GETTING AHEAD 97 



In ordering supplies to be sent by freight, remember that 

 it takes a freight shipment some time to get to destination, 

 especially when trafl&c is congested in the spring or in the 

 harvest season. Give us your order for nest bowls and 

 supplies before your house is ready. 



The live breeders are shipped by us either in specially made 

 pine crates or wicker coops. The wicker coops remain our 

 property and are returned to us at our expense by the express ' 

 companies after the customer has released the pigeons. These 

 baskets are expensive and are fitted with large tin feed and 

 water dishes. It is impossible to break them open with the 

 roughest handling. The birds have plenty of room in them 

 and arrive at their destination in fine condition. 



The usual fault of inexperienced shippers is that the box 

 or crate is too high, and too large, giving an opportunity for 

 one bird to pass another by flying over its head. If there is 

 too much room between the top and bottom of the crate 

 feathers will be rumpled and pulled out, and the birds by 

 crowding will suffocate one or two. A large, heavy crate 

 also adds enormously to the express charges. It is not 

 pleasant to buy pigeons and receive them in a cumbrous 

 box weighing from twenty-five to seventy-five pounds, on 

 which the express charges are more than double what they 

 would be were the birds crated properly. 



If the birds are going to a point only a day or a day and a 

 night distant, they need no feed nor water. For a long 

 journey, a bag of grain should be tied to the crate. It is the 

 duty of the express messengers to feed and water the birds en 

 route, and they are so instructed by their companies. 



Do you know that pigeons are transported by the express 

 companies at the rate charged for ordinary merchandise under 

 the classification in force for 1907 on? The rate is found in 

 every express book (ask your agent to show it to you if there 

 is any dispute over charges) now as follows: " Pigeons, 

 homing, merchandise. rate." Tell the agent to look in the P's 

 for Pigeons and he will find it there. 



For carrying most live-stock short distances, the animal 

 rate (which is double the merchandise rate) is charged. This 

 is a peculiar rule when it was formerly applied to pigeons, and 

 it worked so that the buyer at a rsmote point got his ship- 

 ment cheaper than the buyer nearer us. For instance, we 



