4,06 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
[November, 
to be trusted. These names (medical colleges, etc.) are 
fictitious assumptions put forth by quack-doctors, who 
combine in their own person the whole “ faculty.” There 
is not a single medical institution that advertises medi¬ 
cines and practice which is trustworthy.The circular 
of the Albany “Dr. Pardee” contains within itself 
enough to tell all sensible readers of it whether to send 
money to him or not, and as others arc not likely to read 
the American Agriculturist , we save the room and disgust 
of treating of him here. This applies to sundry other 
“medical” pamphlets, “marriage guides,” etc., now be¬ 
fore us. Every perambulating doctor going 
through the country with marvelous pretensions, and 
pretending to be connected with some New York, or 
Loudon, or Glasgow, or Dublin, or Philadelphia hospital 
or college, is a thorough quack and humbug. Pray don’t 
put your lives, health, and money at the mercy of these 
swindlers. This is to answer many special inquiries from 
Connecticut, Maine, Ohio, Georgia, Minnesota, Tennes¬ 
see, etc.Newspaper subscription agencies, with great 
promises, are now located in various parts of the country. 
Some of these are good and trustworthy, and some are 
not. We can not yet answer about those that are parti¬ 
cularly inquired about.The “Queer” or pretended 
counterfeit money operator at G09 Broadway, New York, 
pockets all money sent him, and sends to those ordering, 
by express, boxes of “ sawdust" and old papers with large 
bills, “ C. 0. D.”—that is, pay the bill before you take 
your box from the express company, and in a secret 
place find out what it contains. To blind the letter- 
carriers, ho adopts a great variety of names. We have a 
large number of his confidential circulars sent to us from 
all over - the country. On these we find the following 
names sent to different parties with practically the same 
circular : Stewart R. Parks; Melrose L.Weston ; Dr. Chas. 
F. Tucker ; Morton T. Philips ; C. W. Clute; Chas. Ring ; 
Geo. W. Ball; Col. Henry Frost; Wm. II. Becket; L. S. 
M’lntyre; L. M. Henderson ; Wm. Barteman; Wm. H. 
Anderson ; Geo. W. Bal; W. L. Whollcy; B. F. Haller, 
etc. Others (or the same man) operate at 34 Amity street 
and 190 Broadway, under the names of Dr. James Meares, 
G. H. Gecry, Anthony Debenliam, etc., and as Amos 
Wainwright, at 170 Broadway, Trenton, N. J.The 
“ Spanish Policy” swindle is carried on ostensibly at 105 
Bleecker street, under the name of M. O. Godwin, etc. 
.Circulars and tickets for a Sham Lottery in aid of 
Cuba have been scattered with a fino show of printer's 
ink.A swindling chap in Newark, N. J., offers, 
among a lot of other trash, oroide watches, and unblush¬ 
ing!}' prints letters from agents who relate how they pass 
those off as gold watches all over the South and else¬ 
where, selling them for $50 to $80 each, though they cost 
the seller $9, and are not worth $1. The same chap sells 
transparent card's with pictures so lewd that they must 
not bo shown to respectable people.Wells’s Lottery 
(alias “ Grand Distribution ’’), at Bridgeport, C h , is being 
pushed vigorously. We thought lotteries were prohibited 
in the “ Land of Steady Habits.” Ifso,liowir ihisone tol¬ 
erated, for no casuistry can make this anything else than 
a lottery.Our note in reference to B. Fox & Co., in 
June last year, has been construed by some as a quasi 
indorsement of them. If so understood, we take it back. 
The catalogues recently sent out by B. Fox & Co. con¬ 
tain advertisements of pictures, etc., etc., that should not 
be furnished by any respectable party. One parcel of our 
money sent to their address from a country post-oflice 
(through a friend) received no answer, and on his calling 
about it nearly three weeks afterwards, he was told it had 
not arrived. Our representative called incog., and exam¬ 
ined some of the pictures, etc., set forth in their circu¬ 
lar catalogue in such a way as to catch the lascivious 
imaginations of young men, and found them of quite a 
different character from the impression given of them in 
the circulars—they were of a character so modest as to 
he safe to sell. Of their value we let the purchasers 
judge. Of the fairness of advertising them in the colors 
set forth we have a decided opinion. We regret having 
been led—by the persuasion and special pleading of one 
of the firm, and by a desire to avoid even the slightest 
injustice—to give even the quasi indorsement in June 
last, which has made necessary further investigation and 
this explanatory note 
Ozone Slants.—Only a little while 
ago we were gratified to learn that flowers of strong per¬ 
fume gave oil’ the useful ozone. Now one M. Cloez has 
clearly proved that they do nothing of the kind, and the 
beautiful talk that lias been had about health-dispensing 
flowers was written all for naught. 
