58 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
back to us. On the 17th of February, the earth will stop the 
li^-ht from falling on the moon for a while. The moon moves 
around the earth, and if you watch it you wjll see when one 
side of it gets into the earth’s great shadow. It will then 
move further and further into the shadow, and bye and bye 
(in 57 minutes) get wholly in it. In 98 minutes more, it will 
have moved across or through the earth’s shadow, and 
you will see the other side of the moon begin to come out 
where the sun can again shine upon it—it will keep mov¬ 
ing on until it gets clear out into light again. Just about 
then, that is in the Western and South-western States, the 
earth will have turned around to the East, away from the 
sight of the moon, and into sight of the sun. We explained 
this turning of the earth, and difference of time, in last 
volume, page S44. 
A VOTE OF THANKS TO THE LITTLE FOLKS. 
We think we could pick out from the business letters 
received this year so :ar, as many as a hundred at least, 
which each contain a sentence like this: “.The 
crops have been so poor and times so hard that I thought 
we must do without the Agriculturist this year, but my 
children beg so hard for it that I must send on my sub¬ 
scription and cut off some other outlay.” We don’t 
know how many others there are who might have writ¬ 
ten in the same way, but probably a good many. The 
publisher is very grateful for this kind interest on the part 
of his young friends, and, meeting being called to order 
he hereby and herein offers a unanimous vole of thanks 
to each and all of them. He wishes he could send every 
one of them a copy of the “ Big Dictionary,” such as has 
been sent tr a f'od many boys and a few little girls too. 
Vew Problems. 
"voblem 33. —To separate the above two'individuals 
xMhoui unlying the strings, or removing them from the 
« Ats It can be easily done when you find out how 
Problem 34.—To remove the shears from the string— 
the end of the string being firmly fastened to a nail in the 
wall, or some other immovable object, w hich can not be 
put through the handles of the shears. This is also easi¬ 
ly performed when you know how. 
32—Doo Problem.— Further answers. Our last num¬ 
ber had scarcely gone to the stereotypers when in came 
a lot more of answers from boys and girls who lived too 
far off for their letters to arrive sooner. As we mean to be 
impartial, we will add here the names of those who sent 
answers before they had time to get the solution in the 
January number : A. Buckhart, Oswego Co., N. Y.; F. 
W. Fletcher, Southington; F. A. Allen, Bradford Co., 
Pa.; A Bodine, (lush Co , Ind.; Sallie E. Fort, Ocean 
Co., N. J. : II. A. Simpson, Pike Co., III.; Wm. J. 
Badger, Clark Co., Ind.; E. E. Stearns, no address; 
Emily G. Curtis (10y.), Fairfield Co., Ct. ; J. Dalesman, jr. 
no address; S. E. Theus, Savannah, Geo. ivety neat); 
0. W. Brown, Worcester Co , Ill ; II. Conklin, Fon du 
Lac Co., Wis. ; C. Hoffman, jr., Dauphin Co., Pa.; H. 
E. Tainter, Windham Co., Conn.; T. Ford, (8y.) Ritchie 
Co., Va. ; W. II. Ken, and J. V. Veach, Henry Co., Ind ; 
Benj. Andrews, Knox Co., Ill. (says “they swap heads”); 
S. F. Dyer, Kendall Co., Ill. ; E. P. McClure, Desmoines 
Co., Iowa; S. Marvin, Morrow Go., 0. ; J. W. Botsfield, 
Delaware Co., Ind.; S. K. Bare, York Co., Pa. ; B. C. 
Lowe, Jackson Co., Ind.; J. Pearsall, no address ; J. 
W. Nichols, Mahaska Co., Iowa ; II. Wickerson, C. W. ; 
Wm. Paul, Washington Co., Pa.; Geo. Wilcox, Hart¬ 
ford Co., Conn. ; K., Louisa Co., Iowa ; C. G. Whiting, 
Suffolk Co., N. Y.; J. M. Smith, Otsego Co., N. Y. 
(sorry you cut your Agriculturist); Annie Foggin, Upper 
Canada; W. A., Wayne Co., Pa.; J, Hamilton, Davis 
Co., 0. ; Geo. L. Church (I3y.), Newport Co , R. I. ; N. 
Warren, Upshur Co., Va. ; Sarah W. Taylor, Saratoga 
Co., N, Y. ; C. L. Miller, St. Jos. Co., Mich. ; D. W. 
