326 
AMERICAN AGRICULT URIST. 
Advertising 1 Information—Gratis... .Y. 
(Continued from page 296.) 
[As this paper goes to a large number of new readers, 
it may be well to explain that the object of these articles 
is to inform the public as to the real character of a class 
of taking advertisements afloat all over the country, which 
are so worded as to require a letter, and usually stamps 
or money enclosed, before one knows whether they are 
deceptive or not. Our plan is, to have a letter written 
and mailed at some distant P. O., signed by some friend, 
and the answer is then forwarded to us, and the result 
here given. In this way one single letter answers for all 
our leaders. We have abundant evidence thatinthis 
way, and by guarding people against the traps of humbugs, 
we have, during the present year, saved the community at 
least $300,060, or more than six times as much, as they 
have paid for sustaining the Agriculturist. Take a 
single item only. Plans were laid deep and wide for the 
sale of that “ Honey Blade Grass ” the country over. A 
single manufactory was to make 100,000 of the $3 bags. 
Our exposure nipped the thing almost in the bud, or at 
least when only 13,000 bags had been taken. This fact, 
which we have but recently learned, together with other 
items of similar import, indicate that our article saved 
the country from 100,000 to 200,000 dollars in one item.] 
Safe Rules .—Since we commenced these in¬ 
vestigations, we have addressed a hundred 'or 
more advertising parties, and spent not a few 
dollars, and “ stamps.” As the result, we give 
the following advice: Never send any money 
or postage stamps, nor even your name, to any ad¬ 
vertiser who does not come out fairly and square¬ 
ly and tell exactly what is the character of his 
business, what it costs, etc., etc. If you do, you 
are likely to be swindled in some unexpected way. 
As a general thing, no one will seek your address 
even, unless for some scheme to get your money 
without an equivalent. It is perfectly certain 
that any one offering a great fortune for a trifling 
sum, is a humbug. No one would sell a splendid 
money making chance for a “ few stamps,” or a 
few dollars even—he would himself secure the 
prize if there was one, instead of selling it for a 
song. As an illustration of this last statement let 
us take from our loaded desk 
[No. 15 i 
This portrait we transfer from a “ Circular,” 
sent to a friend, by a Dr.-■, who was driven 
from New-York and then from Philadelphia by 
the police, but who now hails from Cincinnati, 
whence he is scattering his advertisements and cir¬ 
culars broadcast over the country, and by his spe¬ 
cious pretences is gathering money from the trust¬ 
ing simple-hearted in untold sums. He publish¬ 
es pretended letters and statements from distin¬ 
guished characters and societies, to convince the 
unwary that he his able to tell unerringly, what 
tickets to buy in lotteries, in order to secure im¬ 
mense prizes. He offers for a fee of $5 to secure 
you. a prize of $100 to $500 ; and soon up to a 
prize of $30,000 for a fee of $120. He however 
modestly invites you, if at all doubting, to test his 
ability by sending $5 first, but says, when you 
get the prize, for that, you will regret that on ac¬ 
count of doubtfulness “ you have ceased the For¬ 
tune which was offered.” (We don’t doubt your 
regret when you get your first prize). The above 
cut is introduced by him, we suppose, to illustrate 
the joy of the one who invested $120 with this 
“ seventh son of a seventh son,” and thereby drew 
$30,000. The Doctor must have sat for his own 
portrait—those teeth indicate the biting villain 
himself. It would be supposed that the simplest 
hearted man alive would ask, why the “ Doctor ” 
does not help himself to these $30,000 prizes ; but 
we have evidence that multitudes are gulled by 
his specious pretences—and for such we write. 
The sick need a physician. We will not dwell 
upon the Doctor’s “ Magical Electric Stones ” 
that will infallibly point the purchaser to rich 
mines, which the Dr. generously gives to those 
who will pay him $5. We invite the attention of 
the Cincinnati authorities to this “ seventh son 
of the seventh son,” a villain of the 49th power, 
whose name, reputed place of business in thatcity, 
and other items, we shall be happy to furnish. 
In the meantime, let our readers beware of 
all circulars, etc, purporting to come from any 
one named “ Roback.” 
[No. 15 .1 
TGWERY Farmer his own Tea Grower.— 
-H—^Capt. Kayman lias arrived from, Hong Kong with 200 
healthy tea plants, warranted to grow in, every St;ate. One slip 
increases in two years to 5,000 pounds. Price $5, with direc¬ 
tions. Immediate applications necessary. Number limited. 
Address, etc. 
Wonderful indeed !—A tea plant that is “ war¬ 
ranted to grow in any State ” and “ one slip will 
increase to 5000 lbs. in two years.” Why, these 
will be worth two thousand dollars. We must 
have the Captain’s whole stock of 200 plants, and 
then in “ two years ” we shall have one million 
pounds, aye, and much more, for a single “ slip 
will yield 5000 lbs.”, and we’ll cut our “ healthy 
plants ” into a hundred “ slips ” each, and then we 
shall get a hundred million pounds in two years ! 
