AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
121 
Something; about tSaat Morned Fro?. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
The life-like picture of the Horned Frog, furnished in 
the January number of your interesting paper, (p. 24,) 
would be instantly recognized by any one who had once 
seen a member of the family. 
Tnis little animal is found in the middle and western 
portion ot Texas, from the coast far into the interior. 
For some sixteen years I have been an admirer of the 
little fellows as they have scampered off before me, in 
my walks, or fled from under my horse’s feet as I jour¬ 
neyed over our beautiful rolling country. The Horned 
Frog lives upon the ground—hiding in the grass in Sum¬ 
mer, and burrowing below the surface in theWinter. It 
is perfectly harmless ; and it is no uncommon thing for 
children to catch a number of them, and pen them up as 
pets—handling them as familiarly as they would chickens. 
This frog will live for weeks in a glass bottle, without 
either food or drink, but when fed with flies or sugar, it 
eats sparingly. If linos, even upon a low bush, 
but always runs upon the ground. With a remarkably 
bright eye, and knowing look, it flees upon the approach 
of any one, and when caught, only struggles to get loose, 
without seeming to have any power to defend itself. No 
amount of teasing will, ordinarily, cause it to show a dis¬ 
position to retaliate. During the past Summer, I found 
two disposed to fight; and these were the only ones I 
ever found so inclined. These were quite pugnacious 
without any seeming provocation, turning upon me of 
their own accord. Their mode of fighting is as curious as 
the little animal is unique. They turn the head down, 
and butt, like the sheep or goat. One of the two struck 
so hard against my boot as to start the blood quite freely 
from the roots of the two prominent horns upon his head. 
The Horned Frog, I believe, deposites its eggs in the 
ground, like turtles, some species of snakes, and the alli¬ 
gator. The latter is said to watch near its nest about the 
time of the appearance of the young ones, and to attack 
anything that may approach. From the season of the 
year (July,) when the pugnacity was shown by the two 
frogs alluded to I thought it might be possible they were 
guarding their nests or their young about to appear. Per¬ 
haps the editor, or uncle Frank, will make a new classifi¬ 
cation for the benefit of his young readers, founded on the 
butting propensity of the animal. G. C. 
Austin, Texas. 
- - i ma 4 w » < « i 
Paon. 37. A Rebus (or Riddle). The above illustration, 
originated and engraved expressly for this column, will 
really puzzle the boys and girls. The pictures and letters 
taken together, make up a sentence of six w ords, well 
worth remembering. How many of you can write out the 
sentence. We think it will last some of you a month. 
Strange!! Twoof our young readers, M. E. S. and 
H. Gond. sav they have written out 115 different words, 
using only the letters s-t-r-a-n-g-e, but sometimes intro¬ 
ducing one or more of these letters twice in the same 
word. This sounds rather strange at first, but we suppose 
of course it can be done. Such exercises are, perhaps, not 
very profitable; but belter be studying out such combina¬ 
tions than to be in mischief. 
Answers to Problems. 
Prod. 35.—The driving-wheels of a locomotive being 
six feet in diameter, and making four revolutions per sec¬ 
ond, at what speed must a horse, twenty feet from the 
track, be driven to cross it before the engine arrives, if 
the engine is three hundred feet from the crossing ? pro¬ 
vided the track be six feet wide. (The width of the track 
was inadvertently omitted in giving out the question; 
we therefore counted those right who reckoned twenty 
feet to include the width of the track, and answer, five feet 
per second—a small fraction omitted.) Allowing six and 
a half feet for the track, we have as very nearly, the 
Answer Six and a half feet per second. 
Correct answers received up to March IT, from : O. W. 
Lyman; Hermann Cook ; Jno. H. Tissiman. Martin V, 
Young ; R. E. Flickinger ; M. II. Labar; Elizabeth Engle ; 
A. B. Carpenter; C. Hoffman, Jr.; J. J. Schauweker, 
' r hns. Wright; James H. Orr, David S. Farlow ; W. J. 
Austin ; Reed W. Anderson; R. Markwich ; T. H. 
Smith ; David Hecker; C. M. Ross; G. M. Bays ; Noah 
M. Given; J. Bleakney; Geo. II. Selleck; W. Ii. 
Schenok. 
Prod. 36. Three farmers, 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 found that each had the same amount of 
money. How was this done 1 
Ans. When they arrived at the market, eggs were worth 
one cent each, at which price each sold part of his eggs. 
