1869.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
103 
Tlie Improvement Circle. 
It is hard, dry work for most boys and girls to gut 
knowledge from books. This is not surprising. Young 
people arc too Aill of life to sit still long at a time, pnd 
besides this most books impart instruction in a very un- 
interesting way. Facts, packed away in leaves, are 
like dried fruit • it is much pleasanter to gather either 
fruit or knowledge fresh from nature. For example, you 
may read how each seed contains a young plant in itself, 
which grows larger and multiplies its different parts, 
when properly placed in the soil ; but how much more 
interesting -to take a seed, carefully cut it open, and 
find the plant ! Then to take others and examine them 
day after day in their different stages of growth ! Every 
day would show a fresh wonder, to brighten the eyes of 
the young student. So of any other facts in every branch 
of knowledge. The careful observer will also soon be- 
come so interested that he will be pleased with books 
which tell him more than he has been able to discover 
himself. Now suppose a dozen, more or less, boys and 
girls of any neighborhood should unite into a circle to 
gain knowledge. They should first agree to be governed 
by the wishes of the majority and then select some one 
subject for their studies. We will suppose they agree 
first to learn what they can about the plants growing iu 
their neighborhood, which would be a very pleasant aud 
profitable topic. The special question first taken up 
might be. How many different kinds of plants can be 
found within a certain district? A week might be taken 
to gain information on this point. Then you may be 
sure there would be twelve pairs of eyes looking more 
sharply at plants than ever before. Every hedge-row 
would be searched and every nook and corner closely 
examined, for with commendable rivalry each would try 
to secure the largest number of specimens. When they 
met to compare notes, all duplicates would be thrown 
out, the remainder counted, and examined by all. Thus 
each member of the circle would have the benefit of 
twelve pairs of eyes and hands instead of one, and might 
be able to leani almost twelve times as inuch as though 
working alone, besides having the added pleasure which 
agreeable union brings. The next week new specimens 
might be looked for, and when no more could be found, 
each member might be requested to find out all the facts 
possible about some one plant, for instance the potato. 
Then one would perhaps be led to study the leaf, another 
the stem, another the root, etc., and all would be sur^ 
prised to see how many new things would be learned, 
and learned in such a way ns not to be forgotten. This 
is but an example of what might be accomplished. The 
insects, the birds, stones, clouds, weather, sun, moon, 
nnd stars, history, geography, philosophy, — in short, the 
whole round of knowledge— will furnish an inexhaustible 
fmid for most pleasurable and profitable study. Who 
will have the honor of forming Circle No. 1, and send an 
account of its first and second meetings ? Perhaps they 
would be interesting enough to publish for the emulation 
of others. Many parents and teachers to whom this 
plan is mentioned will be able to give valnable sug- 
gestions to the young students, but they should be left 
mostly to themselves, carefully guided, but not discour- 
aged by offering too much advise and help. 
The World. I\ot Finished. 
The first inhabitants of the earth would hardly know 
their old home, should they now revisit it. Changes 
have been going on in every part ; mountains have been 
lowered in some places, and lifted up in others ; great 
lakes and rivers have disappeared ; the plants of different 
sections are not the same as formerly; old breeds of 
animals are gone and new ones have appeared, and every- 
where the great work of improving and finishing the 
world is going on. Every summer's sun and winter's 
frost docs something to change the face of nature ; rocks 
crumble little by little, are washed down the hill-sides, 
and help to fill the valleys. The streams are wearing 
away their banks and carrying earth, to deposit it in new 
places. The ocean slowly advances on some coasts and 
retires from others. Now and then a volcano or an earth- 
quake in a few hours sweeps away all old .andmarks, and 
a large district is thus at once made over. Equally great 
changes arc going on among men, in their appearance, 
habits, customs, laws, and character. Whole races have 
passed away and left only here and there a mark to show 
that they existed, aud new nations are coming forward 
to rule the progress of the world. It is remarkable that 
iu all these particulars there is, on the whole, manifest 
improvement. Nature and men are less fierce than for- 
merly. The ages of fearful monsters and ferocious 
nations have nearly passed. Peace, order, beauty, and 
happiness, are gradually advancing: the world is being 
finished ! y Us Great Creator. The six days' work in the 
begfianinj, described in the Bible, wag merely the briag^ 
ing together of the materials and putting them together 
roughly. The adjusting and polishing have yet to be 
completed. All have a part to do in the great work. The 
sunbeam that enlivens a little plant by the wayside helps 
make theworld better ; the boy or girl who lives right is 
like a whole sun scattering light on every huid, and will as 
surely do his or her work in society, as the rays of the natu- 
ral sun perform their appointed part. Let's all take hold 
and try to finish up the world by making somebody better. 
A Pleasing: Home Game, 
Our young folks, including the writer, have passed 
many a pleasant evening hour playing a new game called 
"Sqnails." It is for sale at toy and stationery stores, 
but almost any one can make the necessary parts. A 
small block of lead, say half an inch in diameter and 
of the same high t, is placed on the center of a smooth 
table ; this is the target. The sqnails, sixteen or more 
round, flat, and smooth pieces of hard iVood about two 
inches in diameter, are distributed among the players. 
