364 David Seth- Smith—The Rest on Foreign Bird Farm


THE KESTON FOREIGN BIRD FARM :


A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT


By David Seth-Smith


Messrs. Boosey and Brooksbank’s experiment in forming a foreign

bird farm kas interested me greatly from the start, for in my young

days I built a castle in the air which consisted of a farm ; but it was

no ordinary farm, its most interesting and most profitable branch was

the breeding of foreign birds. My castle was never more than in the

air, for the considered verdict of the Powers that were was to the

effect that, desirable as were hobbies, it would be a fatal mistake to

dream of turning one’s hobby into one’s career. Hobbies, I was told,

were excellent for those who had time or leisure to indulge in them,

but for the majority the thing was to keep one’s nose to the grindstone

until one was old and infirm, when one would be able to revert to the

hobbies of one’s youth. So, had I had my way, I am not sure that the

Keston Foreign Bird Farm would have been, as it is, the first of its

kind ! As it is, to watch its progress and be able to very heartily

congratulate its founders is a great joy. Here are two young men,

both keen naturalists and bird lovers, who left other careers because

they believed that their favourite hobby could be ridden to success.

The one was born to an important position in the music world, his

father being head of the famous old publishing house which bears his

name ; the other was on the stage, with every prospect of a successful

career. But the fascination of keeping and breeding foreign birds

was strong, and, after all, why should it not be made to pay and pay

well ? So, in the face of strong opposition, they joined hands and took

the plunge, and have never regretted it, for they have proved that

"they were right.


The Keston Foreign Bird Farm is an undoubted success. I visited

it two years ago, and was much impressed by what I saw. I have now

visited it again, and the way it has progressed in the interval is

astonishing. The number of aviaries has doubled, and it is very

evident that its owners know their job right well and can now be sure

of producing each year a numerous healthy crop of young birds of

kinds that are most sought after by aviculturists. They are especially



