THE BUBAL NEW-VOBKf ft. 
CORRESPONDENTS’ VIEWS. 
The natural function of the corn plant is to 
produce corn, and if deprived of this function 
by crowding, it fails to draw to itself the most 
valuable contituents of the plant, viz., starch 
and sugar. For this reason I do not recom¬ 
mend late planting, although I have seen a 
that the bunches of grapes were gradually 
being eaten up, I began to watch all day, rea¬ 
soning that the bees after sucking those dry 
which were open at 10 a. m., would tear open 
others, and I wished if possible to detect them 
at it. After watching all the forenoon I be- 
PteaUattcmte -MmtitfiniL 
Experience in Hybridizing Plants.— 
Almost every one who gives directions about 
hybridizing says the anthers should be re¬ 
moved with a pair of fine scissors and the pol¬ 
len applied to the stigma with a brush; also 
that the flower should be visited two or three 
times and more pollen applied. I long ago 
discarded scissors and brush, my tweezers 
being quite as bandy as the scissors; and when 
I used the brush, and after having used one 
sort of pollen, wished to use another, I never 
could feel quite sure that some grains of the 
former sort did not still adhere to the brush, 
try as I might to get it all off, so I discarded 
the brush almost as soon as I used it, and ap¬ 
plied the pollen by taking an opened anther 
with my tweezers and applying it to the stig¬ 
ma. As a rule, I do not visit a flower oftener 
than once, for I discovered, last spring, while 
working upon plums and cherries, that if I 
lightly tapped the stigma with the tweezers 
the glands containing the viscid iluid were 
broken and the stigma was at once viseicated 
and would hold the pollen. I worked in this 
way last year and in not a single Instance did 
fruit fail to set, though some dropped after 
growing awhile. In former years when I did 
not tap the stigma or visit the flower more 
than once, my successes were the exception. 
A finish might be used to agitate the stigmas 
on such fruits as have numerous stigmas, like 
the raspberry and strawberry. 
Vermont. J. t. macomber. 
Home Rural Premiums.— I have got rid of 
the job of mowi ig the lawn with the scythe, 
and now the children can mow it with the 
lawn-mower obtained from the Rural. It is 
just as good as it is pretty—never saw any¬ 
thing cut nicer. The fruit drier, which we 
also got, we have had no chance to use yet, 
but soon will. The drill came just in time to 
put in part of my spring grain. I had a little 
accident with it the first, time I used it. I was 
sowing large peas with it and broke some of 
the cogs out of some small cog wheels, but in 
lass than three days I hail the wheels replaced 
from the factory free of charge. The drill is 
first-class in every respect, anil I do not see 
how you cun give a premium like that for so 
few subscribers. henry beythan. 
Freeland, Mich. 
Scabby Potatoes.—T hat potatoes are often 
scabby when there are no myriapods in the 
soil is certain. It seems most probable that 
the direct cause is fungoid. Fossihly an abra¬ 
sion may cause the fungous attack. If so, then 
the presence of the lulus, or common thous¬ 
and-logged worms, might induce tho attack 
and lead indirectly to the deformity. That 
the myriapods are necessary to scab is cer¬ 
tainly a mistake. J. C. 
farm 
SOILING CROPS. 
I regard soiling as valuable as an adjunct 
to pasturage and consider it the most econom¬ 
ical way of feeding stock, and especially 
milch cows. If these can have a small night 
pasture and be stabled in a cool building dur¬ 
ing the day, and have an abundant supply of 
green food, they will do much better than 
when in the best pasture, exposed to beat and 
flies. 1 am unable to give definite figures in 
regard to how many cows can be kept upon an 
acre, or just how much it costs, never having 
used the soiling system exclusively; but I will 
say, emphatically, that it pays. Tho chief 
points of advantage are, the increased num¬ 
ber of cows that can be kept; the fact that 
one can nearly always control a steady supply 
of green forage, whereas pastures so often dry 
up, almost hopelessly destroying their useful¬ 
ness for a season. Of course, the amount of 
labor required is increased, but not in propor¬ 
tion to the increase in products. 
