1866.] 
AMERICAN ACRIGULTURIST, 
345 
Containing a great variety of Items, including many 
good Hints and Suggestions ibhich we throw into smaller 
type and condensed form, for want of space elsewhere. 
Marie All Subscriptions sent in, as Mw or Old. 
IPor Marleet Keporft and of 
Fairs, See Page 379.— The great press of matter, 
after omitting several pages prepared for this Basket, 
compeis us to take out advertisements, and put the 
market and fair lists in an unusual place as above noted. 
Oar “ Political Preferences” arc in¬ 
quired after by a few subscribers. Well, we exactly 
agree in sentiment with the man who is positively every 
way right and sound in his political views. Does any 
one disagree with us now ? This is all we are allowed 
to say in a paper that has nothing to do with politics. 
” Stop My Paper,” says a subscriber, en¬ 
closing an advertisement of the N. Y. Tribune cut from 
our business columns, which we had not even chanced 
to notice before.—“ Stop my Paper ” has been said by one 
or two persons every time we have inserted an advertise¬ 
ment of the Herald, World, Times, or Independent.— 
We advertise in many papers, of all political shades ex¬ 
cept those positively and professedly opposed to the 
Union. The more enterprising journalists, who know 
wliere to find a good medium, use our columns largely, 
and thus we get part of our money back. Journals so 
out spoken in their columns, and in their advertisements 
especially, as those above named, can deceive no one, 
and as they “fave the ability and will to do what they 
promise to do in their advertisements our rules in no 
way cut them off from using what space they pay for at 
full rates. Nobody is obliged to buy or read. If any¬ 
body "having the ability and will to supply them,” 
should .advertise to supply pigs, or panthers, as household 
pets, we might admit his card, without thus commending 
his animals for the use recommended by the seller.—We 
aim to admit nothing deceptive or immoral; how well we 
do this, our work must show. We can not, however, 
send around and ask permission of all our readers 
before admitting an advertisement. 
Parometer.s. —Letters giving detaiis of ex¬ 
perience in using the barometer, and of its benefits, are 
coming to liand, and we solicit still more of them. Let 
us have a full report, at least from those who have had 
our premium barometers. We can not of course publish 
these long communications, but they are useful, and we 
will endeavor, by and by, to give a summary. So far these 
letters, with an exception or two, speak of good results. 
Some who have not been so successful in always pre¬ 
dicting storms and fair wcatiier with certainty, as they 
hoped to be, yet speak very favorably of the general ac¬ 
curacy of tiie instrument, and we judge that not more 
than one of them would be willing to part with his 
barometer on any consideration. 
ValMal>le in Every State — WSiy.— 
An Illinois subscriber writes that “ the Editors of the 
Agriculturist should visit that State before they can get 
any idea of the magnitude of the West and wiiat farming 
is there.” Why, friend, the Senior Editor has traveled 
for observation, p.artly on foot, through at least thirty 
States, and the Canadas—including over 10,000 miles 
in Ohio, Slichigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Southern Min¬ 
nesota, the eastern half of Iowa and Missouri, part of 
Kentucky, besides Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, 
Louisiana, and all the Atlantic States from Maine to 
North Carolina. Another has traveled for the same pur¬ 
pose in all the Middle Stales East of the Jlississippi, and 
spent a year in the Soulliweslern Country, .\nolher lead¬ 
ing Editor spent several years in the employ of the 
Covernment, making observations upon the country at 
the Southwest anil up and down, and across the Continent 
to California and back. A fourth Editor devoted a season 
to examining the Sugar, Cotton, and Rice regions of the 
South. Constant observations and correspondence are 
received from every section of the country.—The prizes 
offered elsewhere in this paper (page 344) are only a 
small part of the expense and effort constantly put forth 
to gather general inform.ation.—But aside from tire per- 
jonal advant.ages enjoyed by the editors, and the other 
.sources of information, the great principles of soil cul¬ 
ture are, the same everywhere. Animals, fruits, etc., need 
the same general rules and observations. The House¬ 
hold, and Children’s Departments, and the engravings, 
are equal valuable in Nova Scotia, New Y'ork, Nebraska, 
Texas, Oregon, or Australia. We indeed write much 
abput manures for the older States, but though there is 
enough other reading for the newer West, we advise 
farmers there that some attention to this subject is worth 
their while, against a day of necessity—” A stitch in time, 
etc.”—To show the adaptation of this paper to the West, 
we may mention, that a Western paper begged earnestly 
for home support on the ground that eastern papers were 
not at all adapted to that region—aiming its remarks 
specially .at this journal, which seemed to be a favorite in 
its bailiwick. The very same paper had only 21 columns 
of reading, and of these 15 were filled with articles that 
first appeared in the American Agriculturist; 7 columns 
were directly credited to this journal, and 8 were not 
credited !—A multitude of persons, residing in every sec¬ 
tion of the country, including several away on the Pacific 
Coast, have detailed to us, how single hints, derived from 
or suggested by reading this paper, have resulted in very 
great pecuniary value, often to the amount of hundreds 
and thousands of dollars in individual cases. 
