1877.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTUmST. 
67 
carefal. Wtetlier yon use nails or screws, the bard wood 
of the rnuuers must be bored for them, and this will take 
both patience and strength. When the sides are on, you 
will then make the top, and for this you must nail on the 
boards cross-wise, to make the sled strong. The width 
may be according to fancy, or the use you are to make of 
it. If simply to "coast" or slide down hill, a long and 
narrow sled is best, but if you wish to carry loads, you 
will need it wider. You cau put a rouud stick in between 
the upturned points of the runners, to hitch a drag-rope 
to, but in coasting this will be in the way, and you can 
ae well hitch two ends of a rope to the points of the two 
runners. I don't think you can manage very well to 
make a pony sled and a hand-sled in one. For the pony, 
perhaps, the best thing would be what is called 
A JUMPER. 
As I don't know how old my yonng friend is, I am. not 
able to say whether he can manage to make a jumper or 
not. Farmer's boys, generally, learn to use an ax. when 
quite young, and if our youngster can work handily with 
an as or hatchet, he can very likely make a jumper. 
However, I will tell him about the jumper, and if lie can 
not make it by himstrlf, he can get some older person to 
help. By giving an engraving, fig. 1, you will at once 
see how it is made, and it will save much description. 
Two saplings of the same size serve for runners and 
shafls, and make up the principal part of the jumper. 
These should be of hard wood, if wanted to last. Hav- 
ing the young trees, both of the same size and length, 
care should be taken to smooth oft" all the knots, if there 
are any, and if you wish to be very nice, you can peel at 
least the runner part. As the shafts must be high enough 
to hitch to the harness, while the runners are fiat upon 
the snow, ihey must be bent. This is done by cutting 
halfway or more through each stick, and you can easily 
contrive a way to bend it. You will then need to fasten 
your sticks together at a proper distance to suit the pony. 
A piece nailed or pinned on in front of the bend, answers 
both to strengthen the jumper, and fas a place to which 
to fasten the traces. Take care to have this strong, as 
much of the strain comes here. You can then put on 
another cross piece, as a foot rest, and make the seat 
nerve to strengthen it still more, as it will, if made as 
shown in the engraving. You may, if you prefer, floor 
the whole over with boards, and use another kind of 
eeat. Jumpers are so common over the border, where 
there is usually snow in plenty, that they are often called 
*' Canada Jumpers," but they are also used a great deal 
in the States. A man can Icnock one together in a very 
short time, and there is no reason why a handy boy can 
not manage to make one. I hope my young friend will 
succeed in making a useful jumper, that it will be 
strong to avoid accidents, and that he will have many 
pleasant rides with his pony. 
Aiiiftt !$»e^s Chats. 
Bettixe.— The following formula will, I think, answer 
your requirements : 
A B D H P 
C C E I Q 
E F F J R 
G G G K S 
I J L L T 
K K M M U 
M N X N V 
O O O O W 
G R T X X 
S S U Y Y 
U V V Z Z 
WWW 
Y Z 
Should a person wish you to find oat a word or name, 
let him tell you in which of the upright columns the first 
letter of the word may be found; if it can be found in 
only one column, then it is the top letter ; should it be 
found in more than one, then add together the alphabet- 
ical numbers represented by the top letters, and the sum 
will be the number sought. By taking one letter at a 
lime in this way, the whole word can be discovered. For 
example : Take the word Darling' ; D is found in but one 
column, consequently is the top one. The same with A ; 
R is in the second and last columns ; the top letters of 
tliose are B, and P ; these are the second and sixteenth 
of the alphabet, their sum is eighteen, and the eighteenth 
letter of the alphabet is R. the letter sought ; L yon will 
find in the columns headed D, and H. whose sum is 
twelve, and L is the twelfth letter of the alphabet. In 
this way, letter by letter, you can find out any given word. 
For Chocolate 2<^ng for Cakes--\iikQ. half a pound of 
powdered loaf-sngar and two ounces of grated chocolate; 
put them into a sauce-pan with about a ulll of water, and 
stir it over the tire until the mixture assumes the con- 
sistence of thick cream; then sprfcad it over your cakes, 
and set them in the oven for two or three minutes. 
CAUPESTKn's Boy.— Not a bit of " trouble," my boy, 
you may "ask questions" every month if you choosi-, 
and 1 will answor them to the best of my ability. You 
want to know the niMnlnirof the terms *' four-ponny." 
