1866.1 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
67 
matters, pcarlash is the result. Pearlasli consists 
of carbonate of potasli witli some impurities. If 
the pcarlash be exposed to an atmosphere of car- 
bonic acid, such as is given otT in fermentation, or 
in burning charcoal, it combines with more car- 
bonic acid than it before contained, and becomes 
a more or less complete bicarbonate of potash, or 
saleratus — ^aeratcd salt. Plants growing near salt 
■water contain soda instead of potash, and by burn- 
ing give an ash, which, when treated in the same way 
as wood ashes, gives soda ash or barilla; the solu- 
ble part of this dissolved in w.ater and crystallized, 
yields sal soda, which is a crystallized carbonate of 
soda, and this exposed to carbonic acid would form 
a bi-carbonate of soda, corresponding to saleratus, 
but containing soda instead of potash. This was for- 
merly the way of obtaining these soda compounds, 
but of late years they are made from common salt 
by a process too complex for description tcre, but 
the resulting products arc the same. 
B(D¥i 4 ©MILS' (e®JL¥MHS. 
Oamc of ** Xag-,*' ~\vith Varialions. 
Probably every boy and girl often years old knows 
how lo play the old game of " tag." It is so old that the 
cliildren of the Roman empiie used to play it, thousands 
of years ago ; the name "tag" comes from their lan- 
guage, /a^o, or tango, sis it was written in later limes, 
meaning " I touch." Several variations may be made to 
enliven the game. Thusin'Crois Ta^, vthen one boy (A) 
is running after another (B), a third one (C) crosses be- 
tween them, then .4 must endeavor to tag C: if another 
hoy {D) crosses between them, A must pursue hiin, an ! 
so on, until he touches the last boy wlio crossed befoie 
iiim. Change Tag is a new style of the play. The pur- 
suer or " catcher" as he is called, while chasing a boy, 
calls out "change," then all the players must imitate the 
"catcher:" if he hops, tliey must hop ; or he may com- 
mence jumping on both feet, or running with a skip, or 
with his liands behind him, or change his gait in anyway 
iie thinks best, to embarrass tiie others, and make it easier 
for him to catch them. Any boy who takes more than 
one step without changing after ttie catcher calls out, 
must become catcher. If two or more fail to make the 
rdange at the right lime, the catcher may select his suc- 
cessor from them. This mode of the game will keep the 
wits as well as the legs of all the players in motion. 
A Idvely Oanie in tUe Snoi;^'. 
When the snow is newly fallen, select a level spot and 
run out a circular track, with cross paths, as in the ac- 
companying engraving. It may be of any diameter, 
about thirty feet is a con- 
venient size. The round 
space (-W) in llie middle, 
shovild be large enough for 
all the boys joining in the 
game to sland in without 
crowding. This spot is cal- 
led "Home." In playing 
this game, one boy is selec- 
ted for *' Fox," and he en- 
deavors to touch any one 
of the others w hen they are not nt " Home," and the one 
so caught then becomes fox. Every "Chick-en" must 
run only in the marked paths ; if one steps outside the 
ring, or away from the paths, he must take tlie place of 
" Fox," until he can thus catch some one else. Tins is 
a capital game for boys and girls in cold weather. 
A Just Re'\Tard. 
VVhen Napoleon I. sailed on his expedition to Egypt, 
the ships accompanying him were crowded with troops. 
It frequently occurred that a man accidentally fell over- 
board, and at such times Napoleon is said to have mani- 
fested the greatest interest in rescuing the unfortunate 
soldier from his peril, altliough when in battle, no general 
ever showed greater indifference to the wholesale 
slaughter resulting from his orders ; tkereihe certain loss 
of thousands of lives never deterred him from pursuing a 
plan wliicli promised success. On the occasion referred 
lo, he stimulated the sailors to watchfulness and exertion, 
by liberally rewarding all who helped lo rescue a drown- 
ing soldier. One night a loud splash was heard near one 
of his ships, and immediately the cry was raised " m:in 
overboard !" The vessel was Instantly put about, the 
boats lowered, and" for a hmg time, the search continued, 
\iniil at lengfh the sailors succeeded In saving— ^-^a 
quarter of beef. whi<'h had slipped from a Roose at the 
bow of the ship. Of course a good laugh followed, but 
Napoleon ordereil that a larger reward than usual bo paifl. 
as the sailors had exeried themselves, though unsuccess- 
fully, as much as would have been necessary to save life. 
