No. 1. 



Agricultural mission from the U. States. — Martins. 



17 



Agricultural mission from the U. States. 



The attendance of our friend H. Colman, at a meet- 

 ing of the Royal Agricultural Society, three months 

 ago, was noticed in our last number. Whatever has 

 relation to his reception and movements in Enalaiul, 

 will not fail to be interesting to our readers. We take 

 the following from a late number of the Mark Lane 

 Express. It gives us much pleasure to note the kindly 

 feeling that runs through the article, and trust there 

 is every disposition to reciprocate it in this country. 



Ed. 



"Mr. Henry Colman, of the State of New 

 York, has come to Eng-land, at tlie request 

 of a very large number of the farmers of 

 the United States, to inquire into the farm- 

 ing, and condition of the rural population in 

 England and on the Continent, with a view 

 to ascertain their improvements, and obtain 

 such information in every department of ag- 

 riculture and horticulture, and rural and 

 domestic economy in general, as may be 

 beneficial to his own country. He is famil- 

 iar, from long experience, wnth all the prac- 

 tical operations and details of American 

 husbandry, having been employed by the 

 Government of Massachusetts for several 

 years, as commissioner for the agricultural 

 survey of that most improved State in the 

 Union. His reports have been favourably 

 received in this country. He brings with 

 him numerous letters to gentlemen of the 

 highest consideration in this country and on 

 the Continent; and has likewise diplomas 

 from the American Agricultural Society at 

 Washington; the Pennsylvania Agricultu 

 ral Society at Philadelphia; the New York 

 State Agricultural Society; the American 

 Institute at New York; the Massachusetts 

 Agricultural Society at Boston ; and the 

 farmers of Massachusetts, at a public meet- 

 ing held at the State-house in Boston ; and 

 other societies in the United States, com- 

 mending him and his objects to the friends of 

 agricultural and rural improvement, wliere 

 ever they may be found. 



" Mr. Colman's objects, we understand, 

 are wholly public and practical, and entirely 

 disconnected with any party or political con- 

 siderations whatever. He proposes to spend 

 a year or more in England, in visiting, as 

 far as may be, every part of the country — 

 England, Scotland and Ireland — and then 

 to proceed to the Continent, to examine the 

 husbandry of France, Belgium, Germany, 

 Italy, and other places where information 

 may be obtained, and especially to make 

 himself acquainted with the agricultural 

 and manual labour schools and the experi- 

 mental farms. 



" Mr. Colman was, a year ago, elected an 

 b-onorary member of the Royal Agricultural 



Society of England, on the motion of the 

 Duke of Richmond, seconded by Lord Spen- 

 cer. 



"We have now before us some of Mr. 

 Colman's reports on the condition of agricul- 

 ture in certain districts of tlie United States, 

 and which contain a vast body of useful in- 

 tbrmation. They clearly prove the ability 

 of Mr. Colman to perform the task lie lias 

 undertaken, and we trust every facility for 

 obtaining information will be afforded him 

 by our agriculturists — if for no other cause, 

 for the selfish one that we believe the re- 

 ports wliich he will publish of the agricul- 

 ture of Great Britain, will be as useful to 

 the British farmer as they will be valuable 

 to the farmers of his own country." 



From the Friend. 

 Martins. 



A PERSON in New Jersey had a pigeon- 

 box on the top of an out-house, in one of the 

 apartments of which a pigeon was sitting. 

 This place was visited by a number of mar- 

 tins, apparently with the intention of locating 

 themselves there for the season ; but finding 

 it pre-occupied, they raised a great clamour 

 and outcry, hoping to frighten the pigeon 

 away; but with the usual attachment of a 

 female bird for her eggs, she kept posses- 

 sion. Not succeeding in thus driving her 

 off, they had recourse to more vigorous mea- 

 sures, and commenced an assault on her 

 with their wings and beaks; but even this 

 could not overcome her " mother's love ;" 

 and shrinking into her nest, she meekly en- 

 dured their insults, refusing to forsake her 

 charge. 



The martins were evidently foiled, and 

 after renewed and ineffectual efforts, desist- 

 ed from the attack, and settled on the roof, 

 apparently to hold a council on this unex- 

 pected state of affairs. After much chatter- 

 ing among themselves, they simultaneously 

 flew to the barn-yard, where they collected 

 sticks, mud, &c., and began with great zeal 

 to build up the entrance to the pigeon's nest, 

 so that in less than an hour they had it com- 

 pletely barricaded, and the poor pigeon a 

 prisoner. They then flew round with clam- 

 orous exultation at their successful and ma- 

 licious mischief, for about half an hour, and 

 tlien took their departure never to return. 

 The spectator sympathizing with the impri- 

 soned bird, destroyed the work of the mar- 

 tins, and released the prisoner. W, 



The oftener carpets are shaken, the longer 

 they last, as the particles of sand which col- 

 lect upon them grind the threads. Sweep- 

 ing them also wears them. 



