Chapter XLI: Part V: Miscellaneous (7)

Are cuttings of carnations, pinks, &c. They are tubular stems, having joints at certain distances, and they are pulled asunder by the fingers at these joints; the lower leaves are then pulled off, and the pipe is placed in some nicely prepared soil, leaving its upper portion, consisting of the sprouting leaf bud, to grow, while the lower pipe shoots into a root.

GRAFTING.

Grafting, inarching, and budding, are generally performed in the month of March. The operation of inarching is sometimes performed by nature. When two branches of a tree lie in contact, the rough winds of winter often cause them to rub against each other, so that a wound is produced in one or both, and the juices that flow from the wounded parts gradually cause an incorporation of the substances, so that the two branches become united into one. This is not to be wondered at in branches of the same tree, or in those of the same kind, but it is a matter of some surprise to find that a tree bearing small and unpalatable fruit may be cut down, and the remaining part grafted with a scion from a species bearing large and delicious fruit, instead of the small sour fruit of the stalk. Thus it is then that by grafting, we preserve and multiply a favoured variety of trees which could not be propagated from seeds with any certainty of success.

In order to the full success of this operation, grafting must be performed according to the rules that experience has laid down. The first is to graft or unite only such species as have a relationship subsisting between them. The operation never succeeds unless this union of nature is attended to, and the plants belong to the same genus. The next rule requires that the inner bark of the scion, and the inner bark of the stalk, be exactly united together, in order to facilitate the free course of the sap.

The most common method of grafting is whip-grafting, or tongue-grafting. The name of whip-grafting is given from the method of cutting the stock and the scion sloping on one side so as to fit each other, and then tying them together in the manner of a whip-thong to the shaft or handle. The scion and stock are cut obliquely, and as nearly as possible at corresponding angles. The top of the stock is then cut off nearly horizontally, and a slit is made near the centre of it downwards, and a similar one in the scion upwards. The tongue, or wedge-like process forming the upper part of the sloping face of the scion, is then inserted downwards in the cleft of the stock, the inner barks being brought closely to unite on one side so as not to be displaced by tying, which ought to be done immediately with a riband, or matting, or bass, brought in a neat manner several times round the stock. The next operation is to clay the whole over an inch thick all round, for about half an inch or more below the bottom of the graft to an inch over the top of the stock, finishing the coat of clay in a kind of oval form, closing it effectually, so that no light, wet, nor wind, may penetrate.

TONGUE-GRAFTING.

Tongue-grafting is not very different to whip-grafting, and is performed as follows. The stock being ready, cut it off at three or four inches from the ground, and, with a very sharp, straight, and narrow-bladed knife, cut a thin slip of wood and bark upwards from about two inches below the top of the shortened stock. Make this cut at one pull of the knife, inserting the edge rather horizontally, and when it has gone through the bark and into the wood a little short of the middle, pull straight upwards. Then at less than half-way down this cut a thin tongue, not more than three-eighths of an inch long. Proceed in the same way with the thick part of the scion, making a sloping cut of about the same length as the cut of the stock, and make a tongue to correspond with that in the stock. Bring the four edges of the bark, that is, the two edges of the cut in the top of the stock and the two corresponding edges of the cut in the bottom of the scion, to meet precisely, which can never be the case unless the first cut in the stock and that in the scion is even as a die, and performed with a knife as sharp as a razor. The two parts thus formed, the tongues and the stock clasping one another must be bound up as before.

BUDDING.

Budding is the art of taking a bud from one tree and making it grow on another. A bud can only be planted upon a tree of the same kind as itself, and the operation is generally performed in the month of August. The bud should be taken from a shoot of the same year’s growth, and, in taking it, should be neatly cut out by incisions made above it, below it, and longitudinally on either side, and the piece taken should include the bud, without injury to the bark, and a small piece of wood of an oblong form pointed at its extremity. A place is now cut to receive the bud in the shoot of a stock, and the best place is near the fork of a branch; the method of cutting is similar to that adopted for taking out the bud, and the bark is open on both sides of the slit, and the piece of bark to which the bud is attached is then filled in, and the bark of the stock closed over it; the two parts are then bound together with strips of fresh matting tied in bows and ends, for the purpose of being easily loosened as the bud increases in growth. The operation of budding requires the aid of a budding-knife, which may be readily purchased, and the success of the operation depends upon the care and nicety with which it is performed.

INARCHING.

We have already mentioned how nature performs what is called inarching. The gardener’s art consists simply in bending a branch partly cut through, and inserting the belt thus formed into a slit made downwards in the stock to receive it. The parts being nicely fitted are bound with matting. In five or six months the head of the stock may be cut off, and the plant removed.

GRAFTING-CLAY.

Most of the operations of grafting require clay to be put round the parts. This is made of three parts of stiff yellow clay to one of horse-dung fresh as it falls, with a little cut hay, well mixed together; another kind of clay is made of a pound of pitch and a pound of yellow wax, mixed with two pounds of cow-dung. The use of them in covering the grafting posts is to keep them moist and cool till a proper union has taken place.

PRUNING.

