120 
AMERICAN AGKTOULTURIST 
[April, 
" In case your ticket has been mislaid or lost, the facts 
must be stilted and the gift will be sent and the number 
cancelled of record on receipt of money.” 
This Maynard & Co. know enough of the bad side of 
human nature to feel quite sure there are others in the 
world as big rascals as they are, and that now and then 
there will be found one who will take the bait and pre¬ 
tend that he had a ticket and lost it. Later letters show 
that likely the people of Magnolia have made the place 
too hot for them, as they contain a notice as follows: 
“ Since printing our notifications we have discontinued 
our office at Magnolia, owing to the inconvenience of its 
mail facilities, and hereafter in no case must any money 
or communication be sent to us at that office. 
“ Owing to the strong desire on the part of our people 
and the legislature to discontinue this line of business, 
we have decided to lend our aid in the cause of moral re¬ 
form, and consequently will conduct no more distribu¬ 
tions, and in closing up our business we simply follow 
our line of duty to our patrons on promises made in the 
past, and with many kind wishes, we are, 
“ Very truly yours, Maynard & Co." 
Then follows the address of their “ financial agents ” in 
Chicago. “ Moral reform,” indeed ! and they propose to 
close up their business by getting as many times $10 as 
there are fools who will send it. 
There are Prize Associations in New York which do 
“ business ” on the same principle. They kindly send a 
ticket that has already drawn a prize, and the recipient 
can, by paying $1 for the ticket and $6.50 for “express 
charges and packing,” have a “rosewood melodeon, val¬ 
ued at $90.” While on this lottery business we may add 
that no one need write to ask us to find out if this or that 
lottery lias been drawn, or to see if it is true that such a 
ticket has drawn a prize. We can not be accessory to 
any such transactions. Some 
WALL STREET “BROKERS” 
seem to have been sending out circulars quite freely all 
over the country, and letters come asking if it would be 
safe to put money in the hands of these parties for invest- 
m nt. Safe 1 yes. indeed ! The money would be so safe that 
the one who invests would never see it again. We advise 
our friends in Illinois and elsewhere to keep just as far 
from such “ brokers ” as possible .If any one wishes 
to get cheated on a cheap sewing machine they need not 
send to Montreal for the purpose. They can get accom¬ 
modated in Greenwich street.Victor—itshould have 
been victim—sent $5 for a Parisian watch and chain, and 
actually expec.ed to get one. What is stranger still he 
sends his documents, including that lithographed letter 
acknowledging he money and promising to send in six 
weeks, to us an asks us to collect his $5 for him. No, 
no, Mr. V. Wo have done our duty by these Paris and 
Geneva watch fo.ks long ago, but you did not be].eve us, 
and wanted to “ know bow it is yourself.” That $5 is a 
first-class investment if it only keeps you from like follies 
hereafter.The “8 pounds of butter from a gallon of 
milk” man is around yet. At last accounts he victimized 
them at Barnesville, O.One Mitcham fairly shrieks 
in his circular for people to send him $1 for his book that 
tolls “ how to make from $5 to $20 a day without capital." 
No, it is not likely that Mitcham gets $20 a day for this 
book, and he invests capital in circulars and postage, to 
say nothing of the rare talent displayed in writing such a 
touching production. We charge M. uo.thing for the ad¬ 
vice to go to work on his own plan and save this outlay. 
MEDICAL nUMBTTGS. 
A friend in San Jose, California, sends a request that 
we show up the “New York Medical University ” as a 
notorious humbug, as ho has nearly killed himself by 
taking their “ vile nauseating compounds.” This gentle¬ 
man can not have read the Agriculturist carefully, as we 
long ago stated that there was no such “ University,” 
except so far as some quack medicine dealers chose to 
call themselves one. Medical colleges—a “ Medical 
University ” is a misnomer—never advertise medicines 
or establish “Agencies "_Here is our old acquaintance, 
the Rev. Joseph T. Inman, whom we had for a long time 
lost sight of. Joe has turned up again, and is on the 
“South American Missionary ” dodge yet. Intelligence 
of Joey T. comes this time by way of Grinned, Iowa, 
where a good person is concerned because such a quack 
has ensconced himself in the Bible Ilouse. That shows 
where Joseph is ’cute. Everybody does not know that 
one Of the regular P. O. Stations is at the Bible House, 
and it looks quite the thing for a “ Rev.” to have his 
letters go to a place with so good a name. Inman is one 
of the humbugs of the past generation...The National 
Surgical Institute ” has a branch, this timo in Atlanta, 
Ga. Our Atlanta correspondent will find that wo said our 
say about it last year. The persons who run it claim to 
be regularly educated surgeons. If so it makes the 
matter so much the worse; ignorant quacks might 
be excused for issuing such circulars, but for educated 
men—pah!_Here is another “Rev.,” and this one’s 
name is Edward Burnett, and he hails from Albany. 
