Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-14

within his grasp. But to be an ~nusemen mt
worth indui giRg in it should be properly built,
The pigeon lott should be in q barn where there
is plenty OF room for the rds to fly about and
exercise their wings. At one end of the loft
there should be nesting boxes one for each pair
OF birds. Outside OF the hole in the barn wall,
through which they fly in and out. shelf should
be placed; for pigeons are not like some other
binds that fly into their houses without resting
their wings. They must have a chance to perch
on this shelf and walk about before they go inside
their domicile.
After you have put your pigeons in the loft
you must be careful not to let them out for at
least two or three weeks. Ii you do they Will
not return. AS soon as they become accus-
toned to their new home they will not leave il,
no matter what liberty you afford them, unless
some other oov who is given over to evil ways
cal lures them and takes them to his loft. II
they are lost that way you might as well give
them up, for the pigeon i5 a tickle bird and its
affection seldom lasts longer than three week.
at the utmost.
Now n word about your pigeons, There are
many pretty varieties that make beautiful pets.
For instance, there is the vain and struttinp
pouter, the fantail, runt, the gentle nun, the
baIbed, and the ruffie- necked pigeon. These
are all hardy varieties and will repay the
trouble of raising and caring for them.
There is another species l should not forget
for in some respects it Is the most interesting OF
all. The tumbler pigeon is one of the most ex-
pert aerial aero bats IN tue feathered world
When he flies with the air and perhans grows
tired he does not come down to his perch as
other pigeons do, but he tumbles and over
IN series OF graceful SOmerSlultS ultll,he lands
on the tips of his claws at the very point he had
in mind when he began his wonderful desce MT
These birds can be bought for from So so to s.
air, II you go to A bird fancier for them,
though l have no doubt many of my readers
have friends who can spare them I pair from
their lofts at very much lower figure. In buy
ing pigeons be sure that the pairs are mated
While the pigeon is tickle in his treatment of
his owner. he is constancy itself in the treat
ment OF his mate, and to hatch out eggs and
raise young pigeons you must have mated pairs.
Pigeons hatch out their young six times a year,
and 1t will not take you long to have loft full
If vou make good start.
The proper food for pigeons is whole grains OF
wheat dried peas, cracked corn and gravel.
They use the gravel in their crops to triurate
their food the same as chickens do.
RABBITS AND THEIR CARE.
Another pretty pet for boys is the rabbit, but
bunny, Ike the pi-eons, needs the right kind
of care to thrive. You should keep YOUR rab-
bits in the yard. where you must build for them
hutch. have seen hutches built out of old
dry goods boxes, but the best kind of hutch is
3 little door in the side for them to pass
through, and the other half is barred like
cage, so that the pets cannot get ont and run
away. In the dark part of the box you should
put plenty of hay for bedding for that is where
they sleep and spend thrir time in rainy and I'M
pleasant weather. You should give them plenty
of green food to eat, such as lettuce leaves
beet stalks, and carrots and apples
Among the choice varieties Of rabbits are the
lopped-eaTed and RngoIa. The former has long
ears that do not stand up straight the ears of
TUG SOLliHOL Duuugs Dub lld4lS over IKE those OF
q spaniel. The longer the ears the more valu-
able the rabbit. In all the poultry shows where
rabbits are exhibited the longest cared rabbit
wins the first prize. have seen one with ears
twenty-one inches long. The price varies ac-
cording to the esrs and runs all the way from So
to $50 pair. The aagors rabbit has a coat like
the angora cat, fluffy, like muf with the fur
rubbed the wrong way. They can be bought for
81 to Sc pair. The common rabbit can be got
for very much less-ffty cents pair would be
very good price.
The rabbit makes pretty pet. It f. sEec-
tonate and can learn to come at call ard TO eat
out ofyour hand. but have never heard of one
Rence a pai- of rabbits will bear young three
or four times year.
A BUSHY-TATLED PET.
Among the most destructive pets o boy cal