347 
1874 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
TOYS <k ©©WMTOo 
Wat>er HJftlon-cliol} Accident.— 
Yes, we repeat it, what a melancholy accident is represent¬ 
ed in this engraving I Jack and Gill went up the hill, to 
get a watermelon,Gill brought her’sback,but Jack’salack, 
his little toes it fell on. It is a proverb that “ you can 
not carry two pumpkins under one arm.” We never saw 
any one try it, but can imagine it a hard task, and it is 
nearly as difficult to carry one watermelon in two arms, 
particularly if, as in the picture, those arms happen to be 
those of a little boy. Indeed, was there ever a more 
awkward thing to carry than a watermelon ? Nature has 
furnished it with a handle, or stem, all out of proportion 
to its size, and if the stem chances to be strong enough 
to hold it, the weight of the melon makes it cut one’s 
BRINGING HOME THE WATER-MELONS. 
fingers. But we must not find fault with the way melons 
are made, for they are made just right, and the fault is in 
our not knowing how to handle them. Besides, do we 
not recollect the fable in which the man found fault that 
the strong oak bore only little acorns, while the heavy 
pumpkin had a little weak vine, and don’t we recollect 
how an acorn, coming plump upon his bald pate, con¬ 
vinced him that the arrangement was just right, or, as 
the last line of the fable reads: “For had this tree but 
pumpkins borne, where would have been thy head?” 
Very likely Miss Gill will share her melon with her 
brother, and the next time they go to the melon-patch, 
they will take a basket along. A great many water¬ 
melons from the Southern States are sold in New York 
streets long before those grown near the city have ripen¬ 
ed. These dealers fix a sort of sling of strong twine, so 
as to make a handle, by which the buyers can carry the 
unhandy things. There is a hint for boys. 
Aunt Sue’s Puzzle-Box. 
CHARADE. 
My first will designate a branch, 
Seldom in civil parlance named, 
Which, if composed of fibers staunch, 
In troublous times will ne’er be shamed. 
My next a village in the West, 
And ’tis—but no, I can not feign, 
Either that this one is the best, 
Or yet the “ loveliest of the plain.” 
Long years ago my whole was formed, 
For foreign depredation meant, 
But when by Nature’s powers stormed, 
Soon was it into fragments rent. Henry. 
SQUARE WORD. 
1. A distinguished general, who, in a council of war, 
wrote on a card for each of his under-generals: “ Ad¬ 
vance in solid column, early in the morning .” 2. One of 
Shakespeare’s characters. 3. A boy’s name. 4. Homes 
without hearths. 5. To scorch. Little Folks, 
cross-word. 
My first is in paper but not in ink. 
My next is in flower but not in pink, 
My third is in whisper but not in talk, 
My fourth is in ride but not in walk, 
My fifth is in east but not in south. 
My sixth is in ears but not in mouth, 
My whole is an article dangerous quite, 
And when touched with fire it will take its flight 
In a column of smoke that is nearly white. 
Captain Funnyman. 
diamond puzzle. 
1. Part of the face. 
2. An article of furniture. 
3. A division. 
4. Sad. 
5. A desirable trait in well-do.ng. 
G. Seen on the sea-shore. 
7. An article of furniture. 
8. A unit. 
9. Part of the eye. 
The center letters perpendicular and horizontal name a 
quality. Giles Farnim. 
pi. 
Fi ouy dowlu eb tenpung eb fiber; sword ear kile 
samebuns, bet rome hety reacenndosed eth peered tyeh 
nurb. 
GEOGRAPHICAL ANAGRAMS. 
1. Mr. got money. 5. Recent sham. 
2. L. dig level mile. G. Plover oil. 
3. Boil’m. 7. Mabel Earl. 
4. In stew pot. 8. Shun Dora. 
CONCEALED SQUARE WORD. 
