INCREASE OF FLOCK 77 
course. The lines from the neck to the body descend in a 
long, graceful sweep. Put a thoroughbred Homer into a 
flock of common pigeons and even a novice, if told to pick out 
the bird which would fly the fastest and furthest, would pick 
out the Homer. The Homer has a long bill (but not so long 
as the Dragoon pigeon). The bill of the common pigeon is 
short. Its bill is more hooked and is sharper pointed. Its 
head is shorter and more rounding on top. 
The common pigeon is seldom bred in captivity, because it 
does not pay for the grain which it consumes. If bred in a 
wild state, it picks up a living in the neighborhood, the owner 
not keeping it wired in. It is the cheapest kind of a pigeon, 
and thousands of pairs are used by trap shooters. Under- 
takers sometimes buy the white common pigeons in order to 
liberate them at graves, to signify the ascent of the soul to 
heaven. Common pigeons will live anywhere, do not get 
attached to any home, but a Homer never forgets the place 
where it was bred and will search out its home in long flights. 
Common pigeons will alight on any building and will drink 
from different springs and wells, fouling them and making 
themselves a nuisance in a neighborhood. The Homer will 
alight only on its own squab house and drink only at its own 
home. Common pigeons sell for fifty cents a pair and are 
frequently offered as Homers. Do not start with common 
pigeons and think to learn the habits of squab breeders with 
them. If you cross a common with a Homer pigeon you will 
take away the good qualities of the Homer and add nothing. 
There is not one element in a common pigeon which if added 
to a Homer would improve the offspring. It is hard to 
convince some people that there is any difference in pigeons 
whose feathers are the same color. The result is they buy 
the cheapest they can get. After feeding them for a time and 
getting no profitable results, they are compelled to sell them 
to the first trap shooter who comes along, and they go among 
their townspeople declaring that the pigeon business is no 
good. Remember this point, that if you are going to buy 
grain and feed it to anything so as to get a profit, it is the 
best policy to feed it to that grade of animal which will show 
the largest profit. Very few people are satisfied with shoddy 
suits nowadays, even if they look almost as well as the all- 
wool garments. It is the wear which the customer is after. 
