446 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[December, 
changed to humbug, was used for impositions and frauds 
»f all kinds. For many years the Agriculturist fought 
the army of humbugs alone and unaided, but it now and 
then receives a partial support from other papers, and a 
most excellent work was done when Congress made it a 
criminal act to send obscene literature and fraudulent 
schemes through the mail. Very active in this matter 
has been 
THE SOCIETY FOB THE SUPPRESSION OF VICE. 
Its agent and the special agent of the P. 0. Depart¬ 
ment, a few weeks ago arrested a man for sending ob 
scene matter through the mail; the prisoner tried to 
bribe Mr. Comstock to release him, and failing in this, 
he assaulted him with a knife, and inflicted wounds of 
such severity that for a while Mr. C.’s life was in great 
danger. The prisoner is now in jail, to be tried for a 
murderous assault, and as the matter occurred in New- 
Jersey, he is likely to get all the law allows, while on the 
other hand, the public have taken a new interest in the 
Society, and it will go on more vigorously than ever. 
These chaps fare quite as badly when they take the law 
into their own hands as when they appeal to the law in 
the regular way_It is especially necessary that an ag¬ 
ricultural paper should 
GIVE WARNING TO FABNERS 
of swindling schemes, as their promotors well know that 
their chances are better among the honest and kind- 
hearted than they are with those who are known as “men 
of the world.” A farmer living an isolated life, and re¬ 
ceiving but few letters, naturally looks upon a circular, 
sent to him by mail, as a matter of no little importance. 
He is likely to feel flattered by the attention, and the 
very fact that some one in New-York, or other large city, 
should send to him, gives him a favorable impression. 
In former issues we have told how these names are 
collected, and the following advertisement will show 
the manner in which they are offered to purchasers. 
We may remark that this appeared in what is called a 
“sporting” paper, the organ of prize-fighters, rat-killing 
matches, and similar “ sports.” 
AAA NEW, FIRST-CLASS ADDRESSES FOR 
iUUU sale. Names of agents, canvassers, coun¬ 
try people, and “good buyers” generally. Secured at 
great expense, and will be copied on sheets, wrappers, or 
envelopes, at a low figure. Warranted genuine, and none 
better. Address—Montgomery place, Boston, Mass. 
The scheme by mail is no doubt plausible—they al¬ 
ways are. and the man, innocent of all knowledge of the 
fact that, hundreds of men get their living by cheating, 
is more likely than not—unless warned by some person 
or paper in whom ho has confidence, to yield to the temp¬ 
tation thus presented. One of the exceeding pleasing 
things about our relations to our readers, is the friendly 
confidence with which they regard us. Almost every 
letter upon editorial matters, brings us some expression 
which indicates that it is not a mere business relation 
between us, but the writer speaks as one friend to an¬ 
other. Possessing this confidence, we have felt that our 
warnings and exposures of humbugs would be heeded, 
and we have the satisfaction of knowing both from per¬ 
sonal intercourse and through correspondence, that we 
have saved 
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS 
to the agricultural community, and that the Agriculturist , 
had it done no other good, has in this be'en of real bene¬ 
fit to the farmer. Encouraged by this assurance from all 
parts of the country, we shall be after the whole swind¬ 
ling crew with a “sharper stick” than ever. We ask 
our friends to continue to send us information of all 
doubtful schemes, especially if they (as most of them do) 
hail from New York_It is hardly necessary to tell our 
old readers our opinion of lotteries. No matter with 
what sugar-coating covered, whether called “ distribu¬ 
tion,” “ gift-concert,” or what not, each and all are to he 
avoided. If for an ostensibly good or charitable object, 
so much the worse for the object,. No good thing can bo 
really helped by a resort to gambling. 
OPERA nOUSES 
seem to be favorite prizes in these schemes. One is of¬ 
fered at Germantown, Pa., and it is said that the Grand 
Opera House, of Jim Fisk notoriety, is to be put up in a 
lottery. IIow the man is to be pitied who draws it. It 
has been at expensive failure from the first. 
TIIE GENEVA WATCH CO.’S 
circulars are still going around. In the first place, the 
name is a fraud, as there is no such watch company in 
Geneva, as is represented. We do not believe that a 
watch was ever “made by machinery ” in Geneva, and 
that the watch is “ endorsed by all the leading jewelers,” 
is a barefaced lie. We have had so many complaints of 
this Geneva watch business, the parties receiving the 
money, and sending notice that the order will be filled in 
turn, that we advise all to let the concern alone. 
