18 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



In the winter, when the days are short, a trustworthy neighbor 

 boy can generally be found who can be employed for a small 

 sum to feed and water the breeders provided the owuer leaves 

 home before or after dark, and a neighbor boy can be secured 

 for a nominal sum to come once or twice a week the year round 

 for the purpose of cleaning, whitewashing or doing similar work. 



Squab raising or caring for a squab plant is really a pleasant 

 occupation, especially for those who like to "keep busy." There 

 is always something to do and the work is not unpleasant. 



SQUABS CAN BE RAISED ALMOST ANYWHERE 



Whether one lives in the nortli, south, east or west — in a city, 

 a village or in the country, squabs can be raised profitably with 

 the proper care and attention. 



There are no offensive odors from a squab plant, and the birds 

 do not make enough noise to bother the nearest neighbors. 

 Therefore, there can be no serious objection on the part of the 

 neighbors to squabs being raised near them. It is trnr^ that 

 pigeons do a lot of cooing, and while it sounds loud at closr 

 range, the noise does not carry very far, and raniiol he heard 

 to any extent, 50 feet from a scpiah plant. A laigr jdaiil can 

 l)e easily maintained in the sul)ui'bs in an> town oi- citx ahoni 

 as profitably as in the country. 



There are some advantages gained ])y having a sc|nal) i)lant 

 in the country, that is, on a farm, but there are other advantages 

 in a town or city squab plant, and in some respects one oftsets 

 the other. As an example, ground space in the comitry is no 

 item. Some special feeds can be raised to an advantage and 

 other foods can often be purchased in the country cheaper than 

 in town, but on the other hand, the conveniences of city water, 

 the advantage of a close market and shipping facilities will 

 offset many of the farm advantages and conveniences. 



I have often heard people make the remark that if they lived 

 in the country, where they could raise their own feed, they 

 would go into the squab business extensively. They did not 

 stop to figure that there was very little advantage to be gained 

 by such a method, for the reason that all kinds of grain and 

 pigeon feed can be sold or purchased at the market price, and 

 if one raises his own feed it has onlv a market value. That 