The proper time for pruning trees is in December or January, for then the sap is down, and no injury can be done; and the art in pruning consists in cutting away the “water shoots,” or non-bearing wood, “dead wood,” and “superfluous wood.” The water shoots, as they are called, appear to be strong growing branches, but generally produce neither flowers nor fruit; the superfluous wood are those shoots which grow in the way of each other, or cross each other, which should always be removed. The great principle in pruning a fruit tree is to leave all the tree free and open, so that the air and sunshine may pass through it, and to preserve the buds of the bearing wood. The shoots should be cut off as near to the stem or branch as possible, and all growths or suckers which appear below the crown of the tree should be taken off. The present practice of thumb-pruning is very excellent; by this means the superfluous shoots, &c., are removed by the thumb nail as soon as they appear, and thus the tree does not exhaust itself by the growth of useless wood. The young pruner should be very careful in cutting away, and recollect that what he cuts off he cannot put on again.

TRAINING.

The training of trees applies principally to those that are fastened to wooden trellises, to poles, or to walls. The principle of the art is to extend the bearing branches of a tree or plant, so as to improve its growth, its beauty, and its produce. Peaches, nectarines, apricots, vines, &c., are trained against walls by shreds of cloth being placed round the branches, and the two ends nailed to the wall. In doing this, care should be taken to give the branch room to play, and yet to confine it, not to hurt the tender fruit-shoots in the operation, and to let all the branches be free of each other. Roses and jasmines are often trained round verandahs by their different parts being tied with ropes’ end or tarred twine to different parts of the trelliswork. Sometimes flowers are trained by being tied to stakes or long poles, and others are brought to pass through the round of an ornamental ladder, or through the meshes of wirework of different forms. But in every kind of training the principle is the same, namely that of keeping the branches clear of each other, and of preserving the flowering and bearing shoots. Neatness and taste are also indispensable requisites to the training and management of trees and flowers, whether for use or ornament.

INSECTS AND DEPREDATORS.

There are various kinds of depredators which find their way into gardens;--worms, slugs, caterpillars, moles, ants, birds, butterflies, snails, &c. These must be got rid of, or kept down, otherwise the gardening labours are soon at an end. In wild nature all the above “vermin,” as some people designate them, are of the greatest service in some way or other; even worms and moles, which are very destructive in gardens, are of great service on commons, and therefore in destroying them we should always do so with as little pain as possible to the individuals; and, as prevention is better than cure, the young gardener should look out in winter for the eggs of various moths and butterflies, which may be often seen encircling the twigs of trees, or under the eaves of paling, &c., and destroy them. Caterpillars are best got rid of by picking them from the plants; and slugs, and snails, and worms, are often eradicated by turning a brood of young ducks into the ground for a short time, where they can do no injury to the beds. They may also be entrapped by laying cabbage leaves in different parts of the garden, under which they will creep in the night time. Moles must be caught with a mole-trap set in the line of their march. It consists simply of a bent stick, and a wire formed into a noose, slightly attached to the neck of a peg, into which the animal runs his head and gets strangled, by the elasticity of the rod drawing up the noose when the peg is disturbed. Ants are best got rid of by destroying their nest and eggs, the latter of which are excellent food for young chickens, pheasants, &c. The most destructive insect is the aphis, which attacks the rose, and this is best destroyed by the fumigation of tobacco-smoke, either through a pair of common bellows, or by means of the whirl-fumigator, which may be purchased for a few shillings; but the most certain mode of destruction is to obtain a few “golden beetles,” and put near the plants infected by aphides; these are their natural enemies, and where they are placed the aphides will soon become extinct.

PROTECTION FROM FROST.

The common trees and fruits of the garden require but little care as regards frost in our comparatively mild winters, but many plants, trees, and shrubs, coming originally from warmer climates, require much attention during winter to keep them alive. It is useless to attempt preserving geraniums, myrtles, and a great many of our common summer plants, without keeping them through the winter in a greenhouse of some kind or other. A small greenhouse may now be cheaply erected, but for the preservation of a small number of plants the greenhouse pit is the cheapest and most convenient substitute. It consists only of a hole twelve feet by four dug in the ground to the depth of six feet, having at the top a skylight. It should if possible be dug in a sheltered situation, open to the south and well backed behind, and the glass-top, which should merely consist of one frame laid in a slanting position to the south over the top of the hole, the back of which is raised to support it, the front being slightly lowered. The entrance to the pit is at the side, to which a stout wooden door nailed over with straw bands should be attached, and two or three steps should lead to the interior of the pit, where a few shelves may be arranged upon which to place the flowers, &c. In this pit flowers, cuttings, bulbs, and a variety of other things, may be preserved through the winter, with very little cost or trouble, and it will be of a great deal of use in many other respects.

THE YOUNG GARDENER’S CALENDAR FOR THE WORK TO BE DONE IN ALL THE MONTHS OF THE YEAR.

JANUARY.

In January, if the weather will permit, manure the ground, and dig the manure in. Plant out some strong early cabbage in warm situations: plant early kinds of Windsor beans. Sow peas, early Warwick, in drills two feet and a-half asunder; sow a first early crop of spinach; sow early radishes, and cover them with straw two inches thick, then uncover every mild day, and cover again in the evening. Plant in the flower border the various bulbs, such as snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils, jonquils, &c., and also their offsets. Plant also the hardy herbaceous plants, such as asters, golden rods, campanulas, Canterbury bells, &c. Keep gravel walks clean.

