6 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[January, 
cow before they can get any butter, but if we are to be- 
3ieve the story this “Golden Butter Compound” only 
meeds .a live calf—to purchase the stuff. It is curious to 
-see how this butter humbug comes up about once a yenr 
mow in one place and now in another, and yet there are 
-some stupid old fogies who will keep cows aud think 
them the proper source of butter.Here comes one 
•J. W. Stephens who hails from Newark, N. J., with his 
CLARK'S BOOK OF SECRETS, 
‘which teaches “the Secrets of Health, Wealth, and Hap¬ 
piness”—and must be singularly cheap at only $1. See 
there, Stephens, you say that this book “ Teaches how the 
’Primitive Elements may be so combined as to produce 
the diamond, ruby, emerald, sapphire at very little ex¬ 
pense or trouble.” Now you are at more than “a little 
expense ” in printing your book, and at lots of “ trouble " 
an sending out your humbugging circulars. Why don’t 
you, like a sensible man, just make a small handful of 
(diamonds, or even emeralds, and get a fortune in a lump 
Instead of by miserable driblets. Take our advice. Oh 
Stephens, for which we charge you nothing. Don’t you 
3augh when you read that your book tells “now to Make 
a Girl Fall in Love With You,” to think that there will 
&>e miserable idiots to buy your book and believe it? 
Here comes some 
GOOD NEWS FROM KANSAS. 
Before this reaches our readers there will have been 
drawn (Dec, 31st), if the programme is carried out, a lot¬ 
tery under the name of “ Grand Gift Concert” at the City 
of Leavenworth. This lottery is “For the Purpose of 
Greeting a Juvenile Reform School.” We say that this 
as good news, for the fact that a huge lottery is on foot in 
SLeavemvorth shows a great need of reform, and as the 
'present authorities, by their lottery gambling, are setting 
a fearful example to the rising generation, we are glad to 
Searn that the youth of Leavenworth are to have a placo 
where they can be “ reformed.” 
DOES IT NOT LOOK SUSPICIOUS ? 
writes a correspondent in sending us the advertisement 
of The Fourth. Lottery or “ Gift Concert for the Benefit of 
the Public Library of Kentucky.” Yes, good sir, it does 
“look suspicious,” and so does every scheme of its kind. 
Every sensible man knows that every lottery, no matter 
Slow fairly conducted, enriches a few at the expense of 
many. This is “about the size of it” as they say in 
California: One hundred men put in a dollar each that 
one man may draw $23, and the chap that runs the ma¬ 
chine may pocket the odd $75. So with the “ U. S. Paize 
Association ” and everything of the kind. 
GENEVA $4 WATCHES 
are still to be had—or perhaps it would he safer to say— 
are still offered. Is it not a little funny that the “ Geneva 
Watch Co. at Geneva, Switzerland,” whatever that may 
the, should issue a certificate that they have appointed J. 
Wright & Co. [N. Y.] “our sole agents in the United 
States of America,” and that they have appointed noward 
<SsCo. [Phila.] “ onr sole agents in the United States cf 
America,” and that both certificates bear the same dates? 
COUNTERFEIT MONEY OR “ QUEER” 
seems to be very dull. One would think that this thing 
■would do better in time of panic, hut as the swindlers 
always require good money in exchange for their had, 
^perhaps the times induce those who happen to have the 
genuine to hold on to it. We showed up the hotel dodge 
the “ Queer” dealers in the November number. These 
^circulars are still going around with much the same old 
mames.Here is one new name, however, Rudolph A. 
Afaiataf, Erie, Pa., but as Rudolph sends the same old 
Ofereatening circular, and mails it at New York, he is only 
e ‘ Mons. Tonson come again.” Rudolph makes a mistake 
when he sends his temptations to our friends in the nur¬ 
sery and florist’s business; they read the Agriculturist, and 
£d3.o\v “ what’s what.” 
ONCE MORE—PLEASE TAKE NOTICE. 
We again call the attention of our old readers to one 
titling, which we give for the benefit of our many new 
ones as well, which is this: We hold that any one who 
advertises that he can cure certain complaints, or who 
advertises anything beyond the fact that he is a physician 
or surgeon, or who advertises any put up secret medicine 
whatever, is unworthy of confidence. We must therefore 
request of our friends that they will not write to ask our 
opinion of this or that advertising doctor. It is a waste 
«if our time and their postage stamps. We have hut one 
sreply to make to such inquiries, which is: “We have 
no knowledge whatever oft he person.” 
©slier “ ISsissStefl, ” Items will be found 
page 35. 
