MARtH 45 
1Pari0U5. 
THE EYE-OPENER. 
Cheap guns and pistols are widely advertis¬ 
ed throughout the country, and we have re¬ 
ceived a large number of inquiries as to the 
character of those sold by several advertising 
concerns. Iu nine cases out of ten. yea, in 
ninety-nine out of a hundred, guns and pistols 
offered for little money are worth little. Most 
of them are of eheap foreign make, principally 
Belgian; the rest are of home construction, 
made not for use but for sale. Some of the 
“small-arms” Cheap Jacks actually send out 
goods worth the price asked for them; but 
anybody who expects to get a $10gun for $2.50 
will be very properly disappointed. But when 
you’ve got for $2.50 a. gun that is worth wbat 
you paid for it, wbat are you going to do with 
iti It isn’t worth a cent for shooting pur¬ 
poses, but it looks nice bung against the wall! 
Generally, however, the goods sent are not 
worth the prices paid for them, even for orna¬ 
mental purposes, and not infrequently the 
would-be purchaser gets uothing, except ex¬ 
perience, for his cash. The Chicago Arms 
Co., 126 Dearborn St., which has just '‘burst 
up,” was a concern which got a good deal of 
money out of Western pockets in this way. 
Its plan of doing business waste forward a 
gun occasionally at a loss to itself; but iu the 
vast majority of cases no gun was sent. The 
object of sending an occasional gun was to get 
customers in the neighborhood of the receiver, 
and also to enable the sharpers, when arrested 
for fraud, to prove that they had sent out guns, 
and that the guns were as good as those ad¬ 
vertised. 
The Reliable Manufacturing Company, 
which gives its address at3iU« Walnut St., 
.Philadelphia, was denounced here as a hum¬ 
bug in the Rural of November 10, and again 
in the issue of November 24. It promises 
profitable employment on electrograpbs and 
photographs, offering to send unmounted 
photos to its patrons, and to pay for them 
when painted. Having got the money of its 
dupes for the plain photos, however, the con 
corn finds plenty of excuses lor not buying the 
colored photos at anv price, and thus it man¬ 
ages to get from $1 to $3 20 out of all who deal 
with it, aud a good deal more from many. 
We are receiving so many- complaints of the 
way the concern continues to humbug the 
public, that we deem it imperative once more 
to caution our friends against dealing with it. 
‘•Is the Brahmo Yau, the Hindoo Deaf¬ 
ness Cure, widely advertised by D. O. Thomp¬ 
son & Co., Broadway, New Y T ork, a humbug?” 
is a question asked of us by many. Of course 
it is, iu spite of the list of recommendations 
given in T. & Co.’s circulars. Believe our 
word for the truth of this statement, or buy a 
“ cure’’ for $2, C. O. D.; but in that event you 
“must send 50 cents with the order to cover 
express charges," so that you will have to pay 
$2.50 to learn by experience what we tell you 
gratis here. 
We have already cautioned our friends 
against C. H. Guerney, manager of the {Shef¬ 
field Cutlery Co., of Boston. Mass.; but our 
occasional correspondent, Rev. L. J. Templin, 
writing to us from distant Colorado, says of 
this man: “He is one of the most audacious 
swindlers of the country. 1 have abundance 
of proof of this fact in my possession. He 
even had the audacity to threaten if I ex¬ 
posed his rascality to ‘put me in limbo.’ The 
Rural will serve the public well by asking 
the Press fraternity throughout the country 
‘to pass him around.’ ” 
The “Rev.” Joseph T. Inman, of this city, is 
a medical fraud who, under various aliases, 
has been swindling the public for years. The 
fellow is neither a “Rev.” nor an “Inman,” 
and anybody who deals with such an obvious 
fraud, deserves to pay for a lesson in the deceit¬ 
fulness of benevolent charlatanry. 
vouch for the meaning of Jumbo two years 
hence, and please tell us what it means even 
now? [See Editorial page of March 8—Eds.] 