FEBRUARY.

Peas, beans, spinach, lettuce, carrots, parsnips, beet, &c., may now be sown; and in hotbeds cucumbers, small salading, melons, lettuce, &c. Give air to plants under frames in the natural ground. Dig and prepare the compartments of beds and borders; sow many sorts of hardy annual flower seeds; the tender sorts in hotbeds, such as larkspurs, candy-tuft, yellow lupines, pansies, virgin stock, sweet scabious mignonette, ten-weeks stock, &c. And for edgings of border, plant box, thrift, daisies, parsley, strawberries, &c.

MARCH.

Still continue to prepare an appropriate ground by digging and manuring, sow again peas, beans, &c., if necessary, and especially a bed of turnips. Now is the time also to sow small herbs, as thyme, savory; you may also now plant various slips or cuttings of rosemary, rue, wormwood, and lavender. These should be the outward shoots produced last year, five or six inches long, and should be planted in a shady border, six inches apart. Now also may be sown nasturtiums, which may be sown in patches, dibbed in six inches apart, or in drills, near a rail or running fence. Potatoes may also be now planted in open weather. In planting them, take care to get the best sorts, and pick out some of the finest of a moderately large size, and then divide the tubers into two or three parts, leaving an eye or two to each; plant the pieces in rows about eighteen inches from each other, and about four inches deep. Now also is the time for pruning the various fruit trees, planting fresh sets of raspberries, strawberries, &c. In the flower garden the tender annuals are to be sown in hotbeds, such as cockscomb, balsam, china-aster, tobacco, convolvulus, &c. Ranunculuses, anemones, and the hardy annuals, may be sown in the open ground, and transplanting of all kinds of plants, shrubs, &c., may now be performed.

APRIL.

This is a transplanting month, particularly for cabbages and cauliflowers, all which should be now taken and put out for summer use. Celery should also now be pricked out. Continue to plant, if necessary, pot herbs and sweet herbs, such as rooted slips of balm, penny royal, and camomile. It is a good time also to plant out slips of mint from the roots; other crops of peas may also now be sown, as also a late crop of beans. Now also you may sow gourds and pumpkins in a frame. All pruning must be finished. Insects must be looked after on fruit trees. Vines may be laid down in layers; wall-fruit thinned; strawberry beds weeded, and kept very clean; new-budded and new-grafted trees well examined to see if the clay keeps close to the grafts. In the flower garden or borders some of the tender annuals may now be pricked out, and some of the others sown in the frame, such as Prince’s feather, capsicum, love-apples, Indian corn, gourds, sweet balsam, marvel of Peru; stocks, and the hardy annuals, may now be sown in the open ground, as Adonis poppy, sweet peas, catch-fly, annual sunflower, larkspur, lupines, Venus’s looking-glass. The best way to sow sweet peas is in pots, and protect them well from the birds, who will otherwise not leave one. Inarching may now be performed on evergreens and other plants, which you may wish to propagate this way.

MAY.

Lettuces will now want tying up. Peas will require sticking. Do not tie your lettuces up too tightly, and when you stick your peas put in the stick in a slanting direction. Clear and thin carrots and parsnips, leaving the largest plants at least four inches from each other; thin also onions; plant out cauliflowers. Sow brocoli seeds for the crop to come in on the following winter and early spring. Sow and plant savoys; top the broad beans that are now in blossom, which will make the pods set sooner and swell faster. Plant the various kinds of French beans, such as the white speckled, in drills about three feet apart, and sow them thin. Prick out and plant celery; continue to sow radishes and small salading for daily use. Water new planted crops, and now let more than common care be taken to destroy weeds amongst crops of every kind; and now is the time for using your Dutch hoe freely among the rows of peas, beans, and spinach; but do not leave your weeds about in the drills or borders; clear all carefully away, and keep the garden clean and neat.

JUNE.

Look after your melons, pumpkins, gourds, and cucumbers, in frames; let them be well supplied with fresh air and water. To save cauliflower seed, mark some of the best and earliest plants, with the largest and whitest and closest flower heads, which should not be cut, but left to run to seed. Peas may still be sown, and French beans also, as may cabbage and colewort seed. Gather mint, balm, and other aromatic herbs, towards the end of this month, for drying. Examine any new planted trees, see that they are not too dry, and that they are well secured. Water should be given to those that show any symptoms of flagging; water them well, but not frequently. Take care that your strawberry beds are also well watered. Hang up nets before early cherry-trees against walls, and over small trees, to protect them from the birds. Most of the tender annuals may be now finally planted out, and now is the time to take up the roots of tulips, crown imperials, jonquils, &c., and to take away the offsets. Continue to support with sticks all the tall growing flowering plants. Cut box-edgings, and regulate your flower borders, keeping your plants well watered if the weather should be very dry.

JULY.

