The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-23
WIZ PIGEONS ARE SCARCE.
Too Many Shooters. md Squads Becoming
Popular at the Table.


Popular At the Table.
The greatest worriment at present to those
who are fond Of trap shooting is the scarcity
Of live birds. Tho increase in tho number Of
shooters is largely responsible for this con-
dition Of affairs but several other reasons OK
list. Ono OF them Is the fact that Americans
are becoming moro and more fond OF game.
and when the season is off on quail. wood
cock. grouse. &C.. something must DO found
to take the place OF those toothsome
birds. Therefore. u demand is created for
SQUADS For these some OF tho leading hotels
and restaurants at times pay as high as SO
dozen. the market price now running from
$3.75 to 81 The former price Is perhaps.oniy
paid In come instances when the hotel or
restaurant proprietor approaches personally
through his buyer the pigeon breeder. who Ia.
in the majority OF cases. q farmer. However.
enough Of this is done to materially affect the
supply OF birds. for when small farmer can
secure that price for squads 1t Is hardly to be
expected that he will refuse in favor OF the
bird buyer from whom he would usually re-
ceive only n little NOR than half that amount.
to soy nothing Of the extra cost OF keep and
feeding until tho birds attain thoir growth
In many other instances tho farmer or his
sons have liking for shooting on the wing.
and whom the law Is in force on game birds
they naturally fall back on pigeons. and Will
bag as many as their skill will permit. This
may be but few for each one. but in the
agsregate the number large and seriously
shooting il permitted. tho farmers haye some.
1s w ma tS tsU prs wne n ss
notorioasiy soft and slow q iiieht while ian
TRe reason reason oithis Is that the hfds are young
ana. being scarce. are differently kept. 4 far
n TnSss srR 4o II et e sys Th s
he can procure, viii pick up one or two ut Q
tins ana rst them II small orHi "s until
tx brs or not ee ne CT
he ns nhsn Tor tbem IS
are at once shipped of to, some club without
first having been liberated in the coopss;; which
should always DO done to secure good flyers.
E. Cox from whom many Of the prominent
s CT }Sf Sp mas
coops are always yell nl!n! Here the birds
for days fed pd the
o q, shsf TSss bas that 70 this
anl from
stance the birds CONG, r1iirom n 1arm s|ia
81 pseo sne are r Sss they practey
extinct. as lar as trap shooting is concerned.
fey them na 81 na taes
the cost Of freight. the mortality during tran.
vi WilS To and viii Vi not stand connement for any
length Of time. other beating their brains out
aGanst tbs TOP Of the crates or huId IN m ~
Years ngo great flocks, Of wild pigeons. we're
Oh Or driven them 70 tic srwsst It is Yer, VERY
N q n
comes through from Indiana along with q
Of noury for Teeh
and It may be- said that the four states men
toned supply this market as well as philadel-
' Tho Quest ion then arises. why would not the
raising Of pigeons be profitable business inr
M other to fsaEe IN at
! price rarely ever rs low as $3.50 ncr hundred,
apd this season running up to soe ana
able. The cost OF keep is comparatively small:
especially il the farmer raises good stock OF
,he 'e Hum III kirds SssssSs X sons
the %n
ne Club Tuxedo club B!9Soming GrGys P Psrk
hoey. chnries Maca or Thomas and clar..
D9an EdsHs Mu5phEy GsorEs De Fc5 nn
renee and scores Of other wealthy society ana
club men cOntlnuAlly SnoOt sWeepetAkes oE
n' BlS"mins Gsovs Pix will use on Nay 80;
| shipped to HOLLYWOOD for days shoot. while
! at the. same place In July. when the HollyWo9d
! Handicap will be shot. 1000 or more birds
| will be in demand. Tuxedo buys from Phi Ia
| delphia and. like the Carteret Club carries
| club buys in Philadelphia and Baltimore. The
| inrchmont and Country clubs buy here. and
| always carry large stock, The Kiverton Club.
| at times. have 5000 birds in coops. TO clubs
pron Ia M a.
Tn que e pay IS. 70. and Is cent? pair which
| is tho market price Just now. In fact. dealers
are paying 50 and 55 cents q pair for young
and old as they come.
altogether too steep. the usual figure charged
being IS cents bird. the dead birds going to
sold Mt from Si.5O to 50 a dozen. thus equal
ing tho loss on keep Many importan. matches
have had to be postponed till prices for birds
are more moderate. The same is true OF many
club shoots. though in some, cases inanimate
Thore are o number Of clubs whore large
quantities OF birds are used. Brooklyn has per-
faps two dozen clubs. who shoot almost every
day. at each OF which from 200 to 300 birds.
and often more. arc killed. New Jersey
abounds with live-hird shooters. and many
tournaments occur there. At Syracuse 1000
or more pigeons will DO used next month at
Association. ,
II farmers genorall " would add to their list
OF Industries the raising OF pigeons it would
result in gain to themselves and much salts
faction to the shooting fraternity. as scarcity
and high prices would then be avoided.