eliminated the common pigeons entirely and are mating 

 thoroughbred Homers. Do not be deceived by a hasty in- 

 spection of pigeons — a common pigeon is unHke a Homer 

 as a crow is unlike a grouse. It is hard to make some be- 

 ginners comprehend this difference. All pigeons (especially 

 if they are of similar-colored feathers) look alike to them and 

 they buy the cheapest they can get, with the inevitable result 

 that they quit the business in disgust or are forced to dispose 

 of their foolish purchase to trap-shooters and begin again 

 with an outfit of Homers. It stands to reason that a pair 

 of birds capable of earning a fifty-cent pair of squabs once 

 a month is easily worth from $2 to $4, and that a pair of 

 birds capable of earning only a ten-cent pair of squabs once 

 in two or three months is worth only fifty cents. 



We had one or two unsatisfactory experiences with per- 

 sons who had breeding Homers for sale "cheap," "large 

 flock very low," etc. These pigeons proved an expensive 

 investment. They were either birds that had been worked 

 for ten or twelve years, beyond their period of usefulness, or 

 were too young, or were unmated, or there was an excess 

 of cocks, and much time and effort were lost before we dis- 

 covered the fact. One lot of Homers which we bought "at 

 a bargain" produced very few No. i squabs, but mostly culls, 

 and it was plain that the dealer of whom we purchased had 

 gfot rid of something which was unprofitable for him. The 

 reputation of the breeder goes a long way in a pigeon sale. 

 The beginner will find himself safe when he pays a fair price 

 to a reliable breeder. Genuine cases of good Homer pigeons 



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