You may now sow a batch of turnips for winter or autumn use, and also some carrot seed to raise young carrots for use later in the autumn. Celery may be transplanted, winter spinach may be sown, lettuces may be planted out, coleworts may be sown. Gather your cucumbers as they appear, and gather all sorts of seeds as they ripen in dry weather, pulling up the stems with the seed where it can be done. Bring out the cockscombs, double balsams, and all other curious annuals kept till this time in frames. Transplant annuals into the borders. Lay carnations and sweetwilliams; propagate pinks by pipings; transplant perennial plants. Take up bulbous roots, cut box-edgings, regulate your flower borders. Plant cuttings and slips of succulent plants; shift geraniums and other plants into larger pots, if necessary.

AUGUST.

Cauliflower seed must be sown between the 18th and the 24th. Celery should now be transplanted into trenches, and lettuce planted out. In the end of the month the dry flower stems of aromatic plants, such as hyssop, sage, lavender, should be cut down. Now look well out for various seeds as they ripen, which gather by cutting or pulling off the seed-stalks, then place them in the full sun against a hedge or wall to get them thoroughly dry. All flowers should now be carefully attended, and watered when necessary. The pink pipings should now be planted out in beds, and the seeds of many bulbous flowers, such as tulips, hyacinths, lilies, may be sown to obtain new varieties. Flower borders should occasionally be gone over with a sharp hoe, after which they should be raked over neatly, and all weeds and litter cleared away.

SEPTEMBER.

Lettuces may now be planted in frames, or in very warm borders, for winter use. Brocoli, cabbage and savoy plants may also be planted out, and young plants pricked out into nursery beds. Celery should be earthed up, and you should tie up the leaves of endive to blanch the plants white. The spinach sown in August should be thinned and cleared out, and small salading should be sown once a-week or fortnight. Gather ripe seeds as before, and see that the birds do not devour them. Now is a good time to plant the strong runner plants into separate beds, and at about fifteen inches asunder either way. Towards the end of the month hyacinth and tulip roots may be planted, as well as any other bulbous root. Anemone and ranunculus seed may be sown, and perennial plants transplanted. Continue to keep the flower borders always very clean, and begin digging vacant beds and borders for future planting.

OCTOBER.

Now the apples and pears begin to ripen. Seeds are still to be looked for and preserved, vacant spaces of ground are to be dug up and manured. Fruit trees may now be transplanted, and currant and gooseberry-trees may be planted. Recollect that the currant-trees may be cut close down to the fruit buds, but the gooseberry only half way down the last year’s wood. Cut out irregular growths and suckers, and keep them trained to a single stem below. Strawberry beds should this month have their winter dressing of manure, and all the runners cleared away close to the head of the main plants. Raspberry plants may be pruned, the old stems cut away, and the last year’s suckers’ stems selected for the next year’s bearings, and each of them shortened one-third in height. In the flower-garden the borders should be nicely dressed, and all kinds of plants may be transplanted, or their roots divided, and bulbs not yet planted may be put into the earth. Plant all kinds of shrubs and evergreen trees.

NOVEMBER.

Now is the time for digging up potatoes, and taking up carrots, parsnips, onions, &c., and storing them for winter use. Winter spinach should be weeded, and the red beet-root dug up. Onions may be pricked out to come in early in the spring. Trees may be pruned; all sorts of fruit trees and bulbous roots planted. Now tender plants should be removed to the pit or greenhouse.

DECEMBER.

Peas may be sown in a warm sheltered spot to come in early in the spring, as may Windsor and broad beans. Celery should be well earthed up, and all vacant ground manured, dug, or trenched. Secure the roots of newly planted trees from the frost by laying dungy litter round them, and the same may be done to the spots in which hyacinths, tulips, anemones, and ranunculuses are planted. Small young tender seedling flower plants also require care at this season. The borders may now be finally cleared and laid nice and smooth, the remainder of pot plants removed to the greenhouse or pit, which should be closed during the night, and only opened in fine mild weather; as the frost comes on place mats above the glass during the night, which should be removed in the morning. All leaves from trees, &c., should be collected in a pit for manure, free from sticks or stones, and the whole garden put into order for the frost.

MIMICRY AND VENTRILOQUISM.

“How can I become a ventriloquist?” is the frequent thought of a boy; and he is told, probably, that it is an exceptional faculty, and cannot possibly be acquired. This is not so; perseverance and practice are alone necessary to produce those wonderful results which never fail to captivate the public, if the student has a fair musical ear, and a talent for imitation which few boys are without. The deceptive nature of the sounds are the result of certain natural principles, which are called in to aid the experimenter. Those who have seen any professors of the ventriloquial art now living must have been struck by the apparent ease with which the effects are produced. This is not only the result of practice, but the careful attention to certain acoustic principles which regulate the direction of sounds. A sudden change in the direction of sound is oftentimes very perplexing to the ear, even when the eye can assist the other organs. The change of direction of the sound of a peal of bells, which is often interrupted by intervening buildings, is a familiar instance of this, their sound appearing to come from different places as the hearer changes his position. We can easily imagine that when the hearer is still, and the source of the sound moves, the deception becomes much greater, if skilfully applied to the purpose.

