1873 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
445 
Once Moi-e we close a volume of the Agri¬ 
culturist. Our space is too crpwdcd for anything like a 
valedictory. The times are dull but not bad, and the 
prospect growing more hopeful daily. We speak to our 
readers every month, and on the last month in the year can 
afford to keep silence in the presence of the very eloquent 
remarks of the publishers upon another page.,— Ed. 
Farms for Premiums.- The publish¬ 
ers in another place make a most liberal offer to those 
who, during the winter months, wish to employ their 
leisure time in securing subscribers for the American 
Agriculturist and Hearth and Home, and wc commend 
these special farm premiums to the notice of our read¬ 
ers. It will not be at all difficult for any one with ordin¬ 
ary energy and perseverance to secure one of these 
farms, and thus lay the foundation of a future competence, 
if not of a fortune. Wc expect to see a rush for these 
grand farm premiums. 
Tile Tliurber FeacHx. — To prevent 
further inquiries at this office and of Mr. Berckmans, we 
are requested by Mr. B. to say that no trees will be of¬ 
fered for sale until the fall of 1874. 
Importation of Shetland Ponies. 
—Mr. J. G. Corey, of Suisun city, California, has re¬ 
cently imported a herd of 31 Shetland ponies, with which 
he intends to stock a breeding establishment in Califor¬ 
nia. It is quite possible that these diminutive animals 
may find a place among the varied industries of that 
state, as they do in their native home. 
' Tumor on a Horse’s Ell>ow.—“ A 
Subscriber,” Brunswick, Ga. There is no way to pre¬ 
vent a horse lying with his forefeet under liis shoulders; 
it.is liis natural position. But the tumors upon the point 
of the elbow, which are very often caused by blows, or 
pressure of the shoe calks, may be prevented by using 
shoes without calks. To remove the tumors apply night 
and morning iodine ointment, by which the tumor will 
be brought to the point of suppuration. When it is soft 
and the skin tense and it fluctuates under pressure, it 
may be opened with the point of a sharp penknife and 
the matter let out. The tumor should then be washed 
clean frequently, and it will heal without any other 
help. 
Orchard Grass. — “Scott,” Powhattan 
Co., Va. Orchard grass will not fLrive on poor land, 
without some aid from fertilizers. Wood ashes or plas¬ 
ter might help to get a staud of clover upon a poor hill¬ 
side, but it would be hopeless to try orchard grass in 
such a place without manure. 
Holding; np the llilk. — “Reader,” 
New Bern, N. C. We have found the most effective plan 
to get the milk down when a cow is inclined to withhold 
it, is to treat the cow gently and give her a pail of 
bran, slop, or some feed more than ordinarily enticing to 
her appetite. A handful of salt given to the cow at such 
a time often helps to bring the milk. The trouble is, 
doubtless, due to nervousness and irritability on the part 
of the cow, which must be removed. 
Fence Posts.—“ Subscriber,” Brookfield, 
Ohio. We have found no fence posts equal to locust or 
cedar; and next to those chestnut. Butternut is not so 
durable as chestnut or white oak. Seasoning the posts be¬ 
fore setting increases their durability. 
Sweet Pickles.— “H. H. S.,” Huntingdon 
Co., Pa. These are made from pears, peaches, plums, 
apples, and other fruit, as well as from water-melon rind, 
the fleshy part of ripe cucumbers, etc. The material is 
cooked in water until soft enough for a straw to pass 
easily, and when cool placed m a jar with a few cloves 
stuck in each. To each 7 lbs. fruit take .3 lbs. brown 
sugar, 1 quart vinegar, 4 oz. cinnamon, and 2 oz. cloves. 
Boil the vinegar, sugar, and spices together for a few 
minutes and ponr over the fmit. Repeat the boiling for 
three days in succession and put away for use. Fruit 
prepared in this way is by some called by the nonsensical 
and absurd name of “ euchred fruit,” 
Fertilizer for Grass.— “W. S. L.,” 
Cross Roads, Pa. As a top-dressing for grass superphos¬ 
phate generally fails. We have found gnano applied as 
soon as the spring growth commences the most effect¬ 
ive fertilizer. Now that gnano is becoming scarce, and 
of variable quality, probably dried blood and fine bone- 
dust mixed in equal quantities, would be the best substi¬ 
tute. 250 pounds per acre would be sufficient. 
