173 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[May, 
Soiling; Cows—Will it I»a,y?— James 
Burgess, of Ontario Co., N. Y., has a small farm, and 
wants to make tlie most of it, and to liave as few interior 
fences as possible. He calls for the testimony of those 
experienced in soiling cows. We liope it may be given 
in detail. Our own experience has been irregular and 
only goes part way, consisting in cutting and feeding 
clover, lodged oats nearly ripe, also other grain, and corn 
sewed for fodder, during some weeks, including most of 
July and August, for several seasons. The cows were 
kept up and had the range of a yard a few hours daily, 
and the fodder was cut so as to have at least some hours’ 
sunning if practicable before feeding, being fed oc¬ 
casionally two or even three days after cutting. The re¬ 
sults were very satisfactory, and we have seen fine dairy 
herds that never browsed grass in the field in Iheir lives. 
I*eat as Fuel.—On page 179 will be found 
an interesting article on this subject, in which, however, 
our correspondent in his enthusiasm is led into some in¬ 
accuracies of statement, especially in regard to the value 
of Hr. R—’s 15 acres of peat. The best uncondensed 
peat can hardly be estimated as worth more than good 
fire wood cord for cord, and peat shrinks in drying, so as 
to occupy but to its original bulk. The richer the 
peat, the more it shrinks. Throughout the article the 
distinction between compressed and simply dried peat is 
mucli lost sight of, hence the statements are loose. This 
note should have followed the article in question. 
Triclaiiia isi IPorlc and in News¬ 
papers.—In the N. Y. Daily Times of Feb. 5th, 1864, 
there appeared an account of the death of one person 
and the illness of three others, from eating ham infested 
by Trichina spiralis, and the statements of the article 
fortified by the sworn testimony of several physicians. 
The N. Y. Evening Post during the month of February, 
1866, quoted two articles from foreign journals giving ac¬ 
counts of “great consternation in Germany,” and par¬ 
ticulars of the de-population of a German town by 
Trichina disease. On February 18th, 1866, the Chicago 
Sunday Times published an article with a displayed 
heading, reminding one of the dispatches after a great 
battle. Parts of this heading were: “Alarming Micro¬ 
scopic Revelations.” “ Terrible Fatality of Ihe Disease,” 
etc. The article was evidently made up by a person not 
familiar with the subject, and contained, among other en- 
gravings,one of a full grown Trichina, extruding its young 
alive from an orifice near its head. Then in the N. Y. 
Tribune of March 10, 1866, we have an elaborate article 
to w hich especial attention is called by an editorial in the 
same issue. This essay was a careful posting up of the 
subject, apparently by a foreigner, or at all events by 
one who ignored all American facts and writers. Aside 
from those above referred to, articles of minor import¬ 
ance, and containing truth and error in varying propor¬ 
tions appeared in the Agricultural and other papers. 
That such accounts should have an effect upon the 
public mind is not strange, and the readers of the Ag-ri- 
culturist began to present their requests that we should 
tell them the facts in the case. Last month we gave 
them a plain, unsensational account of the whole mat¬ 
ter, by a thoroughly competent physician. It was pi e- 
sented as a collection of established scientific facts, with¬ 
out any reference to what its effect might be upon any 
business interest. It seems that the pork interest has 
been affected by these .accounts, and interested parties 
are trying to make it appear that the whole thing is a 
humbug, and that there is no such thing as Trichina dis¬ 
ease. We know that the Trichina does exist, and we 
believe that it is best for people to know just what it is, 
rather than to have their fears excited by some partly un¬ 
derstood evil. Measly pork i)as long been known, and is 
equally to be avoided with that containing Trichines, 
yet a writer who cautions people against that form of 
diseased meat, may do so without suspicion of wishing to 
bring down the price of pork. From our article upon 
the subject we have nothing to retract, because it had no 
other object tlian to present facts ; but tw'O of tiie daily 
papers seem to take a different view of their publications. 
The Daily Tribune of March 21th says : “ It is pretty ev¬ 
ident that interested parties have had much to do with 
the story of diseased pork.” Which shall we believe, 
the Tribune of March 10th or March 24lh, and which of 
its .statements are “interested.” — ? — The N. Y. Times 
of March 26th has an article, the chief characteristics of 
which are flippany ami unfairness, the object of which is 
to turn the whole thing into ridicule. As the writer 
seems less desirous of giving the public facts than of 
helping the pork trade, we have only to say that the ham 
which produced the fatal results so graphically described 
In the Times in 1864, was an American ham. Ten cases 
of Trichina disease, one of which proved fatal, are 
recorded by medical authorities, as having taken place 
in N. Y. City, and the names of the physicians under 
whose observation they occurred, will be given to the 
Tirnes’ writer if he wishes to verify our statement. This 
# 
we deem sufficient .warrant for the remark in our article 
of last month, that “ the number of cases reported in this 
country show that it exists here to an extent, which, 
though not to a degree to cause alarm, is sufficient to de¬ 
mand-attention.” We have thus given the subject tlie 
“ attention” our retiders had a right to expect, and un¬ 
til some new developments appear, we may dismiss it. 