PicIciMs; Ai>ples for Cider. —Mr. G. R. 
Green, Hudson, N. Y., finding hand picking too slow, and 
wishing lo avoid the stones and dirt that will be mixed 
with apples when gathered from the ground, contrived 
the device shown in the engraving. It consists of a spread 
made of stout burlap, 20 feet square, bound on the edges. 
In the center is a hole large enough to encircle the tree, 
and provided with a drawing string to fasten it to the 
trunk. From this hole is an opening to one side of the 
spread, to allow it to be put around the tree, and the 
opening is afterwards laced up by means of a string run¬ 
ning through eyelet holes. In each of the corners of the 
spread a strongeyelet hole is worked—or what is better, 
an iron eye may be inserted. The spread being placed 
around the tree, three of the corners are raised up and 
stretched out by means of slender jroles, in such a man¬ 
ner, that the corner without a pole w ill be the lowest. 
Under this depending corner is placed a barrel, or wagon 
if the tree be a tall one. The apples tire shaken down on 
to the sheet, and roll towards the lower corner, where 
they are caught. Though apples are but little bruised by 
this treatment, it is not recommended for those intended 
for long keeping. 
Sundry Humbug's^. — Aside from a large 
number of letters about “ Harris Brothers,” and J. D. 
Miller, our batch of letters tibout swindlers reaches only 
•about a Imndred this month, by far the smallest number 
for any month during a past year. We learn that the ex¬ 
posures of tlie Agriculturist have made the “Circular” and 
“ ticket" business so unprofitable through the North, that 
the swindlers have turned their attention more lo the 
Southern States, where they are now operating with all 
possible speed and diligence. We mu.st try lo get the 
Agriculturist circulating more thoroughly there, though 
it is already going that way pretty extensively.A 
few particulars will suffice here : Harris Brothers are 
noticed on page 344.J. D. Miller was shown up last 
month, and though not dead, is on the wane. J. D. 
Granger operates with the same circulars, sending let¬ 
ters pretending to have drawn $130 to $165 prizes for 
sundry people. Tiie “ prizes,” like those of Miller, are 
shares in the “ Sand River Prize Petroleum Company.” 
The certificates for $150 shares, more or less, are worth 
about one-twentieth part of one cent—for waste paper— 
and no more . ... All tiie Art Unions, the Soldiers’ Unions, 
and other like Schemes, are no other than sheer lotteries, 
and dangerous to touch by any one who does not wish to 
gamble or throw his money away. No one of these has 
ever come up to its promises about drawing, etc. Usually 
when all the money is in, some one of the clique finds 
it convenient to decamp with it, as at Milwaukee, fqg ex¬ 
ample. The Illustrated papers, and lire respectable 
D.iily and Weekly papers, are aiding in the swindles by 
publishing the advertisements. Pray do not be blindfold¬ 
ed by the array of names of bankers and other public 
persons, who are made to at least seem to favor these 
enterprises. They are springing up all over the country, 
but are all of a piece, villainous lotteries, dangerous 
because got up so plausibly, and so thoroughly sugar- 
coated.Our letters this month contain notices and 
circulars of 31 swindling parlies and concerns, some of 
them already shown up, and others are the old parties 
under new names, but with the same circulars, etc. The 
most numerous circulars and tickets are from “ Vincent, 
Willis <fe Co., Williamsburgh, N. Y.” That is a large 
city, now united with Brooklyn, but its streets are syste¬ 
matically laid out and numbered. Why then did not V., 
W. & Co. tell people where they are to be found? It is 
bad for us, because a Pennsylvania friend has presented 
us with tickets for some magnificent prizes, all for $2.60 
each, an installment of 200 other lots, all sent “ exclus¬ 
ively and privately” to persons in his town. Many oth¬ 
ers send us similar gifts.—Vincent, Willis & Co., you are 
myths—Humbugs 1.The European Pocket Time- 
Keeper, and the “ Silent Friend,” are bo'th gross hum¬ 
bugs. Julius Sinking and others, who offer these, should 
go into some honest business.Joseph T. Inman, 
and Madame Tiiornlon, have both been already denounc¬ 
ed, and those who advertise for them are helping them to 
victims among the ignorant and credulous.The fol¬ 
lowing are Humbugs: “Grand National Gift Enter- 
prize,” N. Y. City.— “Errors of Youth” Recipe, N. Y. 