The price rose rapidly, and at a second sale they each dis¬ 
posed of what remained after the first sale, for 6 cents 
each. Then their accounts stood thus ; 
Morning.. A sold I egg, at 1 cent — 1 
55 cents. 
55 cents. 
Afternoon. A sold 9 eggs, at 6 cents — 54 
Morning.. B soid 25 eggs, at 1 cent — 25 ) 
Afternoon. B sold 5 eggs, at 6 cents — 30 j 
Morning.. C sold 49 eggs, at 1 cent — 49 ) . 
Afternoon. C sold 1 egg, at 6 cents— 6 j 33 centSi 
Thus, then, they all sold at the same price at the time 
they made their sales. Variations maybe made in the 
number disposed of at the different sales; also, in the 
number of sales ; and likewise in the whole amount re¬ 
ceived, if this amount be the same for each. This ques¬ 
tion was answered correctlv by J. W. Bishop ; E.Wiest.; 
M. A. Aldrich ; Martin V. Young; Martin Marshall; W. 
L. Durand ; Thos. Jordan ; R. C. Treat; H. Cook ; Os¬ 
born W. Lyman ; Thos. Wright; G. W. Losee ; II. Zook ; 
Jno. 11. Tissiman; R. E. Flickinger; Morris II Labar; 
Elizabeth Engle; A. B Carpenter; Chandler Eves ; L. 
Adams; C. Hoffman, Jr.; J. J. Schauweker; Win. Car¬ 
penter. (Thanks for your kind words.) 
Into which are thrown all sorts of paragraphs—such as 
Notes and Replies to Correspondents, with Useful or 
Interesting Extracts from their Letters, together with Glean¬ 
ings of various kinds from various sources. 
Important Notice.— Hundreds of letters have 
been received this year, in which either the Post Office or 
State is omitted. These must both be given in all cases. 
The county should also be named. When an address is 
to be changed, the old as well as the new Post Office must 
be given, or the change can not be made. Nine out of 
ten of all the complaints made, result from the above 
omissions. When a complaining letter comes, if it gives 
us the needed address, we make the correction, but sel¬ 
dom take the time required to write a letter of explana¬ 
tion. We take very coolly the blowing up we sometimes 
get for omitting to send papers, or “return money,” to a 
man residing in the moon, for ought we can learn from 
his letter 
Upland. Cranberries.—' Wm. Robinson, Union 
Co., 0. This variety would, probably, grow on a light 
loam. We have not, as yet, heard of any very successful 
results with the upland plant. 
Cultivation of Cranberries.— Several corre¬ 
spondents will find full information given in Vol. 10, 
pages 9 and 130, also in Vol. 17, page 82. 
Catalogue off lEcliablc Apple Trees.— 
E. Adams, Livingston Co , N. Y. No general catalogue 
of reliable trees for all sections could be given, for the 
reason that in different localities the same varieties have 
very different success. Experiments can only determine 
the kinds best for any section of country. 
Hunting Bee Trees.— M. D. B., Spring Prairie, 
Wis., thinks that before the leaves have started on the 
trees in Spring, is the best time to hunt for wild bees, as 
they come out freely on pleasant days, and can then bo 
more easily seen. 
Transplanting' Budded. Trees.— Thomas 
Glenn, McCoupin Co., 111. It is not best to transplan 
trees the year after budding. Disturbing and wounding 
the roots impairs their vital strength, all of which tfiey 
need to ensure the growth of the bud. 
Where to procure Seeds.— J. C. Caldwell and 
others. In our advertising columns you may find a com¬ 
plete directory giving all necessary information. 
Sprouting Black Locust Seed. —J. P. Lane. 
Pour boiling water upon them, let them stand until cold, 
and then plant. 
Dwarf trees becoming Standards.— Vul 
can, Harford Co., Md. If the junction of the graft, with 
the stock be planted below the surface of the ground,the 
trunk will usually send out roots, and thus the tree may 
in time, become a standard. It would however Dc a 
more expensive and less certain way of procuring stand 
ard trees than to buy them well rooted, at the first. The 
object in grafting on quince and other stocks, is to keep 
the trees dwarfed. 
Timothy after Hungarian Brass.—J. N. 
Hunter, Westchester Co., N Y. A field may be laid 
down to Timothy after cropping with Hungarian Grass. 
