1870 .] 
207 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Gold Double-cased American Time-pieces, marked $50, 
and such like things. He offers lots of other “ dungs." 
Better keep your $2.65, if you have any good use for it. 
_To C. J. We answer no anonymous letters—though 
‘■Yes,” will do in this case.“Oroide Watches” 
again—this time from “ little Rhody.” Let these alone un¬ 
less yon have money to throw away. A man in Rens¬ 
selaer Co., N. Y., offers a “ Silver-plating recipe ” for 
$10. We will give as good a one for $0. Dissolve Ni¬ 
trate of silver with Cyanide of Potassium, and then study 
the art of using it well with a galvanic battery ; and if 
you can then compete with those who make a regular 
business of silver plating with the requisite apparatus 
and machinery, you may make a little money.Be¬ 
ware of all manufactured oils or illuminating fluids; buy 
no “rights” to make them. If you reject this advice, 
and choose to take the high-fallutin statements sent in 
circulars by various parties, go ahead and lose your 
money—but get your buildings fully insured against, off 
risk before you touch these materials... Cancer Doctors! 
Don’t read one of their circulars or letters, nor look at 
their pictures, nor let one come in speaking distance of 
you, or ten to one he will find a cancer, and half scare 
your life out of you, and all your money, especially the 
latter. There is not one of them we would give a mo¬ 
ment’s heed to, and we have given some attention to 
this class of advertising “ doctors.” Every sore, wen, or 
slight defect in the appearance of the skin even, is, with 
them, a “ malignant, cancer.” One of these swindlers, a 
man of great reputation who had by his own account 
wrought wonderful cures by the hundred (he was over 70 
years old) followed the writer for weeks, begging him to 
let him save his life—which he would do cheap ( only 
$150.00) “considering his position,” by cutting, burning, 
or plastering a little red spot on the side (not the end!) 
of the nasal organ. “It would surely soon cat into the 
face and get beyond remedy.” We kicked the swindler 
away, and the red spot imperceptibly went away of itself. 
No “ cancer doctor” ever cured a real cancer, which is a 
very rare disease; they do remove some troubles which 
would have gone away themselves, or have been better 
and far more safely removed by a regular surgeon or 
physician. Of course, in all cases a great cure of a great 
cancer is claimed by the swindler. “A Philadelphia chap 
is hunting up agents to send him patients, offering them 
‘10 percent’” of his fees. It is worth 10 percent to 
even look at his awful, scaring pictures.“ $800 a 
year” — “ S900 a year $1,000 a year” — 
“$1,500” — “salary guaranteedall expenses 
paid”—a “commission extra”—etc., etc., etc. Such 
advertisements are continually appearing. They are usu¬ 
ally swindles. One man advertises for agents to sell 
teas, etc., by sample, and makes very plausible state¬ 
ments by circulars and letters. Ilis great “coffee and 
spice mills ” consist of a little room just big enough to 
6 end out circulars and “take in” the money he requires 
in advance for the samples 1 Of course the sender never 
gets that money again. The samples, when any are sent, 
are perhaps worth a dime all told 1_P. S.—A new swin¬ 
dle, just out, purporting to come from the “Broadway 
National Banking House" offers two or three millions dol¬ 
lars of bills of “Our Bank” at half price. This is a 
sheer humbug, an attempt to steal people’s money by ap¬ 
propriating the name of the old well-known and substan¬ 
tial Broadway National Bank. 
Tobacco Smoke for liilling glteep 
Ticks. —Mr. Z. S. James of Burlington, N. J., writes, 
describing a simpler apparatus for smoking ticks than Mr. 
Gladden’s, figured in the May number. He says : “ Some 
twenty years ago, after examining the cumbrous and ex¬ 
pensive apparatus for fumigating plants, sold by the flo¬ 
rists, I took a round tin box, 
had a cone inserted in the 
cover end, and the same reversed on the other—put the 
tobacco in the box, dropped in a live coal, put on the cov¬ 
er, slipped one end on the nozzle of a common bellows, 
nnd it worked perfectly. This is much simpler than Mr. 
Gladden's plan, can be used much easier, and applied to 
any part of the animal without trouble.” 
CIiSsicsc IPrimrose. —Some of the newer 
seedlings, both double and single, are very fine. Henry 
Poddy, Gardener to Tlios. Prosser, Brooklyn, brought us 
ono of great merit. 
S®!-oxniMcia.<ioii. — “ J. F. S.,” Weigela, 
(not id) is pronounced Wy-gee'-lah , Deutzia, Doot‘-zee-ah , 
Coccinia, means scarlet, and is pronounced cock-sin'-e-ah. 
