National Standard Squab Book. 69 
high, and too large, giving an opportunity for one bird to pass another by 
flying over its head. If there is too much room between the top and 
bottom of the crates feathers will be rumpled and pulled out, and the 
birds by crowding, will suffocate one or two. A large, heavy ate also 
adds enormously to the express charges. It is not pleasant to buy pigeons 
and receive them in a cumbrous box weighing from 25 to 75 pounds, op 
which the express charges are more than double what they would be ere 
the birds cratéd properly. 
If the birds are going to a point only a day or a day and a night dis- 
tant, they need no feed nor water. If the destination is more remote, 
two tin cups, one for grain, the other for water, should be tacked to the 
inside of the crate. For a very long journey, a bag of grain should be 
tied to the crate. It is the duty of the express messengers to feed and 
water the birds en‘route, and they are so instructed by their companies. 
Do you know that live stock is transported long distances by the express. 
companies at the rate charged for ordinary merchandise? For carrying 
live stock short distances, the animai rate (which is double the merchan- 
dise rate) is charged. This is a peculiar rule, and it works so that the 
buyer at a remote point gets his shipment cheaper than the buyer nearer 
us. For instance, we can ship a crate of pigeons to Chicago from Boston 
cheaper than we can to Buffalo. All the express companies doing busi- 
ness in the United States and Canada have the same rule, which is, that 
hetween points where the single or merchandise rate is $2 or more per 100 
pounds, live animals, boxed, crated or caged, are charged for transporta- 
tion at the single or merchandise rate.. Between points where the single 
or merchandise rate is less than $2 per 100 pounds, live animals are 
charged the animal rate (which is double the merchandise rate). In order 
to obtain the lowest rate of transportation, the value of each pigeon must 
be stated by the shipper at $5 or less. 
We have seen breeders who have been shipping live stock for years 
and they never heatd of the above rule of the express companies, and also 
we have seen scores of express agents who did not know of their own 
rule, but always charged the animal rate on animal shipments. But the 
rule is found in every graduated charge book of every express company, 
and the experienced express men and experienced shippers know all about 
it. If the agent in your town is ignorant of the rule, ask him for his 
graduated charge book and you will find it under the classification ‘“Ani- 
mals.’ Every customer of ours entitled to the single or merchandise 
rate on his shipment gets a card from us in our letter to him with the 
rule printed on it. Many express agents at local points seldom handle a 
“Hye animal shipment and do not know how to charge for it. 
A live animal contract release, to be signed both by shipper and express 
agent, is needed in all cases where the value of the shipment is over $5. 
If pigeons which we. ship are killed in a smash-up, Wwe can recover from 
the company. We have no hesitation, therefore, in guaranteeing the safe 
