216 
I 
THE COTTAGE GAEDENEE AND COUNTEY GENTLEMAN, July 6, 1858. 
When a bird thus laden is shot, and the grains counted, 
it is a very common practice to multiply the number by 365, 
to find out how much it could eat in a year ; then, reckoning 
the supposed number of Pigeons in the United Kingdom, an 
awful amount of depredation is placed to the account of the 
despised birds. But let us inquire if this formidable theory is 
consistent with practice. Let us suppose that, during the 
sowing time of corn, Pigeons feed entirely on grain, it will at 
once appear that, as they are not armed with hoe or rake, they 
can only take the waste, and, consequently, do no harm. 
Again, the enormous cropful that this or that bird was killed 
with, does not prove that such is its daily ration. On the 
contrary, a Pigeon could not eat that quantity daily for any 
length of time, and retain its health and activity. Where, too, 
could they procure corn in summer and winter ? while all the 
crops are either growing or housed. What is it, then, that 
they feed on ? Open their crops and see. I think I shall not 
be far wrong when X say, that for at least three-fourths of the 
year they can procure no corn from the fields : their food then 
consists of seeds,—the seeds of various weeds,—in devouring 
which, they render great service to the farmer, by helping him 
to keep his ground clean, in destroying innumerable seeds of 
weeds, that are scattered on the surface of stubbles or other 
lands during winter and summer. At harvest time, they are 
j also accused of devouring the corn, but I never heard of their 
i attacking the standing crops, except in the case of peas, and 
here, if we consider for awhile, we shall find that the injury 
done to the crop, is, in reality, nothing. A Pigeon cannot 
split open the pods, but only pick up the fallen peas : and 
where is there a pea-field, that the ground is not, more or less, 
strewn with those that have ripened and fallen from the pods, 
before the main crop was ready to carry ? and what becomes of 
them ? Hogs are sometimes turned into the pea grathen; but 
are not bushels and bushels ploughed in every year, to feed 
the mice and rats, and serve them for a winter store. W hy 
then, I ask, refuse the poor Pigeon a small picking ? I verily 
| believe, that much of this bigotry respecting Pigeons arises 
from ignorance, or is made the plea for having a pie at one’s 
neighbour’s expense. 
There are two periods of the year when the dovecot Pigeons 
require more liberal feeding. These happen in winter, when the 
ground is bound hard with frost and snow; and in summer, 
when all the land is so covered with growing crops that 
Pigeons cannot get at the earth to pick up the seeds. 
An anecdote is related, on good authority, of the peasants, 
in one of the departments of France, having complained of 
the great loss they fancied they sustained owing to the number 
of dovecots in their vicinity. The consequence was, the sup¬ 
pression of the obnoxious birds. The result did not, how¬ 
ever, meet their expectations ; they found their crops no 
better ; but the weeds increased so fast, that they were glad, 
after the trial of a season or two, to have the dovecots re¬ 
peopled. 
Nor must their manure be forgotten, which is of consider¬ 
able value as a fertilizer. In Persia, and many parts of the 
East, they build large towers, or houses, for the Pigeons, on 
purpose to obtain the manure only ; as the Mahomedans do 
not eat Pigeons, but regard them as sacred, and object to 
Christians keeping them. The kind of food with which 
Pigeons are supplied seems of but little importance while the 
bird has its liberty, and can procure such condiments as 
nature directs ; but, in confinement, good old tares, and small 
horsebeans, are considered the best food ; a little wheat occa¬ 
sionally is a good change; fresh and clean water is also 
another requisite; aud, where Pigeons are kept up, or con¬ 
fined, as some fancy breeds are, they ought to have certain 
helps or condiments, such as grit, lime, salt, and salad. These 
four I consider necessary to keep the birds in health: the 
first three are most usually given in the form of what is 
technically called a salt-cat. 
The salt-cat is composed of about equal quantities of a 
clean, unctuous loam, such as brickmakers use; a coarse, 
gritty sand, or fine gravel, in which the grains are about the 
size of pins heads ; and old mortar : to this is added a small 
quantity of baysalt. Some persons, to make it more at¬ 
tractive, add aromatic seeds,—such as cummin, anise, 
coriander, and caraway. The whole should be mixed up, 
with chamber-lie, into the consistency of mortar, and placed 
1 in a crock, the sides of which are perforated with many holes, 
large enough to admit the pigeons heads, and covered with a 
lid to keep off the weather. The Pigeons will take great de¬ 
light in it. 
