March, 1859. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
80 
to perform. Plowing had its charms . To cut a straight 
well-turned furrow required constant exercise of skill. 
The mind was occupied and the days gilded swiftly. To 
rake before a threshing machine was hard lusty work, 
but there was a constant excitement about it. To mow 
or cradle was monotonous, and yet there was a continual 
exercise of skill to make a smooth cut and lay an even 
swath. But to drive team for somebody else to plow, or 
to drive a harrow round and round on a blank ten or 
twenty acre Summer-fallow, or turn a crank all day was 
dog-in-the-mill work. As a boy on father’s farm we could 
not so w ell look ahead to personal interest in the results 
of our work ; and so the motive w as not so much to finish 
one field and go to another, as it was to pass away the time. 
How slow the sun did move in those days. And how 
slow it has moved during the past four days. 
Lesson. To make time move swiftly and agreeably it 
is necessary to be engaged in something in which we are 
interested—something we desire to accomplish as soon as 
possible. 
How is it with you boys and girls? Do your days pass 
heavily? Is it a great while from sunrise to sunset ? If 
so, you may depend upon it, you are laboring or studying 
with a wrong motive. If you are at school, does it seem 
as if an age intervened between one recess and another, 
then you are not studying to become wise, but because 
you are compelled to go to school, or go willingly because 
you thus escape work at home, and get a few moments of 
play in going and coming, and at the recesses. If you go 
with the determination that you will learn every lesson 
thoroughly, you will find the days much too short. 
New Problems. 
Prob. 35.—Suppose the driving-wheels of a locomo¬ 
tive to be six feet in diameter, and to make four revolu¬ 
tions per second: At what speed must a horse twenty 
feet from the track, be driven, to cross it before the en¬ 
gine arrives, if the engine is three hundred feet from the 
crossing. 
Prob. 36.—Proposed by (?), \llegany Co, Pa.: 3 Farm¬ 
ers, A. B. and C., went to market to sell eggs. A. had 
10 eggs, B. 30, and C. 50. They each sold their stock at 
the same price per egg, and after all were sold, they tound 
that each had the same amount of money. How w»as this 
done ? 
ANSWERS TO PROBLEMS. 
To spell Butt, using 14 letters ? Be you double tea. 
What short word does “8 chew tea ” spell? 
Pronounce the words rapid'y and you have: h-u-t. 
What short word does “Are 80” spell ? 
Pronounced quickly you have : r-a-t. 
Prob. 33 (See page 58).— Ans. Let the boy make a 
loop by doubling his string in the middle : pass this loop 
under the pa r t of the ol her string tied around the girl’s 
wrist; then throw the loop over her hand anil let it come 
back under the string around the w rist on the back side, 
and the two persons will be separated without untying the 
strings from their hands. By the letters received we 
judge this and the following puzzle have created not a lit¬ 
tle amusement. One lad w rites that he and his brother 
tumbled round on the carpet for half an hour, trying to 
turn their hands out, but finally solved it with shears. 
Prob. 34 (See page 58).—Ans. To remove the shears, 
take the loop end of the string, put it through the right 
handle, and carry the loop around to a, as shown by the 
dotted line in the new cut here given. Let the loop be 
carried still further towards b, until it has passed entirely 
around the whole shears, and you can then remove them, 
as the string will slip out through the handles. The two 
problems, 33 and 34, have been answered substantially as 
above by : J.. S McNay, Alleghany Co., Pa. ; J. It. P., 
Cuyahoga Co., O.; P. M. Sulton, McHenry Co., Ill.; H. 
J- Legg, Ulster Co., N. Y.; I. Hoffman, Hunterdon Co., 
N. J. ; J Brooks. Shiawassee Co., Mich.; J Meixel, 
Northumberland Co., Pa.; J. & M. Campbell, Delaware 
Co., ind. (with a very pretty drawing of the shears and 
string) ; J. & E. Coyte. Bergen Co., N. J.; C. H. Trex- 
ler, Bucks, Co.. Pa. ; J. A. Miller, Jefferson Co., Ky. ; 
T. Kinney, St Lawrence Co., N. Y. ; H. S. Gold. Litch¬ 
field Co , Ct.; A. S. Caldwell, Preston, C. W. ; J. D. 
