1875.1 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
331 
it did, these eye cups would not alter it. A person with 
a $1,000 horse would, if the horse were ill, hesitate to 
take the risk of medicating it, yet with an eye, which is 
worth untold numbers of horses, persons will tamper 
and tinker as if it were no more precious than an old 
coffee-mill. Do not meddle with your eyes, either by the 
use of eye washes, eye cups, or any other appliance. If 
there Is any trouble that such simple remedies as a 
cold water bandage will not relieve, seek advice at once 
... A friend in Massachusetts, sends us a pamphlet of 
A “CATARRH CURE,” 
• and asks for an opinion of the medicine. He probably 
thinks that as Agassiz was able to draw an entire fossil 
'fish from seeing a scale, we can give an idea of the value 
■of a medicine by reading the advertisement—and he is 
mainly right. Here is evidently an intelligent person, 
who writes an unusually handsome and well expressed 
letter, a person who we are quite sure is looked up toby 
his neighbors as a clear-headed man of sound judgment, 
whose opinion in all ordinary matters is no doubt quickly 
formed, but when confronted by a quack circular finds 
he has no longer confidence in his own judgment, but 
has to ask others. If people would only judge of these 
things with ordinary common sense, they would see how 
absurd they are. Let us examine this catarrh circular 
a little. We are told on the first page that this 
is “the only reliable and scientific preparation for the 
Tadical cure, etc.”—This assumes that the person who 
wrote thus knows all other preparations—which is absurd 
on the face of it We then read: “ It is pronounced by 
eminent physicians to be the only reliable remedy ever 
yet discovered that will cure catarrh in all its stages.”— 
Indeed 1 who and where are these “eminent physicians? ” 
These quack medicine fellows if they can get hold of the 
name of a physician who is not at all eminent, are sure 
to parade it, but where are the eminent ones ? We do 
not hesitate to say that no eminent or any other true 
physician ever made any such statement. Here are on 
the first page two statements which are false on the face 
of them. On the second page we read, “ The presence 
of this not only loathsome, but really dangerous disease, 
is truly alarming, every third person being more or less 
afflicted with it.”—Our acquaintance is tolerably large, 
and we do not happen to know of a single one who has 
catarrh. It may be that we do not happen to know the 
“ third persons,” or those we do know are “ less afflict¬ 
ed ” rather than “ more.” Then come the detailed symp¬ 
toms which “ pile up the agony ” and immediately add 
in big type, (Now is the time to use Dr. Lane's great 
Temedy, a sure and positive cure), and then the things 
catarrh will lead to, and the fearful results which will 
follow not taking the remedy are wonderful. It appears 
to us marvelous that a sensible person, after reading 
such a manifesto as this, can give it any further thought. 
_One of the amusing things about our humbug cor¬ 
respondence is the way in which things that we sup¬ 
posed were antiquated, every now and then turn up as 
mew. Here is G. O. T., living only about 25 miles from 
New York, who sends a circular and writes: “ If it is a 
humbug I would like for you to know it, if you do not 
already ’’—and this circular is none other than that of 
EDWIN EASTMAN. 
This is hard, after all we have done and said, that any 
one should think that we didn't know Eddie. He is our 
prime favorite. Not know Eddie I We know him as 
well as any one does, for don't we know the man who 
wrote his autobiography ? —To be sure, we can't say we 
have met Eddie personally, there being the slight objec¬ 
tion that the person does not exist. So with the excel¬ 
lent Clark Johnson, M. D., of Jersey City, who sells 
the stuff the injuns taught Eddie to make, we might 
learn more of Eddie through Clark J., but for the fact 
-that there “ ain’t no such person,” but the quack who 
runs the concern lives in New York, sends over to Jer¬ 
sey City and gets the letters. Oh yes, we do know this 
circular. As the two principal persons therein men¬ 
tioned exist only in imagination, we will leave our cor¬ 
respondent to guess whether it is a humbug or not.... 
But let us turn from these gross ailments of the body, 
and rise to the higher regions of sentiment. What are 
catarrh and colly-wobbles to “ Psychometric Fascina¬ 
tion ” and things ? who cares to read about consumption 
and rheumatism when there is a treatise on 
THE ART OP SOUL CHARMING? 