Xlie Oamc orciieckersor I>raiig-lits. 
HisTORicjLL.— In America the game is commonly called 
Checkers; in Great Britain, Draughts; in France, lejeu dc 
dames; in Italy, Dama; In Germany, Damen, from the iilea 
that the game was especially fitted for women. The 
origin of the game is uncertain. It is supposed to have 
preceded chess and certainly is of great antiquity. It has 
been played in Egypt for more than 4000 years ; as ap- 
pears from the monumental paintings, it was a common 
amusement In the reigns of the Osirlasens. 2000 years B. 
C. It made its appearance in Europe only three or fovir 
centuries ago, when there was much intercourse between 
Southern Europe and Alexandria and other Egyptian 
ports, before the passage to India lound tlie Cape of 
Good Hope replaced that through the Isthmus of Suez. 
It was played as now, with pieces all of which on the 
same board were alike in size and form, though in differ- 
ent boards tliey varied in shape, some being small, oth- 
ers large and rounded on the top, or carved in likenesses 
of human heads. 
LAWS OF THE GAME. — (Continued /'''oni page 20.) 
1. The standard board must be of light and dark 
squares, not less than fourteen inches, nor more than fif- 
teen inches across the squares. 
2. The standard men, technically described as White 
and Black, must be light and dark (sayWliile and Red, 
or Wlute and Black,) turned round, and not less than one 
inch, nor more than one and one-eighth inches in diameter. 
3. The board shall be placed so that the bottom cor- 
ner square on the left hand shall be black. 
4. The men shall be placed on the black squares. 
5. The Black men shall be invariably placed upon the 
real or supposed first twelve squares of the board, the 
While upon the last twelve squares. 
6. Each player shall play alternately with the Black 
and the White men. and lots shall be cast for Ihe color only 
once, viz.: at the commencement of a match, the winner 
to have the choice of taking Black or White. 
POSITION NO. 3. 
Black. 
White 
n hite to play and uin, 
(Known by expert players as " Sturges' first position.") 
Solution to Position Xo. 1. (See January number, p. 26.) 
The position should have been given as all kings. 
Three kings win ag^unst tw-o, whenever the two are in 
the double corners. Voung players should study this, and 
Ihey will see that it is a forced win, in a few moves. 
White. Black. White. mack. ■ 
18 to 15 6 to 1 9 to 6 28 to 23 
14 " 9 24 ■* 2S i9 " 2A 5 " 1 
23 " 19 1 " 5 24 " 19— and wins. 
In the game last month (page 26), the Htli move of 
black should have been printed 10 to 17, instead of 10 to 11. 
GAME NO. 2. — OCD FOURTEENTH 0PENINQ.(*J 
BJc 
ck 
Whilt. 
m 
nek. 
, White. 
1— 11 
lo 
15 
23 to 
19 
15— 8 
n 12 
Cf)24 lo 19 
2- 6 
n 
22 " 
ir 
16—15 
• 31 
26 " 22 
3— 4 
8 
17 " 
13 
17-12 
' 19 
22 " 8 
4—15 
15 
24 " 
20 
18—14 
' 17 
21 " 14 
.^-11 
15 
28 " 
24 
I9-in 
■ 17 
8 " 3 
6- 8 
n 
26 " 
23 
20— 7 
' 10 
25 " 21 
-— 9 
14 
(a)31 •• 
26 
21—17 
' 22 
(8)20 •' 16 
8— 6 
<j(b: 
13 " 
6 
22-10 
" 14 
16 " 11 
9— 2 
9 
26 " 
OO 
23—31 
• 26 
n " 7 
in- 1 
6(c) 
32 " 
28 
24— 6 
t( 
13 •' 6 
11— 3 
8 
(d)30 " 
26 
23-14 
■• 17 
21 " 14 
12- 9 
13 
19 " 
16 
26-22 
" 25 
29 " 22 
13—15 
19 
23 " 
16 
27—28 
" 1 
7 " 2 
14-13 
lT(e) 
22 " 
13 
iind the 
game 
is drawn. 
