DEC. 24 
where the Chemist of the Department has erer 
jfiven to the world any fact* not previously 
known except, perhaps, the component parts 
of certain soils in specific localities, the anaJy- 
M*«f which were about as useful to the agri¬ 
culturists of the country as a knowledge of the 
Tact that Pine grows in Maine. Where shall we 
tlnd the published results of these years of la¬ 
borious research and experiment by the De¬ 
partment s Chemist? Where are his generali¬ 
zations calculated to give the farmers and gar¬ 
deners of the country a better knowledge of 
t he Chemistry of the soils and plants of the 
United States? 
Again, the Commissioner says:—“It is the 
provincoof the Botanical Division to give at¬ 
tention to inquiries for information ou ques¬ 
tions relating to practical and economic Hot- 
Tbe Microscopic Division, we are assured, is 
“growing in importance." We shall be glad If 
that Division adds any information on the na¬ 
ture of “ rust, smut, mildew and mold," to that 
contained In M. C. Cooke’s work on that sub¬ 
ject. When it does, we shall bo glad to credit 
it therewith. 
Concerning the Seed Division, we have here¬ 
tofore expressed our opinion. We regard it, 
as managed, u practical swindle upon the mass 
of taxpayers, and wholly unnecessary, although 
the Commissioner declares that “there is no 
part of the work of the Department sounqua li- 
flcdly approved, and none which works so large 
a benefit to public interests." ir there is none 
which “ works so large a benefit to public inter¬ 
ests’’ as this Seed Division, then the sooner the 
Department of Agriculture Is wiped out of ex¬ 
istence the bettor. Bur. our space fail6 us, and 
we forbear further comment. 
Rurnl Recruiters Reporting 
Hundreds and 
Probably thousands of Its subscribers have re¬ 
cently volunteered to become Agents (Recruit¬ 
ers) for the RURAL, and many of them have 
already reported progress tn obtaining recruits 
— new subscribers. One of our high privates, 
under date of “Camp Niles, Dec. fi, 
18 i 2 , addresses us in t-bie manner: 
Iama Private in the 
in if i J brigade, on detached service 
°°o Mich , and send you this 
rc 'P 0Rt * T have served faithfully 
, e past ^ oar * nncl urn now looking 
KwTnHinn Promotion. I think I can serve as u 
9 n| ucr< and want you to send me 
£.22 p ^ p commission (documents) for (hat 
nnlfnf™ ,IC D|f ^huiaite n presenta- 
i nm L l mp H£ e 08,16(1 “ Itirth-Day Morning." 
" wr J tL ‘ for tll( ' Papeik” 
»n rlL o. 1 & e tuii.u. Is the best of them 
C It is on flnan- 
*L’., ttn< U ,eel will be “accepted” 
worth "A* and though it is really 
onu- r, 10 any man who cun “ use" it, it 
01,1 ? f? r a copy of the Rural for next 
\2 ar ’, a ?2 *££ already-mentlnncd " Birth-day 
Mnnwrig. Now, please continue sending your 
r„2,2l C 2T ' Papers) until the close of 1*73, and 
l22T ar<1 ray , pop* mission”at your curliest cou- 
II! IlooBRs 1111 rc “ ttIn YourM Very Truly, John 
<Jt Course Private Rogers was at once pro¬ 
moted and furnished with the proper commis¬ 
sion, (documents) for recruiting,) as will be all 
like applicants, by letter or in person, at these 
headquarters. Push on the column! 7Ve.ct / 
A NATIONAL ILLU8TBATED 
CHAS. D. BRAGDON, ANDREW S. FULLER, 
AnHodutn JDclitor*. 
HENRY S. RANDALL, LL. D., Cortland Village, N. Y., 
(Edttob or tu« Dai-AarvcNT or Shxip Huphanory, 
X. A. WILLARD. A. M., Little Falls, N. Y., 
Edito* of in* D«r**TM«KT of Dairy Hvsbahdbt,} 
Col. S. D. HARRIS, Cleveland, Ohio, 
sr Connxaroypmo Emtok. 
RURAL NOTES AND QUERIES 
PUBLICATION OFFICES: 
No. 5 Beekman Street, New York City, and No. 82 
Buffalo Street, Rochester, N. Y. 
1 WESTERN BRANCH OFFICE: 
No. 75 North Side of Park, Cleveland* Ohio. 
