- ■ ' ' 
eye, rock crystal, Egyptian jasper and opaL In 
100 grains of opal 90 an: pure silica, and 10 water. 
It is the water, then, which gives the gem that 
peculiar changeable and iridescent coloring 
which is 80 beautiful, and which renders theo *al 
the moonlight queen of the kingly diamond. 
The garnet, tlm Brazilian — not the Oriental — 
topaz, the occidental emerald, which is the same 
species as tho beryl, all these are compounds of 
silica and alumina, hot tho beryl and emerald 
are not composed exclusively of silica and alu¬ 
mina. They oonlnin also another earth known 
as gluctaa—from ght/eem^ sweet, because its salts 
are sweot to tho taste. Tlio hyacinth gem b 
composed of the earth, not long since discovered, 
called zirconia — lirst discovered In that species 
of hyacynth stone called zircon. The zircon b 
found in Scotland. To ovary 100 parts of bya- 
cyuth TO are pure zirconda. A cryzolita Is a por¬ 
tion of pure Bilicato of magnesia. Without 
carbonate of oopper there would bo no malachite 
in Russia, or at the Barra Burra mines; without 
carbonate of lime there would bo no Carrara mar¬ 
ble. Tho turquoise is nothing but a phosphate 
of alumina oolorod blue by copper; and the lapis 
lazuli is only a bit of earth painted throughout 
with sulphurot of sodium. 
A PLEASANT IN-DOOR AMUSEMENT. 
From a work entitled “ Tho Play Room,” oon- 
talulng descriptions and illustrations of numer¬ 
ous in-door sports for boys and girls, wo copy 
tho following in tores tang amusement for the 
young folks; 
Written for Moore's Rural New-Yorker. 
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES IN GENERAL 
MICHIGAN IN PARTICULAR. 
Eds. Rtxral New-Yorkeb:—I n yonr issue of 
Dec. 15th, I find an article by B.,” comment¬ 
ing upon a former article of mine. Ho there 
expresses certain conclusions which I beg leave 
to be allowed to correct. 
B. asserts that a general “pleaof guilty" was 
entered by me. I presume B. was It'd to this 
conclusion by logical habits which he acquired 
when attending some of onr ordinary literary 
colleges, and if so this fact aloun would show tho 
necessity for some institution in which men like 
B. might perhaps bo ultimately taught to reason 
correctly—a faculty which he evidently does not. 
at present possess, or ho would not argue that 
Agricultural Colleges, as such, arc failures mere¬ 
ly because friends of such institutions have failed 
in their efforts to establish them. Our common 
schools arc certainly not failures, and yet if it 
were not for legal enactments the friends of such 
schools might fail to bo able to establish them;— 
a result which is actually to be soon in some 
parts of tho country. Men of B.'s habits of 
thought would thence argue that eommon school* 
are a failure. 
In stating that Borne of our Agricultural Col¬ 
leges had soon fit to change thoir plans, I said 
that B. would probably construe this statement 
into an admission of failure. Nor was 1 mis¬ 
taken. But who that is able to reason correctly 
would give the name of failure to mere change 
of plan? What B. calls liulure, ordinary busi¬ 
ness men — men whose experience has led them 
to doubt their own absolute perfection — call 
progress. But who ever heard of progress on the 
part of those that never change ? 
B. objects to tho appropriation of public money 
for the special education of farmers. Does ho 
object to the appropriation of public money to 
our Common Bchools? Why should Agricul¬ 
tural Colleges be excluded from such support, 
when nearly every college in the land has re¬ 
ceived government support? 
B.’s logic is equaled only by Ida candor. In 
his first article ho was quite willing, without in¬ 
vestigation, to give currency to tho charge of 
failure on the part of the Michigan College, and 
this tod, in a periodical of the exteusive circula- • 
tion of the Rural. Although pretty certain 
that these charges were unfounded, 1 preferred 
to examine into their truth, and now 1 am able 
to state unqualifiedly that every one of the 
charges made in the article of your corrospond- 
ent B. is false. These statements were:—“The 
College located at Lansing, Michigan, has not 
met public expectation, and an effort Is making 
to procure its removal to a more favorable local¬ 
ity. Under present arrangements it is pro¬ 
nounced to bo pretty much a failure, being 
open only during the summer months and then 
with only a very limited attendance." With re¬ 
gard to public expectation, It is difficult to say 
what “public expectation" means. Let us, 
however, take tho case of a somewhat similar 
institution, a paper. If your paper, during 1807, 
has a wider circulation than it had In I860, it is 
pretty good evidence to you that yon have “ met 
public expectation." During 1805, tlm number 
of students in the Michigan College was not 
quite 100; during 186(1 Lhe number was 108, and 
now the number is so much greater than am be 
properly accommodated that the trustees pro¬ 
pose to ask tho Legislature for means to oroe.fc 
more buildings in the old location. Is tills 
meeting public expectation ? No effort is being 
made to remove the college from its present lo¬ 
cation, which is abundantly accessible, two rail¬ 
road trains passing if, each way, every day. 1 
observe, that in your paper of the 8tti, President 
Abbott has attended to Lhe other charge. 
