260 
[May, 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
«s : “ I have my doubts of the truth of the fellow’s 
assertions, lu the first place, I do not own a drill, 
and if I did I certainly should not pay any atten¬ 
tion to such a document from a total stranger.” 
We are looking up this grain drill business, and 
shall be able to report very soon upon it. 
“A Aationtil Isivestiueiitt.” 
Mr. John H. Putnam, Tioga, Pa., writes us: 
“ Pity all newspapers do not go for humbugs as 
you do. 1 received lately the enclosed, which 
seems a fair case for your expose.” The enclosed 
is a circular of a “ National Investment Associa¬ 
tion,” marked “confidential to agents.” While we 
are not yet prepared to speak fully regarding this 
concern, we should say, on general principles, that 
our readers can find plenty of ways to use their 
money nearer home, without placing it in any “Na¬ 
tional Investment Association.” 
Since the above was in type, the Post Office De¬ 
partment at Washington has issued instructions to 
the postmasters at Chicago and Indianapolis to dis¬ 
continue the delivery of money orders and regis¬ 
tered packages addressed to the “Marion Trust 
Company,” in those cities. 
“ IN'ice Light Work Lor Ladies and. 
Young Men.” 
Mr. R. J. Cunningham writes us from Washing¬ 
ton, D. C., that the Departments there are being 
flooded with circulars of an “ Electrograph ” man¬ 
ufacturer, offering “ nice light work for ladies and 
young men at their own homes.” We offer our 
columns to the persons who are behind this, what 
they designate as a “reliable Manufacturing Com¬ 
pany, 311a Walnut street, Philadelphia, Pa.,” to 
demonstrate that they are engaged in a legitimate 
enterprise. If you are not so engaged, we propose 
to so inform our readers. Step to the front. 
The Old Story. 
Mr. J. P. Smith, Freeburgh, St. Clair Co., Illinois, 
sends us an interesting account of the manner in 
which a well-to-do farmer near Georgetown, who 
•does not take the American Agriculturist, has been 
swindled by signing a paper under the pretense 
that it was a “ harmless instrument, and only in¬ 
tended as a recommendation for the article fur¬ 
nished.” The victim is uo doubt a wiser and sadder 
man by this time. If it is any satisfaction to him 
to know that he is not alone, we can inform him 
that we have received hundreds, yes, thousands of 
letters from persons all over the United States who 
have been swindled in a similar manner. Beware 
of the well-dressed stranger who wants to talk with 
you about a patent roofing compound, or any other 
patent for that matter. 
Organ Swindles. 
Mr. A. J. Bedle, Rowley, Essex Co., Mass., sends 
us particulars of a swindling organ scheme. We 
are looking into the matter, and if what the gen¬ 
tleman writes is verified, and we are confident it 
will be, we shall make a full exposure of the whole 
concern. Meanwhile we advise our subscribers to be 
careful what organ manufacturer they patronize. 
Mr. C. S. De Witt, Loekport, Illinois, writes us 
warning us and the public to be very careful about 
advertisements of bogus organs. He says, “I am 
not interested except to see justice done.” He 
thinks we should take great pains, and wants us 
to be very careful what kind of organs we allow 
to go into our advertising columns. 
Medicine Advertisements. 
Whenever your attention is attracted by flaming 
advertisements and announcements of wonderful 
cures effected by this or that medicine, don’t be 
deceived. Ask your regular physician before in¬ 
vesting in a bottle. He will invariably tell you to 
keep your money. 
Now for the Corn Crop of 1883 —Sea¬ 
sonable Suggestions. 
BY ORANGE JUDD. 
Two thousand million bushels of sound corn in 
the kernel, should be the lowest figures aimed at 
for this year, and it may be exceeded if the weather 
prove propitious.* At half the present New York 
wholesale price, such a crop will be worth nearly 
seven hundred million dollars. To grow only three 
good hills or stalks or ears, where there should be 
four, will make a loss of five hundred million 
bushels to the country, and a corresponding loss 
to the individual growers. If 25 bushels per acre 
will just cover the cost, 40 bushels per acre for the 
same labor will be a clear profit of 15 bushels, and 
the profit is what all are looking for. The average 
crop of the whole country in the Census year was 
22i bushels per acre; in the great corn States it 
varied from 31 bushels in Indiana and Kansas, to 34 
in Ohio, 36 in Illinois and Missouri, and 41 i in Iowa. 
IFirst in importance to be looked after 
now, is the seed. The soil and tillage and weather 
may be all right, but if only three kernels out of four 
planted, grow and thrive, away goes five hundred 
million bushels, and the better share of individual 
profit. No one can be certain, by looking at it, 
that the seed-corn in his crib will grow when 
planted. A good deal of it was damp when gath¬ 
ered last autumn, and that which was mature and 
dry when cribbed, may have gathered moisture. 
Hard freezing of damp corn will greatly injure the 
germ when it does not destroy it. Then again, 
many good-looking kernels and whole ears may 
not have been fructified, through the failure of the 
silk to receive pollen from the flowering stalk. The 
only way to be sure of perfect seed, is to test it in 
advance. To do this, select a hundred or two of 
average kernels from the whole mass of seed, or 
from each lot of it, sprout them in damp cotton or 
moist earth placed in a box in the sun by day, and 
in-doors at night. The number that sprout will 
indicate the percentage of good seed. This should 
be attended to at once, with corn as well as most 
seeds, so as to have time to procure other seed, if 
that on hand be at all inferior. It does not pay to 
plow and harrow and plant and cultivate a field 
with poor seed, to save the expense of a few quarts 
per acre of the best corn. 
Select the largest, nicest ears, break off and re¬ 
ject an inch or more of the tip ends, using only 
the large, plump kernels. “Like produces like.” 
