1867.] 
AM ERIC AX AG-RICTJJL.T UR1ST. 
107 
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ILearu to I'se What Vou Kaio^r. 
George Barnard's father brought home from the war an 
empty bomb-shell as a relic from the battle-field. George 
was a bright boy. though a small one, and was much in- 
terested in his fathers story about the shell; but he 
wanted to make the relic useful. He therefore filled it 
with various seeds, pouring them in carefully through the 
fuse-hole, and buried it in his garden, with the top out of 
ground. One morning his father discovered the buried 
shell. "" Why, George, what's this? Arc yon expecting 
a crop of bomb-shells by and by?" 1 he asked. " Oh, no, 
father; its full of seeds. I thought they would do well 
in such a nice, warm place; but they don't stare yet." 
" Xor will they, my boy. if you live to be a hundred years 
old. The seeds need to be dropped in the ground, Georgie, 
where they can have room and nourishment, and a chance 
to put out roots below and sprouts above.' 1 George took 
up the shell and '* unloaded " it. That evening !Mr. Bar- 
nard told his older children of George's operations. " It 
makes me think," said he, "of a learned man who can't 
use his learning for himself, nor give any body else the 
benefit of it, — one whose head is stuffed as full of book- 
knowledge, or ideas, as that shell was of seeds — good 
enough in themselves, but not one of which can get fairly 
out. Now, I want you all to be intelligent boys and girls ; 
but I want you, when you learn a good thing, to think 
luow to use it, so as to make it of service to yourselves 
and others. You have, perhaps, learned some things to- 
day, which may be made valuable if you try to think Jww 
they may be made so. I have heard wise men say that 
they had known persons, with comparatively little knowl- 
edge, to make themselves of far more value to the com- 
munity, from understanding how to use what they had 
learned, than others whose heads were full. The knowl- 
edge of these last was like gold in a mountain— precious 
if it could be got out. but useless while it lay buried.'' 
Uncle Paul. 
Curious CJeograpltical Problem. 
In the December Agriculturist (page 441), the following 
problem appeared : " Suppose a person to start from 
New York on Monday noon, and travel westward at the 
tame rate the earth revolves eastward, thus passing 
around the globe in 24 hours. It would, of course, be 
noon the whole length of his journey. At what point in 
Ms journey would he find the inhabitants calling it Tues- 
day noon, supposing the whole of his route to be inhab- 
ited;" A discussion of this problem was intended for 
the Feb. number, but was crowded out by other matter. 
The following communication from Mr. J. D. Pulsifer, 
Auburn, Me., treats the matter so clearly that it is pre- 
sented, instead of the comments of the editor : 
" Your problem (No. £12) is a very interesting one, but 
does not admit of a certain solution. The traveler will 
pass over two Continents and two oceans. On the Western 
Continent it will be Monday noon ; on the Eastern Con- 
tinent it will be Tuesday noon ; on the Atlantic Ocean, 
it will be Tuesday noon. 
On the Pacific Ocean, at 
a point somewhere, the 
change is instantaneous 
from Monday to Tues- 
day. Where that point is, 
has not, to my knowl- 
edge, ever been settled. 
The reason why the 
change does not occur on 
the Atlantic Ocean is ow- 
ing to the fact that Am- 
erica was discovered by 
crossing that ocean. If 
the discovery had been 
made by sailing from 
Asia eastward to Califor- 
nia, custom would have 
thrown the change of day 
on to the Atlantic Ocean. 
In making a complete 
circle the day must bo 
changed. Where it is 
changed Is Immaterial 
and conventional. "We 
may. if we please, fix up- 
on the central line of the 
Mississippi River; all 
cat i i f that line in the 
problem supposed, shall 
be Monday, all west 
Tuesday; but that is not 
the line fixed upon. The Pacific Ocean— a very wide line— 
is the one fixed upon, This is, however, contrary to the 
definition of a line, length without breadth. When sufll- 
cient authority shaD have fixed upon some line of longi- 
tude in the Pacific where the change occurs, your problem 
will admit of a more exact solution." Several others 
have written upon the subject, Eomeof them quite under- 
standing!}', especially one who signs himself " Rnsticus ;*' 
his views are substantially the same as those given above. 
A large number laughed (on paper) at the problem, and 
answered ' ; wny at New York of course " ! If that were 
true, then it wouid be Tuesday noon at New York, and 
Monday noon at Boston, and all places east of this city. 
A Borer X"u<ler Water. 
