The Magician's Own Book, or, the Whole Art of Conjuring / Being a complete hand-book of parlor magic, and containing over one thousand optical, chemical, mechanical, magnetical, and magical experiments, amusing transmutations, astonishing sleights and subtleties, celebrated card deceptions, ingenious tricks with numbers, curious and entertaining puzzles, together with all the most noted tricks of modern performers.

by George Arnold; Frank Cahill

I have a square plot of ground, in one quarter of which I have built a house, which I have let to four tenants. I tell them that if they can divide the remaining ground into four equal plots, alike in shape, and each containing one of the four apple trees I have planted, they shall have it without any increase of rent. How may they succeed?

23. THE PUZZLE WALL.

Suppose there was a pond, around which four poor men built their houses, thus:

Suppose four evil-disposed rich men afterwards built houses around the poor people, thus:

and wished to have all the water of the pond to themselves. How could they build a high wall, so as to shut out the poor people from the pond?

24. THE NUNS.