1864.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
811 
who had patients from all parts of the Union. He at 
once discovered a red spot on the bridge of our nose, 
probably caused by the disruption of a small artery, and 
Instantly pronounced it a cancer ! He urged the import¬ 
ance of its immediate removal, as the only means of 
saving life. He “ would take it out for $50, as he charged 
professional men and students only one-tenth to one- 
fourth price.” We considered the matter a while ; the 
red spot disappeared of itself ; we saved our money, and 
an ugly scar, and the “ Doctor” lost one case from his 
jong published list of “ wonderful, marvelous cures.” 
Treatment of Stammering. —Several 
inquirers: The appliances for the cure of stammering 
advertised in our columns, consist of several ingenious 
mechanical arrangements, which appear to be founded 
on correct principles. The proprietors do not claim to 
cure all cases, but some forms of the habit may be broken 
up, by their use. The parties are doing a legitimate 
business entirely distinct from quack medicines, and no 
injury can result from their method, even though a cure 
be not effected. Of course we could not decide on their 
applicability to individuals without knowing each case. 
Sending Articles to Soldiers.— R. 
Wood, Bradford Co., Pa, and others. We cannot under¬ 
take to forward packages of supplies, as it can be done 
much better by the societies organized for the purpose. 
If there is no Soldiers’ Aid Society in the neighborhood, 
send to the Sanitary Commission atNew-York, Philadel¬ 
phia, Baltimore, Washington, or any other large city. 
Post Office money Orders.— We are 
glad to learn directly from official sources, that the new 
money order system is making slow but sure progress. 
One hundred and forty-seven offices are being used at fii st, 
as a trial, to ascertain defects, and any improvements that 
may be made. We hope within a year to see the system 
extended to every town in the country. It will be of im¬ 
mense benefit to publishers, and especially to subscribers 
to periodicals—and that will include almost every family 
in the Northern States. To send under $30 to a distant 
point, it will only be necessary to hand the funds to the 
home Post Office, and send the receipt, or “ money or¬ 
der,” to the person to whom the money is to be paid, and 
he will collect it at his own Post Office. The cost will 
be but a trifle—from 10 to 20 cents, according to the 
amount. Losses by theft, by destruction of mails, etc., 
will thereafter cease. We can testify to the benefit of 
this system, from having examined the similar one in 
operation in Great Britain. 
Poetry an«l Essays. — Many poetical 
contributions, a few of them possessing considerable 
merit are received from time to time, but not published, 
for the following sufficient reasons. 1st, The scope of 
this journal is practical, rather than literary, and enough 
practical matter is always at hand to fill its pages. 2d, 
It is inconvenient to translate such effusions for the Ger¬ 
man edition.-Nor can valuable space be devoted to 
long essays about agriculture and its kindred topics. It 
is a waste of ink to expatiate upon the dignity, the health¬ 
fulness, or desirableness of a farmer’s life, etc., etc. 
But whoever can tell how to raise better produce or 
more of it, or how to do it easier, or can communicate in¬ 
teresting facts either of success or failure, and thus add 
to the general knowledge, will be a welcome contributor. 
Htimbugg. —Look out for the circulars which 
Joseph T. Innmann, addresses to young men. It is the 
old dodge. He sends a prescription made up of names 
which are unknown in medicine and botany, and which 
are a little worse imitations than these bogus'names usu¬ 
ally are. He has, of course, once been a Missionary 
somewhere, and brought home a lot of the stuff which 
he, benevolent man, sells at just what it costs him. 
Three certificates accompany the circular, from “ M. 
D’s” dated at London, Paris, and New-York, respect¬ 
ively. The New-York “ M. D.” is not found in the di¬ 
rectory, and probably all three are names as false as 
those of the ingredients of the medicine. His letters are 
to be addressed to “ Station D, Bible House,” which of 
course helps out the sanctimonious look of the thing. 
A New Yoric SIumbug.- Passing along 
one of our city thoroughfares a few days since, we heard 
a great racket in a large store, made by pounding a 
piano, and six clerks shouting at the top of their voices, 
“This way and secure your tickets! Can’t tell what 
you’ll get, till you pay your money.” Tickets at one dol¬ 
lar each were being sold fora “ Magnificent Gift Con¬ 
cert,” entitling the bearer to (perhaps) 25 cents worth of 
music, and whatever he might “ draw ” from a large box 
of envelopes containing cards, on which were names of 
the “ gifts.” During the ten minutes we looked on, thirty 
yc forty tickets and as many people were “ sold.” The 
“gifts” were mostly of the cheap jewelry order—rings, 
pins, bracelets, etc., glittering and gilty, worth from ten 
to fifteen cents, or less, with occasionally a silver-plated 
article costing perhaps thirty cents or less at wholesale. 