Grapes for Missouri.— “J. S. F.,” Han¬ 
nibal, Mo. The Iona, Israella, and Eumelan have not, 
as a general thing, succeeded in your State. The answer 
to the question—“ are either of them better than the 
Delaware ? ”—will depend upon individual tastes. To 
the writer’s taste, all these are better than the Delaware, 
as that is to him too sweet, a fault that many will not 
find. You had better send to Isidor Bush & Son, Bush- 
berg, Mo., for their catalogue, in which the adaptability 
of varieties to your climate is most concisely given. 
BSjxtclaers’ OffiiiS.—“ J. F. B.,” Jefferson 
Co., Ark. Butchers’ oft'al consists of the blood and the 
intestines or guts. The paunch is used for tripe; the 
head, feet, liver, heart and lights arc all used for 
various purposes. A good portion of them find their way 
into the common kinds of sausages. 
Cows for Milk ais«l SBeattter.— “J. P. 
F.,” Salt Lake City. For the dairy there are no breeds 
of cows superior to the Ayrshire, the Jersey, and the 
Guernsey (the latter two being also called, though 
wrongly so, the Alderney). A mixed dairy of Ayrshire 
and Jersey is doubtless the best for quantity and quality. 
Western Pemn. fPonltry Society.— 
The Secretary writes us that the Third Annual Exhibi¬ 
tion of this society will be held at Pittsburgh January 
6 th to 10th inclusive, and not on January 14th to 18th, 
as before announced. 
’Vor! la American ISee » Steeper s’ 
Society.—The next annual session of this society will 
be held at Louisville, Ky., commencing the first Wednes¬ 
day in December and holding two or three days. Four¬ 
teen States, besides Canada and one or more territories, 
have been represented at the former sessions, and an in¬ 
teresting meeting is anticipated at the coming one. 
Grade Skortiiorias for the Hairy.— 
“ C. A. A.,” Chillicothe, Mo. If a good class of grade 
Shorthorns are crossed with a Jersey or Ayrshire bull 
very satisfactory dairy cattle are often produced. One of 
the best dairy cows in the country is “ Old Creamer,” a 
cross of Ayrshire and Shorthorn. 
Chinese Wheat.—“L. E.,” Will Co., Ill. 
The sample of seed sent called “Chinese wheat,” is no 
wheat at all, but a species of Setaria allied to Hungarian 
grass or millet. The grass would probably make a good 
forage for stock, but as a grain for making flour it will be 
found of no value whatever. 
A Cure for Crihhimg-.— “W.W.,” Stark 
Co., Ohio. In the Agriculturist for October, 1S72, we 
gave an engraving of a muzzle for a cribbing horse which 
we have found an effective cure, as have many of our 
readers who have taken the pains to inform us of the re¬ 
sult of its use. ‘We know of nothing better. The muzzle 
is not patented, being an original device of one of the 
editors of the Agriculturist. 
A Suet Butter Manufactory.—“ A 
R. F.,” Kansas City, Mo. What would be the cost of erect¬ 
ing a factory to manufacture a ton of beef suet into an 
imitation of butter we can not say with certainty. The 
process is patented, and probably some of the machines 
may be. At a rough estimate we should say, however, 
that outside of any costs for patents, the requisite ma¬ 
chinery should not cost over $5,000, including steam en¬ 
gine, building exclusive. It should be remembered, how¬ 
ever, that the article produced is not butter, but simply 
colored suet oil flavored with milk or plain, as the case 
may be, and whoever sells such stuff as butter is open to 
the charge of obtaining money under false pretenses. 
If offered in New York It is the duty of the Board of 
Health to seize it as an audulterated or sophisticated 
article of food. 
A siti-balliii" Fads for Horses.— 
“J B. S," Napanock, N. Y. We cannot give the ad¬ 
dress of the maker of the rubber foot-pad for the preven¬ 
tion of balling snow in the horses’ feet. The Goodenongh 
shoe will entirely prevent this and also prevent the feet 
slipping upon snowy roads We would suggest the use 
of these shoes instead of the pad, as it would be utiliz¬ 
ing the natural properties of the horses’ feet instead of 
artificial and secondary helps. 
Salt Water for Irrigation.— “W. P. 
I.,” Portsmouth, N. H. Salt water from the sea will not 
answer for irrigating a meadow. If the water is taken 
from a tidal river and can be procured when the tide is 
low and the water is comparatively fresh, an occasional 
flooding would possibly be beneficial. The experiment 
would be of such doubtful success that we should 
not advise it to be made except on a small scale. 
See FreisaxMsm BAst on page 409. 