Don’t do it, friend Purdy. Why harass 
our noble President Wilder any further in 
this way? And w hat sense is there in such an 
appellation ? Will Barnurn pay you anything? 
It would be a pomological outrage. Another 
point is, if it is another of those strawberry 
pumpkins like the Sharpless, we have no use 
for it. I did have a berry once that grew to 
be over 11 inches iu circumference, and it was 
engraved and recorded in the Rural at the 
time as a monstrosity But we don’t want 
such strawberries; three inches around is 
enough for the largest. W hatis wanted most 
of all in this fruit just now, is rigor of plant, 
and then productiveness of smooth, uniform, 
medium-sized, fine-flavored, fruit that will 
ripen every time without a protest. 
The potato and maize are said to be the two 
greatest gifts which America has given to the 
rest of the world. Why, then, longer adhere 
to the absurd name of Irish potato, which is 
so misleading and inappropriate? Let’s call it 
the “ Americau Potato” from this time forth; 
aud I ask the Rural aud its readers either to 
adopt this suggestion or present a sufficient 
objection to the proposition. The Batatas, or 
Sweet Potato, cannot be confouuded with the 
other. It is not of Americau origin, and is 
rarely spoken of except as “thesweet potato. 
It is true. English writers, in speaking of po. 
tatoes up to the middle of the seventeenth 
century, referred to the Batatas, and not to 
our American potato; but this is not so now- 
The “American Potato” and the “Sweet Po¬ 
tato,” that is my proposition for the future. 
There is no Latin about it, and everybody can 
understand it. W hat is the voice o f the people? 
Dutchess Co., N. Y. h. hendricks. 
Missouri. 
INDEPENDENCE, Jackson Co., Feb. 25.— 
Wheat is badly killed through this section, 
and hard freezing, alternating with thawing, 
adds to the injury. T. J. w. 
Jasper Co., Feb. 22.—Wheat looks first- 
rate and bids fair to make a full crop. Peach 
buds all killed, aud trees thought to be dam¬ 
aged more or less. Some small fruits are 
thought to be injured, such as the Lender va¬ 
rieties of blackberries aud raspberries. The 
Snyder Blackberry is all right. w. c. d. 
New York. 
RURAL LIFE NOTES, 
1 have some very fair raisins from the 
Brighton Grape. The grapis were well ripened 
and placed in a drawer in a warm room in Oc¬ 
tober last 1 fiDd that none have decayed, but 
the fruit has just dried and shriveled natu¬ 
rally, retaining much of the true raisin bloom. 
In flavor they are not quite so sweet asMa laga 
or sun-dried raisins, but, they are raisins uever- 
theless I, of course, had no idea of raisins 
when I put the grapes away. Next season I 
shall give the Brighton a fair chance in the 
sun. and see how far its raisin propensity may 
extend. It is unquestionably an excellent 
grape, and everyone ought to have at least a 
few vines of it in his garden. 
*** 
Now we are threatened with another new 
mammoth strawberry, and Mr. Purdy pro¬ 
poses to caU it “ Jumbo ” Ob. dear ! w here 
and when is this thing to end? Who will 
RURAL SP ECIAL REPORTS. 
Illinois. 
Russellville, Lawrence Co., Feb. 16.— 
Weather mild, snow all gone and the Wabash 
running high. Wheat not looking very well; 
rye all rUht; blue birds and robins back with 
us once more. a. j. h. 
Kansas. 
Solomon City, Dickinson Co., Feb. 18.— 
I own 240 acres here; 100 acres in timber and 
fruit. My apple trees are very thrifty and 
beginning to bear. 1 have 12 horses, mostly 
mares, 13 head of cattle. 70 sheep 150 Berk¬ 
shire hogs, and 1 had 211 acres in crops on 
rented land Much of our farming here would 
be amusing to Eastern people. For instance, 
three years ago we had but little corn, I 
sowed all my plowed land in wneat and rye; 
made a hog-tight fence with barbed wire, and 
let my 100 pigs “root hog or die.” It was an 
open Winter aud they did well. 1 took them 
off in the Spring, but the crop looked lone¬ 
some, so I turned them on again and let them 
run till the grain was in the milk. Then I 
took them off till the crop had headed, and 
then turned them loose again; yet 1 thrashed 
868 bushels off 40 acres thus treated. I sowed 
again without plowing and without taking 
the pigs off till the grain was formed again, 
and thrashed 600 bushels. w. w. 