I would recommend the following succession 
as a good one: 1, early-sown fall rye; 2 , 
Orchard Grass; 8, clover; 4, peas and oats; 5, 
corn; (!, Hungarian Grass or millet. Theso 
are given in the order in which they may be 
cut. Rye can be cut in the early part of May. 
Before June l, Orchard Grass is tit for the 
scythe. Then come clover, peas, oats and 
corn in regular order. On the ground from 
which tho ryo is cut, fodder corn may be 
planted. From tho oat and pea ground a crop 
of Hungarian (Irass or millet may be cut, 
thus giving two crops iu the same season from 
each piece of land. 
1 would uot recommend sowing fodder corn 
broadcast, nor cutting it early. Plaut in 
drills three and a half feet apart, and culti¬ 
vate thoroughly. Don’t plant^too thickly. 
good growth of stalks from corn planted as 
late as July 1st; but to my mind they were 
not very rich food—mostly water. 
The above is one succession. It may be va¬ 
ried, or some may find an entirely better one, 
but I think this will be found good and prac¬ 
ticable, to say the least. e. a. fuller. 
Houghton Farm, Orange Co., N. Y. 
SOILING PROBLEMS. 
We have never tried soiling to any extent, 
as we have a large amount of laud fitted only 
for pasture. A good rotation for soiling would 
be, winter rye to begin with in April: then 
oats, or spring rye; clover (red), Hungarian 
Grass and corn. Sown at proper intervals, 
these would give almost or quite a constant 
supply of green forage here. We grow from 
15 to 18 tons of fodder corn per acre—this is 
actual weight, not a guess or an estimate 
made from the produce of a measured rod. 
We have never been able to reach the 80, 40, 
or 50 tons per acre that are sometimes report¬ 
ed. It may be sown from June 1 to July 1. 
We usually sow about June 15. We still be¬ 
lieve in silage as a most valuable addition to 
our cattle foods. s. Johnson. 
Agl. Coll., Lansing, Mich. 
eijf a 
.pitman. 
BEES EATING GRAPES. 
Much discussion has taken place of late in 
the bee papers and elsewhere relative to bees 
eating grapes, the bee-keepers insisting that 
bees do not attack sound grapes, some going 
so far as to claim that it is impossible for the 
bee, on account of the construction of its 
mouth, to bite iutoa sound grape, while many 
grape growers claim that bees do bite into and 
devour sound grapes. In this the latter are 
uphold by the late decision in Cali¬ 
fornia by a jury who decided against the bees 
in that “bees and grapes’’ lawsuit. However, 
as this case has been appealed by the bee¬ 
keepers, it may be decided differently at the 
next trial, when the necessary proof is fully 
brought in. I um not among the number who 
claim that a bee cannot bite into a sound 
grajie, for I see no reason why an insect which 
can so gnaw as to enlarge the entrance to its 
hive made of solid wood, or bite holes through 
cottou cloth and other fabrics, could uot do so 
if it was intent on such a procedure; but I do 
claim that the bee never does bite into a sound 
grape for the simple reason that it was never 
made to bite into even the most delicate flow¬ 
er to get sweets, anil that all openings made in 
grapes, peaches, pears aud plums cau be 
traced to other sources. 
Among the beehives in my apiary ore many 
choice varieties of grapes which were never 
worked upon by the bees to auy extent until 
last season, at which time the vines of certain 
kinds were literally swarming with bees. Tho 
kiuds most injured were the Lady and Beliuda 
among the white; the Salem and Agawam 
among the red, and the Worden amoug the 
black. On a careful examination, I found 
that the trouble with the Worden and Belinda 
came from their cracking open; but for a 
time the work on the others baffled me, for it 
was not until I had nearly made up my mind 
that the bees were the real offenders that 1 
discovered the truth in the case. How I knew 
that the two abovu-uamed kinds cracked open 
was that I fouud scores of them so cracked 
early on dewy mornings, before tho bees had 
touched them, while the rupture was yet 
fresh, giving these a very different appear¬ 
ance from that of those worked upou by the 
bees tho day before. If I had uot examined 
them thus early, I should uot have detected 
the cause, for by 10 o'clock the bees were so 
thick ou them that I could see no difference 
between the old and newly cracked ones. 