The first great secret is to take a full and deep inspiration, so that the lungs may be well filled, to be used as a Highlander uses the windbag of his bagpipes, as required. If we remember that the larynx, which is the cavity in the throat behind the tongue, is capable of considerable flexibility, as well as the trachea or windpipe, we have good materials for ventriloquial effect; thus the mouth and tongue have really, but not apparently, a great deal to do with the modifications of the assumed voice. A clever ventriloquist recommends the mouth to be kept closed, and the tongue rolled back, so as to regulate, as it were, the sound which is formed in the larynx. This may be done by strengthening the abdominal muscles; and it is probably from this being so frequently done, that the name of “belly-speaking” arose. The highest perfection of ventriloquism is speaking with the lips closed, and apparently without an effort of any kind. Some old and some modern professors had this marvellous power in perfection.

It has been recently observed that by constant practice the veil of the palate can be so exercised that it can be raised or depressed at will, so as to dilate or contract the inner nostrils. The effect of this contraction is the same as Mr. Hardy’s rolled tongue; it muffles, as it were, the sound, renders it weak and dull, as if coming from a distance. On the other hand, if the nostrils are dilated to any extent, the sound gradually becomes apparently closer and closer, because it is more distinct.

The uncertainty of the direction of sound greatly aids the ventriloquist. If a man and a woman are placed at either end of a tolerably large room, and each imitates with tolerable success the voice of the other, the confusion between the eye and the ear is so great that it becomes next to impossible to know which it was that spoke. It is thus necessary that the ventriloquist should either by word or gesture direct the attention of his hearers to the spot from whence they expect the sound to proceed. Really, in practice, there is little difference between the sound of a muffled voice, whether it is outside the door, above the ceiling, or down in the cellar. It is possible to acquire such a knowledge of the modifications of sound by distance, obstructions, or other causes, as to imitate them with wonderful accuracy. The late Mr. Love used to carry on a dialogue with a person in a box, and by a masterly modulation of his voice he gave it a muffled tone when he sat upon the box, and different degrees of sharpness as he gradually opened the lid.

The best practice is to begin with imitations only of different voices, until some progress is made. Then commence to practise the muffled voice until the audience are satisfied that it is done tolerably well, for the operator cannot judge of the effect it is producing save by experience. The voice may now be changed until the second voice is marked by some distinguishing characteristic, such as bass, alto, gruff, or speaking. Then the distant voice may be tried, to be modulated as before as success is attained.

A well-known ventriloquist used to make some excellent effects by speaking with a closed mouth when drawing an inspiration, instead of the usual method of speaking during the expiration of the breath.

We will suppose a ventriloquist about to give an illustration of his art. He first takes care that none of his audience are between the line of his mouth and the spot from which the sound appears to proceed. Thus the simplest cause of ventriloquial effect is produced by standing with your back to the audience and your face to the door. With closed jaws you direct a muffled voice against the door. The sound which reaches the ears of the audience is a voice apparently outside the door, but in reality it is an echo of the artificial voice only. Take a simple example. You knock at the door, and in your natural voice you inquire if anyone is there. Assuming the muffled tone, you say that “it’s a friend,” and then inquire his name and business. The answers being given, you slightly open the door and the corner of your lips at the same time, and then the voice loses its muffled tone, and appears more distinct as it comes closer. The deception is more difficult to maintain, and the ventriloquist suddenly turns round and shows that the voice is in reality a mere shade.

If we try the ceiling voice, or the familiar “man on the roof,” we should use the upper notes, and reserve the lower notes for the “man in the cellar.” In either of these illusions the lips should not be opened at all. The modulation of tones should be managed in the larynx, by the action of the tongue only, unless the voice is supposed to come down the chimney into the room. In either case the mouth should be turned to the place from whence the sound is supposed to proceed; and when speaking in his natural tones, the performer should address himself directly to the audience; always using appropriate gestures to signify the ascent or descent of the owner of the fictitious voice.

These two voices are in reality the only true ventriloquial voices. The variation of tone and accent depends more on the organs of imitation than on true ventriloquism, though when both arts are combined the effect is so much enhanced as to become perfectly marvellous. One of the simplest sounds to produce is that of the humming-bee, wasp, or bluebottle fly. The first sound is produced in the chest, the latter by the lips. It is always well to attempt to catch the insect after it has indicated its presence. This enables the sound to be raised in tone, and occasionally muffled when the offending suppositious insect is inclosed in the handkerchief.

The imitation of a knife-grinder is easily done, the grinding being produced by a sharp hissing sound through the teeth, and the “buffing” or polishing, by gently closing the lips and drawing the breath through them until they vibrate--a not uncommon schoolboy accomplishment. The sawing of wood, the frying of a pancake, the uncorking of a bottle, and the gurgling noise of pouring out the liquid, may all be successfully imitated; but these are much less striking and ingenious than true ventriloquism.

PUZZLES.

1. THE DIVIDED GARDEN.

A person let his house to several inmates, who occupied different floors, and having a garden attached to the house, he was desirous of dividing it among them. There were ten trees in the garden, and he was desirous of dividing it so that each of the five inmates should have an equal share of garden and two trees. How did he do it?

2. THE VERTICAL LINE PUZZLE.

Draw six vertical lines, as below, and, by adding five other lines to them, let the whole form nine.

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3. THE CARDBOARD PUZZLE.

