I 860 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
217 
so low, that the bill is almost inverted in the water, and 
the crooked upper half of it then forms a spoon with 
which he scoops up Ins meals. 
There are five or six species of these birds inhabiting 
the warmer parts of the globe. They are often found in 
considerable flocks near the sea shore and in marshes. 
When they are feeding, one stands as sentinel, and gives 
notice of approaching danger by a trumpet-like noise, at 
which all fly away in a wedge shaped flock,in the man¬ 
ner of wild geese. The American Flamingo is about 
four feet long from the bill to the end of the toes. The 
wings spread about five and a half feet from tip to tip, 
each wing being about sixteen inches long. The feath¬ 
ers are of a bright scarlet color, the quills black, and the 
legs red. They are very shy, but are said to be easily 
tamed. Their nests and manner of setting are peculiar. 
A hillock of mud is raised about two feet high, two or 
three; eggs about the size of a goose egg are laid in a hol¬ 
low on the top of it, and the female sits, standing over 
it. with one foot in the w ater. The American Flamingo 
is found in the West Indies, in Floiida, and Alabama, 
but rarely noi 111 or west of these points. 
HOW TO TAME BIRDS, ETC. 
We never see a bird or a squirrel in a cage without 
unpleasant thoughts. Freedom is natural, and confine¬ 
ment irksome 10 every living creature. The lower or¬ 
ders of animals' may not have thoughts as we do, but they 
have feelings and instincts which give them pleasure Or 
pain, and an unnatural life must deprive them of enjoy¬ 
ment. If you are fond of pets, try and make them so 
tame that they will remain with you without compulsion. 
Almost any creature w ill become atlached to you by kind 
treatment. A friend of ours relates an incident in illus¬ 
tration. At the Greenwich Hospital in London, where 
disabled and invalid naval officers and sailors are cared 
for, those not confined by severe illness, are at liberty to 
amuse themselves in any proper manner they choose. 
One old veteran was frequently seen to gather a handful 
of crumbs when leaving the dinner table, which he carried 
to lus room. A friend accompanied him one day and 
witnessed a pleasing sight, lie spread the crumbs upon 
the window sill, and then drummed pretty loudly with his 
fingers upon the glass. He said he was drumming his 
“ Sparrow call.” It was speedily answered by a dozen 
or more of these little birds, who came fearlessly and 
eagerly around him, and gathered up the food he had 
spread. 
The same friend tells of a kind hearted baker in Lon¬ 
don, who used every day to scatter the crumbs left in his 
cart, upon his grass plot, for the birds to pick up. The 
sparrows soon became acquainted with him, and when 
he went out with his cart to distribute bread to his cus¬ 
tomers in different parts of tile city, a flock of these birds 
hovered about him, accompanying him on his round, 
waiting for their daily meal. 
Try such an experiment with the birds of your 
neighborhood. Scatter crumbs or seed somewhere near 
the house, in the same place everyday. The little chirp¬ 
ers will soon find it out. Then, never frighten nor mo¬ 
lest them, and they will soon give you their confidence. 
How much more pleasure this will afford than to shoot 
them, or to confine them in cages. Try it. 
A FOURTH OF JULY SPEECH. 
One of our young friends writes as follows : “ Mr. Edi¬ 
tor I would like very much to make a fourth of July 
Speech, if I could only get an audience. Can’t you set 
me on the editorial stump and let me have a talk with my 
Agriculturist cousins?” Yes John, step up here, take your 
Stand on this three legged stool, hold up your head, face 
your audience of a hundred thousand girls and boys and 
out with your speech. Hear him. 
Hurrah for liberty ! Three cheers for independence 1! 
Columbia forever 111 I have a small voice, but it is full 
of my heart, and it shall come to you, like an electric 
spark falling on powder. Who is so dead that his pulse does 
not beat quicker on this birthday anniversary of the na¬ 
tion? If there be one, find him out, fill his pockets w ith 
powder arid his hat with gas, tie him to a bundle of rock¬ 
ets, touch him off, and send him up to geta new view and 
an exalted idea of the glorious land he is now unworthy 
to inhabit. Cut I leave him to his fate and return to you 
who do exult as Americans should. 
When the seed breaks forili from its prison in the early 
year, the Spring rejoices, and men are happy at heart; 
but the fullness of joy comes when the harvest waves over 
the field. The world rejoiced when, in 1776, our fore¬ 
fathers declared their independence. It was the young 
grow th of Liberty. To-day w e are reaping the fruits of 
that Spring time, and our joy overflows from swelling 
hearts. This country then was like a farm with 
here and there a field planted. There were scat¬ 
tered villages, full of life and promise,- but few in number, 
and fa-r between. What a crop has been raised from that 
small beginning. They had strong roots, those noble men 
that fastened to the soil. They were God-fearing, liberty 
loving men, and from those roots have sprung the blos¬ 
soms and the fruit of the intelligence, the prosperity and 
the happiness of our day. They had to fight hard, but 
they were brave because they were good, and what they 
won we enjoy. 