A String’ of ^uesAions.—“M. N.,” 
Annapolis, Ill., propounds the following: 1. Are horses 
subject to distemper more than once ? 2. Will the seed 
of grafted or budded peaches orcherriesgrow and bring 
the same kind of fruit they come out of? 3. How to 
prevent the bitter rot in apples? 4. Will wheat turn to 
chess or cheat? 5. Will the seed of weeds lie in the 
ground longer than one season, and grow?—Answer 1. 
Yes_2. No... 3. Wo do not know, and would like to 
learn.4. This question is altogether too old. There 
is no proof that it will.5. Yos, some seeds will re¬ 
main for centuries, if buried deep enough. 
Destroying the Turnip-Fly. — The 
Journal of Horticulture states that the market-gardeners 
around-London have used with great success spent hops 
strewn between the rows of turnips. This either kills 
or drives off the flies. This is well worth trying; spent 
hops as a fertilizer are equal to stable manure. 
A Fine White Rose.—“Madame Plan- 
tier ” is probably the best of the white roses. Not only 
is it a profuse bloomer, but it has fine foliage, and the 
plant is as hardy as a common brier. 
Persian Walnuts..—“A. T.,” Tipton, 
Iowa. We do not know where seeds can be had. 
Again. —If persons choose to write to us upon 
matters of importance only to themselves, and withhold 
their names, their letters will find the most direct way to 
the waste-basket. 
White Blachherries.— “R. H. C.,” 
Leake Co., Miss. These turn up every year in different 
parts of the country. Some have been named, and are 
cultivated by the curious, but none have become popular. 
Itlahaleh Cherry. —“ G. R.” This cherry 
will bear when the seedlings get old enough. 
A Variegates! Ice-Plant. —Mr. Peter 
Henderson informs us that one of the finest “ foliage 
plants” for bedding purposes that he saw abroad, was 
Mesembryanthemum cordifoliurn variegatum , which name 
we might as well shorten at once to Variegated Ice-plant. 
An Agreeable Fly-Antidote. — A 
writer in the Bulletin d’Arboricnlture says that flies are 
so disgusted with the perfume of the Golden-banded 
Lily ( Lilium auratum) that they will at once disappear 
from a room in which a flower of it is placed. We wish 
this were true—but we can all try it. 
The I>eath of J. G. Thompson, 
of Staten Island, occurred early last month. Mr. T. was 
not only a public-spirited and highly-esteemed citizen, 
but a most successful horticultural and poultry amateur. 
Our back volumes contain several articles from his pen. 
He brought to his favorite pursuits not only enthusiasm, 
but a great deal of ingenuity and common-sense. Such 
men are too rare to allow their departure to go unmarked 
by a brief token of respect. 
Wants a Mulberry-tree.— “ S. K.,” 
Woodbury, Pa.—For shade, either the white or black 
mulberry would answer; for fruit, Downing’B Everbear¬ 
ing is best. 
I>on1>le Frwits.— It seems to us that double 
fruit* have been more than abmndant this year. United 
cucumbers are of very common occurrence. We saw at 
Newburgh a plateful of double plums. Several apples, 
apparently two fused into one, have been brought to us. 
We have not heard of a doubled pear—save Pere Hyacinth. 
IPotato Ilissease.— 1 The English papers are 
amusing just now. The potato disease has appeared 
again, and almost every gardener who ever grew a potato 
feels called upon to “say his say.” As a consequence a 
vast amount of nonsense finds its way into print. We 
have looked over much of this rubbish, and find but one 
practical suggestion, viz.: Plant early varieties, and plant 
early, as the disease only appears late in the season. 
Slond and Farm Eng&Bies. — Chas. 
Frankish, Abilene, Kan., wants a steam-engine for plow¬ 
ing, that does not use tackle, and is a perfectly practical 
machine.—Whether there is such a machine in existence 
or not is doubtful. There are engines perfectly capable 
of moving and drawing loads or plows over dry or solid 
ground, but it is a matter for experiment as yet whether 
they can be made to succeed under all the varied circum¬ 
stances incident to plowing or cultivating the soil. 
A JPractical Concrete ISnilder.— 
A “ Subscriber ” who wished to correspond with a con¬ 
crete builder, and whose address we have mislaid, by 
sending his address will be referred to the party desired. 
CJrass for Wet Meadow.—S. W. Ja*- 
cobson, Otter Tail County, Minn., wants to know what 
grass-seed to sow on “ a drained wet piece of land ” the 
soil of which is soft and black. This land has probably 
been only partly drained by open ditches, and in that 
case we would recommend Red-top (Agrostis vulgaris), to 
be sown at the rate of two bushels per acre. 
