130 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[April, 
THE FROG'S MUSIC LESSON- 
Though we are writing for April, it is early in March. 
Just now, and the frogs are with us already, singing their 
Spring notes. The o d saying is, that Spring does not 
come in earnest until the frogs have been frozen in twice, 
and come out the third time. If the poor fellows don’t 
get frozen in more than twice yet, 
our fruit trees will rejoice, or we 
shall, for we are very much afraid 
the fruit buds now swelling will 
be nipped yet by Sir Jack Frost, 
in one of his later visits. They 
can not hide away like the frogs 
in deep water, out of reach of 
pinching Jack. A few days since, 
wo commissioned one of our 
artists to make for the Agricul¬ 
turist boys and girls, an original 
sketch of the Frogs in Spring. 
(We have often told you that 
frogs and toads are our favorites, 
not so much for their good looks, 
or good music, as for their good 
deeds in catching noxious insects 
in the garden). Well, you see 
what a picture the artist has 
brought out. Rather comical, 
but quite expressive. We suspect 
he has been in consultation with 
that friend to whom we surrender¬ 
ed the editor’s chair for an hour, 
last Summer. Do you remem¬ 
ber that funny dream he had, of all 
the birds and frogs and insects in 
concert) Perhaps the artist has 
himself been attending such a 
concert, and sketched his picture 
when thinking of the perform¬ 
ances, and how it would appear if 
the creatures who make nature’s 
music, were obliged to take les¬ 
sons, as girls and boys do, who 
wish to sing well. Ha! Ha! Ha! 
What a Picture ! Professor Frog 
giving music lessons to his pupils, 
while the insects are dancing a 
waltz in a circle over head. How 
earnest and imposing the Pro¬ 
fessor looks through his specta¬ 
cles, and with what a dignified 
air he keeps time with the cat-tail ' 
■ n his paw. The young beginners 
seem very intent on learning the 
lune, hoping no doubt for the time 
when they shall be sufficiently 
tccomplished to give one of those charming Spring 
serenades we love so well to hear, telling us that 
Winter is passed, and all nature is about to become musi¬ 
cal and happy... .Are you laughing because we call the 
piping of the frogs, music? Well, we know Jenny Lind, 
or Jenny JVren can cither of them make rather sweeter 
sounds, but when we listen to the meaning of the frogs 
notes, we hear real music in it—and t-he sound itself is 
not so bad either. Listen to the deep bass of that old pa¬ 
triarch seated on a projecting root just on the water’s 
edge, as he brings out his bellowing “ chug gr-r-rum, gr- 
- r-rum ,” and hear his lively little grandson, perhaps, with 
his sharp treble, pe-leet, pe-leet, sounding out from the cup 
of a water-lily where he has been taking a nap ; and 
then what a musical ker-chung they both give, when you 
suddenly raise your fishing rod, as you get a glorious nib¬ 
ble. But what do they mean with all their curious noises ? 
Every note they give, says “ we’re happy,” and there’s 
music in that surely ; and thus even their humble song 
praises the Creator who gives them enjoyment. 
OUR PET FROG. 
In our sanctum here, we have an aquarium, or glass 
case, filled with water for the accommodation of some 
fishes and other water inhabitants. Among them is a 
frog that formerly lived in the country, but was brought 
here by a friend and introduced to city society. He was 
only a tad-pole (pollywog) then, but we have seen him 
push out his legs, and lose his tail, which at first answered 
the double purpose of a rudder and sculling oar, and he 
now rejoices in full developed frog-hood. Although 
he might perhaps enjoy his freedom better, where he 
could roam about at will, and play hop-scotch and leap-frog 
with his old companions, he takes things very philosophi¬ 
cally. Most of the time, he sits perched upon a little rock 
in the middle of the aquarium, looking very demure, as 
if watching what is going on in the office ; or perhaps he 
is thinking of old times. Formerly he had an amphibious 
companion, a little lizard, or water newt: and although 
of'fiese creatures are said to be “cold blooded,” 
there appeared to exist a warm friendship between them. 
The lizard, when tired of swimming about, would always 
crawl up the rock, and then climb uponihe frog’s back, 
and creep up until he was seated with his fore paws upon 
the frog’s head. Master Frog said not a word, but only 
winked permission when he felt him coming, and patient- 
=f "t 
PROFESSOR FROG AND HIS PUPILS. 
ly allowed him to occupy his favorite resting place. Oc¬ 
casionally the frog enjoyed a bath, and then he would 
give a sudden plunge, pitching Master Lizard, heels over 
head, sprawling into the water. But one of the hungry 
horned pouts, or catfish, bit off the lizard's tail, and he died 
one day— of mortification probably—and the frog is now 
left alone_It would amuse you to see him eat. He is 
very particular about his food, .which consists of insects. 
