INCREASE OF FLOCK 77 



course. The lines from the neck to the body descend in a 

 long, graceful sweep. Put a thoroughbred Homer into a 

 flock of common pigeons and even a novice, if told to pick out 

 the bird which would fly the fastest and furthest, would pick 

 out the Homer. The Homer has a long bill (but not so long 

 as the Dragoon pigeon). The bill of the common pigeon is 

 short. Its bill is more hooked and is sharper pointed. Its 

 head is shorter and more rounding on top. 



The common pigeon is seldom bred in captivity, because it 

 does not pay for the grain which it consumes. If bred in a 

 wild state, it picks up a living in the neighborhood, the owner 

 not keeping it wired in. It is the cheapest kind of a pigeon, 

 and thousands of pairs are used by trap shooters. Under- 

 takers sometimes buy the white common pigeons in order to 

 liberate them at graves, to signify the ascent of the soul to 

 heaven. Common pigeons will live anywhere, do not get 

 attached to any home, but a Homer never forgets the place 

 where it was bred and will search out its home in long flights. 

 Common pigeons will alight on any building and will drink 

 from different springs and wells, fouling them and making 

 themselves a nuisance in a neighborhood. The Homer will 

 alight only on its own squab house and drink only at its own 

 home. Common pigeons sell for fifty cents a pair and are 

 frequently offered as Homers. Do not start with common 

 pigeons and think to learn the habits of squab breeders with 

 them. If you cross a common with a Homer pigeon you will 

 take away the good qualities of the Homer and add nothing. 

 There is not one element in a common pigeon which if added 

 to a Homer would improve the offspring. It is hard to 

 convince some people that there is any difference in pigeons 

 whose feathers are the same color. The result is they buy 

 the cheapest they can get. After feeding them for a time and 

 getting no profitable results, they are compelled to sell them 

 to the first trap shooter who comes along, and they go among 

 their townspeople declaring that the pigeon business is no 

 good. Remember this point, that if you are going to buy 

 grain and feed it to anything so as to get a profit, it is the 

 best policy to feed it to that grade of animal which will show 

 the largest profit. Very few people are satisfied with shoddy 

 suits nowadays, even if they look almost as well as the all- 

 wool garments. It is the wear which the customer is after. 