"six-penny,*" "ten-penny," etc., as applied to nails, 
"Four-penny " means four pounds to the thousand nails, 
" six-penny " six pounds to the thousand, and so on. It 
is an old English term and meant, at first, '" ten-^und" 
nails (the thousand being understood) ; but the old Eng- 
lishmen clipped it to *' ten-pun " ; and from that to ten- 
punny : and so it degenerated, tmtil "penny" was sub- 
stituted for '"pound."' So, when you ask for four-penny 
nails, now-a-days, you want those, a thousand of which 
will weigh four pounds ; but in these degenerate times, 
I question whether you will get as many as a thousand in 
that weight. When a thousand nails weigh less than one 
pound, they are called tacks, brads, etc., and are reckon- 
ed by ounces (to the thousand); so you will see '• S-oz.", 
'■ 10-oz.", " 16-oz.", etc., on papers of tacks. That used 
to puzzle me (before I knew hetter) — how eight small 
tacks should make one ounce, and sixteen much larger 
ones should make an onnce tool So I asked— just as 
you did. I am never ashamed to say "I don't know," 
unless I have neglected an opportunity to find out. 
Aitut Sue^ai Paizzle-lSox. 
RHXSEES. 
{Example.— 1. Here the ink has been spilled - 
2. By the gun it was kUled 
1. O I see the bright morning 
2. Her fair head adorning 
3. Delf, china, and iron 
Blot^ shot. 
4, Neither panther nor lion 
5. More than one, less than three • 
Too choice 'tis, for me 
In the stable I live 
A great fright I give 
You oft rise by me - 
6. 
7. 
8. 
9. 
10. 
11. 
12. 
In her dress, do you see I - 
Here the tiger lies down - 
Green, speckled with brown - 
13. How much must I pay 
14. I venture to-day 
15. In caution I'm seen 
16. And I'm pretty lean 
ALPHABETICAL ARITHMETIC. 
DH)CTUILX(UBUC 
CBN 
R I I 
RD H 
I BL 
C B N 
U D T N 
B I N U 
tr B D 
PI. 
Thymauni si het prelucia sitaccerichartfo tager dimns. 
CHARADE. 
My first needs no delight its nature to show. 
My next is two-thirds of a dwelling. 
My third is oft felt in the air, and we know 
That destruction its pathway is telling. 
To England pray go, if my airhole you would meet. 
And list to its musical lays, 
For indeed you will find it a songster most sweet. 
E'en poets have sung in its praise. H. W. Otis. 
NUMERICAL EXIG5IA. 
I am composed of 69 letters : 
My 10, 40, 19, 3, 52, 44, 30, was the scene of a European 
battle, where an army of ninety thousand men, com- 
manded by my 27. 53, 12. 56, 24. 61, 50,-25, 2, 19. 39, was 
defeated by an 9, 24, 66, 54, of thirty thousand. 
My 22, 9, 14, 44, 58. 15. 13. 67. is the name of a famous 
battle, which decided the fiUe of my 38. 28, 20, 2:3. 49. 53, 
37, .33. who died at my 7, IS. —43. 56. 11. 69, 38, 61. 
My 47, 65, 66, 1, has been something sung just before 
going to battle. 
My 60, 26, 46, 8, 16. 64, 27. 35, 5, 6. is a name dear to 
Americans. 
My 17. 34. 4.">. 62, 57, 27. 19, 42. was a noted naval officer 
in the late war. 
My 19. 21. 27. 6S. 48. 59, 51, was a distinguished military 
officer in our late war. 
My4, 1, 29, 32, 36, 48, 55, 31, represent many of the 
United States. 
^My 20. 63. 45. 41. 31. is a famous city in Europe. 
My whole is a prophecy of peace. SI. O. Colcord. 
ANAGRAMS. 
1. Oh I bad hoy I 6. Fm Kate's. 
2. Surf free. 7. Scan any one. 
3. A scalp-den. 8. Inform us. 
4. Rjiin came. 9. Rough, hot fare. 
5. Sure leap. 10. Send rats in mud. 
Xaxtho. 
POSmVES AND COMPARATtVKS. 
1. A ton,— a Ber\'ant. 2. A coin.— the middle. 3. A 
body of water.— to rcllect. 4. An animal.— more novel. 
6. A vehicle,— a butcher. 6. A boat,— to cleanse. 
Bessie, 
concealed pqrare word. 
Brin^ a wide apron with you ; one a trifle long at each 
eidc. W. L. E., Jr. 
cross word. 
My first is in cloud but not in sky, 
My next is in swim but not in fly, 
My third is in man but not in boy, 
My fourth is in marble but not in toy, 
My fifth is in work but not in play. 
My sixth is in moment but not in day, 
My seventh is in sound but not in tone. 
And my whole is the name of a precious stone. 
Alice S. Pafl. 
M I ■ I ■! 
