The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-10-22
Pigeon Catching.
From the Lewiston Journal.1

in the State of New Hampshire, and the
birds were more plenty than they are now
IN this country, or any part OF the State.
One shilling per dozen was what the
Concord dealers thought about right tor
them in those days Now they sell readi-
ly for twelve shillings and sometimes
more. The Aliens have two beds, distant
lfom each other about one mile. The
necessity, or advantage rather, of two, is.
that when the birds are driven from one,
by netting or from any other cause, they
HY to the other, and SO loss is prevented
Our reporter visited one OF these beds q
few days since. He found it situated in
the centre OF a clearing of about two
acres IN extent. Upon its sides was the
''stanA, which is made by stripping small
trees OF their foliage and smaller limbs,
and setting them into the ground, In
these limbs the birds light and remain un-
til they are ready to descend upon the
bed for the purpose of feeding. The bed
is simply the feeding ground cleared for
the purpose of working the net with
which tn birds are taken. This one is
about twenty by twenty-three. The turf
has been removed, and it is as smooth and
hard as the cabin floor of Western pio-
neer Along one edge of the bed the
grain (corn and buckwheaD is scattered.
twelve or fourteen inches in width There
is also grain in shallow trough that is
supported by small poles about Six feet in
lsngth' af eth AT, At o. once upon the disappearance
vow, ino peuS are VISITED
,nj t ~ - l''i!eli
rhranrba,t m tLn Dr'''vu ~ ie''' ny s,aln anu
ara ,;?s;taI ,I Pil4e I '''u oullii'iel my
,rit,, faad D. ~. o1li'''"!iS 'uPPlieI
,ftor ~ ,uo,l, 80 "oItiiS II - Hol "i''ll
that ,hev mata ANY, n'at atten,, toa,ro 'leal trup
Ham iaor Ia,,;'l, t'SIN th",. .-lt " o'Pt"lc
timn larnal, 70 tLn,;57 57' hI,,at
n is liohf tTa baIs ao ,is;taL a" ,oD' '.o,po'
isbod y.ith (,r,;,' I ; .@'l.Gu ,'!',' ~ l''e"
hirds arc fad Will, VI ,'ii az iiooi INV,
tba L,r thn n,a lrr' H. La,, - ''I,',3 =
inc their Iocalits ~ 500 'ti't' tt ,',,'l.
tresoss nnon tho;, u n,i' ,lo p'','''el
the nredatnr1 bnu,l P-0Pji .'i'' =" ,lioo,
sconroa to ni1rooa, i ''r ,,'. . l',',
TO niGeon catc6nrs =
''.ii 'liI US nav SatheiG" IN Il 9'iIt-
t.o"' t1,. n'''ii'ei' HHu 1t Is ueclued TO catch
tiieii' lug AeI WIN poAeS loI hol"inS thr
D'i''s ~ - Pi'ce'' upon the "heeIoaffo" anu
w hoio tl't"uIeo 70 tHe e"Se "l lir
Nle"L llt9 mere lhe poAeS are leIt, untH
''ti''eu' I"[' tnt liet IaAen 10 ILe pe,L ne
noU9 "sG' oS tne AlienS are OF lhelf 1Wh
llahr.' ''iT 9I, "leSlle' oelnS aooht an men
S'iuaIt' IHeE vary IN SIZE rom twenty l'
tMeH.y -nNe ieet' one 5lde OF the net Y
:''''cllt4 % rope htlhGfed ieet or more
III ieImSth' me ehdS are gathered upon.a
9ilI'lIel anu Nilo!ter coF"' elght leet IN
q I''' ~ ~. lh Se'tIl9 tAe net upon the
o5'' oti0 oit" ol 'iie loilS rope as lt IS term
eu' % listened 20 Il llttIe poe llVe ieet hlgh
lily ini '"IIS ny 81 my iecl "ISlanl from tht
NV o'Iiel '''" - ''I'''lie" 20 sum
i"l P"Ie !" tlit pouSl mousse WhlGh IS
'o' ~ ,'9o''l my Iee' lioili the ne''
i'''' i'lT '.,l 'PPo7i1. 'liT III ~ PoI' lHt
o" s'a, ','t. l"2o " 'l''' 10 il'Ih' 'il"I
e.''e !, 3''.1tll 49, io1l9o lit'ut "l pouS SL7'
H,I '.il ".'.oi'o' ,'l'I 'il'
~, r. ''''o IN =, 'iiI ioPe - lI9teilJu
oll,..L 'r't tI ,S,I 1'i1e.leu y uIiectN
''o ''io III VI 'ne m net peih@
I't't ~ l"e .ViiS' vi =. tne ICY ihe outsiCe
" wy s'ien l'i'lilc'' 'loii5 lIle o''t-
III ~ .'e' 'iie '' - 9caItGte1'
il9 i'i.'''' - ~ ny Ul 'lie one 10 "lilcH
r - l'.oi c'llleu CO
ho ,,oI iob tl.. Zone ONE = - attached be
:r'e t'l'', hnnt II is n,r
tn5 eiiet.s o1"',I a,,r rani, o1.e, +ba had hv
ci'e(l il'',, 5o1T11 ~, -, ,,
lNo al1ott u s'i.A9 M go an, Isn1aoad bI
shHFP, nafd' pun upon the rope from the
bough house, This IS done at proper
moment and the net flies forward over
about one-halt the bed and all of that por
llon where the gram IS scattered and where
OF course the birds are feeding. When
the inside edge OF the net IS car led back
over The gram TO the outer edge OF the
bed, 1t IS folded down in as small COM
pass as possible, and earth OF dust sprink-
Ied nightly over to hide 1t from the sharp
eyes OF the birds, After the net is aryang-
ed the grain from the trough is put upon
the bed, which IS carefully swept and all
scattered grains OF corn picked up and
placed along the edge behind which the
b0nuh h0uQa whore ba hos rothirc +r ~,