West Newberry, Essex Co., Feb. 25.— 
Last season we had a severe drought. With 
the exception of potatoes, and possibly cab¬ 
bages,all vegetation wasseverely injured. The 
hay crop was below the average. There was 
no Fall feed. The ground husnearly all Win¬ 
ter been bare of snow, exposed to a continu¬ 
ous thawing and freezing. One of my neigh¬ 
bors, extensively engaged in strawberry cul¬ 
ture, informed me that be had not been 
troubled by worms or grubs since he used salt 
hay for covering the. plants. Home of the adjoin¬ 
ing growers who used fresh hay were badly 
troubled. The coi n crop for two years has 
been very light, or an average, but the last 
year 1 raised a good piece of corn. The laud 
was nlowed iu the Fall and the manure spread 
and harrowed in early in the Spring; and a 
little fertilizer was put in the hill (Bradley's). 
1 cultivated it both ways five times. When I 
came to gather it, there was hardly a weed on 
the piece. Our country has long been noted for 
its fine onions, but they will soon be a thing of 
the past, owing to drought and wet weather. 
Good English hay sells at $19 per ton. Pota¬ 
toes, 40 cents per bushel. The Bartlett Pear 
is raised quite extensively for maikei a very 
sure pear to raise. J - Ri °- 
Michigan. 
DoudLAS, Allegan Co, Feb. 20.— The 
peach buds are all right here; not one dead in 
ten. If we have no colder weather than we 
have had (10 degrees below zero) we are sure 
of u good crop at good prices. If the re¬ 
ports from other localities are true, we will 
have a comer on peaches this time. u. a., JR. 
Grafton, Rensselaer Co, Feb. 18.—We 
have had a very severe and changeable Win¬ 
ter—some very cold days, then warm, until 
the last two weeks, during which we have had 
a continued thaw. I think this will be bad 
for Winter grain and grass Stock is winter¬ 
ing very well, as far as 1 can obs erve. The 
past season potatoes aud oats were unusually 
heavy crops; apples nearly a failure. But, 
little fruit is grown in our town at best, and 
that has required extra care and protection 
of late years. 1 he bleak winds siuee the tim¬ 
ber has been cut off are probably too severe 
at our altitude on tbe mountains, our town¬ 
ship beiug on au elevated plateau in the lati¬ 
tude of Troy, N. Y., and at an altitude of 
about 1,000 feet above tide-water. Some 
three or four years ago many young orchards 
of as thriftily growing trees as are often seen 
anywhere, were entirely killed. I had, my¬ 
self, grafted some the preceding Spring, 
into old trees; they grew vigorously, but the 
next year nearly all were dead. p. J. R. 
Ohio. 
Bremen, Fairfield Co., February 22.—Wheat 
sowed early was badly damaged by the fly. 
That sowed towards the beginning of October 
on good soil, or with some good commercial 
fertilizer, looks well. Some sowu at the same 
time on corn ground, without fertilizer, scarce¬ 
ly shows. Corn scarce; hogs ditto; cattle and 
sheep more plentiful. Peach buds killed; 
apples safe. Rainy, nmddv, freezing occasion¬ 
ally, with indications of the approach of sugar¬ 
making. R - J - B - 
Pennsylvania. 
Ariel, Wayne Co., Pa., Feb. 21.—We are 
having mild weather; the snow is disappear¬ 
ing gradually, and with the present weather 
it will nearly r disappear in a few days We 
have a good grazing country, both for cattle 
and sheep; while the character of our land 
(the surlace presenting a never-ending series 
of hills and valleys) gives us wet aud dry land 
in about equal proportions, The growing of 
all kinds of &tock predominates over other 
branches of farm industry. Our markets are 
good for all kinds of stock, butter and cheese. 
