1848. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
241 
pursuits. Why, those very pursuits are part and par¬ 
cel—a very important part, too—of his own appropri¬ 
ate business. It is precisely for such business that his 
time is allotled to him. At this day, and in this land, 
it will not do, to urge the want, either of time or op¬ 
portunity, for the due performance of our parts in life. 
Most people contrive to find time for what they really 
wish to d© ; and if driven to the necessity, are apt to 
take it, at any rate, for those pursuits which they are 
resolved upon. But the fact is, we all idle away, or 
waste in frivolous amusements, more time than would 
be requisite to fit us for the performance of our several 
duties. We are very prone to mistake the real nature 
of our wants. It is not so much to the want of time, 
as to the want of inclination, and of a proper sense of 
our responsibilities, that we should attribute our failure 
to possess the accomplishments which justly pertain to 
our Profession and station in society. It is this want 
-—this neglect of the more elevated attainments, and 
this lack of a just perception of the beautiful-—which 
has, hitherto, been most striking and conspicuous among 
the Agriculturists of our country. ¥/hile our Farmers 
have generally attended—faithfully and successfully— 
to what is familiarly and truly denominated u the main 
chance,”—it must be confessed that too many among 
them have exhibited a lamentable want of tact and 
skill in planning and improving,—or in availing them¬ 
selves of natural advantages, in the arrangement of 
their rural establishments. 
41 Next in importance to successful culture, and a cor¬ 
rect knowledge of the objects and principles involved in 
the process, is the attainment known as good Taste ,— 
or that refined sense of the beauties of Nature, which 
knows how to appropriate her charms, in the embellish¬ 
ment of farm-houses, or cottages—and to invest them 
with that witchery and grace which should ever be as¬ 
sociated with a country residence. No person, who 
has enjoyed the delights of a tasteful rustic dwelling—■ 
embosomed among venerable trees, and reposing amid 
the verdure of flower-spangled lawns,—can fail to be 
shocked at the contrast of a rude vulgar-looking tene¬ 
ment, awkwardly stuck in some open weed-grown 
space, without a shade tree, or an enclosure, to protect 
it from the rays of a burning sun, or the annoying ap¬ 
proaches of the trampling cattle : and yet the difference 
may be entirely owing to the exercise of a cultivated 
taste in the one ease, and a total destitution of it in the 
other. Fruit trees, and Shade trees, should be regard¬ 
ed as indispensable appendages of every human resi¬ 
dence. If duly attended to, the former will amply gra¬ 
tify the palate,—while the latter will also minister to 
our enjoyment—directly, by the refreshing shelter af¬ 
forded to ourselves—and indirectly, by attracting to 
their branches the lovely Serenaders of the feathered 
raee. How delightful, in a tree-embowered cottage, 
to foe roused from our slumbers by the gushing melo¬ 
dies, which, in such abodes, ever greet the dawn of a 
summer morning! By providing a shady retreat for 
the little warblers—and protecting them from the wea¬ 
pons of reckless sportsmen—we not only secure their 
punctual attendance, with the grateful tribute ef their 
vocal strains on each returning Spring,—but we are re¬ 
warded, tenfold, for all such benevolent offices, by the 
industry with which the welcome visitors labor to rid 
us of annoying and destrtetive Insects. It should, 
therefore, foe the business and the pleasure of the intel¬ 
ligent Farmer—wherever located—thus to improve and 
adorn his premises.” 
IfcOTjE-COTS AN!> SA 
In reference to the request of a Mississippi eorres-, 
pendent, to furnish a plan of a pigeon-house, we give 
the engravingljon the next page, which is designed for 
both pigeons and rabbits,* 
Pigeons are not at all particular in regard to their 
shelter or breeding-places. Any box, nailed against 
the wall of a barn or other building, with holes for in¬ 
gress and egress, will satisfy them. Even shelves, 
placed around the inside of some out-house, will an¬ 
swer every necessary purpose. But when it is design¬ 
ed to render these birds as much as possible an orna¬ 
ment to the homestead, more sightly and tasteful habi¬ 
tations are provided. 
If several varieties of poultry are to be kept, a se« 
parate house will be found most suitable; it should, of 
course, be divided into the requisite apartments for the 
accommodation of the different kinds, and the dove¬ 
cote may be placed on the top—surmounting the roof 
in the form of a cupola. This plan, if perfectly car¬ 
ried out, makes a complete aviary, which, if properly 
situated, adds greatly to the beauty of a country resi¬ 
dence. There are, however, comparatively few peo¬ 
ple who live in the country, and may wish to keep pi¬ 
geons, who can afford the expense of so costly an es¬ 
tablishment. 
A cheap and rather ornamental dove-cote, may be 
made of an empty cask raised on a pole. It may be 
a barrel or a hogshead, according to the number of 
birds to be accommodated. If a hogshead, it may be 
divided into three stories and partitioned off for separ- 
*The eu,t ig taken from an English work, entitled “ Farming for 
Indies'.” ' * 
( ate nests. This makes a pretty and convenient house 
for a small number of pigeons. The chief objection to 
it is, it is difficult to clean. In this respect the follow¬ 
ing plan, which we have seen adopted, is preferable: 
A small square house is erected on four poles. Rows 
or tiers of boxes for nests, are arranged on three sides 
of the house. A space is left in the centre, large enough 
for a person to enter and clean the boxes, which should 
be accessible for this purpose. The space should be 
closed by a door; the building to be reached by a lad¬ 
der. 
Boxes for nests should be about eighteen inches 
square on the bottom, and about a foot in height. For 
holding the nests, cheap wieker baskets, or small ear¬ 
then pans may be used. The pans may be three inches 
deep, eight inches over at the top, sloping to the bot¬ 
tom. Some fine soft hay, put in the baskets or pans, 
will save the pigeons the trouble of carrying in the ma¬ 
terials for nests. The boxes should be frequently clean¬ 
ed, as the accumulation of filth is unfavorable to the 
health of the birds. 
In the plan illustrated by our cut, the pigeon-house 
is, as before observed, placed over a rabbit-warren,—- 
the combination forming an ornamental structure,— 
which, if placed on an island, handsomely planted with 
trees, in the centre of a sheet of water, adds a highly 
picturesque feature to the scenery. 
' The area, surrounded by paiings, is abont twelve 
feet in diameter. The inside is excavated to the depth 
of two or three feet, forming a pit in which the rabbits 
are kept. The top is thatched, as giving a more rus¬ 
tic air than any other kind of roof. The posts and 
chain are designed as a protection of the enclosure 
