78 THE PIGEON BOOK 



most effective, and in one or two cases where I have had 

 birds so affected they have afterwards performed good 

 work, and the worms have not seemingly made their 

 reappearance. 



CHAPTER SIX. 

 JUDGING, SHOWING, PREPARATION. 



The present chapter covers a very wide field. 



Even though the different varieties have standards, 

 judges are apt to value the points according to the diffi- 

 culties they have themselves experienced in breeding them. 

 Many varieties are popular enough to command good 

 entries at shows, and specialist judges make the awards. 



By far the best means for a fancier to gain enlighten- 

 ment is to make a practice of visiting shows and thoroughly 

 examining the birds penned. 



He will thus learn more of the type that is winning and 

 the judges' fads in this manner than by any other course. 



The exhibitor who gains the most pronounced success 

 is he who exhibits his birds to suit the judge under whom 

 he exhibits. I don't mean merely follows a judge from 

 show to show with a bird he has previously given a prize 

 to, but, having exhibited certain birds under a judge and 

 found out what he likes, he matches others to fit in with 

 the judge's taste at a subsequent show, and thus scores 

 again and again. 



Exhibit your birds to please the judge and you will 

 score, but if you exhibit them to please yourself and dis- 

 regard the judge's whims and fancies you will not do so. 



If you know a man fancies birds of a given type, show 

 birds of that type under him. If you know he dislikes 

 birds of a type you possess keep them at home. 