A SWINDLER IN NEW HAMPSHIRE 
one would think would be as rare as a white black-bird, 
but even in the Granite . ate the proverbial Yankee 
“cuteness” does not save them. A venerable gentle¬ 
man, with spectacles and cane, appeared at Great 'Falls. 
He wished to open some manufacturing establishment, 
and wished a partner with $125 to engage with him. 
Venerable man got $125, and left young partner with rent 
of building and other bills to pay. Now we don’t say, it 
served young man right, but we do say that he paid 
$125 for a lesson that he will not forget so long as he 
lives. Leaving the money out of the question, how can a 
sensible person associate himself in business with an en¬ 
tire stranger!... Complaints continue to come about that 
TOLL-GATE FRAUD. 
A chap advertises “ The Toll-Gate, a prize picture, sent 
free.” It is a card about 3X5 inches, with on one side a 
most doleful attempt at a puzzle picture, and on the other 
an advertisement of a book on physiology of doubtful 
propriety, to judge from the card. We have exposed this 
thing before, but complaints keep coming. Why not 
write to the Harpers, and other very good people, who 
publish the deceptive advertisement....In the medical 
line there are no more insidious things than 
BITTERS. 
We have often warned our readers that they were 
dangerous, as for the most part their activity depended 
upon alcohol in some form—usually poor whiskey, and 
that people were by their use led into dram drinking 
unknowingly. They are mainly poor liquor, with some 
cheap bitter and aromatic drugs, sweetened and colored, 
and put up with showy labels. If persons are to take 
liquor medicinally, they should know exactly what they 
are doing, and not have it smuggled into them under 
false pretenses. In Rhode Island there is a very strin¬ 
gent prohibitary law, and while liquor selling dininished, 
the sale of bitters went on increasingly. The sheriff had 
35 of the popular kinds examined by a chemist, and 
found that the majority contained more alcohol than 
wine, and some, showing over 40 per cent of alcohol, 
were quite as strong as ordinary brandy or whiskey; 
even one that is widely advertised as “Vinegar Bitters,” 
contained 1)4 per cent of alcohol. There can be but little 
doubt that in the great majority of cases, these “ Bitters” 
are taken solely for their alcohol, as we find those that 
arc most popular in the market, are those in which the 
percentage is the highest. If one needs only the tonic 
effect of the bitters, they can be had just as welt in a wa¬ 
tery infusion. Our often repeated advice is to let all quack 
medicines alone, and in this category we include bitters. 
An Invaluable Help in every Home is 
a large Dictionary—not merely a “ pronouncer ” and brief 
“definer,” but one explaining fully the meaning of all 
words, whether ordinary or rare. Such a Dictionary, 
like Worcester's Great Unabridged, containing 1,85-1 
large 3-column pages, with an immense number of en¬ 
gravings, is a most valuable source of condensed informa¬ 
tion on almost all topics, and will do very much to make 
all the members of a family intelligent. It is well worth 
a place in every house, and should be in every school¬ 
room without fail.—Many families have obtained free 
copies through our premium offer in years past, and 
hundreds, or thousands even, may do so this year. BOYS 
have been particularly successful in this way, and almost 
any enterprising youth can, by persistent effort, scarcely 
fail to collect the eighteen subscribers needed to get this 
prize free. The work of doing this will give him useful 
business experience. See page 469. 
Stai'li Plain.— “Daniel Trimble.” The par¬ 
ticulars of the barn plan described in the Agriculturist, in 
December, 1872, can be given, if we are informed what 
is wanted. But they can not be sent by mail unless the 
address, which was omitted in your letter, is given. 
Apple Pomace.— “W. F.,” Luzerne Co., 
Pa. Apple pomace may be given to a cow in small 
quantities as a relish only. It is not suitable for feed, and 
should not be given in large quantities. It will help to 
increase the flow of milk only by stimulating the appe¬ 
tite, and causing a larger amount of other food to be 
digested and assimilated as nutriment. 
IPai'ming: in Hfort.lt Carolina.—“J. 
W. B.,” Statesville, N. C., sends an account of how he 
farms in North Carolina, ne removed from the State 
of New York 4 years ago. He plows under a crop of 
cow peas, upon “ old field ” land in the fall, and with 
a light top dressing of stable manure in the winter, has 
produced 34 bushels of wheat per acre, while by April 
1st, the next year, the clover was 12 to 18 inches high. 
