1875.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
7 
“Tiie Witness” is the first successful ef¬ 
fort to establish a daily and weekly Christian journal of a 
pure character, free from vitiating reading or advertise¬ 
ments, yet giving the general news at a price to bring 
it within the reach of the masses. It will be welcomed 
by all good men. For terms, etc., see advertisement. 
Boldn.—The sheep in Chili have discovered 
a new medicine. Some sheep suffering from liver-com¬ 
plaint—whether in consequence of high living, is not 
stated—were shut up in a corral, which was repaired with 
fresh twigs of Boldu, (Soldoa fragrans) ; on nibbling the 
shoots, the sheep quickly recovered, whereupon the 
French chemists proceeded to extract a new alkaloid 
from the leaves of this tree, which they expect sheep 
Without wool to swallow. 
The Tltliiilmi-ffli Botanic Garden, 
one of the oldest and best in Great Britain, was at the 
beginning, “ forty feet square.” After many removals 
and enlargments, it has covered 27 acres. There is now 
an effort to obtain 20 acres more, for an Arboretum , 
which will be small enough at that. 
Kitchen Gardening in liew Eng¬ 
land.— Under this title an Englishman, who has been 
a short time inBoston, writes to the “ Gardener’s Chroni¬ 
cle,” (London) an amusing account of our gardening. A 
correspondent, also near Boston, takes exception to 
some of his statements: “ Corn-salad is said by this 
writer, to be ‘found in most large gardens.’ — Is 
this so ? I am not aware of its being raised at all in 
New England. ‘Endive,’ he adds, ‘is here almost a 
stranger,’—more’s the pity ; but endive is met with in 
the Boston markets, never corn-salad, to our knowledge. 
Okra is declared to be ‘ in my estimation, a useless poor 
man’s vegetable.’ But 1 useless poor men,’ are so 
scarce ‘down East,’ that there must be small demand 
for the article.” 
Bommer’g Manure.— “X, T. Z.,” Wau¬ 
kegan, Ill. We have frequently stated, and cheerfully do 
so once more, that any one is at liberty to use the methods 
detailed in Bommer’s book. The patent, if it ever had 
any validity, expired long ago. 
Am Exhibition in tiie Island otF 
Java.—An Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition will 
be held at Diocjakarta, Java, Dutch E. Indies, in April 
1875. We regret that the notice of this fair did not 
reach us earlier. The Dutch possessions in the East In¬ 
dies, have a population of some 30 millions, and they are 
desirous of opening relations with this country, and of 
becoming acquainted with our labor-sqving implements 
and machinery. We fear that it is now too late to for¬ 
ward articles. The agent in this country, is L. W. 
Morris, (Morris’ European Express,) 50 Broadway. 
Tiie Planet Juitioi*.—This combined 
Seed Drill and Wheel Hoe, made by S. L. Allen & Co., 
Philadelphia, received a silver medal at the recent great 
Fair of the Franklin Institute. Only one other silver 
medal was awarded for agricultural implements. 
Shorthorn Convention.— The Annual 
Convention of Shorthorn breeders was held at Spring- 
field, Ill., on the 3d Dec. last. The following officers 
were elected for the next two years: President, J. H. 
Pickerell, Ill. ; Vice Pres., S. W. Marfield, Ky., and 
David Christie, Canada; Sec., S. F. Lockridge, Ind.; 
Treas., Claune Matthews, Ind. Directors—Gen. L. 
Desha, Ky.; T. C. Jones, O.; M. Miles, Mich. ; J. R. 
Page, N. Y. ; Stephen White, Ontario ; M. H. Cochran, 
Quebec; Clint. Babbit, Wis.; A. J. Dunlap, Ill.; George 
Sprague, Iowa ; J. H. Kissenger, Mo. ; Harvey Craver, 
Ind.; Cyrus Jones, Cal. ; D. W. Crane, Kan., and M. S. 
Cockrell, Ten*. A committee, J. H. Pickerell, Ill., 
Chairman, will collect statistics of Shorthorns in the 
U. S. A committee, with M. Duncan, Ill., Chairman, is 
to draft an address to the breeders of the U. S., urging 
the importance of this association, and thus, if possible, 
to induce them to become members. 