Shipley, Rockingham Co., N. H.; S. T. Rice, Crawford 
Co , Pa. : C. Evans, Alleghany Co , Pa.; W. A. Buek- 
hont. Oswego Co., N Y.; S. H. Ward, P. C. Asten, R. 
Duncan. S Duncan, Z Duncan, & G. Smith, Essex Co., 
N. J ; Henry Look, Franklin Co ,P. ; J. R Merryman, 
Harford Co , Md ; E. Avery, Monroe Co., Mich. ; R. E. 
Flicktnger, Juniata Co., Pa. ; L. & B. Cass, Grafton Co., 
N. H.; H. La Fetra, Clinton Co., O. (glad to hear you 
soeak well of your teacher, it ‘speaks w ell for you); A. 
L. Collins, Miami Co., O.; It. C. Treat, Hartford Co., Ct. ; 
H. D. Lewis, Ncw-Haven Co., Ct.; C. M. Ross, Fayette 
Co., Ind. ; W. Hill, Columbiana Co., O. ; W. Schwebel jr., 
Adams Co., 111.; A. Engle, Lancaster Co , Pa., It. L. 
Hudson (3 ft. high), Jefferson Co , Ind. ; M. C. Clark, 
and L. C. Jordan, Cumberland Co., Me. ; C. Thomas, 
Carroll Co , Ind. ; J H. Wilson. Montgomery Co., O ; J. 
R. Exline, Tuscarawas Co., O. ; J. & It. E. Pearsall, 
Rook Island Co , III. (We solved your puzzle) ; It. A. 
Gordon, Jefferson Co., III. 
Problem 31. — Answered. The 1 ? 283.OOO^OOO pres¬ 
ent inhabitants of the earth being gathered upon a plain 
and each allowed a yard square of standing room : 
1st.—How many acres would they cover? 
Ans. 265,062 and 78-121ths. 
2nd.—How many square miles ? Ans. 414 and 371-1936. 
3d —If standing in a square body, how far would the 
multitude extend each way ? Ans. 20m.6l7 yds 
4th_If they stood in a circular mass, what would 
be the distance through the circle ? Ans. 22m. 1697 yus. 
Suppose them to form in marching order, like soldiers 
in single file, w ith only 3 feet for each to walk in (no al¬ 
lowance made for first man) : 
5th.—How many miles would the line extend? 
Ans. 728977m. 479yds. 
6th.—How many times around the globe would the line 
reach? ’ Ans. 29 times and 3977m.479yds. 
Suppose the earth lobe exactly 25,000 miles in circumfer¬ 
ence. and three quarters of its surface to be covered w ith 
water and rocks. 
7. —How many acres of tillable land are there left for 
each man, woman and child ? Ans. 24a.l29sq. rds 
Suppose only one person out of thirty dies each year. 
8. — How many die every 365 days? Ans. 42,760.666. 
9. —How many die every day ? Ans. 117,168. 
10. —How many die every hour ? Ans. 4,882. 
11. —How many die everv minute? Ans. 81. 
12- — If every human being in the whole United States 
(say 25.0011,000) were swept off in a single year, How- 
many more would die elsewhere each year, to equal the 
whole number of deaths annually in the whole human 
family (allowing as before, only one in 30 to die) ? 
Ans 17,766,666. 
Twelve questions were all answered correctly by ; E. 
E. Woods, Caledonia Co., Vt.; C M. Ross, Fayette Co., 
Ind ; W. R. Scott, Bristol Co.. Mass. ; D. Hooker, Dau¬ 
phin Co., Pa.; T. Lamsnn, Gr itoit Co., Mich. ; E. V. 