Xiclc Kemedy for Sheep. —^An ex¬ 
perienced English shepherd, after looking about our city 
markets, hands us the follow ing : I see among the many 
sheep that come to market here, many that have loose 
tags of wool hanging from their coat. On examining 
them, I find them infested with ticks. This causes the 
sheep to bite themselves, which loosens small portions 
of the wool at the root, and contact of the sheep with 
one another rubs it out. There is an excellent remedy 
for this evil, which I have long used and will give: 
Sheep Dipping Composition. —For 100 sheep or lambs, 
take 3 lbs. of white arsenic pulverized, boil it well In 40 
or 50 quarts of soft water, with as much as 15 or 20 lbs. 
of soft soap. When well boiled and stirred together, add 
water enough to make the whole 200 quarts, which istwo 
quarts for each sheep.—.4s soon as the sheep are sheared, 
the licks will generally go upon the lambs, therefore it is 
Important to dip the entire flock, and I can assure all flock- 
masters it will repay them tenfold. The best way to 
perform the dipping is to have a tub made for the pur¬ 
pose, about 5 feet long and 2>^ or 3 feet high ; let it be 
narrower at the bottom than at the top. Provide a lid 
that will fall back upon two stakes driven in the ground, 
and rest in a sloping position. On these lids there should 
be slats about % of an inch square, nailed about two 
inches apart. One man takes the sheep by the head and 
fore legs, another by the hind legs, and they dip it into 
the tub which contains sufficient liquid to submerge the 
sheep. The head is carefully kept from going into the 
bath. Here the sheep is held for about half a minute, 
and it is then thrown out upon the lid, and rubbed back¬ 
ward and forward over the slats, and the locks of wool 
wrung, so that the liquid shall as far as possible drain off 
and flow back into the tub. 
Medical Ad'vertiseinents—Horrid 
Busiitess!—On no rational ground, except that of 
sheer ignorance, can we explain the fact that many pro¬ 
fessedly religious journals, and others that claim to be 
respectable, continue to admit a certain class of medical 
advertisements. Some of these published in leading re¬ 
ligious papers even, covertly advertise the worst possible 
“private medicines.” A subscriber, in a recent note to 
the Agriculturist, well remarks “ that the medical 
quacks do not receive their due share of attention. There 
is probably no one thing so readily seized upon as the 
prospect of, or an offeredreinedy for disease. The suffer¬ 
ing invalid, with his judgment impaired perhaps by dis¬ 
ease, becomes a re.ady dupe, and the more terrible or 
probably incurable the disease, the more eagerly he 
swallows the bait.”-But passing by the general run of 
quack medicines, we refer now to a specific class. In a 
chance number of one of the most respectable N. Y. 
Dailies, or one so considered, and patronized by'a large 
class of respectable people, we find under the head of 
“Medical,” half a column, or thirteen advertisements, 
of which at least ten are really of the worst possible 
character. For example, the first one is addressed to 
“ Married or Single Ladies,” professing to “remove all 
stoppages or irregularities, from whatever cause," etc. 
(We only quote what is placed before your families every 
day in the year, in at least half the journals printed.) 
The 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 12th advertisements, 
are of very similar character, some more hidden in 
their expressions, but all indicating what they are aiming 
at. These cost for one insertion $19.00, and there is an 
average of as many on each of 350 days in the year, or 
over $6,500 a year paid to one paper, with much larger 
sums paid to others. We name far less than the actual 
sum, when we say that $150,000 are paid yearly by 
this single class of advertisers, for publicity alone. Of 
course they mu.st have a large patronage or they would 
not continue the advertising.-What of their patrons? 
One of two things. Many of them send useless medi¬ 
cines at enormous prices. Of course none of the 
purchasers expose themselves by exposing the swin¬ 
dlers. But some of them at least do send med¬ 
icines that attempt to effect what they propose. The 
result is not only “ the murder of the innocents,” but, in 
almost all cases, of the mothers themselves ; or if not 
producing direct death, they leave a shattered constitu¬ 
tion to drag out a miserable existence worse than death. 
Stung by guilt, the poor patient seldom betrays even to 
her companion if married, or to her most interested 
friends if not, the cause of her suffering. Let us say to 
all who put any faith in the statements of this class of 
murderers, for such they really are, that the pretences 
put forth for these medicines and operations, are false, 
as every good physician well knows. We regret that a 
regard for the feelings of our readers, especially the youth, 
compels us not to speak more plainly. This much we 
could not longer refrain from saying. 
Turning tlie Tables on Humbugs. 
