CHAPTER XII. 



How to Buy Birds 



In no department of the business of squab raising is 

 common sense more needed than when birds are pur- 

 chased. Every beginner enters the business, presum- 

 ably, to make money, and is very foolish if he blocks 

 all expectation of success by purchasing birds without 

 careful investigation. The safest plan of all is to buy 

 no more than say 10 pairs of birds of a reliable dealer 

 who will give all facts about them. These can be kept 

 in an easily improvised house of sufficient size. A 

 piano or organ box will do for temporary purposes. A 

 few weeks will convince the embryo breeder whether 

 he needs to enlarge it or not. If successful he will 

 feel safe in putting more money into the enterprise. 

 On the other hand, if he discovers he is not fitted for 

 the business, his experience will not have cost him 

 much. 



It is well not to be too much afraid the market will 

 be glutted before one can get a good-sized flock, unless 

 many birds are bought at one time. Too many have 

 bought in this way, and parted with much money be- 

 fore they gained the necessary experience. In many 

 such cases the owner acquired more experience than 

 money. The seller should be questioned on all the 

 points mentioned on page 85. Unless he can give 

 satisfactory answers, the buyer should let him alone. 



Let us illustrate. — A leading Sunday paper con- 

 tained an advertisement of 100 pairs of pure-blooded 

 Homers for sale. The advertisement was truthful, but 

 the birds were absolutely worthless for squab raising. 



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