For Moore's Rural New-Yorker. 
PUFFING BOOKS. 
Thanks to the Rural, that in the various depart¬ 
ments of Journalism we can find independence 
enough to stand firm against the myrmidons of in¬ 
discriminate J’vff —at least one paper that dare 
repel the attacks of this literary Briareus of the 
nineteenth century. Often has the patriot and 
philosopher told us the need of men; but once 
cast the eye over our present periodical literature 
and we shull see the need of men who will and dare 
stand as sentinels against this ruinous army of 
quacks in letters who are destroying every inde¬ 
pendent thought of American writings. Books 
not dry from the press come to ns draped plenti¬ 
fully in the habiliments of bombastic praise, arid 
others yet undeveloped in the “womb of time” 
arc heralded by the press "runners," as the real 
nectar of the Gods; while scarcely does the modest 
volume start on its mission from the Metropolis, 
ere its divine ajjlatus has distilled mildly from the 
lakes of the North to the coral reefs of the Gulf, 
and afar over the sandy deserts to the puff-ganj 
of California. 
But there is one department of puffing to which 
our thoughts at present are called, viz., School 
Book. Now, here is a place where no excuse 
should allow the educator to help a publisher 
palm, off his books, because there is need, often¬ 
times, that the buyer shall trust the experience of 
one who professes, at least, to know the need of the 
purchaser. The teacher surely should be sparing 
of his meed of praise until thoroughly qualified by 
investigation in regard to the works recommond- 
cd. But how is it? Plainly, the sumo style of 
political gambling. A new book is crammed down 
our throats ere a word of real genuine examination 
or practical use has tested its merits. This stuffing 
is the business of all that great tribe of agents sent 
broadcast from publishing houses to introduce new 
works, and we are sorry to say that some teachers 
embrace this opportunity for money-making. Wo 
have in mind, now, a teacher of New York, who 
changes his opinion in regard to the best works in 
his particular department of’tenor than the equi¬ 
noxes. The great mystery was solved when wo 
learned that said teacher was agent for those books, 
and would afford them very low for cash- - thus 
making this groat sacrifice for the good of students. 
Thus he would change his opinion as often us the 
agency. 
But worst of all arc our Committee and Official 
puffs. At Institutes, Teachers’ Conventions, Ac.* 
the agent slyly works his way into the open hearts 
of the unsophisticated, scatters liberally his wares 
of Mykly instructive, works before them, and then, 
by managing with a few of the leading ones, the 
books are adopted unanimously by the Oommitteo 
or Association, who, perhaps, know as little of their 
real merits as the Bushmen of Africa, Now, wo 
do not blame the teachers so much, yet they ought 
to be more independent when acting us agents for 
others; namely, the patrons and youth. Bet us 
have a class of active, independent teachers. 
A word relative to the officials — especially of 
this State, the Commissioners. Jt is too true, that 
they are burdened with duties; yet this should be 
no excuse for hurried glances of books, and then 
extensive puffs to be heralded by publishers. No, 
let them say nothing, or what is just, both to the 
book-maker and book-user. Let them not impose 
upon honest people who trust to their judgment, 
by the too common practice of dressing up trash in 
the plenary robes of official garb. 
Finally, let us not have careless King Puff, 
champion of reviews, but honest thoughts of hon¬ 
est men. Jopas. 
Great Valley, N. Y., April, 1859. 
i n. . — m ■ .... 
A LITTLE LEARNING. 
meaningless injunction, not applicable to the pro¬ 
gress of mind. “ Take care of the pence and the, 
pounds will take caro of themselves,” is a fogyism 
that should have been buried in I’oor Richard’s 
grave. “ Och 1 by the powers!” said a newly arrived 
emigrant upon our shores, “ what a murthcrin fool, 
to be after picking up a single dollar, when wo shall 
soon bo where wo can scrape ’em up by the hod- 
full.” A true philosopher that. “ Drink deop or 
taste not the Pierian spring.” Now, a truco to this 
poetic nonsense. I venture the assertion, that 
truth was never more outrageously outraged in so 
small a space, as in these same four lines from 
Pope, as they are generally received in the world. 
Or, if they are true, as received, then do they con¬ 
stitute the most powerful plea in behalf of igno¬ 
rance that was ever uttered. 
