OUR PIGEONS SHIPPED NINE THOUSAND MILES, ALL ARRIVING 

 ALIVE; ONLY TWO OUT OF CONDITION 



Elmer C. Rice, Esq., Treasurer, 



Plymouth Rock Squab Co., Boston, Mass., U. S. A. 

 Dear Sir: On the 2pth of this month I had the pleasure of receiving the 

 fourteen pairs of Plymouth Rock Homer pigeons. They were in fine condi- 

 tion and had been well looked after on the voyage, which lasted fifty-five 

 days, from New York to Colombo. There had been some wars amongst the 

 pigeons on the voyage ; and two were more or less mauled, but they had been 

 kept separate and will, no doubt, do quite well. I am very much pleased with 

 them and thank you again for your kindness. 



Yours truly, 



(Mrs.) P. I. SINCLAIR. 

 Colombo, Ceylon, September 28, 1907. 



Note by E. C. Rice: With regard to the distance covered by the above 

 shipment, the agents of the steamship company write me as follows: " The 

 actual nautical miles from New York to Colombo are about 8600, and the SS. 

 Swazi before arriving at Colombo stopped at Algiers, Port Said, Aden, Tuti- 

 corin and other ports, which brings the total nautical miles up to about 9000." 



The following is from the Philadelphia Saturday Evening Post: 



MONEY IN SQUABS — The Government gives a practical demonstration of 

 what they can be made to pay. 



It has long been known by practical breeders of poultry that there is 

 money in raising squabs. Now the United States Government has given to 

 this fact official confirmation, based on scientific tests. 



The record of profit reveals the great opportunity awaiting those who 

 engage in this industry. In the practical experiments conducted the diet of 

 the birds consisted of wheat at eighty cents a bushel, sifted cracked com at $1 

 a hundred weight, Kaffir corn at ninety cents a bushel, millet at ninety cents, 

 hemp at $1.30 and peas at $1.10 the bushel. At these rates the cost of feeding 

 was one-seventh of a cent a day for each bird, or about fifty- two cents a year. 



On that basis the net annual return was $1.50 a pair. There were four 

 hundred and twenty-five pairs of pigeons in the flock and they reared four 

 thousand four hundred marketable squabs in twelve months. 



This is a practical, conservative record, bearing the government's bona 

 fides, and may be duplicated by any one who will carefully attend to the 

 requirements of the birds. 



162 