Take a piece of cardboard or leather, of the shape and measurement indicated by the diagram, cut it in such a manner that you yourself may pass through it, still keeping it in one piece.

4. THE BUTTON PUZZLE.

In the centre of a piece of leather make two parallel cuts with a penknife, and just below a small hole of the same width; then pass a piece of string under the slit and through the hole, as in the figure, and tie two buttons much larger than the hole to the ends of the string. The puzzle is, to get the string out again without taking off the buttons.

5. THE CIRCLE PUZZLE.

Get a piece of cardboard, the size and shape of the diagram, and punch in it twelve circles or holes in the position shown. The puzzle is, to cut the cardboard into four pieces of equal size, each piece to be of the same shape, and to contain three circles, without cutting into any of them.

6. THE CROSS PUZZLE.

Cut three pieces of paper to the shape of No. 1, one to the shape of No. 2, and one to that of No. 3. Let them be of proportional sizes. Then place the pieces together so as to form a cross.

7. THREE-SQUARE PUZZLE.

Cut seventeen slips of cardboard of equal lengths, and place them on a table to form six squares, as in the diagram. It is now required to take away five of the pieces, yet to leave but three perfect squares.

8. CYLINDER PUZZLE.

Cut a piece of cardboard about four inches long, of the shape of the diagram, and make three holes in it as represented. The puzzle is, to make one piece of wood pass through, and also exactly to fill, each of the three holes.

9. THE NUNS.

Twenty-four nuns were arranged in a convent by night by a sister, to count nine each way, as in the diagram. Four of them went out for a walk by moonlight. How were the remainder placed in the square so as still to count nine each way? The four who went out returned, bringing with them four friends; how were they all placed still to count nine each way, and thus to deceive the sister, as to whether there were 20, 24, 28, or 32, in the square?

10. THE DOG PUZZLE.

The dogs are, by placing two lines upon them, to be suddenly aroused to life and made to run. Query, How and where should these lines be placed, and what should be the forms of them?

11. CUTTING OUT A CROSS.

How can be cut out of a single piece of paper, and with one cut of the scissors, a perfect cross, and all the other forms as shown in the cuts?

12. ANOTHER CROSS PUZZLE.

With three pieces of cardboard of the shape and size of No. 1, and one each of No. 2 and 3, to form a cross.

13. THE FOUNTAIN PUZZLE.

A is a wall, B C D three houses, and E F G three fountains or canals It is required to bring the water from E to D, from G to B, and from F to C, without one crossing the other, or passing outside of the wall A.

14. THE CABINET-MAKER’S PUZZLE.

A cabinet-maker had a circular piece of veneering, with which he has to veneer the tops of two oval stools; but it so happens that the area of the stools, exclusive of the hand-holes in the centre, and the circular piece, are the same, (as that of the circle.) How must he cut his stuff so as to be exactly sufficient for his purpose?

15. THE STRING AND BALLS PUZZLE.

Get an oblong strip of wood or ivory, and bore three holes in it, as shown in the cut. Then take a piece of twine, passing the two ends through the holes at the extremities, fastening them with a knot, and thread upon it two beads or rings, as depicted above. The puzzle is to get both beads on the same side, without removing the string from the holes, or untying the knots.

16. THE DOUBLE-HEADED PUZZLE.

Cut a circular piece of wood as in the cut No. 1, and four others, like No. 2. The puzzle consists in getting them all into the cross-shaped slit, until they look like Fig. 3.

17. THE ROW OF HALFPENCE.

Place ten halfpence in a row on the table. Then take up one of them and place it on another, never in any case passing over more than a penny (that is to say, two halfpence). Repeat the operation until no halfpenny remains by itself in the row.

18. TYPOGRAPHICAL ADVICE.

You are to read the following directions:--

If your B m t put :

When your IS . putting :

19. THE LANDLORD MADE TO PAY.

A well-known miser once invited his tenants to dinner at an inn, and to the surprise of the landlord, asked him to join the party. When the bill was brought in, the miser proposed that they should cast lots who should pay the whole score for the twenty-one persons who had dined. It was agreed that they should be counted by the days of the week, and that every time the counter called “Saturday,” the person so named should leave the room until there was only one man left, and he should be paymaster. How did the miser contrive to throw the expense on the landlord?

20. FATHER AND SON.

An old country squire planted a number of oaks when his son was born, and on the twenty-seventh birthday of the young man there was a tree for every year, and yet though there were only 27 trees, there were ten rows and six trees in each row, which made sixty, the age of the squire himself. How did he manage it?

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES.

1. THE DIVIDED GARDEN ANSWER.

2. ANSWER TO VERTICAL LINE PUZZLE.

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3. ANSWER TO CUT CARD PUZZLE.

Double the cardboard or leather lengthways down the middle, and then cut first to the right, nearly to the end (the narrow way), and then to the left, and so on to the end of the card; then open it and cut down the middle, except the two ends. The diagram shows the proper cuttings. By opening the card or leather, a person may pass through it. A laurel leaf may be treated in the same manner.

4. ANSWER TO THE BUTTON PUZZLE.

Draw the narrow slip of the leather through the hole, and the string and buttons may be easily released.