Wo should, however, think the man insane, or 
mischievously malicious, who should counsel the 
starving beggar to reject a crust and insist on the 
entire loaf, and yet this same insanity manifested 
in another direction, is received as inspired wis¬ 
dom. We have nothing to do with the writer’s 
intention in penning these lines, but with the fact., 
that he is hailed as Hir Oracle in the utterance of 
a sentiment so utterly repugnant to nature and to 
truth. Of wliat other good under the whole heaven 
does wisdom thus warn us to beware? Yet this is 
wisdom! Aye! forgive mo this, apparent be¬ 
trayal of my ancestral home it is wise nonsense. 
—M. P. C., in N. Y. Teacher. 
THE SCHOOL-ROOM A LITTLE WORLD. 
“A j.itti.h learning Is a dangerous llilng: 
Drink deep or taste not the Pierian spring 
Where shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, 
But drinking largely sobers us again.” 
Tins sentiment of Pope, so poetically conceived, 
so gracefully expressed, has been received for gen¬ 
erations as a truth which it were madness for any 
to dispute. It has become a part of our proverbial 
philosophy. It lias insinuated itself every where 
where tho English language is known. It has in 
woven itself into our very thought has assume! 
a place among our household words -constitutes 
a part of our educational creed. It meets the tyro 
at the very outset of Ins career. It is dimly traced 
upon the gates of the little road side chapel, which 
affords him his first resting place as he begins to 
clamber up the famous “Hill of Science.” It is 
pictured upon the doors and lintels ol the more 
pretending structure, higher up the difficult mount. 
If is emblazoned on the walls of tho gorgeous tem¬ 
ple which is supposed to crown its top. And as 
he goes forth thence, it takes on airy shapes. 1I< 
scorns to hear it in the light whispers of the grove, 
in the tempest’s wail, in tho ripple of tho brook, in 
ocean’s roar, in the crowded thoroughfare, in the 
quiet seclusion of homo—“A little learning is a 
dangerous thing.” 
Now, what does all this mean? Why for this 
is the commonest acceptation -darkness is better 
than twilight; blindness is to be preferred to an 
unpleasant dimness of sight; utter ignorance, to 
mere scraps of knowledge. There is danger in tho 
rosy dawn that ushers in the day — in that state 
which sees men as trees walking, indicative of 
Coming sight -in those fragmentary fruits of the 
tree of knowledge which create an ardent desire 
for more. Tread cautiously ye who are at the 
mountain’s base, for yo walk with uncertain stops 
on treacherous ground. Tarry not, yo thirsty 
ones, to drink at the little rills whoso waters mad¬ 
den the brain, but hasten onward to slake your 
thirst with sober draughts at the bubbling pools of 
the parent fount. “ Make haste slowly,” is a delu¬ 
sion. “ Despise not tho day of small things,” is a 
■' r :- 
Tine school-room is often called a little world, 
and a little world it should he in more respects than 
the term usually implies. There is perhaps a fal¬ 
lacy in the aphorism of Tapper, “ A kingdom is a 
nest of families, and a family, a small kingdom ; v 
hut in regard to the school, we say, let it he a 
microcosm. 
There arc little boys, fellow-classmates, who will 
soon bo fellow-citizens. Let them learn in their 
juvenile intercourse those courtesies and princi¬ 
ples of action, that will be requisite when they be¬ 
come men. Dr. Carpenter says in bis i’hysiology, 
that the brain grows to the condition under which 
it is habitually exorcised. If this lie true, and 1 
suppose no one will question it, it is a matter of 
some moment to consider the best mode of exercis¬ 
ing tho six thousand tuns of brain now plastic in 
the school-houses of our country. Makers of survey¬ 
ing instruments arc very careful to graduate the 
arcs, which will indicate the direction of the tele¬ 
scope, with the utmost accuracy, as tho minutest 
error will be vastly magnified in tho position of the 
distant object. So in the school-room, the micro¬ 
cosm, which is concentric with the macrocosm,, or 
the world’s wide stage, the smallest error in direc¬ 
tion will lead to a departure which no traverse 
table can indicate. 
