1863. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
153 
Question About Robins. 
We had always supposed that robins returned regu- 
larly every Spring to build their nests in the neighbor- 
hood they had frequented the previous year. A recent 
English writer thinks differently, and even believes the 
parent birds may be killed off by the young ones when 
they have grown to mature robin-hood. He says : " This 
is a subject which has occupied my attention for several 
years ; and, although I have not arrived at any satis- 
factory conclusion, my experience may not be uninterest- 
ing. I have for the hist four years had one, if not two, 
tame robins, each year, but never more than one on the 
same part of the premises, and never the same bird for 
two years. One has located itself in the shrubbery, and 
the other in the garden or orchard. My proceedings 
have been as simple as possible. When I first observe a 
young robin, I throw it a bit of bread, calling at the same 
lime, 'Tom! Tom! Tom !' I gradually diminish the 
distance to which I throw the bread, until in a very few- 
days the robin will come at the call of ■ Tom,' and, event- 
ually, will feed from my hand as I sit on a garden seat. 
I am generally away for about five weeks at Christmas, 
but Tom is sure to be ready to greet me on my return. 
When pairing time comes, my protege introduces his oi- 
lier mate, as the case may be, and then I have two visitors 
for a time. I know when they have hatched their brood, 
because then the birds fly away with their bread, instead 
of eating it on the spot. None of my pet birds have ever 
built within my own premises, but still they continue to 
come for their daily portions, until the young have left 
their nest. Then a change seems to come over them. 
The mate disappears altogether, but my own pet still 
comes to be fed, but is not so domesticated with me as 
before ; and whenever a young robin makes its appear- 
ance, it seems furious at the sight of the old one ; and, as 
the former acquires strength, it appears to quite terrify 
the parent bird, and before the Autumn sets in I lose my 
old companion, to go through the same phases with its 
successors. Two years ago, after the old robin had been 
absent for some weeks, I noticed it in the orchard— its 
own walk had been the shrubbery — and called as usual, 
' Tom !' The bird came and took a bit of bread from the 
garden seat : but as it was making off to a distance to en- 
joy its repast, a young robin flew at it with violence, 
chased the bird out of bounds, and I saw it no more. 
This robin was conspicuous for a white feather in one 
wing, so that I could have detected it amongst many. 
From the above. I can only come to the conclusion that 
the old robins either die a natural or a violent death, or 
migrate to some other locality. If one robin has a pecu- 
liar haunt, a robin, but not, I am convinced, the same 
bird, will ever be found in tte same place; but seldom, 
if ever, more than one." — It would be very interesting for 
our young friends to try and lecide this question by ob 
serration. We think that ou- favorite bird must have 
been slandered by supposing nim capable of parricide. 
A Shadow Picture. 
This picture is not a very handsome one, to be sure, 
but if properly managed, it may produce some amuse- 
ment. Copy it upon a piece of stiff paste-board, and then 
with a sharp knife cut out the unshaded parts. It can be 
done easily by laying a piece of thin paper over this en- 
graving, am! marking t he outlines of the while parts. 
Then paste this smoothly upon Ihe paste-board, and fol- 
low the lines with the knife. Leave the edges of the 
cut square and smooth. When finished, hold it between 
a strong light and the wall, or some other while, plain sur- 
face, and the shadow will give a fair representation of a 
highly wrought dandy. This design, with several others, 
was contributed to the Agriculturist by Letty Ermin. 
The Agriculturist Grind-stone. 
I say, mister Editor, will you please grind my axe ? 
Editor— Yes sir, with pleasure, if it be a good one. 
Hi ! hi ! Look Here ! You have ground the edge all off. 
Editor— That's because it was not made of true stuff. 
It's fixed now so it won't hurt anybody. Whose turn next ? 
Notes on "Vineland lands." 
On our way home from Washington, March 5th, we 
stopped over a day at Philadelphia, and made a flying 
visit to "Vineland," not so called from any abundant 
native growth of the vine, we suppose, but rather be- 
cause it is hoped the vine maybe made to growwell 
there, or because the name itself is a euphonious 
one. The trains for the day only admitted of a stay 
of 2X hours— too short a time to canvass the merits of a 
large tract of land, though we made the best possible use 
of the time, and walked or run several miles, and with 
the assistance of a man with a spade, and by the exami- 
nation of cellars and wells being dug, and a few tilled 
plots, we gained some idea of the character of the soil. 
We purposely avoided interested parties, preferring to 
see the plot rather at random, than to be guided to any 
particularly favorable location. The tract lies about 35 
miles directly south of Philadelphia, and appears to have 
Iain idle for many years at least, and little of it has ever 
been tilled. The location seems to be a healthy one. 
The surface is rolling, rather more uneven than most of 
pur Western prairies. It is covered with a shrubby oak 
underbrush, with here and there small pines, and the 
stumps show that from time to time a scattering growth 
of smallish oaks has been cut off. A railroad from 
Philadelphia, to be extended to Cape May, and already 
nearly opened there, brings Vineland within easy distance 
of Philadelphia. The tract is well laid out, and the 
title appears to be good, which cannot be said of all 
the new lands offered, in the vicinity of this city at least. 
