Tlie Feather's Practical Pigeon Book 



price for it, and wants some guide as to the direction 

 in which to look for the same. If he has no particular 

 desire to begin right, and only wants a collection of pig- 

 eons, without regard to quality, he had then better in- 

 vest in common birds, as he will save money and derive 

 as much satisfaction from breeding them, as from 

 breeding poor fancy stock. It will give him just as 

 good an opportunity to study and learn the habits of 

 pigeons, and fit him if he desires to keep up the pas- 

 time ; to handle the thoroughbreds as well as though he 

 had the refuse of fancy breeders to experiment with 



All breeders produce some specimens that are lacking 

 in the qualities needed to make them desirable breeding 

 birds even, and while some are conscientious and kill 

 all such inferior trash, otheis again, partly from a dis- 

 like to kill their pets, and partly from econornical mo- 

 tives; dispose of them in a lot at the close of the breed- 

 ing season to dealers in fancy birds in the large cities 

 who usually find ready customers among boys and im- 

 pecunious men fanciers, for such refuse. The breeder 

 that sacrifices them all is a benefactor to the fancy, as 

 it puts out of the way birds that never ought to be al- 

 lowed to go out to the public, and tends more than in 

 any other way to perpetuate a high standard among 

 pigeons. 



In advising correspondence with reliable breeders, I 

 would not advise always commencing with his very best 

 prize-winning stock, as this is generally held at a fancy 

 and sometimes at an almost prohibitory price, and the 

 purchase of such stock, while the inference would natu- 

 rally be that it would on the principle of "like produc- 

 ing like," be sure to produce almost perfect birds is apt 

 to be very disappointing; as while they are matched 

 to meet the purposes of the show-pen, which calls for 



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