94 NATIONAL STANDARD SQUAB BOOK 



and actually convince themselves. We do not believe in 

 untried hands plunging into something of which they know 

 nothing, and we commend the caution of the beginner with 

 squabs who wishes to feel his way and " make haste slowly " 

 as the saying is, nevertheless we know it to be a fact that our 

 customers who started with large flocks are making splendid 

 successes, and we are not so cautious as we were in former 

 books in advising a small purchase, at the start. The rules 

 for breeding we have given have stood the test of time; we 

 have not had it said to us that they are misleading or erroneous; 

 on the contrary, our customers write and tell us that their 

 experience corresponds with ours, that the books are all right, 

 and our business has increased right along. When a customer 

 orders two hundred dollars' worth of breeding stock of us and 

 two months later two hundred dollars' worth more (we sell to 

 some customers month after month steadily, as their means or 

 their inclination permit them to buy) we are given a large 

 measure of confidence, first, that people (many of whom we 

 never see and who are not experts) can start with our writings 

 and our breeding stock and make a success; second, that 

 all we have advised about the industry is of general and con- 

 vincing application; and third, that it does not take extraor- 

 dinary skill to make a success with squabs. 



There are failures with squabs, even by college professors, 

 because some beginners are unsuited to the business. Many 

 are lured into it by get-rich-quick stories. It would amaze 

 you to read the letters that some beginners write. You never 

 can tell a man's pigeon and poultry ability by his orthography 

 and grammar. Letters in crude spelling and crooked writing 

 frequently come from the most successful squab raisers. The 

 knack of caring for animals successfully cannot be acquired 

 by some. Given two women, with cooking materials and the 

 same cook books, one cooks splendidly, and the other mis- 

 erably. Why? Well, it is the same with pigeons. Some 

 can and some can't. However, the failures at squab or 

 poultry raising seldom blame themselves. 



There are many of the naturally careless, improvident 

 persons who have turned to squabs to help them out of finan- 

 cial holes, and they have made a faihxre of squab raising. 

 Many of us remember the furore over raising chicken broilers 

 for market, which started a score of years ago. The fact that 



