118 
a wound which is visible to the eye of the 
consumer. Use a knife with a long, narrow, 
sharp blade. We. sell them for forty-five 
cents each, postage paid. 
CONCERNING NEST BOXES. Many 
customers who do not use egg-crates or 
orange boxes, but build their nest-boxes of 
half-inch or five-eighths Jumber. have written 
us that they have used the construction 
which we illustrate herewith and which is 
good, because cleaning can be better done. 
The bottoms of the nest-boxes are re- 
movable and rest on cleats, as the picture 
shows. The cleats are seven-eighths or Gne 
inch square-and are nailed-to the uprights. 
hen this construction is employed, it is 
not necessary that you have a block or 
base screwed to..our. nappy. or. nest-bowl. 
The nappy or nest-bowl may be screwed 
directly onto this removable nest-box bottom. 
It is not necessary to nail a strip of wood 
across the fronts of the nest-boxes, to prevent 
the squabs from falling out. i 
The squabs stay in the nest until they 
care ready to leave it, and it is very rare to 
fin} one on the floor. It will be noticed 
tha: in the cities, the street pigeons’ nests 
in many cases will 
cornices of high 
be found on the open 
ildings, and if squabs 
stay in such nests until they are able to 
fly, the beginner with squabs ought not to 
be worried about his birds’ nests which are 
only a few feet from the floor. 
SQUABS IN CHICAGO. The following 
article is taken from the Chicago American: 
Squab Farming is a new Chicago Industry. 
Little Capital is Required and Persons of good 
Judgment and Care can Realize Good 
Profits from Pigeon Culture. 
Tf all the birds in all the pies were suddenly 
to lift their voices in song like those in the 
nursery rhyme, the chorus would be loud 
and lone, for raising of squabs for food is a 
constantly growing and lucrative industry, 
and withal very fascinating, 
NATIONAL STANDARD SQUAB BOOK 
A number of farms, each sheltering several 
hundred birds, are being conducted within 
easy reach of the Chicago market. 
Such. clubs as the Union League and 
Athletic are always ready buyers. Plump 
birds are readily sold for a dollar apiece ior 
breeding purposes, and their squabs at $4 
a dozen for food. As in any field of labor, 
the. best results come from studied and 
carefully planned effort. Utmost cleanliness 
in food and in the little compartments to 
which each bird comes with unerring instinct 
to nest enters largely into success. i 
Eggs of clear black or white birds are 
difficult to hatch because the birds of those 
colors are very restless and nervous, not 
caring for their eggs; sometimes only one in 
a dozen being matured. : 
In four weeks the young bird is ready for 
the market. Many of the squab farms are 
side issues of those employed at other voca- 
tions during the day, and bid fair to attract 
the attention of those seeking quick returns 
from a small outlay. 
Attention to recognized habits of the 
birds, sanitary: conditions and good breeds 
for parent birds are all that is necessary to 
success, 
ACTUAL TESTS CONVINCED THEM. 
la Appendix A _in our Manual, we tell of 
a sale of our Homers which we made in 
February, 1903, to a_ship captain, who 
intended to sail from Boston around Cape 
Horn to the Pacific coast, with stops, the 
whole voyage to be made in about a year, 
the pigeons to furnish fresh squab meat for~ 
the long journey. The ship went to Florida; 
from Boston, thence to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 
safely, and sailed from there October 1, 1503. 
Under date of June 22, 1904, the Captain 
wrote us as follows from New. York City: 
“The birds proved all you claim for them, 
and even more. I put them in a small house 
I built, four by eight, and four by four flying 
‘pen, on March 7,1903. (This was on the deck 
of the ship.) They all hatched before April 
6, and up to June 5, 1904, every tird had 
hatched twelve times, and one pair thirteen 
times. I saved one pair of the first hatches, 
_ that were born about April 6, and in October 
they hatched their first pair, and up to June 
5 had six hatchings, which I think was pretty 
good. I am satisfied that if the birds are: 
taken care of there is tig money in them, 
and just as soon as I can get a locaticn in 
New Jersey, near New York City, I will send 
to you for two or three hundred pairs. - I have 
an option on a place now and will know 
tomorrow. I am pretty sure I shall get it 
and by next Monday I am in hopes to begin 
my houses. As soon as I get them ready, 
I will send you a draft for what birds I want. 
As my houses are built I will order and fill 
them and I hope you will try and give me a 
good lot of birds. I shall build for one 
thousand pairs: this summer and increase 
next year if the birds are as good as those 
