148 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[April, 
A SPRING SCENE 
IN 
MARYLAND . — Drawn and Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
CONCEALED PISH. 
(Two in each sentence, one spelled forward, the other 
backward.) 
1. He was so bad, a certain person would not have him. 
2. It is late so let us go ahead. Ah ! see ! The play has 
commenced. 
3. Much feeling may be expressed in the piano. “ Do I 
delight in music ? ” Yes, indeed ! 
4. In trying to cross Doly bog, one is like a ship with¬ 
out a rudder. 
5. lie lost ten checks, which put him in a rage. Nip. 
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN THE FEBRUARY NUMBER 
Acrostic.—A ulil lang syne. 
A—msterdam. 
U—tica. 
L—itch field. 
D—oicliester. 
L—ansingburg. 
A—nnapolis. 
N—ewark. 
G—ettysburg. 
S—alisbury. 
Y—onkers. 
N—ewton. 
E—denton. 
Diamond Puzzle. 
Architect. 
A 
IRK 
DECOY 
L E G II O P. N 
ARCHITECT 
ECSTASY 
STEER 
ACE 
T 
Animals Enigmatically Expressed.— 1. Ram. 2. Sloth. 
3. Poach. 4. Ounce. 5. Mare (mayor). 0. Bear (bare). 
Figure Blanks. ~ 1. Thirty—ten. 2. Five—four—8. 3. 
One—seven. 4. Forty—two—four—nine.; 5. One—eight. G. 
Nine—eight. 7. Forty—two—ten—four—two—eight. 8. Six 
—eight—four—tray. 
Cross-word.—B e truthful. 
Thanks for letters, puzzles, etc., to Cur, Isola, Albert F. C., 
X. Y. Z., A. F. Conant, and Jacob Hales. 
Additional names of those answering John W. Wheatley's 
enigma.—Nemo, Ira M. Price, Fanny Bond, and Bessie V. 
Griffin. 
It may be as well to remark that puzzles upon the name of 
the Agriculturist, or upon that of any one of its editors or 
proprietors, is not likely to be ever published. 
Send communications intended for Aunt Sue, to Box 111, 
P. 0., Brooklyn, N. 7., and not to 245 Broadway. 
A Spring- l>;sy in the Country. 
We have before told you about our pictures. Some of 
them we give because they teach something, whether 
about our own, or some other country; other pictures are 
given merely because they amuse; others still, simply 
because they are pictures, and these, without any thought 
of what they may teach, are given because they are pleas¬ 
ant to look upon, as specimens of the engraver's art. If, 
in addition to this, they tell any story, all the better. If 
you were to compare the above picture with that of some 
costly city building in this country, or with that of some 
celebrated structure in the old world, or of some re¬ 
nowned ruin, we think that our youngsters would prefer 
this picture. If we were to ask you why ? you would 
say: “ It is home-like. I have seen something very 
much like that somewhere ; I am sure that I have seen 
just such trees, standing by the side of a run or stream. 
There are boys engaged in fishing, too. I have fished in 
just such a stream, where there were trees like these, 
but”-We know why you say “hut,” for there is the 
old building, part house and part mill, with its “ flume ” 
to carry the water to the wheel. Then the style of the 
building is quite unlike anything that has been built 
within the last hundred years, so you reluctantly give it 
np, and admit that it is a place you never saw. “ But is 
there any such place?” some will ask. Yes, it is a 
scene in Maryland, which yon know is one of the oldest 
States, and probably the building, for there are many 
such, was put up long before the war of Independence. 
We chose it because it was so good a specimen of wood¬ 
engraving, and withal so pleasing a picture. The trees 
look like trees, and the water like water, while the build¬ 
ing and ail its surroundings, tell as plainly as need he, 
of days long gone by. So we give the picture because it 
is a good and pleasing one. But as you look at it, does 
it suggest nothing to you? The stream runs quietly, 
tlie trees are in leaf, the hoys enjoy themselves at fish¬ 
ing, and a general air of quiet over the whole, suggests 
a pleasing “ Spring Day in the Country.” Ah, these 
spring days ! now present to some of you, and soon to 
come to others, are there any other days like them? 
When are the leaves so fresh in their greenery, when 
do we find such wild flowers, when do the birds sing 
so joyously, when does the stream ripple so laugh¬ 
ingly as in those spring days, when the very air is filled 
with light and life and loveliness ? Many a rich, old 
man, were he to study this picture, would forget 
that he had, these many years, trodden the hard pave¬ 
ment, while the only glimpse of nature he could 
get, was by looking up between the walls of brick 
and stone, to the strip of blue sky, the same sky of which 
as a boy, he saw the whole canopy. You hoys, who look 
upon this picture of a “ Spring Day in the Country,” try 
to see your present blessings, the pure air, the open 
country, the grand old trees, the swift running stream, 
the singing birds, the humming insec’s, while above all 
is the glorious sky, and all filled with the abundant sun¬ 
light. These are all grand and good, but these overhang 
and surround a place called home. There are a mother, 
a father, and brothers and sisters, whose love makes it 
always a “SpringDay in the Country.” Are you—as 
many hoys are—discontented ? Do you wish to seek 
another life in the city, or elsewhere, away from home? 
Take one of t^ese lovely spring days now here, or at 
hand, and go off by yourself, and think over the matter. 
Put all that you now have and can enjoy, on the one side,- 
and all that you hope to have, after years of toil—in 
which yon have lost all delight in country pleasures on 
the other—and then ask yourself “ Is it worth while ? ” 
Mind, we do not say that no boys should leave the 
farm for a city life, hut we do say that many make the 
change without proper thought. In these days the 
“spring-fever” is or.; that feeling of discontent, when 
neither body or mind are at ease. Every hoy 15 years 
old has probably had the “ spring-fever,” and at those 
times is very unhappy. When this comes, get your fish¬ 
ing rod and tines, and go to some quiet stream and fish 
and think. We do not expect you will catch any fish, 
but something better. Look around at the fresh forest, 
look down at the starting grass, look up at the sky over¬ 
head, and see if this world, especially your part of it, is 
so had as it seems. If you don’t take home any fish, 
you will have had a plenty of fishing, which should 
bring a more contented spirit, and your Spring Day in 
the Country will not have been wasted. 
