1875.1 
351 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Answers to Correspondents. 
BY THE DOCTOR. 
I have not hacl so many questions lately as in the 
earlier months. Boys and girls do not care so much 
about the “ why and because ” of things in the hot days 
of July and August, as they do in cooler months, and I 
do not blame them. X like youngster’s questions better 
than I do those of older people, as they go directly to the 
point, and do not write half a page or more in telling why 
they ask, instead of asking at once. I am always glad 
to get your questions, as then I know what you are read¬ 
ing about and thinking about, but I cannot always agree 
to answer all that you ask ; there are some questions 
that cannot be answered properly, unless the one to 
whom the answer is given knows more than boys and 
girls are expected to know. Here is a case in point. 
Sun Dogs.— “ A Farmer’s Boy,” Sterling, Ill., wishes 
to know “ why sun dogs appear in a cold morning, and 
not in a warm one.”—If I were to answer, because there 
are no crystals of ice or snow in the air on warm morn¬ 
ings, but there may be on cold ones, it would be quite 
correct, but not very satisfactory. In order to answer in 
full, so that “Farmer’s Boy,” and all the other boys, as 
well as the girls, could understand it, a page or more 
would be required, and then I should have to suppose 
that you knew more about light than most old folks do. 
So this is one of the cases in which I must ask my young 
friend to wait until he gets older, for a full account, 
which he will find in the works about light. Perhaps 
some of you do not know what “ Farmer’s Boy” means 
by “ sun dogs.” It is another name for mock suns, 
which are bright spots seen near the sun, the scientific 
name of which is parahelia , from Greek words meaning 
near and sun. I can now only say that they are formed 
by haloes crossing one another, and that haloes are rings 
around the sun, produced by the action of the ice crys¬ 
tals upon the light. 
Autumn Leaves.— Alice B.. of R. I., wishes to know 
about preserving autumn leaves. Alice is right, it is 
best to begin early, as some of the most beautifully 
tinted leaves are to be found before the general color¬ 
ing of the forests takes place. Frost has little to do with 
the coloring, and leaves that have been frosted do not 
keep nearly so well, as those that have ripened into 
beauty without it. The first step is to collect the leaves, 
and perfect form is as important as beauty of color ; when 
you collect them, although colored leaves are so abund¬ 
ant, you will find it more difficult than you supposed 
to get those which are quite perfect in shape. The 
next thing is to dry them as rapidly as possible. 
Where only a few are to be dried, some large book that 
is of no value, is the handiest. Have the book perfectly 
dry, and it is all the better if a little warmed, by placing 
it near the stove. Place the leaves between the pages of 
the book, not too many together, and have a plenty of 
the pages between each lot. When the leaves are in, 
shut the book and place a weight upon it; other books 
will do. The next day at latest—and if the leaves are 
put to press in the morning, better do it the same 
evening—change them to another book, press in the 
same manner, and lay the first book—open—in a warm 
place to dry. Make this change every day, until the 
leaves are thoroughly dry, which may be known by their 
brittleness. Keep the leaves in a book until you wish to 
use them. The collecting season will last until hard 
frosts. Try and get a great variety of forms as well as 
of colors, and look out for a plenty of small leaves, to 
work in with the larger ones; little twigs with small 
leaves attached, should be gathered when found. When 
they are made up with ornamental work, the leaves are 
usually oiled, to brighten the color; last fall I hit upon a 
plan that I think much better than that, and which I will 
describe another time. 
Do Cucumbers Grow in the Sea?—“G. C. G,” 
Yes and no. You have no doubt seen the “ Sea-cucum¬ 
ber” mentioned somewhere, and thought it might be 
some kind of a plant. It is really an animal, like a great 
fat worm—only it is not a worm at all. There are a num¬ 
ber of these strange sea animals that we shall tell you 
about before long, and you must wait until then to know 
more about the sea cucumber. 
“Johnny-Jumper.” —Sarah M., wishes to know why 
the Pansy is called “ Johnny Jumper.” Who can tell the 
“ why ” of most of the common names of plants ? I 
never heard that name given to Pansy, except in those 
parts of New York and New Jersey, where the original 
settlers were Dutch, but I do not know that it is of 
Dutch origin. The Pansy has more curious names than 
any of our garden flowers ; even Pansy, its most common 
name, is from the French word for “ thought.” Some of 
the flowers have a very human expression, and perhaps 
some of them look as if they were thinking of something. 
I have a list of some of the names given to the plant in 
England, and here are a few of them, “ Cuddle me to 
you,” “Love in idle,” “Three faces under a hood,” 
“Kiss me at the garden gate,” “Pink of my John,” 
“ Jump up and kiss me.”—By the way, here’s a discov¬ 
ery 1 Look at the last two names, the end of one and the 
beginning of the other. “John” and “Jump up.” I 
never thought of it before, but it looks as if your Johnny 
Jumper, may have come somehow from the mixing of 
two of these old English names. This guess is the best 
I can do for you, Miss Sarah. 
