THE PRACTICAL COUNTRY GENTLEMAN 



For market purposes there Is no better breed 

 than the Homer. Many use just the common 

 pigeon crossed with the Antwerp or large runt. 

 Thomas Wright, writing on this subject in the 

 Cyclopaedia of American Agriculture, says he 

 has had the best results from a bird that com- 

 bined the qualities of the runt (English), Mon- 

 dains (Swiss and French), and typical Floren- 

 tine Amalgamated, infused with the Homer. 

 This pigeon produced a large heavy squab for 

 the same outlay as the Homer, and was equally 

 prolific. 



The natural food of pigeons is grain and 

 seeds of grasses. For every-day purposes two 

 parts whole corn, two parts wheat, and one part 

 buckwheat (all old, sound grain) will give sat- 

 isfaction; or the following, recommended by 

 Wright, may be used: equal parts whole corn, 

 cracked corn, red or amber wheat, Canada field 

 peas, and kafir. Hemp seed, millet, and rape 

 may be given occasionally, at the rate of one- 

 tenth the quantity of other ingredients. 



Pure water, oyster shells, grit, and a piece of 

 rock salt, such as Is used for cattle, should be 

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