310 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[October, 
then put them away in any cool place. This 
does not look plausible, but it may be easily 
tried with a few eggs. If it succeeds, of which 
Mr. H. is certain, the directions are valuable. 
He says all who find it successful, owe him a 
dollar, but he remits the payment on condition 
that they each obtain one new subscriber to the 
Agriculturist, to which we, of course, have not 
the least objection. 
Care of an Aquarium. 
Can the editor or any of the readers of the 
American Agriculturist inform me what I can do 
for prevention or cure of the green moss, or sed¬ 
iment, which accumulates on the sides and stone 
work of a fresh water Aquarium, and oblige a 
constant reader—perhaps many? 
To this request, our friend and valued corres¬ 
pondent, R. A. West, Esq., replies as follows: 
The green moss or sediment spoken of by 
your correspondent, is almost always the con¬ 
sequence of the aquarium being placed in too strong 
a light. When the tank is overstocked with ani¬ 
mals, the water will become cloudy, opaque, and 
muddy. This condition of the water can only 
be remedied by increasing the amount of vege¬ 
tation, or by reducing the numberof animals, al¬ 
though it may be temporarily relieved by addi¬ 
tional aeration—by syphoning the water off and 
pouring it back into the tank in a small stream 
from a considerable bight. The impurity of the 
water, however, will return, so long as the con¬ 
sumption of the oxygen is greater than the sup¬ 
ply—in other words, so long as the animals are 
in excess of the plants. 
But the green moss which gathers on the 
glass sides of the tank and on the rocks, is a 
purely vegetable matter, and when it forms so 
rapidly as to give the water a green, opaque ap¬ 
pearance, is the result of too much light, causing 
the confervac to germinate and grow too rapidly. 
I have prevented it easily and totally, when I 
have not chosen to alter the situation of the 
tank, by covering the window panes with white 
paper, or by covering the sides of the aquarium 
most exposed to the light with the same mate¬ 
rial. This latter mode, however, somewhat mars 
the beauty of the aquarium. This excess of 
confervac will not occur if the tank is placed in 
only a moderate light—say a light equal to 
that of the center of an ordinary sitting room. 
But when this green moss becomes a sediment ., 
the case is different. It is then a valuable ac¬ 
quisition to the aquarium, being itself a potent 
means of aeration. When the sediment fixes it¬ 
self to the glass, however, it obscures the. view 
of the inmates, as effectually as if it were still 
floating loosely in the water. But it is easily 
removed, and easily kept under. You have only 
to take a piece of shingle or other light board, a 
foot long and a couple of inches Avide, tie a piece 
of sponge or muslin firmly at one end, and rub 
it up and down on the inside of the glass, 
and the deposit will be removed. By giving 
five minutes to this work every morning, the 
glass will be preserved clear and bright. When 
the sediment falls upon the rocks and pebbles, 
it should not be disturbed , but allowed to groiv as 
freely as it will. It adds greatly to the beauty 
of the aquarium and immeasurably to the health 
of its inhabitants. My oiyn impression is, that 
an aquarium, the rocks and pebbles in which 
are freely covered Avitli this beautiful moss, 
would need no other plants, so freely is oxygen 
discharged by it. 
If your readers will regard these hints, first as 
to the equalizing of the animal and vegetable 
life in the tank; second, as to the exclusion of 
all excess of light; and third, as to the cleaning 
of the glass sides, they Avill find no difficulty in 
keeping their aquaria in perfect order for 
months Avithout changing the water. I know 
that Avhereof I affirm. I have done it often. But 
let me add a fourth hint. Never disturb the 
rocks and pebbles, at least not until a good 
coating of green moss has settled upon them. 
Many aquaria are ruined by constant changes 
in the arrangement of the rocks. Let them alone, 
and your aquarium in a fetv months will be “a 
thing of beauty and a joy forever.” 
R. A. West. 
Premiums for In-door Manufactures. 
GOOD EXAMPLES. 
While the various Agricultural and Horticul¬ 
tural Societies haA r e been liberal in their pre¬ 
miums for farm and garden crops, stock, imple¬ 
ments, machines, floral designs, and the fine 
arts, the household, with its various appurte¬ 
nances and manufactures, is too frequently neg¬ 
lected. This fault might be remedied, to a cer¬ 
tain extent, by alloAving ladies to take a more 
active part, not only in the arrangement and 
fitting up of the hall Avliere the exhibition is 
to be held, but by appointing them as some of 
the standing officers to assist in designating and 
classifying the articles and manufactures Avorthy 
of greater encouragement, particularly in the 
household economy. 
The Clearfield, and the Macon Co. Agricultur¬ 
al Societies in Pennsylvania have set good ex¬ 
amples. In their circulars for this year Ave find 
premiums announced for wheat, corn, and rye 
bread; for several kinds of cake, pies, jellies, 
ice cream, preserves of several named sorts, 
butter, cheese, fruit in cans or bottles, dried 
fruits, pickles, maple and sorghum syrup and 
sugar; for cured hams, dried beef, hard and soft 
soap, various domestic cloths, carpets, bed 
clothes, shawls, hose, mittens, yarn, thread, 
patch-Avork, Avorsted-work, crochet and embroi¬ 
dery, lamp mats, tidies, shirts, bonnets, slippers, 
coats, vests, pants, stratv hats, Avax fioAvers, etc. 
