AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
387 
1878.] 
that is louml upon stale bread and many other articles. 
This is one of the objects just beyond the power of our 
Microscope to show satisfactorily. Some of this mould, 
carefully scraped oft' and examined with a strong com¬ 
pound Microscope, would appear as in figure 0. The 
threads at the bottom are the proper plant, and the little 
bead like clusters are the spore-cases_Here is a ques¬ 
tion that I find it difficult to answer—“ G. C. W.,” Minn., 
asks “can an insect 
Feel Fain after its Head is OffP” 
As insects have no means of expressing their opinion 
on this subject, we should give them the benefit of the 
doubt, especially as they have no distinct brain, but a 
number of brains, or nerve-centers in various parts of 
the body. It is best to kill them first. All but those with 
Scaly wings—butterflies and moths—are easily killed by 
dropping them into alcohol; the others may be killed by 
placing a few drops of chloroform or benzine upon them. 
- «a -—- 
A Crazy Cushion is now very popular among 
young people. The idea is to combine the work of vari¬ 
ous persons in one piece of embroidery—to make a sort 
of worsted album as it were, (not the only kind of album, 
by the way. that Is a crewel affair.) A square of canvas 
is required: this is then divided in the manner shown in 
the engraving—an inner square, and an outer one, with 
the space, or border, between the two squares, laid off in 
such divisions as the diagram shows, these lines being 
worked in black worsted. The owner invites her or his 
friends to work some design, either in one of the divi¬ 
sions of the border, or in the central square, each one 
choosing a device without reference to any of the others; 
when a figure is worked in the central square it is not 
with the regularity shown in the sketch. The more un¬ 
like and irregular the different designs, the truer to its 
name—the more “crazy”—the cushion will be. When 
the figures are all worked, the filling in is done with any 
color that may be desired, and the affair is made up as a 
sofa cushion or pillow. Worsted work is usually regard¬ 
ed as belonging to girls, hut when we said above “ her or 
his frieDds” we had in mind the fact that we have 
known young men to have crazy cushions, though so far 
as we have seen, the designs worked upon them is done 
by the girls. The idea is a rather pleasant one, and 
when finished, the work is useful as well as pleasing. 
Aunt Sue’s Cliuts. 
Gum Upon Stamps.—Minnie.— The “gain” upon the 
back of Postage Stamps is not Gum Arabic, but a sub¬ 
stance called Dea'.trine, which is prepared from starch— 
usually from potato starch. If yon mix starch with cold 
water, it will soon all settle, as it does not dissolve at all 
in cold water. If starch is carefully heated to 450°, and 
kept at that temperature for half an hour, it will be 
changed to dextrine, which differs from starch in several 
particulars, especially in dissolving in cold water. Dex¬ 
trine prepared ill this way is slightly brownish; if the 
starch is wet with a very weak nitric acid, and dried, it 
is changed to dextrine at a much lower temperature than 
when prepared by heat alone, and is as white as the 
starch from which it was made. 
Printing Postage Stamps.— These are printed in a 
very different manner from ordinary printing. The 
stamp is engraved on a flat plate of copper or steel. If 
you examine a stamp with your Microscope or other 
magnifier, yon will sec that the engraving is all in lines. 
These lines arc cut in the plate of metal, 200 stamps be¬ 
ing engraved on a single plate. The plate is rubbed 
over with ink, and then carefully wiped off. The ink 
stays in the lines cut in the plate, while all the rest is 
wiped off, and when a piece of paper is laid over the 
plate, and both passed through a strong press, the paper 
takes up the ink from these lines. After the colors on 
the sheets are dried, they are sent into another room to 
be gummed. After having been again dried they are put 
between sheets of pasteboard and pressed in hydraulic 
presses capable of applying a weight of many tons. A 
girl then cuts each sheet of two hundred in half, with a 
pair of shears. They are then perforated with the rows 
of holes to allow them to be torn apart easily. If a single 
stamp is mutilated, the whole sheet of one hundred is 
burned. About five hundred thousand are burned every 
week from this cause. During the process of manufac¬ 
turing, the sheets arc counted eleven times. 
“The Castle op Chillon.” — Evangeline.— This 
castle is situated near the eastern extremity of the lake 
of Geneva, in Switzerland. It is on a rock surrounded by 
deep water, and connected with the mainland by a 
wooden bridge. It is said to have been built in 1120. 
