24rS 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
prise ever inaugurated in the M'orld,” so says the circular. 
The Pacific Rail Road enterprise dwindles into insignif¬ 
icance beside this wonderful Gift Concert. Kelley was 
arrested on June 13th, and taken before the Police Court 
on a charge of selling lottery tickets, and admitted to 
hail. “He is said to have cleared a fortune by his dazzling 
scheme,” and says himself that he has plenty of money. 
Tlic ministers usually say, in making their appointments, 
“Providence permitting,” hut Kelley says, “Under any 
circumstances the Concert will now he given, as above 
stated, in good faith.” We have examined the circulars, 
tickets, etc., of this concern, and do not see that it essen¬ 
tially ditfers from the hundreds of others which have, 
from time to time, been shown up in the American AgH- 
culturist. We have never found a single person so 
stupid as to imagine that the public was ever henefltted 
hy such enterprises, and very rarely an individual, Avhile 
we have thousands of complaints from people who have 
squandered their money, and seek advice when it is too 
late. We invite all parties to inform us of the results of 
their investments in this and other lotteries, if they will 
try them in spite of all our previous warnings. A. A. 
Kelley & Co. have another enterprise, Kelley’s Weekly, 
and on the circular we find; “On Saturday, August 10, 
1867, we will distribute half a million dollars of the prof¬ 
its in shares, including $100,000 in greenbacks, to 
our patrons, from a subscription amounting to $1,600,- 
000.” Please notice, they will distribute $500,000 of the 
profits from a subscription list amounting to $ 1 , 500 ,- 
OOO. We think this would exceed in immensity “ the 
greatest enterprise ever inaugurated in the world.” A 
million and a half for subscriptions to a weekly paper 
before August 10,1867, would be one of the wonders of 
the world, too wonderful to be comprehended by common 
mortals. Clark, Webster & Co., Bankers. “The 
Bankers and Merchants Grand Presentation Entertain¬ 
ment. Capital, $1,287,148.” They don’t deal in round 
sums like most large companies. We have visited this 
banking establishment. The usual appurtenances of 
such institutions are not to be seen there. No Gold, no 
Greenbacks, no Government Stocks, or even stamns in 
sight. No big books, no paying or receiving tellers’ 
signs. ' They told ns they would sell 100 tickets at 40 per 
cent, discount, and when we inquired who some of the 
“New York bankers and merchants” were, who had form¬ 
ed this immense company, the man who understood that 
part of the business was out. We asked for references, 
and three were given, neither of whom knew Clark, or 
Webster, or Co. We inquired of ten of the prominent 
bankers in Wall street and vicinity, and none of them 
knew Clark, Webster & Co., bankers, not even the run¬ 
ner boys. Isiit possible that jjeople send their money to 
these .?....Wright, Bro. & Co. send out tickets, 
and offer watches at $30 to $100, either for $10. We have 
seen the watches, and don’t want them at half the money. 
Buy watches and all other things of regular, established 
dealers, and pay a lair price, for if you send money to 
buy articles represented to be worth four dr five times the 
price asked, you will surely be cheated.T. R. Dawley 
& Co. propose to sell 5,000,000 newspapers, @ 10 cents 
each, make $50,000, and distribute it among their patrons, 
all in greenbacks, in sums of $1 to $10,000. This will do 
for the Japs or Celestials. We have this month letters 
from more than a score of different parties, all of whom 
desire to sell tickets for distribution—lotteries—of various 
articles, valued at prices from $1 to $75,000. Tickets are 
sent, in many cases, with the circulars, and all you have 
to do is to send $2, $5, or $10, and get articles of five or 
ten times the value of the little currency forwarded. 
Now all the probabilities are, that one will get nothing at 
all, but in some cases things are sent, We have just vis¬ 
ited C. H. Garland & Co.’s (Todd) place, and presented a 
package of tickets, paid our $5 on one which assured us 
of a “ Fine Silver Hunting Case American Watch,” and 
we got it. We wish all our readers could see this chro¬ 
nometer. It looks very like our grandfather’s old iron to¬ 
bacco box, opens and shuts with the same kind of grating 
sound that makes one involuntarily grate his teeth. It 
will not keep half as good time. This watch is like Pad¬ 
dy’s, which took “ a dale of a while to knock off ah hour’s 
time,’’ and as for silver, a distinguished dealer tells us 
there is not a particle in it. The only indication of where 
and hywhom it was made on case, face, or movement is 
London, Cooper. We shall hang it up fora show and 
callers can see $45 worth of Gift-Enterprise-Concert-Dis- 
Inhution-Lottery property, and wo consider it a fair re¬ 
presentation of all schemes for raising money, from Sol- 
professional gambling, which is 
anv 1-inri of aU sellers of rights of 
bukmss 6 ^iifliorized by well known 
nei-on deservp to i euoagli to trust such a 
Li outT, <10 them good. 
