46 Pigeons and All About Them. 



sawdust, a certain quantity of the sawdust brought 

 out of the pail on the face of the brush, and the walls 

 \\-ell scrubbed and rubbed with the brush and saw- 

 dust. Each dip of the brush should cover about two 

 or three feet of the wall. It is astonishing how clean a 

 loft wall may be made by a dry scrub. The walls hav- 

 ing been done in this way all round, should again be 

 swept, as should the floor, and all the dirty sawdust 

 used in the scrubbing process taken away. Follow- 

 ing this, the floor should be covered with two or three 

 inches of clean, coarse, sawdust. A dry, fine day 

 should be selected for this cleaning down process, so 

 that the birds may be turned into the flight ^vhilst it 

 is going on. 



BRINGING IN THE BOXES. 



I have expressed my preference for dry cleaning 

 of the walls over the white-washing method, and it 

 may be as well to give the why and the wherefore. 

 In the early months of the year the walls of a Pigeon 

 house, be they of wood or brick, aire naturally more 

 or Less idamp by reason of the moisture contained in 

 th'6 winter atmosphere, and they will not be dry until 

 the sun obtains more power. To give the walls a 

 co-atiiig of '^^•hitewash Avould make them damper still, 

 and the damp being given off from the walls, w'hilst 

 the nights are cold, cannot by any possibility be good 

 for the birds. Further, I have known more than one 

 good Pigeon have its eyes troubled by the lime com- 

 ing off the walls. Many believe in the cleansing 

 powers of lime, and that is the reason for advocating 

 its use. It also is a good cover for dirt, and causes 

 many a fancier to give his loft what is only a sirrface 

 cleansing; that is, instead of thoroughly cleansing 

 and sweeping the walls, as I ad\-ise, the owner is apt 

 to take the whitewash bucket and brush, and make 

 a tour of the walls, covering up the dirt instead of 

 taking it off. 



The house having been swepit and garnished, the 

 perches should again be fixed, and the nest lioxes 

 brought in. I believe in portable nest boxes, and 

 always u.se ordinary cube sugar boxes. If you are 



