Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-07-27
OUR BIRD MARKET.

OUR BIRD MARKET.
About loo, 600 G -~vIes Handled BY Local
Dealers Every Year.
n T. TslsgrGia
The United States affords the most
profitable market for canary birds prop
agated in Germany. In that country
the business Of raising these feathered
sOnRSters for export is very important
one, as is shown by a report on
the subject newly received by
the Department OF State. For
moro than a century it has rendered
tare existence a possibility to many
poor people. Fifty years ago it had al
ready grown 70 such dimensions that IL
became necessary to seek foreign out
let for the trade. About 1850 the Ger
man dealers began making shipments
TO this city. and finally they turned
their attention chiefly to the United
States, the demand from this side OF the
water having become very great. Dur
Ing the last year canary birds were
third i'm money value among the articles
exported 70 the United States from
Hanover.
The breeding OF canary birds In Ger
many Is mainly house industry of poor
and needy people. Their profit is Of
course small, but 10 the poor who can
hardly earn daily bread their bird cages
are like little savings banks, from which
they can draw at regular intervals a
trIle that, added 10 their other earnings
enables them 20 make ends meet. The
need of such assistance and the useful
ness OF the Industry TO the poor cannot
be appreciated fully by any one unac-
Quainted with the German peasant in
his home. A single example may per-
haps throw light on the subject:-The
village tailor at Fuhrberg, in the prov
inCe OF Hanover, works from house TO
house, and receives for his services
lao marks per diem. This sum is equiv
a.enJ TO about 33i5 cents.
If, therefore, he works 500 days in
the year he earns Sl00 From this
amount Sl666 must be deducted for
rent. This leaves him Ss3.34 with which
90 support aud clOthe his family, con-
Sisting of six persons, for year His
earnings, therefore, amount 10 less than
four cents per diem for each member of
mis- family. The canary bird industry,
without making any serious claims up
on tue peasants time or care, cheers
his home aud brings him a modest pro-
no. Having in the summer raised
brood OF young birds he awaits with
anxiety the visit OF the dealer In the
autumn which will place in his hands
money 10 help him through the winter.
The principal seat Of the industry
was formerly the Harz mountains,
where the poor mountaineerS, engaged
chiefly 10 mining aud numbering, were
in great need. Almost every family
had in the sitting room, in the bed
room or in the garrett a breeding place
for birds. In the summer the food
necessary for the birds was easily OBJ
tainable, and before the winter came
the dealer mad purchased them. After
the Harz mountains became freQuented
by visitors DESTROYS OF improving their
health in the pure air the poverty of
the mountaineeaS was diminished and
the canary bird industry fell off more
and more.
AT present only fne singers are bred
in the Harz and for these the dealer
must pay high price. The industry
was then transferred TO Echsfelde, in
the province OF Hanover, wEere there
are many poor weaverS. Nearly all of
these are now engaged in the breeding
OF the cheaper varieties Of canary birds.
The industry exists also in the poorer
districts OF HeSSe, in the great Lune-
burg Moor in parts OF Westphslia and
among the Sudetic mountains in Sax
ony. In recent years large numbers
have been raised in the cities, chiefly as
q psstlme, by thoughtiess persons who
do not consider what such competition
means TO the hungry peasant About
$50, 900 canary birds are raised every
year In Germany.
First in importance is the market OF
the United States, which takes in ronnd
NUN Oers 1O0, 600 birds per annUm. Next
is the English market, which takes |
about $4,000 per annum. Then comes
Brazil, Chile, the Argentine Republic
ana Australia. To these countries
statesmen are sent with canary birds
every year. The rest, especially the
finer Harz birds, are sold in Germany,
MAoAo AuNAl WISH II - eN4 ~ AAlANA4Dco
OF song and where higher prices can be
than anywhere else. The !
average price for ordinary canary birds !
is from sixty TO eighty cents for males.
Hence the canary bird Industry adds !
about 100000 marks per year to Ger I
many's national wealth, and this amount |
goes chiefly into the hands OF the poor
est class.
The growth Of Isis Industry is due TO |
two causes. The German bird dealers |
have alwaS been very enterprlsing and !
the canary birds raised in Germany are |
said to sing better than any others. |
while very beautiful birds are raised ia |
In song they ara surpassed by |
Garh Nan canspies. Germandealers claim |
that Aanary birds bred from imported |
No The United States are poor