Many of our young readers may have seeu the work of 
the borer, or worm which bites its way into trees, a nib- 
ble at a time, leaving sawdust behind it. These insects 
are very destructive to apple and peach orchards; pine 
and other trees also suffer from their attacks. "With, sharp 
eyes you may find them, perhaps, at work in your neigh- 
borhood. A similar class of creatures live in the waters 
of the ocean. The teredo or ship borer, is a small shell- 
fish, that has the best kind of an apparatus for boring 
wood, which it uses very effectually. A ship's bottom, un- 
protected by metal, would soon be pierced by millions of 
holes made by these minute workers. They attack piles 
driven to form wharves, etc., and in a few weeks a stout 
stick of timber may be dangerously weakened. In Feb- 
ruary, 1S61, a great inundation occurred in Holland, 
caused by the breaking of the embankments which pre- 
vented the overflow of the sea ; villages were destroyed, 
many lives were lost, and nearly 40,000 acres of land 
were flooded. It is believed by good authorities that the 
piles which gave strength to the embankment had been 
so weakened by the teredo as to give way under the great 
pressure of a high tide. Where it is needed, protection 
is given against these borers by sheathing the wood with 
metal, or kyanizing it — that is, filling the pores of the 
wood with some substance poisonous to the teredo. 
It is stated by a gentleman, in the " Adelphi Academy 
Record," that "previous to some thirty years since, the 
augers in general use for boring the holes to receive the 
fastenings of vessels were so made that, in using, it was 
ncccssaiy to frequently draw them out to remove the 
borings, and this made nearly one-third of the work. 
About that time a distinguished Naval Officer invented 
the auger now in general use, which continuously deliv- 
ers the borings from the orifice. Upon examination of 
the boring apparatus of the teredo, this gentleman was 
surprised to find it similarly constructed ! One more in- 
teresting fact concerning the teredo, and we leave it. The 
creature not only works through the hardest wood, but 
lines the little tube it leaves with a beautiful casing of fret- 
ted shell work, extending to the length of one to two feet. 
Don't l>c a Coward. 
This picture history of Timid Timothy, is for the 
amusement of those boys and girls who are afraid "some- 
thing will catch them'' 1 in the dark, or when left alone. 
You can see how he was frightened at a mouse, his shad- 
ow, etc. The story says he grew more and more like a 
hare, a most timid creature, until, finally, no one could 
see any difference between him and that animal, and 
3fe>v Puzzles to be Answered. 
No. 253. Illustrated Rebus— & beautiful eong. 
€?■■ 
No. 254. Illustrated fieius. — For the young to remember 
No. 255. Word Square.— The proper definitions of the 
following words, viz. : A}wtogy, Jump, Sest, Monkey*, 
written one under the other will form a word square— thai 
is. the words will be the same whether read across or 
downward. Find these definitions and form the square. 
away bo ran into the woods. We don't say the story is 
true, but if you will carefully observe men. yon will bo 
surprised to aee bow much they grow to look like the 
animals which they resemble in habits ami char.i' t>-r. 
Xo. 856. Illustrated JRebus. — A true proposition. 
No. 257. Anagrams.— Make single words from each of 
the following : 1, Fat reward ; 2, One drum; 3, Eed pa- 
per ; 4, Sophy, I cry ; 5, Set on a dish. 
-Answers to Problems and Puzzles. 
The following are answers to the puzzles, etc.. in the 
February number, page 67 ; No. 251. Illustrated fieb'/s.— 
A little darkey (dark e) in 
bed, with nothing over it 
No. 252. Illustrated 
Rebus. — A straight fur- 
row, and a well made 
fence are sure {rr's eicer) 
signs of au excellent far- 
mer. The following have 
sent in correct answers 
to puzzles, etc., in pre- 
vious numbers, up to 
Feb. 1st. at which time 
this part of the paper is 
finished : L. W. Gates, 
Adn Stanton, Mary A. 
Rhodes. Alfred Hawts- 
worth, Mary and Lizzie 
Brumbaugh, Thos. K. 
Quince, Jos. Ball, v. S. 
Flinn. Isaac A. Chap- 
man, Sarah B. Veatch, 
W. B. Drew. James Hoff- 
man, J. B. Daniels, C 
D. Bishop, F.Scbncl 
T, s. Cadwallader, E. G, 
S., John Wcrtx, Frank 
Painter. Theodore W. 
Bellis, Leonora Burrou, 
Reuben Pickett. Mrs. H. 
A.Rhodohamel, Syhrania 
Sherman, Isaac T. Me- 
tain.Mre. Ruth A.Clute, 
John B. Demster, Abraham J. Grelner, B. P. Albaugh, 
Hannah Fawcett. Annie HcQrow, William Foalk, Charles 
W, Stewart, Ella C McWiUlame, Jonathan Smith. Wilson 
Evorly, Thomas Bellsouth, George P. Watson, F. Brush. 
