I50 THE PIGEON BOOK 



Older birds can be given less tosses, according to their 

 aptitude, but I firmly believe that education and training 

 is the only way to get the best out of them. 



To the fancier who has time I advise plenty of tosses 

 singly for the first twenty miles each year. This method 

 teaches a bird self-reliance and independence. 



To gain success it is best to train only one bird of a 

 breeding pair, so that the nest is always being kept warm 

 by the mate at home. Let the bird have as few disappoint- 

 ments as possible. The nest-box should be its home; 

 keep the same birds to the same nest-boxes. Sacrifice 

 everything to get the birds to race. For this reason, if a 

 bird is fond of a particular mate, keep it to this mate as 

 long as you can. 



Feeding after the young attain six or seven days old 

 distresses the parents. You cannot race old birds success- 

 fully and breed at the same time. 



Hens must never be sent to races when about to lay 

 eggs or too soon after laying ; cocks when driving to nest. 



Birds that 'lome from a toss looking much distressed 

 want a long rest before being sent again. 



The early riser, who has his birds out early in the 

 morning, is the man likely to gain the most success. To 

 win prizes pigeon racing, in view of the thousands of 

 birds bred and flown, will be found no easy task, and 

 undoubtedly the sport is a man's game, as its study is 

 ever presenting new and pleasurable phases. 



The Training of Short-Distance Racers.— By George Wall. 



Not having had a long experience in racing short 

 distances, I asked Mr. George Wall, one of .the best at 

 the game for many years, to write the following article : — 



My first idea is that a good big one will always beat 

 a good little pigeon, especially in short-distance flying, 



