CHAPTER IV. 



BREEDING. 



To the ardent fancier the breeding season is the 

 season of the year. It may be a time of anxiety, 

 expectation, and vexation, 3^et it is also a time of 

 great joy, pleasure, and delight. Great, indeed, are 

 the fascinations of the breeding season. To the true 

 fancier no season brings such jo}' and pleasure. Even 

 to the hard bitten show-goer ' the delights of the 

 breeding season are keen. Many a time have I heard 

 an old warrior exclaim that he derived far more 

 pleasure from his birds during the breeding season 

 than he did at any other time of the year. The best 

 way to secure all the pleasure that this most interest- 

 ing of times can give is to so prepare and carry 

 through its work that it shall at least deserve, if it 

 does not bring, success. 



M.'VKING READY. 



In preparing for the breeding season the first 

 thing to do is to give the Pigeon house a thorough 

 clean out from top to bottom, like a good housewife 

 does her spring cleaning. Many people do a lot of 

 work with the whitewash bucket and brush at this 

 time, but I am no advocate of whitewash at this 

 season of the year. Pigeons don't like damp, and it 

 does not like them. Thej^ can stand anv amount of 

 cold if it is dry, and their house is snug and dry, but 

 damp and draught will soon pla^^ "old Harn,' " with 

 them. The spring cleaning which I recommend con- 

 sists in first removing all perches, then sweeping the 

 roof and walls well and thoroughh- with an ordinarj' 

 house broom, and the carrying away of all soiled saw- 

 dust. This done, the walls should be given a good 

 dry scrub with a scrubbing brush and a bucket of 

 clean sawdust. The brush should be dipped in the 



