126 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
(April, 
Special Offer, 
The Beautiful Chrorno, “The Strawberry Girl.” 
[Size, 14x20, in 18 colors.] 
To every subscriber, whether new or old, whose sub¬ 
scription for the year 1875, whether single or in a club, 
shall be received while this offer lasts, and who shall 
send with his subscription 50 cents extra to pay for 
mounting, postage, etc., we will send one of the beauti¬ 
ful pictures, “ The Strawberry Girl,” which 
has so delighted those who have seen or received it. 
This chromo will be mounted on muslin , with directions 
for putting it on a stre tcher for framing. We have but a 
limited number of these fine pictures in stock, and this 
offer will continue only while any remain. To 
every subscriber for the year 1875, whether new or old, who 
has not called for any chromo, and who shall send us 50 
cents additional to his subscription while this offer lasts, 
we will send one of “The Strawberry Girl” as above. 
Four Extra Pages.— Our subscribers 
will notice that we give them, in this number of the 
American Agriculturist , four extra pages , i. e., two of 
valuable reading matter, and two of advertisements ; the 
paper for this month containing forty-eight pages, (in¬ 
cluding cover), instead of forty-four, and this without 
additional cost to our readers, as the postage is now paid 
by the publishers. 
“ Good Mea and True” are the kind 
that are welcomed to the business columns of this jour¬ 
nal—the other kind are not wanted here, no matter how 
much golden “ toll ” they may offer at the entrance-gate 
(or advertising desk). Patent medicine men, who pub¬ 
lish long lists of “symptoms,” to make people believe 
they are sick, so that they will buy their nostrums, will 
please take their custom to “ the shop over the way ”— 
ditto all sorts of swindlers— ditto all who have not the 
ability and intention to do just what they promise to do 
in their advertisements. We want here only those ad¬ 
vertisers upon whose words and promises our readers 
can implicitly rely. When our readers open correspon¬ 
dence with any of our advertisers, in ordering, or writ¬ 
ing for circulars, please intimate to them that you are 
members of the “ American Agriculturist Family,” by 
way of introduction, and you will be likely to receive 
special and courteous attention. A look through the busi¬ 
ness columns will show that the country is not mori¬ 
bund, by a long ways. Such a look will doubtless afford 
some profitable suggestions also. 
A PEOPLE, at least, 
in the country and in villages, are jnst now planning 
out Spring work in their fields and gardens. What a help 
it would be to them to have the information, the hints, 
and suggestions, which the current numbers of this jour¬ 
nal give, and will give all Summer. Single hints save or 
bring back many dollars. Just now, in this month of 
April, please explain this matter to some of your 
neighbors, get and forward their names, and in return 
the Publishers will make you a present worth having. 
See what they offer in the Illustrated Premium 
1.1st. If you have not one at hand, send word by post¬ 
al card, and the Publishers will forward you one free. 
Cllover’s Insects.—The museum at the 
Department of Agriculture at Washington is oneof great 
value and interest, and one who sees the great number 
of specimens and their admirable arrangement, is sur¬ 
prised when told that this is the almost unaided work of 
the director, Prof. Townend Glover. The museum is 
indeed evidence of remarkable skill and industry, but 
this is only a small part of the work accomplished by 
this most industrious and skillful man. He has for 
years collected, drawn, and engraved with his own hands 
the insects injurious to vegetation in their various stages; 
engraved them on copper plates after office hours, and 
they now form a collection of immense importance. The 
French government several years ago recognized the 
value of Mr. Glover’s work, by presenting him a gold 
medal. The American government has recognized it by 
—nothing. Not wishing his plates to remain useless, 
Mr. G. has, at his own expense, commenced their publica¬ 
tion in families. Ho publishes only 50 copies, pays the 
expense himself, and gives them to entomological soci¬ 
eties and other scientific bodies, and to his personal 
scientific friends. In the volume of Diptera now before 
us, the notes and explanation of the plates arc all in his 
own remarkable hand—as neat and almost as clear as 
type, which have been transferred and printed by litho¬ 
graphy. When we consider the immense amount of la¬ 
bor involved in the production of these volumes, the 
contribution to science is no ordinary one, and he really 
gives more than the wealthy men whoso contributions 
of a few thousands are heralded wherever newspapers 
are read. Congress can appropriate thousands to buy 
and distribute useless seeds, but for a useful and credit¬ 
able work, not a dollar. We know that Prof. Glover will 
not thank us for this notice, but we feel it is due to him. 
