400 



APPENDIX G 



HOW GOOD SQUABS TOOK THE RIGHT 

 OF WAY, by C. E. Plank. In May. 1908, I 

 purchased one dozen pairs of the Extra Ply- 

 mouth Rock Homers, intending to raise squabs 

 for my own use only, but in a year I had on 

 hand seventy pairs, and lacking room had to 

 dispose of the surplus squabs. I called on 

 one of the largest retail grocers, handling 

 groceries, meats, fruits and all good things to 

 eat, who offered me only $1.50 a dozen, saying 

 he never paid over $2 for the best. I told 

 him he must be getting only common birds 

 of about seven or eight pounds per dozen. He 

 acknowledged such was the case. When I 

 explained what my birds were and that my 

 squabs ran ten and eleven pounds per dozen, 

 he was wilUng to talk, and we finally com- 

 promised on $2.50, alive off the nest, any 

 quantity and at any time, this because I had 

 to sell my birds alive, having no time to dress 

 or even pluck them. 



I averaged eight dozen a month the rest of 

 the year, or $20 a month, and my feed was 

 costing me about $7. 



I had one house twelve by fourteen feet, with 

 a low upper story, keeping about ninety birds ■ 

 in the lower part and thirty above. In May, 

 1910, I built another cheap house seven by 

 eleven feet, stocking it with select youngsters, 

 fifty Homers and twelve Carneaux, allowing 

 them to mate up as they wished. Most of 

 the Carneaux mated with Homers and their 

 sqtiabs all run over a pound each, and these 

 Carhqmes are fully as prolific as the Homers. 



To verify the quality of my squabs, I will 

 say that last month the head buyer for the 

 grocer instructed me to bring no more squabs, 

 as they were overstocked. I told him I had 

 arranged with the owner personally for the 

 sale of my birds, and the conditions. He called 

 the owner, who said: " Oh, you are the gentle- 

 man who has the large squabs," then to the 

 buyer: " Cut out some of the others, and take 

 all this man brings. We can always dispose 

 of his birds." His retail price is thirty to 

 fifty cents each, and if I had the time to kill 

 and pluck my squabs, I could find a ready 

 sale for all of them to private parties and hotels 

 at $3.50 to $4.50 a dozen. 



Comparatively few private families in this 

 Missouri city use squabs to any extent what- 

 ever. I have attended several banquets at 

 hotels and clubs, at which squabs were served, 

 and find them invariably broiled, practically 

 " dried up " and usually the common birds. 

 It is no wonder that people who try the small 

 birds, served in that manner, are not very 

 *' strong " for squabs. 



While my pigeons are yielding me a big 

 per cent profit on the investment, I know 

 they would be much more lucrative were I 

 to give them an hour or two eadh day. I see 

 them a few minutes each morning and spend 

 a few hours with them on Sunday . In winter 

 I see them in daylight only on Sunday. 



An elderly Englishman who raises fancy 

 pigeons of all kinds for shows and fairs called 

 to see my birds recently and said I had the 

 nicest, healthiest lot of pigeons he had ever 



seen. I lose very few birds with my present 

 manner of feeding. I have tried various 

 methods and find whole ^ com and kaffir as 

 main food to be the best, with about one-sixth 

 hard wheat. 



BRILLIANT WHITEWASH. Half a bushel 

 unslaked lime; slake with warm water, cover it 

 during the process to keep the steam ; strain the 

 liquid through a fine sieve or strainer; add a 

 peck of salt, the same to be previously well 

 dissolved in warm water; add three pounds of 

 ground rice boiled to a thin paste and stir in 

 boihng hot; add one-half poimd of glue which 

 has been previously dissolved over a slow fire 

 and add five gallons of hot water to the mixture, 

 stir well and let it stand for a few days, covering 

 up to keep out dirt. It should be put on hot. 

 One pint of the mixture, properly applied, will 

 cover a square yard. Small brushes are best. 

 There is nothing can compare with it for out- 

 side or inside work and it retains its brilliancy 

 for many years. Coloring matter may be put 

 in and made of any shade — Spanish brownr 

 yeEow ochre, or common clay, etc. 



I tried to fii out if there was any one in 

 London, Ontari a city of 50,000 inhabitants, 

 who is doing a s isb business, but I hear of only 

 one man selJir squabs. He is over eighty 

 years of age -T" oays the boys twenty-five 

 cents a pair ::>. common pigeons alive or dead. 

 He plucks the leathers, and sells the pigeons to 

 private customers at eighty cents a pair. That 

 is I think a pretty high price, for common old 

 pigeons. There are quite a few breeders of 

 flying Homers in London and I understand they 

 have an association, but apparently they have 

 not yet become much interested in squabs. 

 Near London is the city of Hamilton, with 

 65,000 people, sixty miles away; also Chatham 

 sixty miles away, with 30,000 people, and St. 

 Thomas twenty-six miles distant, with 30,000 

 inhabitants. Surely this is population enough 

 to make trade for squab plants. — ^W. W. Suther- 

 land, Canada. 



Sulphate of iron is a good tonic and cor- 

 rective for pigeons. Use a tablespoonful to a 

 gallon of water. I grind charcoal as fine as I 

 can and mix it with salt, then dampen it and 

 pack a paper bag and bake in the oven for half 

 a day or longer, so it will be as hard as a brick. 

 Put it in the pen and the pigeons peck at it. I 

 have sold some of my squabs for sixty-five cents 

 a pair. I think there is nothing better than 

 squab raising, both to make money and for 

 Satisfaction. — ^Louis H. Scharff, Pennsylvaiiia. 



In regard to nest-building, I have found out 

 that by taking mustard stalks and cutting them 

 about three feet from top of tree and then 

 chopping the httle thin branches and stump 

 together to about six inches in length, this 

 makes excellent nesting material for pigeons. 

 They will leave all others and pick out mustard 

 sticks. If some of your subscribers will try 

 this, they will see how quickly their pigeons 

 will build nests, — Elmer Krider, California. 