I have'no doubt that “B.” will retract his 
good opinion of tnc as expressed in his last, but 
in that case I can only say that there is a couplet 
in Uudibras exactly in point. I make no apol- 
ogy for thus Intruding upon your space. The 
question of Agricultural and Technological Col¬ 
leges is one which Ilea near the great heart of tlm 
American people, and wo have faith that in 
due time the people will arise and show then- 
strength. But unfortunately for the institutions 
that arc most dear to them, they too otten show 
so much apathy that ere these institutions can 
receive the aid which they require, their very 
existence ‘is endangered. j. p. 
Havana, Dec. 29,18(50. 
GEOLOGICAL SPECULATION. 
Tim BALANCER TURK. 
A decanter, or bottle, i a first obtained, and in 
its cork is placed a noodio; on this is balanced a 
ball of wood, having a cork or wooden figure, cut 
out, standing on tho top. From the ball project 
two wires, bent semi circularly, having at thoir 
extremities two bullets. Push tho bullets, and 
tho whole will torn round on tlm needle, tlm 
flgmro standing upright all the while; and twist 
it about from aide to side as much as you like, it 
will always regain Us erect position, Tho two 
ballots, in tills flaso, cause tho center of gravity 
to bill below the ball on which tho figure Is 
placed, and, in consequence, as tho center of 
gravity always assumes tho lowost position, it 
cannot do bo without making tho llguro stand 
erect, or, in other words, until the bullets thom- 
Bctvott arc equally balanced. Any boy may whit¬ 
tle OOO of those toys out with a jack-knife. 
YU tilt ROYALTY. 
WIiat makes a king? Not riches. 
What malms u queen ? Not power 
What man can Kivu and tako back. 
May vanish in an hour. 
But hu or she is monarch 
Who craves not after pelf; 
And each one has a kingdom 
Who rightly governs self. 
Is it Worth My I’kacb? —If you arc disqui¬ 
eted with anything, you should consider with 
yourself, “Is tho tiling of that worth, that for it 
I should bo disturb myself and lose my peace and 
tranquility?” 
LOSING THE HAPPY OE A HEART. 
For Moore's Rural New-Yorker. 
MISCELLANEOUS ENIGMA. 
I am composod of 27 letters. 
My 8,1(), 8 is a boy’s nickname. 
My U, to. 14, 1, 6, 20 is spoken of in tho Bible. 
My 28, 18, 7, 16, 24 what soldiers fight for. 
My 12,8, 6 Is not tho beginning. 
My 17, 4, 11, If. Is a musical Instrument. 
My 18, 22, 28, 20, 2 Ifl a useful animal. 
My 9,10, 21 i« ft man’a name. 
My 21,-t,2S, 2T Is a place containing many inhabitants. 
My 25,20, 16, 27 is a city in New York. 
My 22, 1, 7,16 is ono of (he United States. 
My whole !b a popular saying. 
Iona, Mich. M-kxia & Lenta. 
6 1 /' Answer In two weokB. 
THE PIGEONS OE VENICE, 
For Moore’s Rural Now-Yorker. 
NAUTICAL ENIGMA. 
Written for Moore’s Rural New-Yorker 
NOW AND THEN. 
I am composed of 18 letters. 
My 1,8,12,17,10 Is my namo when old. 
My It, 4, 4 Is a refuge from storms. 
My 7, 0, 8,111» bailed with delight 
My 8,4,4,1 Is to diminish. 
My IS, 14, 4, 4,8 Is to direct. 
My is, 7,10, 3,16 are sometimes carried away. 
My 16, 9,17,18, 2, 8,15 aro bravo and generous. 
My 15, 6,4, 8,13 la a daugerouB loader. 
My whole should be on ovory squaro-rigged v os sol. 
Union villa, Ohio. i. m. h. 
£37” Answer in two weeks. 
For Moore's Rural New-Yorker, 
AN ANAGRAM. 
NATURAL LAWS, 
Hkt trendenp otmot oft- oth noygut 
Triwo tl nl nosi) lo dolg 
Pnou oth reatb, nda nl yth dlirm 
Kht grliatrn sword oflmul; 
Dan nl BimoontfoB’r drymr roka, 
Ro tuorn’sfo soureropep logo, 
Hwt) ovhii a toby, rhogfeaC rowpo— 
“Uesth'o on cush dorw mi Ulal" 
CW Answer in two vrookB, 
For Moore’s Rural Now- Yorker. 
MATHEMATICAL problem. 
It the df.’uaetor of tho earth bo 7,912 miles and a 
hold perforated through it centrally, bow long would 
a ball he In reaching tho center, if It be placed within 
said hole, which is supposed to be a vacuum? 
Oneida Co., N. Y. H. G. Caovtut. 
Answer In two weeks. 
Readers. —Coleridge thus aptly classifies the 
ading world: — 1. Sponges, who absorb all 
For Moore’s Rural New-Yorker. 
A CHARADE. 
You may seek Tor my first in pleasant employ. 
Yon will find my second in bope and Joy; 
My third tB safe in heaven above. 
And my fourth, alas. Is the end of love. 
My whole is a thing of heavenly birth. 
Though lent awhile to the son’s of earth. 
Caledon, O. W. w. <* 
Answer In two weeks. 
Integrity. —Perfect integrity and \ properly 
cooked beef-steak are rare. 