AiiBit Sne’s CHats. 
E. G. H. writes—“We have had a problem given to 
us, but I think it must be misstated. Will you kindly 
assist us to a solution if there is one ?—‘A man had three 
sons, A, B, and C. He gave to A. 10 eggs; to B. 30 eggs; 
and to C. 50 eggs. They were to sell them at the same 
prices, and each was to bring home the same amount of 
money, (without any collusion.’)—Now, Aunt Sue, is 
that possible ?” 
Yes: they sold their eggs at the same prices, but not 
in the same proportions. They sold their eggs, some at 
7 for 1 cent, and some at 3 cents each; and they each 
brought home 10 cents. Thus: 
A. sold—7 eggs at 7 for a cent.1 c. 
3 eggs at 3 cents each.9 c. 
10 10 c. 
B. sold—28 eggs at 7 for a cent.4 c. 
2 eggs at 3 cents each.6 c. 
30 10 c. 
C. sold—49 eggs at 7 for a cent.7 c. 
1 egg at 3 cents.3 c. 
50 10 c. 
and so you see each boy sold his eggs at 7 for a cent, and 
at 3 cents each, (not a very reasonable performance,) and 
each brought home ten cents. 
E. S. W. says : “Will you tell me the sense of ‘halcyon 
days ’? Lizzie heard the grown folks talking about it, 
and ‘didn’t like to ask them what it meant.’ ”—Yes, dear, 
I am always ready to tell all I know, (it takes me such a 
little while.) “Halcyon days” means days of peace and 
serenity; and the expression is derived from the fact 
that the kingfisher (or halcyon), possessed, I suppose, of 
an instinct which tells her “ when,” builds her nest and 
sits on her eggs during a calm which is sure to last four¬ 
teen days. Old fables said that the bird made her nest 
on the surface of the sea, and had the power to charm 
the waves and winds to rest. So that with some fact and 
much fancy, “halcyon days” has at length grown to 
mean a season of peace and happiness. 
Josie S. D. says she has “seen some sweet little 
pressed flowers stuck on rice paper,” and wants to know 
if the paper is really made of rice, and if I can tell her 
how to make it. To the best of my knowledge and be¬ 
lief—Josie—there is no rice about it. It is merely the 
pith of a tree, which is a native of Formosa—and a very 
pretty tree it is too : it has such large handsome silver- 
gray leaves, that gardeners grow it in greenhouses in 
winter, and set it out in spring to ornament the garden. 
The stems of this tree contain the finest kind of pith, 
which, when cut into sheets, and flattened out, make the 
delicate paper used by the Chinese for their ornamental 
painting, and some of it is brought to this country and 
sold to those who make fancy work. One of the chief 
uses of rice-paper is to make very choice artificial flow¬ 
ers, for the delicate texture of the pith comes nearer to 
that of some flowers than any other substance. If you 
will send me your address I will send you some rice-pa¬ 
per, which will perhaps be better than telling you “how 
to make it.” 
Harry —The reason “so many Chinese names begin 
with ‘Ah’” is because “Ah” is the Chinese title cor¬ 
responding with our “Mr.” “Sing” is as common a 
name with the Celestials as “John” is with us. 
Aunt Sue’s I*uxxlle-15ox. 
NUMERICAL ENIGMAS. 
1. I am composed of 14 letters. 
My 10, 2, 9. 1, 11, 12, 13, is a biped. 
My 2. 6, 13, is its mother. 
My 14,11, 9, 13. is part of the body. 
My 8, 12, 6, 4, is an animal. 
My 5, 3, 7, 14, is liked by boys. 
My whole is the name of a writer. L. C. 
2. I am composed of 28 letters. 
My 1, 12, 23, 15, 3, is prodigality. 
My 2, 7, 11, 14, is a useful stone. 
My 5, 9, 18, 17, 25, 25. 26, 2S, 15, is “ very good.” 
My 16, 8, 4, 13. 7, 19, is a painful emotion. 
My 20, 24, 22, 18, 25. 5, is often seen in winter. 
My 24, 8, 13. 28, and 21. 10. 27. 6. 23, cooked tq- 
gether, form a popular dish of Indian origin. 
My whole is a biblical statement of an agricultural 
maxim. Gay. 
CONCEALED BOOKS OP THE BIBLE. 
1. John and Agnes are taking singing lessons. 2. Those 
are Mary’s books add pictures. 3. Would you rather rest 
here or go further? 4. This is a most delightful spot. 
5. Robert, did you jam Esther’s bat ? 6. Tom says it is 
a fact, so you need not deny it. 7. Now, Lulu, keep 
quiet, and do not fidget. 8. If you will use the mat, the 
women will be grateful. 9. I heard a negro man singing 
“ Home, sweet home.” J. E. G. 
CHARADES. 