But when l came to apply the crack lug test 
to the rest of the grapes it failed io reveal 
that such was the cause of the trouble. 1 ex¬ 
amined the bunches of grapes very carefully 
in early morning, but fouud all sound, except 
those worked upon previously, anil again at 
10 o’clock I watched the same bunches and 
could not discover anything different, except 
that bees were all over them, sucking at tho 
ruptured ones which I had marked iu the 
morning, while on the next morning I found 
that many more of the grapes had beeu 
worked upon after my 10-o’clock examination. 
I expected, of course, if the bees were the 
offenders that, they would tear the grapes open 
wheu they first came on them, while they 
were hungry, so did not watch iu the after¬ 
noon. 
After finding that there was no mistake in 
came almost discouraged; but at about Ip. m., 
I saw on a bunch of grapes a stinging wasp 
such as build paper nests in nooks and cran¬ 
nies about our buildings, In a moment more 
I saw this wasp bite a triangular piece of skin 
out of a sound grape, and go to sucking the 
juice from it. The bees now tried to get at 
the ruptured place, but the wasp kept them 
away with its feet so that m no case did I see 
a wasp and the bees getting juice from the 
same grajie. I soon saw more wasps, so that 
by two o’clock 1 judged that at least 100 
grapes had been opened on a single vine. At 
about three o’clock all the wasps had gone, 
and the bees were having a good time at the 
grapes which the wasps had raptured, but in 
not a single instance could I detecta bee open¬ 
ing a grape, although the bees ran frantically 
over the grapes in search of places from which 
to get the juice. 
Later on I detected the work of mice on one 
vine which stood near a pile of rubbish, the 
mice seeming not only to like the sweet juice 
of the Agawam grape, but the seeds as well. 
It was easy to tell the work of the mice, for 
they tore open nearly every grape of the 
bunch worked upon. This gave the bees a 
fine chance on such bunches the next day. 
Thus after carefully watching all fruits 
worked upon by the bees, anil in these cases of 
the grapes nearly deciding against these indus¬ 
trious insects, I wish to place it upon record 
that, so far, I have found the bee innocent, 
and do not believe a bee ever attacked sound 
fruit,although I allow that it could do so, if it 
had been ordained that it should thus get its 
living. It seems to me that it must be plain 
to all that the bee was created for the fertili¬ 
zation of flowers, and that the honey was 
placed in there to attract the bees for that sole 
purpose; for all trees and plants capable of 
self-fertilization secrete no honey, as all will 
find if they give the subject close attention. 
Borodino, N. Y. G. H. doolittle. 
4*wr AL 
“J. S. Fine & Co.,” who lately fled to Cana¬ 
da from Chicago just as “he” was about to be 
arrested for fra ml, practiced a somewhat ori¬ 
ginal swindle, which is sure to be imitated by 
other rogues. The whole concern was con¬ 
fined to the man who called himself J. S. Fine. 
He advertised, mostly by circulars sent 
through the malls,as if the concern were doing 
a large business at a store on State Street; 
but really there was no such store, the fellow 
receiving his letters at the post-office and hir¬ 
ing a room at a third-rate hotel. His circu¬ 
lars asked for agents for the sale of ladies 
underwear, and knicknaoks anil trinkets for 
ladies’ use. The great advantages which the 
self-constituted agents would receive were 
glowingly set forth, not the least of which was 
a generous commission of 40 per cent., which 
they were to be allowed on the pnees of all 
the goods they might sell, together with a 
splendid, gilt-edged ehromo. The goods were 
to be sent to agents in #200 lots, fully insured, 
aud no security was to be required for the pay¬ 
ment of the price, less the 40 per cent, 
commission. As a condition essential to se¬ 
curing these marvelously favorable terms, 
each would-be agent was required to send 
iu the amount of the premium to be 
paid on the insurance of the goods. 