The soil is sandy, too much so fry profitable culture 
without free manuring. The surface is not so pure a 
sand, as some of the wild lands on Long Island, and so 
far as we examined it, the underlying gravel and pure 
sand strata do not come so near the surface. On this ac- 
count, it will be less severely affected by drouth than 
those portions of Long Island where the gravel beds 
come so near the surface as to prevent moisture ascend- 
ing from below by capillary attraction. (See Agricultu- 
rist for May, 1860.) Some who have been over more of 
the ground at Vineland, tell us that the pure sand does 
occasionally approach the surfaces, and even crop out at 
some points. We did not chance upon any such plots. 
Visitors prospecting at Vineland will be differently af- 
fected, according to the character of the country they 
came from. Thus, some persons from the sandy regions 
of Southeastern Massachusetts, tell us the Vineland soil 
is very good ; while those accustomed to the clay and 
loam lands of Upper Canada, Western New-York, 
Northern Ohio, and elsewhere, pronounce it quite too 
sandy for profitable culture. We found some at Vine- 
land, especially mechanics, earning a livelihood from 
their trades as builders, etc., who talked very hope- 
fully ; we saw a few others, who are anxious to sell out. 
It requires considerable outlay to clear off the under- 
brush, plow out or grub out the roots and stumps, fence, 
and build upon the land; we judge $20 lo $30 per acre 
to get the soil into fair condition for cultivation, aside 
from buildings. Some estimates put it at $3,50 per acre 
to cut and burn the brush ; $3 50 to $4 per acre to run a 
heavy plow through it, leaving the large old stumps, or 
$15 to $17 per acre for " grubbing," without taking out 
the stumps, and then the harrowing, seeding is to be done ; 
and the fencing as needed. 
The soil must have manure to produce at all well. It 
is proposed to get it into clover and turn it under for 
manure. Time is required for this, and any one prepar- 
ing to locate there must take into account the first cost of 
the land ($15 to $30 per acre, according to the location ;) 
the preparation of the surface ; fencing, buildings, etc. 
It is evident that a poor man, or one with only about 
enough to buy the land, would starve while fitting up a 
productive farm, unless he depended upon laboring for 
others to support himself. We would not advise any one 
to think of going there unless he has some ready money 
to expend upon the land, and to live upon for a year or 
two at least. The mere fact that the first cost of the land 
is small, compared with other sections, is not the only 
thing to be taken into account. What it costs to get it 
into profitable use, is quite as important. Mechanics 
and tradesmen, earning their livelihood in Philadelphia, 
or elsewhere near at hand, might perhaps find it worth 
while to expend their surplus earnings in fitting up a 
homestead at " Vineland," though they must consider, 
whether fewer acres at a higher price may or may not be 
a more profitable investment. Those seeking farms may 
also consider whether the land at Vineland is cheaper in 
Its present condition, than older farms in the vicinity, 
already fitted up, though held at a higher price per acre. 
We have said thus much to give the best information 
we could with our limited observation, to a large number 
of inquiring readers. Mr. Landis. who lias charge of the 
Vineland settlement, appears to be somewhat enterpris- 
ing, and the laying out and beginning of the prospective 
Tillage and town, indicate taste and public spirit on his 
part, though he, like all others, doubtless has an eye to 
the ultimate profit. I he can bring in a class of persons 
who can wjforrf to work the land up to profitable tillage, 
it will be so much gain to that part of New-Jersey. We 
learn that several hundred purchases have been made, 
and the new buildings going up, and the " clearings" be- 
gun here and there, indicate a purpose to see what can 
be done. Hundreds of persons from all parts of the 
country have been at the expense of a journey thither to 
see for themselves, and the reports brought back by 
many who have made our office a stopping point in their 
journey, are very various. The main object of the pres- 
ent article is to give our distant readers some items for 
judging whether it is worth their while to be at the expense 
of a personal visit. A more extended examination, at a 
more favorable season for seeing the vegetation, may 
give us a better or poorer opinion of the Vineland 
enterprise. The wide notoriety given to it by advertising 
and otherwise, and the multitude of inquiries addressed 
to us, justify the attention and space we have given to 
the subject. We are only sorry that we are not able to 
speak more definitely and positively. If the Vineland en- 
terprise proves successful, and good farms are there de- 
veloped, the example will be very beneficial to other large 
tracts of similar soil, now lying mainly unused, all 
through Southern New-Jersey. 
Our Exhibition Tables. 
These have necessarily received less attention during 
our busy season, and during the Winter months there have 
of course, been greatly diminished contributions from the 
field, orchard, and gardens. Now, that the growing sea- 
son has come on, we invite all who have objects of inter- 
est relating to the farm, garden and household, to place 
them upon our Tables where they may be freely seen by 
the multitudes who call at the office. During the year 
1862 the number of callers on business and otherwise, 
averaged over 300 a day, or nearly 100,000. The table will 
be re-arranged this month, and objects placed thereon wiH 
be seen and enjoyed by a great number of interested per 
sons. The Fruit Growers' Meetings continue with una- 
bated interest, and will doubtless continue throughout the 
year, on Thursdays of each week— at 1 o'clock P. M., 
for the present. It was proposed at first to have weekly. 
prize exhibitions of fruits, etc., and a fund was raised for 