TTSse TFaylos* <t»i* BBsiMit Crape.— 
IS?. Manny.. "Freeport, Ill., writes that his vines of this 
•variety last season set unusually full, and that the grapes, 
Sastead of being white ns they should he and were in 
two previous crops, ripened of a black color and were 
very sour. These particular vines were not protected 
the preceding winter, and others of the same variety 
that were protected bore the usual kind of fruit.—We 
hope that Mr. M. will experiment this winter to ascer¬ 
tain if covering has anything to do with this singular 
phenomenon. The same writer remarks that while he 
considers the Taylor an indifferent grape, he finds it 
valuable for stocks upon which to graft other kinds, the 
Delaware doing especially well when so worked. 
46 €3rajs® 'B.'osmtsSo.” — A correspondent, 
whose address we have mislaid, sends specimens of what 
ho cultivates as “grape tomato,” and asks if the name is 
correct.—This name belongs to a small variety of the 
common tomato, and not to the one sent, which is the 
Purple Alkclcengi, or Purple Ground Cherry. 
Siarvest BSem® IF estiva Is.—“V iz.,” 
Covedalc, Ohio, informs us that the harvest home festival 
is not unknown in America, but that a harvest home 
association lias been in existence in Covedalc for ten 
years or more, the annual picnics of which have been 
found lo he indispensable. The offer of our correspond¬ 
ent to send us a copy of the regulations of the associa¬ 
tion is accepted with thanks. The extended formation 
of such associations is to be encouraged. 
HSiT" Pages iSSJ mud SS. 
Whit® Stotts.— 1 “C. B.,” Groton, N. H. 
A white spot may be made upon a horse’s forehead by 
blistering the part with common blistering ointment, hut 
it must not lie done so severely as to destroy the hair. A 
plaster of common pitcli kept upon the part until it re¬ 
moves the hair lias been used for this purpose. 
Pears.—“W. F.” Some pears were received 
last fall in very bad condition. They may have been 
yours; hut your letter (November 35th) has neither I 
town, State, nor post-mark, and no clue to your address. 
Keratasclky ISlsne-g-rsiss.—W. S. Rand, 
Vancoburg, Ky., sends us a sod of blue-grass cut Novem¬ 
ber 15th, upon which green, fresh grass, over two feet 
long, is growing. This is intended to show the sort of 
winter pasture which may bo had in the famed bine-grass 
region of that State. 
Capacity of. CisterM.r-“ P. aud G.,” 
Wilson, N. C. A cistern 8 feet wide, 8 feet long, and 154 
deep, would hold 05 cubic feet, each cubic foot being 
equal to 7>j gallons of water: tlie contents therefore 
would be over 700 gallons. Upon another page of this 
number you will find a method described of building an 
elevated cistern. The best material is probably hemlock 
or cedar lumber. Lead is poisonous, and iron rusts too 
readily. Zinc is also poisonous to some extent. 
Ti’Eae Astaeirlcam ffiisral lEemae.— 
There are disappointed, soured persons calling them¬ 
selves pomologists who carp and snarl at every new 
fruit that they have had no hand in introducing, and arc 
ever ready to malign those who bring out a novelty. We 
do not wonder at this—it is their nature so t a do; but we 
do wonder that a respectable paper should allow its col¬ 
umns to ho made the medium through which these mal¬ 
contents can reach the public. Tlic American Rural 
Home publishes an article in which two of the corre¬ 
spondents of tilts paper and its editor are referred to in 
the most iingentlemauly manner. To the writer of this 
communication we have nothing to say—the lion’s skin 
of an assumed name is not sufficient to conceal the tiling 
beneath it; nor does the editor of this paper care to 
notice anything in reference to himself that comes from 
this source. Yet we think it right to remind the editor 
of the Rural Home that it is not in accordance witli edi¬ 
torial courtesy to allow one under a pseudonym to attack 
two brethren of the press Mr. P. J. Berckmans, editor 
of the Farmer and Gardener, named a now peach ill. 
honor of the editor of this paper, and furnished ns with 
a description of it. The Rural Homo should hesitate 
.before it gives publicity to any aspersions upon the 
character of a gentleman who stands so high, pomologi- 
cally and socially, as does Mr. Berckmans. Before it 
uttered flings at the honesty of his motives or implica¬ 
tions as to his truthfulness it could have inquired of the 
many pomologists of Rochester if such were justified. 
Mr. B. can not be injured by its article, but in what a 
posit on it places the Rural Home. The same article is 
equally courteous towards Mr. Bury, of Michigan, whom 
we quoted as having a Concord grape that behaved 
strangely. II contemptuously says: “We don’t know 
might of the man-Berry.” The gentleman’s name is Bury ; 
hut, Berry or Bury, lie lias cause to congratulate himself 
at this statement. Fair, open criticism, even if it be 
sharp, we believe in, aud nowhere is it more useful than 
iu pomological matters; hut if we must have this 
underhanded substitute for it we hog the Rural Home uot 
to give us bad grammar with its had taste. 
