268 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[July, 
CHINESE KITE-F 
[COPYRIGHT SECURED.] 
L Y I N G. — Drawn and Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
No. 3S8. Age Puzzle.— & boy on being asked his age 
replied that V 2 and 14 his age and 20 more would make a 
Bum three times his age. How old was he ? 
No. 3S9.— A letter was sent addressed \ Wood 
as here shown. "Who was it intended for I I 
and where did the man live ? ) Mass 
No. 390. — A man had three bushels of corn to grind by 
horse-power, and he had three horses ; how could he ar- 
range so that each horse would grind two bushels of corn ? 
A Very Old Record. 
I suppose all of you boys and girls know that 245 Broad- 
way is directly opposite City-Hall Park. It isn't much of 
a park now that .the new Post-Office has taken off one end 
and new city buildings are filling up the other end. 
These city buildings contain all the old records dating 
away back to " early times." But the record I saw the 
other day was older than even these musty papers and 
parchments— it was a story of what happened before the 
city buildings were erected, before new New York was 
New Amsterdam, even before Columbus went on that 
yachting excursion of his. It was not the record of any 
man's doings, but the story of the work of the sea ; how 
its waves had rolled and cast up sand, now fine and now 
coarse, now of one color and now of another shade ; and 
how the sand was piled grain by grain and layer by layer, 
until the land was formed upon which the busiest and 
densest part of this great city now stands. The way this 
record came to be exposed was this. In laying the foun- 
dations for the new Post-Office, they dug an enormous 
cellar in the park right down some thirty feet, and on 
the perpendicular sides of this excavation could be read 
the story of what the sea had been doing long, long ago. 
Some of you may think that the sea didn't make the sand- 
heap upon which the lower part of the city stands. The 
few feet near the surface show man's work ; there was a 
layer of soil, another of rubbish, another of gravel— sev- 
eral layers showing the changes that former inhabitants 
had made ; and these did not more plainly tell the story, 
that at one time there was filling with earth, and at 
another a dumping of rubbish, and at anothei a covering 
with gravel, than did the layers below record what the 
sea had done. Now if I had called this a "geological 
talk " yon would not have cared anything about it. All 
that geologists do is to observe the appearances the earth 
presents and then try to give an explanation of them. — 
Though every person, who was living when the dirt and 
rubbish w.ere placed just below the present surface, may 
now be dead, we have every reason to believe that some- 
body put it there, as it looks exactly like some similar 
material that we have ourselves seen deposited ; so the 
sand layers below looked exactly like the sand that we 
may find upon the sea-beach, that was thrown up only a 
few days ago ; and as we know of no other way in which 
sand could be arranged to look as this did, we are war- 
ranted in calling it the record of what the sea did more 
years ago than we are able to guess. Will Warren. 
Kite-Flying in China. 
Carleton's description of the way in which the curious 
old Chinamen amuse themselves by flying kites, no doubt 
interested every boy. We have come across a picture, in 
which the artist represents the scene as he saw it, and 
give it above. Between the report of our friend Carle- 
ton given with the pen, and the report of the artist made 
with a pencil, you will have a very good idea of one of 
the customs of a people whose ways are so unlike ours. 
After all, some of our people who are no longer boys do 
some kite-flying — only it takes the shape of fast horses, 
stock gambling, and various other shapes which are not 
quite so innocent as those indulged in by the pigtailed 
old people in the picture. There is considerable sport 
in flying a kite, and we know a learned man of seventy 
years, who enjoys it as much as any boy. 
S>o Yon know How to Swim? 
Every boy and girl should know how to swim. It is 
generally thought to be an accomplishment more proper 
for boys than for girls ; but there is quite as much need 
that girls too should know how. It is great sport, and 
the boys should not have all the fun to themselves. But 
as a matter of security against accidents, it is very desira- 
ble that every one should be able to swim, or at least, to 
keep their heads above water. There is one proper time 
for young people to learn to swim, and that is— when 
your parents will consent to it. The judgment of older 
people should be taken in regard to the safety of the 
place in which to learn, and it is best for those who 
cannot swim to have an older person by, until they learn. 
In trying to swim, always let your progress be towards 
shore. Wade off until the water is up to your breast, 
and then try to swim to the shore, taking it cahnly and 
not making too hard work of it. Of course the attempt 
should be made where the water gradually dcepcus, where 
the bottom is safe, and where there is no strong current. 
These are things that boys should not trust their own 
judgments about. When you have learned to swim with- 
out clothes, or at most bathing drawers, put on a pair 
of old pantaloons and try to swim with them. It will 
be found difficult at first, but it can be done ; then try a 
shirt and vest, and, finally, shoes. But few persons learn 
to swim in clothing, and it is the most important thing 
about it. When one goes overboard by accident, he has 
no time to remove his clothing ; and it is not well to wait 
until such an event happens before you find out now much 
more difficult it is to swim with clothing than it is with- 
out. It is not easy to give directions in swimming ; the 
best way is to follow the instructions of some older 
friend, or of your parent. Try and be a good, straight- 
ahead swimmer, before you attempt any of the many fancy 
tricks. Learn to swim first, then to float, and then to 
tread water; these are the most useful; afterwards 
you may add as many extra styles as you choose. 
