35 



the bob wires with which each loft should be equipped should 

 be opened about three times a day and the birds allowed to 

 exercise. In a short time they will become accustomed to being 

 on the wing and make quite long flights from the loft an(J become 

 thoroughly acquainted with the surrounding country. Then they 

 should be taken a few miles from the loft in a roomy basket or 

 crate and liberated.' They will at once circle and start for home. 

 The next day they should be taken about five miles from home 

 in the same direction as the previous day and liberated. The 

 day following they should be taken ten miles from home in the 

 same direction and allowed to fly home. Usually these prepar- 

 atory flights are made from the east. First of all the birds are 

 to be trained in a southern direction. After flying ten miles from 



Well Trained and Ready for Market. 



the East, the birds are then taken over the same course from 

 the West, and after they are thoroughly acquainted with the 

 surrounding country from ten to twenty miles from the loft in 

 an easterly and westerly direction, they can then be started for 

 their southern route, five miles from home for the first flight. 



The day following they are taken ten miles from home ; the 

 following day twenty, after which they are given a rest for a day 

 or two, with exercise around the home loft about a half hour each 

 day. They then can be taken to the 50-mile station and liberated 

 After this they can be sent to the hundred-mile station and then 

 allowed one week's rest at home, with daily exercise of at least 

 one hour. At the end of the week they can be shipped to the two 

 hundred-mile station and then allowed another week's rest at 