As these or similar operators may start a like game in 
other localities, those who read the American Agricultur¬ 
ist will be on the lookout for them here and elsewhere. 
Eoolf out for ILottery Schemes.— 
These are still being sown broadcast over the country, 
judging from the piles of them received by subscribers to 
the Agriculturist, and by them forwarded to this office. 
No matter in what guise they come, whether signed by 
Hammet & Co., Egerton & Brother, Taylor & Co., or 
any other man, do not let your good manners be corrup¬ 
ted by these evil communications, as they may be if ten 
dollars be invested and you get mad upon discovering the 
humbug. Look out for a new swindle called “The 
Farmer’s and Mechanic's Protective Union,” with a long 
list of bogus officers, and a tempting list of cash prizes, 
followed by the usual letter—“ Your ticket has drawn a 
prize of $200,” as described on page 263 (Sept. No.) 
A I*Jiotog-rai»h Hmmlmjr.— Copies of 
the following letter are being extensively circulated 
about the country. “ Dear Sir,—There is a package of 
photographs at my office directed to your address. The 
charges upon it are $1, on receipt of which it will be for¬ 
warded to you.” These are signed by several parties. 
Persons receiving such a note might suppose a friend, 
perhaps in the army, had sent a present of pictures. In 
stead of this, it is only a device of (he letter writers, to 
sell a few common photograph cards at a large price. 
Disappointment, even at a dollar a package, is too dear. 
About Wlniskes-s, etc.—A correspondent 
of the American Agriculturist inquires if the adver¬ 
tised preparations to “ force the beard to grow ” are 
worth anything. Yes—they serve an excellent purpose 
for making money out of anxious young men, desirous of 
blossoming before their time—possibly they will also help 
develop the eye teeth, as a man once humbugged with 
such quack nostrums, will then be likely to avoid them. 
TSie Ersttsf-Hrowes-s’ Society of Eas¬ 
tern Pennsylvania held a series of meetings at 
Easton, during the State Fair, some of which we had the 
pleasure of attending. Amateurs and professional fruit¬ 
growers work together here earnestly and harmoniously, 
and great good will be effected. Several new fruits were 
brought to the notice of the Society, and old ones were 
discussed. Rev. James Colder, of Harrisburgh, was 
elected President for the ensuing year—an excellent 
choice. The discussions and proceedings of the Society 
at this session cannot now be discussed for lack of space, 
but will be hereafter referred to in sundry fruit items. 
Agricultural ISoolcs Scarce. — The 
old Agricultural Book firm of C. M. Saxton & Co., has 
closed up its publishing business. In order to keep this 
class of books together, and secure enough for our own 
list, (page 326,) we purchased all the remaining stock of 
the firm ; and so long as these last, will supply individu¬ 
als and the trade. Several of the books are nearly, or 
entirely out of print, and cannot be had until other ar¬ 
rangements are made, for re-publishing them. Mr. C. M. 
Saxton goes to St. Louis, to act as agent for Bradbury’s 
Pianos, Mason & Hamlin’s Cabinet Organs, Brown's 
Baby Tender, etc. He will also receive subscriptions 
for the American Agriculturist, in that city. We wish 
him abundant success in his new home in the West, 
or rather, in the soon to be central city of the Union. 
“Tlie Fotimdations of History, A 
Series of First things,” is the title of a book announced 
in our advertising columns, which we have not yet had 
time to read through. A judicious friend to whom we sub¬ 
mitted it, says it is well worth perusal. The advertise¬ 
ment fully explains its character and objects. Mr. 
Schieffelin, the author, is the senior partner in the firm of 
Schieffelin Brothers & Co., the largest dealers in drugs 
and medicines in this country. Our wonder is that he 
could have found time from business to prepare a work 
requiring so much reading, investigation and thought. 
Would Not Eet Him Ho.— Through the 
over-politeness of the enrolling officer, and the courtesy 
of the blind man at the “draft” wheel, the Proprietor of 
the Agriculturist, though a legal exempt, received an 
urgent invitation to take another trip down South—this 
time at the expense of Uncle Samuel, Instead of at his 
own charges. But on presenting himself at the rendez¬ 
vous, Oct. 11, the Surgeon promptly ordered him home 
again.—He sends his compliments and best wishes to his 
fellow-soldiers, from whom he has thus been “ arbitrari¬ 
ly” separated, and in whose glory and patriotic efforts in 
behalf of our country, he is not permitted to share. Well 
if not allowed in the army, nothing but lack of health can 
prevent one from getting so near the battle field as the 
Sanitary and Christian Commission’s Agents are allow 
ed to go. If rebels can not be destroyed there, many 
wounded soldiers, bolh friend and foe, can be saved. 
