1876.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
185 
drinking water thus poisoned. When boiled, the 
chance of infection is much lessened, and it is in 
the drinking water that this danger most frequent¬ 
ly exists. By properly filtering the water for drink¬ 
ing, it becomes much safer. A filter may easily be 
made of a common -1-gallon earthen or stone crock, 
HOTS (SdDHOTm 
No. 449.— Puzzle Picture. —A remarkable bouquet of violets. 
Three profiles, named in the article on Puzzle Pictures, are to be 
sought for, and will be very plain when once found. 
in which a hole for a tap is made near the bottom. 
These may be usually purchased at the stores, or 
an ordinary crock may be pierced for the purpose. 
A round piece of slate is made to fit the inside of 
the crock, and is supported by some pieces of stone, 
at a bight of 3 or 4 inches above the bottom. This 
piece of slate has several small holes made in it to 
allow the water to pass through, and is covered 
with about an inch of fine washed gravel. Upon 
this is placed 2 or 3 inches of hardwood charcoal, 
broken into pieces no larger than peas, and also 
well washed. On this is placed a layer of fine grav¬ 
el and sand. The arrangement of these layers is 
shown in the engraving. The water to be filtered 
is poured into the space above the filter, and it will 
slowly percolate through the gravel and charcoal, 
to be drawn off at the tap below. Water thus fil¬ 
tered will be purified as much as can easily be done 
by any mechanical means. A piece of ice may be 
kept in the jar to cool the water during hot weath¬ 
er. The use of the filter should not induce a 
neglect of the source of danger, and every expense 
to secure the well from contamination will be money 
well laid out. The filter should be occasionally re¬ 
newed by thoroughly washing the gravel, and 
using fresh charcoal. 
Ply-specks on gilt and bronze. “Mrs. A. E.” 
So far as the specks go, they can be removed by 
the use of a damp cloth, especially on a moist day, 
when they are softened. But they seem to be 
singularly corrosive, and leave a spot behind, where 
the surface of the article has been discolored or re¬ 
moved. We know of no help for these but rcgild- 
ing the spots or touching them with bronze powder 
of the proper color. 
Varnish foe Books. —“ H. M. R.” Book-bind¬ 
ers do not use common varnish, but a thin varnish 
made with bleached shellac and strong alcohol. 
Horse-radish Sauce.— Clean and grate one stick 
of horse-radish, place in a saucepan, and add a cup¬ 
ful of soup, two tablespoonfuls of dried currants, 
a little sugar, a teaspoonful of vinegar, and some 
salt; place over the fire, let it come to a boil, and 
serve. This sauce is very popular among the Ger¬ 
mans, by whom it is much eaten with soup-meat, 
and is good with other boiled meats. 
TBie !>os‘ Slory Prizes. 
Attention !—You will recollect that in February last 
I offered prizes for some dog stories. The time, for 
sending thesewvasnp on March 15th, quite too 
late for the awards to be published in April, 
where I suppose many of you looked for them. 
You will not understand how it is, perhaps, 
but I must tell you that a part of the paper, 
where most of the engravings are, and in 
which are the “Boys and Girls Columns,” is 
printed about two weeks earlier than the other 
part. As those who are examining the stories 
find it a long task, their report can not be 
given in your columns, but you will find it 
in another part of the paper, among what are 
called “ Basket Items.” The Doctor. 
OJdl and Vev» Piazzle Pictssres. 
We call “ puzzle pictures ” those pictures 
which contain more than appears at first sight; 
the eye is led away from the main thing in the 
picture by objects which show so strongly that 
they fix the attention, and in looking at these 
you do not see other things which are there, 
but not seen because other parts 
of the picture are made more 
striking. We do not know if any 
one has ever studied the history 
of pictures of this kind, but we 
think it will be found that they 
were first made in the times of 
political trouble in Europe. In 
this Centennial year, it is well 
for yon to be reminded that we 
shall celebrate the time when, 100 
years ago, our grandfathers said 
that the people and not kings 
should rule, and that every one 
should be free to read what books 
or papers he chooses, and to have 
in his house portraits of just such persons 
as lie cares to have. Even at present, in 
some countries in Europe, one dare not have 
certain pictures in his house, or oft'er them 
for sale. In the many changes in France, 
where kings and emperors followed one 
another very suddenly, the friends of the 
monarch who was out, had to keep very 
quiet, and did not dare to have even a por¬ 
trait of the .one they admired. The French 
were much like other people; when a thing 
was forbidden, they were all the more de¬ 
sirous to have it, and many ingenious ways 
were invented for getting the portraits of 
their favorites. The heads of canes were so 
made that, though they looked like very com¬ 
mon cane-lieads, when held between the light 
and a white wall, the shadow would be a 
profile of the unpopular king. Vases of porcelain or 
alabaster were made which looked innocent enough, but 
their shadows gave portraits which could not be safely 
had in any other way. So when the first Napoleon was 
unpopular, his followers had to hide all portraits of him, 
of Napoleon himself, with his flabby cocked-hat, that of 
his wife, Marie Louise, and of his son, Napoleon II, who 
you know died young. Wo published this bouquet of 
violets 13 years ago, and as those who puzzled over it as 
children at that time, are now it may be fathers and 
mothers, it will be quite new to our boys and girls of the 
present time, so we give it again (No. 449). When we 
were very young— how long ago 1—there was a picture 
that we thought a great wonder; it was the first puzzle ] 
picture we ever saw, and we recollect to have often and 
long stopped to gaze in at the shop-window where this 
remarkable work of art was exhibited. What was our 
surprise to reeeive the other day from Aunt Sue a time- 
stained copy of that very picture 1 You can imagine how 
pleased we were to see this bit of the long forgotten 
past, and as it illustrates this talk about puzzle pictures, 
we give it here instead of in Aunt Sue’s Chats, and we 
are sure she will not find fault with us for doing so. 
AUNT SUE SAYS : 
“ ‘K. S. B.’ has been kind enough to send us a ‘ very 
old ’ picture, to be copied into the American Agriculturist. 
[We give it as No. 450 --Ed.] It says upon the picture, 
‘drawn from nature on the spot’ ; but I am inclined to 
think that a little of it was drawn from imagination in 
the artist. You will observe the ‘ shade of the mighty 
dead ’ (Napoleon) between the two trees; and if they 
really presented that appearance on the Island of St. 
Helena, where Bonaparte spent his last days in exile, I 
No. 450. — Puzzle Picture.— Napoleon at St. Helena. From a 
very old engraving, sent by Aunt Sue. You will see the exiled Emperor 
as plain as can be, if you only look in the right place, and when you see 
him, you will wonder how it could puzzle any one. The original Is 
colored, which makes it more of a puzzle than it is in black and white. 
think the fact would have been mentioned more as a 
miracle than as a natural curiosity.”—When puzzle pic¬ 
tures were less common than at present, this was thought 
to be a great curiosity, and we recollect that many per¬ 
sons “ couldn't see it,” after the figure of Napoleon had 
No. 451. — Puzzle Picture. —Not a very pleasing subject, but rather puzzling. Look carefully, and you will 
find something very “striking.” 
but an ingenious artist contrived what we now call a 
“ puzzle picture,” which appeared to be only a bunch of 
violets, but when carefully examined, showed a portrait 
been carefully pointed out to them. In former numbers 
we have given you many very ingenious pictures of this 
kind, which are a great improvement on this old Napo- 