.i'' * Co., c. L. Vau Allen. A 
[ J ULY, 
friend from Massachusetts writes: “ I have seen a circu¬ 
lar from A. D. Bowman & Co., in which they refer to Mr. 
Judd as one that knows them.” Wo do, and have seen— 
Mm ; that is, we have seen a man who told us in presence 
of witnesses that he was A. D. Bowman. We have seen 
the same man again, under similar circumstances, and he 
told us that he was C. L. Van Allen. Perhaps his oil, at 
48 New street, and his ink, at 48 Broad street, are the 
same—who knows ? or who cares to ? Knowing him, we 
don’t very strongly recommend him. 
Bowen’s Sing’le Bens Microscopes. 
—These have been extensively advertised at 60 cents each, 
and, as the circular and advertisement give people to ex¬ 
pect a useful instrument, we think it only fair to show— 
as Mr. Bowen has failed to do it—just what may be ex¬ 
pected for the money, even though we do give Mr. Bowen 
the benefit of an illustration and an advertisement. The 
“powerful lens” consists of a globular glass bead, and 
the “neat and simple setting” is a bit of the size and 
shape of the engraving, rather roughly cut out of a piece 
of a cigar box, or similar wood. We can not see what 
possible use such an implement can be to any one. If 
our readers think differently, they can get one of them for 
50 cents. They probably do not cost 3 cents. 
The Ora.pe Vine Flea-heetle.— At the 
time of our writing, the season is very backward, and it 
is not possible to give any estimate of the “ set ” of the 
grape crop. This year there is less complaint of the 
insect that attacks the buds than there 
was last year. This insect is the Grape 
Vine Flea - beetle, {Ilaltica chalybea,) 
which has the unpleasant habit of per¬ 
forating the buds of the vine, and thus 
impairing their vitality, if not destroy¬ 
ing them altogether. The engraving 
shows the shape of the little beetle, but 
it is enlarged about four times beyond 
the natural size. The color is variable, it being steel 
blue, deep green, or even violet. They begin their dep¬ 
redations in April; and continue them through the month 
of May. Shaking them from the vines, and crushing 
them, is the best way of disposing of them. 
Metcalf’s Early Strawl>erry. —Peo¬ 
ple who originate new things are often very slow in mak¬ 
ing them known. This strawberry is an instance. It 
originated in Michigan. A concern in that State has the 
control of the stock, and yet they have never sent us a 
description or a berry. Yet, in spite of their neglect, we 
have tried to keep the run of it, and—no thanks to them— 
we are glad to say that it is a really early berry. It ripen¬ 
ed with Mr. Doty 10 days before the Agriculturist, and 
Mr. E. Williams, of Mont Clair, N. J., sent us a box of 
ripe berries on June 13th. We have had one of these 
berries engraved, which we shall present, with other new 
strawberries, at the proper time. It is a berry of fair 
size, rather sour, but of good flavor. It will be valuable, 
if it proves to he only 5 days earlier than any variety we 
now have. As we write for the people only, we don’t 
care whether the Michigan folks like this notice or not. 
If they have a good and early berry we want it. 
A Use foi* Sitmacli Bei-ries.— Every¬ 
body knows the “ Shoemaker’s hob ”—a cluster of small 
dark red berries, that grows upon the common Smooth 
Sumach. These contain a great amount of malic acid, 
and have often been used for an acid drink in fevers. 
The Rev. E. G. Hofiand, has discovered that an infusion 
of these, with a proper amount of sugar, when fermented, 
makes a “ wine,” and “ Rhus wine ” has become an arti¬ 
cle in trade, and has the countenance of physicians, who 
ought to know better than to lend their names to any¬ 
thing. The process of making this wine has not been 
commmiicated to us. The article is about like that from 
rhubarb, or “ wine plant.” What we consider of more 
importance is the vinegar made from the same source. 
Should the Sumach prove to be a valuable vinegar pro¬ 
ducing plant, it would be less of a nuisance than it now is. 
Horse Badisli.—The article in our Horti¬ 
cultural Annual, on the cultivation of horse radish, by 
Mr.^ Henderson, has brought out many letters of inquiry, 
which we must answer in a lump. Mr. Henderson’s es¬ 
timates pre-suppose ground, in the highest possible 
condition, as to manure and deep tillage, and his prices 
are those of the New York market for the last fev' years. 