The land is excellent for orcharding. Land sells for 
two to ten dollars per acre. There are no bridges in the 
country, the roads are good, and not one-third of the 
land is cultivated. 
See Page 409. 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOq 
1 GOO© THINGS VERY § 
° o 
o CHEAP. —We again remind otir friends, § 
o (and by friends we mean dll our Readers,) that ° 
O o 
§ there are in onr Premium-List (referred to on o 
o page 469) many good things, things really useful § 
§ and desirable, which they can all get at very little | 
O . r 
g expense, if any. We have large plans for making o 
o this journal very good and very valuable to every- § 
2 body during the coming year, and we shall surely g 
g put many items of information into the Agricul- § 
o turist, that will each be worth far more than the 2 
O Q 
§ small subscription price. Nowit will not be much g 
O Q 
g labor to talk this to others, and get a few at least g 
o to subscribe. For every list of names sent us. 2 
O ’ O 
2 large or small, we offer good premium articles of g 
g various kinds. The Publishers having extraordi- | 
5 nary opportunities to get these premium ar- 2 
2 tides, can afford to give them as they propose, 2 
g and take pleasure in seeing them distributed. | 
o Our friends know that we never mean to send § 
2 ° 
2 out any articles but those that are good and every 2 
O O 
g way reliable, and as represented. Please look ® 
c over the list of Premiums, and each one favor 2 
2 o 
2 himself, and us, by securing one or more of them. g 
o o 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
llome-innile Eerliliaters.—“ W. J. B.,” 
Macon, N. C. There is no home-made fertilizer that can 
be profitably substituted for Peruvian Guano. The mar¬ 
ket value of guano is fixed according to the quantity of 
its chemical constituents which are available for manure. 
Any chemical substance, as salts, acids, or alkalies, 
valuable for fertilizers, have their value fixed upon the 
same basis. Nitrogen, phosphoric acid, or potash, has 
each its standard value, in whatever article or shape it 
may appear. 
Elulis of Snl»scril»ers need not all be at 
one Post-Office. The reduction in price to clubs of four 
or more names, is partly made to encourage the getting 
up of large lists, and partly because it costs less to mail 
a large number in one package. But we do not object to 
names added from other Post-Offices, as such names usu¬ 
ally soon become centers of other clubs. Names for Pre¬ 
mium Lists may also be gathered at any number of Post- 
Offices, if all are sent by the same person. 
Sowing Blown Hew Land for Pas¬ 
ture.—" Granger,” York, Pa. New land just cleared, 
may be sown down to grass without the intervention of 
any crops. Probably in this case it might do very well 
to seed down with a ccop of oats thinly sown, not more 
than two bushels per acre, in the spring. For permanent 
pasture in your locality, we would use 8 quarts of timothy, 
one bushel and a half of orchard grass, and one bushel 
and a half of Kentucky blue grass per acre. The blue 
grass will not show much until the third year, after which 
it will form a considerable portion of the pasture, fill¬ 
ing up the spaces left by the gradual disappearance of 
the orchard grass, and furnishing good late pasture. 
A BSolling Horse.—“A. L. W.,” Kittery, 
Me. If practicable provide a loose stall, that is, an en¬ 
closed roomy stall not less than 12 feet square, for a 
horse that has a habit of rolling, and use no baiter, but 
leave him unfastened. Possibly the rolling is caused by 
irritation of the skin, in which case give an ounce of 
sulphur in the feed daily for a week, and feed bran in 
place of part of the corn. At the same time good curry¬ 
ing and brushing would be a help. If a box stall is not 
convenient, as it frequently is not, tie the horse with a 
strong halter so short that he can barely lie down com¬ 
fortably. A friend has a horse that persists in getting 
“ cast ” ir- any stall, which is prevented by the short tying. 
Biiood Books Pay.— It will pay to supply 
yourself, your sons, your workmen, your whole family, 
with good books as well as papers. Your sons and your 
workmen will be kept from idleness and mischievous 
company; they will understand and respect their work 
more ; they will gain new ideas, and learn to reason and 
think better; they will learn to make their heads help 
their bands; they will labor more intelligently, and be 
happier. See to it that interesting and instructive works 
are always at hand in your home. Look over the List of 
Books published every month in this Journal. It will 
pay to provide yourself, and each member of your family, if 
you have any, with good books, even if economy lias to 
be practised in other directions, to enable you to do this. 