5. ANSWER TO THE CIRCLE PUZZLE.

6. ANSWER TO THE CROSS PUZZLE.

7. ANSWER TO THE THREE-SQUARE PUZZLE.

Take away the pieces numbered 8, 10, 1, 3, 13, and three squares only will remain.

ANSWER TO NO. 8.

Take a round cylinder of the diameter of the circular hole, and of the height of the square hole. Having drawn a straight line across the end, dividing it into two equal parts, cut an equal section from either side to the edge of the circular base, a figure like that represented by the woodcut in the margin would then be produced, which would fulfil the required conditions.

9. ANSWER TO THE NUNS’ PUZZLE.

10. THE DOGS’ PUZZLE ANSWERED, SEE DOTTED LINES

11. ANSWER TO CUTTING OUT A CROSS PUZZLE.

Take a piece of writing paper about three times as long as it is broad, say six inches long and two wide. Fold the upper corner down, as shown in Fig. 1; then fold the other upper corner over the first, and it will appear as in Fig. 2; you next fold the paper in half lengthwise, and it will appear as in Fig. 3. Then the last fold is made lengthwise also, in the middle of the paper, and it will exhibit the form of Fig. 4, which, when cut through with the scissors in the direction of the dotted line, will give all the forms mentioned.

12. ANSWER TO ANOTHER CROSS PUZZLE.

13. ANSWER TO THE FOUNTAIN PUZZLE.

14. ANSWER TO THE CABINET-MAKER’S PUZZLE.

The cabinet-maker must find the centre of the circle, and strike another circle, half the diameter of the first, and having the same centre. Then cut the whole into four parts, by means of two lines drawn at right angles to each other, then cut along the inner circle, and put the pieces together as in the above diagram.

15. ANSWER TO THE STRING AND BALLS PUZZLE.

Draw the loop well down, slipping either ball through it. Push it through the hole at the extremities, pass it over the knot, and draw it through again. The same process must be repeated with the other ball; the loop can then be drawn through the hole in the centre, and the ball will slide along the cord until it reaches the other side. The string is then replaced, having both balls on the same side.

This plan of passing the loop over the knot is a key to all the puzzles of this nature.

There is another and perhaps a neater way of performing this trick. Draw the loop through the central hole, and bring it through far enough to pass one of the balls through. Having done this, draw the string back, and both balls will be found on the same side.

16. ANSWER TO THE DOUBLE-HEADED PUZZLE.

Arrange them side by side in the short arms of the cross, draw out the centre piece, and the rest will follow easily. The reversal of the same process will put them back again.

17. THE ROW OF HALFPENCE.

To perform this trick successfully, you must place the fourth on the first, seventh on the third, fifth upon the ninth, the second upon the sixth, and the eighth upon the tenth.

18. TYPOGRAPHICAL PUZZLE.

This puzzle should be read thus:--

If your grate be (great B) empty, put coal on.

When your grate is (great IS) full, stop putting coal on.

19. THE LANDLORD MADE TO PAY.

The counting, which stopped at every seventh man, was made to begin at the sixth from the landlord, who sat at the end of the table.

20. FATHER AND SON.

The trees were planted in this form:--

Under this head we describe those shows which may be exhibited by any ingenious youth for the amusement of a large circle of friends. Parents frequently employ the itinerant Punch-and-Judy man to astonish and delight a juvenile party with his comical puppets; and we are convinced that they act wisely, as children of all ages enjoy nothing so much as a good show. The reader, by following our directions, may exhibit the freaks of Punch and Judy, the dancing figures of the Fantoccini, the grotesque shadows of the Gallanty Show; in fine, he may become quite an expert showman.

By following our directions, the reader may, with comparatively little trouble, construct some comical puppets, and acquire sufficient skill in working them, to give private representations of the celebrated drama of “Punch and Judy,” which never fails to excite the laughter of old and young.

In carving the heads of the puppets, the ingenuity of the reader will be most severely taxed. Each head must be fashioned out of a piece of soft wood, with a sharp penknife, and then painted with oil colours. An old wooden doll will be a capital model for the reader to work from, only he must cut much deeper, in order to make the features of his puppets sufficiently prominent. Punch’s nose and chin may be formed of separate pieces of wood, and then fastened on to the face with a little glue. Our artist has drawn a full-length figure of Punch (see next page), and the faces of the other characters in the drama--namely, 1. Judy; 2. Beadle; 3. Foreigner; 4. Ghost; 5. Doctor; 6. Clown; 7. Jones; 8. Hangman. The carver should study these illustrations attentively, and endeavour to imitate them. The eyes of the Ghost are two black beads, which may be fixed by pins, or loosely attached by short pieces of thread, so that they may roll about in their saucer-like sockets. The eyes of the other puppets may be formed of white beads, fixed by black-headed pins in small cavities made to receive them. The hair and beard of the Foreigner, and the Clown’s three tufts, may be made of any kind of fur; the Hangman’s wig, and the Doctor’s scanty locks, of worsted. Each head should be about the size of an ordinary hen’s egg, and should have a hole made at the bottom, large enough to receive the tip of the showman’s finger.

