Na 12. 



Carrier Pigeons. — Subsoil Cultivation. 



383 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Carrier Pigeons. 



On the 12th day of the 6th month, (June,) 

 1841, R. Bison, son of Evan Bison, of Gwyn- 

 edd township, Montgomery county, Pennsyl- 

 vania, about 21 miles N. W. of Philadelphia, 

 Bold a pair of common tame pigeons in the 

 Philadelphia market, to a person who was a 

 stranger to him ; six days after, one of them 

 returned to its former owner, and on the fol- 

 lowing morning, the other returned also; and 

 they are now the 20th of 6th month, (June,) 

 enjoying their old place of residence, very 

 lovingly, 21 miles from the city. During 

 their absence, another pair took possession of 

 their cote, and the first employment they 

 engaged in after their return, was to oust the 

 interlopers, and repossess themselves of their 

 domicil ; which they effected much sooner, 

 and at less cost than a lawyer would accom- 

 plish a similar business; and they are now 

 in the quiet, peaceable enjoyment of the 

 premises, without, as yet, any appearance of 

 an appeal to a higher tribunal. 



Should the purchaser see this article, he 

 can repossess liimself of his property, by a 

 call at the pigeon cote, above stated, without 

 paying for this advertisement, or being at the 

 trouble or expense of an action of trover. 



The following extract from a foreign pub- 

 lication is appended, to show that the carrier, 

 or express pigeon, performs feats far surpass- 

 ing the above; though it is very remarkable 

 that the common tame pigeon should find its 

 way for such a distance unaided by instruc- 

 tion. 



EXPRESSES. 



"The modern system o^ pigeon expresses 

 possesses an extraordinary interest, as well 

 on account of its rapid means of communi- 

 cating the most important events, as of the 

 curious and laborious mode by which it is set 

 in operation. The birds, by far the most 

 valuable for this purpose, are of the Antwerp 

 breed ; although it is not uncommon to train 

 the English pigeons, called Dragoons, to 

 carry expresses. 



They are trained when very young, or, as 

 they are technically called, Squeakers, to 

 fly between different towns and villages, com- 

 mencing first at a space of only a few hun- 

 dred yards, and so on, gradually increasing, 

 until they accomplish the required distance. 

 They are usually trained to fly to intermediate 

 stations, between Dover and London, at which 

 they are succeeded by other relays, but fly, 

 in many instances, the whole distance from 

 other places. The number lost in training, 

 is immense. This trade is principally in the 

 Jiands of the Jews, and the emoluments 

 arising therefrom are very considerable. 



There are a few instances in which capi- 

 talists and others having extensive moneyed 

 and mercantile operations throughout Europe, 

 maintain an establishment of their own, 

 amongst whom is the Baron Rothschild, who 

 at Dover, rears and trains his own flight of 

 pigeon expresses, with connecting branches 

 throughout Germany, and other parts of the 

 continent. The establishment at Dover con- 

 sists of about 400 birds, with a keeper, whose 

 wages are 35 shillings a week. 



The expense of feeding the birds is con- 

 siderable, as much as 25 shillings a week 

 being consumed at Dover, in beans alone, 

 whilst the entire collection is supposed to 

 have cost at least £ 2000 sterling. The ex- 

 press is sometimes tied to the middle feather 

 of the tail, by passing a thread with a needle 

 through the stem, but more commonly at- 

 tached to the leg immediately above the 

 spur. The rapidity of these important ex- 

 presses may be estimated by the following 

 information obtained from a trainer and pro- 

 prietor. His pigeons have arrived in London 

 with the news of the winner of the Ascot 

 cup, in fifteen minutes ; — from New Market,* 

 in sixty minutes ; and from Chichester,f bring- 

 ing the winner of the Goodwood cup, in one 

 hour and fifteen minutes. 



At the Ascot races, last year, her Majesty 

 having expressed a wish to see one of these 

 beautiful birds, a carrier pigeon was flown, 

 in her Majesty's presence, from the royal 

 stand, and, to the great delight of the spec- 

 tators, after indulging in sundry gyrations, 

 darted onwards with its winged intelligence 

 to the Metropolis." R. 



June 30, 1841. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Snbsoil Cultivation. 



Sir, — I am an old man, and an old farmer; 

 but my eyes are not so dim, but I can see 

 that there is much to learn in the way of a 

 profession that has hitherto been considered 

 either too high or too low — which, I cannot 

 say — to admit of much advantage from obser- 

 vation or reflection ; indeed it is plain that 

 we shall be distanced in the race of improve- 

 ments that is taking place around us, in farm- 

 ing, as well as in every other science. But 

 the subject that has awakened me to new 

 life and fresh vigour, even in my old age, ie, 

 the cultivation of the subsoil, by means of 

 moving it by such an instrument as that, of 

 which you have given us a drawing in your 

 last, the Deanston Plough ; and for the first 

 time in my life, I regret that I was born eo 

 soon, by 20 years. Why, Mr. Editor, I can 

 see with half an eye that the thing will 

 work, and can fully understand how that the 



* Ntiw Market, 60 milea. t Chichester, 65 miles. 