SUNBRA HUMBUGS.—Letters of in¬ 
quiry continue to come in relation to the “ Union Fur¬ 
nishing Company” of Chicago. In last month’s notes 
we alluded to the concern without mentioning names 
intending to ask our representative in Chicago to inves¬ 
tigate the matter. Soon after the November number 
went to press we received through the courtesy of 
the editor of the Western Rural, advance slips Of 
that paper for Oct. 25th. Being upon the spot the 
Western Rural looked after the Union Furnishing Co. 
and does not hesitate to denounce the whole affair in 
unmeasured terms. The very fact of selling tickets all 
over the country at 25 cents each, which entitle buyers 
to purchase goods at a low rate to be delivered at a future 
date, is suspicious upon the face of it. It is safe to 
avoid all companies who employ unusual and unneces¬ 
sary machinery to do business which may be transacted 
in a simple and open way.Among the curiosities of 
j kumbuggery is the 
LINCOLN LIBRARY SCHEME. 
A grand “Gift Concert” is announced to take place.® 
Newark, N. J., at which $225,000 in cash is to be dis 
tributed. The circular is in the usual flaming style of 
such affairs, hut singularly enough it is dated at Atchi¬ 
son, Kansas, and the tickets are beautiful in silver and 
green. We can hardly think it possible that the people 
of Newark need to go into the gift concert humbug in 
order to raise means fer a library, or that they would 
fix upon Atchison, Kansas, as their Western agency. A 
correspondent at Eureka, Cal., informs us that California 
is flooded with circulars of the Lincoln Library affair. 
Our advice is to let this and all other lottery schemes se¬ 
verely alone.A correspondent calls our attention to 
the fact that narpers Weekly of November 8 th gives-a 
full-page illustration of the drawing of the Kentucky 
Lottery. We were as much surprised to see it there as 
he was. Even the high reputation of the Harpers will 
not make lotteries respectable. We will not say whai 
effect of this semi-indorsement of a lottery scheme may 
have upon the reputation of the Harpers. 
A SWINDLING SEEDSMAN AND FLORIST. 
Many dealers in Europe and in this country have betas 
victimized by W. H. Lyman, of Leverett, Mass. One of 
our seed dealers who returned home not long ago in¬ 
formed us that at almost every establishment he visiied 
in Europe inquiries were made about Lyman. The 
Amherst Record of Oct. 15th gives a very full account 
of this swindler’s operations. He left Leverett inu» 
hurry—tar and feathers being talked of—and took pac- 
sage for Chicago with a “ lady ” who was not his wife. 
Our Chicago friends should be on their guard against 
this ebap, whose operations are not confined to seeds 
and plants, but who has a weakness for purchasing stems- 
engines, printing presses and material, or anything else 
he can get upon short credit and turn into cash. 
CHEAP BURNING OILS. 
We repeat the caution not to touch them. Attractive 
circulars are going about offering “rights” to make 
“French,” “Sunlight.” and other burning oils. W-e 
have seen the directions for making several of these, 
and they are dangerous in the highest degree. No com¬ 
pound containing benzine, gasoline, or any of the iighi 
j petroleum products is safe, and these rascals know it. 
| As you value your life and safety and those of yousr 
family, go to bed at dark rather than be tempted to nas 
any of these dangerous mixtures. 
RIGHTS 
to make this, tnat, and the other thing which shall piri 
the vender thereof “on the high road to wealth,”are 
freely offered. There may be some of these recipue 
thus offered that are wortli something, but we have ex¬ 
amined hundreds and have never yet seen one worth 
having. If the articles for which recipes are sold are sffi 
I valuable, and meet with such a ready and profitable sals 
that hundreds are, as they represent, making inonqy 
| with them, why do not these fellows make the articles 
and get rich instead of selling their secret for a dollars 
“ MEDICAL ” LITERATURE 
has been rather tame of late, but here we have rSss 
reading in “Mrs. M. G. Brown's Metaphysical PampfcSsfi, 
A Synopsis of Metaphysics. Cause, Cnre, and Prewss- 
tion of Disease. Life Lengthened, Disease Kept elt 
Bay.” A stranger farrago was never printed, in wh&Sa 
quotations from Scripture and Mrs. Brown’s modlckxe 
are mingled in a most remarkable manner. SacaasI 
things are handled in a manner so trivial as to veege 
close upon blasphemy. The burden of the whole siosy 
is—buy my stuff and live, or neglect it and die. 
THE QUACK MEDICINE BUSINESS 
Is such a thorough fraud from beginning to end that we 
wonder that it should be almost as successful now as it 
was fifty years ago. We have kept a very close run of 
these things for some forty years. One of these quack 
affairs runs but. a short time and falls out of existence. 
That portion of the community who purchase such stu.fi 
