88 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[March, 
The Editor with his Young Readers. 
We aim to give pictures in this department that 
tell their own story—that “ speak for themselves ” 
so plainly, that they hardly need even the artist’s 
title line underneath. What a lesson is taught by 
the above picture. It is early Spring time. The 
birds have come forth from their Winter hiding 
places, hut an untimely March snow storm has 
caught them, and has spread its mantle over the 
ground, and covered up the insects, and last year’s 
seeds upon which they feed. See, with what 
confidence they come to the window, and say as 
plainly as they can say: “Please, Miss, throw us a 
few crumbs, for we are hungry.” Did it ever occur 
to you, young friends, that nearly all birds are nat¬ 
urally tame ; that they are not afraid of men and 
women, or of boys and girls, until they are taught 
by harsh usage to fear them ? Travelers who have 
visited uninhabited islands, tell us, that at first the 
birds come around them as familiarly, as they do 
around our oxen, cows, horses, and sheep, here. 
You never see the birds afraid of domestic animals. 
They will even light upon the backs of the sheep, 
and pick up the stray locks of wool to line their 
nests. They light down among the cows, and hop 
around between their feet. They would be just as 
familiar with ms, if we never misused them. And 
would not that be pleasant ? How many more nice 
apples, and cherries, and plums we should have, if 
no one had ever frightened away the birds, but if, 
on the contrary, these little songsters felt free to 
build their nests among our trees, and gather for 
themselves and their little ones the insects, which 
are their natural food. (Please turn to page 75, and 
read something there about the Birds and Insects.) 
It will take a long time to bring back the birds 
to their natural confidence in us, but it may be 
done. We ask all our young friends to try and 
bring this about. Never chase the birds, or halloo, 
or say “shoo ” to them, and never permit the boys 
to throw sticks or stones at them, and you will soon 
find them growing more tame and more useful 
every year. Birds usually return year after year to 
the same localities, even to the same trees, where 
they or their parents lived. That is the case with 
the birds in our picture; and they remember that 
they have always been kindly treated, or you 
would not see them hopping so fearlessly to the 
well-known window to meet their old friend. 
A Strong Man—Mow lie ’Came So. 
Thirteen years ago, a small nervous boy, 16 years 
old, entered the Freshman class of Harvard College, 
at Cambridge, Mass. So diminutive and puny was 
he, that only one out of about a hundred of the 
young men in the class measured and weighed less. 
He still weighs less than 150 pounds we believe, 
though about 29 years old. Tet at Brighton, Mass., 
on the 9th day of last October, this samewnan lifted 
and held up a platform on which stood twelve men, 
every one of them larger than himself. On the 21st 
day of November he lifted 2,007 lbs., equivalent 
to shouldering a very large horse, or ox, or lifting 
a whole load of hay, or thirty three bushels of 
wheat, or nearly thirty six bushels of shelled corn! 
This great weight of 2,007 lbs., was supported on 
his shoulders by means of a wooden yoke, like that 
used in the sugar grove to carry two pails of sap. 
He expects yet to lift iC.OOO lbs., and we shall not 
be greatly surprised if he does so. We refer to Dr. 
Geo. B. Windship, of Boston, whom we take the 
liberty of naming the “American Sampson.”- 
There appears to be nothing in his natural form, or 
constitution, different from other men, and there 
seems to be no reason why other men may not at¬ 
tain to the same strength. We would not, howev¬ 
er, advise any one else to aim at his particular feats, 
but the method by which he has gained his present 
physical health and power, affords a useful lesson 
to boys, and girls too. Most of our young readers 
have heard of the man who carried an ox, and how 
he did it. He began by carrying a calf, and carried 
it daily until it grew up. In a similar manner Dr. 
