456 
FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 


Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by JoskPH M. 
WaDk, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 

a 
Sarczns Jfovnvas AND OULTRY XCHANGE, 
JOSEPH M. WADE, Editor and Proprietor. 
Published Weekly at 39 North Ninth Street, Philadelphia. 
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SHERMAN & Co., PRINTERS, PHILADELPHIA. 
» “BE JUST AND FEAR NOT.” 
Durine the ‘controversy ’’ in reference to the New 
Standard, and A. P. A., we have received many letters; 
most of which have indorsed the course which we adopted as 
indicated by the motto above ; while others have complained 
in a friendly way, objecting to such use of the pages of the 
Journal. But these writers do not realize the importance 
of the matter at issue. It is of the utmost necessity that we 
have a perfect standard to breed to, and to judge by. 
The one just issued is lamentably at fault. The Associa- 
tion made many mistakes, yet we know it was composed 
mostly of well meaning men, who will be glad to correct 
any such faults when their attention is properly called to 
them; and in this direction we feel that the Journal has 
been of service. Many of us are wiser than we were when 
at Buffalo; and to the almost unanimous verdict, we sug- 
gest as a remedy, that we must unite the well directed talent 
displayed by the opposition (called “ fault-finders ), trust- 
ing that the augmented and consolidated wisdom will result 
in the production of a standard with which none but habit- 
ual grumblers can find fault. 
As to the ‘‘ Halsted controversy,’’ we admitted it as a 
matter of justice to the accused, because we do not believe 
it right to hastily condemn any one, without affording him 
the opportunity for defence. and we are now satisfied that 
the alleged offense (?), if committed at all, was committed 
before and not after he was admitted a “‘member”’ of the 
association ; hence, were it a crime instead, he could not be 
legally expelled, unheard. 
It is well known that others attended the convention for 
a purpose similar to that alleged, as against (?) Mr. Halsted, 
and we fail to see the supposed force in the accusations of 
his especial accusers. It is claimed that he intended to sur- 
reptitiously (?) obtain, for his own use, minutes of the meet- 
ing, or something to that effect. Others went for the same 

purpose. It was not expected that it would be a ‘‘ close con- 
vention.”? Hence, the free use of our columns to both the 
assailed and his accusers, to open the way for the dis- 
covery and, if need be, correction of mistakes, and the 
operations of justice to all. Had Mr. Halsted succeeded in 
this alleged undertaking, we have no doubt that we should 
have had a Standard ably edited, of which no one could 
justly complain. 
When we started this paper we intended that it should be 
in fact, what its name indicates—the Fanciers’ Journal. We 
mean that all sides shall have a fair hearing. We will ad- 
vocate no‘novelty unless satisfied that it is meritorious ; and 
we will carefully watch the interests of genuine fanciers, 
and guarantee that the merits of this journal shall increase - 
proportionately to the liberality of its support, and we will 
“Be just and fear naught.” 




















Pigeon Department: 
A PLACE FOR PIGEONS. 
Tue banks of Betsey River, near Frankford, Mich., are a 
favorite resort for pigeons, and they are annually taken there 
in great numbers. The nesting is about three miles wide 
and fifteen miles long, and extends along both banks of the 
Betsey River. On their first arrival, which is in May, the 
hunters build huts of boughs on the shores of Crystal Lake, a 
sheet of water nine miles long, and in other open localities, 
and shoot the pigeons as they fly in masses. There are 
three flights a day: first, the male birds begin to fly just 
before sunrise, leaving the nestings, and flying north and 
east, from ten to sixty miles to feed. This flight lasts nearly 
two hours, at which time the sky is actually clouded with 
them. At seven o’clock not a bird can be seen. Again at 
about half-past eight, the male birds begin to return, and 
the ‘“hens’’ begin to leave the nests to procure their late 
breakfast. The males always take the places of the fe- 
males, and do their share of the sitting. At nine o’clock 
the scene beggars description, when the sky is spotted with - 
continuous clouds of pigeons going each way with the ra- 
pidity of the wind, and coming in sight continually for two 
hours. The ‘hens’? stay out till four in the afternoon, 
when they return, and the ‘‘ Toms” again go out in quest of 
food, and stay out as long as they please. Some do not re- 
turn until sundown, at which time they can be knocked 
down by dozens, as they fly only a few feet from the 
ground. 
Later in the season the catching is done in feed beds and 
salt springs, which are prepared some weeks in advance, 
being baited with corn and salt, which, being mixed, is scat- 
tered over a smooth spot in the woods near a muddy spring, 
which, being also salted profusely, affords a drinking-place. 
When birds begin to work the feed beds in sufficient num- 
bers, say from one hundred to six hundred’ dozen, then the 
slaughter commences. The largest ‘“haul’’ that has been 
made this season, at one spring of a net, was fifty dozen. 

SE a 
