ms 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
competence and comfort for Winter“so industry in child¬ 
hood, in the cultivation of the mind and heart, brings with 
it self respect, mental- stores, and influence, and respecta¬ 
bility in manhood. We are often told that childhood is 
the seed-time of life, and no one can better appreciate this 
idea than those who know practically how important it is 
that seed should be cast into the earth in its appropriate 
season. The wise man tells us that “ an idle soul shall 
suffer hunger,’’and that “the sluggard who will not plow by 
rca'on of the cold, shall begin harvest, and have nothing.” 
There is a hunger of the mind more fearful than that of 
the body, and a poverty more terrible than that which re¬ 
sults from a Want of physical good. The body stinted in 
youth never attains its full proportions—it is always 
dwarfed—so the mind starved in early years always bears 
the mark of its deprivations. Remember this, children, 
and lay up for yourself treasures that wax not old, but 
Which once yours are always yours. Improve the com¬ 
ing Winter months by diligent study. Learn to think, 
and to write, and to speak your thoughts. Lay a good 
foundation for yoUr future life. Geography is one of the 
most interesting and useful of studies, and without thor¬ 
ough knowledge of it you can not read even the newspa¬ 
pers with advantage. Look out on the map, every' place 
about which you read, and never consider it too much 
trouble to do so. Be not an intellectual sluggard. 'Re¬ 
member that many of the wisest and greatest men of our 
country have.been farmer’s sons, and prepare yourselves 
to be an honor and a blessing to our beloved land. The 
Winter is pre-eminently your seed time. Let it not pass 
by unimproved. I should be sorry to think of any of you 
as one half as ignorant as the New-York salesmen. 
Anna HorE. 
ANSWERS TO PROBLEMS IN OCTOBER NUMBER. 
The following is the report of all correct an¬ 
swers received up to October 17. 
No. 11.—To plant 31 kinds of flowers, one of each kind 
eo as to have 18 varieties in one circle ; 7 circles with 0 
varieties in each, 6 straight rows with 6 varieties in each 
and 3 straight rows with 5 varieties in each. 
M. 
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■ I ,«• ! i > Tt'-Y'', ;\ 
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xfr 
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As remarked last month, this will make a pretty flower 
bed if smaller plants are put where they come nearest to¬ 
gether. No one has furnished a correct answer except 
the proposer, “ Rusticus,” of Corsica, Morrow Co., O. 
Master “ Fourteen,” of Auburn, N. II., sent one almost 
like it, and equally as pretty, which w e have put aside for 
using at some future time. 
No. 12.—By Serenus Raesly, Northampton Co., Pa. 
There are two equal circles, each containing an area of 
19631 square feet. The centers of .these circles are 30 
feet apart. What will be the cost of paving with pebbles 
the space between them; that is the space, enclosed by 
two lines drawn to touch the outside of the tw o circles 
not including any of the ground in the circles themselves; 
the cost of the paving to be reckoned at 4f cents per 
square yard ? 
A useful problem, but no answer received yet. 
No. 13.—Suppose all the gold obtained from both Cal¬ 
ifornia and Australia, to amount to $500,000,000, how 
large a box would it take to put it all into, supposing gold 
to be worth $18 per avoirdupois ounce, and reckoning it 
to be 191 times heavier than-the same bulk of water. A 
solid or cubic foot of water weighs 621 pounds. The 
length, breadth and hight of the box to be equal. 
Several answ'ers to this were received, but only one, 
from Joseph H. Simpson, Arispe, Ill., is correct. John Mil¬ 
ler, of Harmony, N. J., gave the required number of solid 
feet, but net the size ofthe cubic box. As the working of 
this problem will furnish a very useful arithmetical exer¬ 
cise for boys and girls, we will not give the correct answer 
now, but leave it a month or two for others to practice 
Upon, as many—all we hope—are engaged in studying 
arithmetic in the Winter school. It would only reauire a 
very small house to hold all the gold in the country if 
melted into a solid mass. 
No. 14.—11 treesinll rows, with 3 trees in each row. 
We are surprised atreceiving eight solutions of this prob¬ 
lem, all different and yet all correct. We could only en¬ 
grave the first two received. 
9 :--. 
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a 
AM 
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b. 
Fig. a was contributedbv Chas, M. Foulke, of Bucks 
Countv, Pa. 
Fig. b, by J. Rankin, 
Albany, N. Y. The 
other correct figures 
were sent by “ Four¬ 
teen,” of N. H.; A. M. 
Daniels, Tioga, Co., 
N. Y.; Francis M.Van- 
cil, Macoupin Co-, Ill.; 
Susan C. and Roswell 
D. Gould, LaSalle Co., 
Ill ; Joseph H. Simp¬ 
son ; Charles Lamkin 
j'r., Seneca Co., Ohio.; 
Serenus Raesly, North¬ 
ampton Co., Pa,; Sam¬ 
uel Ring, Ring’s Mills, 
O. ; Jno. Miller, Harmony, N. J. 
No. 15.—9 trees, 10 rows with 3 in each row. 
This figure was sent inby 
Addison Uline, Rensselaer 
Co., N. Y.; Susan C. and 
Roswell D. Gould ; Samuel 
Ring, O.; “ Fourteen,” N. 
H.; Serenus Raesly, Pa.; 
Francis M. Vancil, Ill.; N. 
-/ i \/ \ Lounsbury, Tioga Co., N. 
7 ,. y \ [ “/ ••., \ Y.;D. L. W , Beacon Falls; 
■ / \ ; / \.\ Arthur M. Daniels, Tioga 
Jy \y Co., N. Y. A different but 
™....correct drawing by John 
Miller, N. J. 
