The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-28
THE CANARY BIRD INDUSTRY
A Rnsiness that Adds Comfort to Many
Humble German Home.


The other day a steamer from Bremen
, brought to this city a consignment OF $500
canary birds. Every year about 100000 canary
bros are brought here from Germany. The
growth of this industry has been very large
within the past fifteen years, and its prosperity
is said to be due to the fact that canary birds
raised in German sing better than any others.
Very beautiful birds are raised in England.
but in song they are surpassed by the German
bird. and German dealers assert also that
canary birds bred in the United States cannot
sing as we'll as those reared in Germany.
Consular Clerk Murphy of Berlin hns re-
Gently sent to our Government a report on the
canary bird industry in Germany. He says it
is almost exclusively a house industry Of the
very poorest classes. For more than a century
canary breeding has placed a fair degree OF
comfort within tho reach of many poor people.
German canary bird dealers do a large trade
in Belgium and Holland. England. Russia. and
the United States. They began to make ship
mcnts to this country over forty years ago. and
birds are now sent even to South America and
Australia. The profit OF those who rear the
birds is Of course small. but to the poor who
can hardly earn daily bread their bird cages
are like little savings banks. from which. at in.
tervals. they may draw q trifle to add to their
other earnings.
Mr.. Murphy says the absolute need OF such
assistance is. appreciated by any one 'ac-
quaInted with tho German peasant In his
home; Avillas" tailor at Fuhrherg. in Han
over. for instance. works from house to house.
and receives LAO marks per day. This sum is
SGuiyalent to about 53la cents, and if he works
amount Sl0.Wi must be deducted for rent.
This Leaves him Ss5;34 with which to SUPPORT
sons Oh Tor a - year. Ills earninss. theref srt.
amount to less than four cents a day for each
memher Of his family. This shows the be-
n,.vplppt oh IN tt - " nf Rho ga mn r y iirl n try
which brings to the poor peasant n modest
prnocilt. and is important as n secondary income.
merly "a" H4ra Mourtain-.. Almost every
family there had in the sitting room. in the
birds; In the summer the food required BY
the bros was easily obtained, and before win
TORS who sought to improve their health in
the pure llarz Air. and ms new source q in
come 50 far Increased the well i.lng Of the
people that they paid nucl, less attention TO
r rni hi h,ris; At rrGrrnt "n,H me ~ very fnest
In Ei"hsfeld, Hanover, whrre there arc
many poor weayers. tn" cheaper varieties Of
canary birds arr now "NtenriNely raised, The
Of Hcsse. in parts of W"strhnli ia, and among
IN" mountains, IN SnN"nv, IN recent years
chiefly n /, I%HS'IlEn by persons who do not
stor 10 think wh@t such competition means to
About 333o'ooO "anary birds are raised every
year IN t'"rmany. ana, besides the lOO.0O9
blrda ihnt t'' sem - ms country. the English
customers ar" Brazil, chm. tho Argentine Re-
public. AND Australia, to which country sales
cory year. The finer IinrH Mountain birds
arr mostly sid in Germany. where more
weiGhl IS attached TO superiority of singing
qualify and whore higher prices are obtained
than auyWhcr" else.
N" Average price which the producer OBJ
,lins tor ordinary canary birds is from three
L. four marks for males. Hence this industry
adds about l,,OpODn marks per annum to
Germany national wealth, and. this money
ola ssrs. The men who como to this country
in charge OF the shipments Of canary birds
usually travel throughout the United States
~ obtain American birds and animals. and
as" visit Mexico and Cuba for parrots. which
are taken to Germany upon their return.