70 IM<;KO\S AVD ALL ABOUT THEM. 



SELLING BIRDS. 



IT is now tiiiu' for the fancier who has had average success, 

 to begin thinking of selling his surplus birds, and he 

 will tiinl that a modest card in a good pigeon paper will 



he .1 -<MH| in\ estmeut. 



li he is unknown, he will make no mistake if he states 

 frankly that his stock, is from the lofts of the old breeder 

 from \\ limn he bought it. There are many whose names are 

 household words in the fancy. Some of them have spent a 

 liiV time in breeding one particular variety and have bred it 

 to ;i point about as near perfection as can well be attained. 



It is especially in the beginning of his career as a seller, 

 that the fancier must be particularly honest and square in 

 all his statements, regarding birds he is offering for sale. It 

 is tar better to sell good birds at a low price than to sell ordi- 

 nary (Mies at a high price. A satisfied customer makes others, 

 l'iit a dissatisfied patron can cause a world of trouble. 



And the very fact that customers must be suited, again 

 shows how necessary it isfor one to attend to his own birds. 

 v 'ivants and helpers are all right as far as they go. They 

 an feed, and clean the loft, but when it comes to banding, 

 or selecting fora customer, they don't know how to do it. 

 I have a colored man who for eight long years has helped 

 with my loft; but if he knows a single bird in it, or any cock 

 from any hen, I don't know it. 



servants do their work in a perfunctory sort of way. They 



are often willing and anxious and will do carefully anything 



they are told to do ; bnt they simply follow directions with- 



takirig any real interest in the work, and should not 



therefore be trusted with anything important. 



