124 
THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
the bare exception, perhaps, of orna- 
mental turning. 
We are sure our readers will fully ap- 
preciate our efforts this month in placing 
into their hands so large an amount of 
new and excellent matter. We have en- 
deavored to cover a wide field of amateur 
work with sound practical articles, con- 
tributed by actual working amateurs, 
who know of what they speak. The arti- 
cles on "Saw-flling," "Boys' Book- 
Case," "Wood-Carving," "Overlay 
Work," "Amateur's Shooting Board," 
and "Painting on Silk and Satin," are 
all reliable articles from reliable sources ; 
and the i)apers on "Cheap Boats," 
" Mud-Bows," and "Indian Clubs," are 
interesting, useful, and, in a measure, 
practical, while the article on " Casting in 
Plaster" will be appreciated by many 
who wish to possess a knowledge of this 
useful art. Students of natural history 
will find something new and suggestive in 
the papers on " Birds '' and" Anemones," 
both of which are written by contributors 
who speak from observation. Doubtless 
many of our boy readers will feel inter- 
ested in the article on " Baseball Bats," 
as it will give them an idea of how many 
bats are annually made, where they come 
from, and where they go to. The Girls' 
Department is also well filled this month 
with excellent material, and we particu- 
larly direct attention to the article on 
" Floriculture," which is contributed by a 
young lady who has had considerable 
successful experience in this beautiful art. 
The paper on astronomy for the month 
of April, prepared by Prof. Berlin H. 
Wright, cannot fail to interest the greater 
number of our readers. Prof. Wright 
possesses the happy knack of being able 
to make very difficult matters quite clear 
to youthful capacities, as is shown by 
the article in the present number, which, 
though dealing with a rather complicated 
subject, is made so plain that any ordi- 
nary mind may comprehend it. Our 
illustrations, also, this month, are deserv- 
ing of more than a passing notici, as the 
most of them possess a lasting value. 
Those on Wood-Carving, Overlay, Boys' 
Book-Case, etc., etc., are purely practical 
cuts, that may be brought into profitable 
use at any time, and almost in any place* 
Taking it altogether, our readers and our- 
selves have no need to feel ashamed of 
the present number, and we do not think 
we are asking too much of our subscribers 
when we ask them to use their influence 
in extending our circulation. All have 
friends, and there can be no more friendly 
act than that of placing in the hands of 
another the means whereby he may add 
to his happiness, knowledge, and future 
welfare, events which must follow from a. 
continuous reading of the Young Scien- 
tist. Every new name added to our list 
secures for the future a useful member of 
society, and increases our ability to make 
the paper still better. 
In several offices in New York where 
architectural and engineering drafting 
is done, part of the working staff consists 
of 3^oung ladies, who, it seems, acquit 
themselves to the satisfaction of their em- 
ployers. There are many cases, it seems 
to us, where young ladies might be pro- 
fitably employed in this kind of work, and 
it does not require much previous experi- 
ence or knowledge of the use of mathe- 
matical instruments to be able to copy 
drawings or take tracings, and a few 
months' practice at this work by an intel- 
ligent girl fits lier for better efforts. In 
England and Scotland quite a number of 
girls are employed as draftswomen, and 
in nearly every case they have given 
satisfaction. In speaking of this subject 
a short time since, the London Engineer 
says "that some months ago Messrs. 
Chapman & Gurney, at Gateshead, deter- 
mined to make the experiment of making 
use of female skill in their drafting de- 
partment, and went to the expense of 
erecting a special building, so as to give 
the ladies accommodation quite separate 
and apart from that of the ordinary 
draftsmen. The new office is roomy, 
well ventilated, and decorated with flow- 
ers during the summer months, and is. 
approached by a door so placed that the 
draftswomen need never meet or see the 
other employees of the firm. Up to the 
present time five ladies have had occupa- 
tion, chiefly in tracing plans of steam 
