cent each 1 Now 
we have told you how these are produced, we think you 
can examine them minutely, and enjoy them all tho 
snore. We shall have a lot of good ones for you in the 
next volume. Tell your friends about them, explain how 
they are made, and perhaps you will get some of them 
to join you in procuring copies, in the paper, next year, 
for which the publishers are now ready to receive orders. 
Fifteen a Day sand. Ex¬ 
penses S*aid. , >—Such advertisements are common 
in the newspapers, the sums offered varying from $5 to 
$25 a day. On sending for particulars, one generally (not 
always) finds out he must flr t advance or become re¬ 
sponsible for some money, which is gone any way, and 
then he musttry his luck in selling some “ gimcrncks,” 
to get the promised salary and expenses out of profits.— 
We make no such offers. But we do say that very many of 
our readers have cleared several dollars a day with no out¬ 
lay or risk, and no expenses to pay. Thus: let one show 
a copy of this paper to his friends and neighbors, doing 
it evenings, rainy days, etc., and by properly explaining 
fts value, he may get three, five, ten, or more, to become 
subscribers. For such favors the Publishers make him a 
present of something valuable, worth its full price in 
money. A very few names thus obtained, will secure $3, 
$5, $10. $20 worth, or more. Many Thousands 
of our readers have done this, with decided profit and satis¬ 
faction to themselves and others. There is hardly one 
of our readers that may not do the same. Our Illustrated 
Premium Sheet explains the whole matter. This month 
is a capital time to take a hand in it. If any one has not 
received a copy of our Premium Sheet, send a Postal 
Card request for one to the Publishers of this Journal, 
and it will be promptly furnished without expense. 
American Agricnltiis-ist in Vir¬ 
ginia—Its Ctood Work There.-One of Vir¬ 
ginia’s most enterprising and public-spirited farmers, 
writing to an Eastern friend, says “ that the agricultural 
and even the daily journals in that State are so controlled 
by and dependent upon the advertisements of the fertil¬ 
izer men, that little correct knowledge can be obtained 
from them in regard to artificial fertilizers.’’ He writes 
that the circulation of a couple of Northern journals, 
“ and especially the American Agriculturist, in Virginia, is 
doing more than everything else to spread knowledge. 
Would that they could be sown broadcast over the State.” 
AboutYeur BOY—Every parent worthy 
to have a son at all, is solicitous about his future. If the 
boy is sick, he is anxious. If he have any deformity of 
body, no care, no expense possible, is spared to cr.re or 
rectify the defects. Is every one as anxious about a de¬ 
formity of mind, or morals ? We believe in bringing up 
boys to work ; their muscular development requires ex¬ 
ercise. But let it be remembered that every child, not 
an absolute idiot, is a living interrogation point, is born 
with an inquiring mind, a perpetual thirst after knowl¬ 
edge, that must be satisfied, and will be. It is the pa¬ 
rent’s duty to guide, lead, direct and satisfy this longing. 
The true way to make useful labor satisfactory to him is 
to make it a source of information. You may tell him 
it is his duty to work, but he don’t see it in that light; 
only affection or fear lead him to perform the re¬ 
quired task.—Talk to him about tho work, the best meth¬ 
ods to secure the best results. Teach him about the dif¬ 
ference in crops, in modes of tillage, manuring, etc.; 
the superiority of one implement over another, and the 
why. Let him know something of the nature of soils, 
the effects of air, water, frost, and tillage upon them. 
Let him understand the characteristics of different kinds 
of animals. Get him a book on one of these subjects, 
talk with him about its contents, its recommendations, 
etc., and when he has well mastered that, get him an¬ 
other. A very few dollars expended in this way will do 
wonders in developing thought, in making him interest¬ 
ed in his work, in preparing him to become an intelli¬ 
gent, active, successful worker. Have him read to you 
from this or other journal, and talk with him about what 
is read. Begin this very early. Many who think such 
papers are chiefly for men, would be surprised at the in¬ 
telligent interest that could be awakened in them, in boys 
from sixteen years of age, down to seven years even. 