No. 10.—To plant 15 trees in 10 rows, with 3 trees in 
each row, and also to have 2 rows with 4 trees each, and 
1 of 7 trees. 
The printers spoiled this problem on page 234 by putting 
2 in place of the last 1 in the last line. We repeat it, and 
will wait for more answers before giving an engraving. 
No. 17.—To fill 64 squares, 8 each way, with the figures 
1 to 64 so that each column should add up 260. 
©;• 
*..© 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
16 
15 
14 
13 
12 
11 
10 
9 
17 
18 
10 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
32 
31 
30 
29 
28 
27 
26 
25 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 
48 
47 
46 
45 
44 
43 
42 
41 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 
64 
63 
62 
01 
60 
59 
58 
57 
2G0 
260 
260 
260 
260 
200 
260 
260 
Joseph II. Simpson, Ill.; ArthurM. Daniels, N. Y.; John 
of Centre ; Stephen J. Burton, Renselaer Co., N. Y.; R. 
Doyle, Two Rivers, Wis. 
Add itional answers to Problems 7, 8 and 9, have been re 
ceived from Edna J. Kellogg, Oswego Co., N. Y. (No. 7), 
Jas. R. Dowling, Marietta Co., O. (Nos. 7, 8 and 9,); P. 
H Baker and D. Sturges, Mich. (No. 7); and George H., 
La Fetra, Oakland, Ohio (the drawings of the trees and 
especially ofthe weights well done). 
NEW PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED. 
Note particularly Problems 12,13 and 16, still open for 
answers. 
Pros. 20.—R. Doyle and Adria Annah Oliver, arranged 
the figures in the squares of No. 17, so that they add 
260 both up and down and across. Who else can do the 
same ? 
Prob. 21.—To arrange the pieces in the following fig¬ 
ure, so that when set close together they shall form a 
perfect square. 
Send a drawing of this figure, and also one of the square 
with the pieces properly arranged in it. This is a new 
puzzle. To solve it, make a larger drawing like the one 
here given, on a piece of paste-board or on a card, then 
cut it up into the blocks indicated by the lines, and arrange 
the pieces so as to form a solid square. 
TSie Garland of Wild Flowers. 
Here is a beautiful gem which we find in Chambers’ Ed¬ 
inburg Journal. 
These be simple flowers, lady, that I have culled for you; 
For in no lordly garden or gay parterre they grew • 
But on the dewy field-bank, where the poorest child may roam; 
And fill ils lap with treasures, to bear exulting homo 
Any little country maiden can call you these by name , 
I can not bring you rarer, since no foot of ground I claim; 
But wide and rich is the domain I share with millions more ; 
Old England’s meads and cornfields the gardens of her poor. 
For while man sows “ the staff of life,” unseen a higher hand 
Is strewing gems of beauty to gladden all the land. 
The farmer calls them worthless weeds; but He sends sun 
and rain, 
Till many hued they blossom amongst the golden grain. 
So do not scorn them, lady, these humble, God-sown flowers_ 
Oh ! they were lovely once to you in chidhood’s guileless 
hours— 
So rather humbly join in praise to Him who thus has given 
Torich and poor alike, aboon of beauty straightfrom Heaven. 
Answered by Arthur M. Daniels, N. Y.; H. B. Hoffman, 
N.J.; Serenus Raesly, Pa.; “ John of Center.” See new 
problem, No. 19. 
No. 18.—How much wheat shall I carry to mill in order 
to bring back 10 bushels after being tolled one-tenth ? 
Ans.—Eleven and one-ninlh bushels. Answered byJ. 
Miller, N. J.; Alfred IT B r own, Worcester Co., Mass : 
Wit© Stole tit©' Nest ? 
BY MRS. L. M. CHILD. 
The following lines have we hope been read and felt by 
every boy in the country, but lest even one boy has failed 
to see them, and also because they are pretty enough to 
bear even a hundreth perusal, we make room for them 
here, omitting the repetition ofthe question before each 
answer, originally written.— Ed.] 
To whit! to whit! to whee ! 
Will you listen to me ? 
Who stole four eggs I laid 
And the nice nest I made ? 
Bob-a-lmk ! Bob-aTink! 
Now what do you think ? 
Who stole a nest away 
From the plum tree to-day ? 
Not I, said the cow, moo-oo ! 
Such a thing I’d never do, 
I gave ynu a wisp of hay, 
And did not take your nest away 
Not I, said the cow, moo-oo ! 
Such a thing I’d never do. 
Not I, said the dog,bow wow! 
I wouldn’t be so mean, I vow ; 
I gave the hairs the nest to 
make, 
But the nest I didn’t take. 
Cluck, cluck, aid the hen. 
Don’t ask me again. 
Why I havn’c a chick 
Would do such a trick. 
We all gave her a feather. 
And she wove them together. 
I’d scorn to intrude 
On her and her brood. 
Not. T, said the sheep : oli, no, 
I wouldn’t treat a bird so ; 
I gave the wool the nest to line 
But the nest was none of mine 
Baa,ban! saidtho sheop,oh,no 
I wouldn’t treat a poor bird so, 
CJiirr-a-whirr! Chirr-a-whirr ; 
VV e’ll make a great stir! 
•Let us find out his name, 
And all cry for shame. 
I would not rob a bird, 
Said little Mary Green; 
I think I never heard 
Of anything so mean. 
’Tis very cruel, too, 
Said lit tie Alice Neal, 
I wonder if he knew 
How bad the bird would feel ? 
A little boy hung down his head 
And went and hid behind the 
Tied; 
For he stolo that prettv nest 
From poor little yellow breast; 
a, And he felt so full of shame, 
'• He didn’t like to telj his r$2$\o 
