226 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[June, 
FKESH-WATER “ MONSTER. 
scope is nonsense. There is nothing more wonderful than 
nature, but there have been many stories told about 
nature as seen with the microscope that are not true. If 
you have not a microscope, you must then use the eyes of 
those who have, and who will report what they see, ex¬ 
actly as they see it. Let us go to some pond or ditch 
where water - plants 
grow, for the animals 
we are after like these 
still waters better than 
the fast running brook. 
Having with us a pre¬ 
serve jar, or other wide¬ 
mouthed bottle, we take 
some of the water and 
plants which grow in it, 
and carry them home. 
If we have been for¬ 
tunate, we shall find 
that when we put a 
'tiny spray of a plant 
and a few drops of water 
under the microscope, 
we have a menagerie of 
far more wonderful ani¬ 
mals than are to be 
seen in Barnum’s great 
“Centennial Moral 
Show.” With a com¬ 
mon microscope we 
can see something of 
these animals, but to get proper look at them, and see 
all their parts distinctly, a very powerful one is needed. 
One day, not long ago, I found a most singular-looking 
animal, and had him drawn, so that our boys and girls 
might get an idea of how he looked. Of course I cannot 
put any life or motion into it on paper, so it looks some¬ 
what stiff and awkward, but if you could see it swim¬ 
ming about, and see the fringed wheel about its mouth in 
rapid motion, you would think it a very lively fellow. 
The creature has great jaws just below the mouth, with 
which to grind its food to pieces, and if you could see it 
eat, I am sure you would agree with me in thinking this 
a most wonderful animal. So transparent is the creature 
that we can see the food pass from the jaws into the 
stomach. The body seems to be covered all over with 
points, much like the quills upon a porcupine ; I suppose 
these are its weapons of defense, for among these small 
animals—just as among the larger ones—the stronger de¬ 
vour the weaker; there is a continual warfare going on 
among them, and the ways in which some of them avoid 
or defend themselves from their enemies are curious 
enough. Some of these tiny creatures build houses in 
which they hide when danger approaches. There is one 
little animal, quite common, which we call the brick- 
maker; this builds a house out of little pellets of clay, 
laid up like bricks, and fastens it to some leaf or stem 
growing under water, and when any larger and hungry 
animal comes near, he drops down into his house, where 
no intruder can follow him, and he is safe. But the one 
here figured never builds a house nor tries to hide, and 
seems to hare just two things in life to do: to keep out 
of the way of creatures larger than itseif, which would 
capture and feed upon it, and the other to catch animals 
smaller than itself, and feed upon them. These minute 
animals, which can just be seen by the unaided eye, and 
several of which have abundant room in a drop of water, 
have their living to get, just as have the larger animals. 
Aunt Sue’s Chuts. 
A Toilet Set. —Cora writes from Woodstown, N. J.: 
“ Aunt Sue, will you please send me through the Ameri¬ 
can Agriculturist, pat¬ 
terns for a toilet-set, 
including pincushion, 
hair-pin-box, hair-re¬ 
ceiver, mats, also a 
card-case ? ”—Well, Co¬ 
ra, dear, these things 
are so common in every 
house, that it seems 
hardly worth while to 
describe them in the 
American Agriculturist, 
still as there may be 
some others who would 
like a few hints on the same matters, I will describe some 
of those which have lately come under my notice, first 
A Pincushion.— Make a square one of unbleached 
muslin, the size you require ; cover it with colored silk, 
or paper muslin. Then for the outside cover, take a 
square of Swiss muslin, transfer an initial letter from 
the corner of some of your old handkerchiefs, to the cen¬ 
ter of the muslin, and some pretty little corner pieces 
from old collars, or embroidered handkerchiefs. Trim it 
round with a ruffle of lace, and baste a quilled ribbon 
around it where the muslin and lace join, for a finish, as 
in figure 1. I say “ baste ” because you will have to 
take it off when the cover is washed. Fasten the cover 
on with four pins, one at each corner. 