(a) 30 to 26, nr 32 to 2S. loses the game. 
(b) 11 to 16 is t!ic move generally made by young play- 
ers; because they are afraid lo break up their king row, 
but it is the move that loses the game. 
(c) 9 to 13 would lose here, (.d) 22 to 17, black wins, 
(c) 8 to 12. or 14 to 17. white would win. 
(0 25 to 22 also draws, (g) 3 to 7, black: wins. 
(*) Is so tailed from its being familiar to players as the 
Kth game in Sturges' original work. He wrote a treatise 
on 'he game nf draughts about sUty five years ago. 
AnsTrers to Problems and PuzzIon. 
The following are the answers to the Puzzles in tlie 
January number, page 26. No. 183. Illustrated Rebus. 
— On St is the best poll I see, or Honesty is the best policy. 
No. 184. Mathematical Problem.~l.e(t open for 
another month, as no correct answers have been received. 
No. 185. Illustrated Rebus.— C on T in U in hole in 
S, or Continue in holiness No. ISC. Charade..— Andrew 
Jackson.. ..iio. 187. Charade. — Emancipation. 
The following have sent answers up to the date of Jan. 
Rth : Ilattie A. Goffe, 181; A. Jackson. 180, 181; Lida 
Newman, 179; II. Johnson, 180; J. M. S., 183; May 
Kalbfiis, 186, 1S7 ; Hen. M. Young, 183. 155,186, 1S7 .- 
Sol. Ceard, 166, 187 ; Jas. D. McGiff"ert, IS6, ]S7. 
ISew Puzzles to "he AnsTrered, 
No. 18S. Arithmetical Problem.— The Scramble. —Cow- 
tributed to the Agriculturist by J. D. McGiffert. Colum- 
bia Co.. N. Y.— A, in a scramble, seized on Jz of a parcel 
of sugar-plums; B snatched ,'3 of it out of his liands, 
and C laid hold on 3-lOIhs more ; D ran off with all A liad 
left, except l-7th, which E afterwards secured slyly for 
himself; then A and C jointly set upon B, who in the 
conflict let fall >^ he had, which was equally pi(!ked Tip 
by D and E.— B then kicked down C's hat, and to work 
tiicy went anew for what it contained ; of which A got 
ii. B h'. D 2-7lhs, and C and E equal shares of wliat was 
left of that slock ; D then struck Ji of what A and B 
last acquired, out of their hands ; they with difficulty re- 
covered *e' of it in equal shares again, but ihe other three 
carried off 'a a piece of llie same. Upon this tliey called 
a truce, and agreed, that the h' of the whole, left by A at 
first, should be equally divided among them. How mucii 
of the prize, after this distribution, remained with each ? 
No. 1S9. Illustrated 
Eetws.— Not new, but in- 
genious, and contains _ _ 
very excellent advice. ^V^^ CTj! J^B \Jt^^ 
No. 190. Mathematical 
Problem. — Contributed 
to the American Agricul- 
turist, by James Dick- 
son. Olmslead Co.. Minn. 
Give the rule for the following: Any dividend being 
giveUi to find a divisor wliich added to its quotient shall 
make a sum equal to the dividend. 
No. 191. Anagrams. — Contributed by " Susanue." !. 
Pain's mother. 2, Tub's diary. 3. Under a vest. 4. To 
start Cain. 5, Bad in Creoles. 6, Soon in camp. What 
fiingle words can be formed of the foregoing? 
Noi 192. Spelling Exercise.—k. correspondent says, 
the word " scissors " can be spelled in 720 different ways. 
of course not correctly, but so that the sound will be the 
same, by using the vowels a, e, i, o, u, and y. Is this so ? 
No. 193. Rfrfrf/p.— Green, white, pink and black; large 
as a hump on a camel's back : soaking wet like n dropsi- 
cal sponge ; into its heart a knife I'll plunge ; then 
from its body take a slice ; smack your lips and say it fs 
nice ; skin and bones PU throw away ; what its name 
is I prithee say. 
No. 194. Illustrated /ie6u5.-AP reverb in a nci\ diess. 
No. 195. Puzzle.— When there's a will, there's a 
what? The above curious picture givM the answer. 