Blacltfoerries as a Substitute.— The 
Gardeners’ Chronicle suggests, that when ordinary fruit 
is scarce we begin to look about for “ available sub¬ 
stitutes,” and recommends the Blackberry. We infer from 
this that the Blackberry is not an “ ordinary fruit ” in 
England. Then the Chronicle recommends the poorest 
of all Blackberries, the Parsley-leaved, better known 
among us as the Cut-leaved. If they could have a fair 
chance at our Kittatinnies or Wilsons, they would throw 
away the miserable Parsley-leaved, and at once establish 
the Blackberry as an “ ordinary fruit.” 
Plants lamed.- 11 H. C. B.,” Ellenville, 
N. Y., sends specimens of Spiranthes cernua, or Ladies' 
Tresses; a very pretty plant, bearing white fragrant 
flowers; described in the Agriculturist for Nov. 1871. 
Caladiums : see item on page 423.“I. V.,” Fairport, 
Mich. Your plant with fragrant white flowers is Valeriana 
sylvatica, commonly known as Valerian.Susan King, 
no State. Tilia Europcea, or European Linden.E. B. 
Coles, Opelousas, La. The specimen sent is Physoslegia 
Virginiana ; its common name at the North is False 
Dragon-head. E. B. C. writes that in Louisiana it is 
known as “ Lady of the Lake,” on account of its growing 
near the water_“ J. P. A.,” Pine Bluff, Ark., sends 
Vaccinium arboreum, or Farkleberry. We never heard 
of cattle being poisoned by eating the leaves; it belongs 
to'the genus containing the cranberries, blueberries, 
etc. “ Glades,” Virginia, sends the same plant as the 
above in fruit; the berries are mealy and insipid, and 
ripen late in the fall.R. Sharpe, Eckley, Pa. The 
climbing plant with pea-shaped pods is Amphicarpiza 
nwnoica, or Hog Peanut; a very pretty vine, with small 
clusters of purplish flowers, and has pods underground. 
The Vienna, Exposition.— Our asso¬ 
ciate editor, Col. Waring, has been appointed a member 
of the Advisory Committee to aid the U. S. Commissioner 
and Chairman of the sub-committee having charge of the 
items of Agriculture, Horticulture, and Forestry of the 
American contribution to the great exhibition at Vienna. 
All who are interested in this department of the exhibi¬ 
tion may obtain fuller information by addressing Col. 
George E. Waring at Newport, R. I. 
English Persistence. — Because some 
one named the California big trees Wellingtonias, most 
English writers as a matter of national pride stick to the 
name, although it has long been known that the tree 
belongs to the old genus Sequoia, and that there was no 
need of a new name for it. The admirable address of 
Prof. Asa Gray as President of T. A. A. F. T. A. of 
Science was upon “ Sequoia, and its History,” and under 
this title was published by its author. A recent Gar¬ 
deners’ Chronicle reprints this address, but entitles it 
“ Genealogy of the Wellingtonias, etc.” We regard thi* 
as a violation both of science and courtesy. While the 
Chronicle is about it, we wish it would tell us how many 
“Wellingtonias” there are. 
Now for Congress. —Formerly, packages 
of seeds, plants, etc., could go at a low rate of postage 
in quantities not over four pounds. In enlarging the 
parcel-post facilities so as to admit samples of mer¬ 
chandise the limit was fixed at twelve ounces. The post- 
office authorities construe the law to limit the seed and 
plant parcels to this amount. We received a few days 
ago a parcel of strawberry plants on which double letter- 
postage was charged on all over twelve ounces. The 
postage amounted to $3.20. This change has made great 
trouble to the seedsmen and florists, but this is a small 
matter compared with the annoyance to the people at 
large. The former liberal postal arrangements were of 
the greatest benefit, especially to those who live aside 
from the ordinary lines of transportation, and the farthest 
backwoods dweller was made practically near the nur¬ 
series and florists' establishments. There is no remedy 
but in Congress. Let the people insist that the former 
law shall be restored, and if the mails need relief stop 
the sending of the useless Pub. Docs. 
Cow Lcalcing Milk.— “H. L. W.” asks 
what is the reason for cows leaking their milk.—As 
nearly as we can get at it, it seems to be caused by a 
laxity of the muscles which surround the glands of the 
udder, and which so soon as the weight of the milk 
causes a strain on them give way and open the passage 
for its escape. Nothing but some mechanical means of 
supporting the muscles or closing the orifice will avail. 
Last month wc recommended the application of collo¬ 
dion. Possibly an India-rubber ring fitting only close 
enough to exert a slight pressure might be of use, or 
at least be worth trying. 