The Rukai. New-Yorker's new Colored Show- 
Bill, Prospectus for Names, Specimen Numbers, Ac., 
are now ready for delivery to actual and intending 
Club Agents, at each of the above Oftlces. 
Death of Rev. J, Knox 
We learn with sur¬ 
prise and regret of the death of this genial gen- 
1 lenmn and horticulturist, al Pittsburgh, Pa., 
Nov. 13, of npoplexy. Ho for many years wore, 
as ho deserved to wear it. the distinguishing 
title of “The Hint wherry King;” for he was 
among the first, if not the first, to practically 
demonstrate the gnat profit of the systematic 
and thorough culture of this fruit. No man 
previous to him had succeeded In inducing peo¬ 
ple to pay large prices for strawberries, contin¬ 
uously through the season, regardless of the 
supply. He did more than any other man to 
establish the reputation of the Triomphe do 
(land us a protitable market fruit; and the Ju- 
eunda, from the Knox farm, found no rival in 
the market. He was a man of great energy and 
system, far seeing and persevering until ho ac¬ 
complished his purpose. At the meetings of 
horticultural societies ho rarely spoke unless 
called upon; then he had no theories to pro¬ 
mulgate, but confined his statements to hfs own 
experiences—to What he had done and how he 
did it. He made no secret of his methods, and 
both by precept and example tuught the people 
the profit resulting from doing whatever is un¬ 
dertaken in the best, possible manner. 
We shall miss his genial, beaming face, his 
cordial greeting and cheery voice from horti¬ 
cultural gatherings sadly. We shall miss thoso 
quiet Boclal talks <?n horticulture in which ho 
indulged with his friends, giving them the de¬ 
tail of his work, whoro he had only opportunity 
to givo the public the outline. Jeremiah Knox 
was a man whom to know was to love, and who 
was best loved by those who knew him best,. 
The Pennsylvania Agricultural College, j 
cording to a lady correspondent who has < 
plored it, and written of what she saw and e 
periencod, to the (iormaiitown Telegraph, 
chiefly remarkable lor its cheerless, c< * 
filthy halls and dormitories, and the m.w. 
condition of its surrounding grounds. Th^? 
dents seem to tic well fed, but I lie pict lire giv 
of the institution otherwise, if true, is diegrai 
ful to the great guuc of Pennsylvania. \ 
notice this report reluctantly, especially sin 
ic concerns a sister State: but we do it in hehi 
of the boys and girls of farmers who, in tin 
efforts to obtain education, deserve dcce 
SATURDAY, DEC. 
RICH HOLIDAY PRESENTS 
TOR OUR AGENTS AND SUBSCRIBERS! 
I o Advertiser*.— in order to accommodate as 
many ol our advertising friends as possible, 
without infringing upon reading departments, 
we have concluded to issue a neat tinted cover 
with the first number of next year’s Rural, 
(Jan. 4 , 1873,) mainly for advertisements. The 
number will close for the prose Dec. 25, and we 
purpose publishing 150.000 copies. Those who 
wish to advertise in it will please make their 
announcements brief, a* a large proportion of 
WORK AND WIN! 
All Actual and Intending Agents of MOORE'S 
Rural who wish to make themselves or their 
friends Handsome and Useful HOLIDAY PRESENTS 
should send In Clubs (or parts or largo Clubs) soon 
as possible, and select the Presents from our Pre¬ 
mium List on preceding page. Most articles can 
be sent promptly—by first return Mall or Express. 
We desire to aid in making a host of people happy 
during the Holiday Season so. Agents, please hurry 
up your Clubs In order io secure Premiums for 
yourselves, and also copies or " Birth-Day Morn ¬ 
ing ” for all Subscribers who pay $2.50. We are 
already sending our Christmas and New Year 
Gifts. An Indiana Lady to-day (Dec. 9,) sends a 
Club, selects a pair of Cold Sleeve Buttons (with the 
Initial of a friend) and requests her Premium " by 
the 20lh of Dec., without fail.” And it will be 
forwarded at once- ahead of lime.| 
A Surreptitious dwindle.— An Agent of the 
Rubai, New-Yorker, located in a Western 
New York town, wherein it has over fifty sub- 
Boribere, writes us in this ourt yet comprehen¬ 
sive style: 
“Bach of your suberibers received this day 
a letter, nr which the inclosed Is a copy. Don't 
sell them another list unlofw you get a good 
price, for your subscribers in this town are 
pood Church people, ami they may get indig¬ 
nant should they receive such circulars often.” 