Parents, feed the minds of your children with good 
food; it is as important as good food for tho body. A 
dime a week for journals and books about their daily 
work, is one of the best possible investments you can 
make. Take it off from the finery or quality of their 
clothing if need be, but let the mind have what it craves, 
and turn it into useful channels of thought, or it will 
run after trashy, if not poisonous mental food. No mat¬ 
ter what calling you intend a son to follow in the future, 
he will be all the better prepared to take hold of it suc¬ 
cessfully, if you make him interested, and therefore 
happy in whatever he is now working at. Don’t keep 
your numbers of the American Agriculturist laid up for 
your own special use, but read them over, and talk about 
their contents with your boys. You will in the future 
see ten times their cost in tho development of your sons. 
DVelBs siBiil easily Exissbs- 
ined.—The bottom of every well and cistern should be 
examined at least twice a year, especially if not closely 
covered. Sticks, filth,worms, toads, etc., often fall in, and 
injure the water. A mirror, or piece of common looking 
glass, held so as to throw the sun’s rays to the bottom, 
will show everything very plainly, even through a dozen 
feet of water, or more. In some situations, as in a cellar 
cistern, two or more mirrors may be needed to carry in 
the light, by double or triple reflection of the rays. 
14L Little TIrIdb^s—I iitcrestiistK: Ex¬ 
amples of Saving or Producing TSiem.— 
Life is mainly made up of trifles. A pin-hole will in 
time sink a large ship. A small saving per day or week 
will speedily amount to a large sum. An extra produc¬ 
tion of a small thing, as an extra egg per day or week, 
a good hill of corn in each row, a bushel of wheat, or 
corn, or potatoes, extra per acre, will in the course of 
years make one comfortably rich, or what may be better, 
will buy many convenient or useful things as one goes 
along, and such extra production is easily secured by 
trifling thought, care, or labor. To illustrate what the 
weekly saving, or the extra production will amount to in 
a single year, we select the following common items: 
1 
Egg a week. .... 
.at 37c. per doz .. 
...$1.60 
2 
Eggs a week. 
.at lSj/c. per doz.. 
... “ 
1 
quart Wheat a week. 
.at 98c. per bushel. 
...$1.60 
1)4 quarts Corn a week. 
, .at 66 c. per bushel. 
...$1.61 
3 
quarts Corn a week. 
.at 33c. per bushel. 
2 
quarts Potatoes a week. 
..at 50c. per bushel. 
...$1.62 
4 
quarts Potatoes a week. 
..at 25c. per bushel. 
... “ 
1 
Cabbage a week. 
. .at 3c. per head... 
.. $1.56 
1)4 quarts Milk a week. 
..at 2 c. per quart... 
...$1.56 
l'i 
oz. Butter a week... 
. at 32c. per lb. 
...$1.56 
pail Coal a week. 
...$1.60 
1 
Foot of Wood a week.. 
. .at $4 per cord_ 
. ..$ 1.66 
2 
Feet of Wood a week. 
. .at $2 per cord_ 
54 lb. Sugar a week. 
...at 12 c. per lb. 
...$1.56 
)4 oz. Tea a week. 
. .at 96c. per lb. 
...$1.56 
1(4 oz. Coffee a week. 
..at 32c. per lb. 
...$1.56 
1 
P. O. Stamp a week .... 
...$1.50 
1 
Poor Cigar a week. . . . 
. .at.3 cents . 
. ..$1.56 
Total ... 
$22.1 7 
A Practical Suggestion, timely just now, is, that any 
one of the above items saved, or produced extra, will just 
about pay for the American Agriculturist a wnole year, 
postage included,which will place before your family 500 
to 600 illustrative engravings, and a Thousand Columns 
of reading, containing multitudes of hints, carefully 
gathered and prepared, that can hardly fail to be of use 
to yourself and others in developing thought, and sug¬ 
gesting modes of doing many things. Would it not ba 
well to pass the above along to your friends and neigh¬ 
bors at this time? 
Botitto Bests. —The Colorado Beetle has so 
overshadowed all other enemies to the potato that of 
late years that has been regarded as the only one, while 
in fact there are several others. No one has observed so 
well and written so much about these insects, as Prof. 
