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Preface. 
This Manual or Handbook on squabs is written to teach people, begin- 
hers mostly, not merely how to raise squabs, but how to conduct a squab 
and pigeon business successfully. We have found breeders of squabs who 
knew ‘how to raise them fairly well and took pleasure in doing so, but 
were weak on the business end of the iadustry. The fancier, who raises 
animals because he likes their looks or their actions, or because he hopes 
to beat some other fancier at an exhibition, is not the man for whom we 
have written this book. We have developed Homer pigeons and the 
Homer pigeon industry solely because they are staples, and the squabs 
they produce are staples, salable in any market at a remunerative price. 
The success of squabs as we exploit them depends on their earning capac- 
ity. They are a matter of business. Our development of squabs is based 
on the fact that they are good eating, that people now are in the habit of 
asking for and eating them, that there is a large traffic in them which may 
be pushed to an enormous extent without weakening either the market or 
the price. If, as happens in this case, pigeons are a beautiul pet stock as 
weil as money makers, so much the better, but we never would breed any- 
thing not useful, salable merely as pets. It is just as easy to pet a prac- 
tical animal as an impractical animal, and much more satisfying. 
This Manual is the latest and most comprehensive work we have done, 
giving the results of our experience as fully and accurately as we can pre- 
sent the subject. It is intended as an answer to the hundreds of letters we 
receive, and we have tried to cover every point which a beginner or an 
expert needs to know. It is a fault of writers of most guide books like 
this to leave out points which they think are too trivial, or ‘‘which every- 
body ought to know.” It has been our experience in handling this subject 
and bringing it home to people that the little points are the ones on which 
they quickest go astray, and on which they wish the fullest information. 
After they have a fair start, they are able to think out their operations 
for themselves. Accordingly we have covered every point in this book in 
simpie language and if the details in some places appear too common- 
place, remember that we have erred on the side of plainness. 
The customers to whom we have sold breeding stock have been of great 
help to us in arranging and presenting these facts. We asked them to 
tell us just the points they wished covered, or covered more fully, or just 
where our writings were weak. They replied in a most kindly way, nearly 
every letter thanking us heartily, and brimming over with enthusiasm for 
the squab industry. 
It has surprised a great many people to learn that Homer pigeons are 
such a staple and workable article. They have been handled by the old 
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