This (so called) grass, which is just now making some 
noise, under a new name, is a variety of millet. In somo 
sections it may be a paying crop. See article “ Honey 
Blade Grass Swindle,” March No., page 71. 
Frozen Lakes in Scotland.— A Correspond¬ 
ent criticises Landseer’s picture given in the February 
number, p. 41, by asking how the Stag could have swam 
a frozen lake in Winter. We must refer him to the pain¬ 
ter for an answer. However, a Scotchman at our elbow 
sajs many of the Lakes are partially enclosed estuarys 
of salt water. In the Highlands, there are tiequent lakes 
fed by Springs w hich do not freeze over. We know of 
several such lakes in this country. 
Grafting Old Fruit Trees.—J. Fanning, M. D., 
Oxford Co., Me., recommends cutting off the limbs of old 
trees, and covering the ends with grafting wax, the Spring 
before the grafts are to be set. The stock will send out 
many young shoots, all of which are to be left until the 
following year. Then select the strongest shoots, and as 
many of them as arc wanted to form a well-shaped top, 
and put the cuttings into these by splice grafting, using 
the usual precautions to exclude the air. Remove about 
three quarters of the other sprouts, and the following 
year prune the rest away. In this way, he says, lie has 
had great success. 
Planting Currants and Gooseberries — 
R. Craig, Indiana Co., Pa. These should be planted in 
good soil, in rows, about four feet apart. Avoid putting 
them against the fences ; this leaves no room to cultivate 
around them, and also shuts off the light. 
Stocks for Madeira and o flier Nuts.—J. W. 
Redfield, Bledsoe Co., Tenn. The Madeira nut would 
probably succeed grafted on hickory, the almond on the 
peach or plum, and the French chestnut on the common 
species. The Peccan nut does best raised from seed. 
The seedsmen who advertise in our columns can gene¬ 
rally furnish supplies of these nuts. 
Norway Spruce for Hedges. E. Adams, Li¬ 
vingston Co., N. Y. The Norway Spruce forms a beauti¬ 
ful ornamental hedge, and would serve admirably for a 
belt for sheltering an exposed locality. For fencing 
against stock it is not equal to some other plants, as the 
Osage Orange, Buckthorn, etc Its high cost prevents its 
coming into general use at present. 
American Guano.—F. W. Adee, Columbia Co., 
N. Y. We have no advice to give you in regard to 
purchasing this fertilizer. As we understand the opera¬ 
tion of manures, no fertilizer is worth buying, which is 
composed principally of phosphate or other mineral ele¬ 
ments 
To make Cows “give down” tlseir Milk. 
—J. B. Whitaker, Delaware Co., Iowa. Feeling the 
cow with slops, or something of which she is fond, during 
the operation of milking, will some times he effectual. 
Also “ bunting” the bag with the fist, in imitation ofihe 
calf may have the desired effect. 
Prevention of Borers in Trees.—J. N. 
Van Zandt, Mifflin Co., Pa., recommends removing the 
earth from around the base of llie trunk and killing all the 
grubs w hich may be found, then winding strips of woolen 
cloth (we like stout paper) around the Irunk, from be¬ 
neath tlie surface of the ground to say one foot above, 
covering it well with tar, and returning the soil to its 
place. He thinks if this be done in the Spring and again 
coated with tar in July, it will answer for two years. 
Planting Pea Wcvil.— J. Simpson, Passaic Co., 
N, J. Better not plant the peas before the bugs (wcvil) 
are destroyed by hot w ater or steam. The peas w ill most 
of them grow, but the wevil w ill also multiply. Put tho 
peas in a colander covered with a plate, and set it over a 
kettle of boiling water ; the steam will soon kill the 
bugs, without materially injuring the peas. 
That Silver Medal? mentioned in our last nmn 
ber, as having been awarded to D. D. C. Morris for corn 
raised from Agriculturist seeds, should have been credited 
to D. W. C. Morris. Mr. M. informs us that it was one 
among seven premiums just received, which he happened 
to have with him when calling at our office for his annual 
share of seeds. 
Can my Son succeed in New-York ?-E. 
B., Ohio. There are occasioial opportunities for a young 
man to enter business here with prospect of success, if his 
moral principles are correct and thoroughly established, 
and he be of the go-ahead order. But there are four hun¬ 
dred and ninety-nine failures to one success. Better em¬ 
brace a fair opportunity nearer home, w here friends will 
assist, than risk all for a golden prospect. 