C. Y. Eiley, State Entomologist of Mo., but unfortunate¬ 
ly his writings in the State Agricultural Reports, are not 
generally accessible. In view of the need of more 
knowledge on this subject, Prof. Riley has embodied his 
former accounts of these insects and presented them, 
with much new matter, in a volume entitled: “Potato 
Pests, being an Illustrated Account of the Colorado 
Pototo-beetle, and the other Insect Foes of the Potato 
in North America, with Suggestions for their Repression, 
and Methods for their Extermination.” This work, 
which the Orange Judd Company have in Press, and 
nearly ready, gives the most complete account of the 
Colorado Beetle anywhere to be found, and includes all 
the latest discoveries, as to the habits of the insect, and 
tho various means for its destruction, and is illustrated 
by a large number of'engravings, and a map showing the 
spread of the insect since it left its native home. Our 
European friends, whose alarm at the probable advent 
of the “ Potato-bug ” among them is only equaled by 
their lack of knowledge conserniug it, will find here the 
information they need. It will enable them to identify 
the insect when it reaches their shores, as it most prob¬ 
ably will, and teach them how to give it a proper 
reception when it comes. 
Sundry Humbugs. 
As we close our labors for 
the year, we are glad to find 
that our fears, expressed in 
one of the early months, 
were groundless. We 
thought that the crowds at 
Philadelphia, and on the 
various lines of travel to the 
Exhibition, might afford an 
opportunity for the success¬ 
ful operation of various 
swindlers. Happily the 
Centennial year has been 
the dullest in all our experi¬ 
ence with humbugs. Did 
we know that this was due 
to the fact that people were 
growing wiser, we might 
claim some share in pro¬ 
ducing this result. What¬ 
ever may be the reason for 
this lull, we are very sure 
that our work is not yet finished, as on this, the last 
month of the year, we find that our budget contains some 
new species of the genus humbug. Nevertheless there 
were more 
HUMBUGS AT THE CENTENNIAL 
than there should have been, especially in the medical 
line. Secret compounds of various kinds—in fact, “quack 
medicines ’’—were showily displayed side by side with 
really useful articles. These were, we are happy to say, 
mainly from abroad, and the fault was with the commis¬ 
sions of the different countries, rather than with the man¬ 
agers of the Exhibition... .In discussing the various 
humbugs, we find that some demand serious treatment 
and earnest protestation, while others are best managed 
by turning them into ridicule. Some of the smali schemes, 
which we may call 
CATCH-PENNY HUMBUGS, 
are so ridiculous in themselves, that even their victims, 
after their first flush of anger, must laugh at the grim 
humor of the affair, and a mere statement of them is suffi¬ 
cient warning to others. For example, one of these fun¬ 
ny rascr.ls advertised that he would, on the receipt of 25 
cents, inform the sender how to write without ink or 
pens. Those who were foolish enough to invest, received 
in reply “ write with a pencil.” Another of this style 
advertised that any one sending $ 1 , could have “a cor¬ 
rect likeness of himself, and his fortune told.” Of course, 
vain and weak-minded youths caught at this ; but when 
the package supposed to contain the correct likeness was 
opened, there was found a 5-cent looking-glass, and the 
information that the victim could tell his own fortune by 
counting Ins money 1 
THAT DANGEROUS HOTEL, 
which was formerly in New York, appears to have moved 
over towards sun-down. Persons going to Nevada City, 
Cal., should be very careful in the choice of their hotel, 
as there is one at which people die so suddenly, that they 
have not even time to tell where their friends live, or 
what shall be done with their baggage. A few years ago 
we described the hotel dodge, but as it will be new to 
many, we relate a recent case. A gentleman in Cylon, 
Wis., received a letter as follows. “Nevada City, Sept. 
16th, 1876. W. G„ Esq., Dear Sir: On the 19th ot last 
month a gentleman stopped at my hotel, registering his 
name (we give only initials) as D. F. G. Two days ago he 
DIED VERY SUDDENLY 
of apoplexy (how very precise). Not knowing anything 
of his relatives, I examined his trunk, and found it to con¬ 
tain a very fine gold watch and chain, two silver-mounted 
revolvers, a gold ring, and many other valuables. I also 
found some papers addressed to W. G., Cylon, Wis. On 
seeing this, and supposing you to be some relative, I con¬ 
cluded to write to you, as the trunk is a very valuable 
one, and you are evidently the proper person to have it. 
I would also say that Mr. G. owes me a balance of $20.50, 
for board-bill, etc. Please remit to me the above amount 
by registered letter, with instructions to what point you 
want the trunk shipped, and I will forward it to you at 
once. Address, T. A. Lapierre, Nevada City, Nevada Co., 
California.”—The Wisconsin gentleman who received 
the above, having a relative in California, did not wish 
to ignore the matter altogether, but took the precaution 
to place the letter in the hands of a business man in Ne- 
