1868.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
211 
ter many trials we have succeeded at last in finding the 
Excelsior Sewing Machine; it is not a machine that we 
would buy at any price. Steer clear of R. H. Homan & 
Co.. Astoria, N. Y., and his Jewelry orders_A. A. 
Kelly & Co.’s matters have assumed a new phase. Kelly 
& Co. have long imposed upon the public by scattering 
prize tickets broadcast with their journal, a paper issued 
in imitation of Harper’s Weekly. These tickets, each 
and all, appear to draw “prizes” of $100 to $200, but 
5 per cent cash advance is required to secure the prizes. 
When this payment is made, the victim gets a certificate 
of $100 or $200 shares in an oil company. We estimate 
the value of these certificates of shares at about one- 
tweutietli part of a cent—as waste paper I Now we 
have circulars from Damon, Lee & Co., who claim to have 
got hold of $103,000 worth of the genuine prizes of Kelly 
6 Co., such as diamonds, pianos, etc., of which they 
propose to make a “ distribution” to ticket-holders. On 
the other hand, Kelly & Co. assert that some one has 
fraudulently obtained the names of some of their ticket- 
holders, and caution people to send no money to any ex¬ 
cept themselves. Damon, Lee & Co. say that Kelly & Co. 
send out nearly all “ stock,” and that they have got the 
valuable presents. There is a large cat in that meal tub. 
There may be one actor under two names, or there really 
may be two concerns; if the latter, honest people will 
not get their dues, even if “rogues fall out.” None but 
very foolish people will have anything to do with 
such concerns as Damon, Lee & Co., or Kelly & Co. 
Send Yoair Asusne.—The English journals 
have over their “ answers to correspondents,” the stand¬ 
ing notice that anonymous communications will be dis¬ 
regarded. We do not wish to make this rule, as it is 
often the case that a very excellent suggestion comes to 
us from those who have a dislike to appear in print. 
Please understand that we never print a name when 
there is any indication that the writer would prefer to 
have it withheld. Put the initials at the end of a com¬ 
munication, or any assumed name, but below give us 
the real address. We ask this for the reason that it 
often occurs that we wish to correspond with the writer. 
At other times it happens that the question is not of 
general interest, and we would rather reply by letter than 
in the paper. A case has recently happened in which it 
would have been of considerable benefit to the corre¬ 
spondent if we had known his full address. 
Answering ]Lettea\«.—When one writes 
us for information upon some subject properly within out- 
province, it is a pleasure to answer, if we can find time. 
While we do not acknowledge ourselves under any obliga¬ 
tion to answer—as some seem to assume—we take the 
same pleasure in helping another engaged in the same 
pursuits that any obliging person always feels. Now, a 
word with our correspondents. We have no information 
to sell; so do not enclose any sum for “our trouble.” 
It only puts us to the “trouble” of returning the money. 
Put in the exact postage and no more. When we write 
letters for fees we will publish a tariff of charges. Do 
not ask us where to get seeds, plants, or machines, unless 
it is some unusual or out-of-the-way thing. All the 
large dealers keep everything in their line, or will get it. 
Do not ask our opinion about advertising Doctors. We 
have but one answer concerning the whole crew—“We 
do not know any thing of them.” The place to look 
for information about these fellows is in our Humbug 
article. We repeat with emphasis, that any one calling 
himself a “doctor,” who warrants a cure, who advertises 
a medicine, or who publishes certificates, is a quack , and 
is to be avoided. Don’t ask us if such and such are not 
exceptions, they are all in the same boat. In writing, 
please ask the question directly, without obliging us to 
read half a page of apology—and do use black ink. 
Many letters that would have been answered have been 
delayed by the absence of the editor in whose depart¬ 
ment they come. This must bo taken as an apology to 
those who feel that they have been neglected. 
SotmtSaei-aa Jlotio’iisils.—It is very pleasing 
to notice that in almost every Southern State some enter¬ 
prising mau starts an agricultural journal. Of some of 
these papers we have spoken in terms of commendation. 
Other Southern agricultural papers have come to us lately, 
and, without giving at present their titles, we have a word 
to say to the editors of some of these sheets, as most of 
them seem to be new in journalizing, and we hope that 
they will take it kindly if we give them a bit of advice. 