A2^S^TEB3 TO PUZZLES IN THE DECEJtBER XUaiBER. 
^"CilEEICAL Enigma.— Thanatopsis. 
Concealed Capes. — 1. Clear. 2. Henry. 3. May. 4, 
Land's end. 5. Good Hope. 6. Horn. 7. Fear. 
Cross "Wo ed.— Madrid, 
SqTTaKE WoED. DotJBLE ACEOSTIC. 
A S P E R H— al — L 
STAVE O— naw— A | 
PALES L-edge— R 
EVENT L- iht -C 
RESTS T— out -H 
An'agbams.— 1. Magazines. 2, Arrangements. 3. Garden- 
ing. 4. Companions. 5. Jealousy. 6. Barbarisms. 7. JC um- 
bering. 8. Opportunity. 9. Cultivators. 10. Refinement, 
Teanspositions.— 1. Pets, pest. step. 2. Mate, tame, team, 
meat. 3. Arm, ram, mar. 4, Veal, lave, vale. 5. Abel, able, 
b.ile, heal. 6. Kaps, span, pans. 7. Now, own, won. 
Flowers A^'D Vegetables.—!. Hollyhock. 2. Pumpkin. 
3. Marigold. 4. Sunflower (son-fiour). R. Onion. 6. Com. 
7. Carrot (parroO- 8- Butter-cup. 
Pi.— What wondrous life is this I lead ? 
Ripe apples drop about my head. 
The luscious clusters of the vine 
TTpon my mouth do crush tbeu" wine, 
The nectaiine and curious peach, 
Into my hands themselves do reach. 
Thanks for letters, puzzles, etc, to Dan. F. G., Sophie. J. 
F. D., Alpha and Bel, M. T. Hedd. Gus. Maggie, and tffie G. 
Ho-w Xliings are I>oue iia Otlier 
Countries. — I>ressiii«- tlie ECair. 
Quite a long jump, you wUl think, from bread-making 
to hair-dressing ; but in telling you about common things 
in other countries, where their ways are difi'erent from 
our ways, we do not need to follow any regular order. 
It is a very curious fact, that there are scarcely any 
people, even the very lowest and least civilized, who do 
not do something to the hair of the head or face. There 
is much about hair, the manner of its growth, and the 
way it looks under the microscope, that is interesting, 
but we can not talk about these at present. Of course, 
the first use of hair is to protect the head, as well from 
heat, as from cold ; another use is as an ornament ; or- 
nament has its uses, else there would not be such a va- 
riety in hair on both men and beasts. Animals covered 
with feathers instead of hair— the birds— are the most 
highly ornamented of all. and we are very sure that 
all the beautiful variety they display, is not witliout its 
uses. Compare a person with a fine head of hair, with 
one who is bald, and you will hardly doubt that hair is 
for looks, as well as for comfort. In ancient times the 
different nations and tribes had their fashions in hair, as 
do those of the present day. The ancient Greeks and 
Hebrews admired long hair, while the ancient Egyptians 
did not like it at alL, but removed all the hair, and wore 
light wigs. Fine hair was thought so much of in oldea 
times, that plucking out, or tearing the hair, was the 
way of showing the greatest possible grief. Among 
civilized people there have been curious customs. Some 
two hundred years ago a French king had a deformed 
shoulder, which he hid by means of an enormous wig, the 
bottom of which was so long as to cover his defect. Of 
course, this made wigs fashionable, and they were gen- 
erally worn ; thev were often made of silk, and so large 
as to reach half way down the back. In early times, in 
this country, our great grandfathers, and their fathers, 
followed the ways of England, and the judges, gover- 
nors, and all great dignitaries wore enormous horse-hair 
wigs. The war of the revolution put an end to all that 
here, though in England the custom is still kept up, and 
you will see in the illustrated English papers pictures of 
public occasions, in which judges, mayors, and all the 
rest have these ridiculous horee-hair head-coverings ; 
even in the courts at the present time, in England and 
its Colonies, a lawyer jmts on a black gown and a horse- 
hair wig. to address the judge, who alia gravely decked 
in what seems to us such eenselcsa " toggery." It is no 
wonder that in London slang " big vigs " ie the name for 
the di^nilariep. With us short hair is the general rule 
for men, and long hair for women, hut with many tribes 
of Indians the opposite Js the custom ; the men pride 
themsclveB on their long locks, while the women, as ie 
often the case, cut their hair on a level with the eyes, 
and look droll enough. Speaking of the treatment of 
the hair by Indians, reminds n? of a curioufl cnstom 
among the trihos of Arizona and New Mexico. Wlien 
we first went among them, we found several of the men 
with the most singular head-dresses; a eort of turban on 