For many years it was a State Prison. Byron’s “ Prisoner 
of Chillon” has rendered it famous. Bonivard, prior 
of St. Victor, was confined here from 1530 to 1536. It is 
now used as an arsenal. 
CROSS-WORD. 
My first is in Kingdom but not in State, 
My next is in mousetrap but not in bait. 
My third is in mourning but not in gloom, 
My fourth is in sepulclire lmt not in tomb, 
My fifth is in charcoal but not in wood, 
My sixth is in handsome but not in good, 
My seventh is in ribbon but not in tape, 
My eighth is in satin but not in crape, 
My ninth is in grouse but not in tea), 
My lentil is in shuffle but not in deal. 
My eleventh is in sovereign but not in king, 
My twelfth is in jerk but not in fling, 
My thirteenth, is in dungeon but not in jail. 
My fourteenth is in whirlwind but. not in gale. 
My fifteenth is in science but not in art. 
My sixteenth is in carriage but not in cart: 
If the letters are put in proper place 
A Shakspcarian character you may trace. 
RHOMBOID PUZZLE. 
Across. 
1. Sometimes a confirmation. Some¬ 
times a prayer. 
2. Level. 
3. Certain animals. 
4. To close. 
* * * * 
* * * * 
» * * * 
* * * * 
Hattie E. M.—In a “magic square” every column, 
horizontal, perpendicular, and diagonal, must foot up to 
the same amount. 
P. R. W. will find directions for a “card receiver” (to 
hang on the wall) in the March Number of the American 
Agriculturist , 1817, page 107. 
Downwards. 
1. This makes men mean. 
2. A pronoun. 
3. A woman’s name. 
4. The life of a newspaper. 
5. A trap. 
6. An adverb. 
7. This makes ale a light color. 
“Joe Livingston” sends the following problem. It 
is not difficult, but as some of you may like to practice 
your algebra upon it I give it place. “ Twelve persons 
buy a dinner for $12. The men pay $2 each for their 
dinner, the women pay 50c. each for their dinner, the 
children pay 25c. each for their dinner. ' Query: How 
many men, how many women, and how many children 
were there ? ” 
Below, we give one a little more complicated: 
Two friends set out one day to walk, 
A had some miles the start; 
A took five steps while B took four, 
A was so spry and smart. 
But A’s spry steps were also short, 
Three equalled two of B’s ; 
So when B travelled thirty miles, 
He’d gained the space with ease. 
This is the problem now to solve, 
By arithmetic art; 
When A and B set out to walk, 
How far were they apart. 
SCIENTIFIC ACROSTIC. 
The initials name part of the atmosphere. The finals 
include all the metals. 
1. A salt which is spontaneously generated in the earth, 
2. The characteristic designation of certain micro¬ 
scopic bodies. 
3. A crystalline mineral occurring usually in prisms 
and valued for its polarizing qualities. 
4. A metal whose salts are rose-colored. 
5. Is the natural slate of most metals. 
6. Was formerly used for finding the altitude of the sun. 
7. A fungoid vegetable production extensively used in 
medicine. 
8. Certain forms of ammonia are thus called. J. A. B. 
ABBREVIATIONS. 
1. Behead and curtail a color and leave a resinous 
substance. 
2. Behead and curtail a small animal and leave a 
number. 
3. Behead and curtail a basket and leave a small animal. 
4. Behead and curtail a plaintive poem and leave part 
of the body. 
5. Behead and curtail a small fruit and leave a quick, 
smart blow. Isola. 
Thanks for puzzles, letters, etc., to n. E. M., M. 
Arrowsmith, C. B. R. (the second, only, who answers S. 
W. W.’s numerical enigma), T. A. C., Amy F., Evangeline, 
S. T. T„ John J. C., and E. W. E. 
ANAGRAMS. 
1. Try a thin plum. 2. Find no gruel. 3. Mrs. Nip 
on time. 4. Entice gallery. 5. So pour music. 6. G 
see sober rig. 7. In sad cool set. 8. O wise mare. 9. 
Eject a Saul. 10. Coined beside. 
Aunt Sue’s Puzzlc-ltox. 
NUMERICAL ENIGMA. 
I am composed of 41 letters : 
My 8. 29, 2, 17, 12, 13, 36, 22, is a number. 
My 24, 35, 14. 37, 30, 11. 26, is severe. 
My 13, 4, 28, 30. means “ before.” 
My 12, 24, 28, 39, 31, is a sylvan god. 