I hope the day of fighting with powder and ball has 
passed, in this country at least, and that we may always 
use our ammunition in fire crackers and rockets, and big 
guns, as we do to-day, without hurting any body, but I 
tell you my young friends the world’s great battles are 
not over yet. We’ve worse enemies to overcome than 
our forefathers met on Bunker Hill, Saratoga, and York- 
town. Ignorance, selfishness, and vice are working at 
the foundations of our prosperity like rats gnawing off the 
beams of the building that shelters them. Every one of 
us that grows up uneducated, or a wrong-doer, or selfish, 
or mean, is cherishing an enemy of his country. Oh! If 
I could to-day bring out Ihe biggest gun ever made, load 
it to the muzzle with knowledge and goodness, discharge 
it into the heads and hearts of these troublers of the coun¬ 
try, is there a boy that wouldn’t give a light, or a girl 
that wouldn’t, if necessary, give ine her new dress for 
wadding. But it can’t be done in that way. We must 
meet these enemies, book in hand, in the school-room; we 
must shame them out of the land by good examples of 
truth-telling, of generosity anu love, we must fight our 
battles hand to hand in our own lives, by resisting and 
overcoming every bad habit, and if each will overcome 
himself, then will all have a good time together, and be 
able to shout liberty and independence forever 
Bravo ! John. We nominate you for President in the 
year 1900, and hope there will be enough like you to se¬ 
cure your election. 
A BAD CROF TO CULTIVATE. 
“ He’s only sowing his wild oats” saida man, when 
told of some piece of w illful mischief w hich his unruly son 
had been doing. This he counted an excuse, or at least 
a palliation for the offence. He appeared to think it ne¬ 
cessary that young people should pass through several 
years of thoughtless, reckless misconduct, after which 
they would “ naturally steady down, and come out all 
■ right” as he expressed it. Do you suppose he brought up 
his colts on that principle. Would he allow and encourage 
them to bite and kick, throw fences, balk in the haress, 
or run away with the wagon, expecting them to become 
good reliable horses when their “ wild oats were sown ?” 
Or would he manage his garden in that way, permitting 
the seeds of dock, thistles and briers to be sown there, 
feeling certain that, by and by, strawberries, and mel¬ 
ons would take their places ? Most assuredly not. Will 
our young friends remember that wrong done, leaves a 
bad mark on the character. If you “sow wild oats” in 
youth, they will grow up to be a curse in future years. 
Some one has truly said 
“ Sowing his wild oats”—aye ! sowing them deep, 
In the heart of a mother to blossom in tears, 
And shadow with grief the decline of her years. 
“ Sowing his wild oats,” to silver the head 
Of the sire who watched his first pulse throb w ith joy, 
And whose voice went to Heaven in prayer for “the boy.” 
“ Sowing his wild oats,” to spring up and choke 
The flowers in the garden of a sister, whose love 
Is as pure agd as bright as the blue sky above. 
“ Sow ing his wild oats.” Aye ! cheeks shall grow pale, 
‘And sorrow shall wither the heart of the wife, 
When manhood thus squanders the prime of his life. 
“ Sowing his wild oats,” Death only shall reap, 
With his keen sharpened scythe ; the fruits will be found 
In the graveyard near by,’neath that grass-covered mound. 
ABOUT THE PROBLEMS. 
Our young friends must have been considerably stirred 
up by our inquiry if the problems were too difficult for 
them, and the request that they would send in a string 
of names. Their letters have come in almost by the peck. 
Well, the more the merrier—Do it again. The following 
names were received last month after the first part of the 
paper containing the problem matters, answers, etc , had 
been sent to the printer ; this accounts for their non-ap¬ 
pearance in that number. 
No. 10. Aunt Sue’s Rebus.— Read correctly by S. 
E. Batchelder, Andrew Ilageman, F. C Adamson, 
“ Reader at Astoria," Lottie 0. Chapman, W. J. Spencer, 
F. E. Pearce, L. B. Camp, E. D Barker. 
No. 11. Star Puzzle.— Solved by Henry D. Musser. Ed¬ 
ward P. Nichols, Sarah E. Middlemiss, Frank Fargo, H. 
Clark (The puzzle sent is too generally known to be re¬ 
published in the Agriculturist.') 
No, 13. Rciws.- Correct readings received from N. II. 
Walworth, P. H. Freeze, S. E. Batchelder, Thomas T. 