SSose Oil.—James F. Wc do not know this 
oil, and have no desire to. If a gas or vapor that will 
take fire arises from it at ordinary temperatures, let it 
alone severely. 
Herbaceous Pteonies. — “ J. F. S.,” 
EUwanger & Barry, Rochester, enumerate about ono 
hundred kinds in their Catalogue.—We cannot comply 
with your request to describe them. 
Seeds E>o not Come TJJj».— “A. A. V. 
B.” Your seeds of Magnolia, Grape, and Rose, are slow of 
germination, if not sown as soon as ripe, or kept in sand 
until ready to sow. Magnolia seed is especially liable to 
spoil if not thus kept. All you can do now is to wait 
and give them a chance to grow if they will. 
“ Canaille.”—A lady in Kansas wishes some 
of our readers to tell her how to prepare Canaille, or 
wheat shorts, as food. 
Grubs in. Ijawn.—Several ask what they 
shall do for the White Grub in lawns. The European 
Whito Grub, much like ours in habits, is a matter of 
much discussion among the agriculturists and horticul¬ 
turists abroad, and we have read much upon the subject 
in hope of finding something that would be of use in con¬ 
tending against our grub. In cultivated lands they em¬ 
ploy children to follow the plow and pick up the grubs.— 
We know of no treatment likely to succeed against those 
below the turf on the lawns. If any one has found a rem¬ 
edy we shall be glad to make it known. Destroying the 
parent, the May-bug, or May-beetle, will be a preventive. 
Oder for Vinegar.— “B. II. S.” asks the 
best place to keep a barrel of cider intended for vinegar. 
The warmest place that can be found, and allow the air" 
free access to tho liquid. 
Cut Teed.— “J. J. P.” asks: “Is cut feed, 
so called, better than dry hay uncut, and dry meal, sepa¬ 
rately for milch cows ? Yes, and if cooked better yet. 
(nitm for S®o!*a:sg-e Stamps.—“ J. K. 
F.,” New Lisbon, O. Postage stamps are coated with a 
solution of dextrine , which is starch prepared by heat or 
acids, and is soluble in cold water. It is usually kept by 
druggists and dealors in photographic materials. 
BBeddiasg- for Cattle.— “Subscriber,”— 
Which is better for bedding for cattle, with reference to 
manure, sand, sawdust, or peat and dried earth? Dry 
peat or dried earth. 
Cia«*iaaiil»ers.— Fred. K., Brunswick, Mo., 
wishes to know a better way to preserve cucumbers than 
salting them, and then being at the trouble of soaking out 
the salt. We saw, a few years ago, at the Ohio State 
Fair, some cucumbers preserved in water containing a 
slight amount of sulphurous acid. It was claimed to be 
a success, and was patented. People having such things 
should advertise. 
SSusfs oai Tines. —Mr. Zimmerman writes 
that a tomato plant set in the center of a hill of cucum¬ 
bers, melons, etc., will offer lially keep off striped bugs 
and other insects. Tho tomato is cut away as soon as 
tho vines begin to blossom. 
Insects oji Cakbag-e I*laists. — Mrs. 
N. W., Chebanse, Ill. We suppose you to refer to the 
black flea or fly, as it is called. Freely sprinkling with 
wood-ashes and air-slaked lime, is the best remedy we 
have tried. It is stated that if the seed be sown in boxes, 
elevated several feet above the surface of the ground, the 
insect cannot reach them. 
B a ia dr t Named.—J. IV. Prince, Franklin 
Co., Mass. Nieremhergia JUicaulis. a pretty green-house 
or bedding plant for which there is no common name. 
B5aa*3»:»loDise.— The specimens sent by II. C. 
Steadman, Mifflinsburgh, Pa., is Harris’ Bark-louse. That 
from J. L. Redmond, Carroll Co., Ohio, is the Oyster- 
shell Bark-louse. We have already published such rem¬ 
edies as have been suggested. The eggs which are un¬ 
der the scales, hatch this month ; the young insects travel 
to the young growth of the tree and there fix themselves, 
and finally reach the condition of those in the specimens 
sent_C. Jewett, Niles, Mich., says that wet, unleachcd 
ashes applied to tho limbs of a tree, he considers to be 
better than ley, as when wetted by the rains it makes 
fresh ley until washed off. lie says “ The remedy is a 
sure thing.” 
A BBotaaiical Microscope.— Several 
have asked where they could procure a small microscope 
for examining flowers and insects. Many suppose that a 
very high power is needed for the purpose. It is only in 
a certain class of examinations that a strong magnifier is 
required. All that the student needs is a glass of mod¬ 
erate power so arranged that he is not obliged to hold it, 
but has both hands at liberty with which he can pick to 
pieces a small flower placed under the glass. These con¬ 
ditions have been met in a little instrument furnished by 
lvison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co., New York, called tho 
“ Gray’s Microscope,” because it was made for the use of 
Dr. Gray’s classes. A pocket magnifier is fixed upon a 
stand and is supplied with a stage to hold the object, 
The stand is ingeniously contrived to answer as a box to 
contain the parts. Price $2. 
