THE BEST HAIR OIL, 
received. I was not humbugged to the ex¬ 
tent of losing a dollar or two by sending to 
the man who sells Egyptian corn. It came 
from the purchase and experiment of an¬ 
other. 
There, are certain farmers in our section 
who always have a great deal of corn to sell. 
They plant a kind to which they have given 
their own name—the ear rather small, the 
grain a white flint and remarkably sound. 
The peculiarity consists mainly in the greater 
yield over other kinds, it doing very well 
even where the land is quite thin. In good 
land it has quito a number of ears on a 
single stalk sometimes. As many as six 
cars are developing on a stalk in the field of 
a neighbor. People were struck with the 
unusually large heap of corn harvested by 
one of our farmers last year. Nothing was 
discovered in his manner of cultivation or 
the quality of his land to account for his 
superior success. The only known difference 
consisted in the variety of his seed. 
The kind generally raised in the fields 
here is the gourd-seed. It maintains its pe¬ 
culiarities very well, considering, for it has 
been mixed with many kinds of white and 
yellow. Some bachelor friends, who nurse 
their cattle and crops in the stead of babies, 
showed me specimens of gourd-Seed from 
their crib with grains of astonishing length. 
They had secured them by carefully plant¬ 
ing the deep grains from year to year. The 
result was actually astounding. A. n. 
North Carolina, August, 18(59. 
ormtlfitrt 
All sorts of nostrums are advertised for 
causing the hair to grow luxuriantly and 
prevent, it, from falling out. Alter testing it 
for more than twenty years, I can confident¬ 
ly recommend the following recipe to your 
readers: 
Ounces 
Castor oil. <i 
Alcohol. a 
Aq. Ammonia. 1 
Tinct. Cantkarklcs......1 
Mix, shake well together in a bottle, and 
scent to suit. It is best to add a little Berga¬ 
mot or Citronclla, or good Cologne. If the 
hair is only harsh and dry, and needs some 
dressing, apply the mixture on the hair only. 
Blit if it is falling out, part the hair carefully 
and apply all over the scalp, to the hair 
bulbs. All of these that are already diseased 
will, of course, come out, but the dressing 
will soon check the disease and save what is 
as yet healthy. 
I had the above thoroughly tested in a 
couple of recent and interesting cases, though 
1 have used it among thousands for many 
years, A person who had excellent hair 
found it coming out very fast. It covered 
his coal collar and shoulders, showered down 
on his paper as lie was reading, covered his 
plate ami the cloth as he sat at, table, and 
bade fair soon to leave him altogether bald. 
Only one or two applications of the above 
stopped it, entirely, and several months have 
elapsed without a recurrence of the attack. 
This gentleman’s wife also found her hair 
(which was most benutifbl and luxuriant, 
being fully five feet, long,) coming out rap¬ 
idly. She used the dressing twice a. week, 
but apparently without avail. Her hair came 
out as fast as ever, great bunches being in 
the comb every time it, was dressed, and she 
began seriously to think nothing would 
cheek it. At lirst, she burned all her hair as 
it came out, hut a hair dresser, who knew 
how uncommonly fine it was, called on her, 
and begged her to save it, as it could lie un¬ 
tangled and made into n " switch." This 
was a new item for her, and I give it to your 
readers, as it, may lie new to them also. At 
last, after several months had elapsed, and 
fully half her hair had come out, it began to 
stop, and is now entirely checked, though 
she Inis used nothing except the above. Hot¬ 
head is now covered with new, line hair, less 
than an inch long, and In time it will be as 
rich arid abundant us ever. 
American women are usually poorly pro¬ 
vided with what St. Paul very properly calls 
woman’s chief glory. Believing that noth¬ 
ing is so good as the above, l confidently re¬ 
commend it to your readers as worth tlie 
price of ten, yes, twenty, years' subscription 
to the Rural. Never cut or mangle a 
woman’s hair. It does no good, and noth¬ 
ing is more distressing to see than a short- 
haired woman, fashionable and hideously 
ugly and common as it has recently been. 
No rent west. 
THE CENTURY PLANT IN BLOOM 
In connection with an article on the sub¬ 
ject, by P. Barky, Esq., we gave, in the 
Rural of May 29, an illustration of a Cen¬ 
tury Plant (Agave Americana folia mrkgata , 
or Striped-Leaved American Aloe,) as it was 
seen on the 17th of that month. And in the 
same paper we said, in an editorial note, 
“As flic matter is one of great interest wc 
purpose giving another illustration of this 
famous plant as soon as it blooms, with 
further informaticyi on the subject. One of 
our artists is watching the plant daily, and 
promises 11 s a faithful representation of it 
when in blossom.” 
a. Wc now have the pleasure 
/yjNflk of giving a representation of 
the plant as it appeared on the 
l! { ql 7th hist.—the day of the great 
I s ec l'P se —and a few days after 
g/f ||: j| : t co m in e n c. e d blossoming, 
fi 1 | ur artist (Mr. Gko. Fkauen- 
j beroer, of Rochester,) also 
li H 1 I ^ U IUS * 10S ns a figure of a full 
I ffl 'JI | grown bud before opening, and 
1 i liW/.'f °** 0,10 ’ II lu ^ W° om —which 
| we give herewith. 