It is said that this preparation attaches the Pigeons 
strongly to their abode, and also that it prevents their picking 
the mortar from the house-roof, on which account Pigeons 
are objected to. But the birds, in reality, only eat the loose 
and weather-crumbled debris, and, with their weak beaks, 
cannot possibly loosen a tile; though, by their running over 
I the roof, they may occasionally cause a loose tile, or slate, to 
! slip down, but wliich would, in all probability, have fallen 
the next high wind ; so that the damage actually done by the 
Pigeons is very slight indeed. 
Green food may be provided for Pigeons, that do not have 
their liberty, in the form of letttuce; or salad may be sown 
in troughs, or boxes, for them to peck off; any smooth¬ 
leaved greens will be relished, but it requires to be fast or 
fixed, to enable them to pick little pieces out. Cress, rapeseed, 
or any of the cabbage tribe, may thus be sow r n for the Pigeons. 
As I have before said, the dovehouse Pigeons are usually fed 
in the poultry-yard; and the fancy Pigeons, that are not 
allowed to fly out, are fed from the hopper in their aviary, to 
which they always have free access. The same plan is usually 
adopted in lofts ; but where other kinds are kept in pigeon- 
houses, or lockers, it is usual to call them by a whistle, or some 
other known signal, to be fed at some quiet spot near at hand; 
and on account of the fondness of the birds for a young 
salad, not so much as food, but simply as a relish, I would 
advise the amateur not to entice them into the kitchen garden, 
or they may cause annoyance among the young crops. 
There is hardly any kind of grain or corn which Pigeons 
will refuse, but their preference seems to be given to hemp- 
seed over every other; yet too much of it is injurious to them; 
and it has been found, in Germany, that, after the linseed 
harvest, Pigeons are frequently ill, and die of diarrhoea. 
Although Pigeons are granivorous birds, yet they will eat, 
and apparently enjoy, an occasional change of boiled potatoes, 
soaked bread, and bacon or ham fat, cut in small pieces; and 
there is a particular grub, or larva, w r hicli they find in old 
pastures, and eat when other food is scarce. 
Pigeons are very cleanly in their persons, and their abodes 
should be frequently cleaned. They are also very fond of 
washing or bathing ; and Pigeons in confinement, or such as 
have not a stream or some such place at hand to enjoy their 
ablutions in, should be occasionally provided with a large pan 
of water, or a shallow tub, in which to cleanse their feathers. 
—B. P. Brent. 
(To be continued.) 
OUE LETTEE BOX. 
Tumbler Pigeons. —“ I have observed three kinds of the Tumbler 
pigeon,—those which ascend in the air, and tumble towards the earth ; 
those which tumble while they fly along; and, thirdly, those which 
tumble off the hand, and cannot rise for this reason. Which of these 
is most esteemed by the fancier of the Tumbler?” —One who would 
LIKE TO KEEP THE BEST. 
[High fancy birds are bred to shape and feather. They are not 
esteemed as Tumblers, for they rarely tumble much. For high flving, 
those that tumble as they fly along with the flight are best liked. 
Those of the Hutch, or rollers, are only kept as curiosities from their 
excessive tumbling. Those that tumble off the hand, perhaps have 
the wing broken.—B. P. B.] 
Bantam Eggs (A Subscriber ). — The reason why bantams’ eggs 
should be put under a bantam is, that other fowls are too large and 
heavy. They break the eggs that are put under them by their weight, 
and they kill the chickens by trampling on them. But all that is 
necessary, is to have a very small hen ; the breed is quite immaterial. 
LONDON MARKETS.— July 5th. 
POULTRY. 
The cessation of tropical heat enables us to make a more intelligible 
quotation than we have of late. The supply at market is still very 
limited, but the demand is falling oft', as the West-end season draws to 
a close. 
Large Fowls ... 
Small ditto. 
Chickens. 
Geese . 
Ducks. 
6s 
Each. 
0 d. to 7s. 
6 cl. 
Leverets. 
Each. 
3s. 0 d. to 4s. 
GJ. 
4 
0 „ 5 
0 
Pigeons . 
0 9 
„ o 
10 
3 
0 „ 4 
0 
Guinea Fowls. 
0 0 
„ 0 
0 
5 
0 „ 6 
0 
Rabbits . 
1 5 
„ 1 
6 
3 
6 „ 4 
0 
Wild ditto. 
0 9 
„ 0 
10 
t 