If it be true that knowledge is composed of ideas, 
“which are the joint product of the mind on tho 
one part, and of external causes on the other,”— it 
is manifest that the opportunities of observing the 
objective, arc of great importance in an educational 
course. Ifence such an u|mrii......i .in¬ 
scribed, where nature was strongly bricked out, as 
killing airs and gases were bricked in, should never 
be selected for a school-room. On the other band, 
as much of nature as is possible should be intro¬ 
duced, and so arranged as to arrest, the pupil’s at¬ 
tention whenever bis eye may wander from his 
book. Jt is objected that tho book will receive but 
litto attention! I would suy, be it so, so long as no 
interest is felt to learn its contents. But in getting 
knowledge, as in getting money, the more wo have, 
the more wo want; and from observation and oral 
instruction alone, a thirst for knowledge is often 
acquired which libraries cannot supply. 
Let Aquaria exhibit tho living wonders of tho 
deep ; let Geological cabinets present the wondrous 
forms and huge proportions of former animals and 
plants; lot collections of minerals display the glit¬ 
tering ores and symmetrical crystals of tho rugged 
mountains; strew (lowers from the wild woods and 
cultivated garden, in the way of the youthful hero- 
for such should every school-hoy determine to he 
and make thesehool, as in ancient times, a pleasant 
place of resort. Hut men, not boys, attended those 
ancient schools or places of recreation and leisure 
from the active duties of life. Boys arc bettor than 
men, and will make bettor use of the privileges 
afforded them. Such at least, is the experience of 
one who bus been a teacher for twenty years.- 
Curiosity is the antecedent of attention, which is 
indispensable to every learner. Let curiosity be 
properly directed, and, as far as possible, gratified. 
Cultivate tho perceptive faculties by constantly 
exercising them bring to aid the organs of sense, 
the telescope and microscope, models of engines 
pumps, and various machinery, as well as drawings 
and diagrams. See in every tiny shot, the manifes¬ 
tations of the same law which made the earth a 
globe ; in tho school-boy's sling, the principle that 
changed tho globe to a spheroid ; in every rolling 
hoop or spinning top, the cause of the procossioi 
of tho equinoxes, and departure of tho polar star so 
far from its place, that in 13,000 years it will even 
set in the north-west and rise in the north-oast - 
and make tho school ns far as possible a little world, 
VUJUA. CliTJZ IN' A fSTOItJVr. 
It is well known that tho harbor of VcraCruz, 
if indeed it may bo called a harbor, affords but 
slight protection to vessels at anchor, when the 
terrible tornado culled the Norte, or Norther, sweeps 
tho Gulf of Mexico. It. A. Wilson, in bis History 
of the Conquest of Mexico, of which wo shall speak 
in a subsequent number, thus describes a tempest 
which he witnessed: 
“ The port was filled with shipping, when a well 
anchor that could bo got at was soon thrown out. 
But to little purpose: a coral bottom is but poor 
holding ground in a Norther; and one by one the 
licet began to drag; even the castle, »S 'an Juan de 
Ulua, itself, seemed at times as though it would bo 
torn from its rocky foundations and dashed upon 
tho town. The terror of those on land was hardly 
to bo described, as they saw tho apparent destruc¬ 
tion of both vessels and crews so nigh. Now and 
known monitor, the sinking of tho atmosphere upon I then one would hold a little by some new obstacle 
the mountain northward, foretold the impending i the anchor caught, but tho resistance giving way, 
danger. A crowd gathered upon the shore, from 
that attraction of mutual sympathy so keenly felt 
towards men in imminent peril. All looked in¬ 
tently at the heavens, as they gathered black, and 
saw far off on tho horizon the clouds and waves 
mingled together in one great vaporous mass. — 
Now and then were brief intervals of bright skies; 
it soon moved again, approaching tho shore, to 
which all tended, excepting those sheltered under 
the lee of the castle and island. They did not all 
drag at once, or together, but one by one, us their 
powers of endurance gave out; and one by one 
they drove towards the beach witli little of help, or 
hope, if the storm continued. Even that little gave 
again to be quickly overcast, and shrouded by a | place to despair, us vessel after vessel approached 
more intense darkness, while the temperature fell the land; and, us they were dashed upon it, men 
to a degree of chilliness unusual in the ‘hot held their breath, watching the hardy seamen 
country.’ Tho howling of the wind was terrific. j struggling in tho waves. Oncstiiunch vessel witli- 
Tho crowd was near enough to see, or at least to out cargo being curried broadside on, her crow 
catch a glimpse of the shipping. Every extra l leaped out of her and ran ofl safely.” 
where, as is the case with the symmetry of largo 
ships, the model will afford tho best opportunity 
for study and investigation.— N. B. Wisbhthr, in 
educational News. 