These pieces should be differently colored or numbered, 
so as to distinguish those belonging to each player, there 
being four of each color or number. Iu ease these can 
not be easily procured, large, flat overcoat buttons of 
wood or metal will answer very well. The players are 
seated, and each in turn places a squail on the edge of 
the table, projecting a little over the edge, and with the 
hand gives it a slight blow or snaps it with his finger, to 
drive it as near as possible to the target. When all the 
sqnails are played, the one remaining nearest the target 
counts one for its player; if he have been skillful or 
fortunate enough to leave two or more squails nearer the 
target than those of any other player, each 6quail counts 
one, in the same way as in pitching quoits. He who thus 
counts seven, nine, or any other number decided upon, 
wins the game. The first play is made in rotation from 
right to left. A good part of the fun is the uncertainty 
until the last squail is played. A skillful shot by the last 
player may drive away one or more well-placed squails, 
and gain the victory. If the target is driven out of place, 
it is to be played at where it lies. Any squail driven 
more than three inches upon the table can not be taken 
back until the end of the game. 
WliisUey vs. Braius. 
The "Southern Son" relates that a temperance lecturer 
gave the following hard hit at "moderate drinkers :'*■— 
" All who in youth acquire a habit of drinking whiskey, 
at forty years of age will be total abstainers or drunkards. 
No one can use whiskey for years with moderation. If 
there is a person in this audience whose experience dis- 
putes this, let him make it known and I will account for 
it. or acknowledge that I am mistaken." A tall, large 
man arose, and folding his arms across his breast, said : 
"I offer myself as one whose own experience contra- 
dicts your statement. " "Are y«u a moderate drinker?" 
asked the Judge. " I am." " How long have you drank 
in moderation ?" " Forty years." " Aud were you never 
intoxicated ?" " Never." " Well," remarked the Judge, 
scanning his subject closely from head to foot, " yours is 
a singular case, yet I think it easily accounted for. I am 
reminded by it of a little story : A colored man, with a 
loaf of bread aud a bottle of whiskey, sat down on the 
bank of a clear stream to dine. In breaking the bread 
he dropped some of the crumbs into the water. These 
were eagerly seized and eaten by the fish. That circum- 
stance suggested to the negro the idea of dipping the 
bread into the whiskey and feeding it to them. He tried 
it. It worked well. Some of the fish ate of it, became 
drank, and floated helplessly on the surface. In this way 
he easily caught a large number. But in the stream was 
a large fish, very unlike the rest. It partook freely of the 
bread and whiskey, with no perceptible effect. It was 
shy of every effort of the negro to take it. He resolved 
to have it at all hazards, that he might learn its name 
and nature. He procured a net, aud after much effort 
caught it, carried it to a colored neighbor, and asked his 
opinion in the matter. The other surveyed the wonder 
a moment, and then said : ' Sambo, I understand dis case. 
Dis fish is a mullet head ; it ain't got any brain l' '■ In 
other words," added the judge, u alcohol affects only the 
brains, and of course those having none may drink with- 
out injury." The storm of laughter which followed 
drove the " moderate drinker" suddenly from the house. 
Spacious Cottage,— A real estate agent informs 
the public "that he has a beautiful cottage for sale, con- 
taining ten rooms and an acre of land." 
Stunning Farewell*— A Connecticut editor gives 
an account of a man who blew out his brains after bid- 
ding his wife good-by with a shot gun. 
Conundrum.— When does a man have a vegetable time- 
piece 1 .4ft«£'e/\--Wb.fcU he gets a potato clock, (gtts up 
at eight o'clock). 
A Picture Story.— Write it out yourself. 
Answers to Problems siarf Puzzles* 
The following are answers to the puzzles, etc.. in the 
February number, page 63. . . .Nu. 331 
km.— A pays 4 3 16, and B, 
3 11-16 cents per pound 
No. 333. Illustrated Rebus. 
—A circle of pictures ap- 
pears, in which are exhib- 
ited five pairs of ewes. 
Though their tenor you 
cau not entirely foresee, 
perseverance, I fancy, will 
give you the key. Injustice 
to our young readers we 
state that through an error 
of the draughtsman, the 
ewe in the first circle 
should be an ewer The 
following have sent in cor- 
rect answers to some of 
the puzzles recently pub- 
lished: Frank L. Whit- 
comb, " N. N. M," Fidelia 
R. Lord, Sallie Work, N. 
Jennie Fain, Julia M. 
Rowley, Robert Simpson, 
John M. Cotton, M. Rut- 
ter, IT. Agme, "Charlie P., 
Arithmetical Prob- 
No. 339.— Illustrated Rebi •. 
Wesley T. Jolly. A. Berdan, 
George A Fuller, James Vandemark, Carrie Nell Smith, 
John B. Hillock, Aaron EL Manderbach, T. T. Kerr Ed- 
win C, Erady, Frank Lockwood, *' Carrie, Jr." 
