May, 1914 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
411 
twenty-four hours by both parents, and, 
as digestion is very rapid, the growth of 
a healthy squab is quite apparent from 
day to day. This explains the necessity 
for great regularity in feeding, especially 
at the evening meal, for the young birds 
must be well filled up before dark. Six- 
thirty A. M. and four P. M. are the best 
hours to feed in summer; seven-thirty 
and three in winter. 
The regular morning ration for a pen of 
fifty pairs of birds is three quarts of equal 
parts cracked corn, wheat and Canada 
peas; in the afternoon the same quantity 
of equal parts cracked corn, Kaffir corn, 
millet and peas. Vary this by substituting 
hemp for millet twice a week, except in 
hot weather, and three or four times a 
month add a small quantity of buck¬ 
wheat or rice. Lentils have sometimes 
been used instead of peas, with very sat¬ 
isfactory results, but the squab must be 
watched for a time to see that they 
thrive on the new food. The appetites of 
the birds will vary somewhat according 
to the number of squab to be fed, so that 
it will often be necessary to increase or 
diminish the rations. If, at any feeding, 
much of the previous meal has been left, 
lessen the quantity for a day or two; if 
the trough is thoroughly cleaned up, add 
an extra pint. Before putting any grain 
out be sure that all the droppings are 
scraped from the trough. In selecting 
grain for pigeons, never be persuaded to 
patronize a cheap dealer. Either his 
weights will be short or his grain will not 
be first class, and the best is the cheapest 
in the long run, for skinny, dark-looking 
squab will very soon testify to any effort 
to economize in the feed barrels. 
Plenty of fresh water is a very impor¬ 
tant item of pigeon care, and the two- 
gallon fountain, which will supply all the 
water necessary for the day except dur¬ 
ing the heated term, should be well 
washed with a brush every morning. 
Twice a month, on days when carbolic is 
used in the bath, add five or six drops 
to the drinking water. This not only dis¬ 
infects the fountain, but helps to keep 
the mouths and throats of the birds free 
from any germs which may be hovering 
about. 
I11 cleaning the pens, first remove the 
nappy, replacing the old bed if necessary 
with a few fresh tobacco stems and a lit¬ 
tle straw if the squabs are very small. 
Next take out the sliding shelf, using a 
paper-hanger's wall scraper to scrape the 
droppings into an old pail. This method 
saves lots of time and makes it unneces¬ 
sary to rake and sand the floor oftener 
than once a week. It is an excellent plan 
to keep a box of air-slaked lime on hand 
and to use it freely on the freshly cleaned 
shelves. It is a wonderful purifier and 
most discouraging to disease germs. 
When buying pigeons, two precautions 
are of vital importance. Make sure first 
that the stock is good, and, second, that 
the birds you get are all mated. The best 
way to settle the first question is to in- 
Your Walls Must 
Be Right 
You can tear out a faulty heating sys- 
tem. You can re-lay poor floors. But 
the construction of your walls must be right in the first place. 
The permanence and beauty of inside plaster and outside stucco 
depend upon the wall base. The base that is absolutely reliable 
under all sorts of conditions is 
ZKno-S&urn 
Expanded Metal Lath 
Plasterers do good work and quick work over “Kno-Burn” because it is rigid and offers a smooth 
surface to the trowel. It expands and contracts with the plaster when the temperature changes sud¬ 
denly. This prevents cracks. It will never rot away because it is a metal lath. 
It compares favorably in cost with other plaster bases. Ask your architect. 
Perhaps you are not thoroughly familiar with the superiority of metal 
lath. Then send for our new book, "" 
, “Practical Homebuilding.” It con 
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construction, numerous photographs and the best of general advice on 
home-building. 
Send ten cents to cover cost of 
mailing and ask for Booklet 379 
Si North Western Expanded Metal Company 
937Old Colony Building Chicago, U. S. A. 
In writing to advertisers please mention House & Garden. 
