1872 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
369 
mice of this year Free. They also present very 
strong' arguments to those who get up clubs of 
subscribers—viz. the splendid Premiums on page 393. 
A Good Paying Business— 
for Women as well as Men— 
Honorable and Useful. 
Several persons of both sexes, in different parts of the 
country, devote their chief time to gathering subscribers 
to the American Agriculturist and to Hearth and Home, 
and to selling books on Agriculture, Horticulture, Garden¬ 
ing, Architecture, etc. (see list on third cover page, and 
notices of some of them in the advertising pages). For 
the subscribers obtained they take the Premium Articles 
offered on page 393, and sell them (as they are all very 
good, wanted generally, and are readily salable). These 
Premiums, obtained by the Publishers on special terms, 
are just as good as money, and give much better pay than 
could possibly be given in cash commissions. These can¬ 
vassers, who work during the most favorable seasons, real¬ 
ize from $300 to $3,5 00 a year, according to their tact, 
experience, etc. Experience goes a great way. Some, 
who succeeded poorly at first, hardly paying their board, 
have by persevering practice come to be very successful. 
The success to be obtained is worthy of long practice. 
It is certainly quite as honorable and useful to engage in 
urging people to supply themselves with good reading 
and useful information, as it is to stand behind a counter 
and show up, and porsuade people to buy silks, laces, or 
other goods, or to engage in any other work or business. 
$66.67 to $100.00 worth of Engravings 
for 
ONE CENT. 
At least $10,000 will be expended in procuring 
pleasingand instructive Engraving?, of fine quality, for the 
Americdk Agriculturist during 18/73. Every subscriber 
will have a neatly-printed copy of each of these in the 
pages of the paper, in addition to all the carefully pre¬ 
pared information given in the reading columns. This 
will give $6G.66% worth of engravings for every cent of 
cost at $1.50 a year; or $S0 worth to those in clubs of 
four to nine at $1.25 each ; or $S3.33M to those in clubs 
of ten to nineteen at $1.20 each ; or $100 worth for each 
Cent , to those in clubs of twenty or more at $1 each. In 
addition, every subscriber will be presented with a 
perfect copy of Reinhart’s beautiful $400 painting, “ Mis¬ 
chief Brewing ,” which will be a charming ornament in 
any home — a picture so much like the original oil 
painting that none but experienced artists will be able 
to detect the difference. 
Mints to ISaiuifacturers of Mow¬ 
ers, Slakes, etc.—Does it never occur to those who 
manufacture the various agricultural machines that a 
farmer’s time is of value, and that he can not afford to 
spend it uselessly in trying to tighten a nut on a round 
bolt with a round head which turns in the bole ? Now, 
if we can not have square hole* and square holts, at least 
we could have bolts with square heads by which they 
could be held while the nut is tightened. Farmers have 
much to complain of, too, in regard to the quality of the 
timber sometimes put into axle-trees and other import¬ 
ant parts of machines, and in the use of cast-iron of a 
very brittle character in places where it should be < f the 
very toughest kind or at least malleable iron. 
Coiilfnmed Experience in the use of 
the Averill Paint confirms the good Opinion of it ex¬ 
pressed in these columns a year or more since. It wears 
well—equally well or better—with the ordinary white- 
lead and oil paints. Messrs. Brown Brothers, the well- 
known bankers, who formerly used imported white lead 
to make sure of a good article, liave, after fair trial, 
substituted the Averill paint for all their work. Being 
already mixed in all desirable shades, it. is a great conve¬ 
nience to the many who can do their own painting. 
l*lajnts Named.—“ Virginian Subscriber,” 
Clifton, Va-.—No. 1 is Phalaris anmdinacea, or Reed 
Canary Grass; there is a striped variety of this culti¬ 
vated in gardens, known as Ribbon-Grass. No. 2. Dac- 
tylis glomerata , or Orchard-Grass. No. 3. Festuca elatior, 
var. loliacea. Meadow Fescue. No. 4. Agrostis alba. 
White Bent Grass. No. 5. Boa pratensis, Kentucky 
Blue Grass. J. H. Key, Leonardstown, Md.—The 
plant, very poor specimens of which you inclose, is 
Chondrilla juncea, a recent introduction from Europe ; 
as it is a biennial, there need be but little difficulty in 
eradicating it, if it is not allowed to go to seed. 