The Rev. Ned plays the same old tune—he was a mis¬ 
sionary It was in Southern Asia this time, and he has 
sufficient of this world’s goods ducky boy !), and he does 
not want to realize money (they never do), and he wants 
to “drive disease and death from the happy fireside” 
(that's right, go for 'em), and he sends his recipe “ to 
you, fellow sufferer, from a sense of duty” (how lovely), 
and alas! that it should be so, people can not conveni¬ 
ently get the herbs of the prescription in their own 
town (or he might add any other), and although his time 
is very much occupied he will just put it up himself for 
$3.03. How charmingly precise, but the Reverend 
Edward Burnett is some at figures, and as he will in no 
case “ask or accept a profit on the medicine,” he has got 
the cost figured down to a dot—that three cents must con¬ 
vince the most skeptical of the self-sacrificing nature of 
this most excellent man. Burnett, don’t you laugh 
yourself at the fools who get caught with this very stale 
old trick ? Why the Rev. Inman mentioned above is 
ahead of you by ten or fifteen years. If you are a min¬ 
ister you should have respect enough for the calling to 
lay aside your title when you dabble iu quackery. It 
looks more like a case of stealing the “livery of heaven 
to serve the ——” Well, you know the rest. 
COUNTERFEIT MONEY OR “ QUEER ” 
seems to have revived a little since the panic subsided. 
It is the same old story over again, and it is of little use 
to publish names, as one rascal has no end of aliases. 
ANY PARTY BY' THE NAME OF CHASE 
who wishes to go in for a share of that estate valued at 
$386,000,030 (no odd cents) can take one step towards it 
by investing $5 in three sheets of genealogy. Money 
sent to the Treasurer at Fall River, Mass., or to 
another Chase in Ohio, “ will he safe,” so says the circu¬ 
lar, and we haven’t the least doubt of it. Here, all you 
Chases, are all these millions lying round loose all for 
the want of a few hundred dollars to send a Chase to 
Europe on a wild goose chase. Who ever heard of one 
of these wonderful estates being secured by the heirs ? 
The Itovrard IVIill.— “N. F. B.,” Lex¬ 
ington, Ivy. The Howard Mill may be ordered through 
any dealer of farm implements in New York, several of 
whose names appear in our advertising columns. 
Askostoa Roofing'. —“N. R.,” Kinder- 
hook. Ohio. About a dozen years ago we roofed a build¬ 
ing with this roofing, as did several other persons in the 
neighborhood. We do not know of an instance in which 
it failed to give satisfaction, and in our own case, with an 
occasional coating of cement, the roof was in good order 
three years ago, since when we have not heard of it, and 
it is doubtless so now. The roof should have a slope of 
at least one foot in sixteen. 
Arbor Day in Iowa.— A circular from 
the Iowa Horticultural Society names April 20th as Ar¬ 
bor Day. The appointing of a day for the planting trees 
throughout the state originated with Nebraska two years 
ago, and other states are following her example. The 
circular gives a list of premiums, varying f inn $t to $30 
each, for the greatest number of evergreen and the various 
deciduous trees planted. The premiums are to be 
awarded in October next, and only those trees that are 
then alive are to count. Besides the premiums and regu¬ 
lations, the circular gives notes on the proper methods of 
planting, etc. Copies may be had of Jas. L. Budd, Shells- 
burg, Benton Co., Iowa. 
The Snyder Blackberry.— It is not 
our custom to say much about new fruits until we have 
tested them. As several have asked in regard to the 
Snyder Blackberry, a comparatively new variety, we have 
made inquiries and give their result without knowing 
anything of the fruit ourselves. The variety was 
found on the farm of a Mr. Snyder, whose name 
it bears, near Laportc, Ind. It has been in culti¬ 
vation since 1S51, but has not as yet been very wide¬ 
ly distributed. We have before us letters from several 
well-known Western horticulturists, all of which speak 
of the good quality of the fruit, the prolific character of 
the plants, and especially of the surpassing hardiness of 
the variety. Indeed, hardiness is the great merit claimed 
for the Snyder by those who are introducing it, and their 
statements are sustained by what seems to us abundant 
evidence. At all events we have ordered some plants of 
Mr. J. R. Gaston, Normal, HI., and shall know more 
about them hereafter. 
Nebraska, and Minnesota Lands. 