It is not proper for a journal which professes to bo agri¬ 
cultural to discuss political topics. Other papers can 
present and discuss all subjects that have a political as¬ 
pect. The text of an agricultural paper should be, “ The 
soil, and what we can get from it.” Then, again, some 
of our new exchanges, while they have very good edito¬ 
rials, use many excellent selections. This is a very good 
thing to do, and we would mildly suggest to at least two 
of the new papers, that courtesy, not to sayjustice, would 
demand that they place “ American. Agriculturist," after 
a good share of their articles. We wish others of our 
friends, both North^md South, who find our articles of 
sufficient importance to quote, would take notice that 
the title of this paper is not "Ex," nor yet is it “Ex¬ 
change,” but that it is the American Agriculturist. Please 
notice that each issue of our paper is copyrighted, but 
not to prevent-free quotation by any one who may see 
fit to use our articles. We allude to this in no threaten¬ 
ing spirit, but would simply warn certain parties, whom, 
considering their inexperience, we do not choose to call 
by name, that, while we are quite willing that our arti¬ 
cles should be used with proper credit, a continued appro¬ 
priation of our matter without any acknowledgment of 
its source, will compel us, however reluctantly, to avail 
ourselves of the provisions of the copyright law. 
TSse ER. 3. Sclaooimasies".—Many of the 
readers of the Agriculturist are school teachers,—at least 
during a portion of the year—and to such of these as 
wish to be advised in regard to educational matters, we 
can commend the Rhode Island Schoolmaster, published 
at Providence. Its principal editor is Doct. J. B. Chapin, 
who is School Commissioner for the State, and has the 
additional claim of being a zealous horticulturist. 
2®Iasi4iaag-.—Our climate 
is not as well suited to “foliage plants,” as that of Eu¬ 
rope, and those who follow the directions of foreign 
writers are likely to fail. Our hot sun is death to cer¬ 
tain plants that are the pride of the English gardener, and 
our attempts at bedding effects, when founded upon Eu¬ 
ropean practice, are failures. But few of the variegated 
Pelargoniums (Geraniums) with which the English do 
so much, will stand our suns : and so with other plants. 
Still, we can do something. The Cannas, Coleus, in its 
varieties, the newer sorts of Ricinus, and other things, 
fairly revel in our hot weather, and we can, by choosing 
tropical or sub-tropical plants, produce a fine effect. 
Last summer we made a most effective bed upon the 
lawn—one that was the admiration of all who saw it. 
The bed was an oval, about 15 feet in its longest diame¬ 
ter. The outer edge was the silver gray of Cineraria 
maritima, or “Dusty Miller.” Within this was a row 
of Coleus, then a row of the Mexican Sage, ( Salvia 
splendens), green in summer, but gorgeous with its scar¬ 
let blooms in autumn, and in the center was a group of 
Cannas. Now, we do not wish to put this arrangement 
forth as a model to be followed; but to suggest some 
plants which, even if put out as late as June, will pro¬ 
duce a satisfactory effect. Along the Atlantic Coast we 
generally have a cold storm soon after the first days of 
June, and our experience has been that bedding plants 
set out early, if they manage to live through the adverse 
weather, are not, in the long run, as satisfactory as 
those put out after warm weather has fairly set in. 
B^arwiii's Variations of Asaismals 
and Plants is the book of the season. It has re¬ 
ceived the commendations of the papers whose litera¬ 
ry criticisms have the most weight. While we do not at 
present commit ourselves to all of Mr. Darwin’s views, 
we commend this work as a most remarkable collection 
of interesting facts.' No one who has controverted Mr. 
Darwin’s deductions has denied his accuracy and honesty 
in presenting facts. To the thoughtful reader this work 
presents an inexhaustible fund of material, as it not only 
shows what has been done in improving our animals 
and plants, but suggests many things for experiment. 
Par$ni|t§. — “ D. L. M.,” Dutchess Co., 
says a Jerseyman advises him not to feed parsnips to 
milch cows, “ on account of their weakening qualities.” 
We have never discovered any bad effects from feeding 
parsnip. The root is as wholesome as the sugar beet, 
and the great reason that they are not more fed to cattle, 
is that they are worth too much in the market for human 
food. They are rarely below $1.50 a barrel in the New 
York market, and sometimes bring $0.00. They are a 
paying crop at fifty cents a bushel, and at that price they 
can hardly be afforded for cattle when other roots can be 
raised for half that sum. Raise the parsnips by all 
means, but do not feed them out when you can get a dol¬ 
lar a bushel for them, or more, at the nearest market. 
They want a deep, sandy loam, moderately rich. In gar¬ 
den culture they are sown about 15 inches apart, and in 
field culture about 30, to admit of cultivation by horse¬ 
power. They should be thinned out to 4 inches apart, 
and be kept scrupulously clean through the season. In 
good, rich soil, the yield will be from five to eight hun¬ 
dred bushels per acre. They are not injured by the cold¬ 
est weather, and if the ground be kept covered with a 
heavy mulch of salt hay, or straw, they can be dug at any 
season, and be marketed to the best advantage. 