If already shelled, winnow or sift out all shrunken 
and small kernels. For the main crop, stick to 
sorts already tried in the same locality. Corn, like 
most plants, and more than some others, soon be¬ 
comes acclimated to local soils and weather. It is 
always well to try a small quantity of new kinds of 
corn for two or three successive years, as thus new 
valuable varieties may be brought in. As a rule, 
seed-corn should move southward rather than 
northward. A kind acclimated to mature quickly 
in the sh'ort season of the North, when planted fur¬ 
ther South retains part of its quicker growth, and 
takes on part of the larger size of stalk and kernel, 
when moved a degree or two further Southward, 
often a few miles only. 
Corn is a sun plant, and suffers greatly from wet, 
“cold feet.” The warmer the soil, and the freer 
it is from abiding water, the better will the corn 
grow. Yet in the best growing short season, it 
loses sap rapidly by evaporation from its leaves, 
and the surface soil is also then quickly deprived 
of sap-supplying moisture. Therefore let the soil 
be made fine deep down, and when needed, put 
some fertilizer well below the surface, to invite the 
roots down where they will find plenty of food¬ 
carrying sap in the severest drouth. This is of 
great importance on the dark prairie soils, and on 
all other light, easily dried land. (See page 167, 
last month.) Those who plow for corn only three 
* A single million bushels of corn will fill a bin 107 feet 
each way, and 107 feet high: or one 10 feet deep, 234 feet 
wide, and a mile long! One million bushels of shell 
corn will cover a whole acre 29 feet deep I Yet two 
thousand such heaps would only equal our expected 
crop for 1883. 
or four inches deep, may expect to lose half the 
growth if there be a few successive hot days. 
There are very few soils, even on the most fertile 
prairies and bottom lands, where a little stimulant 
material from the barn-yard, or artificial fertilizer 
factory, placed six to ten inches below the surface, 
will not develop a much greater growth of deep 
sap-collecting roots. Roots almost instinctively 
strike out towards a supply of nourishment. 
Moisture, soaking upward from the buried fertil¬ 
izer, touches and develops the starting rootlets. A 
very little fertilizing material pretty near the seed, 
gives it a quick start; the main supply should he 
as deep as the soil is pulverized and aerated, ready 
to welcome the roots. Perhaps the neutralizing 
effect of alkalies upon the organic acids in the soil 
is why ashes, potash, and soda are often better fer¬ 
tilizers for corn than the nitrogenous manures. 
Don’t plant too early. .»,Corn put into a warm 
soil, if not too dry, starts off into rapid growth, 
and, as a rule, overtakes and goes ahead of that 
planted on cold, damp soils, if indeed the latter 
does not fail to germinate before it loses its vi¬ 
tality, as is often the case in a cold, rainy season. 
Straight rows of hills greatly facilitate after¬ 
culture. Flat culture is preferable to ridges, where 
the soil is dry. Drilling secures much more uni- j 
formity of depth of seed than hand-planting. In i 
either way, the seed should be covered barely deep 
enough to prevent its dying out before the roots 
grow to moisture below. The nearer the surface, 
if sufficiently damp, the sooner will the sun pro¬ 
duce germination. 
New Farm Implements and Appliances. 
The Fountain Pump. 
We recommend the use of Whitman's Fountain 
Pump because a lady or child can use it, and it is very 
serviceable for washing windows, carriages, sidewalks, 
trees, vines, etc., etc. People cannot exercise too great 
care in deluging insects, potato bugs, canker-worms, 
etc., from early vines. This Fountain Pump is also ■ 
useful for washing horses, it is likewise of great utility 
to the bee-keeper in controlling bees ; in fact it can be 
made available in almost every instance where water 
and a hose are desired. 
Tlie Adjustable Sieve. 
One of the most novel and convenient inventions for 
the use of farmers, gardeners, and especially seeds- i 
men, is the Milton Adjustable Sieve. The great value i 
of this sieve consists in the fact that it can be made 
large or small, to suit the requirements of the person 
using it. The framework is fastened at each corner by 
hinges, permitting the sieve to be made either fine or 1 
coarse. By means of a gauge, the exact size of holes re¬ 
quired is secured. We find that these sieves are warmly 
recommended by seed growers and large dealers. 
Genuine Paints. 
The number of bogus paint manufacturers in this 
country increases so rapidly that our readers cannot exer- l 
cise too great care in making their purchases. To buy 
poor paint is the poorest economy. We have a case in 
hand where several thousand dollars worth of poor paint 
was used on public buildings within a few miles of our 
office, and which, in the course of a year’s time, was 
nearly all washed off by the wind and storms. The pub¬ 
lic officers who had charge of the matter, bought the 
paint m good faith, but exercised a false economy in 
buying a poor quality. In advertising paint, we have 
invariably exercised great discretion and care to which 
our long time subscribers will bear evidence. They have '■ 
observed that for years we have not only a'dvertised, but 
borne testimony to the great value of the liquid 
paints made by the H. W. Johns Manufacturing j; 
Company. Several gentlemen connected with our I 
establishment have not only borne testimony to 
their value, but large numbers of individuals, who 
have purchased them through our advice, have express¬ 
ed the greatest satisfaction with them. We now learn 
from this Company that they have just brought out 
some new colors, eight in all. We infer from the sam¬ 
ples of these new colors, that they will not only be 
unique and attractive, but also' most durable for farm 
houses and outbuildings, and buildings everywhere. 
The Company send tog any one, who asks for them by 
postal, samples of these new paints. The Company will 
also forward an accompanying circular, containing valu- 
ble information m regard to paints and the proper 
method of using them. A new feature of their business 
is to forward estimates of the amount which will he re¬ 
quired to persons sending size of buildings to be painted. 