Do not write to ask for copies of his work. Every one 
is disposed of, and not one for sale. 
Wooden mid Brick Buildings, is 
the title of a most valuable contribution to the list of 
architectural books, just published by A. J. Bicknell & 
Co., N. Y. It consists of 2 vols., in large quarto, and 
contains 160 plates, giving perspective views, elevations, 
plans, and elaborate details of buildings of all kinds, for 
country and city. These are accompanied by descriptive, 
letter press, specifications, form of contract, etc. An 
important feature of the work, is that the designs are 
contributed by over forty different architects, including 
some of the leading names in the profession. Being 
from different architects, residing in different parts of 
the country, the designs present a remarkable variety, 
and can not fail of a wide appreciation. Price $18. The 
vols., if desired, may be had separately. Sold by the 
Orange Judd Company. 
Flesise mot Confountl Barnes.— The 
name at the head of this journal, with Washington’s mot¬ 
to, was adopted over 33 years ago. It was, as its 
name implies, originally designed to be the “ American 
Agriculturist." and that is its present aim, though it is 
largely taken and read in almost every other country. 
This particular name is justly its peculiar property by 
moral right, as well as by legal copy-right.—But while 
this has been partially conceded, many attempts have 
been made, and are still continued, to abstract a portion 
of its good name and good will, by naming other journals 
as near like this, as possible, without actually infringing 
upon its legal rights. A score or so of such journals have 
died in the effort; but one or two are still in existence. 
TIiosg who want this journal, will therefore please not 
confound its name with “Continental” Agriculturist, 
“ United States ” Agriculturist, “ National ” Agriculturist, 
—in short, with any other “ Agriculturist." To call it 
the “American Farmer” would not express its purpose 
and aim. While treating largely of farm matters, its 
scope is wider ; it is for the Farm, the Garden, and the 
Household, in City, Village, and Country. 
The American FomologAcsil Soci¬ 
ety. —The President, Col. Wilder, notifies us that the 
meeting for 1875, is appointed for Sept. 8th, 9th, and 
10th, and will be held in accordance with the invitation 
of the Illinois State Hort. Society. Chicago is such 
a central place that a grand gathering may be expected. 
Gettiaag- tiae Aga-icaaSttarist Cheap. 
—Some of our subscribers do not understand how pub¬ 
lishers of certain journals can offer to send both the Ag¬ 
riculturist and their own paper for the subscription price 
of the Agriculturist. We have nothing whatever to do 
with any of these arrangements, any one who chooses 
can purchase the Agriculturist at our wholesale rates. 
Our terms are published plainly, and are the same to all; 
if one takes 20 or more copies he gets them for $1.10 per 
year each, postage included, and he can sell them for 
what they cost him, give them away, or use them to ad¬ 
vertise his own paper or other wares. It is a matter en¬ 
tirely beyond our control, and if there is any advantage 
to be derived from these operations, the opportunity is 
open to all alike. 
Usaiojrtwiiiate Advertisements. — 
Lightning will sometimes strike a house that is thor¬ 
oughly “ protected” by lightning-rods, and sometimes— 
we are happy to say about as rarely—an advertisement 
finds its way into our columns, which should have been 
excluded. We take every possible precaution to keep 
out all advertisements that are doubtful, as well as those 
that are on their face improper; to show how these un¬ 
fortunate advertisements sometimes get in, rve cite the 
case of a “ Paper Company,” one of which concern, 
when asked for reference, gave one of our own firm ; this 
gentleman knew the paper-company man some years ago 
as a member of a business-house in excellent standing, 
and on the strength of a former good reputation of one 
of the parties, the advertisement of the Paper Company 
was admitted. It is now dropped on account of the 
numerous complaints of its unsatisfactory way of doing 
business, though we have had no evidence of actual 
fraud_A very unfortunate case was the publication of 
an advertisement of J. B. Williams & Son, Belleville, Ill., 
offering live stock, which appeared last month. Eecent- 
ly it has been shown that there is no such concern as 
Williams & Son at Belleville, but the name was assumed 
by one Stark, under which to carry on his swindling 
operations. This Williams, or Stark, was arrested by 
the local authorities as a swindler, and released on bail, 
but subsequently taken by the U. S. officers on the charge 
of using the mails for fraudulent purposes. While it is 
annoying to know that we were deceived, we can con¬ 
gratulate ourselves that our readers can suffer no loss by 
our act, as the advertisement in the March number could 
not have reached them until after the fellow was arrested. 