There are no lands better adapted to the growth of wheat 
or grass than those in Nebraska and Minnesota. The 
fine valleys of the Missouri, the Platte, and the Red 
rivers in these States are now opened to settlement by 
the Burlington and Missouri, the Union Pacific, and the 
St. Paul and Pacific Railroads. These companies are 
anxious to dispose of their lands and give every facility 
to purchasers by means of exploration tickets, reduced 
fares to colouies, cheap prices on the easiest terms, and 
convenient, accommodations to immigrants. Thousands 
of successful settlers are now making comfortable homes 
in these ricli and healthful valleys. 
Tlie Massachusetts B9orticu9tural 
Transactions for 1873 are at hand. The reports of 
the committees are full and interesting, and the volume 
is produced in a very handsome style. 
Play anti Profit in My Gai-den, 
by the Rev. E. P. Roe.—When this book first appeared 
we commended it as cne of the most genial of horticul¬ 
tural publications. Since then its publication has been 
assumed by the Orange Judd Company, and a re-issue is 
now ready. It is not only pleasant reading, but in¬ 
structive and eminently timely. 
Egg-s anti Plants l»y Express.— 
“ T. T.,” nealy, Montana. The vitality of eggs, carried 
from New York to Montana, would almost certainly be 
destroyed. It would at any rate be cheaper to procure a 
trio of fowls, which could be sent safely, than the eggs, 
although the first cost would be greater. Good fowls can 
be procured at Chicago or in Minnesota. Trees and 
plants, if properly packed, can be safely sent ten thou¬ 
sand miles if necessary. Trees have been safely shipped 
from Rochester, N. Y., to Australia. 
Close Breeding.— We have received, 
through the courtesy of Professor M. Miles, advance 
sheets of ihe Report of the Secretary of the Michigan 
State Board of Agriculture for 1873, containing a very 
valuable paper upon Close Breeding, by Professor Miles, 
and which was substantially given in a lecture before the 
American Associa ion of Short norn Breeders, at their 
meeting at Cincinnati, Dec. 3, 1S73. This paper is a re¬ 
markably effective defence of the practice of close or “ in 
and in ” breeding, as a scientific process in the hands of 
intelligent and thoroughly competent breeders. The ac¬ 
cumulation of facts presented ,n this paper furnish an 
irresistible argument in favor of the position assumed by 
the Professor, which might perhaps be epitomized in 
the statement that close breeding is only the means of 
perpetuating the qualities which have been gained by 
other means, and does not in itself necessarily improve 
or injure animals, while, nevertheless, “close breeding” 
in the hands of incompetent, uneducated, unscientific 
persons is to he discouraged as almost certainly an in¬ 
jurious practice. This paper should be read and care¬ 
fully studied by every stock breeder. 
VieB»*<>> flivomo. —James Vick, the well- 
known seedsman, of Rochester, sends out a floral chromo 
annually. The one for the present year shows a large 
cross decorated with flowers, and is exceptionally good. 
T”ec Exlaibii Sion in Cliili.— The govern¬ 
ment of Chili, the most progressive of the South Ameri¬ 
can republics, announce their Second International' 
Exhibition at Santiago, in September 1875. This is a 
fair worthy the attention of our inventors and manufac¬ 
turers. These and all others interested can obtain pro¬ 
grammes from A. Villarroel, office of Ribon & Munoz, 
52 Pine street. 
Kook Not 5 ces prepared for this month 
are necessari y crowded out. We would like to give 
especial notice to the very excellent “ Elementary 
Science Series.” now being issued in rapid succession by 
G. P. Putnam's Sons, N. Y., but have not space. 
Iiinukeii ;>e Gardener.—F. X. Heissing- 
er, from Germany, has established himself in New York 
as a landscape gardener. He has had much experience 
abroad, and his designs that wo have seen show both 
taste and skill. 
Pcristi-oplie.— It is not a little surprising 
to read in the N. Y. Weekly Tribune the following: 
“ Among the new plants out for the first time, none gave 
us more satisfaction than that lovely little golden-leaved 
beauty, or to load it with its full title according to the 
books, JPeristrophe angustifolia aureo-vanegata." As an 
offset to this gushing paragraph, wc would say that the 
plant (which by the way is not new) though very fine for 
greenhouse decoration, has for several years proved 
perfectly worthless with us as a bedding plant. We 
have seen it in various gardens from Massachusetts to 
Georgia, and all we have seen who tried it are quite dis¬ 
gusted with it as an open-air plant. 
Value of* Corn and Bran,— “J. H. S.,” 
Bourbon Co., Ky. Corn and bran can not be compared 
with each other as feed because neither can be fed alone 
to the best advantage. But equal measures of each ground 
together will make probably the most nutritious feel for 
either hogs Or horses and a most excellent feed for cow*. 