Mr. Mwlox’s Strawberry Exhib¬ 
ition.— Mr. Knox is great on raising strawberries and 
is not afraid to show how he does it, so he each year holds 
an exhibition, at which the fruit can be seen on the table, 
or on the vines. As Mr. K. sends fruit to the New York 
market all the way from Pittsburgh, he wishes the 
best package for shipping. Premiums to the amount 
of $200 are to bo awarded “for the best contrivance for 
carrying grapes and berries to distant markets.” Par¬ 
ticulars forwarded on application. We do not know 
what the requirements are, but suppose that the baskets 
must be big enough to hold “TOO” berries. The show 
will be held on the 17th of June at Pittsburgh. 
BSoojscs’ Evcrg-reesos. —This work is be¬ 
ing rapidly taken lip by nurserymen and cultivators, 
and we hope that they will adopt its nomenclature, as it 
will be a great relief to purchasers. To the planter this 
work is particularly valuable, as it gives, without prej¬ 
udice, the experience of the author with all the new 
evergreens.—There is no work extant that contains so full 
an account of these trees as this does, and we feel a 
pleasure in presenting so much useful information, in 
so handsome a style, at the low price of $3, by mail. 
Iteport of Else Asuies-lcasa E&afry- 
ltien’s Ass’ii.—We have received from the Secretary, 
Mr. G. B. Weeks, of Verona, N. Y., the third Annual Re¬ 
port of the Am. Dairymen’s Society. This institution 
has been of very great benefit to the dairy interests of our 
country, especially to the cheese makers, and the annual 
reports form a course of very instructive reading for any 
one interested in the increased development of our agri¬ 
cultural resources, and are almost indispensable to prac¬ 
tical cheese manufacturers. 
TVotaBilie witfBa CaSsbag-es.— J. II. Evans, 
Ark., has specks appear upon the outside leaves of his 
cabbages, and the affection proceeds to the center. He 
does not state whether this happens to the growing cab¬ 
bage, or afterit is stored. We have seen cabbages similar¬ 
ly troubled that had been stored in too damp a cellar, but 
nothing like it in the growing crop. 
IffoE=ISosg«se ©rapes.— S. D. Ingraham, 
Brown Co., wishes to know if hot-house grapes can be 
made profitable. That depends upon the market; near our 
large cities, where there are plenty of wealthy people, who 
will pay $2 to $5 a pound, some of our skilful growers 
make it pay, but it would not be a very profitable business 
away from such points, and nowhere in unskilful hands. 
Pear Tree mot IBIooscaisag-. —R. Middle- 
ton, West Philadelphia, 1ms aVicarpear tree, supposed to 
be a dwarf, which does not bloom, though about nine 
years old. If it was a dwarf, it was probably set so deep 
that a portion of the pear wood was buried, and it has 
thrown out roots and become a standard, and does n’t bear 
because it nas not yet attained its growth. Probably 
root-pruning would throw the tree into bearing. 
]PaperiEsg - on ©iitisisle ISrick WsaSSs. 
—“Dr. E. B.,” Washington Co., Ill. We infer from your 
letter that you have already plastered directly upon the 
brick walls of your house. This is wrong practice. You 
should have “ furred out,” as the builders say—that is, 
put up strips against the bricks, and lathed and plastered 
upon them—thus leaving a space of free air between the 
wall and the plastering. The rooms would then always 
be dry, and warmer than otherwise. If you have plaster¬ 
ed upon the bricks, you will be troubled in cold weather, 
by moisture depositing on the inner side of the wall; 
and in case storms beat against the wall it may wet 
through. You can dry the walls rapidly by making fires, 
and when dry they may be painted with good boiled lin¬ 
seed oil paint. This will prevent water from the outside 
coming through, but it will not help the deposition of 
water on the inner side much, if at all, and it is this 
chiefly which prevents the paper from holding. • 
Ag'ri«?BaHi;arnl Eeliaorss of 
Papers.—It has of late become the fashion for daily 
papers to have agricultural columns, and for these they 
have “ Agricultural Editors.” Tnose are a variable lot; 
some of them hold their places for the sake of the per¬ 
quisites, and eke out their scanty pay by announcing 
themselves as purchasing agents. Others are well mean¬ 
ing men, who can write as well on one subject as another, 
and then again we find one who knows just what he.is 
talking about. In the last named class we place Mr. A. 
S. Fuller, who does the agricultural and horticultural 
matter for the N. Y. Sun. Mr. F. is no man worshipper, 
but has a great reverence for the truth. What seems to 
him right, he announces fearlessly. Of course, whatever 
Mr. F. docs is well done. We can say that Mr. Fuller’s 
Department is as good as the others in that excellently 
managed paper, and add that the other departments are as 
good as Mr. Fuller’s. If our readers infer that we consider 
the Sun able altogether, they will not be far wrong. 