\%XfW A note from the Messrs. 
wMs Frost, dated the 9th inst., 
gives 11 s information about 
Fm this plant and its flowering, 
P a which we condense ns follows 
The circumference of the 
whole plant is thirty feet; it 
has thirty leaves measuring 
mm six feet six inches long, seven 
inches wide and four inches 
thick, at the base. The flower 
stem is eighteen feet high and 
B opening. r ° four inches in diameter at the 
base. There are now twenty four arms 
or branches, — the lower ones averaging 
eighteen inches in length, and tapering in 
pyramidal form to the top. At the end of 
these branches the flowers will appear in 
large clusters, —the lower cluster, now eleven 
feet six inches from the ground, contains one 
hundred and five lmds, well developed. 
The first flower appeared on the 4th inst. 
upon the lower branch, and to-day (Aug. 
9th) there are about one hundred and fifty 
flowers fully expanded, resembling the flow¬ 
er of the crocus somewhat, with flu: anthers 
of the lily, [see illustration,j the anthers be¬ 
ing a bright yellow or straw color, aud the 
cup or lower part of bud a pale green color. 
When the anthers put out and buret thu cup 
or bud it is in flower. There is a strong 
odor or perfume emitted from the blossom,— 
a sickisli sweet, similar to the magnolia. In 
tin? early part of the day a fluid resembling 
honey drops from the (lowers, and is as clear 
as water and quite sweet to the taste. This 
is called “ Pulque" in Mexico, (and from this 
the name of “ Pulque Plant” is given it,) and 
when distilled a liquor called “Mescal” is 
produced, —said to be quite a flery kind of 
whisky, and very intoxicating. 
.11 
cuntific itntr fttstful 
PECULIARITIES OF THE ECLIPSE. 
The recent great solar eclipse was very 
carefully observed by astronomical parties 
at many different, points in the West and 
South. Everything conspired to render 
their observations successful, and profitable 
to science; and we should be glad to pub¬ 
lish full accounts of the phenomenon, did 
space permit. Owing to the pressing de¬ 
mands upon our columns, however, we can 
only allude to some of the most peculiar and 
striking features remarked by a lew of the 
scientific observers. 
At Des Moines, Iowa, satisfactory search 
for the planets supposed to exist, inside the 
orbit of Mercury was precluded by a slight 
haze. The corona appeared rhomboidul in 
form, and very distinct and extended. The 
rose-colored pro tube ranees numbered five or 
six, the greatest being on the sun’s south¬ 
western quarter, and semi-circular in shape. 
One on the right limb was shaped like the 
two horns of an antelope. Venus and Mer¬ 
cury were distinctly visible to the naked eye, 
the darkness exceeding that of night. 
At Springfield, III., a brilliant amber- 
colored corona appeared around the Biin 
and moon, at the period of complete ob¬ 
scurity, shooting rays of light outward in all 
directions, and a brilliant rose-colored flame 
shone out from the sun’s western limb. The 
whole horizon was illuminated with amber 
light; a number of fixed stars were distinctly 
visible; and the scene was one of awful sub¬ 
limity. Prof. Pearce, of Harvard College, 
who had charge of observations here, be¬ 
lieved the corona to be occasioned by the 
sun’s atmosphere. 
At Mat toon, Ill., where several able as¬ 
tronomers were stationed, when the eclipse 
became total the darkness was that of a 
moonlight night, and the temperature was 
forty-two degrees cooler than an hour be¬ 
fore. To the naked eye there appeared 
USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC ITEMS 
Gigantic Skunk Cabbage. —A. new and 
somewhat remarkable plant has lately been 
introduced into England from Nicaragua. 
It is a gigantic skunk cabbage, having a 
single leaf fourteen feet long, on a stem ten 
feet long. The blossom is two feet long, on 
a stem eight inches thick, and exhales a very 
fetid odor. 
Fossil Serpents. —A number of fossil ser¬ 
pents were recently discovered in a coal mine 
near Fulton, Ohio, imbedded one* hundred 
and thirty foot below the surface. The rep¬ 
tiles, some five or more feet in length, pre¬ 
served their forms most perfectly, and efforts 
are being made to secure, without fracture, 
a group of two or three that are lying side 
by side. 
Manufacture of Screws. —A single firm in 
Birmingham, England, manufactures about 
150,000 gross of wood screws weekly, or 
about one thousand million yearly. The 
machinery used In this manufacture is that 
invented by an American, T. J. Sloano, of 
New York. This machinery was first em¬ 
ployed by Win. Angell, of Providence. R. I. 
In the whole history of machinery hardly 
anything has ever proved more successful 
and profitable than this screw manufacture. 