Punch is the only puppet that exhibits his legs to the audience, and therefore the only one requiring lower limbs; these legs, as well as the hands of all the characters, are to be cut out of wood and painted.

The cloth figures of the puppets must be so constructed, that the exhibitor can easily slip them over his hand and wrist; to these hollow bodies the heads and hands are to be securely fastened with a little glue, or some small tacks. Punch’s figure may be formed of red merino, or any other gay-coloured stuff; the “goodly hunch” and prominent stomach must not be forgotten; these important appendages may be stuffed with cotton or tow. Judy’s dress may be made of cotton print; the Beadle’s, of blue cloth, edged with gold lace; the Foreigner’s, of almost any kind of stuff; the Doctor’s, of black cloth; and the dresses of Jones and the Hangman, of any sober-coloured stuffs. The Ghost must be enveloped in a long white linen gown; and the popular favourite, the Clown, must be arrayed in the true pantomimic style. In constructing the dresses, the reader will have his patience sorely tried, unless he can persuade a few young ladies to aid him with their nimble fingers.

Motion is given to each of the puppets by the showman’s hand, the forefinger of which moves the head, while the thumb and second finger work the two arms; the annexed engraving will elucidate this operation.

We have not yet alluded to two important characters in the drama--namely, the Baby and the eccentric dog Toby. Any little doll may be dressed in long-clothes to represent the Baby, so the reader may be spared the trouble of carving another head. The part of Toby is generally filled by a living performer, but as we do not suppose the reader to be the owner of a properly-trained cur, we recommend him to procure one of those barking or squeaking dogs which are sold at the toy-shops; with such a Toby, the fun of the piece will be increased rather than diminished.

Punch’s stick must be about a foot long, and quite half an inch thick; it must be formed of tough wood, as some rough work is performed with it during the progress of the drama. The gallows must be of the letter [F] form, and must have two holes bored through the end of the projecting beam; the cord having been knotted at one end, is to be passed through each hole.

Having described the puppets, we will now say a few words about the show in which they are to be exhibited. The dingy curtains which conceal the street performer of Punch, are supported by a tall rectangular frame of wood, which the reader could not imitate without considerable labour and some knowledge of carpentry. The show we recommend is simply a box about three feet square, open in front and at bottom; this is hung upon nails against the wall, above the head of the amateur showman, who is hidden from view by curtains which reach from the box to the floor. The box may be a large tea-chest inverted, with the lid and one of its sides removed. The inside of the box should be hung with green-baize, or any other dark-coloured stuff. A proscenium cut out of pasteboard, and tastefully painted, should be fastened in front of the box, so as to conceal the unsightly edges of the wood. A shelf of wood about four inches wide should project beyond the proscenium, so as to form a little stage upon which Punch may drum his legs, lay down his stick, and place the dead bodies of his victims; this shelf may be fixed by screws passing through the two sides of the box.

During the performance the puppets must be kept in an open box hanging against the wall within reach of the showman.

The reader having prepared everything, should learn the drama, and practise the different voices which he intends to give to the different characters. He will probably be some time before he can acquire the peculiar squeak of Punch, which is generally supposed to be produced by an instrument called a “squeaker.” With none of squeakers we have seen could any distinct words be uttered, and we therefore recommend the reader to trust to his own powers of mimicry. With regard to the musical accompaniments, the amateur showman should get some kind sister or cousin to sit at the piano, the notes of which are much more pleasing than those of the Pandean pipes and drum.

About sixty years ago, a puppet-show was exhibited at the west-end of London, with the Italian title of Fantoccini, which greatly attracted the notice of the public, and was spoken of as an extraordinary performance; it was, however, nothing more than a revival of the old puppet-show, which drew crowded and fashionable audiences during the reign of Queen Anne, and rivalled the more pompous exhibitions of the larger theatres. In the present day Fantoccini are exhibited in the open streets by the itinerant showman, whose ragged coat and battered hat show how puppets have fallen in the estimation of the fashionable public.

Any ingenious youth may amuse and astonish a large circle of friends with an exhibition of dancing puppets, as the different figures are not difficult to construct, and their motions are very easily managed. The puppets may be common wooden dolls dressed up in appropriate costumes. The arms and legs are to be loosely attached to the bodies, so that they may be moved about in any direction by threads fastened to their extremities. These threads may be formed of black sewing-silk, or strong black cotton. All the threads proceeding from the different limbs and joints of a puppet are to be attached to a stick in such a manner as to allow the figure to stand in a natural attitude; the annexed engraving shows two puppets thus supported.

The puppet-show may be formed in the following simple manner:--Take a tall, three-sided clothes-horse, and place its outer edges against the wall so that it may inclose a square space; then hang curtains or shawls over the horse, leaving no part uncovered except a rectangular space close to the floor in front; to this opening you may, if you think proper, fix a painted proscenium. Now place a small towel-horse, hung with black stuff, at the distance of a foot behind the proscenium, to serve as a background to the stage, and to conceal your legs while you are engaged in working the puppets: having done this, lay down a little green-baize carpet on that part of the floor which represents the stage, and your puppet-show will be complete. The puppets may be illuminated by candles placed on the floor in front of the proscenium. The spectators are to be stationed as far from the show as possible, so that they may not perceive the threads.