268 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Juste 



quick passage of arms place the incumbent 



hortt de tonihat ; lie is draggt-d from the gates, 

 and (juifk as thought tlie concjucror throws his 

 rear within the (_'astle, winds uj) the spiral 

 turret, and presents a bold front of mailed 

 armor at the gate. This strong-hold is held 

 unless some party yet stronger gives battle 

 anew. 



These hermit-crabs are exceedingly pug- 

 nacious, and seemed to be continually dis- 

 posed to rout and plunder. Several large 

 ones were sent North, packed in a small box. 

 One individual remained ; he, the strongest. 

 had devoured all that was edible of the others, 

 leaving only the shells and claws. The sur- 

 vivor was kept under a glass bell for a year. 

 He moulted once successfully, easting a per- 

 fect shell, an exact fac-simile of liimself ; but 

 he died in the act of casting the second time. 

 This crab became (piite tame ; eating from 

 the hand, a)ul remaining partially out of the 

 shell when touched, though usually they re- 

 main "closely mewed up" when approached. 



It is a ludicrous sight at times, when great 

 numbers of these creatures congregate about 

 a carcass, or climb the bushes after a rain to 

 sip the moisture from the hollow leaves. An 

 officer of tiie post at Tortugas, lately arrived, 

 filled his pockets with the pretty shells so pro- 

 fusely scattered upon the keys. On landing 

 at the wharf, homeward bound, he was much 

 surprised at the manifestly improper expres- 

 sion that mi't him in every face of the guard, 

 from sergeant to private. A friendly voice 

 called his attention to the crawling multitude 

 which now well-nigh likened him to the taw- 

 dry shell-work of frames and fancy boxes. 

 The crabs, in many instances, can retire with- 

 in the shell so far that they are not readily 

 observed. One, enthusiastic in his first blush 

 of delight at finding so large a number of 

 pretty ^WXh so near each other, is quite likely 

 to fill his pockets greedily, without stopping 

 to examine them, then and there. The shy 

 creatures withdraw, and hug closely the inner 

 chamber of the shell the instant a footstep is 

 felt, and so remain until all danger is past — 

 hence the po.-sible mistake of which our friend 

 really became the victim. • An amusing sight 

 was afforded in the office of the engineer in 

 charge at Fort JelTcrson. The officer — now 

 our distinguished (Quarter-mast er-goneral — 

 nad a huge number of these crabs, from the 

 largest to the smallest, placed upon the fkior. 

 Then connnenced a novel scene — battles and 

 combats, sparring, and rough-and-tumble 

 fights ; while numbers of them crawled upon 

 the walls, and manifested every phase of curi- 

 osity by examining closely all parts of the 

 room. A large species, which usually selects 

 the turbo, a shell about the size of a large | 

 tea-cup, had the habit of living under houses ! 

 or logs, and seemed to sally forth more at j 

 night. Occasionally they would crawl into i 

 the house. One particular individual becanu; ! 

 notorious as a cor..- taut v:.-:lor, ar.'l r"r;uVrly ' 



crawled up the corner of a book-case to drink 

 wati'r from a dish — never, of course, leaving 

 his shell behhid. They present an exceeding- 

 ly grotes(pie appearance shambling along with 

 their heavy stolen shells. Diogenes must 

 ha\ e learned his habit from these creatures. 

 Some naturalist has given the philosojjher's 

 name to one species. 



These hermits seldom adopt an imperfect 

 shell ; but the height of the ludicrous was 

 reached when we discovered aiv individual 

 ensconced within the bowl of an old black 

 clay ])ipe nearly stemless. It required all the 

 taction the poor weak abdomen could muster 

 to keep a sure tenure of possession. Com- 

 misei-ating his forlorn condition we gave him 

 a chance to change (juarters — an op])ortunity 

 which he seized with alacrity ; not unlike in 

 that respect some in the army who delight in 

 "turning each other out according to rank." 

 The hermit is opposed to "comnmtation of 

 quarters," and takes his "in kind"' — rusemates 

 though they be, of one storij, and no hack 

 icindow. — From "Along the Florida Reefs," 

 by Dr. J. B. Holder, in Harper's Maga- 

 zine for April. 



Give the -Boys a CIIA^XE. — One of the 



surest methods of attaching a boy to the farm, 

 is to let him have something upon it for his 

 own. Give him a small plot of ground to 

 cultivate, allowing him the proceeds for his 

 OAvn use. Let him have his steers to break, 

 or his sheep to care for. The o^v^u■rship of 

 even a fruit tree, planted, pruned and brought 

 to bearing by his own hands, will inspire him 

 with an interest that no mere reward or wages 

 can give. In addition to the cultivation of 

 taste for farm life which such a course will cul- 

 tivate, the practical knowledge gained by the 

 boy will be of the highest value. Being in- 

 terested, he will be more observant, and will 

 thoroughly learn Avhatever is necessary for his 

 success. 



Another and equally important advantage 

 will be the accustoming him early to feel re- 

 sponsibility. JNIany young men, though Avell 

 acquainted with all the manual operations of 

 the farm, fail utterly when entrusted with the 

 management of an estate, from Avant of ex- 

 perience in ])lanning for themselves. It is 

 much better that responsibility should be grad- 

 ually assumed, than that a young man should 

 be fii'St thrown upon himself on attaining his 

 majoritv. — Vor. Ohio Fanner. 



Ikiugation. — Dr. March in his lecture on 

 "Spain and the Pyrenees," says that land irri- 

 gated in Spain will sell, evei-ything else being 

 e({ual, for $oO() an acre, while tJiat alongside 

 of it, not irrigated, will only bring .'^50 an 

 acre. One company organized in iMadrid 

 with a capital of !?1,50(),00(), has reclaimed 

 8(10,000 acres of land, and are paying divi- 

 dends erpial to 18 per cent, on the investment. 