Mats. —For the mats, cover squares or circles of card¬ 
board with silk, (or paper 
muslin), and make covers 
for them of Swiss muslin, 
with transferred embroid¬ 
ery, lace, and quilled rib¬ 
bon, just like the pin¬ 
cushion cover. Baste the 
muslin by a few concealed 
stitches, to the covered 
cardboard, so that they 
may be easily removed 
when they have to be 
washed. Of course your 
quilled ribbon must match your silk or paper muslin. 
IIair-Pin-Box. —For this get a round collar box ; half 
fill it with curled hair, and sew a piece of net over it, 
about an inch and a half from the top. The best way to 
do this, is to cut a strip of card-board 
a quarter of an inch wide, and sew 
the ends together so that they shall 
make a hoop that will just fit inside 
of the box; then 
cover this with net¬ 
ting, (it is best to 
have the netting 
double), like a sieve, 
and fasten it into the 
box, just above the 
curled hair. Then 
put perforated silver- 
paper, worked with 
any pattern you like, 
around the outside, 
and trim the edges 
with quilled ribbon, 
as in figure 2. Line 
the inside with plain 
silver-paper. 
IIair - Receivers, 
or “ Catch - alls,” 
these are very vari¬ 
ous. You will find 
the description of a 
very neat one in the ca t ch-a LL. 
March number of the American Agriculturist, 1875, page 
105. The cornucopia is the most common and sim¬ 
ple kind. Take a piece of perforated silver-paper, about 
ten inches square, work it with silk or worsted, any pat¬ 
tern you choose. Double it, horn-shaped, and sew the 
edges together. Fasten quilled ribbon down the seam, 
Fig. 3. 
CATCH-ALL. 
Fig. 4. 
and around the top. Put a ribbon loop at the upper 
point, by which to hang it up, and a tassel at the lower 
point, as in figure 3. Line it with a square of marbled oil¬ 
cloth, a trifle less than ten inches each way. This is the 
nicest kind of a lining, as it may be washed. 
Another very pretty catch-all, like figure 4, may be 
made of quilled ribbon, perforated silver-paper, and a 
piece of silk or ribbon. Cut the back piece about ten 
inches long, by four wide, the front 
piece about five inches by three; 
fasten a little silk bag at the bottom, 
with a tassel where it is drawn to¬ 
gether; work your initial near the 
top, with either silk or worsted, and 
trim with quilled ribbon. Another 
pretty one, like figure 5, may be 
made by perforated silver-paper, 
lined with silk, and trimmed with 
quilled ribbon, just large enough to 
hold a tumbler or jelly-glass, and in 
the same way you may make covers 
for bottles of cologne or other 
scents, that you may wish to have 
standing on your bureau. 
Card Case.— I do not exactly know 
what, you mean by “ card-case,” but if 
yon refer to a sort of wall-pocket for 
cards, letters, etc., you can make a very useful one from 
a handkerchief-box, (such as half-a-dozen handkerchiefs 
are sold in). Cut off the edges of both top and bottom of 
the box, leaving two pieces, the top and bottom, just the 
same size. Join them together witli a '‘pie-shaped” 
Fig. 7. 
SHAVING-CASE. 
piece of silk, (or paper muslin), as in figure G, and trim 
with pinked silk, (or paper muslin). Hang it up by a quil¬ 
ling of pinked silk, or muslin. 
Very pretty pincushion-covers, mats, etc., may be made 
with “spattered” swiss muslin, lined with silk, and 
trimmed with quilled ribbon. 
A Shaving-Case made of silver perforated paper, with 
an initial worked in the center, trimmed with quilled 
ribbon, and furnished with shaving-papers, cut the same 
shape as the outside, but a trifle smaller, is always an 
acceptable present to a gentleman who shaves, (always 
providing he hasn’t already too many for convenience). 
See figure 7. 
It is an improvement to the perforated silver-paper, to 
line with plain silver-paper, the silvery side next to the 
perforated paper, so that it may show through the holes. 
Of course other materials can be used than those here 
mentioned, and very pretty affairs may often be made 
out of bits and scraps that are useless for other purposes. 
- t »«i «■- 
Atstit Saae’s. B B is*:*lc=ISox. 
BEHEADED RHYMES. 
1. The little boy had a painted-, 
By his nurse the little chap was-, 
And she called the little fellow-. 
2. This little fish is called a —-— 
’Twas caught by a boy whose name was-, 
And afterwards stolen by a-. 