A Smart Spell.- A gentleman in North Ches¬ 
ter, Vermont, two or three weeks since offered as a 
prize a copy of Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 
to the one of the scholars in all tho public schools 
in town who should “spell all the others down.”- 
,Seven schools wero accordingly represented, and 
about a dozen teachers and a large crowd of spec¬ 
tators were present, when the trial took place on 
tho 25th ult. But one trial was to be had on a word, 
and the unfortunate who missed must take his or 
her seat. Eighty scholars contested for tho honor 
and the prize, and after five hours’ trial, live pu¬ 
pils remained standing, and the enthusiastic audi¬ 
ence soon raised the needful to purchase each a 
copy of the great Unabridged. 
. ■ ■■ ■ — " ■ 
Fools lino the hedges which bound tho road of 
life:—what can tho wise man do but smile ns be 
pusses along it? 
The Mktiiodist; or Incidents ami Characters from I.ifu 
In tlio Baltimore Conference. Ily Miriam Fletcher. 
With an Introduction hy W. 1’. Strickland, D. I). 
In two volumes. New York: Derby & Jackson. [15! 
mo. pp. 304 and 300. | 
Altiiouoii this work belongs to the class denominated 
Imaginative literature, H not only hears internal evi- 
ionoe of truthfulness, hut some of the actors in tho 
scenes described now live, enjoying, In peaceful old age, 
the fruits of laborious and well-spent lives. It Is de¬ 
signed to rese.uo from oblivion the trials, tolls, and 
labors of tho early Methodists in the Bullmoro Confer¬ 
ence, and cannot full to Interest and, we think, improve 
tho hearts of those who read Its pages. The descrip¬ 
tions of scenes at Camp MViin-v, Quarterly Meetings, 
l.ove Feasts, as wrtll ns the mappaiid pi .Lutlonn «f Hie 
circuit preachers In the llilnW^ltled districts, are al¬ 
ways interesting, often sublime, jt’roin the Publishers. 
r 
Oriental and Western Sirkeia: A Narrative of 
Bovcn Years’ Explorations and Adventures In Ml be- 
riu, Mongolia, the Higher Steppes, Chinese Tartary, 
and part of Central Asia. B/ Thom ah W. Atkinson. 
Philadelphia: J. W. Bradley. [15imo.-pp.4H3.] 
This is a compilation. The author was an English 
artist, and traveled to gratify his taste for romantic 
scenery, unil taking of views never seen and scarcely 
known to Europeans. Be traversed much of tho unex¬ 
plored regions of Central Asia, making 660 sketches In 
colors, which are given In the large work published In 
London, of which this is an abridgement. The en¬ 
gravings, printing, paper, &e., of the volume before us 
are not llrst class, though good for a cheap, popular edi¬ 
tion. For sale by Alliniib <fc Ooht. 
Books Received. 
Lectures on Metaphysics and Lowe, By Sir Wit. 
Hamilton, Bart., Professor of Logic mnl Metaphysics 
In the University of Edinburgh; Advocate, A. M. 
(Oxoii.) etc.; Corresponding Member of the Institute 
of France; Honorary Member of tho American 
Academy of Arts uinl Sciences, mnl of the Latin So¬ 
ciety of Oena. Edited by the Rev. llBNltv L. M ansel, 
B. I)., Oxford, and .John Viu itii, M. a,, Edinburgh. 
In two volumes. Voi. 1.—Metaphysics. [8vo.—pp. 
718.J Boston : Could A Lincoln. Sold in Rochester 
by Adams A Daiinev. 