City.—“ Great Closing Off Saie,” do.— “ JIutual Benefit 
Association,” Quincy, Ind. Marcus Blair, Attorney', 
etc., of Oakland, Clinton Co., Ohio, who offers to lie 
$500 prizes through for $10 to $50, and will lie to you— 
Dr. Freeman. — “ Perfume of Love.” — “ Essence of 
Life.”—“Radical Regenerator.”—“ Metropolitan Jewelry 
Association.”—“New Jewelry Association.” — “Great 
National Gift Concert for Benefit of N. Y. Soldiers’ 
Monument Association,” J. L. Jaynes, Manager.— “$5 
to $10 Sewing Machines,” under several names : not worth 
receiving as a gift.— “Great Gift Concert for Soldiers’ 
Monument,’’ Sidney, Ohio, — etc., etc., including some 
fifteen pretended sellers of splendid Jewelry, valuable 
W<atches, etc., by tickets for from $1.75 to $12. Every 
such concern in N. Y., is a Humbug 1 T. E. Bryan, of 
N. Y., is too good looking a man to be engaged in the 
disreputable, villainous business he is in, that of supply¬ 
ing obscene, disgusting books, pictures, and instruments, 
marked cards, lo.aded dice, etc. lie is ashamed of the 
business, or afraid of it, as he tries to dodge the law by 
pretending to be oidy an agent; he refused us even a 
circular tit ids office, saying iie had not there anything he 
offered, not even a circular lo supply to us—a pretended 
country peddler. We would not like to trust any money 
in his hands by mail, as lie requires it sent. Give all such 
disgusting circulars .as he sends out, to ashes as soon 
as possible; they will soil your hands even. We stop 
here for a month, for want of room. 
Acltikowledg’cd.—Trans¬ 
actions of the Worcester Co. (.Mass.) Horticultural So¬ 
ciety, from Edward W. Lincoln, Sec'y_Address of 
Hon. Henry H. Crapo, before the Centra! Michigan Ag’l 
Society, at their Sheep-shearing Exhibition, Lansing, 
May 24, 1866.. Report of the Northern Ohio and Lake 
Shore Grape Growers’ Association; to be iiaj of Allen 
Pope, Treas., Cleveland,©_Transactions of the Cali¬ 
fornia State Agricultural Society for 1864 and 1865, a 
volume of over 400 pages_Trans. Pennsylvania Horti¬ 
cultural Society for 1865-Trans. Columbia Co., Wis., 
Agricultural Society for 1865_Indi.ana Slate Horticul¬ 
tural Society, Transactions 1665-66- Catalogue of 
School of Mines, Columbia College, N. Y. City- 
Trans. Essex (Mass.) Agricultural Society for 1865. 
—The following dealers have sent us catalogues of 
Hardy Bulbs: Brill & Kumerle, Newark, N. J.; James 
Vick, Rochester, N. Y. ; B. K. Bliss, Springfield, Mass. ; 
J. M. Thorburn& Co., 15 John St., N. Y.Catalogues 
of Geneiail Nursery Stock from J. W. Ilinks & Co., 
Bridgeport, Ct. ; Faulkner Nurseries, Danville, N. Y., J. 
C. Williams & Co.; F. Trowbridge, New ll.ivcn. Conn. ; 
Dutchess Nurseries, Ferris & Caywood, P.nighkeepsie, 
N. Y.; Parsons & Co., Flushing, N. Y.; Bloo;ninglon, Ill., 
F. K. Phoenix ; Genesee Valley Nurseries. Rochester, 
N. Y., Frost & Co. ; Washington Nurseries, Geneva, N. 
Y., Bronson, Graves & Selover.Grape Catalogues 
from C. W. Grant, Iona, near Peekskill, N. Y. ; Hum¬ 
boldt Nurseries, Toledo, Ohio ; Pomona’s Home Nurse¬ 
ries, West New ton, Pa., J. ll. Foster, Jr. ; Canandaigua 
(N. Y.) Projiagaling Establishment, F. L. Perry, Pro¬ 
prietor _Price Lists of Strawberries, etc., from Reisig 
& Hexarner, Newcastle, Westchester Co., N. Y.; Francis 
Brill, Newark, N. J. ; Willetts Bros., Buchanan, Mich. 
.Catalogues of Vegetable Seeds, Henry A. Dreer, 
Philadelphia, Penn. ; Brill & Kumerle, Newark, N. J. 
.Report of the California Assembly Committee on 
the Culture of the Grape Vine; Thirtoentli Animal Re¬ 
port of the Ohio Pcmological Society, 1856. 