Lands, are cheap in comparison to farm lauds 
north or west of us; a farm of 50 to 100 acres, 
with good buildings, can be bought any day 
for from $2,000 to $3,000, and small farms of 
10 to 20 acres for as many hundreds. We are 
well supplied with transportation lines, giving 
us good facilities for sending or receiving 
freight; while coal is cheap, and wood and 
lumber are still low iu price, making this, as 
we believe, a good place for any one with 
small means to locate with advantage. 
p. w. 
Wisconsin. 
Freedom, Outagamie Co., Fob. 15. r Ihe 
Winter since Christmas has been very cold, 
with but little snow—just enough to make 
sleigbiug, until within the last week. Since 
then we have had heavy snow-storms. The 
snow is now at least eighteen inches deep in 
the woods. The weather is still cold, running 
from zero to 80° beluw. Those fanners who 
have timber left, are busy cutting aud haul¬ 
ing it to Appleton where they find a good 
market and full prices for all kinds of hard 
wood timber and cord wood, the latter selling 
at $4 to $5 per cord for maple wood. e. n. 
LeMars. Plymouth Co.—Shoe-peg Corn 
grew well, but-the frost killed it. The water¬ 
melon did not come up. Of the Niagara Grape 
seeds six came up, but 1 think early frosts in 
September have killed them. G. R. 
Massachusetts. 
West Newberry, Essex Co.—From n y 
Blush Potatoes I raised more than a peck of 
fine tubers. The Garden Treasures were ex¬ 
cellent. T he Shoe-peg Corn did as well as I 
expected, but it did not ripen quite early 
enough. The Niagara seedlings were destroy id 
by a severe storm. J * B - 
New York. 
Olive Bridge, Ulster Co.—My Blush Po¬ 
tato stood the drought and mid-day scorching 
sun better than the Jumbo, Clark’s No. 1, 
Magnum Bomim, White Star and Belle, which 
were planted on the some patch and received 
the same cultivation aud fertilizers. Its only 
fault was thatthe tubers straggled very much 
iu the hill; but it may be owing to this that 
it withstood dry weather very well. It was 
so very remarkable iu this respect, that 1 fre¬ 
quently took my neighbors, who were inter¬ 
ested in such matters, t.o see the patch, and I 
was glad that 1 hud the other kinds alongside, 
aud that all were treated alike, so that there 
could be no doubt about its drought aud heat- 
resisting ability. J - T - 
RURAL SEED REPORTS. 
Illinois* 
Yorkvillk, Kendall Co.—I planted ID eyes 
of Blush Potato iu rich garden soil beside the 
Early Rose, Early Ohio and Mammoth Pear l; 
18 sprouted. 1 dug 28 pounds of Blushes, 27 
pounds of Roses. 32 pounds of Ohius, and 38 
pounds of Pearls from the same number of 
hills. Ninety-nine kernels of the .shoe-peg 
Corn all grew and made a line giowth of stalk, 
but the ears did not ripen. Tli irteen N iagara 
seeds grew, but all were lost during the dry 
weather. K> s * 
Iowa. 
ViLi.tsCA, Montgomery Co.—My Blush Po¬ 
tato yielded one peek of very fine tubers 
of good size. The Perfection Watermelon 
grew well and yielded some very fine melons. 
The Shoe-peg Corn is a little too late for this 
section. The Garden Treasures we took so 
much pains with turned out to be nearly all 
sunflowers. We think the Rural the best 
agricultural (taper we have ever had about 
the house. 1 J Ml 
Ohio. 
Kilbourn, Delaware Co.—From five eyes 
of the small Blush Potato 1 raised 58 tubers 
that weighed 2$3^ pounds, or live pounds 11 
ounces to the hill. They grew on 15 square 
feet of land. The Shoe-peg Corn matured 
well, hut was badly mixed. 1 have 10 grape¬ 
vines from the Niagara seeds. The Garden 
Treasures did well. H - s< H> 
Oregon. 