See Page 33* 
Please Notice I— In sending roots, fruits, 
plants, or whatever specimens to us by mail, the parcel 
must not be pasted or sealed in any manner, but so tied 
that it can be opened by the postal authorities for inspec¬ 
tion. If the wrapper is pasted or the string sealed, we 
are charged letter postage. As 99 In 100 of these parcels 
are entirely for the benefit of the sender, who wishes 
some information concerning their contents, it is not 
quite the thing that we should pay for the privilege of 
giving it. This happens often, but we are quite sure it 
is because our friends arc not aware of the rules of the 
Post-Office. Also.— In sending by express, please pay 
the express charges. Our payments on parcels that are 
of not the least value to us, amount to an important item 
during the year. It is a tax to which we should not be 
subjected. If one has a fruit or other product that he 
wishes us to see, unless he is willing to place it in our 
hands free of cost to us, we prefer that he should not 
send it. Not long ago we paid seventy-five cents for a 
little box of grapes, which, like nine-tenths of the grapes 
sent us every year, were of no possible use, not fit for 
any mortal to eat. For that sum wo could buy six to 
ten pounds of the best grapes in the market. We are 
very willing to examine specimens, and glad if wo can 
serve our friends by doing so, but it is no more than fair 
that we should insist that we should not be put to an ex¬ 
pense in the matter. 
XBie IBiilletixa oftlie ISsasisey Insti¬ 
tution. —The third part of this valuable series of agri¬ 
cultural contributions has come to hand, and like its 
predecessors, shows that a great amount of thorough 
work has been done. This Department of Harvard 
University, promises to do more for scientific agricul¬ 
ture than any other public institution in the country. 
The notable feature in the present bulletin is a paper 
by Prof. F. H. Storer, “ On the Average Amounts of 
Potash and Phosphoric Acid contained in the Wood- 
ashes from Household Fires.” This is accompanied by a 
very full table showing what has been done by other 
chemists in this direction, which is of great value. 
Nortli-Western Spring- Wheat.— 
Tiie shipments of spring wheat from Minnesota are now 
amounting to 250 car loads of 400 bushels, or 100,000 
bushels daily, over the Chicago and North-Western Rail¬ 
way. The quality of the wheat raised in the portion of 
the State opened up by this road is very superior, so 
much so that an especial grade has been established for it 
in tiie Chicago market, known as North-Western Spring 
Wheat. This grade of wheat is now selling at 95 cents 
a bushel for No. 1, while ordinary No. 1 spring wheat 
sells for 91><f cents. 
Wasted MaMVBIours. —Estes andLauriat 
publish “Half-hour Recreations in Popular Science.” 
No doubt the Half-hours with Insects, which they an¬ 
nounce, may be profitably spent, in Prof. Packard’s com¬ 
pany. But more recreation than instruction is to be got 
from another of the series, if an extract now going the 
rounds of the journals is a fair specimen. It is about 
Actinism, which is defined to be “ the chemical power 
which is necessary to excite germination in plants.” It 
is said to “•emanate from the blue ray of the spectrum.” 
Also that seeds will not germinate at all under yellow 
light, while under the blue rays tropical seeds, which 
have otherwise lost the power of germination, come up 
freely. The same is said of mummy-wheat nearly 3000 
years old. There is no limit to the vitality of this mum¬ 
my-wheat story; that is sure to come up, over and over, 
although the grain won’t. Bast of all, this recreative 
writer tells us that if the seeds in the coal-measures 
[this term reveals English authorship] had not unfor¬ 
tunately got overheated, they would come up too, and 
we might raise “ palm-groves ” from them. Oh 1 science, 
what atrocities are perpetrated in thy name! 
[pgr* Tail to I5ea«l wSiat Is 
said about “ Do tiood and Flake Money,” 
in January, on page 33. 
Who Write for the Agriculturist ? 
There are two very different methods of conducting a 
paper, the one to let each article stand upon its own 
merits, without reference to its authorship, and the other 
to have, as the law in France requires, all articles signed 
by the writers. Each of these plans has its advantages, 
and much is to be said for and against both. We have 
pursued an intermediate course, giving the name when 
the writer preferred it should be published, and with¬ 
holding it in other cases. Many persons like to know 
who provides for their instruction and amusement, and 
at the beginning of the new volume we give them a list 
of those who will cater for them regularly through the 
year. The Publishers have always gone upon the principle 
of making the best possible paper, so far as outlay would 
do it, and though the office force is sufficiently adequate 
to filling the space every month, they prefer to bring in 
the varied experience and teachings of a number of 
others, residing in various parts of the country. So, in ad¬ 
dition to a strong editorial force at the office, the following 
are regular contributors, the majority of whom write ex¬ 
clusively for the Agriculturist. To avoid giving undue 
precedence to either, they are enumerated alphabetically. 
Prop. W. O. Atwater, of Wesleyan University, where 
he has charge of the department of Agricultural Chemis¬ 
try. His first contribution appears in this issue, and he 
will hereafter look to questions on fertilizers, and other 
chemical points, a task for which his education in the 
best German laboratories eminently qualifies him. 