Brown’s ISal»y Tenders.—We have one 
of these under trial. So far, it has given a great deal of 
satisfactory amusement to the little ones, and is worthy 
the attention of mothers. 
Veterinary.— Joseph Bilbie, Maries Co., Mo. 
—Have referred your letter to a veterinary surgeon. 
Meanwhile, sponge out the mare’s nostrils once or twice 
a day, and if you can, wash out with a syringe. The 
accumulation of food, hay seeds and dirt i:'. her nose, 
which becomes so offensive after a few davs must be 
cleaned out frequently, or she will be seriously sick. 
Sale of S8*ort-leorn Stock.—A favora¬ 
ble opportunity to secure valuable animals of unquestion¬ 
able purity will be offered at the sale noticed in our ad¬ 
vertising columns. A feasible method for securing im¬ 
provement in the herds of a neighborhood is for several 
to unite in buying a blooded bull, where no one has 
sufficient means at command to secure a desired animal. 
Mailing' Plants to IJiali, Colorado, 
Idalio, etc.—There is trouble on the overland route. 
Owing to some imposition by parties sending merchan¬ 
dise by mail, the Department refuses to forward even 
newspapers, except in single wrappers to individual sub¬ 
scribers, and rejects all other mail matter, not prepaid 
with letter postage. This is contrary to the plain letter 
of the law, which makes no exceptions against plants 
and seeds, sent any where in the States and Territories, 
at 2 cents per 4 ounces. We have therefore been com¬ 
pelled to hold back a large lot of our strawberry plants, 
via the overland route, for subscribers in the Territories 
west of Kansas, for which labels were all ready in Sep¬ 
tember. If we cannot get a permit to mail them in spring, 
some arrangement for expressing them must be made. 
The Strawberry Plants Sold—with a 
Reservation for Subscribers. 
After pretty thoroughly gleaning the large well-grown 
plants from our “ Agriculturist Strawberry ’’ plot, (1 y» 
acres,) to supply subscribers, and selling a few to dealers 
and others, the very favorable damp, w arm weather pro¬ 
duced a fine growth of new plants ; and these have come 
forward so rapidly that a considerable supply of excellent 
plants can be furnished in the Spring. From these we 
ought to realize a handsome sum to meet the thousands 
of dollars expended upon them—an expense we should 
not have regarded, but tor the enormous advance in 
paper, etc., since the plants were offered to our readers, 
and the subscriptions received for this year. But we dis¬ 
like to be engaged in any business transaction that might 
in the least interfere with our editorial duties and inde¬ 
pendence. We therefore promptly accepted an offer 
from Rev. J. Knox, of Pittsburgh, Pa., for all our sur¬ 
plus plants, after reserving'40,000 plants for our readers. 
These will be used in part to fill up any positive, well- 
authenticated failures among those plants already sent 
out, where the fault was not the recipient’s ; and the rest 
will be given out to those now subscribing for next year 
who furnish five cents extra to cover expense of packing 
and postage, if the application be made at the time of sub¬ 
scribing. When desired, the plants will be supplied this 
month, if the ground be not frozen before the application 
is received. But except when specially wanted now, the 
plants will be reserved and sent out at the earliest practi¬ 
cable day in the opening of Spring. The rule will be, 
first come, first served. Those applying after the 40,000 
are exhausted, will need to wait until the growth of new 
plants next Autumn, when all previous applications un¬ 
fulfilled will be met. Mr. Knox, to whom all applications 
for purchasing plants should be directed, will be able to 
supply a fine lot to dealers and others, at the rates pre¬ 
viously announced, (1 plant for 75 cents ; 2 for $120 ; 6 for 
$3; 12 for $5 ; 100 for 25 ; 1,000 for $200; with the usual dis¬ 
count to the trade, we suppose. Applications to him will 
be filled by his agent here until he moves the stock to his 
grounds at Pittsburgh, in Spring. The purchase of the 
plants by Mr. Knox is an additional proof of their value. 
He is the largest grower of small fi Hits, (strawberries, 
grapes, raspberries, etc.,) in the country, and means to be 
ahead in any new enterprise in this line. Those who are 
continually offering us new berry fruits for propagation, 
distribution, or sale, will do well to call on him instead. 
It will be remembered that after visiting his grounds at 
Pittsburg, we took the liberty to call him the “ Straw¬ 
berry King of America,” if not of the world, and he has 
now what appears to be the Queen among strawberries. 