Killing- Weeds.—“R.,” Sault St. Marie. 
Spading the garden in the fall, though beneficial in other 
respects, will not kill weeds. The seeds of weeds are 
not to be frozen out. The only way to get rid of weed 
seeds iu the soil is to allow them to germinate, and then 
kill the young plants. If taken at the right time this 
may he done in tiie garden with the rake. Do not hope 
to destroy the vitality ot weed seeds either by freezing or 
by burying; as soon as the influences arc favorable thep 
will grow as sure as fate. 
A Good Native Cow.-F. M. Bassett, 
Independence, N. Y., writes us that a native cow gave in 
June last 1,500 lbs. of milk. The largest daily yield in 
tlie mouth was 57 lbs. 55 lbs., or one clay's milk, was 
churned, and yielded 2 lbs. 1 oz. of butter. Her feed 
was pasture and 6 ibs. of wheat bran per day. 
'i'lne Mchigau State Poiaelogical 
Society held its third annual meeting in t-he first week 
in December. It was stated that Ihe signs (which almost 
always fail) indicated that tlie winter would lie an open 
one: a mild winter was considered disadvantageous to 
fruit-growers, hut what the Society propose to do about 
it is not stated. Prof. Cook stated that in the last disas¬ 
trous winter orchards that had been cultivated fared 
worse than others ; in the Grand Traverse region, where 
the snow is generally four feet deep, fruit culture was 
successful. Fruit near Kalamazoo had sufl'ered from the 
drouths of summer. The often vexed question of the 
best and hardiest grape came up, Mr. Ohdlson, of 
Battle Creek, considered the Delaware the hardiest and 
most money making; the Diana the best keeper; ap¬ 
proved of covering the vines with earth in winter, and 
that no grapes were hardy enough for Michigan without 
this protection ; tlie Iona, though it often fails, lie con¬ 
sidered a standard variety. Mr. Sterling, of Monroe, ad¬ 
vocated Concord and Norton’s Virginia; he covers. Iu 
tlie Strawberry discussion the Wilson was the favorite. 
Frequent Working.- “E, E. R.” asks 
if he can injure his soil by spading every year. No. Our 
market gardeners plow or spade two or three times a 
year, and we can point out land that lias been kept “al¬ 
ways turning,” as they term it, for more than fifty years. 
They are careful, however, to put in some manure every 
time a crop is taken off, anil if tills be done the soil is 
practically inexhaustible. 
HFi'eait near f3Iticag'o. — A gentleman who 
has experimented for six years considers the Green Pro¬ 
lific and Seneca Chief the most successful Strawberries 
with him, and Davidson’s Thornless, Mammoth Cluster, 
and Golden Thornless the best Raspberries. These are 
all varieties of black-caps, and however well they may 
sell in Chicago, would find a poor market iu New York. 
Solvesaits* fl®a* CiJaatta fi®es*clia anal 
CaomtcEDonc. — “D. J. B.,” Wash. Co., M. D. Pure 
ether, chloroform, and benzole, will each dissolve these 
substances. The last heard of the quack medicine vender 
was in Paris, where lie was in an impecunious state. 
Msas3as*o®iiEBS.— “E. E. R.” Tlie “spawn” 
is what correspouds to the roots and stems of other 
plants, tlie mushroom, or eatable part, is the portion of 
the plant which corresponds to the seeding portion. You 
will not be able to grow them in common garden beds. 
They need a bed of horse manure, and proper attention 
to shade and moisture. 
Cotswolcls.—“E. E. R.” These are among 
the largest breeds of slioep. If your ram is small he 
must he a grade. 
TL'Sao ScotcSi Larch.—“ G. C.,” New Jer¬ 
sey. Tlie larches are not evergreens, nor are their 
branches sufficiently rigid to make them useful as hedge 
plants, therefore your other questions need not be an¬ 
swered. 
Aslaes.— A correspondent asks if ashes from a 
stove will be of use upon his garden, hut does not say 
what he burns in his stove. Wood ashes are good for 
almost all crops ; coal allies had better be used for walks 
unless in very stiff land, where they may he of mechan¬ 
ical service. 
Swollen Neele.— “L. A.,” Fountain Green, 
U. T. The cause of a swollen neck is almost always a 
badly fitting collar. If a snugly fitting collar is provided 
the swelling often disappears without any other remedy; 
if not it must have time to break, discharge, and heal. 