“A. A. L.,’’ New Hampshire.—No. 1. Geumrivale, Purple 
or Water Avens, a plant with rather pretty maroon-col¬ 
ored flowers, inhabiting wot places. No. 2. Sarifraga 
Pennsylvanica, Swamp Saxifrage. No. 3. Tiarella cordi- 
folia. False Mitre-wort; does well when cultivated in the 
garden. No. 4. Polygala paucifolia, Fringed Polygala or 
Milkwort; a very beautiful plant, with large rose-colored 
or, as sometimes happens, pure white flowers. No. 5. 
Myosotis palustris, var. laxa. Forget-me-not. No. 6. Mus 
cari racemosum, often cultivated in gardens, where it is 
known as Grape Hyacinth. 
New Csicsilijis.—Mrs. M. Milburn sends 
us specimens of varieties of Cacalia which she claims 
are distinct in color from the old sorts. One, an orange 
scarlet, she says is valuable for dry bouquets. 
Pig's for Packing,— A farmer in Boone 
Co., Mo., writes : “I have just finished reading ‘Harris 
on the Pig,’ with much pleasure and profit. I am satis¬ 
fied, from my own experience, that he is right as to the 
advantages of crossing the Essex or Berkshire boar 
with the large sow, to get the right pig for the packing 
market.”—We think there can be no doubt on this point. 
Pickling- Peaches.—“iMrs. A. M. B.,” a 
Georgia lady, sends the following: For two gallons of 
peaches (when peeled) take 1 pt. vinegar, 3 lbs. white 
sugar, 2 oz. cinnamon, 2 oz. allspice, y 2 oz. cloves—the 
spices must be whole. Peel the peaches. Use a porce¬ 
lain-lined kc tie if possible. Dissolve the sugar in tho 
vinegar, add the spices, and bring the syrup to a boil. 
Put in as many peaches as the liquid will cover, and let 
them cook until clear and tender. Take them out with a 
skimmer and put them into your jar. Repeat tho opera¬ 
tion with !r sh peaches until all arc done. Lastly, pour 
the hot syrup over them, and keep in a cool place. 
P aches pickled without peeling aro generally tough, 
while these will be found as tender as canned fruit. 
Potatoes in England.,, —In addition to 
the almost total failure of the fruit crop, noted in another 
item, the English papers bring most unfavorable accounts 
of the potato crop. In almost every quarter rot is show¬ 
ing itself and spreading rapidly. The reports say that 
the mining localities where smelting is going on, and sul¬ 
phurous and arsenical fumes are abundant, are nearly free 
from disease. 
Alfalfa.—“Subscriber,” New Jersey, asks if 
lie can sow “ Alfalfa grass” seed with oats in the spring, 
instead of timothy, with success.—Such a plan would 
certainly fail. Alfalfa is not a grass, but is related to 
c’over. It is simply lucern, and needs t > be sown as a 
crop by itself, with tho best of care during its early 
growth until well established. It can not bear crowding 
with other crops or weeds. It is a qnestion whether or 
not it would be best to prepare the ground for the lucern 
alone, in which case the oat crop would have to be aban¬ 
doned, or sow the oats and timothy as proposed. 
Younsf Rams. —Jas. Moore, Labette Co., 
Kansas, is buying rams for stock purposes, and asks if 
spring lambs, well grown, would do as well as yearlings. 
It would be more profitable to purchase yearlings, one of 
which would be equal to three spring lambs, and there 
would be more certainty in their use besides. 
Practical Trent Ctsltmre, by J. H. 
Slack, M.D., Commissioner of Fisheries, N. J., etc. 
New York: Orange Judd & Co.—We were about to write 
a notice of this work, when a note from the father of fish 
culture in this country, Seth Green, came to hand. Mr. 
Green writes : “ Your book on Trout Culture is received. 
I have read nearly all of it.As far as I have gone, 
it is the best book on Trout Culture I have seen.” Tho 
work can have no highor commendation than this, and 
we have only to add that it is abundantly illustrated, and 
sent by mail for $1.50. 
Protection* to Native Industry.— 
New Hampshire has adopted a law for the protection of 
farmers against rapacious and dishonest manufacturers of 
artificial manures. Each manufacturer must file a bond 
for ten thousand dollars, payable to tho State, to secure 
compliance with the law, which requires thataW fertilizers 
offered for sale shall be accompanied by a statement of 
the date of manufacture and the percentage of its valuable 
component parts, and that the article sold shall be iden¬ 
tical in quality with this published statement. Besides, 
all dealers in fertilizers shall be licensed. A similar law 
should be made in each and every State. 