Shedd, Linn Co.—Blush Potatoes yielded 
30 pounds, most of them quite small. 1 have 
15 uice Niagara seedlings. The Shoe-peg Corn 
was a failure. 1 raised, last harvest, 1.500 
bushels of Defiance Wheat from the Rural 
seed. It was sowed iu March; we hud only one 
rain from that time until It was harvested, and 
it went S3 bushels to the acre. r. m. w. 
Pennsylvania. 
Conemaugh. Cambria Co —The seeds and 
advice on gardening 1 received through the 
Rural last year, were worth at least 10 times 
the price of the paper. The Guidon Treas¬ 
ures made my home look beautiful. I had ->5 
Niagara Grape seedlings, and set out-18. The 
rest 1 gave to my neighbors. My Blush Po¬ 
tato was planted in eight hil s, and yielded 45 
tubers, weighing 16& pounds. J- H - 
Tennessee. 
Raleigh, Shelby Co.—Six ej esof my Blush 
Potatoes yielded 11 large tubers. We usually 
get two crops of potatoes here, so from the 
second plautiug of the Blush 1 dug 4o pounds, 
after eating a part of the first crop As the 
first-crop Early Rose doesn’t keep here during 
Summer, l put some Blushes in the cellar to 
test them in this respect, aud they have kept 
sound till now. 1 find Ihe Blush superior to all 
others for this country, and will take care of 
all 1 have to plant next season. My wife got 
great delight from the G. Treasures. J. s. 
Wisconsin. 
Kelly Brook. Oconto Co —My two Blush 
Potatoes weighed one ounce, were cut into 
seven pieces, planted in seven hills,and yielded, 
in all. 72 tubers weighing 26’ 4 pounds, the 
largest turning the scales at 19 ounces. The 
Shoe-peg Corn did uot ripen. The B-b. Wheat 
grew 4K feet high, but the frost came before 
the heads were ripe. 1 had four small vines 
from the Niagara seed, aud covered them last 
Fall. *** 
Shawano, Shawano Ci—My small Blush 
Potato, containing eight eyes, cut in eight 
pieces and pluuted in eight hills in very light 
soil—sand thrown from the cellar the year 
before—with no more manure than the rest of 
the garden received, aud no extra care, yielded 
42 pounds; one bill weighed seven pounds. 
One peck of White Elephants yielded 52 hush- 
els. The Shoe-peg Corn ran mostly to stalks 
from 10 to 11 feet high; each stalk silked out 
in from four to six places, but did not amount 
to anything. w - w - Hl 
---- 
Communications Received for the week Ending 
Saturday, March 8. 
B.H.-M. D. M.-L. H. P.-C. C.-W. F. J. G.-A. 
M.-R. J. B -T. J. B.-K. G. B.-A. S.-W. S. U.-« " • 
P.—S. S.-F. B- 8.—A. A.. thanks.— R. O. C., thanks. 
K. M. h!-R. A. Il.-L. 8. K.-S. C.-M. A. D.-A. E.-'V. 
B.A.-G. W. D.—A. S-R.H.C. M.. thanks.—H. L. E., 
thanks. I. B.-J. P. L.-E, ami C.U. H. T. F.-J.L. 
.l.-W.J.- M L N. ll.W.-C. n.-J. W.H.-A O. B. 
T. H.— H, B. Q.—R. H. F., thauks; we <1o not remem¬ 
ber. -P. M. G.-F. P. -1 N. M., Uianks.-G. M. W., 
i Winter.—R. G., Jr.. llmuks.-C. F. CL—E. P.tharUcs. 
, -Justice. A. W. K.-J. H. C-P. P.-& M.-A. B. J. 
S.E It. 1 B.-8. K.S. L. B.-L. G- 
' B. M.-S. H. It. -A. C.-F. W. E.-J V M.-J. H. S.-t ■ 
' F. J. -F. J. O M. L. L. J P. b -O. -H- C.-U- B 
M. H.O.F. W. J. A. W. U. G.-W U.-J D. a. 
lUauks. U. B. C. II. U. L.S., for PrUe U.-J. 