“Aunt Sue” will, as heretofore, take charge of the 
puzzles. As to who she is, she prefers to leave a “ puzzle.” 
P. J. Berckmans, of Augusta, Ga,, has occasionally 
contributed, and will now do so frequently. He is not 
only the most competent horticulturist in the Southern 
States, but one of the first in the whole country. 
Rev. Wm. Clipt, of Connecticut, who has been with 
us for many years, will continue. He is a thorough far¬ 
mer, and knows all that is worth knowing about fish- 
culture, to which he has given much attention. 
“The Doctor” will, as in former years, have his 
“Talks” with the children, and as he usually selects 
some scientific topic, the little folks are sure to be 
instructed as well as amused. 
Faith Rochester, a housekeeper in a far Western 
State, finds time from her household cares, to express 
her sensible views, and give her practical hints in clear, 
vigorous language, to help her sister housekeepers. 
Prof. Asa Grat, of Harvard University, who has in 
other years contributed occasional articles, will now 
write exclusively for us, with and without his signature. 
It is not necessary to state to any intelligent person, 
that Prof. Gray is not only among the leading scientific 
men of America, but of tiie world. 
Joseph Harris, whose “ Walks and Talks on the 
Farm” have become such an important feature of the pa¬ 
per, will continue to Walk and Talk—and of course 
“ The Deacon ” will have his word to say also. 
Peter Henderson, is known from one end of the 
country to the other, as the successful market gardener, 
and the great commercial florist ; he will continue to 
instruct the people and disgust the old fogy gardeners, 
by telling the secrets of the trade. 
“The Pines.” The contributor who writes “Notes 
from the Pines,” is purely an amateur cultivator, and 
his articles are intended for those, who, like himself, 
grow fruits, flowers, and vegetables for the love of it. 
M. Quinby, stands at the head of the apiarian frater¬ 
nity, and is one of the few writers on bees, who have no 
axe to grind in the shape of a patent hive; he will this 
year interpret the “Voices,” to which he has so long 
been a listener. 
J. B. Root, a successful market farmer and seed grow¬ 
er, at Rockford, HI., will give articles embodying his 
experience, and showing labor-saving expedients and 
management peculiar to the West. 
Col. Geo. E. Waring, Jr., gives other articles besides 
the “ Ogden Farm Papers,” to which his name is attach : 
ed. His articles have created a wide interest, and have 
done much to stimulate others. 
These are regular contributors, besides which there 
are those, in all parts of the country, and in Europe, 
who favor us with articles. As to our engravings, they 
speak for themselves. Now that we are indulging in a 
little personal talk, we may notice a fling in which some 
papers are now and then pleased to indulge. Finding 
no fault in the teachings of the Agriculturist, they speak 
of it as a “city agricultural paper,” and its editors as 
“ sidewalk farmers.” Papers are published where there 
are the greatest facilities for procuring paper, printers, 
engravers, and all the mechanical helps, as well as the 
most complete mail facilities. It does not make the 
Western farmer’s wheat, pork, apples, or poultry, 
any less agricultural products, because they are sold in 
New York, and we can not see that the writings of 
practical men, are any the less practical because they 
are put in type and printed in New York. In our 
whole corps of editors and contributors, there is but just 
one who is not engaged on the farm, in the garden, 
greenhouse, laboratory, household, or wherever his or 
her field of labor may be, and this one is only temporarily 
away from his farm, on account of the health of his 
family. If these gentlemen will criticise our articles, 
we may learn something from them, but these “ shrieks 
of locality ” seem very small. The Editor. 
—--» .—-—- * <*■-- 
To E*i-ei»sirc Bacon.—“C. V. W.,” Nash¬ 
ville, Tenn. To prepare side bacon, divide the carcass 
down the backbone, remove the head, hams, and shoul¬ 
ders. Cut out all the ribs with as little meatupom them 
as possible. Then rub the flesh side of the meat with 
salt, or whatever mixture is chosen for the pickling. 
One pound of salt, 4 ounces of coarse brown sugar, and 
half an ounce of saltpetre, is a favorite pickle. As each 
side is well rubbed, it is placed upon a stone or oak slab, 
in a cool cellar, with the skin downwards; and one side 
is laid upon the other in a compact pile. A board is 
laid upon the t»p, with heavy weights. In a week the 
sides are rubbed afresh with salt or the above mix¬ 
ture, and the top one becomes the bottom one of the pile. 
This is repeated for six weeks, when the meat will 
bo sufficiently salted, and may be hung up to dry, or 
token to the smoke house. Ten days smoking is sufficient. 