1. Which are the best arms, swords, guns, or pistols ? 
2. I asked him to read it, but he would not. 
3. The sooner we are out of harm's way, the better. 
4. Get as many more stones as you can carry, Jack. 
Nip. 
NUMERICAL ENIGMA. 
I am composed of 26 letters: 
My 12,15, 24,19,5, is a peak in the Rocky Mountains. 
My 22,14, 2, 19, 20, is a river west of the Mississippi. 
My 25,8, 22, 9, is a city in New York. 
My 10, 22, 24, 25,19, 22, 10, 20, 16, 2G, is a capital. 
My 2, 23, 5, 25, 4, 18, is a capital. 
My 10, 2, 21,15,18, is a city in Georgia. 
My 10, 2, 4, 18, 20, is the name of a State. 
My 2, 25, 3, 17, 18, 25, 17, is the name of a capital. 
My 17, 3, 6,17,18, 9, is the name of a capital. 
My 1, 25,13, 15, 7, 11,14, is the name of a large West¬ 
ern city. 
My whole tells where this enigma was made. 
Minnie, Hester, and Ettie. 
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN THE JULY NUMBER. 
Anagrams. —1. Individual. 2. Mutilated. 3. Hemor¬ 
rhage. 4. Phosphorescent. 5. Momentarily. G. De¬ 
crepit. 7. Overloaded. 8. Precipitates. 9. Imperfect. 
10. Inclined. 
Concealed Square Word. —B AND 
ALOE 
NOTE 
DEED 
Pi.—One gentle word that I may speak. 
One kind and loving deed, 
May—though a trifle poor and weak— 
Prove like a tiny seed ; 
And who can tell what good may spring 
From such a very little thing. 
Numerical Enigma. —Monongahela. 
Cross-word.— Franklin. 
Diamond Puzzle.— D 
G I G 
, BRAND 
DIAMOND 
CROUP 
ANN 
D 
Patchwork. —An-ag-r-am—anagram. 
Charade. —Pippin. 
-— -—i o — —» - 
AUNT SUE’S NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Mrs. Lizzie M.—Your riddles are very acceptable. 
Thanks. 
Tillie S. D.—Don’t scold: the “Sphinx” ot the 
Graphic Hearth and Home is not at present under my 
charge, so I am not “responsible.” 
Thanks for puzzles, letters, etc., to Cbas. A. Sproach, 
F. Yondersmit.h, Billy Button, E. L. K., N. R. F., jr., 
Muggins, and Ellie Van B. 
- -—« O -- —--— 
Tlse Brittle Garden. 
Last May, I think it was, I had something to say aboitt 
sowing seeds in your little gardens. There are many 
plants, which grow much better by dividing the old ones, 
and planting the pieces of root. And now is the time to 
be looking out for these, so that when fall comes, and 
the leaves die down, you will know where to get these 
roots. It is a good thing, that those who love flowers, 
also like to have others enjoy them, and they will rarely 
refuse a bit of a root to another, especially to a child. 
But all of you who live in the country can easily get 
plants for your little gardens without troubling others. 