Pufford, Litchfield Co., Ct.; E Engle, Lancaster Co., 
Pa. ; J. H. Wilson, Montgomery Co., O. ; W. E. Hill, 
Columbiana Co., O. Eleven questions answered correct¬ 
ly by: W. Homer, Erie Co., N. Y ; A. F. Kelly, Piov- 
idence Co., R. I ; W. Household, Westmoreland Co., 
Pa. ; W. Schwebel jr., Adams Co., Ill. ; T. Louden, 
Blair Co., Pa. ; J. Giles, Johnson Co., Ind.: G. Elcoek, 
Morris Co., N. J. : J S. McElwain, York Co . Pa. ; II. 
S. Merryman, Hartford Co., Md.; II. II. Nichols, Bur¬ 
lington Co., Wis. ; S. Armstrong, Col. Co., Wis. Ten 
right by: H. E. Twintor, Windham Co., Ct.; T. II. Smith, 
Fayette Co., Pa. ; R. C Treat,, Hartford Co., Ct ; J. 
Fenton, Chatauque Co., N. Y. ; II La Fetra, Clinton Co , 
O. (thank you Harry for your 3(1 subscribers, we have sent 
the 6 nos ) ; L. L. Smith, Columbiana.Co , O. ; J. J. John¬ 
son, Bucks Co., Pa.; M. C. Clark & L. G. Jordan, Cum¬ 
berland Co., Me. Nine right by: II. Mack wick. Jeffer¬ 
son Co., N. Y. : R. B. Lawson. Steuben Co., N. Y. ; H. 
C. Patterson, Chatauque Co., N. Y.; B. Hacket, Morris 
Co.,N. J. Eight right by : G. S. Geyer, Warwick Co., 
Va.; B. Snively, Blair Co., Pa, (very neat). Seven right 
by: II Look, Franklin Co., Pa. ; C. Avery, Munroe Co., 
Mich. Six right by : Wm. F. Lowry, Ohio Co., Va.; E. 
O. Redlon, Ripley Co., Ind. 
-. o i — ►—<*»■- 
For the American Agriculturist. 
The “ Sextant’s ” Reply tew “ Gasper. ”* 
O Gasper! your’peal is heard, but not yit 
Acted on, for reasons plain as nozes on foax fases. 
Don’t you think i no witch side my bred is butterd ! 
Spose i drop the winder & let in “ pewer Are ” 
A mouful apiece or so, or let the bad Are out, 
(Witch is the same think in Duch or Inglish), 
Whoad sta threw sarinon time in weather cold as zero. 
Or even in a windy day in Summer? 
The foax would leave the metinhouse. 
Children, men, & wimmin, specially the latter. 
Tha dont want “pewer Are” no such think, 
Dont i no thats tended metinhouse 
This 40 year & over, most all my life ? 
Wy, tether Sunda, when the fiers was blazin 
In the stoves as hot as peper, ize told 
Tew shet the dore that wasnt open 1 an inch, 
& dont i no that when the parson lodks 
That wa, he menes the same & more tew, 
& iother da, ize told to putty up 
That winder, cause the wind blue in. 
Bad breths is bad enuf but not so bad 
As cold, so people thinks & so dew i. 
Metinhouses is grate placis (or ketchin colds, 
& takin konsumpshuns and such like ales. 
Taint nothink tew me, i tends for the hull 
Kongregashun, & not for 1 nor 2 nor 3. 
Ef tlia want the winder up or down or dore open. 
Wy dont tha sa so & tha shall have it, 
Awl the dores & awl the winders & holes cut tew. 
Wy dont you talk tew them & not tew me, 
Mebby tha dorit no, & mebbv i dont no 
Wat iha want & wats good for em. 
Mi bizness is to give them wat tha tell me. 
The preacher tells them how to act at meetins, 
& ef you no more nor him wy don’t you preach. 
Nowmebby you is rite, & i are rung : 
No matter, i shall dew as t are told, 
lve bin tew school tew long tew disobey 
Order, cause ef i did, who then would be 
The Sextant. 
* We hope every reader lias seen tile -‘ Appeal to the Sexton,” 
published in the December Agriculturist , (Vol. 17. page 372.) 
It is worth five times the cost of that number. This reply, by 
the Sexton, sent us by a subscriber in Ontario Co., N- Y., is a 
capital thing—telling too much truth, unfortunately.— Ed. 