Windship began to take vigorous exercise while 
yet a boy at college. He continued this daily, and 
after a time began to lift weights, then barrels ot 
gravel to which he could add a little more from 
day to day. The use of the muscles of the body 
not only increased their strength, but they were 
disciplined so that he could use them in the desired 
direction, as referred to in speaking elsewhere of the 
blacksmith’s boy. It should be stated also, that he 
practiced temperance in eating and drinking—eating 
but moderately of nourishing food so as not to 
overtax the stomach, and abstaining from liquors, 
tea, coffee, etc., which give a temporary stimulus, 
always followed by a corresponding depression. And 
just here let us say to our boys on the farm, there 
is nothing so good to give you vigorous health 
strength, and “ good feelings,” as your daily toil— 
holding plow, carrying wood, picking up stones, 
and so on. Why, when sixteen years old we spent 
a winter at an Academy, where there were a lot of 
City boy6, who were larger than we were, and de¬ 
lighted in making sport of the “green farmer boy.’ 
We remember taking two of them by the collar 
one in each hand, and holding them so strongly that 
they could hardly move. This came from long 
practice at wrestling--with the plow-handles 
on stony ground, and among stumps and roots in 
new land. (That was a good while ago, but those 
strong muscles, and the vigor of constitution, are 
not lost.) Whatever a man is to do in after life, tho 
very best preparation is thorough active labor on 
the farm, with the plain substantial food of the 
farmer’6 table. Nearly all of the really successful 
men in all kinds of business, and in ev*ry profes¬ 
sion in this great city, and in other cities, are those 
who lived and worked on the farm until full-grown. 
And for the comfort of those who are so troubled at 
being poor, let us say, that nineteen out of twenty 
of the present successful farmers, as well as the 
successful men in other business and pursuits are 
the sons of poor parents. The fact that they were 
compelled to use their muscles, and brains, gave 
them the very strength and discipline essential to 
success. A boy or girl brought up without hard 
work, is like an arm carried in a sling; it is weak 
and puny. Remember, also, that just what strong 
exercise does for the body—mental exercise does 
for the mind. A person may inherit wealth, or may 
get it by good luck—but bodily strength, and 
strength of mind, can only be got by exercise.— 
Work away then my boys, and my girls too. Every 
day’s work pays you something in increased vigor 
and health; every lesson learned, every hard prob¬ 
lem worked out without help , adds to your strength 
and discipline of mind, and to your real worth. 
Altout (he Crown of England. 
Few persons have any idea of the brilliancy and 
cost of the Imperial State Crown, or Cap, worn by 
Queen Victoria on certain State occasions. Here 
are a few interesting items: It was made in 1838, by 
Messrs. Rundell & Bridge of London. It weighs 3 
pounds, 3% ounces, troy; or a little over two and 
four-fifths pounds avoirdupois. It contains 3,075 
jewels, consisting of 2,783 diamonds, 277 pearls, 
17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and 5 rubies. They are 
catalogued thus : 1 large ruby irregularly polished, 
1 large broad-spread sapphire, 16 sapphires, 11 em¬ 
eralds, 4 rubies, 1,363 brilliant diamonds, 1,273 rose 
diamonds, 147 table diamonds, 4 drop-shaped pearls, 
273 pearls. These are all placed upon a cap ot 
crimson velvet, with a border of ermine, and lined 
with white silk. The jewels are arranged in the 
form of bands, festoons, arches composed of dia¬ 
monds arranged like oak leaves and acorns, one 
large cross, four Maltese crosses, etc.Several 
of the most precious jewels belonged to former 
crowns, and some of them have been in pos¬ 
session of the Royal family for 500 years or more. 
As men estimate, the value of the crown amounts 
to many millions of dollars. For real utility in 
itself, it is of infinitely less value than three pounds 
of iron. To a man cast away upon a desolate island, 
the jewelled crown would be of no account, while 
three pounds of iron, in the form of steel, fashioned 
into hatchet, knife, needles, etc., would add im¬ 
mensely to his comfort by enabling him to obtain 
food and shelter, and perhaps the meaus of escape. 
