1864 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
GG 
Samtouci Wine. — “ Jersoymau ” writes, 
“The remarks in the February number of the American 
Agriculturist about this so called Portuguese wine, re¬ 
flated me, that I had intended some time ago to call your 
a’.t-.Tittes to the much-pulled “Sambuci”—young-amcri- 
caniz.sd “Sam Euckeye”—wine, which is simply a 
preparation of the juice of the common elder-berry. Dur¬ 
ing the ripening season of these berries a lively time is 
had by the boys and girls around Passaic, Bergen and 
lie adjoining counties, in gathering this not “imported- 
rom-Portugal’’ fruit, at the tolerably liberal figure of one 
ent per pound, which is paid by the proprietor of the 
.mythical “vineyard in New Jersey.” It may not be 
amiss, to tell your thousands of readers, that a palatable 
beverage called “wine” is made from the elder-berry, and 
if in the manufacture a small quantity of “Jersey Light¬ 
ning” be added, a mixture peculiarly resembling the much 
vaunted “Sambuci” is obtained, and that, too, at a cost 
very far below one dollar per bottle. The newspapers 
are paid to insert puffs of this Sambuci compound, and 
nine-tenths of the editors probably do not know or care 
whether the statements are true or not. I have read 
some outrageous yarns concerning this wine—of persons 
believing it to be the purest kind of Port; of what the 
London Times is supposed to have said about it; and of 
its wonderful medicinal properties ; all of which to any 
one w ho has spent a little time in the counties aforemen¬ 
tioned, seems, to speak somewhat mildly, slightly on the 
order of romance. Elder-berry wine, without any alco¬ 
holic additions, is a cheap and pleasant drink.” 
More I.otlery ISUsmtoiug's.—A new game 
in this line is being attempted by a firm of self-styled 
bankers in New York City. They send out “ private and 
confidential" circulars to different parlies, which we have 
seen, stating that certain numbers which they name are 
sure to draw prizes of at least $1000 in a forthcoming lot¬ 
tery. “Doing desirous of distributing a few prizes in the 
neighborhood of the parties addressed, for the purpose of 
w aking up the public, they w ill forw ard the lucky tickets 
on receipt of $5.” If any are unsuspecting enough to 
believe this story, we advise them to test the matter, by 
sending to the lottery men the following perfectly fair 
proposition : Tell them to draw the prize, retain $5 for 
price of ticket, $5 additional for their trouble, and for¬ 
ward the balance. This will cost only three cents for 
ostage, and the balance, $4.97 of the coveted $5, will 
r main on hand, a clear saving from a swindle. 
li>vv Way to ESaise ttoe Wind.—Re¬ 
cently letters' have been received from subscribers of 
‘he American Agriculturist, describing the following 
swindle by which some have been victimized: A note 
dated at New York, is sent out to some distant party say¬ 
ing : •* We have a package directed to your address, 
which w e will forward to you on receipt of 50 cents and 
a 3 cent stamp for this notice.” No place of business is 
named ; the money is to be sent through the P. O., direct¬ 
ed to New York City. The directory shows no firm here 
of the name signed to the above note, and our letter ad¬ 
dressed to the parties has failed to bring any reply. Reg¬ 
ular express companies never conduct business in this 
style: those who do are express rascals. Keep clear of 
them, and put your neighbors upon their guard. 
5St5mbia*>'s.—A ISeqacsst.—The American 
Agriculturist is now so widely distributed, being taken 
at a large majority of Post Offices in the United States 
and Canada, that probably no better medium exists for 
putting the community on guard against swindlers. We 
therefore repeat the request heretofore made, that when 
circulars from unknown parties promising unusual ad¬ 
vantages, are received, specimens may be sent to this 
office, uniess the scheme has been previously exposed 
by us. And one thing more—when a humbug is shown 
up, it will be a favour to your neighbors who may not be 
receiving this journal, to put them on their guard. Whole 
tow nships have been saved from being flooded with de¬ 
ceptive circulars, by the information imparted by the 
Agriculturist to Postmasters, and acted on by them. 
FertiHzer for Tohacco.-Sabstitute 
for Stable-Manure.— Wm. Mechling, Cumberland 
Co., Pa. It is hard to tell. There is no substitute. Were 
(lie writer in your place, he would collect a good stock of 
dry muck, or sods of good sward, or if nothing better 
could be got, good loam, and add to part of it at a time 
every particle of chamber ley possible, securing that of 
every hotel or factory within 3 miles at least, saturating 
tne muck or sods with it, and sprinkling on plaster occa¬ 
sionally. If he could, he would get castor pomace, un- 
ground, at the rate of % ton to I'f tons to the acre, ac¬ 
cording to the amount and strength of chamber ley com¬ 
post he could make. (This is sold in New York for$22.50 
per ton.) Mixed with muck or soil, at the rate of 200 lbs. 
or one bag to a load, it soon heats, and if worked over 
once or twice with the addition of more muck and some 
plaster, rapidly makes a most excellent compost. Besides 
this, he would apply to the soil unleached or leached 
ashes, or super-phosphate, if good could be obtained, in 
such quantity, as he could afford, and judged the land to 
need. Peruvian guano in market costs $100 per ton. 