The postmaster at Belleville has since the arrest returned 
all letters to the writers, whose name was given on the 
outside, and no letter reaching Belleville after Feb. 23d 
will get to the rascal. Of course an occurrence of this 
kind will only lead to still greatcr circumspectiou on our 
part. 
Tlae Becord.—Published by Has¬ 
tings & Co., N. Y., annually. Last year we commended 
this from its appearance, now, after an experience of a 
year, we have shown our opinion by purchasing one for 
ourselves, and another for our gardener. It is exceed¬ 
ingly comprehensive, and for one who wishes to keep a 
record of events on the farm, in the garden, or in any 
kind of business, it is just the thing. 
SOBRA HEMBEGS.—The monthly 
task of writing this column is not a pleasant one. As 
we open our budget of accumulated evidence, we imme¬ 
diately feel that we are in bad company; the meanness, 
trickery, hypocrisy, and downright villainy, that are 
spread out before us give for the time a very discourag¬ 
ing view of humanity.... “ Mean enough to steal the cents 
from a dead pauper’s eyes,” has been used to express 
THE HIGHTH OB DEPTH OP MEANNESS, 
but there are people in Kansas meaner than that: they 
steal bread from their starving, and coal from their freez¬ 
ing fellows. There is some one at Holden, Kansas, act¬ 
ually mean enough to trade on the sufferings of the peo¬ 
ple to carry on a swindle. We have in hand two letters 
received by two of our friends in this city, which set 
forth in the most harrowing manner, the sufferings of 
the writer’s wife and children for want of food and fueL 
The recipient of one letter was so affected as to send 
some money. These letters are both dated Holden, 
Kansas, are written in the same hand, and one is pre¬ 
cisely in wording and bad spelling the copy of the other, 
but one letter is signed B. Boyd, and the other H. Brown, 
in the same hand. Here is evidently a swindle of the 
meanest kind. Holden is too small a place to have its 
population given in the Gazetteer, and no doubt the 
postmaster knows personally every one who gets his let¬ 
ters there. If a fellow comes for letters for H. Brown or 
B. Boyd, he should notbe allowed to have them, as either 
one or the other of these names is assumed for swindling 
purposes, and the law makes it the duty of the post-mas¬ 
ters to refuse such. The rascal if caught should be kept 
on a diet of grasshoppers and be made to read his letter 
before each meal... .It looks very much as if the 
CHEAP SEWING-MACHINE 
swindle were started again under a new name. We are 
watching the thing, and in the meantime advise our read¬ 
ers to exercise caution in this matter, and not send 
money where they will not probably get its value in re¬ 
turn. .. .Nothing is more astonishing than that any pur¬ 
chasers can be found for the 
CHEAP JEWELRY 
sold all over the country. We must confess that when 
we receive a complaint from one who has been victim¬ 
ized, we do not feel sorry at all; the whole thing is such 
a barefaced imposition that we cannot pity one who ex¬ 
pects to get for 50c. or a dollar anything worth half those 
prices. One young man in California sent all the way to 
Portland, Me., for a watch-chain of “ Chabanneau metal,” 
price 75c., and sends it to us to show how it looked after 
three days wear. The young man thinks he has been 
swindled—we think it quite as good a chain as he could 
expect for 75c. They probably cost very low by the 
peck, but then the seller must make a handsome profit 
to pay for advertising. The swindle is in representing 
that the chain would be equal to gold in “ actual use and 
beauty,” and the folly consists in your believing it. These 
cheap jewelry chaps turn up in queer places. There is 
one at Allen, Mich., which has on its circular an im¬ 
mense building, and gives the impression that a large 
business is done there. Now we learn that the chap 
doesn't live at Allen, but only visits it occasionally, and 
advertises another business from another town in the 
same county. The circulars of the Michigan concern 
which offer articles of “Brilliautinc Gold,” say: “As 
we are accustomed to cross the Atlantic Ooean every year 
for the purpose of enriching our art stores with the pro¬ 
ductions of European artists, we immediately sailed for 
Europe. As a matter of course, we always sojourn for a 
short time in Rome and other cities of Italy, and there 
we conceived of the business which wc are about to set 
before you.”—George Stinson & Co., Portland, Me., offer 
articles of “ Chabanneau metal,” and they say in their 
advertisement, “ For a long time it has been our custom 
to cross the Atlantic Ocean every year for the purpose 
of enriching our art stores with the productions of Euro¬ 
pean artists. Of course we always sojourn a short time in 