This would amount to #5 apiece where the 
goods were consigned to parties living in frame 
houses, and to #4 only if the parties were housed 
in brick. This preliminary remittance was, 
of course, what Fine wanted to secure. There 
was no intention of ever sending any goods of 
auy kiud. Just as soon as lie had made a big 
euough haul, he intended to disappear before 
the Law could grasp him. He received such a 
multitude of letters, however, that the Post- 
Office authorities were induced to investigate 
his doings. His suspicions were aroused, aud 
he fled before they could arrest him. Over ISO 
letters from liis gullible dupes in different 
Htates were seized at the post-office. Most of 
the writers wore females, and nearly all the 
letters contained money. As he had been re¬ 
ceiving a great number of letters for about a 
mouth before his flight, he must have made a 
large sum by his operations. In this, as in 
rflarly all other cases, an appeal was made to 
the greed of the people to whom the circulars 
were sent. 
A great deal has lately appeared in the pa¬ 
pers about a vast fortune of $75,000,000 await¬ 
ing the Sands or Sandys family in Eng and. 
Invite the attention of out- 
of-town buyers to their 
large and attractive stock 
of rich £ilks, Velvets, 
Plushes, Dress Goods, 
Laces, India Shawls, Ho¬ 
siery. Gloves, Upholstery 
Goods, Suits, Wraps, 
Housekeeping: Goods, etc. 
We have in all our re¬ 
spective Departments a 
lull line of medium priced 
goods to the finest import¬ 
ed. 
Correspondence from 
any part of the United 
States will re.eive prompt 
attention, and samples 
sent on application. 
Orders by mail or express 
filled without delay. 
BROApVI/')Sll th Sl 
NEW YORK. 
Full histories of the family and fortune were 
given. A syndicate of the “heirs” here was 
formed, and b'beral contributions to a fund to 
secure the bonanza were solicited. Some of 
the very “best” papers, like the New York 
Tribune, reported the matter seriously as if 
the millions really existed and the fortunate 
heirs were to be envied. Mrs. Sarah M. Cas¬ 
well, of Anrojp, Ill., one of the heirs, before 
contributing took the sensible precaution of 
writing for information to our Minister to 
England, and in a letter dated,April 10, which 
has just been made public, Mr. Henry White, 
Secretary of the A merican Legation in Lon¬ 
don, says: “I beg to inform you that there is 
no such ‘estate’ as the one you mention. Vast 
numbers of people in our country are deceived 
and defrauded by designing persons, who rep¬ 
resent that great estates are awaiting Ameri¬ 
can claimants here, whereas there are none 
such. One of these rascals has recently been 
sentenced |o five years’ penal servitude for 
robbing Americans in this way,” This should 
be conclusive as to the existence of the Sands 
or Sandys estate, and pretty nearly conclu¬ 
sive as to the existence of any others of the 
same kind. It does not, however, prove that 
there is no such property in the “moon,” 
but really sensible “heirs” will hardly care to 
go to the expense of retaining lawyers to pros¬ 
ecute their claims on that luminary. 
“The Page Deafness Cure is not a humbug,” 
said the E-O., some months ago, and Page in 
his advertising circulars, quotes the remark 
as an indorsement of his remedy. In doing so 
he is cunning, but by no means fair. It was 
only a clause iu a sentence, the remainder of 
which he omits. Here is the whole sentence:— 
“Thu Page Deafness Cure is not a humbug, 
because it has beeu efficacious in some cases, 
generally those of a slight nature; but the 
claims put forth in ifs behalf are greatly ex¬ 
aggerated.” That was the E.-O’s. opinion 
then, aud he has seeu no reason to alter it 
since. 
Beware of the Bohemian-oat-like swindle 
perpetrated by tho rascals who go about the 
country selling eggs of a marvelous breed of 
hens at $3 to $5 per dozen, guaranteeing to 
buy all the chicks raised from them for $3 or 
$5 apiece. The eggs have been boiled or were 
never fertilized, or they are too stale for 
hatching. Generally they have beeu kept in 
hot water long enough to destroy any fertility 
that might ever have been in them. 
To Several Inquirers.— Tho Eye-opener 
has frequently denounced tho Crescent Art 
Company, of Boston, as one of the work-at- 
home humbugs. We have, one time or an¬ 
other, received a number of letters from people 
who had, at the cost of much stinting, invest¬ 
ed their hard-earned money in the “outfits” of 
the concern, but who were unable, on account 
of one excuse or another, to induce it to pur¬ 
chase back the finished goods according to 
promise. There are lots of such concerns all 
over the country, most of which are much 
worse sinners than even the C. A. C.. 