SsatosoElins”.—Is St of any isse ?— “Does 
subsoiling benefit any crop in any situation—particularly, 
would it make the potato crop earlier ?” “ C. W.”, Lan 
caster Co., Pa. Subsoiling loosens up the soil for a depth 
of several inches below that portion which is turned by 
the surface plow. It prevents the packing of the soil by 
the plow and the formation of a hardpan at the usual 
depth of plowing. It promotes drainage ; lets in the air; 
enables roots easily to go to greater depths ; promotes the 
absorption of moisture during drouths, and enables crops 
to withstand their effects much better. Some soils are 
open by nature, and some are well drained. ' These are 
therefore little, if at all, benefitted by subsoiling, but those 
helped by underdraining are also improved by subsoiling. 
AJsaaiiatity of Tiiiiotlay Seed per 
Acre.—“ C. M.,” Birmingham, Mich. Sowed alone, 
that is, without other grass seed or clover, three pecks to 
a bushel of seed will probably pay, though this is very 
heavy seeding. Sowed with clover, 10 quarts to 2 pecks, 
according to the soil,—the stiffer the soil the larger the 
quantity. Sowed with other grasses, no given quantity 
can be specified. It pays well to raise it for seed on very 
clean, rich land. This grass grows so tall that we think 
the Heading Harvesters, now coming into so general use 
at the West, might be used with great advantage, for only 
the Timothy would be cut, and the heads of the other 
grasses and weeds left untouched. We have known 
farmers who claimed they coulcLraise as many bushels of 
timothy seed as of wheat per acre. 
ILviccrate.—I>oes ift succeed at lllie 
NortSi?— “J. M. F.”, New Haven Co., Conn. It suc¬ 
ceeds in your county, and elsewhere in Connecticut, at 
any rate. So it does on Long Island and in many parts 
of New Jersey, in this State, and farther South and West 
in some cases that we are acquainted with. Why it is 
so little cultivated is a mystery. It needs an open sub¬ 
soil, and a yood surface soil, carefully prepared. It will 
follow tobacco, mangels, or carrots, well; may be sowed 
broadcast or in drills, and weeds and grass must not be 
allowed to interfere with its growth the first season. It 
is very valuable for soiling cows. 
ISotss Isa Morses. —“TV. II. B.”, Martin’s 
Ferry, O. “The doctors disagree” thoroughly, as to 
whether bots really do any harm or not. The yellow 
eggs which often cover spots on the inside of the knees 
and back of the shoulders of horses, and are scattered 
elsewhere over his body, produce the bot. The gad-fly, 
which lays them, like a small “bumble bee” in appearance, 
is well known. The horse licks the eggs, and little grubs 
quickly make their appearance, are licked off and swal¬ 
lowed. They develop in the stomach, hanging by two 
hooks curving outward from the mouth. They absorb 
little or nothing through the skin, hence medicines which 
will not kill the horse will not disturb them. When they 
have matured, they assume the pupa state, drop off, 
are thrown out with the faeces and soon hatch into gad 
flics again. It is said that they sometimes cut holes 
through the stomach, hence cause great distress or death. 
But Mr. Bracy Clark, who has studied them more care¬ 
fully than any other man, thinks that they do little or no 
harm. Horses not pastured never have bots. Greasing 
those parts of the horse to which the gad-fly attaches her 
eggs, will in part prevent the trouble. Perhaps greasing 
might kill the eggs. There is no cure after the eggs are 
swallowed; nutritious diet is better than any physic. 
The plan on the homestead farm was, to give a large 
quantity of sweetened milk, and follow with physic in half 
an hour after. The theory was, that the bots “ let go ” 
to eat the milk, and were then carried out by the physic. 
Cure for Grease or Scratches.— 
P. Norwood, Cortland Co., N. Y., cures grease success¬ 
fully by taking it in the early stages, washing the horse’s 
legs thoroughly in soap suds, and when dry, bathing the 
diseased parts with strong, warm wormwood tea. Thus 
treated when It first comes on, the disease yields to one 
application. When it is of longer standing, it is neces¬ 
sary to bathe the legs a number of times. 
