AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
187 
with good but home-spun garments, he started 
on the “ Alida ” to reach the city. 
Some how or other, his heart sank when the 
boat ceased to blow off steam, and the hawsers 
were cast loose from the pier; but then the 
$2000 a year was too tempting an inducement, 
and when the next day he found his trunk in 
the attic of a cheap boarding house, and himself 
walking briskly up Broadway, according to the 
direction of the advertisement, he began to feli¬ 
citate himself upon his resolution and firmness. 
He had an interview with professor Skinner, at 
the “ Institution,” who was very cordial and 
friendly, and was given to understand that the 
Merchant’s Bank in Wall street had a vacancy 
for a confidential Book-keeper, and that he, Mr. 
Skinner, was deputized to procure a suitable 
person. Upon sounding Verdant’s depth as a 
calculator, the Professor took him into a private 
room, and assured him that he was just the 
person they wanted, but that some preliminary 
instruction would be necessary, which would 
occupy three M r eeks, during which time he 
should board at the “ College,” and diligently 
pursue his studies, the compensation to the 
professor being six dollars per week, payable 
in advance , until he entered upon his duties at 
the bank. The young man did not much relish 
the paying in advance, for he had already ad¬ 
vanced twenty shillings at the house where he 
had left his trunk; but the professor assured 
that him was it important to be ready as soon as 
possible, in order to secure the situation; and, 
finally, the interview closed by Verdant’s pay¬ 
ing him six dollars for the first week’s tuition 
and board. The close of the first day’s visit re¬ 
duced his assets to this condition : 
Cr. 
By Cash on hand—$23. 
Contra. 
Expenses to the city. 75 
Cartage of trunk to boarding house. 25 
1 week’s board in advance (lost)... 2.50 
1 “ “ to Prof. Skinner.. .$6.00 
$9.50 
$23.00 
Balance remaining.$13.50 
He removed his quarters that evening to the 
Professor’s house, waiting until after dark, to 
carry his own trunk and avoid the expense of 
further cartage. Here he was compelled to pur¬ 
chase a set of blank books for his book-keeping 
studies, for which Mr. S. charged him sixty-two 
cents more, generously furnishing pens and ink 
gratis. His board was strange contrast to the 
bountiful table spread at home. The dry slices of 
bread, scantily smeared with rank butter, en¬ 
tirely destroyed his appetite, and the slops called 
tea, seemed sickening, compared to the large 
gilt-edged bowl of milk his mother always 
provided. 
At the end of the third week, with all his eco¬ 
nomy, his little stock of money was exhausted; 
and the Professor finding his victim’s finances 
depleted, pronounced him qualified for his post. 
Accordingly, he was furnished with a letter of 
introduction to the Merchants’ Bank in Wall 
street. 
His last sixpence was spent in riding down ; 
for he thought that, as he was about to enter 
upon a salary of $2000 a year, he could well 
afford the little luxury. Upon inquiring at the 
bank, he was soon given to understand that, 
when they needed his services, they would com¬ 
municate with him personally; in short, that he 
had been duped and swindled. Verdant could’nt 
believe it—the Professor was so kind, so evi¬ 
dently honorable. He started back on his weary 
walk to get an explanation from his friend, and 
was soon satisfied; it was the Merchants’ Bank 
of Providence, that wanted a Book-keeper, not 
the Merchants’ Bank of Wall street. 
What should he do? He had no money, no 
friends. The Professor assured him that he had 
better hasten, or the place would be filled; and, 
calling the pinched-looking servant girl, he bade 
her bring down Verdant’s trunk and set it on 
the sidewalk. Poor Verdant! For the first 
time in his life had real trouble crossed his path; 
and forgetting his pride, his obduracy to his 
parents smote him to the heart, and he shoul¬ 
dered his trunk, and lugged it wearily down to 
the steamboat which had brought him to the 
city, the Captain readily giving him credit for 
the amount of his passage home again. 
The above sketch is not one whit exaggerated; 
and but that the subject of it had a home to 
receive him, his case would have been as pitia¬ 
ble as that of hundreds of others who visit the 
city to procure situations, without possessing 
the necessary influence or local reputation. 
Should it meet the eye of any other Verdant 
Greens, let them congratulate themselves on 
their freedom from the bustle and harrassments 
of a city life, and learn to do their duty in their 
appropriate sphere, assured that there true 
happiness is alone to be found.— Journal oj 
Commerce. 
CUBING HAMS. 
In the last Patent Office Report, James Camp¬ 
bell, of Weston, N. J., gives the following as a 
superior process for curing hams : 
“The best method I have found for curing 
hams is, after the hams have been cut, let them 
lie out on a shelf, where they can have plenty 
of cool air, so that the animal heat is entirely 
out of them before you attempt to put them 
dowm in salt; then corn them down for two or 
three days; after which drain off any bloody 
water which may come out; and then make 
the following pickle, sufficient to cover them:— 
Take 9 pounds of salt, 3 ounces of saltpetre, 1 
ounce of saleratus, 4 pounds of brown sugar or 
molasses, and six gallons of water, let them lie 
in the above pickle from three to six weeks, ac¬ 
cording to the size of the hams, when you may 
take them out and smoke them with good hick¬ 
ory or apple-wood until sufficient to suit your 
taste. They should then be taken down and 
hung up in a dry, cool place, in bags to protect 
them from the flies. 
I have hams cured after the above method, 
which were almost as fine when eighteen 
months’ old as when taken from the smoke¬ 
house. And while upon the subject of hams, I 
would further say that, when you boil them, 
they should be boiled until done, in good, soft 
water; and, when nearly done, throw' in a 
handful of clean Timothy hay; it absorbs all 
impurities which may be around the outside of 
the ham. As soon as done, take out the hay, 
but leave the ham in the water until nearly 
cold, w'hen you may take it out. 
