■JA^iMyi,imrj THE TVtQPiCAt AGRICULTURIS-T. 



5U 



THE HOMING PIGEON. 

 It would bo diiScult to say how early in the history 

 of maukiud pigeons were dumestic'atL-i.1. Tho dog lias 

 been the friend and companion of man since long be- 

 fore the dawn of historic times ; and his bones now lie 

 with those of his pre-historic master in the cave dwell- 

 ings of a race that left uo record of its existence hut 

 its bones, a few flint arrow heads, stone hammers 

 and scone hatchets. The horse, like the dog, has fol- 

 lowed the fortunes of man from a very early period 

 and ranks in fidelity and courajje with its humbler four- 

 footed companion. The pigeon may not claim so long 

 a friendship with man as either of these two faith- 

 ful servants aiul friends, but it was domesticated very 

 early in the history of the civilization of mostr.ices 

 of men, and probably it is the smallness of its bones 

 alone which prevents its being identified as the com- 

 panion of that race of cave dwellers whose lives are 

 much closer hnked with the geologic past than they 

 are with the dawn of mythic history. We do not 

 maintain that fossils and relics of smaller boned animals 

 are not preserved in the earth's crust. Whoever knows 

 anything of say, the carboniferous system knows the 

 delicate tracery of fronds and fragile shells to be found 

 in shale, but our contention is that the bones of the 

 pigeon were crunched up and eaten by his master the 

 cave dweller, and thus U ft no trace behnid. There are 

 soaud evolutionary reasons for believing that, without 

 exception,' tho whole of the present existing perplexing 

 varieties of the pigeon, domesticated and wild, are trace- 

 able to the common blue rock pigeon. At all events 

 that is Professor Huxley's opinion and we do not feel 

 disposed to ditfer from him. The pigeon is the most 

 plastic of creatures, and every pigeon fancier knows 

 what beautiful results can be obtained by cai-eful 

 selection, breeding and crossing. Of all the varieties 

 of pigeon, the one we desire to deal with at present 

 is, what old-fashioned people used to call, the " Carrier," 

 but which in these latter days is known astheKaeing 

 Pigeon or the Homing Pigeon. Some variety or other 

 of the homing pigeon is to be found in almost every 

 country in the world, and probably the Belgitim bird 

 is regarded as the highest trained. All homing pigeons 

 possess the same qualities. Let loose, after training, 

 long distances from home, they tly with incredible speed 

 In a straight line for home, far outstripping, in many 

 instances, the steam engine. It would be an easy matter 

 to give records of distances, but what we are at present 

 immediately concerned wi(h is the uses to which homing 

 pigeons could be turned in India. Every frontier sta- 

 tion in India could easily have a few trained birds 

 which, should ever an emergency arise, could carry 

 messages with a speed and certainty which no cou- 

 trivance of man could attain. The news of an outbreak 

 of the Nagas or any of the other hill tribes bordering 

 Assam could by means of homing pigeons be com- 

 municated to tho authorities within a few hours of the 

 occurrence and immediate steps could be taken. On 

 the North-Western frontier a regidar pigeon post across 

 Afghanistan will one day, sooner or later, be found in- 

 valuable. Simla, the seat of the Imperial Government 

 for eight months of the year, is liable to be cut off 

 from all communication with the plains by heavy raiue. 

 Here, too, homing pigeons would be invaluable. 

 Planters in the Mofussil might train a few birds for 

 their own purposes, and they would find that some 

 day, sooner or later, their care would be rewarded. In 

 a case of sudden and serious illness the arrival of a 

 medical man a few hours earlier than ordinary dak 

 could carry the message, might mean a great deal, 

 and there are dozens of instances where the service 

 of a pigeon post in theHIofussil would bs highly ad- 

 Tantage 'US. Pigton posts are not unknown in India. 

