The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-11
THAT HEN PROBLEM.
A Variety of Answers From "a Variety of
People-Who Is Right.

answers have been received which we
make public to-day The problem is "li
hen and half Law an egg and half in
a day and half, how many eggs Will siA
hens lay in seven days y
This apparently simple little conun
drum bids fair 10 equal the celebrated
fifteen puzzle in its inlricacy, and 10 show
that mathcmaiicians as well as doctors
diler, we produce some of the answers
that have been received.
A printer gives this answer OF II
hens is equal 10 | hen. of : eggs is
equal To egg OF Il DAYS is equal 10
day. Therefore, hen can lay egg in
day: and if hen can lay egg in day
hens can lay in ! day 8 eggs, and in
DAYS hens will lay : times 6 eggs, whicl
is A eggs. This in nv mind is abso
lutcly correct.
Another works it out in this wise
If a hen and half lay' an egg and
a-half in a day and a-balf, twice the mum
Der of hens would lay twice the number
of eggs in the same time Well, II three
hens would lay three eggs in a day and
a-half. one hen would lay one egg in a
day and a.half And if one hen lays one
egg in a day and a-half it would take q
hen six days to lay four eggs. so If il
takes one hen six days to lay four eggs
il would take six hens one day TO lay
four erg-. and in seven days six hen,
would lay twenty-eight eggs, which
| think is the correct answer
Here is a rich one
One and one-half hens lay one and
one-half eggs in one and one half days
three and one haf hens will lay three and
one-haH eggs in three and one-halt days
In one day three and one half hens viii
lay one third of three half eggs-one
half eg.. In one day three and one hall
hens lay one half egg, and one hen viii
Law one third Of three half eggs which j.
one-sixth of an egg II three hall
hens will lay one-siXth eggs in one
day one-haf hen will lay one Third OF
one.sixteenth - one eighteenth egg ii
one dev, and one hen will lay one-nine
teenth of an egg in one dav. Tien SIS
hens will lay six uinths or two.tnirds II
one dav. and in seven days will lay two
thirds equal to seven or fOurtcen-thirGt
-four and two third eggs.
rhis is a sort Of redncti0 I'D a5snrdam
Ed
Here is a man who calls algebra to BIZ
assistance.
y EQUALS the number Of eggs laid by
| hens in : DAYS Then x-sixtn hens cqua
the number of eggs laid by / hen in
davs. One.seycnth of X.siXth equal y
forty seconds. equal number Of eggs laiC
| by hen IN one day Three-halis mul
tiplied by x-lorty-secOnds or 3X-torty
seconds equal 20 eggs laid by hens IL
day Therefore 3X-forly seconds equa
/ Ithree.halfs, or 8x equal 1876, and equa
I2l
Isn't this plain enough
Here i still another Il cannot tol
/ the life of me see what the trouble j, ol
whv there should so much fuss be made
over matter so simple. This problem
I is only a revival of The old guy If 4
/ herring and half cost a penny and {
/ half what will Two herrings COST lti
/ hen and Il half lay an egg and half in {
/ dav and a half, one hen Will lay an egg d
| day and six hens will lay six eggs a day
Then if six hens will lay six eggs in on'
dav. six hens will lay seven times SIS
eggs in seven days or - That Is 81
plain that any other fool ought to see 1t
Another writes
| can see no trouble about it. Let III
/ try it by by the rule of three, as follows
~ hens II eggs | hen the answer
l. multiplied by equal II. and Il di
vided bv Il equal one. therefore,, ! her
will Law egg in day, and & hens vii
Law Is eggs in day, amt q hens will lay
multiplied 10y = equal to AZ eggs, in
days
That is as plain as a pike staff
Another correspondent writes AS iol
lows
If hen and a-half lay an egg and Il
half in a day and a half, one hen VIII lay
i'm one day twoIhirds Of an egg larith
metically speakingl. so six hens in sever
days will Law fOrly-twO times two-thirdi
Of an egg or twenty-eight eggs.
IL. T. L.
This is the last precinct heard from Sc
far.
Ii a hen and half lay an egg anC
a-half in day and a-half, one hen WI.
Law one egg in day and a-half, and one
half hen will lay One-half an egg in day
and half. making the egg and a-haii foi
the hen and a-hal, in a day and a-hali
Now. if it takes one hen one day anC
half tu lay one egg, in one day the her
will lay Just of an egg and six hens
will lav four eggs in one day and II
: days they will lay % days
Our columns are open for any Other
answers that may be sent in.
Mr. Intropidi's Benefit.
\ large number of the friends OF The
beneficiary whose name heads this
Article, testified their appreciation of hin
AZ an artist aud man by turning out III
= ~. g. ~ nanott narfomanpp Ia :,