It is of no use going into particulars. Either sex can 
“fascinate and win in a few minutes the undying love 
and affection of any one they wish.”—But that is not 
all: “Faithless lovers can be reclaimed, friendships ce¬ 
mented, confidence established, and general happiness 
secured.”—To be sure these statements are very general, 
but we suppose that to accomplish all this, it must teach 
him to provide dry firewood and no end of new bonnets, 
and induce her to have the shirt buttons always sewed 
on, and to dispose of the mother-in-law, but when we 
think of the many things essential on both sides to se¬ 
cure “general happiness,” we are struck with wonder at 
the power of the what’s its name?—Oh, “Psychometric 
Fascination I ’’—This chap has undertaken a big con¬ 
tract, but it is in his favor that he comes from Virginia, 
the state which has produced so many great men can 
easily furnish a greater, (Connecticut furnishes the nut¬ 
megs). This Fascinator professes to do more than any 
president ever tried to do, and as to generals, while Vir¬ 
ginia has produced some who could command armies 
after a fashion, here is one who can govern the affections 
and do all these wonderful things. This mighty man is 
named Townsley ; more than this wo shall not say, for 
were we to give his address, the results would be fearful 
to contemplate. This power “ to fascinate certain per¬ 
sons, even against the will of the persons themselves,” 
should not be laying around loose. Were we to give the 
address of Townsley, society would at once go to ever¬ 
lasting smash. He must be poor indeed who cannot 
raise 50 cents, for that is all that it costs to get “ full in¬ 
structions, drawings, etc., to enable any person” to 
psychometrically fascinate and set up the art of soul¬ 
charming. It is very cheap, but for the present we will 
allow the world to go on in the old way. 
Astral Oil Kcmoved,—Charles Pratt, 
■whose Astra) oil has a world wide reputation for excel¬ 
lence and safety, has recently removed from Fulton St., 
to 12S Pearl St., at which place he will hereafter dispense 
his illuminator. 
New Kemedies.—The many medical read¬ 
ers of the Agriculturist will thank us for calling their 
attention to a quarterly with the above title. Each num¬ 
ber contains about 100 pages of carefully selected mat¬ 
ter, giving all that is new in therapeutics, pharmacy, and 
the like. Wm. Wood & Co., N. Y. 
Suckers on Corn.—“ B. D.,” Noble Co., 
Ohio. In rich ground, that is abundantly able to support 
a growth of suckers around the corn-stalk, it is not neces¬ 
sary to remove them. It is doubtful if at any time it is 
worth while to do so, because in poor ground corn does 
not sucker much. If removed at all, it should be done 
when the suckers are very small. In growing a crop of 
“ Sanford ” corn, which suckers very abundantly, we re¬ 
moved the suckers from a portion of the field for green 
fodder, but found no difference in the amount of the crop 
on the two portions of the field. The suckers were 
pulled before they were a foot long. 
II<)w to Apply Lime. — “E. McC.,” 
Portersville, Pa. Lime should never be plowed under, 
but spread on the plowed ground and mixed with the 
soil by harrowing. 
Merino or Cotswold. —“A. E. G.,” Pike 
Co., Miss. Where wool is the chief object, there is no 
breed so valuable for improving our common native 
sheep as the American Merino. Half and quarter blood 
fleeces are in great demand, and they now bring a higher 
price in several markets than the pure-bred fleeces. The 
Merino will stand a hot, dry climate, and will subsist on 
a poor pasture better than the long-wool breeds. Where 
the pasture is good and mutton or lambs can be sold, the 
Cotswold is a profitable kind to cross on native sheep. 
The Cotswold is a sheep for good farmers on good land, 
and the Merino for those who are not so well situated. 
A Good Short-Horn Heifer.— “ J. M. 
S.,” Yonkers, sends us an account of his Short-horn 
heifer, which recently calved, being then two years and 
a half old. She gave at the first milking 10 quarts, and 
continues to give 18 quarts per day. no asks our opinion 
of this heifer. We think her to be a very promising one. 
and one to be cherished, as well as her calves. 
A Pertinent Query as to Potato 
Beetles, etc. —“A Subscriber,” N. J., asks is there 
any use in trying to rid my potatoes of the Colorado 
beetle when my neighbors take no care to destroy them 
on their crops ?—In this lies the root of the whole evil of 
insect pests and of most weeds. One man cannot fight 
against a legion of enemies successfully. He may clear 
his own crops of insects year after year, but he is at last 
overwhelmed by the new arrivals which come from his 
neighbors’ places. Unless every farmer helps destroy 
them, it is impossible for a few to succeed, but if combined 
efforts were made for a few yeare, the pesis would be de¬ 
stroyed or rendered comparatively harmless and easily 
kept down. They manage this matter well in Vineland, 
N. J., where every citizen has been engaged in destroy¬ 
ing all pests of injurious insects for some years. 