 In the Bombay and Madras Presidencies as well as 

 id the Upper Provinces racing pigeons are not nn- 

 conimOD. 8on)e years ago a regular pigeon post was 

 worked between Nagpore and Hyderabad, some 270 

 miles. Some 2(HJ birds were kept for this purpose at 

 Nagjiore an<I were cared foi- by fakirs. Racing or 

 helming pigeons sciittered the seeds of rebellion 

 all u\t:r India before the outbreak of the Mutiny, 

 Bud at tli« preseot day tlieir use for vaiiotis pur- 



poses by natives is not unknown. Before the Crimean 

 War, Jlr. Ferguson, of the Cci/loit Vhsirvei; established 

 a pigeon post between Point de Galle and Colombo, 

 a distance of "'2 miles and pigeons did the distance 

 invariably within an liour.* This pigeon post brought 

 He first news of the fall of Sebastopol to Colombo. 

 With favourable conditions of weather and wind, 

 homing pigeons can fly with ease 60 miles an hour, 

 and 15 miles an hour for eight hours on end has been 

 accomplished by pigeorrs. There is a case on record 

 in which in a race between the Crystal Palace and 

 Brussels, the winning bird beat the telegraph by ten 

 minutes. We are glad to say that the Government 

 of India h3^'•, during the last three years, given some 

 •ttention to the breeding and training of homing pigeons 

 Ijr military purposes, and it would be weTl, if the 

 gre:it value of trained pigeons "as more practically 

 realized than it apparently is. No contrivance of man, 

 not even the steam engine or the telegraph, can equal, 

 on emergency, the speed and certainty |of the homing 

 pigeon, and its advantages for military jnirposes are 

 obvious. — Indian Planteis^ Gazette. 



PLANTING PROSPECTS IN CEYLON. 



A gentleman with considerable interests in Ceylon, 

 writing from London under date Nov. Kith, 

 is good enough to state : — 



"I am pleased to notice from time to time in 

 the Overhuid Obnerver, which I receive regularly, 

 your continued satisfactory reports regarding the 

 tea enterprize in the Colony. Since my retirement 

 from the life of coffee planter in your island, 

 I have increased my stake considerably in the 

 colony, and naturally read your reports with interest. 

 On my last visit I found a very favourable view 

 in regard to the ultimate success of this product, 

 so much so that I at once commenced operations 



on properties which I trust may prove a 



lucrative concern, but in these days of blights and 

 pests it is as well not to be too sanguine; so far 

 however I have cause to be satisfied with a large acre- 

 age planted up, a portion of which is already pro- 

 ducing .lOO lb. per acre, and I hope to eatend 

 still further before many months are over, but 

 proprietors must look ere long to a substantial 

 fall in prices : they are good at present and per- 

 haps may continue so for another j'ear, after 

 that we must be prepared, I think, to content 

 ourselves with Is, which price, there are reason- 

 able grounds for believing, should be reauzed. 

 by fair average qualities of Ceylon teas. It is 

 wonderful to notice how these teas have risen iu 

 favor with the British public during even the past 

 nine months. A year ago, I had considerable diffic- 

 ulties in persuading people to drink them ; now 

 I am pestered from all quarters for supplies. 

 " There is little doubt in my mind that pro- 

 prietors are making a fatal error in sacrificing such 

 large quantities of cinchona bark at the present time 

 A decided upward tendency has sat in in the 

 value of this article in the London market, and 

 before long, in my opinion, we shall see a further 

 rise of Id to fiO per cent. My advice to those who 

 have bark and can keej) it, is most decidedly to 

 do so : they will reap a golden harvest by-and-bye. 

 Poor King Coffee in fame districts doubtless is a 

 thing of bygone days, but it is not true to say 

 that 'no more coffee is to come from Ceylon' as I 

 have heard remarked from time to time. As an. 

 instance I may quote a property in Haputalewhicht 

 this past season has yielded a crop of over 7 cw 

 per acre on the fuUy hearing coffee. It is hard 

 enough to tight for the credit of the island on 



* Not i|niet this : good birds in favourable weather 

 have been known to lly thi' distance of 72 miles in l-^ 

 hour, or about a mile a minute. "(Jenerally within two 

 botirs " would be about correct.— Ed, 