Whew ! how rich we already feel... .But, like the 
maid of the milk pail, how are our hopes upset — 
our chickens, too, are yet in the shell. We 
promptly wrote the “captain” (per a friend), of¬ 
fering to take his whole lot, or any part of them, 
and begging to know where we could meet him 
to see the plants, and pay over the cash. (We 
didn’t like to, and didn't enclose the $5.) But 
up to this hour we can’t get a word from the 
captain, nor can we, after diligent search, find his 
whereabouts. Capt. Kayman, answer our letter 
right off, or we shall tell the world the truth, to 
wit: You are a humbug ! 
[No. 17.] 
AGENTS WANTED. No humbug. 
Send red stamp to-,-, Me. 
Sold again, but not badly. One-third of our 
“ red stamp ” paid the postage back on a long 
circular, telling us of fifty ways to make 
money, which fifty ways we could have for 33^ 
more red stamps, or $1. The secrets you offer, 
Mr. Main-e(ac), we have all by heart. They have 
been offered by a hundred other “ patentees,” and 
many of them we have already published. You 
can’t have our “ dollar.” 
[No. 13.] 
QPC RECTPES and a BOOK CATALO- 
sent free. Address-, Brasher Falls, N. Y. 
Good. No “ stamps ” wanted here, and 25 re¬ 
cipes gratis with a “Booh Catalogue.” A friend 
addressd him, and got the 25 recipes, etc., for 
us, all printed on a very little sheet. Pshaw ! 
they have mostly been published in this paper, 
long since. Among them is the “honey recipe” 
again. Dr. Creager, “ Patentee,” will take notice. 
(See October No., page 296.) The “ Book cata¬ 
logue ” names some fair books sold everywhere, 
some indecent, and many worthless ones, all for 
sale by the advertiser. But all this is apparently 
only a cover for a circular enclosed, of the most 
indecent character, too much so, to be described 
even. The Postmaster of Brasher Falls will 
please take notice that this advertiser sends aut 
two circulars under one penny stamp. 
[No. 19 ] 
“"WONDERFUL ! WONDERFUL ! ” 
* v Full instructions by which any person can master 
the art of Ventriloquism in a few hours practice. Sent free to 
any one for 25c. Address-, Philadelphia 
A friend enclosed the “ quarter,” and received 
a printed slip with the “Full instructions.” It 
commences: “The first grand secret of Ventri¬ 
loquism is speaking with the mouth closed." (Such 
an art would be invaluable for some folks we know 
of.) A little further on we read : “ A little open¬ 
ing must be left at the left corner.” “When imi¬ 
tating another person, you must try and force the 
voice into the belly as much as possible.” (Won¬ 
der if talking backwards will do this.) Finally, 
to “ throw your voice anywhere, you would only 
have to think how it would sound, and imitate it 
as near as possible ” ! !! Accompanying the little 
slip was a circular, describing a book called the 
“Silent Friend,” which professed to teach all things 
impossible, with not a few indecent, and which 
would be sent for $1. That’s all. 
[No. 20.] 
HO! FOR FISHING! 
Those fond of fishing: will address, with 15 cents, --, 
North Strafford, N. H. 
“ Fishing ” is our business now, so we just 
“ dropped a line ” to North Strafford, baited with 
15 cents, in hopes of good sport. For a long time, 
nothing came, but patience is the fisherman’s 
virtue. Ah ! here come two letters from Strafford 
at one haul, one written the other printed. Mr. 
-, keeps our 15 cents, without any equivalent, 
and intimates, that the bait isn’t heavy enough. 
He says he has in his possession several arts and 
secrets by which all kinds of fish can be caught 
in any water, as fast as they can be picked up. 
He has five ways of taking them with a hook, 
and the Chinese art for taking them without hook, 
or net, never before published in this country. (1) 
Send him $5 and he will forward the recipes. 
Mr.-, you slipped that 15 cents off our line so 
nicely, that we are afraid to try the $5 bait. 
Your Chinese art, however, we will publish. 
We “ hooked ” it, not from you, but by a “ line ” 
sent out West. Here it is : 
CHINESE ART OF CATCHING FISH.-Take Coc- 
culus Indicus , pulverize, and mix with dough, then scatter 
it broadcast over the water, as you would sow seed. The 
fish will seize it with great avidity, and will instantly be¬ 
come so completely intoxicated that they will turn belly 
up, on the top of the w ater, by dozens, hundreds, or thou¬ 
sands, as the case may be. All that you now have to do 
is to have a boat or other convenience to gather them up, 
and as you gather, put them into a tub of clean water, 
and presently they will be as lively and healthy as ever. 
This means of taking fish and the manner of doing it, has 
heretofore been known to but very few. Tile value of 
such knowledge admits of no question. This manner of 
taking fish does not injure their flesh in the least. [Yes it 
does poison them.—E d.] 
(To be continued as needed .) 
Agricultural Humbug at Washington. —That 
stupendous humbug, the so-called “ Agricultural 
Department of the Patent Office,” we have had 
frequent occasion to show up in these columns, 
and we were preparing to pay our respects to it 
again on the assembling of Congress. But we 
are saved that unpleasant labor. The department 
is closed. The sensible Commissioner of Patents, 
finding no better way to deal with the incumbent 
D. J. Browne, has dismissed him, and shut up the 
shop, refusing to even ask Congress for further 
appropriations. Let Congress now establish a 