Salt for Hogs.—“ W. P. Z.,” Swedesboro, 
Pa. It is dangerous to give salt to hogs without limit or 
discretion. It irritates the stomach and intestines, and 
many deaths have been traced directly to its accidental 
excessive use. The symptoms of salt poisoning are very 
similar to those of cholera, extensive patches of inflam¬ 
mation and partial destruction of the lining membranes 
of the intestines being found after death. Yet salt in 
proper quantities is undoubtedly useful. To give it safe¬ 
ly, it should be mixed with the feed, a handful only being 
tin-own into a barrel of the feed. Or it may be mixed 
with an equal quantity of powdered charcoal, and a small 
handful of the mixture scattered along the feed-trough 
once a week tor every dozen hogs. When iiogs are at 
pasture, and can root in the ground as much as they 
wish, they need no salt. 
To g'et E£id of Skunk Cabbage,— 
“ G. P. F.,” Phillipsburg, N. J. Draining will rid you 
of skunk cabbage. It thrives only in moist grounds. 
ISermnsda Grass.—“ W. P. O.,” Bowie 
Co., Texas.' Bermuda Grass maybe easily killed upon 
uplands, by plowing a light fiat furrow, so as to turn the 
roots of the grass upwards, late in tile fall. Two seasons 
in corn or cotton will kill every vestige of it, if the 
ground is only kept clean, and what grass may appear 
turned up to the hot sun. But as this grass makes one of 
the best pastures for the south, and one of the best sods 
to plow under as a fertilizer for cotton, it is sometimes 
better to encourage, than to destroy it. In addition to its 
value as a pasture grass, it makes excellent hay in places 
where few other grasses thrive. Upon low, moist ground 
it is impossible to eradicate it, but suclffplaces are worth 
much more for hay than for any other purpose. 
Whe*i to B>ig - Muck.— It is most conve¬ 
nient to dig muck late in the summer, when the swamp 
is in the dryest condition. Straight ditches should be 
dug, and the muck thrown out in heaps on one side, 
where it will drain. The ground on each side of the 
ditch will dry considerably by early winter, when the 
dried muck can be hauled to the barn-yard for bedding, 
or to be mixed with the manure from the stables. By 
working in this way, the muck is dried and the swamp 
drained at the same time. 
Tile-Hrain Hitcher.—“P. J. B.,” Mc¬ 
Donough Co., Ill. We cannot give the name of the 
maker of a ditcher for making tile-drains. There is a 
machine made for this purpose, which we have seen do 
very good work, but the manufacturers do not make 
themselves known. This is unfortunate, as we have 
numerous inquiries for such a machine. No drain ma¬ 
chine can work in soil encumbered with large stones, 
there digging must be done by hand. 
Hreservisag' Potatoes.—“ J. L. M.,” Van 
Buren, Pa. Potatoes will not keep through the winter 
if covered tightly in a keg or barrel. Holes should be 
bored in the barrel to give a circulation of air. When 
buried in the ground, they should not be put in tight 
kegs. In case a small quantity of seed is to be kept 
separate in a large pit, it should be put in an old basket 
or in a keg open at the top, and covered with some straw. 
The pit should have plenty of ventilation by means of 
plenty of straw placed in the top and brought into con¬ 
tact with the potatoes. 
(’lover Sod for a Market Harden. 
—“G. P. F.” For a market garden next spring we 
would plow the clover sod early this fall, say in Septem¬ 
ber, and cultivate the surface only afterwards until spring, 
when the clover will be decomposed. 
Thrashing Machines.—“J. B.,” Jef¬ 
ferson Co., Fla. The railway horse powers are perfectly 
safe to drive thrashing machines. With a safety brake, 
no harm can occur even should the belt break or fly off. 
All of those mentioned in the advertising columns are 
good machines. We cannot say which is the best. It 
would be better, perhaps, to write to each of the parties 
and procure circulars, and then choose for yourself. 
Boniincr’s Method of Making Ma¬ 
nure.—“ H. C. K.,” Mobile. There is nothing in Bom- 
mer’s method as explained in his pamphlet on making 
manure, but what is practised by many good farmers 
who make composts of all the waste materials within 
their reach. It is simply a very good system of utilizing 
waste matters which are generally neglected, but from 
which a large addition to the manure pile may be made. 
The pamphlet is well worth study. 
Chicken Cholera.—“ G. W. II.,” Douglas 
Co., Kansas, writes that he has found common “blue 
pill ” to be a cure for chicken cholera, if given as soon as 
the fowls were first taken, but finds nothing of any avail 
for turkeys thus affected. We doubt if any means of cure 
can be depended on as effective. The cure comes too 
late, and prevention only will avail anything. This con¬ 
sists of great care as to the feed and water and cleanliness 
at-all times. Half an ounce of sulphur for every dozen 
fowls given once a week in the feed is of great value. 