They rgust be alive and kicking, or he will not notice 
them—he seems to despise cold victuals. But throw a 
lively fly or cockroach in the w ater—the boys often bring 
him cockroaches—and the frog takes good aim and with 
a sudden spring, leaps across the aquarium and snaps up 
the insect in an instant. He has afforded us much pleas¬ 
ure by his maneuvers, and is quite a pet with all in the 
office. We have seen worse pets than our frog. He cer¬ 
tainly keeps on a wiser look, and is not half so mischiev¬ 
ous as some of the other animals in our aquarium, that 
persist in nibbling every green plant we introduce, and 
thus compel us to change the water every month or two, 
which the plants would keep pure, if they were allowed 
to flourish. These animals often remind us of some hu¬ 
man animals, who destroy the very things which would 
conduce to their health and happiness. By the way, have 
you a water cage—an aquarium ? You perhaps remem¬ 
ber that we gave you a full description of them some time 
ago—in Nov. 1857 (Vol. XVI, p. 256). 
THE TOAD DOES UNDRESS. 
In answer to a request that our young friends would 
inform us, if they ever saw the toad pull off his coat and 
pants, as described in the Dec. No., Vol. XVIII., p. 371, 
B. Wentworth writes: “More than sixty years ago,” (the 
old folks do read the children’s columns,) he observed an 
occurrence of the kind, the performance being similar to 
the account we published. He says: “When the toad 
stripped the skin from his fore legs and toes, it resembled 
a person turning the wrist of his glove over his fingers, 
and pulling it off wrong side out.” Watch the toads this 
Summer, and see if you can catch one of them pulling off 
his clothes and eating them It will be an amusing sight. 
A PIECE OF GUM TO CHEW ! 
Attention, all! John, what are you chewing and rolling 
around in your mouth at such a rate ; not tobacco surely. 
“Oh, no Sir, nothing but chewing gum : there’s no harm 
in that I hope ” Wait a moment, let us look at the busi¬ 
ness a little before deciding. If only you and a few of 
your companions up in Maine 
there, w here spruce trees are so 
plenty, practiced gum chewing, 
we might give you our private 
opinion in the matter, and should 
not ask the attention of all the 
Agriculturist boys and girls. But 
rolls of chewing gu m are now sold 
in confectioners’ shops, at the 
druggists, and even on the street 
corners in many cities and vil¬ 
lages, almost as frequently as 
sugar candy. And, would you 
believe it? there are large manu¬ 
factories for putting it up to sup 
ply the great demand. Why, one 
manufacturer alone has, it is said, 
sold during the year past, about 
70,000 boxes, each box containing 
200 rolls, or in all 14,000,000rolls! 
Whew ! Fourteen million rolls 
of chewing gum ! - How many 
chewers would that take ? Why a 
million of them, if each one used 
fourteen rolls. It makes one’s 
jaws ache to think of it. “ But 
what of it ? Where’s the harm ?” 
say you. We don’t know what 
this gum is made of, it may con¬ 
tain pitch, tar, turpentine, and 
lumber, or it may all be pure 
spruce gum—but supposing the 
article itself to be clean, and not 
poisonous, it is not harmless. 
Every time it is pressed against 
the teeth, it acts like a sucker or 
air-pump, pulling and straining 
at t he roots, and weakening their 
delicate nerves, so that very soon 
decay commences, toothache fol¬ 
lows, and the tooth is lost.- 
The act of chewing makes the 
saliva (spittle) flow freely into the 
month, causing a person to keep 
spitting. This habit is filthy ; and 
moreover, the saliva is all need¬ 
ed to aid the food to digest pro¬ 
perly in the stomach. A few years 
of such waste will cause dyspep¬ 
sia and other diseases. Again, when a boy thus forms the 
habit of chew ing, he seldom stops with gum, but soon tries 
tobacco, and then good’ bye to a clean mouth, a sweet 
breath, good teeth, and-the favor of the ladies ! Now 
John, out with your gum and tell your companions what 
we have told you, and see if your examole will notiuduce 
them to give up the injurious practice. 
A QUESTION IN ARITHMETIC. 
You who are old enough to use figures, may reckon how 
many dollars the above amount of chewing gum (14,000,- 
000 rolls) costs at a cent a stick. How many whole 
farms of 100 acres each would it buy at $14 per acre? 
How many acres of land are the boys and girls chewing 
up. How many acres, reckoning the land at the Govern¬ 
ment price of a dollar and a quarter per acre ? 
WHICH WAS CAUGHT. 
A friend communicates the following, which he says 
occurred when he was a boy. He had bien fishing on the 
salt water, using for bait, large hard clams, which, you 
know, have strong jaws (shells), and very poweiful 
muscles to hold them tight when closed. Two of these 
were brought home, and left in the basket, which was set 
in the kitchen for the night. About twelve o’clock, a 
great racket was heard around the house. Bump, bump, 
bump it went, as if some one was trying to crack a hard 
nut, or pound open a box. The family were quite alarmed, 
and ran to the kitchen to discover the cause. There, a 
large rat was running frantically around the room, with 
one of the clams fastened to his nose, which he was vain¬ 
ly trying to shake off. He had found the bivalve with his 
shell partly open, and tried to steal the savory meat within, 
when he was suddenly nipped, and could not escape, 
Of course, he was speedily killed—a warning to thieves, 
and to those who poke their noses into other people’s 
concerns. 
“Jimmy, do you goto school?”-“Yes Sir, to Ihe 
school kept by Miss Post.”-“ Miss Post ! not a whip¬ 
ping Post, I hope.”-“ O no, sir, a guide Post 
