THE MARKETS 85 



find, and sells them for two and three cents apiece, or for any- 

 thing he can get, and these find their way into the markets. 

 There are now laws in most states forbidding pigeon trap 

 shooting. 



When you see in the market quotations the expression, 

 " Squabs, prime, large, white," this does not mean squabs with 

 white plumage. Squabs in the city markets are sold and dis- 

 played with the feathers off. The " prime, large, white " squabs 

 are those raised by our Extra Homers and Extra Cameaux. 

 These are always the best squabs in the markets and bring 

 the highest prices. 



"Squabs mixed" means that the squabs have not been 

 graded so as to be uniform in size, but are various sizes, such 

 as would be bred by a person who has several breeds of pigeons, 

 or pigeons bought from, several sources, with no uniformity of 

 output. 



By the quotation,. " Squabs, dark," is meant the squabs 

 from common pigeons and cheap Homers which have dark 

 flesh. Squabs whose flesh is dark do not sell for as much as 

 the white-fleshed squabs. 



Be sure you start with Plymouth Rock Homers or Plymouth 

 Rock Cameaux, or both, and breed " prime, large, white " 

 squabs of class and tmiformity. Don't try to raise squabs 

 from crosses or pigeons from different sources. 



Pigeons are of all colors, i. e., as you see their feathers, and 

 the squabs Hkewise, but when you pluck the feathers off the 

 flesh is either a pure white with a tinge of yellow, or dark Hke, 

 a negro's skin. 



Quotations for squabs as found in the market reports in 

 the newspapers are always lower than they really are. The 

 writers of the market columns in the daily- papers see only the 

 commission men and cater only to them; they smoke the 

 commission men's cigars and believe what the commission 

 men tell them. They do not see the producer at all. The 

 object of the commission men is to get the squabs as cheaply as 

 they can. When you are breeding squabs make up your mind 

 to get from one dollar to threfe dollars or more per dozen than 

 you see quoted in the market reports. The only way to find 

 out the truth about the squab markets is to go into them and 

 offer to buy squabs, not to sell them. Then you will learii the 

 true prices. 