-- » -w> » .—- •-- 
A Short Lecture to Husbands. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist . 
The other day I accidentally overheard part 
of a conversation which interested me much, and 
set me to thinking, and finally to Avriting this 
article. “ I Avish the Avomen could talk a little 
more sensibly about Avhat is going on in the 
Avorld,” said the speaker. “ When they meet, 
there’s nothing discussed but neighborhood gos¬ 
sip, and the faults of servants, and Iioav to make 
pickles and presents. As for the topics that 
interest men, women are generally as ignorant 
of them as though they Avere deaf, dumb, and 
blind. Noav there’s my wife, good soul that she 
is, can keep house with any woman in the land. 
Every thing is neat and tidy at home, the cook¬ 
ing is first rate, the children are kept all straight, 
no torn frocks, nor shabby troAvsers, but that’s 
all. When I Avant some one to talk Avith about 
the Avar, or the prospects ahead, or anything 
more than household matters, I have to go to 
the store or the tavern, or to a neighbor’s.” I 
had no time to listen to the reply, but here is my 
answer, for his benefit and that of hundreds 
more who think, if they do not alloAV them¬ 
selves to say the same things. 
Shame on you Mr. Grumbler, for making your 
Avife’s devotion to your interests and comfort, 
the occasion of complaining. Why is she igno¬ 
rant of the topics which interest you ? While 
you are enjoying your neAvspaper, very likely 
she is trying to prepare your supper, keep the 
children from disturbing you, and at the same 
time to forget the headache which a hard day’s 
ironing has brought on. In the evening when 
you hasten to the store or to a neighbor’s to 
talk over the neAA r s, she has Johnny’s stockings 
to mend, and Sarah’s frock to patch, and the 
bread to mix, and fifty more things to look af¬ 
ter, that never trouble you, because she takes 
the Avliole burden. So she goes on from day to 
day, Avith head and heart and hands full of house¬ 
hold care. You knoAV she refused to keep hired 
help because you could not afford it, preferring 
to sacrifice comfort, intelligence, health, and 
perhaps life itself in “ keeping house,” that you 
may be happy. 
You did not think of all this.—Well now it is 
suggested, let me tell you how to remedy it, for 
I’m vexed enough to be very bold. You have 
opportunity for becoming informed on the topics 
of the day by conversation and reading: share 
the benefits with your Avife. While she mends 
the stockings, read the neAvspaper to her. If 
you do not enjoy reading it a second time, then 
Avait until she can listen before opening it. As 
you read, explain Avhat is necessary to make it 
interesting. Try to be as entertaining as you 
would Avlien visiting your neighbor, and very 
soon there will be a response that ay ill make you 
glad to stay at home. If there be children in 
the family old enough to take part in the read¬ 
ing and conversation, they may join } T ou, taking 
their turns in reading, and very soon you may 
have a charmed circle about you thatAvill make 
home a paradise on earth, both to them and to 
yourself, as it was meant to be; and you will 
bless the day you received this lecture from 
Maiitiia. 
—---— o — --—- 
The Three P’s. 
[The importance to parents of the hints given in the fol¬ 
lowing extract from Dr. Hall’s Journal of Health, is a 
sufficient excuse for making room for them here—to the 
exclusion of original articles from our own contributors. 
The italics are our own.—E d.] 
At the close of the last century, a poor, aAvk- 
Avard, uncouth boy entered London, but he Avas 
so long, lank, and ungainly, that he seemed fit 
only to be the drudge of a printing-office—run 
errands, bring water, sAveep the floor, and the 
like. Already had poverty and the hardness of 
the world made him sour, unhopeful, and des¬ 
pondent. Under less discouragements, many a 
youth has abandoned himself to a thriftless life, 
having no higher aim than to live but for the 
day ; or, Avorse still, has plunged headlong into 
all the extravagances and indulgences connect¬ 
ed Avith thriftlessness and crime. But the boy 
had vigorous health; this imparted to him a men¬ 
tal vim, a moral power, Avhich soon slioAved it¬ 
self to his employer. He Avas Prompt, Perse¬ 
vering, and Painstaking ; and with these tnree 
qualities, in spite of the fact that he Avas good at 
nothing, in every thing tolerable only, he made 
his patient way, step by step, to the “Avoolsack ” 
(that is, the seat of the highest judge in Eng¬ 
land,) and lately died worth a million of dol¬ 
lars, among the most honored men of his nation 
and age, Lord Chief-Justice Campbell. In this 
case, vigorous health Avas a mine of Avealth, 
a better fortune than if he had been the heir 
of many thousands. And certain is it, that the 
world would be a happier world, and the 
men in it would be happier, better, and 
greater, if one tithe of the time, and care, and 
study, Avhicli parents bestOAV on the accumula- 