We do not know who has any sets for sale—those who 
have will probably advertise them in season. It is not 
practicable to raise the plants from seed. Although 
it flowers freely, urn never knew it to produce seed in 
this country, and it very seldom does so in England. 
ConiBiicrcial Esiterj»i*ise. —Among the 
many things for which New-York merchants are famous, 
is the magnitude of their enterprises, and the far-reach¬ 
ing character of their ventures. The operations of the 
present day throw those of a few years past quite into the 
shade, and often equal those of a similar kind in the com¬ 
mercial marts of the Old World. The recent large oper¬ 
ations by the Great American Tea Company have taken 
the trade by surprise, and are rather a novelty in this 
market. The taking up of two cargoes within a week, 
comprising 12,331 packages Black, and 32,849 packages of 
Japan, for immediate consumption, at a cost of about a 
million and a half of dollars, indicates the extensive na¬ 
ture of the Company’s business, and deserves a passing 
notice at our hands. The consumption of tea in this 
country is largely on the increase.— Shipping and Com¬ 
mercial List, N. Y., If ay 15th, 1867. 
Bees—Qiaeeiis from Italy.— It is some 
time since we have heard of an importation of Italian 
bees, but recently had the pleasure of seeing three little 
colonies, each with its queen-mother, in fine condition, 
just received by Rev. E. Van Slyke, through Rev. G. 
Kleinc, of Hanover, Germany, from the shores of Lago 
Maggiore, in Northern Italy. They came from the famed 
establishment of Dr. Blumhoff, and are now at the apiary 
of Mr. Quinby, whose property they are. Their progeny 
will help decide the question of the deterioration of 
Americo-Italians. We do not believe that Italian bees 
deteriorate, if bred pure. If Italian queens breed with 
black drones, we are inclined to think in opposition to 
the opinions of most bee-keepers and writers, that their 
drone progeny will be more or less tainted. There is, 
however, another question for bee-keepers to study upon. 
May not bees be improved by breeding, as sheep or swine 
or cattle are, by careful selection, and so by sufiicient 
care may we not beat the Italians themselves by and by ? 
Biseased BeachEeaves.—F. T. Foster, 
Preble Co., O. The leaves sent are affected with “ curl.” 
It is a general impression that this is produced by a plant 
louse or aphis, but there is room for doubt on this subject. 
Soap on Oil Stones.— F. S. P. writes that 
an oil stone, on which the oil has become so hardened as 
to render the stone useless with oil, may be made all 
right b 3 ’' the use of soft soap. This reminds us that we 
have long used soap, instead of oil, upon a fine “ oil 
stone,” with great satisfaction'. The soap may dry upon 
the stone, and when wanted for use it needs wetting only. 
Special Advertising- Agency.— As 
most of our advertisers are aware, matters relating to that 
department have for several years been under the imme¬ 
diate superintendence of Mr. W. A. Fitch, one of the As¬ 
sociate Editors. As a matter of convenience, to those 
desiring to extend their advertising beyond the columns 
of the Agi'imlturist, he has arranged to receive advertise¬ 
ments for other journals at their regular rates.. His ex¬ 
perience in this line, and knowledge of the best mediums, 
give him excellent facilities for conducting such business 
satisfactorily, and thus to save much time and corre¬ 
spondence required in arranging with different parties. 
A Ciood Biaiio. —In comimny with musical 
experts of high authority, we have examined the Mathu- 
shek Piano, advertised on another page, and believe it to 
be well worthy the attention of those desiring to secure 
a good instrument. One of the party present, the musi¬ 
cal editor of the Weekly Review, a leading authority in 
such matters, speaking of the smaller-sized piano, said, 
“ It can speak with such powerand sonority that we must 
look at the thing, in order to believe it possible. Through¬ 
out the whole scale the tone is even, very full, sonorous, 
brilliant, and melodious.” All were greatly pleased with 
its performance, and gave high testimonials. 
Tlie Flowering Almond as a Wall 
Plant.— Miss O. M. Luke, Trumbull Co., Ohio, writes 
an account of her training of a Flowering Almond: “ Five 
years ago last spring it was a little slip, one foot high. 
I set it close to the east side of the house, having the soil 
previously enriched with leached ashes, leaf muck, etc. 
Father said I was not giving my shrub any room to 
branch. That was just what I intended not to do. I 
pinched off all side shoots at their first appearanee, and 
kept it trained to the house, in the same manner as a 
