CHAPTER THREE. 



SELECTION— CROSSING VERSUS IN-BREED- 

 ING—ATAVISM. 



The ambition of every fancier who becomes interested 

 in pigeons should be to produce a strain of his own. In 

 pigeon-breeding as in every other sphere there is room 

 at the top. 



The most expeditious way to gain success is to make 

 a good start. This of course means expense not always 

 within reach of the beginner. 



No matter what variety I was taking up, I would 

 sooner go to the fountain-head and obtain birds of a 

 known good strain than chance-bred birds picked up at 

 shows. Many beginners buy cheap birds in selling 

 classes at shows. This is a mistake, because these birds 

 as often as not have no pedigree behind them. 



In my opinion, a second or third-rate bird that comes 

 from a family bred to line for several generations will 

 eventually give much better results with breeding than 

 many passable birds that are mere " sports" but whose 

 ascendency is faulty. 



It is as true in breeding pigeons as any other live stock ; 

 blood will tell, and if two men were to start at the same 

 time, one with pure-bred stock and the other with mixed 

 blood of doubtful pedigree, the man who starts with 

 thoroughbreds will most assuredly the more quickly reach 

 the top. 



In the exhibition world, of course, there are always 

 wealthy men who buy up the champions the little man 

 produces, and by this means are able to turn out fairly 



