APPENDIX G 



337 



HOW TO JUDGE WHEAT FOR SQUAB 

 RAISING. I have found, in travelling over 

 all parts of the country, that there is a great 

 difference in wheat. It is divided into the two 

 general classes of red wheat and white wheat. 

 There is also winter wheat, which is planted in 

 late summer in time for it to send up its blades 

 or leaves, then remains like this over winter 

 and starts to grow again with the first opening 

 of spring, thus having a long or full season to 

 mature or ripen in. Spring wheat is wheat 

 planted in the spring, thus having but a short 

 season to mature and ripen, for the farmer has 

 to wait until the ground is sufficiently thawed 

 and dried out to work it. 



The very best staple feed for pigeons every- 

 where on this continent is the first or best 

 quality of the red, winter wheat — the same 

 as is used for making the best quality of flour. 

 Necessarily, this is the most expensive wheat 

 in cost, but the cheapest feed, all things con- 

 sidered, for squab raising. In appearance, it 

 is copper-colored, well filled out or smooth on 

 the surface, not puckered or wrinkled, clear 

 colored, almost transparent like a small chip or 

 a fine specimen of brown flint, not cloudy. It 

 should be well seasoned, dry and hard to bite. 

 This kind of wheat is not offered for sale on the 

 general market and it takes a fairly skilful 

 buyer to procure it. It can seldom or never be 

 bought by the bag except direct from the 

 farmer or possibly from the flour mills, and the 

 flour mills would only let you have the poorest 

 of this grade. 



Next to this, in desirability for pigeons, is the 

 number one, red, winter wheat often sold by 

 grain dealers. Then comes ''the number two, 

 red, winter wheat which ma.y have cphsi^erable 

 wild seeds and some chaff iiiixfed with it and it 

 may be somewhat shrivelled-br wi^nkled. This 

 last is not objectionable for squab raising if 

 the kernels are clear, transparent-like and hard. 

 But if the majority of the kernels are cloudy 

 and especially if they are soft or easy to bite, 

 I would never buy it. In some sections, the 

 screenings of this red, winter wheat can be had 

 cheaply and it is not objectionable if the 

 kernels are clear and hard, as stated above. 



The next on the list is red, spring wheat. 

 Though not so good as the winter wheat, it is 

 all right to use, provided the kernels are clear 

 and hard. It hasn't as much nourishment for 

 pigeons and is more likely to be soft or im- 

 mature and hence cloudy. Any genuine, red 

 wheat, although cloudy, may be fed to pigeons 

 without serious harm, but it will not produce 

 the results you are looking for with the squabs, 

 neither in quality nor number. If this last 

 kind has to be used more peas and hempseed 

 should be given. 



White wheat may be fed for squab breeding, 

 if handled with judgment, in any part of the 

 country, if it is impossible to get the red wheat. 



Wheat of any kind, which has been ' ' heated ' ' 

 and has the slightest musty smell, or has the 

 slightest amount of bluish mould or dust on it, 

 must not be fed to pigeons. It is much easier 

 to find good wheat and to detect it if it has 

 been spoiled than it is to judge cracked corn. 



BEST WAY TO FEED SALT, by Edward G. 

 Rice. I have heard many people say that 

 coarse ground salt is all right for pigeons. In 

 my experience it is not. The pigeons when 

 eating will sometimes get too much and it will 

 kill them. I used it for a while, but of course 

 when it began to kill my pigeons I stopped it. 

 It is best to put a lump of rock salt in a box of 

 grit or gravel and wet it thoroughly every day. 

 The pigeons will eat this grit or gravel after it 

 has been flavored by the salt and you will find 

 that it keeps them very healthy. It is almost 

 as necessary for pigeons to have salt as it is 

 for them to have feed and water; that is, if 

 you expect them to keep in good condition and 

 work. 



TEN CENTS A PAIR A MONTH, WEST 

 VIRGINIA, by J. L. Wallace. I have kept a 

 record of the feed, and find that my Homers 

 cost me ten cents a pair a month, or $1.20 a 

 year. I have now moved iiito my new home 

 and want to make arrangements to get my 

 squab plant fitted up as soon as possible. I 

 work in the bank from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., 

 which gives me ample time to look after a good- 

 sized flock. 



I wish to join the National Squab Breeders' 

 Association. Please enter my name, also that 

 of Fred Le Blond, Jr. Send two buttons. 

 The Homers that I bought of the Plymouth 

 Rock Squab Company are the handsomest and 

 best birds that I have. I sold ofE every one of 

 the old ones and now have my loft full of the 

 offspring. They are certainly fine birds. The 

 squabs weigh from nine to twelve pounds a 

 dozen. I have turned the entire financial 

 part of the business over to my boy, who is 

 ten years old, and even if it does cost me money 

 each month, I am perfectly satisfied to pay it 

 for the splendid training it is giving him. He 

 keeps an accurate account of all money, pays 

 himself a salary, and just about breaks even. 

 I consider training a young boy along these 

 lines to be invaluable, as it gives him a fair 

 insight into business methods, and not only in 

 handling the business itself, but in teaching 

 him the importance of watching details so as to 

 insure success. — F. E. Le Blond, Ohio. 



I sent you in a couple of orders a few days 

 ago and from time to time you will hear from 

 me, as my birds are giving you some fine adver- 

 tising in these parts. Of course you know as 

 I do that it is the man behind the gun and I 

 tell these people that when the birds arrive, 

 they will be all right and just like mine, but 

 it is up to them to get the same results that I 

 do. My short experience with your firm has 

 convinced me that you have the stock all right 

 and that you are responsible in every respect. 

 — A. Penn Krumbhaar, Louisiana, 



I began my plant with four pairs of Extra 

 Plymouth' Rock Homers in April, 1910, and I 

 now (April, 1911) have over ninety strong, 

 healthy birds including twenty-six mated 

 couples. — Ethel M. Watson, California. 