Ancient Human Skeletons .—A discovery 
is said to have been made in the Department 
de la Dordogne, France, of human skeletons 
coeval with the mammoths and undeniably 
pertaining to the earliest quarternary period. 
M. Lartct, the distinguished paleontologist, 
who is employed by the Government to in¬ 
vestigate the matter, reports that the hones 
of five skeletons have been discovered, and 
that they belong to some gigantic race 
whoso limbs, both in size and form, must 
have resembled those of the gorilla. But 
the simian (or monkey) origin of man must 
not bo inferred from these analogies, as the 
skulls, of which only three are perfect, af¬ 
ford testimony fatal to this theory, having 
evidently contained vety voluminous brains. 
The skulls are now in the hands of a com¬ 
mittee of savans, who are preparing an ex¬ 
haustive craniologicai report. 
CKNTITRY T j r.i A7ST r .l'—(Agave Americana,) 
As it Appeared on the Premises of Messrs. Frost & € 0 ., Rochester, N. Y., Ana. 7, 1869 
form; the lower branches come into flower 
first, and the blossoming progresses as it 
continues upwards. The period of flower¬ 
ing will depend much upon the weather. 
Those flowers which first appear will droop 
and those next above come into blossom, so 
there will he perfect flowers, withered flow¬ 
ers, and buds yet to open, on the plant at 
the same time. 
arbtiur 
FROM A SOUTHERN GARDEN 
I have been trying to find out the best 
kinds of’ corn for the table. The early va¬ 
rieties are generally too small, both in grain 
and ear. J have two sorts that are excel¬ 
lent. One is sweet- I got about a dozen 
kernels from a friend two years ago. He 
obtained them from the Patent Office. The 
first crop yielded enough to furnish a num¬ 
ber of friends with a small quantity and 
leave plenty for my own planting. I have 
taken some pains to keep it genuine. It is 
very desirable, because of the large, thick, 
broad grains, and the comparatively long, 
largo ears. It. is quite early, too. I planted 
the Early Dutton and Canada Early this 
year, and there was very little difference in¬ 
deed as to the respective time the Sugar 
Corn and the early kinds yielded the first 
for the table. It stickers heavily, and I have 
not been careful to strip off the suckers. 1 
would not exchange it for any kind I have 
yet seen. Stow ell’s Evergreen does very 
well—fine ears and a full crop—but I prefer 
the other. 
Another favorite species is known here as 
the Yancey Corn, from the fact that it comes 
from Yancey county, N. C. It is not sweet, 
but is very early, and forms a large, full ear. 
It. is ahead of all competition among the car- 
lies here. 
Having received an ear of so-called Egyp¬ 
tian corn, I planted it and tilled it with care, 
and got almost nothing for my trouble. It is 
difficult to account for so utter a failure from 
seed so promising in appearance as the ear 1 
FINE FLOWERS—AN INQUIRY, 
Why do we not hear from some of the 
flower gardens? I have some very tine an¬ 
nuals that I would lie glad to show to your 
readers. Among my Balsams are two or 
three trimmed to one stalk, measuring nearly 
three feet in height, five inches in circum¬ 
ference and containing from forty to fifty 
double flowers. I have one now in blossom 
which was accidentally broken from the 
main stalk, and, upon being placed in the 
ground, took root immediately. This is a 
new thing to my neighbors and myself. Is 
it so to others ? I have a seedling Verbena, 
sweet scented, which has several shoots, 
measuring twenty inches and over in length. 
My Phloxes are beautiful, and as dazzling 
in color as Verbenas. 
Will some one tell me how to propagate 
roses that cannot be laid down as recom¬ 
mended in the Rural ? 
A Constant Reader. 
Wellington, Ohio, Aug., 1869. 
Prof. Winlock, at Louisville, Ky., dis¬ 
covered eleven bright lines in the spectrum 
of the protuberances of the sun — six more 
than heretofore determined. lie also ob¬ 
served a shower of meteors between tlm 
earth and the moon. Some minutes before 
the total phase the usual phenomena of dis¬ 
traction among birds of the air and cattle 
occurred. Six mi mites before totality a death¬ 
ly ashen hue overspread the countenance of 
all present, and for a while the faint hearted 
were terrified, the scene being truly awful. 
BUD IN PULL BLOOM. 
By careful count of the buds on the lower 
nine branches there are seven hundred and 
fifly, averaging over eighty in each cluster, 
and there will be over 2,000 on the whole 
plant. The principal beauty is the manner 
ot flowering. The lower branches being the 
longest, and then gradually shortening until 
reaching the top, in a regular pyramidal 
The Gardener’s Chronicle says that one of 
the lions of the Russian Exhibition at Mos¬ 
cow was a new species of Alsophila, magni¬ 
ficent Tree Fern, having a thick, straight 
trunk about nine feet high from the top of 
the tub, The fronds are folly four feet, long, 
so that the head is at least eight feet in 
diameter. 
