the same length of wall
space for his wall fruit trees. The puzzle is to show how the three
walls may be built so that each tenant shall have the same area of
ground, and precisely the same length of wall.

Of course, each garden must be entirely enclosed by its walls, and it
must be possible to prove that each garden has exactly the same length
of wall. If the puzzle is properly solved no figures are necessary.

195.--LADY BELINDA'S GARDEN.

Lady Belinda is an enthusiastic gardener. In the illustration she is
depicted in the act of worrying out a pleasant little problem which I
will relate. One of her gardens is oblong in shape, enclosed by a high
holly hedge, and she is turning it into a rosary for the cultivation of
some of her choicest roses. She wants to devote exactly half of the area
of the garden to the flowers, in one large bed, and the other half to be
a path going all round it of equal breadth throughout. Such a garden is
shown in the diagram at the foot of the picture. How is she to mark out
the garden under these simple conditions? She has only a tape, the
length of the garden, to do it with, and, as the holly hedge is so thick
and dense, she must make all her measurements inside. Lady Belinda did
not know the exact dimensions of the garden, and, as it was not
necessary for her to know, I also give no dimensions. It is quite a
simple task no matter what the size or proportions of the garden may be.
Yet how many lady gardeners would know just how to proceed? The tape may
be quite plain--that is, it need not be a graduated measure.

[Illustration]

196.--THE TETHERED GOAT.

[Illustration]

Here is a little problem that everybody should know how to solve. The
goat is placed in a half-acre meadow, that is in shape an equilateral
triangle. It is tethered to a post at one corner of the field. What
should be the length of the tether (to the nearest inch) in order that
the goat shall be able to eat just half the grass in the field? It is
assumed that the goat can feed to the end of the tether.

197.--THE COMPASSES PUZZLE.

It is curious how an added condition or restriction will sometimes
convert an absurdly easy puzzle into an interesting and perhaps
difficult one. I remember buying in the street many years ago a little
mechanical puzzle that had a tremendous sale at the time. It consisted
of a medal with holes in it, and the puzzle was to work a ring with a
gap in it from hole to hole until it wa