APPENDIX A 147 



the bags pile up and then send them back tomers to ship to Lowell. We have always 

 to us in a "bunch. We are particular to save found the leather people square in measuring 

 not only the manure in the unit pens, but the manure, in fact they have given us credit 

 in the sorting and mating cages and coops, on two or three occasions for more than we 

 We cover the floors of these cages with bur- thought we had. They pay after you have 

 lap, not tacking the burlap down, but sent your bill of lading and the report of 

 stretching it over three finish nails tacked the measurer has gone to the New York 

 at the bacKS of the cages and two nails office. You need not be afraid of swamping 

 tacked at the front of the cages. The the leather trust with pigeon manure. They 

 manure cakes and dries on the burlap as it will take all you can scrape up. They use it 

 would on the floor. When there is a layer to take the hair off the raw hides, and it is 

 about half an inch thick, all tramped hard, said to be the only substance which will do 

 dry and odorless by the constant hammering this job thoroughly without injuring the 

 of the feet of the birds, we take the burlap hide. Chemicals which are used as substi- 

 off the nails and stretch it outside, bottom tutes when pigeon manure cannot be had are 

 up, then sprinkle water on the back and said to be injurious to the hide, 

 the manure drops off in large cakes. The We write the above to help you sell the 

 burlap then is dried and replaced. This manure from your squab houses. Do not 

 method saves an immense amount of time ask us to advise you further on this point, 

 which otherwise would be consumed in for we cannot. If you cannot find a tannery 

 scraping the floors of the cages. We have -within shipping distance, try the florists. 

 108 of these cages at the farm and in our We are informed that the florists' exchange 

 Boston shipping room, each capable of hold- i n New York city Is a good place to sell 

 ing from 12 to 20 pairs of birds, and we have pigeon manure, and customers near that 

 burlap carpets on all of them. We use a city have told us that they are selling there, 

 large amount of burlap not only for this SQUABS IN THE POULTRY PRESS. The 

 purpose but for small grain bags to go with magazines devoted to poultry are beginning 

 orders for breeders to distant points, and to take up squabs on account of the in- 

 also for the floors of our shipping baskets, creasing interest shown by poultrymen in 

 We buy this burlap in large rolls weighing the subject. In the Poultry Keeper for Nov. 

 150 pounds and containing from 300 to 320 15th, 1902, appeared a contribution by A. P. 

 square yards. We do not hem it or sew it in Spiller. After giving the general arrange- 

 any way for the cages, simply cut it and in ments for caring for the birds, he says: "At 

 stretching it over the nails fold the raw about four weeks of age the squabs are 

 edges under. ready for market. Some markets require 



Having read the Manual, you know that we them dressed, others only killed. Good 



do not use sand or sawdust in our squab breeding pigeons will hatch and rear from 



houses, so we are able to deliver manure six to eleven pair of young a year. The cost 



which is absolutely pure. The tanneries do to keep a pair of breeders, including the rais- 



not like to get lots of impure manure and ing of the young, at the present time is 



of course pay more for the unadulterated about eighty cents a year, this, of course, 



article. It is just as easy and more business- varying some with location and cost of 



like to keep this by-product pure. feeding stuff. Wild game birds are becom- 



The manure in the houses has no odor, ing more scarce each year. The properly 



but when we have got it scraped up and raised squab pigeon comes nearer taking the 



banked in the manure house, it gives forth place of these wild birds than anything else, 



a pungent, ammonia-like smell. As the That they make fine eating, those who have 



manure house is entirely cut off from the eaten them can not deny. There is always 



squab houses by the slide in the passage- a ready sale for good plump squabs at 



way, this pungency does not trouble any- hotels, restaurants, markets and private fam- 



one. It is not a nasty smell, anyway. ilies, prices ranging from $2.50 to $4.50 per 



We have had customers from as far off dozen, depending upon quality and season, 

 as Illinois write that they were quite When one begins to raise pigeons it is better 

 charmed with our story about the manure, to try to secure strains from some reliable 

 and that they were saving up bags of it to breeder who has stock bred along profitable 

 ship by freight to the American Hide and lines. There is a difference in regard to 

 Leather Company at Lowell, Mass. This breeding and feeding qualities and results 

 tannery is a branch of the Leather Trust, obtained which warrants the paying of a lit- 

 which has other tanneries, so use your wits tie more at the start in obtaining more 

 and find out which tannery is nearest you, profitable stock. The writer is in favor of 

 and ship to that one. If you can find a the straight Homer, carefully selected as to 

 tannery not in the trust, sell to that, if you size, shape, breeding and feeding qualities, 

 wish to. If you sell to a trust tannery, the as it is well known that the Homer pigeon 

 check which pays you will come from the is one of the best feeders and breeders of 

 New York office of the trust, same as ours any variety, and the numbers they will pro- 

 do. We recommend our New England cus- duce in a year more than balance any slight 