3. From the garment was torn a little -—-, 
It made the lady who wore it-, 
She trembled with fear when she heard it- 
4. This horrid fish is called a-, 
If Noah & Co., all, should “-,” 
They’d scarcely hear it in the-. 
5. He came to the table and took his-, 
But the little rascal was so-, 
That all alone his meal he-. 
6. The irate woman began to- 
Her servant, for having the room so-; 
The servant declared she was getting- 
7. She dressed herself exceeding- 
And off she hurried to the-, 
To buy, she said, some books on- 
8. The little maiden had to-, 
When she upset her jug of —- 
Upon the paper, and spoilt a-. 
NUMERICAL ENIGMA. 
I am composed of 10 letters : 
My 6, 7, 3, 9, is a kind of fruit. 
My 7, 3, 9, may be found in the field or on your head. 
My 5, 2, 8, 4, 10.9, belongs to a peculiar religious sect. 
My 1, 3, 6, is a kind of juice. 
My whole is the name of a famous poet. S. L. P. 
CROSS WORD. 
One and two are in rain-bow but not in sky. 
Three and four are in hill-top but not in high, 
Five and six are in stain but not in spot, 
Seven and eight are in march but not in trot, 
Nine and ten are in haul hut not in draw. 
Eleven, twelve, are in plane but not in saw, 
Thirteen, fourteen, in branch but not in leaf, 
Fifteen, sixteen, in rye but not in sheaf. 
Seventeen, eighteen, in gnat but not in fly. 
Nineteen in deceitful but not in sly; 
My whole is the name of a well-known poet. 
Should you once see it written you’d certainly know it. 
10. S. C. 
pi. 
Fi veery anip dan race ew Ieef 
Weer tewrint no het rowb, 
Who anym a dahn dulow saupe ot leah, 
Hatt lyon dunsow su won. Lucy & Sunle. 
ACROSTICAL ARITHMOREM. 
1. 1100 and tea. 2. 1000 and a bush. 3. 500 and aat. 
4. 1000 and oar. 5. 2001 and seen. G. 1500andoes. The 
initials form a city, the finals a river. Nip. 
ANAGRAMS OP VERY ANCIENT CITIES. 
1. Steal my Pocho. 2. I. C. Opera C. 3. People, sirs. 
4. Room, ten. 5. U. S. Inn. 6. Hate crag. Sphinx. 
DIAMOND PUZZLE. 
1. Part of a shaft. 2. An article of clothing. 3. To 
drive back. 4. Insnared. 5. Is much to be desired. 6. 
Coins of little value. 7. A short dessertation. 8. A 
beast of burden. 9. Part of a thistle. 
The center letters, perpendicular and horizontal, name 
what we all are seeking. E. P. B. 
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN THE APRIL NUMBER. 
Ellipses.— 1. Lump, plum. 2. Gape, page. 3. Ore, roe. 
4. Rome, more. 5. Priest, stripe. 6. Grown, wrong. 
Metagram.— Cape, ape ; cap, Pa. 
Pr.—Learning will accumulate wonderfully if you add a 
little every day. Do not wait for a long period of leisure. 
Pick up the book and gain one. new idea, it no more. Save 
that one, and add another as soon as you can 
CHABAnES.— 1. Agate. 2. Metatome. 
Square Word. —M ICE 
IDOL 
COOK 
ELKS 
Numerical Enigmas.— 1. Black Warrior. 2. Gilly-flower. 
Double Ckoss Word.— Mother, sister. 
Single Cross Word.— Kitten. 
Alphabetical Arithmetic. 
159)488067(2755 
(.Key: Blacksmith.) 
Anagrams. —1. Tragedian. 
2. Sympathies. 3. Parliamen¬ 
tary. 4. Bagatelle. 5. Con¬ 
servatories. 0. Arithmetician. 
7. Betrospection. 8. Enter¬ 
tainments. 9. Clergyman. 10. 
Nonsensical. 
Diamond Puzzle. 
C 
H O W 
C A N N A 
CHANCEL 
SEPTEMBER 
CONNECT I CUT 
GALATIANS 
VENISON 
COCOA 
SUM 
T 