1. My first is a boy’s nickname, 
My second is the same, 
My whole, not unknown to fame, 
A full one doth remain. M. R. 
2. My first, with some, lias magic power 
To wile away a tedious hour: 
My second aid the steam-drawn car. 
Bear friends to friends, or foes to war; 
And for my whole, old favorites still 
Discarded are, at fashion’s will. E. L. K. 
ANAGRAMS. 
1. Curb Bess, Sir. 
2. O I Strides on mud. 
3. I hide bugs in salt. 
4. Set for tea. 
5. Ever most dear. 
6. Screen ettrer. 
7. Tell Ben, O I Ira. 
8. Brave iron trees. 
9. My rich lath. 
10. Nestle in mat. 
PLANTINGS. 
(As these may not be familiar toall puzzlers, I will give 
a hint or two on the subject. Plant a vehicle and a 
people, and what will come up ? Ans. Carnation.—Plant 
some confectionary an‘d an Indian’s scalp, and what will 
grow. Ans. Candytuft.) 
1. Plant a carriage and your grandmother, and what 
will come up ? 2. A planet, and something used in cook¬ 
ing. 3. A bush and a wine. 4. An animal and a misstep. 
5. A body of water and a girl’s name. 6. Some porcelain 
and a millionaire. 7. Dawn and what warriors love. 8. 
Part of the foot, part of the body, and an exclamation. 
Pussy Willow. 
TRANSPOSITIONS. 
1. Transpose an animal into what a goose is, now be¬ 
head and leave a bird, A. M. Nagel. 
2. Transpose a ruler into what he told his army to 
do. Belle. 
puzzle. 
Take an active little insect, 
A circle, and a measure, 
And add a wholesome beverage 
We often sip at leisure, 
And right before you there will be 
A safeguard used on land and sea. A. Savinne. 
CROSS WORD. 
My first is found in ankle, not in foot, 
My next is found in shoe but not in boot, 
My third is in the mind but not the heart, 
My fourth is in the coach but not the cart. 
My fifth is found in sugar, not in tea, 
Without my whole this riddle could not be. 
Little One. 
DOUBLE ACROSTIC. 
The initials and finals name an initial and final. 
1. A boy’s name. 2. A machine. 3. A long stick. 4. 
Suspend. 5. A man’s name. Yankee Doodle, 
pi. 
Eppole tunco pu het saflut fo sohet how peek hemi 
ingitwa. 
-- » --- 
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN THE JULY NUMBER. 
Chabade.— Patchouly (Pat-chew-Lee). 
Square Words. 
l.-F ACT 
ABLE 
CLAN 
TEND 
2—D U K E 
U U I M 
K I N E 
EMEU 
Cross Acrostic. 
CAT 
ILL 
g L I 
SIMPERING 
ALLEGHANY 
SOUTHEAS T 
NAT 
INN 
AYE 
Cross Word.—P arepa Rosa. 
Numerical Enigmas.— 1. North Carolina. 2. All are not 
thieves that dogs bark at. 3. A little body doth often harbor 
a great soul. 
Puzzle.— COLD, 
WTld-elowkr Anagrams.— 1. Trailing arbutus. 2. Solo¬ 
mon's seal. 3. Cardinal flower. 4. Meadow beauty. 5. 
Dandelion. 6. Loose strife. 7. Arethusa. 8. Golden rod. 
Anagrams of the Names of three Celebrated 
Philosophical Writers.— Bacon. Locke, Boyle. 
Thanks for letters, puzzles, etc., to Jennie W T ren, G. H. 
W’Son, J. C. L—h, Mrs. M., Eddie, M. C. D., and Mary Gold. 
-—- — — -- 
Having A Good Time. 
If there is any season of the year when boys and girls 
can have a good time—if they only know how—it is in 
these days of summer and early autumn. The country 
youngsters have generally no school, and so no lessons 
to prepare, and a good part of the work that is expected 
of them, is about as much fun as work. Then the city 
youngsters, also without school, take this time to visit 
their country cousins, and city hoys and city girls, meet 
country boys and country girls, and the two have a better 
time than either would have by themselves. The young¬ 
sters from the city have many things to tell about that 
those living in the country never knew or heard of before. 
We can not always have pleasant days in the country, 
and the stormy ones, while they prevent out-door fun, 
need not by any means be unpleasant. One good thing 
about country houses is, they generally have a garret— 
indeed, it is a poor sort of a country house which hasn't 
that children’s paradise, a garret. When the vacation is 
all done, and in both city and country you think over the 
good times you had last summer, you very likely will 
not remember anything with more pleasure than the 
rainy days in the garret. If you shut your eyes and try 
hard, you can hear the rain as it made such music on the 
shingles, a sort of quiet accompaniment to the voice of 
city Sue or Ben, as they told of city wonders, or country 
Jane or Charlie, as they told of how they got lost in the 
great snow storm of last winter, in coming home from 
school. Ah yes, those rainy days in the garret, or in the 
