APPENDIX G 



375 



.. SP^ °^^ WOMAN WORKS AND WINS, 

 by NeUie C. Wellman. The business of squab 

 raising had always appealed to me as most 

 fascinating, but living in a city I could not 

 very well engage in such an occupation. 



But a few years ago, a very pleasant home- 

 stead in the country, my husband's boyhood 

 home, came into our possession. 



In the spring as soon as the weather per- 

 mitted, our squabhouse of two units was 

 started, and May 4, 1909. we installed thirty- 

 one pairs of birds in unit No. 1. We were 

 fortunate in securing fine Homers. I began 

 to save the young birds for future breeders 

 and by the last of August had about one 

 hundred youngsters in unit No. 2. 



We sold no squabs until the first of Septem- 

 ber of that year, and have been most succes- 

 ful in raising fine birds, and also in disposing 

 of them to the very best markets and private 

 customers. 



I live about twenty-five miles from New 

 Haven, Conn., which was my birthplace and 

 also home for many years, and having an 

 extensive circle of acquaintances, I found no 

 difficulty in selling my squabs. 



Then, too, being personally acquainted with 

 the proprietors of the best markets, I found 

 them very ready and willing to buy good birds. 

 Another means of our getting customers 

 was through a private chef, who goes to the 

 houses of the wealthy class to cook for private 

 dinners. This chef (a woman) has done much 

 to recommend our squabs, telling people they 

 are the best that come under her notice. 



Two of the markets take the birds with 

 feathers. Another market wishes the feathers 

 off, but birds are not drawn. 



For our private trade, we dress the squabs 

 completely, wrapping each one in wax paper 

 and packing nicely in pasteboard boxes. 



As the birds are all sold in New Haven, this 

 way of packing seems all that is necessary and 

 we have never been obliged to use ice. 



In the spring of 1910 three more units were 

 added to the house, which now consists of 

 five units besides a grain and killing room 

 at one end. 



I believe in absolute cleanliness, pure, fresh 

 water, and plenty of it, good health grit, char- 

 coal, salt and oyster shells. My birds have 

 all of these, and I have never had a case of 

 canker in my loft. 



I hire a man for cleaning and other heavy 

 work, but attend personally to the birds, being 

 familiar with each individually. 



Several of my breeders have raised nine and 

 one-half pairs of squabs, and few less than 

 eight pairs during the year. 



If possible I am more enthusiastic as regards 

 squab breeding than ever. The pleasure I 

 derive from being with the birds more than 

 repays me for the labor connected with their 

 care. 



As a rule, those who offer any class of pig- 

 eons for half price, either have failed to figure 

 out what it cost to raise and mate, or they are 

 selling a poor class of birds. 



HOW A POSTAL CARD FOUND MY 

 BUYERS, by Frank English. I purchased 

 some Homers and Cameaux of the Plymouth 

 Rock Squab Company. I started in to raise 

 my own breeding stock, and my birds proved 

 to be excellent workers. I began to advertise 

 in the local press and by the following post 

 card: 



SQUABS 



Rich, juicy, fat squabs are not only a dainty 

 food, but also very nutritious and far superior 

 to chickens. They are especially valuable to 

 the sick and convalescent who cannot assimilate 

 coarse meats. If you have never enjoyed 

 the pleasure of eating squabs, try them. We 

 have them on sale either killed and dressed, 

 or alive as desired by some. We have nothing 

 but the very best, and raise all we offer. No 

 cold storage nor common pigeons. We sell 

 by the single pair and upwards in half dozens, 

 or any number required. 



FRANK ENGLISH, Squab and Pigeon 

 Farm. 



Within forty-eight hours my telephone kept 

 me busy with people inquiring about squabs. 

 I need not say that in a small Northern Con- 

 necticut section many of the inquiries were 

 both original and provincial. Some wanted to 

 know if I raised squabs for Gloucester fisher- 

 men. Some wanted to know if it was right to 

 skin them. Others desired information con- 

 cerning the nature and purposes of squabs, 

 while a few wanted to learn how to hunt and 

 trap them. Of course, among the Berkshire 

 and Litchfield Hills this simplicity was pardon- 

 able, but out of one hundred postal cards sent 

 out and a small advertisement in a local paper, 

 I received orders for more squabs than I could 

 furnish and the prices ranged from four to 

 six dollars per dozen, according to size. 



To say that I was agreeably surprised goes 

 without saying. I feel that many of the squab 

 breeders unfavorably situated for expressing 

 squabs long distances at great expense may 

 take heart by my experience and cultivate a 

 local trade to their advantage and profit. 



Later (April 26) 

 Here's a how-de-do! My post cards and 

 the advertisement one of our local hotels has 

 given me have created a furor. I cannot 

 supply squabs enough and have had to refuse 

 orders. I did not dream when I sent out the 

 post cards that I would have such a deluge of 

 orders. The hotel man informs me that he 

 never had such fine squabs before. 



There are squab breeders as far West as 

 Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas 

 who are shipping steadily to the Eastern city 

 markets. Your success with squabs does not 

 depend upon the markets, but it does depend 

 upon your intelligence in dealing with the 

 markets. 



The pigeon business is like any other busi- 

 ness; that is, you must talk pigeons if you sell 

 pigeons. 