Mothers and Infants,— Nurses mid Nursing. Trans¬ 
lation from tlie French of a Treatise on Nursing, 
Weaning, and the General Treatment of Young 
Children. By Dr. At.. Donne, Into bead of the Facul¬ 
ty of Paris, Inspector General of the Schools of Medi¬ 
cines, etc. Boston: Phillips, Sampson A Co. [12m<>. 
pp. 308.] Sold by Dbwkv. 
Frankwei; or, The San Jacinto In to Sens of India, 
China and Japan. By Wm. Maxwell Wood, M. I)., 
U. S. N., late Surgeon of the Fleet to the U. S. East 
India Squadron ; author of “ Wandering Sketches In 
South America, Polynesia,”etc. New York : Harper 
A Bros. [12mo.—pp. 545.J For sale by Dewey. 
Tiik Like of North American Insects. By B. Jakokk, 
lute Professor of Zoology mid Botany In the College 
of New Jersey. With numerous Illusllutlous from 
Specimens In the Cabinet of the Author. New York: 
Harper A Bros. [lOmo. pp. 819.] Sold by Dewey. 
Frank Elliott; or, Wells In the Desert. By James 
Ciiai.i.en, author of “The Cave of Maohpeluh,” 
“Ohrlstliin Morals,” etc. Phlladolplila: Jus. Glmlleii 
A Sou. [lOmo.—pp. 347.] Sold by Dariiow A Bito. 
First Tiiinos ; or the Development of Church Life. 
By Baron Stow, author of “Christian Brotherhood,” 
etc. Boston: Gould A Lincoln. [16mo.- pp, 282.] 
Sold hy Adams A Daiinev. 
Siiaksceake’s Lkoal AoquiREMMNTH Considered. By 
John Lord Oamurell, LB. D., F. R. S. K., in a I,ut¬ 
ter to J. Paynk Collier, Esq, F. 8. A. New York: 
Appleton A Co. Sold hy Dewey. 
“ Love me Little, Love mb Long.” By Ciias. Rkade, 
author of “It Is never too late to Mend,” “White 
Lies,” etc. New York: Harper A Bros. [lGmo.—pp. 
435.) For sale by Dewey. 
The Romance and its Hero. By the Author of 
“Magdalen Stafford.” New York: Harper A Bros. 
[lOmo.— pp. 424 | Sold hy Dkwky. 
Agnes IIopbtoun’h Schools and Holidays. By Mrs. 
Oliiwant, author of “Katie Stewart,” etc. Boston: 
Gould A Lincoln. [lOmo.—pp. 80U.J Sold by Adams 
A Daiinev. 
Moan Aiioiit Jesus. With Illustrations and a Map. 
By the Author of “ Peep of Day,” “ Reading without 
Tears,” Ac. New York: Harper A Bros. [ A beauti¬ 
ful Juvenile of 5!4(J pages.] Sold by Dkwbv. 
Down's Dha wing ■ Room Da norm, especially deslsned for 
Social F,veiling Parties; containing all the Popular and 
Fashionable Quadrilles, Cotillions, Fancy Dances, Contra 
Dances, &c,, with every variety of the most approved 
Figures and Calls for the Different Changes. Music ar¬ 
ranged for the Piano Forte. Ily Kuah Howk. Boston: 
Hubbard \V. Sweet. Sold hy Jos. P. Shaw, Music Dealer, 
101 State St,, Rochester. 
One Hundred Songs of Ireland. Music and Words. Bos¬ 
ton: Oliver Dltson & Co. Sold In Rochester by \Vm. S. 
Maekle, Music Dealer, 82 State St. 
The Home Melodist, A collection of Songs and Ballads, for 
tho Voice only. Boston: Oliver Dltson Co. For sale hy 
Wm. 8. Mackiil 
LONDON BANKS. 
Thews aro nine joint-stock banks in London, 
with a combined capital of nearly four millions 
starling; and current deposits nearly forty mil¬ 
lions sterling; and circulation none. Tlioir pay 
monts in bank-notes are made in the notes of the 
Danlc or England. Tim Immense lucieaiv In t! 
banking business of London alone is shown by tho 
annexed aggregates of deposits in the nine banks 
first named above, between 1848 and 1858: 
Year 1848.£ 9,828,000 or $ 40,115,000 
“ 1853. 20,812,000 “ 104,000,000 
“ 1858. 39,583,000 “ 197,915,000 
The balances at the Clearing House are paid by 
checks for the precise amount on tho Bank of Eng¬ 
land. This obviates entirely the tedious and vexa¬ 
tious payments of coin as still pursued at the 
Clearing House in Wall street. 