'Fite Ms*{iic Sifter. —Wo have an inquiry 
for the address of the patentee or manufacturer of the 
“ Magic Sitter.” If parties who make these things want 
them to become popular, why do they not make them 
known in a proper manner? We can not give the in¬ 
formation needed. 
Heavy Fleeces.— E. H. Worral, Chester 
Hill, Ohio, sends us a statement of tho shearing of a flock 
of Merinos, consisting of 20 bucks and 60 ewes. Tho 
wool, mostly unwashed, weighed 10S0 pounds, and sold 
for $536.80, averaging 13*4 pounds in weight and $6.71 in 
money por fleece. The heaviest fleece was that of a two- 
year-old buck, viz., 24’4 pounds; the heaviest ewe’s- 
fleece was from a two-year-old, and weighed 2114 pouuds. 
One yearling buck sheared 1914 pounds. 
Carrots and Parsaiips.—“W. S.,”0., 
who has been vanquished as a potato-grower by the bugs, 
asks if carrots and parsnips pay to raise for market.— 
With the single exception of not being in such regular 
demand, we have found them a far more profitable and 
advantageous crop cither to sell or feed than potatoes. 
Salt-Meadow Mack.— “A Subscriber,” 
Suffolk Co., L. I., asks what is the best use that can be 
made of salt-meadow muck. The best way to use it i 3 
to haul it into the barn-yard, and compost it with the 
manure in the proportion of one load clear manure to ton 
loads of muck. In the absence o t the stable manure it, 
may bo composted with lime in the proportion of ono 
bushel to the load, and used as a ton dressing for grass or 
clover. It will be of very little nso spread in a fresh state. 
Summer Feed Tor Cows.—J. T. Gor¬ 
don, Ashland. Va., wants to know what feed he shall 
give a cow which he is forced to keep in a dry lot. so 
that her milk will not fall off. He can get plenty of mill- 
feed and wild hay, hut the green feed from the garden has 
given out.—This is a difficult business to manage. Milk 
can not belooked for, unless fresb succulent feed is given, 
and wild hay will not satisfy a cow which has been used 
to green fodder. But if might answer to cut the hay and 
mix it with feed and bran, and scald it, and feed it when 
cooled; there will be some fermentation, which will 
make it more palatable. 
Use tlie Roller. —A coarse, lumpy soil is 
not favorable to a successful whoat crop. It requires a 
compact yet well-pulverized soil. This may be made to 
some extent by rolling; in fact, this is the only resource 
now, at this season of the year. A rolling given to tho 
young wheat will compact the soil about the roots, and 
tend to give them a hold sufficient to resist a good deal of 
freezing and thawing. 
A<lvertisomei*Is worSl* Rrsadiiag. 
—Our newer readers may perhaps not understand that 
very great care is taken to exclude from the pages of 
the American Agriculturist all advertisers and all adver¬ 
tisements that will be likely to deceive the readers. No 
patent medicines are admitted on any terms. It is our 
constant aim to exclude all humbugs and all advertise¬ 
ments deceptive in form or substance. It is not enough 
that an advertiser pays for space. Our rules say: 
“ Every advertiser unknown to the editors personally, or 
by good repute, mu t furnish satisfactory evidence that 
he has not only the ability but the intention to do what he 
promises to do in his advertisement.” In short, we would 
not knowingly admit any advertiser to whom we would 
not ourselves send money in advance, with an order, if 
we happened to want the things advertised, and at the 
price asked for them. In this way we hope not only to 
make the advertising columns valuable to good business 
men, but also to guard the interest of our readers, and to 
make the advertising pages a valuable source of informa¬ 
tion—almost or quite as much so as even the reading 
columns. This strictness cuts us off from a large revenue, 
because the class rejected are just those who can and do 
pay the highest prices, as they can well afford to, because 
they give little of value in their medicines, wares, -etc. 
But we feel well repaid for the loss, in tho consciousn- ss 
of doing an honorable business, and it is a source of 
satisfaction to have such testimony as that given by 
Messrs. Geo. P. Rowell & Co., the great Advertising 
Agents, who recently said to one of their customers : “ It 
is very difficult to get an advertisement into the Agricul¬ 
turist, ; probably no other journal in the land haB laid 
down stricter rules or more persistently adhered to them 
through a long course of years.” 