My 18, 30, 13, 32, 10, 21, is a Small animal. 
My 23. 27. 34, 33. is an article of clothing. 
My 9. 6, 41. 4, 22, is often used in bunting. 
My 23, 19, 40, 8, is what a certain bird does. 
My 38. 25, 26. 4, is very useful in cooking. 
My 36, 3, 28, is a kind of fruit. 
My 5. 16, 15, is liked by most children. 
My 23, 20. 8, is a kind of dwelling. 
My 1,‘ 7, 37, is a mark. 
My whole is a well-known proverb. 
Walter Simpers. 
ANAGRAMMATICAL SQUARE WORD. 
From the sentence “ Sweet nuns soon won,” make 
four words of four letters each, that may be so arranged 
as to form a square word: 
Substitutions. 
(To fill the second blank, change one letter of the 
word that fills the first blank— e. g., I saw a - fly 
from the-of the hill.— Crow , brow.) 
1. -asked the-to bring him a glass of water. 
•2. She spilled some-on to her-dress. 
3. He saw a-key lying in the-. 
4. I am going to —— a row on the-. 
5. Is it-that that is a maple-? 
6. The poor-floundered into the-and could 
not get out. 
CONCEALED NAMES. 
1. Madam, you are losing your veil. 
2. Do you remember that event? 
3. Yes. indeed, it was well ended. 
4. That man bad a noble presence. 
5. Aye, he made liars tremble. 
6. Every word he spoke, told ! 
7. Yes, there is no man like him. 
8. Pshaw 1 I have met them many a time. 
9. Oh 1 do raise that, window. 
10. In France, silks may be bought cheap. 
pi. 
Tashy soulertonis moldes desep lewl. 
CONCEALED MAGAZINES AND PAPERS. 
1. We must look to posterity for redress. 
2. Mamma has sold her Alderney cow. 
3. Time slips away very quickly when one is happy. 
4. Be careful never to oppress the poor. 
5. The cat is under the table. 
6. This is a char, perhaps you will like it. E. P. B. 
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN THE AUGUST NUMBER. 
Sunday Acrostic. 
Israel—Red Sea. 
I— esacha —U 
S— ton —E 
K—amotli Gilea—D 
A— hasueru — S 
E— agl —E 
L— aodice —A 
Square Word. 
ANNA 
LEAD 
Charade.— Candidates. 
Hidden Trees.— 1. Fir. 2. 
Pine. 3. Oak. 4. Elm. 5. Cedar. 
6. Maple. 7. Ash. 8. Beech. 
Subtraction and Addition.—1. Account. 2. Counter. 
3. Tercel. 4. Cellar. 5. Largo. 6. Go-by. 7. By-wash. 8. 
Wash-bowl. 9. Bowlder. 10. Dermal. 
Easy Numerical Enigma.— Robert E. Lee. 
Syncopations.— l. Hole—hoe. 2. Fate—fat. 3. Tale—ale. 
4. Gor, —ore. 5. Steal—teal. 6. Break—beak. 7. Wren- 
wen. 8. Grin—gin. 
Numerical Enigma.— 
“’Tis education forms the common mind, 
Just as the twig is bent the tree’s inclined.” 
Correspondents will save time, if they will address 
their letters (to Aunt Sue) to Rowayton, Fairfield Co., 
Conn., from July to December of this year. But please 
remember that Aunt Sue is not Orange Judd Co. ; the 
latter must be addressed at 245 Broadway, N. Y. City. 
Tine Crrecia Xtartlc a,ud How It is 
Canglst. 
Master Charles S. H., of Neb., and others, who have 
heard about the Green Turtle, would like to know how 
it differs from the turtles they have caught, and other 
matters concerning it. As it is rarely to be seen very 
far inland, and then only in large cities, no doubt some 
account of it will interest many. The tortoises and 
turtles all agree in having the soft parts of their bodies 
covered by shells; the upper shell is really the flattened 
ribs, while the lower corresponds to the breast bone in 
other animals. They reproduce their young from eggs, 
which they lay in holes in the ground, leaving them to 
be hatched without their care. Naturalists divide these 
animals into groups or families, according to certain 
differences which fit them for various modes of life. One 
of these families, called Chelonians (from the Greek 
word for turtle), includes those that live in the sea ; as 
these rarely leave the water except to lay their eggs, they 
are quite different in several respects from those that 
live on land, or in the rivers. Their feet, or flippers, and 