The absence of small bills in London and the in¬ 
terior the Bunk of England issuing none under 
five pounds—gives a steadiness to the bank-note 
currency which is well worth consideration. The 
larger bills enter into the operations of commerce, 
but the petty transactions of tho day, anything 
under five pounds or twenty-live dollars are ad¬ 
justed by the medium of gold and silver. Thus 
the lower classes of people, market people, trades¬ 
men, etc., are not annoyed with small bills, which 
here uniformly are the beginning of a crisis. 
Wo submit these tabular statements for those 
who have the currency question under cqnsidora- 
tion, suggesting that tho bank-note system of Eng¬ 
land may bo well worth adopting bore. -N. Y. 
Courier and, 1inquirer. 
Dividing One’s Time. -Home plodding genius has 
discovered, while spending bis own time, that the 
word Time itself, when artificially transposed, or 
metugrummatized, will form the following words, 
meti, emit, item. Anil if the afore-nameil and its 
anagram be placed in the following quadratic posi¬ 
tion, they will form what may bo termed an aua- 
grammatie palindrome: 
T I M F. 
I T F. M 
M F, T I 
E M I T 
This word Time is the only word in tho Englisl 
language which can be thus arranged; and tho 
different transpositions thereof are all, at tho same 
time, Latin words. These words in English, as 
well as in Latin, may he read either upwards or 
downwards. The English words, time,item, meti, 
and emit (to send forth), are mentioned above ; and 
of tho Latin ones Time, signifies fear thou; Item, 
likewise; Meti, to ho measured; Emit, ho buys. 
Animal and Vegetable Life.- -There is nothing 
short of revelation that more beautifully or satis¬ 
factorily proves tho existence of an Almighty mind, 
than tho fewness and simplicity of the ultimate 
elements of animal and vegetable life. Thus, there 
are but four elementary principles essentially nec¬ 
essary, and but six generally employed, to form 
every variety of organic life; nitrogen, carbon, 
oxygen, and hydrogen are tho bases, to which sul¬ 
phur and phosphorus may ho considered supple¬ 
mentary. With these, infinitely varied in their 
atomic proportions, arc built up not only tho whole 
animal kingdom, but also every variety of tho veg¬ 
etable world -from wheat, the “ staff of life,” to the 
poison of the deadly Upas tree. It is also worthy 
of remark, that these four elemental principles aro 
those also of which both air and water are com¬ 
posed, so that air and water may he considered in 
truth and fact, as being the original elements of 
organic life. I>r. Toulman. 
PLEASURE GARDENING FOR CHILDREN. 
Muss us. Editors:—I am an old man, and there¬ 
fore, perhaps, I have no right to occupy even a lino 
in the column devoted to Young Itua a lists, unless 
as sonio may think I. have arrived at second child¬ 
hood, and can make my claim on this ground. This 
point, Mr. Editor, I will leave for your decision.— 
But, I am an old gardener; my father learned me 
to love gardening, and my mother taught mo tho 
names of the flowers, and to love them too -and 
that was long, long ago. I have no little boys now 
that I can toll about gardening, and so I thought I 
would to teach tho great Rural Family, for if I 
understand tho matter right, Mr. Rural, you have 
a very large family of young folks, numbering 
soveral thousands. 
As everything should have a head I hope all tho 
hoys and girls who read this will get their’s full of 
wisdom—I have placed Pleasure Gardening for 
Children as tho head of this article. Now, all 
gardening to mo is pleasure gardening. I receive 
as much pleasure, 1 think, from raising a Jins patch 
of corn, or splendid melons, as I do in growing a 
shrub, or tree, or flower. The pleasure of garden¬ 
ing is mainly in doing everything just as well as it 
can ho done—a little better, if possible, than it was 
ever done before. I would at any time rather see 
a finely grown Beet or Caul/i.Jlower, than a poor, 
half-starved, neglected Bose. One looks like a 
gentleman in rags, pride and poverty united—the 
other like a well fed, honest laborer, of tho first 
class, who is all ho claims to he, with no desire to 
pass for what ho is not. If hoys will learn this, and 
feel so too, they will never make poor farmers, nor 
brainless dandies—nor will they ever value fine 
appearances above true worth. 