—The course of sin, like that of true love, does not al¬ 
ways run smooth. To pass by the weightier matters of 
police interference, expenses, etc., they get some sharp 
letters. A “ soldiers widow,” whom they tried to cheat 
by professions of great interest in her class, and the offer 
of a splendid prize on receiving barely $10, accepts their 
generous offer with many thanks, merely requesting 
them to retain the $10 out of the great sum to be sent 
her.—Some cute chaps at Port Deposite sent Hammond 
& Co. a bogus check rather ingeniously but not very 
modestly signed, which tlie said H. & Co. accepted in 
good faith, <and presented it for collection. Of course it 
was returned to them with nearly $2 costs.—An “ official” 
out west received a very flattering offer of some thous¬ 
ands of dollars, on receipt of $10 for expenses, to which 
he responded as follows : 
Iowa State Agricultural Society, ) 
Secretarv’s Office, Fairfield, Iowa, March 1, 1866./ 
Messrs. Fletcher 4 - Co., 50x3763 P. O., New York City. 
My Dearly Beloved Friends : Your truly macnifi- 
cent offer, couche-l in your truly refirie l epistle of Feb¬ 
ruary 23d, is just at hand. I congratulate myself that I 
have secured additional evidence of my theory of Hie 
doctrine of “disinterested benevolence.” I thank Ihe 
lucky fiirtune which has given you my address, and has 
enabled you to fix upon myself as everyway qualified to 
aid you in your enterprise. You certainly must be Free¬ 
masons, Odd-fellows, Good Templars, and members of 
the Christian church. Your munificent benevoleiice al¬ 
most caused me to shed tears, especially at this time, 
when I need a new suit of clothes, a new fence about 
my lot. a demijohn of whiskey, and my family needs—in 
one word—everything. Y'ou may send by draft on New 
Y’ork, which will be readily cashed at our bank here. 
Fifteen hundred dollars will be all that you need semi 
now. The draft will be safer, than to send “ greenbacks” 
by mail. Everybody has a hankering afier greenbacks— 
postmasters not excepted. I apprehend, however, that 
no postmaster would steal any money from you. for tliey 
must all know of your astounding benevolence, and 
w ould scorn to interrupt any of the good ends which you 
have in process of accomplishment. I inw-ardly chuckle 
when I tliink what a good joke you will play on Ihe Lot¬ 
tery Managers, when I receive the $1500 ! I dare say 
they -wdll appreciate it, and will be ready to make merry 
over it. Of course “ / xvill shoxo the money ;” then won’t 
my friends open their eyes in astonishment, and stand 
agape at Ihe recital of my good fortune .i’ Won'tevery 
man in the neighborhood run after a similar chance, .and 
won’t we all be rich ! You jiil I But I can do more than 
“show the money.” I ca.n, if I choose, speak of your 
munificent liberality, in my Annual Repot t on the condi- j 
tion of agriculture. I can publish the name and locality j 
of your firm, and millions will aihlress you for a share in. 
such good fortune. .Afterwards, I can publish the list of ! 
lucky men—just tiefore, or included in our Premium 
Classes 18 .and 19, (Jackasses and Mules.) Won't that be 
a big thing ? Send me the $1500, less the $10 you ask of ' 
me, and 3 cents for postage stamp to return this answer. | 
I will “show tlie money” when I get it, and show you up 
to the best of my ability. I am no mean writer, having 
read Godfrey's Cordial, M’Guffey’s 1st Reader, and Ihe 
book that tells how John Rogers had tils stake burnt with j 
one small children and nine at Ihe breast. You bet. I’m 
a scholar 1 Patronize me, and believe me, yoiir's fran¬ 
tically, J. M. SHAFFER, Secretary.” | 
liotferics — How even a, Cienitine 
one Works.—TUe Aritlimettc of tlie Dliinsr. 
—Of the many venders of lottery tickets in this city, at | 
least nine out of ten are bogus, swindling concerns, in 
which the investors have no chance at all, and a man j 
must have uncommon discernment and discretion to as¬ 
certain which is the tenth or genuine one.—But siippos- ' 
ing all were genuine, let us see what chance a man 
would have in one. For example, take the “ Royal 
Havana Lottery,” said to be honorably conducted “by 
the Spanish Government, under the supervision of Hie' 
Captain General of Cuba.” We calleil at the Agency in 
this city, and learned the entire modus operandi. Take 
the drawing No. 756, for May 9. There are 437 prizes 
ranging from one hundred and sixty of $200 each, to one 
of $100,000. Total amount of Prizes, $360,000 in gold— 
or equivalent to about $450,000 in our Currency. The de¬ 
ductions before the prizes are paid amoiuit to 12'n 15 per 
cent., or say $50,000. This leaves $400,000 to be distrib¬ 
uted among the ticket holders. But there are just 30,000 
Ih-kets at $10 each, which must all be drawn from ; that 
is, the ticket holders pay $1,200,000 for the privilege of 
drawing $400,000, the other $800,000 all going to Ihe lot- 1 