The woods and the meadows have many beautiful flow¬ 
ers quite as handsome and interesting as those from other 
countries, only we don’t think so because they are wild 
and “ so common.” That is just the way people think of' 
our choice garden flowers in the countries they come 
from. Sunlight is “very common,” but not the less 
glorious, and so it is with our wild flowers. If you get 
our wild Columbine from the rocky hill-sides and plant 
it in good garden soil, it will grow much finer and bloom 
longer than yon ever saw it when growing wild, and if 
there are any of the garden Columbines near by it will 
excel them by its grace and beauty. So with the Bluets, 
the Anemones, the Violets, and a long list of wildlings ; 
if you take them up with a good bit of earth about their 
roots, and shade them for a few days, the most of them 
will grow right on as if nothing had happened, even if 
taken up while in bloom. I say “ the most of them,” as 
there are some plants that don’t like to be moved, no 
matter how carefully you do it, but you will only find 
out which these are by trying. The flowers just men¬ 
tioned come in spring, and are small. The large late- 
ones had better be marked with a stick, so that you can 
find the roots when they have done blooming. Many of 
the Asters, the Cardinal flower, the wild Lilies, the But¬ 
terfly-weed, and a long list of late wild flowers, will 
make a fine show in the bed. This growing of wild 
flowers in the garden is very interesting ; I know, for I 
have done it for several years, and am quite as fond of 
my little natives as I am of the more costly ones that 
come from far-off countries, and have very grand but not 
very pretty names. Now I hope you all will see that 
there is no difficulty in the way of any boy or girl who is 
old enough who wishes to have a garden. Then how 
fine it will be if the boys and girls of the same family 
will only work together in it. As I go about the country 
there is nothing that I see that interests me more than 
here and there a little corner where some boy or girl has 
a few flowers. Bless their little hearts, they will get 
them so full of the love of the most beautiful of God’s 
works that wicked thoughts will find no room. 
The Doctor. 
Aunt Sue Goes to (lie Hippodrome. 
I promised in last month’s Chats to tell you more about 
Barnum’s Hippodrome. Many of my friends went there, 
and the question was often asked me, “Aunt Sue, have 
you been to the Hippodrome yet ? ” “ No, I have not.” 
“Oh, you must, it’s splendid 1” At the risk of falling in 
the esteem of many of my friends, I must admit that I 
always did like to go to the circus, and it was not at all 
unpleasant to be urged to go. I sent in advance and 
procured two reserved seats, (those who are curious 
about my personal appearance, need not form an estimate 
of my dimensions from the foregoing statement, as I 
intended to go with a lady friend). It was a very warm 
day when we found ourselves at Madison Avenue, going 
into Barnum’s, and Oh 1 how cool and pleasant it was 
inside. The animals, glass-blowers, candy counters, 
soda water, lightning calculator, curiosities, portraits of 
distinguished individuals, etc., etc., are at the back, and 
under the steps or seats, that surround the arena walled 
in. I tried to see everything at once, but having only 
one pair of eyes, I was not successful, so I concluded to 
go to work systematically. First stall to the right, two 
giraffes, looking just as they do in the picture-books, 
only more so, light fawn color, two of them, one eating 
out of a rack as high as your ceiling, the other sticking 
his funny little nose through the bars at me; T 
wished I had a bit of pie for him ; “don’t eat pie?” 
Well then an apple or a banana, or something he 
did like, he had such large beautiful soft eyes. But I 
mustn’t stop here, making love to this giraffe, or I shall 
not get my money’s worth of sight seeing. Next, a funny 
little black bear, kangaroos, leopards, tigers, four-horned 
goat, zebra, llamas, gnu, guanaco, rhinosceros ; I did not 
stop long to look at these, for a little further on I saw 
between ten and twenty ponies, from the size of a 
dog up to a calf, in a stall, with their dear little heads 
close to the passers by ; such saucy little fellows; of course 
I had to speak to each one, when they stretched their 
necks so far over the dash-board (?) to greet me. I do 
love horses, and these were so get-at-able that one- 
couldn’t help petting ther\ One little chap laid his ears- 
back, so I skipped him. Then the elephants. I have 
always thought I should like to cultivate the affections oF 
an elephant; they are so sensible, so faithful, I should no 
more insult an elephant, by offereng him a stone instead 
of a peanut, than I would hurt a baby. One of the 
largest, was leaning too far over the the stall, trying to 
reach friendship's offering, when the keeper, going by, 
said, “go in, Betsey!” and passed on. Betsey turned 
her trunk towards him, and investigated the back of his 
vest, until he had got beyond her reach, in a sort of “ who 
are you! and what do you know about it? I shall do as 
I’ve a mind to ” manner that was very funny. Old Carlo 
was walking about, in among their feet. Betsey is very 