The inelosure alluded to is the circular of a 
swindler—one of those generous geniuses who 
propose to furnish counterfeit greenbacks for 
< a trifling amount of the genuine article. Of 
course noue but kuaves or fools will bite at 
such flimsy bait, as we have said aforetime, 
and we trust the Rural hasn't a corporal’s 
guard of such ninnies among its tens of thou¬ 
sands of readers. 1 But as to selling our list. We 
beg to assure the writer of the above, and all 
others interested, that we have never sold the 
Rural’s subscription list to any party. If 
swindlers have got possession ol it, the “opera¬ 
tion” has been a surreptitious one. It is possi¬ 
ble, though not probable, that swindlers have 
in some manner obtained a copy of our list;— 
but if so we will give $500 for the arrest and 
conviction of the party or parties who perpe¬ 
trated the larceny. Our lists are kept under 
loek and key by night, and carefully guarded 
at other times—yet a copy of our mail list was 
stolen (by a former employe) some two years 
Salmon Trout Spawn, —Seth Green, Roches¬ 
ter, N. Y., informs us that anyone wishing to 
experiment in hatching Salmon Trout Spawn 
will bo sent a few hundred, If ordered during 
December, by sending Ik) cents to pay for the 
package. 
PUBLISHER’S NOTICES 
RENEW NOW !— All who wish the uninter¬ 
rupted continuance of the Rural (us we trust 
all subscribers do) should renew their subscrip¬ 
tions nt once, either by handing their money 
to tlie nearest ( lull Agent or remitting It to 
us direct. Prompt attention to this request 
will prevent the delay which often necessarily 
occurs ou and after .Ian. 1st. Renew at Oner / 
in-i n w ill Please No «• that next 
[- closes the year, when most subscrip- 
aud also that u prompt renewal is 
jcure its uninterrupted visits. More- 
sr that the BirRAL is not a re-print of 
r Journal, but that its reading matter, 
to., are prepared, at great expense, ex- 
readers. furthermore, "don't forget 
tliut in addition to furnishing the best 
ss, we give the best premium, ns every 
ing *2.50 receives a post-paid copy of 
orning, a Superb Steel Engraving— 
ing. without extra charge. 
mankind. The labors of such men as Leconte, 
Horn, Cresson, Edwards, Grote, Norton, 
Shimer, Haloeman, Harris, Sav. Morris! 
Melshkimkr, and many other noted entomolo¬ 
gists who might he named, have elevated the 
science of entomology to its present position in 
this country without the aid ol Government 
patronage. But what has the Departmentdonp? 
The labors of its Entomologist have been buried 
in a nutshell in Washington, If indeed he bus 
performed any of practical value to agricultu¬ 
rists. Outside of that city Tow have received 
any Information corresponding to the import¬ 
ance and responsibility of the position of De¬ 
partment Entomologist; nor are they likely to 
until the people consent to pay for the publica¬ 
tion of the great work which has engrossed his 
attention so many years while he has been nom¬ 
inally serving tho public. The hundreds of 
ihousands of insects discovered and collected 
by expeditions fitted out at the expense of I he 
people, have not only been described by private 
entomologists, but have gone to eurich private 
collections in this and other countries. 
Although we have occupied much space with 
this review of the Commissioner's ltopori, we 
cannot close without noticing what he says 
about the Horticultural Division and its prov¬ 
ince, which is“ To select the best fruits and 
| improve them by hybridization; to note the pe- 
| culiarities of varieties aud their climatic adap¬ 
tations, is a part of the work of this Division.” 
Well 1 Will the Commissioner inform the po- 
inologlgt* of the country where the fruits are 
that have been improved by “ hybridization? ” 
—even if this is only “a part of the work of tills 
Division.” Did the Department, in Its whole 
history, ever produce a “hybrid" fruit? Did 
it ever attempt it? If it would not be deemed 
impertinent we should ask if the Commissioner 
actually knows what hybridization means; but 
we will not. But we shall look with anxious 
Interest, now that the Commissioner has him¬ 
self defined a part of the duties of this Division 
of the Department, l’or some substantial evi¬ 
dence that he comprehends them and that his 
subordinates are discharging them ! 
REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF 
AGRICULTURE FOR 1872, 
Read Our Premium I.Im 
and then try tor a slice of the * 
Good.” 
on preceding page, 
Good Pay Jot Doing 
We have received this Report, which is con¬ 
tained in a pamphlet of eight pages. The fact, 
alone, that it is a report by the chief of a De¬ 
partment of the Government compels atten¬ 
tion to its statements, and a review thereof. 
The Commissioner’s single year's experience 
at the head of the Department conviuees him 
“of its importance as an executive branch of 
the Government.” This is not altogether un¬ 
natural; but it would astonish, ihe outside 
world had he come t« a different conclusion; 
and we doubt not it would have gratified some 
people who have nursed the reverse conclusion 
with a good deal of cure for many years, and 
who, we sometimes think, have far too many 
facts and arguments to sustain (heir conclu¬ 
sions limn is compatible with the interests of 
American agriculturists. Wu are not sorry, 
however, to know that the venerable Commis¬ 
sioner magnifies bis oftice, and is encouraged 
“to believe that the work wo do reaches fur¬ 
ther and strikes deeper into the Interests of 
mankind than comes within the scope of any 
other human effort!" For with such an esti¬ 
mate of his work there should be a correspond¬ 
ing sense of responsibility, which should stim¬ 
ulate lo works of corresponding value. 
The Commissioner proceeds to tulk of the 
work being done by the various Divisions of the 
Department. Woare told that “the Chemical 
Division is ccntantly engaged In tlie investiga¬ 
tion of subjects of vital importattoo to the suc¬ 
cessful and economical operations of the farm!” 
If this is true—and we suppose it is or the 
Commissioner would not have said so —we 
would like the Commissioner to point out to us 
®, e “ d ,,,c D° c,, meuts I —Our new Show- 
ili' ® upplelD * nl ' Prospectus. &c., are now ready and 
will be sent free, and post-paid to all applicants dis¬ 
posed to form clubs. Send for and use the documents ! 
Picture Is sent to All who 
a copy of the Rural one year, and 
-- ,,„t. Club subscrib¬ 
ers can secure the Engraving, however, by adding 50 
ots. to the usual club price (»2.) Don't forget this. 
pay 82.50 forr 
not to those who only pay the club rate, 
Merry Christmas We need not say that we 
wish it to every reader! But we do! And we 
hope no new l’angied notions will put our read- 
ears in any such a dilemma as Santa Claus 
seems he iu on the opposite page, with refer¬ 
ence to making Christmas a merry one. To us 
Christmas comes as the flood-tide of the year, 
so far as our labor is concerned; and we have 
only lime to look up from our work as we re¬ 
ceive pleasant greetings from our subscribers 
in the shape of merry money remembrances 
and cordial, encouraging words, and say in 
response: “Thank you, Sir, or Madame! We 
wish you the samel” 
BUSINESS NOTICES 
AGENTS 
May I earn something greatly to their 
obtain specimens and full particuhu 
dressing WOOD’S LffTKRAR Y AND / 
Newburgh, N. Y. 
HORSE EPIDEMIC 
A PHYSICIAN In a communication to a Buffalo 
paper aoout the Horse Epidemic, says“ Exter¬ 
nally l used and would recommend L»t. Track's Mag¬ 
netic Ointment to the throat, mound the ears and on 
the forehead. This ointment Contulns tobacco and 
lobelia, and operates upon the mucous glaMds of the 
head and throat by causing au Increased flow of secre¬ 
tion from them, at the same time by i ts relaxing effect 
removing the stricture and giving almost Instant re¬ 
lief to the oough and breathing.” It |g x«Dt bv all 
Druggists. * 
American Sliorl-Horn Herd Rook, Vol. XII.— 
Hon. Lewis F. Allen, editor of this hook, in¬ 
forms us that it is necessary all the pedigrees in¬ 
tended for record in the above volume be sent 
to him previous to January 1, 1873, that the 
book may bo complied so as to be published 
early In the ensuing Spring. Write ihe names 
plainly and give the sex of every pedigree. One 
dollar is the charge for recording every animal, 
which must be remitted with the pedigree.} 
TttK WAKEFIELD EARTH CLOSET, 
Q«t Descriptive Pamphlet at 30 Dey 8L, New York 