Bell, Edward P. Nichols, Andrew Ilageman, Frank Far¬ 
go, James O’Neil, Giles E. Stillwell, S. Hathaway, 
“ Reader at Astoria,” Albert Nye, T. B. Munson, John 
W. Miles, Jr., Lottie O. Chapman, Simeon Ileesor, W. 
Jay Spencer, Angeline Fullerton. L. B. Camp, H. C. Al¬ 
len, Sarah E. Middlemiss, A. J. Montague, George B. 
Hedges, J C. Brandon, Win. Brandon, Hannah C. Bart¬ 
ley, Mary E, Servoss, T. II. Smith, Annie L. Smith, A. 
I). Neff, Jr.. E. D. Barker, C. Barnhart, F. A. Saunders 
B. F. Wallis, David T. Osgood, D. W. Webb, Charles 
D. Bingham, Frank W. Lockwood, John E. Smith, James 
Waters, C. W. McKeisey, Joseph Clayton, J. 0. Hatch, 
P. Cuningham, S. Scruggs, F. Flam, Jr, Francis W. 
Puffer, Thomas Almond, E. Hogg, E. Mead, L. W. Ross, 
Annie Williamson, Eliza Nichols, Arabella Nichols, 
G 0. Farr, A. H. Edwards, D. Norton. 
No. 14. Anagrams. —Properly arranged by James Wa¬ 
ters. G. O. Fa r, Thomas T. Bell, “ A Reader at Ports¬ 
mouth.” (Why was the name omitted ?) T. V. Munson, 
Jno. W. Miles, Jr., Osmond H. Jessup, Sarah E Middle 
miss, Hannah C. Bartley, Mary E. Servoss, T. II. Smith, 
A. D. Neff. Jr., Reuben C. Richard, Win. G. R. Kieffer, 
B. F. Wallis. 
No. 15. Arithmetical Problem.— Answer 5,026 ft. Solved 
correctly by Sarah E. Middlemiss, Owen Strain, Reuben 
C. Richard, Mary E. Servoss (with a little help from 
“Mother,”) E. Cook, “ Reader at Astoria,” T. V. Mun¬ 
son, George Elcock, Thomas F. Bell. 
No. 16. The Accountant’s Puzzle.— The meaning of this 
curious bill was as follows : 
John Stouter, 
To C. Speedy, Dr. 
To 2 Iron Plows t©$7.gpj 
1 Wooden do (one wouldn’t do). . . 7 
This deducted, leaves.77! 7 
to be paid for the one that “ would do.” 
Correctly answered by J. Stokes, Jas. A. Bergen 
Franklin Adams, and by an anonymous correspondent 
who adds: 
“John’s plows, the lazy worthless lout, 
Were too ‘ Stouter,’ but were not stout — 
Charlie’s grass was growing seedy, 
So he wrote him thus : ‘ can’t you C ? Speedy’.” 
No. 17. Anagrams. —The following are the correct 
transpositions. Ans. 
Fi t.on cheering angel. Florence Nightingale. 
A nice cold pie. Encyclopedia. 
Comic trade. Democratic. 
Nay I repent it. Penitentiary. 
Spare him not. Misanthrope. 
Moon Starers. Astronomers. 
Golden Land. Old England. 
Nine thumps. Punishment. 
Partially answered by Wm. P. Rochenour and Nelson 
More. 
NEW PROBLEMS. 
No. 18. Original Rebus, contains very good advice. Wo 
think this a real puzzler, perhaps you w ill find it other¬ 
wise. 
No. 19. Puzzling Bill —Contributed by Frank Fargo. 
Half All 
To Ha Owel Dr. 
To anosafada....5s. fid. 
to getinonimom.2s. 0 
7s fid. 
What sense can you make of that ? 
No. 20. Arithmetical Problem.—Haw long will it re¬ 
quite to plow a plot of land 20 rods square, the furrow to 
be ten inches wide, and to cut clear through the corner 
each time, the team to walk one mile and a half in an 
hour, and a half minute to be allowed for turning each 
corner ? 
CONTRIBUTED PUZZLES. 
Many of our young friends have kindly contributed re¬ 
buses, enigmas, charades, and puzzles of various kinds, 
and have, perhaps, wondered that they have not been 
printed, or at least that no mention has been made of the 
fact. We always examine such favors very carefully, 
and if they are of the right stamp, and original or new, 
are glad to publish them, and to give credit to the authors. 
We have stacks of letters containing puzzles that were no 
doubt new to those w ho sent them., but w liich we have of¬ 
ten seen in print, and it would occupy too much space to 
give explanations for not publishing in every case. You 
know the Agriculturist is for the benefit of the whole 
family, and should contain what will be of general inter¬ 
est. It is a very pleasant intellectual exercise to con 
struct puzzles, but to originate a really good one, usually 