Stanley, Wayne Co., Ind.; D. Davis, Rush Co, Ind.; 
Josephine Shepard, Hartford Co., Conn. ; F. B. Hen¬ 
dricks, De Kalb Co., Ind.; W. Phillips, Edward Co., Ill. 
Problem 31 still remains unanswered, except by a very 
few. As this problem is useful and will help to fix 
several important facts in the mind, we believe it worth 
while to re-publish it here for a multitude of new subscri¬ 
bers and those not having preserved the November num¬ 
bers. It runs thus: 
The present inhabitants of the world number about 
1,28 3,000,000 (viz.: in Asia, 720,000,000; Europe, 
272,000,000; America, 200.000,000 ; Africa, 89,000,000 ; 
Islands of the Ocean, 2,000,000). If all were gathered 
upon a plain and only a yard square (3 feet each way) 
of standing room allowed to each. 
Question 1st.—How many acres would they cover! 
Quest. 2nd.—How many square miles ? 
Quest. 3d —If standingin a square body, how farwould 
the multitude extend each way ? 
Quest. 4th—If they stood in a circular mass, what 
would be the distance through the circle 1 
Suppose them to form in marching order, like soldiers 
in single file, and allow only 3 feet for each individual to 
walk in : 
Quest 5th.—How many miles would the line extend T 
Quest. 6th.—How many times around the globe would 
the line reach? 
Suppose 1 he earth to be exactly 25,000 miles in circumfer¬ 
ence. and three-quarters of its surface to be covered with 
water and rocks. 
Quest. 7.—How many acres of tillable land are there left 
for each man, woman and child? 
Suppose only one person out of thirty dies each year (a 
very low estimate): 
Quest. 8.—IIovv many die every year ? 
Quest. 9.—How many die every day ? 
Quest. 10.—How many die every hour ? 
Quest. 11.—How many die every minute? 
Quest. 12-—If every human being in the whole United 
States (say 25,000,000) were swept off in a single 
year, How many more would die elsewhere each 
year, to equal the whole number of deaths annu¬ 
ally in the human family, allowing as, before, only 
one in 30 to die ? 
The correct or nearly correct answers received so far 
are from : Nathan Blakeslee, Oakland Co., Mich. ; S. P. 
Sharpie, Chester Co., Pa. ; Ebenezer Caldwell, Allegha¬ 
ny Co., Pa. (ail except Quest. 4) ; R. Harvey, Jo Davis 
Co., III. (all except Quest. 7); Sparks Wall, Guernsey Co., 
O. (all except Quest. 4 & 7) ; R. E- Tlickinger, Juniata 
Co., Pa. (all except Quests. 3, 4, 7,12) ; From Leedsville, 
N. Y., we have the following: Ira H. Dean, all right. 
Harry Swift, James Chaffee, John Reed, Kate Reed, and 
Helen Bird, all except Quests. 3, 4 & 7. H. V. D. Reed 
and Edward Swift, solved the 3, 4& 7 questions. 
PREMIUMSI 
We desire to extend the circulation of the Agricul¬ 
turist into lens o( thousands o( families where it is still 
unknown. To accomplish this, we offer to those who will 
assist in the work, the following ptemiums, which are cer¬ 
tainly liberal, if the cgstof the paper, and the low price at 
which it is furnished be taken into account. fA few of the 
less important premiums, though still given when de¬ 
sired, are omitted here. They can be found in the Janu¬ 
ary number.] 
rmniuin SII.—Any person sending in a club of 
10 subscribers at $8, may order a free copy of either Vol. 
XVI or Vol. XVII, which will be sent in numbers. 
Premium V.—Any person sending 25 subscribers 
and $20, will be entitled to both Volumes XVI and XVII, 
sent in numbers post-paid. (N. B.—If $21 be sent, the two 
Volumes will be bound neatly in one cover, and forward¬ 
ed post-paid.) 
Premium VI,—Any person sending in $24 for 30 
subscribers, one-third or more of them neiv ones, will be 
entitled to a silver cased Microscope, with the celebrated 
“Coddington lens”—the same as fig. 4. in July No., page 
219. Price $4. (It will be safely packed and sent by 
mail, post-paid.) 
