PIGEONS AND ALL AIJOl'T TIIK.M. 



U thr !x IUT Ido king dog, and you speak to them. One wags 

 his tail, I.M,U> up at you with a great beaming eye full of 

 atlVrtioii. lirks your hand, and capers around to show oft'. 



'I 'In- dlicr, when you raise your hand to pat him. shies off 

 ;u il stands there with bis tail between his legs, watching 

 \oii\\ith fear and trembling, and with evident indications 

 that he Mi>)>ects you of being a dog thief. 



Now what would you say? You would pat the loving dog- 

 on the head and say, "this is a beauty; one of the finest dogs 

 I ever saw ; but as for that cur, I wouldn't take him as a 

 gifi. A good judge feels drawn to a good pigeon in the 

 same way, and he detests a bird that nutters and struggles 

 wildly around, every time he comes near it. I am pretty 



ud natured, but a lot of wild birds will get me terribly out 

 of humor when I am judging. It is impossible forme, or 

 any other judge to take in the good points of a wild bird 

 that is scrambling up on the side of the pen, and throwing 

 sawdust, feed and water all over me and my book, just at the 

 time I want it to stand still. 



To return to the three points ; the good birds can be bred, 

 and the good condition can be produced if one has patience. 



First, the bird must be clean. Not alone the feathers, but 

 the legs and feet, and the beak. I have already shown that 

 washing, if practised carefully, will remove all dirt from the 

 plumage, but to show the said plumage in the best condition, 

 one must not delay the washing till just before the show. If 

 a bird is washed a month before the show, and then kept in. 

 a warm, dry cellar, where not a ray of sunlight can touch it, 

 the change in its appearance w^ill be wonderful. The sun is 

 a great thing for health, but it destroys that beautiful lustre 

 that Nature has put on most pigeons. A little rubbing with 

 : handkerchief just before a show, is a great help, and 

 and feet should be rubbed with vinegar. A drop or 