—— -- 
CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURAL WONDERS. 
San Francisco, Nov. 15,1853. 
From a lecture delivered by' Dr. Gibbons, a 
few' evenings since, I give the following : 
On entering the room [of the Agricultural 
Fair,] you are struck with the tasteful decora¬ 
tions and the profusion of plants, many of which 
are rare and beautiful. On the table are several 
varieties of squashes, the largest of w'hich weighs 
121 pounds; onions, weighing 4 pounds, and 
measuring 22 and 23 inches in circumference ; 
beets 36, 40, and even 51 pounds — several of the 
long variety, one of which measures 2 feet and 
8 inches, to which another foot may be added 
for the missing extremity, which appears to have 
been pulled through by the antidopes; sweet po¬ 
tatoes from San Jose, 12 and 13 inches long, 8 
weighing 20 pounds; carrots, 5, 8, and 10 pounds, 
and turnips raised to order of any size called for. 
The most striking feature, however, is the po¬ 
tatoes, specimens of which weighing 4 pounds, 
and measuring a foot or more in length, have 
been sent from all directions, San Jose, Santa 
Cruz, Alameda, Oakland, &c. There are 72 
bushels or 700 pounds, the produce of three po¬ 
tatoes, raised at San Jose. It is a remarkable 
fact that this vegetable requires no cultivation 
in any part of California. The seed is planted, 
without manure, and not a plough or hoe touches 
the field till the crop is gathered. These large 
potatoes are always of the best quality, and 
never hollow or false-hearted. In the vicinity 
of Santa Cruz the potato has been attacked by 
an insect which enters at the eye and burrows 
through the tuber, destroying it. The appear¬ 
ance of this insect is an evil omen. 
Some ten or twelve varieties of wheat are ex¬ 
hibited, the growth of California and of Oregon, 
some of which produce sixty to seventy bushels 
an acre; weight sixty-two to sixty-five pounds 
per bushel. One specimen of barley is exhibited 
as part of a crop of one hundred and forty-nine 
bushels to the acre. Stalks of Indian corn four¬ 
teen feet high and ears, from a crop of one 
hundred bushels to the acre. Oats nine feet 
four inches high, and one specimen ten feet 
seven inches. The specimens of flour are very 
interesting. They are from various quarters of 
California, and equal in quality to the celebrated 
brands of Gallego and Haxall. 
Among the fruits are grapes. A common 
weight of the clusters being five and six pounds; 
delicious sugar pears, many of which exceed one 
pound—a cluster of four on a stem, weighing 
seven pounds, from San Jose. Pound pears, 
the largest weighing two pounds, and Washing¬ 
ton pears of uncommon size and beauty. Ap¬ 
ples from Oregon and California, one of which 
is twelve inches in circumference; three apples 
from a single graft, one year old from San Jose. 
Pearmains and Seek-no-furthers from the coast 
near Bolinas ; trees planted last year and grow¬ 
ing directly on the borders of the ocean in a 
sunny nook backed by high hills to leeward. 
- o © «- 
PROPOSED DOG LAW-PRESERVATION OF 
SHEEP. 
A petition is in circulation in Bourbon 
county, praying the next Legislature to enact a 
law preserving the sheep of that county from 
the encroachment of dogs. It proposes the fol¬ 
lowing sections for a legislative act: 
1. That it shall be the duty of the person or 
persons appointed to list the property of the 
county for taxation, to inquire on the oath of 
every person subject to be assessed for taxation 
what number of dogs such person, or any mem¬ 
ber of such persons family may own or claim ; 
and one dog of every such person, including 
every member of his or her family, shall be as¬ 
sessed to pay twenty-five cents annually, and 
every dog more than the one shall be subject to 
the payment of fifty cents annually. 
2. That all monies arising from the assess¬ 
ment on dogs shall be set apart and denomina¬ 
ted “ The Sheep Fund of Bourbon County.” 
8. It shall be the duty of the County Court 
of Bourbon county, to appoint a treasurer to 
take charge of the sheep fund—he shall give 
bond with good security, to be renewed from 
time to time, as said Court may direct, condition¬ 
ed for the true and faithful discharge of his du¬ 
ties-—he shall demand and receive from the 
Sheriff all assessments on dogs, which are to be 
collected as other taxes; he shall have power 
to institute all proper proceedings against the 
Sheriff to make him accountable for any neglect 
or malfeasance in collecting or paying over any 
portion of the dog tax; he shall hold and dis¬ 
burse said fund according to law and whenever 
he has more than one hundred dollars on hand, 
and there is no outstanding draft upon him, he 
shall loan it out on short terms, taking good se¬ 
curity, to make profit, and shall receive such 
compensation as the County Court may deem 
just and reasonable. 
4. Whenever any owner of sheep in Bourbon 
county may have any of them killed by dogs, 
such owner, or his agent, may call upon any 
two of the neighbors of good repute, who being 
first sworn to act justly and impartially, shall 
proceed to inquire into the amount of damages 
done to such owner of sheep by the depredation 
of dogs, which shall be certified by the persons 
inquiring into the same, with the affidavit of a 
Justice of the Peace attached thereto, and it 
shall be the duty of the treasurer of the sheep 
fund to pay the amount of all damages thus 
reported to him, out of said fund, on presenta¬ 
tion. 
5. It shall be lawful for any person, summa¬ 
rily to kill every dog that may be known to 
have killed or attacked any sheep in the county 
of Bourbon. 
N ever wade in unknown waters. 