Premium VHI.— Any person sending $32 for 40 
subscribers, (one-half new names,) will be entitled to the 
large unabridged Webster's Dictionary, containing 1,376 
3-column pages—the best and most complete work of the 
kind in the w'orld. Price $6. It weighs 7 lbs , and can 
te sent by express or by mail ($1.12) at the expense o? the 
recipient, after leaving the city. 
Premium IX—Any person or company of per¬ 
sons sending in 144 new subscribers at the lowest 
club price (80 cents each) or one hundred new sub¬ 
scribers at $1 00 each, will be presented with one 
of Wheeler & Wilson’s best $50 Sewing Machines, new 
from the manufactory. These $50 machines are just as 
good for all working purposes as those recently sold at 
$100. No better working machines are made. The 
names can be easily gathered in single towns or in two or 
three adjoining ones (they need not all be at the same 
Post office). Two or more ladies may unite their efforts 
and secure a Sewing Machine as eommon property. As 
fast as these machines are secured by the requisite number 
of subscribers, they are selected at the manufactory by 
the Publisher, and securely packed and forwarded by any 
route or conveyance desired. There are no charges of 
any kind, except for transportation after leaving the city. 
Full instructions for setting up and using go with each 
machine. 
Premium IK.—The Lady or company of Ladies 
sending the largest list of names above 144, before May 
1st, will be presented with a higher priced machine, that 
is, one put up in an extra case. 
Remarks.—It will be noticed that any person trying 
for one of the higher premiums, and failing to get names 
enough, can still take one of the lower ones, according to 
the number of names obtained. 
Every person collecting names for premiums, can send 
them in with the money as fast as received ; but if de¬ 
signed for premiums, a double list of the names should be 
sent, one of them marked at the top, “ For premiums,” 
and with the name of the sender. These duplicate lists 
will be kept on file by themselves to be referred to in 
making up the premium when any person has completed 
sending in names for Volume XVIII. 
We do not set any time for the completion of the lists 
it being understood that these premiums are only for sub¬ 
scriptions for volume XVIII (1859), w-henever received. 
The premiums will be paid as soon as the names are in. 
-«-—naa-O-t ea c rx Sr-^a.- 
Seeds for Free Distribution in 1859 
Each person whose subscription to the American Agricul¬ 
turist is paid beyond February, 1859, will be entitled to 
select tliree parcels of seeds from the general list given 
below. (If only flower seeds are chosen, 5 parcels may be 
selected by each person—or 3 of flowers, and one other kind.) 
A. It is of absolute importance that the following direc¬ 
tions be strictly followed, even to the minutest particu 
lars, We have 7 3 distinct varieties of seeds, to be dis¬ 
tributed among 50,000 or more persons scattered all over 
the country, which, at the best, will involve immense 
labor ; and some mistakes must unavoidably occur, unless 
each subscriber take special pains to facilitate the work, 
52. The seeds can be called for at the office, or be sent 
by express, or in ready prepared envelopes to be fur¬ 
nished by the subscriber, as described below. 
€. Subscribers at different points can estimate whether 
they can receive their seeds cheapest by Mail to separate 
individuals, or in a package by Express. 
H5. If to go by Express, no envelopes will be needed. 
In that case, simply send us a written list of the names 
marking against each name the kinds of seed desired, 
using the numbers in the Catalogue. Keep a duplicate of 
the list sent, and give particular directions, on the list, 
how the packages are lo be forwarded, and to whom 
directed. 
E. If to go by mail, the applicant will (of course) fur¬ 
nish prepaid envelopes, of ordinary size, which should be 
prepared as in the engraving here given—that is: Rut the 
figures corresponding 
to the Catalogue plainly 
on the upper left hand 
of the envelope, and 
put aU the postage 
stamps upon the right 
WIS. I s i c ' e of the envelope— 
—--- J one above the other 
when two or more are needed, as shown in this pat¬ 
tern. This will prevent the seeds being crushed in 
the stamping process, in the Port-Office. One ordinary 
envelope will generally hold the amount of seed-packages 
carried by two or three stamps. HOT The amount of 
stamps can be calculated from the Catalogue. Single l-cent 
stamps on letters are of no value, unless there be even 
threes of them, as letter postage is rated by the half ounce. 
jy. Let letters referring to seeds be as brief as possible, 
and yet plain. All such communications are referred 
directly to the clerk superintending that department. It 
is especially desirable that whatever relates to seeds 
JOHN JONES. 
BARRY 
DANE CO.! 