Soiling Cows, etc.—A returned Californian 
writes from Chester Co., Pa.: “ I wish to keep up my 
half dozen head of cows, feeding with rye, cut grass, 
corn fodder, roots, etc. Will it answer; will they do as 
well, and will it pay as well, counting the saving in 
fences and land they would occupy, also the additional 
manure t I want manure to gel my land rich, and have 
this fall loosened up thirteen acres plowing and subsoil¬ 
ing eighteen or twenty inches deep, have laid drains fifty 
feet apart over part of it, from three to four feet csep, 
using for laterals one inch round tiles with collars. The 
neighbors mostly think it will not pay, and say. I mist 
have money to waste. This is not so, but I wish to make 
farming pay.”—If well managed, soiling will pay. f! 
will give much manure, the cows will be more comfof l 
able, it will save in fences and land, but not in laDoi, 
though tlie additional labor is usually overestimated. Read 
Donald Mitchell's experience in ‘My Farm of Edge-wood. 
Calkctl Bag St» Cows.— Dr. Geo. II Dadd 
V. S., says in the Prairie Farmer, that he has known a 
case of caked udder of long standing, to be cured in the 
following manner: Rub the udder for about a quarter of 
an hour every night with a portion of cod liver oil, and 
give the animal twenty five grains of Iodide of Potassium, 
in half a pint of water, every morning before feeding. 
W vaster Apples for Western ^'ew 
York.—The following six varieties of winter apples 
were named as best, by the Western New-York Fruit 
Growers’ Convention at its recent session: Baldwin, 
Tompkins County King, R. I. Greening, Roxbury Rus¬ 
set, Golden Russet, and Northern Spy. 
Wasto For Trait Trees.— Charles Weston, 
Ulster Co., N. Y. A solution of 1 lb. common sal soda to 
a gallon of water makes an excellent tree wash to re¬ 
move scale, moss and other external obstructions to the 
healthy growth of fruit trees. Gas tar is excellent to kili 
vermin and the trees at the same time. Soft soap is good 
Apply it spring or autumn, and scrub with a stiff brush 
Some Tidings Mcpcatetl.— To a great 
many correspondents. We dnnt know where to get Osage 
Orange Seed. We cannot reply to questions asking 
where seeds, plants, fowls and the like can be got. Our 
chief source of such information is the advertisements 
which are also open to our readers. Space is too valu¬ 
able to occupy it with replies of a personal character. 
Tlie “Star Spomea.”— 'To Several Inquir¬ 
ers. As stated in the February Agriculturist this is an 
old thing under a new name. It is none the less pretty 
for being old, and it may be had of seedsmen generally, at 
a moderate price. Some charge 50 cents a paper, while 
other good dealers ask about one tenth as much. 
Seeds Sent OaeapSy toy Mail.—A great 
boon to the country is the cheap postage on seeds, and 
especially so to the distant Western Territories. For 
illustration : One of our advertisers received a cash or¬ 
der from Washington Territory for an assortment of 
seeds, amounting to 18 lbs. in all. They w ere to be sent 
by express at a cost of $8 or $10; but the recipient of 
the order put them in parcels of 4-lbs. each and sent them 
all the way for $1.44. 
Farm Boole lbs* ISeg'IssMers.— “Tyro,” 
Greene Co., N. Y. Todd's Young Farmer’s Manual is 
probably the work you need. It has many directions 
for performing all important operations on tlie farm, and 
contains much practical matter. Sent post paid for $1.25. 
<|nestioMS About Booles. — To the nu¬ 
merous questions about books that continue to come, we 
can only answer, as last month: Consult the list on page 
95, where the comparative merits, in our opinion, are 
indicated by the number of stars. 
TSic Samday Sictoool 4^stes4ion Books 
entitled “ Lessons for Every Sunday in the Year,” No. 1 
and No 2, are going into very general use, in the schools 
and families of all denominations—the demand often ex¬ 
ceeding the ability of the publishers. This is of course 
peculiarly gratifying, as the books are upon a plan which 
grew out of our own experience, though the carrying out 
of the plan in preparing the lessons was entrusted to far 
more competent hands. From the multitude of letters of 
approval received from those who have examined and 
are using the books, we feel warranted in inviting atten¬ 
tion to them by all interested in the education of chil¬ 
dren. The outlines of sacred history and the systematic 
information they give, make these lessons valuable to 
adults, while they are especially useful to teachers and 
parents. We gave away all our personal interest in the 
publication, but special editions are prepared for us 
to supply all our readers. The price, (10 cents each, 
by the single copy or in quantity,) is put down to cost, if 
not below, at the present rate of printing paper and labor. 
If to be sent by mail, 4 cents postage Is added. As post¬ 
age is reckoned by the 4 ounces, the cost per copy iof 
either No. 1, or No. 2) when sent by mail, i-s 13 cents each 
for ten or more in a single package. Under ten copies: 
1 copy, 14 cents. I 
2 copies, 28 cents. 
3 copies, 42 cents. I 
copies, 80 cents. | 9 copies, 1 18 cents 