Into which are thrown all sorts of paragraphs—suck as 
Notes and Replies to Correspondents, with Useful 01 
Interesting Extracts from their Letters, together with Glean¬ 
ings of various kinds from various sources. 
Uat used Letters. —We have hundreds of notes 
suggestions and queries, w hich have accumulated from 
business letters received at beginning of the year. These 
must needs abide their time—but will be worked up as 
room permits. 
lEcanI tlie Advertisements.— Many new ideas 
will be suggested, and much useful information gained 
by a careful perusal of the almost unprecedented collec¬ 
tion of good aqd appropriate advertisements with which 
our columns are crowded this month. This only would 
justify us in allowing them to encroach somewhat ori our 
reading columns. We excluded a large number offered, 
from their inappvopriateness, and were still compelled to 
disappoint many regular advertisers, for whom we could 
not find room. 
Two Valuable New EEeoks are announced in 
our advertising columns—viz., the New Edition of Dow¬ 
ning’s Landscape Gardening, and American Weeds and 
Useful Plants.The American Female Guardian So¬ 
ciety announces a volume, entitled “ Wrecks and 
Rescues.” 
ESasket Stem worth $15.—A subscriber (J. F. 
If.) of Mason Co., Ill., writes : “I dislike to trouble you 
with these questions, but you will excuse me when I 
state that your answer to one question in the Agricultur¬ 
ist Basket, last Spring, saved me $15.” We hope the ag¬ 
gregate value of these items may yet amount to fifteen 
millions. 
What is iTInck 1 ?—J. M., Luzerne Co., Pa. Muck 
is a general name for decayed vegetable matter mixed 
with soil—such as is found in swamps, woods, and places 
where plants, vegetables, etc., have partially rotted, and 
formed a black mold or soil. The black “settlings” 
of vegetable matters, washed from high to low lands, are 
good “ muck.” 
Planting- on newly plowed Weadows. 
— O. J. Seward, Bergen Co., N. J. Your neighbor was 
probably correct in attributing the failure of his corn to 
worms at the root. The insects producing the grub, have 
an opportunity of working undisturbed oil meadow lands, 
and instinctively seek the shelter they afford. Late Fall 
plowing of such lands exposes the larvae to the frost and 
destroys many of them. 
Ashcroft’s Swedish Tttrnip, (No. 6).—Ro¬ 
bert Downs, ofNew-IIaven Co., Conn., appendstoa busi¬ 
ness letter the following: “ My turnips, the seed of which 
you sent me. grew beyond all expectation Tne Ash¬ 
croft’s Swedish were much the largest; one of them 
weighed 16J lbs. I also have six weighing 12 lbs. each, 
and which more than fill a bushel basket. They are good 
turnips for eating, are very smooth and clear. From the 
seeds you sent I raised 43 bushels of good turnips. [In 
all such cases it would be useful to others, to state the 
kind and location of Ihe soil and its previous treatment ; 
the manure used ; the time and mode of putting in the 
seed, etc.— Ed.] 
$360 for $1. —H. M. H., of Fairfield Co., Conn., adds 
to a business letter: “ Do you know, my dear Editor, how 
much the Agriculturist does for me? Last year I dis¬ 
missed a man who has been an expense of $30 a month 
($360 a year) to me. The fact is, with the assistance 
your columns have given me, I have been able to attend 
to my own gardening affairs, to the advantage of my 
health, and I have the past year had a better yield and 
more comfort, than ever before.” 
Fort Edward Institute.—We take especial 
pleasure in directing attention to the circular of this in¬ 
stitution in our advertising columns. Mr. King, the prin¬ 
cipal, is an old friend and classmate, and we know him to 
be not only an accomplished scholar, but a faithful, ener¬ 
getic, and experienced instructor The school under his 
care stands foremost among the educational institutions 
of Ihe Empire State. A ciicular giving full particulars 
can be readily obtained by any one interested. 
©omestic Wine. —Dr. Underhill, the well-known 
grape-grower, recently presented us with specimens of 
three kinds of wine, which he is preparing especially for 