But, I am not getting at my subject, for old men, 
like children, are fond of talking, and 1 must com¬ 
mence. I take it for granted that all tho children 
who read tho Rural, can have a small piece of 
ground for their own gardens if they will take care 
of it. It is to-day the 20th of April, and if this is 
printed my young readers will probably get it be¬ 
fore the 1st of May. At any rate, a&.soon as you 
get this number have your garden nicely dug up, 
deep, and raked smooth. Your little gardens aro 
not large enough to grow peas anil early potatoes, 
and those kinds of things, anil they will he provid¬ 
ed plentifully in the gardens of your parents, wo 
hope, for we pity the poor children who have not a 
good supply of good peas, and corn, and radishes, 
and Lima beans, and melons, during tho summer. 
There are a good many such poor children, although 
some of their parents are very rich,. The larger 
children, however, if they can get ground enough, 
may grow plenty of such kind of things. Tho 
Horticultural Department will toll you how it is 
done, so I need not fill up this column with direc¬ 
tions. After the little patch is dug up and raked, 
then gctWi piece of narrow board with a straight 
edge, for a ruler, lay it upon tho ground and make 
your name in printing letters, or the first letters of 
your name, hy forming shallow drills from one to 
two inches wide. In those drills sow lettuce seed 
and cover them nicely, and in two or three weeks 
after you will see your name in living green letters. 
Then make your little brother’s or sister’s name in 
tho same way, and sow the seed of curled cress, or 
popper grass, which is tho same, and in one week, 
if the weather is fine and warm, this pepper grass 
will be up, and afford tho little one a good deal of 
pleasure. In a week or ten days after, tho cress 
may be cut, and is excellent with bread anil butter 
for tea, or out up with vinegar. 
I designed to tell tho boys how to raise a few 
melons anil radishes nice, hut I have talked so 
much that I must leave it until next week. 
Old Gardener. 
DON’T THINK. 
Walking in tho country one morning, in early 
spring-time, we seated ourselves to rest on a large 
stone near an orchard gate. V ery soon we observed 
a large man hanging to tho topmost limbs of a small 
apple treo hy one hand, while with the other he 
was cutting off twigs anil branches. We bade him 
good morning, lie answered cheerfully, and wo 
ventured to hint that the tree ho had climbed boro 
a heavy burden. “Yes,” he said, “tho trees ull 
need pruning, but 1 can only attend to a lew ol 
them. The others would not bear my weight.” 
“Why don’t you fasten your saw to a pole, stand 
upon tho ground, and prune such trees as most 
require it?” wo asked. 
“ Well, I declare,” he answered, “ that would do 
—I didn’t think of It.” 
There was a valuable lesson in that confession, 
“ I didn’t think of it.” It explained why, in many 
respects, the farmer was not prosperous, lie was 
a hard worker, lie endeavored to be economical, 
hut ho was always behind. 11 is orchard didn’t 
yield abundantly; his cattle had disease; his grain 
was often poor, and ho could only sell at a low 
price - because heditlnlt think, lie had never learn¬ 
ed forethought; he did not know what it was to 
consider; ho did not understand how judicious 
head-work assists hand-work. 
“ Didn’t think ! that is the sorry explanation 
of much error, of many a crime, of many a laiiuro, 
of many a hardship, and many an abuse. 
Little hoys and girls, hear in mind that whatovor 
advantage you may havo at home, in school, in 
business or society, unless you think, your lives 
will be sail and your efforts unsuccessful. Learn, 
then, while you are young, the art of thinking. To 
he great and good you must understand the art of 
reflection, as well as appreciate tho pleasure ol 
memory.— h'elected. 
\ 
To Remove Grease from Books. Lay upon the 
spot a little magnesia or powdered chalk, anil under 
it the same ; set on it a warm flat-iron, and as soon 
as the grease is melted it will he all absorbed anil 
leave tho paper clean. 
V tv 