Vermin on Cows.—“ E. M. M.,” Mich, 
Your cow has lice, probably. One of our correspondents 
recommends Indian meal as a sure cure for them. It is 
not a cure, but it gives vigor to resist their influence. 
Feed better yet, use the card, and wash with carbolic soap. 
The feed will tell in the milk and butter, and you will 
more than get your money back in these products. 
Apples for NoralRern Iowa.—D. IV. 
Adams gives the following as his selection of varieties 
for Northern Iowa: “ Summei —Red Astrachan, Sops of 
Wine, Duchess of Oldenburg Autumn —Saxton, or Fall 
Stripe, St. Lawrence, Fameuse. Winter — Plumb's 
Cider, Perry Rnssett, Blue Pearmain, Ben Davis, Rawle'a 
Janet, Talmau’s Sweet.” 
“TJro SoiR<lieD*»> AsjrieaBltnrist.”— 
Agricultural papers multiply with great rapidity in the 
Southern States. The latest is the “Southern Agricul¬ 
turist,” a neat monthly of 32 pages, published by Thomas 
J. Key, at Louisville, Ivy., at $2 per annum. 
IParadise Apple Weed.— F. IV. Watson, 
Tobique, New Brunswick. We do not find tho seed in 
the catalogues. The nurserymen raise their stocks from 
stool layers, the same as they do the quince. We doubt 
if the use of the Paradise stock will make your trees any 
more hardy. For your climate we should try some of tho 
improved Crab-Apples noticed last month, as well as tho 
Russian varieties. 
I»R •tujniaig- a Tomsig- ©reltard. —“Sub¬ 
scriber,” Rockville, Md., “fears to apply the knife” lest 
lie should not observe the maxim “let well enough 
alone.” If he has not a definite idea of what he wishes 
to prune for, we advise him to defer pruning, until after 
the severity of next winter has passed. In the mean time 
if young shoots are pushing, whore branches are not 
wanted, remove them. 
Preserving- Powder. —Several , 
have inquired concerning this preparation. It has been • 
used by several of our associates with satisfactory re¬ 
sults. The proprietor docs not claim that this method is 
preferable to the best air-tight process; but he does claim 
that its cheapness and the case with which it can bo 
done commend it to those who wish to preserve fruits in 
any considerable quantities. The preparation we believe 
to be quite harmless, and that it will preserve the fruit 
we know from experience. 
Currant Caterpi liars. —Fred. Gold¬ 
berg, ®akotah Co., Minn. Procure powdered white helle¬ 
bore and dust it over the leaves of your currant and goose¬ 
berry bushes. A few applications will rid them of cater¬ 
pillars. 
SBlacls: Ants.—“Inquirer,” Salem, N. J., 
wishes to know how to exterminate the. large, black ant. 
He has “ tried many things, but as yet. all have been in¬ 
effectual.”—We once devoted a good share of our time to 
two ant-hills, using every remedy we could hear of. 
Somebody gave it up, and it wasn’t the ants. Mr. Rivers, 
of England, uses 4 oz. of quassia, and 1 gallon of water ; 
boil for 10 minutes, and add 4 oz. soft, soap. We have 
not tried it, but it comes from excellent authority. 
Sled Spider on IFaelisias.—“ G. IV. 
II.,” Philadelphia, says: “Fill a barrel nearly full of 
water and slack in it about a quarter of a peck of lime 
and let it stand until perfectly clear. Hold the plants 
affected in the water (bottom up) for about five or ten 
minutes, then wash them with pure water.” 
Minnesota State Zlorticultural 
Society.—The following were elected officers at the 
meeting at St. Paul in Feb. last: J. S. Harris, President, 
La Crescent; C. P. Cook, Vice President, Garden City ; H. 
Louweter, Recording Secretary, Red Wing ; J. W. Hark- 
ness. Corresponding Secretary, Faribault; Wyman Elliot, 
Treasurer, Minneapolis. A correspondent who was at 
the meeting writes: “All were strong in the faith that 
fruit raising in Minnesota would be a success. Each 
year develops new seedlings of rare promise worthy of 
trial. It was stated that not less than 15.000 bushels of 
apples (Pyrus Mains) had been grown the past season in 
tho State. Many new facts were brought out in the dis¬ 
cussion with regard to the raising of the apple in Minne¬ 
sota. Adjourned to meet at Minneapolis, July 4th next.” 
