418 



NEW ENG'LAND FARiMER. 



Sept.- 



crn States, in the month of September, for the 

 purpose of makuig himself acquainted with the 

 diseases of horses and cattle in that section ; and 

 at such places as the people may desire to hear 

 him, -will lecture on Veterinary Science. 



AMEEICAU FASMEES IIT PALESTINE. 



The following interesting statement of a new 

 agricultural enterprise near Jerusalem, is copied 

 from a late number of the New York Tribune : 



"Two years ago, an effort was made in a new 

 line to ameliorate the condition of the inhabitants 

 of Palestine. Seven Americans, with improved 

 plows and other tools, and American seeds, loca- 

 ted upon a piece of land seven miles from Jerusa- 

 lum, one mile from Bethlehem, and made prepar- 

 ations for farming after the American system. 



"Their location was in the valley of Artos, 

 upon the very site of one of the gardens of Solo- 

 mon. 



"Their friends in the city were much opposed to 

 their going out there to reside, urging them, if 

 they were determined to try to cultivate the soil, 

 to keep their residence in the city, for fear of the 

 Arabs, This did not suit their plans, and they 

 took up their residence upon the land and com- 

 menced operations, plowing deep Avith one of our 

 best plows, harrowing with an iron toothed har- 

 row, such as was never seen their before, and 

 planting corn, potatoes, beans, peas, oats, barley, 

 wheat, and all sorts of garden vegetables ; in short, 

 making a perfect American farm . 



"The operations, instead of exciting the jealousy 

 of the Arabs, aroused them to a state of surprise, 

 and the neM's of what the Americans at Solomon's 

 were doing, and the wonderful tools they were 

 using, and how peaceable and quiet they were, 

 never saying anything about their religion, flew 

 oai the wings of the wind, and visitorscame to look 

 and wonder, from far and near. The operations 

 of the carpenter and blacksmith were not among 

 the least sources of wonder. The rapid manner 

 in which he heated his iron, and hammered it in- 

 to just such shape as he desired, was beyond the 

 comprehension of the simple-minded people. 



"One day the farm received a visit from twenty- 

 five Sheiks, who inspected all the tools, and the 

 way they were used, and the effect produced, and 

 looked at the growing crops, so much beyond any- 

 thing they had ever seen produced before, and 

 tlien turned their heads together to consult upon 

 the wonders they had witnessed. The conclusion 

 was that the people must possess a very superior 

 kind of religion, as that is the standard upon 

 which they base all their estimates of character. 

 They made applications at once for several of their 

 sons to serve as apprentices to learn American 

 farming, and did not even olject that they should 

 be taught theprinci2:>lesof American religion ; for 

 surely, said they, it must boa good religion, as 

 these are very good people, and God blesses their 

 labor beyond anj' other in all Palestine. 



"It would have been dangerous now for any 

 one to molest the American farmers, since they 

 had all the Sheiks and principal men in the coun- 

 ti'y on their t-idc, and anxious for their success and 

 influence. The Jews, too, began to think it would 

 be better for them to cultivate such a fruitful soil 

 than starve in the city, as many of them have done, 



and they began to apply for situations as laborers, 

 notwithstanding the priests always taught them ' 

 that it was derogatory to the national character 

 of the Hebrews to till the soil. Though,, if they 

 had undertaken it by themselves, they would not 

 have been permitted by the Arabs, who hunt them 

 as they would wild beasts. But under the pro- 

 tection of the American farmers, the xlrabs will 

 permit them to labor, and it is now a matter of 

 serious discussion among those who know of the 

 success of this enterprise, whether the most feasible 

 plan for colonizing the Jews in Palestine is not to 

 make them cultivators of its rich soil. 



"Owing to some difficulty which arose in regard 

 to the title of the land, they commenced upon in 

 the Valley of the Artos, the little colony moved 

 last year to the Plains of Sharon, where they have 

 got a permanent location, and the number consists 

 now of ten Americans, male and female, and two 

 Germans. 



"One of the number was in our office a few days 

 since, from whom wo derived these facts. Ue 

 speaks in most encouraging terms of the success 

 of the agricul tural project, and ultimately, by 

 that means, of 'an influence upon the inhabitants, 

 that will eventually result in groat good. 



"This effort has been made through the liber- 

 ality of a few Christians in this city, and by the 

 same spirit that actuated the first movers in the 

 work, immense benefits may be conferred upon 

 that country. All that is wanted to make it a 

 desirable country for the emigrants of Europe is 

 an increase of the present colony sufficient to form 

 a nucleus or rallying-point, and more extended 

 operations, and a gradual drawing in of the resi- 

 dent population to adopt the same modes of pro- 

 ducing the varied and profitable products of th« 

 soil. 



THE SWALLOWS. 



During the week ending the 22d of July, these 

 interesting birds had been gathering in large 

 numbers, and making preparations for their bru- 

 mal retreat, and on the evening of the 25th, or 

 early morn of the 26th, the great congregation of 

 them, left the locality of our residence for their 

 winter home in the South. On the morning of 

 the 26th, as early as half-past four o'clock, not 

 even one swallow could we see, where hundreds 

 might have been seen at that time for many pre- 

 vious mornings. During the day some dozen vis- 

 ited their old haunts, and about as many were seen 

 for two or three days, when, on the first day of 

 August there was a new influx and they could be 

 counted by scores — the latter, however, remained 

 but a short time, and a few only were seen on 

 the 4th and 5th, We conjecture tliat the second 

 gathering in large numbers was of those coming 

 from far North, perhaps as high up as Hudson's 

 Bay, and pausing here for a day's rest and food. 



The chimney swallow and purple IMartin ace 

 with us still. Last year the Martins left on the 

 8th of August, 



1^ Agriculture, like the leader of Israel, strikes 

 the rock — the waters flow, and the famish^''' f"'^' 

 pie are satisfied. 



