53 



EXHIBITING. 



boxes described, and are, I tbink, on tbe wbole preferable. 

 When divided into compartments by wicker work or strong 

 canvas, tbey form very good packages for pigeons. Good 

 oblong baskets, measuring about 20in. by 12in., sucb as 

 fruiterers sell cheaply, may be made into capital exhibition 

 baskets, by dividing them into compartments with canvas, as 

 shown in Fig. 12, which is a plan for a basket with eight 



5j 



Fig. 12.— Plan for Dividing Pigeon Basket. 



compartments, each lOin. by 4|in. at the wide, and l^in. at 

 the narrow ends, and is suitable for such pigeons as turbits 

 or owls. Jacobins are better sent in baskets having canvas 

 instead of basket work divisions, and fantails should have 

 large and lofty cloth-lined compartments, to save their tails 

 from being broken or destroyed. 



Preparing Birds for Showing. 



The greater number of fancy pigeons may be sent to exhibi- 

 tions without any preparation at home, except that, in cases 

 where the birds are of an extra wild nature, some preliminary 

 penning may be of advantage in rendering them to some 

 extent at home in a show pen. Some, however, and especially 

 pouters, really require a considerable training to enable them 

 to be shown with advantage, and this will be referred to 

 more particularly elsewhere. Pigeons should in all cases be 

 shown in a clean state, as many judges lay considerable 



