The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-23
THE TRADE IN CANARIRs.
They Come Mostly from the Hsr7
Mountains in Germany.

| Mountains in Germany.
From the Netc York Telegram.
The United States affords the most profit
able market for canary birds propagated in
| Germany In that country the business Of
raising these feathered songsters for export
is very important one, as 10 shown by a
report on the subject newly received by the
| department OF state. For more than a
century it has rendered bare existence a
possibility to many poor peopls. Fifty
years ago it had grown to such Dimensions
| that it became necessary to seek foreign
| outlet for the trade. About 1850 the Ger
man dealers began making shipments to
this city, and finally they turned their at
tention chiefly to the United States, the de-
mand from this side of the water having
become very great. During the last year
canary birds were third IN money value
among the articles exported TO the United
States from Hanover.
The breeding of canary birds IN Germany
is mainly a house industry of poor and
needy people. Their profit is, Of course,
small, but to the poor, who can hardly earn
| daily bread, their bird cages are like little
savings banks, from which they can draw at
regular interV walls a trifie that. added 20 their
| other earnings enables them to make ends
meet The need of such assistance, and the
usefulness Of the industry to the poor can
not be appreciated fully by any one un-
acquainted with the German peasant in his
home. A siugle example may perhaps
throw light on the subject: The village
tailor at Fuhrberg, in the province of Hau-
| over, works from house to house, and re-
ceives Tor his services l 40 marks per diem,
This is equivalent to about 3S79 cents.
II, therefore, he works 300 days in the
year he earns 800. From this amount
$l6 66 must be deducted for rent. This
| Ia xg}k VIII kA
! and clothe his family, consisting Of six per
SONS, for year. His earnings, therefore,
amount to less than cents per diem for
each member of his family. The canary
bird industry, without making any serious
claims upon the peasants time or care,
cheers his home and brings him a modest
profit. Having In the summer raised q
ETY. the visit Of the dealer in the autumn
which will place In his hands the money
to help him through the winter.
The principal seat of the industry was
formerly the Harz mountains, where the
poor mountaineers, engaged chiefly in min
ing and numbering, were In great need
| Almost every family had in the sitting
| room, in the bedroom or in the garnet a
place for birds. In the summer the food
necessary for the birds was easily obtain
able, and before the winter came the dealer
had purchased them. After the Harz
mountains had became frequented by
visitors DESTROYS of improving their health
| in the pure air the poverty Of the mount
aineers was diminished and the canary bird
industry fell of more and more.
At present only fine singers are bred In
the Hnrz, aud for these the dealer must pay
a high price. The industry was then trans
ferred to Eichstelde, in the province of
Hanover, where there are many very POOR
| weavers. Nearly all OF these are now en-
| OF yed in the breadipU Of the Rhaanar
Tieties OF canary birds. The industry exists
also in the poorer districts of Hesse in the
great Luneburg moor, in parts Of West
phalia and among the Sudetic mountains In
Saxony. In recent years large numbers
have been raised In the cities, chiefly as
pastime, by thouEhtless people who do not
consider what such competition means 10
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 round num-
bers 100 900 birds per annum. Next is the
| English market, which takes about So 900
per annum Then comes Brazil, Chile, the
Argentine Republic and Australia. To
these countries statesmen are sent with
canary birds every year. The rest,
especially the finer Harz birds, are sold in
Germany, where more weight is given to
fineness Of song and where higher prices
can be obtained than anywhere else. The
average price for ordinary canary birds is
from 60 to so cents for males. Hence the
canary bird industry adds about 1000, 900
marks per year to Germany's national
wealth, and this amount goes chiefly into
the hands of the poorer class.
The growth of this industry is due to two
causes. The German bird dealers have al
ways been very enterprising, and the canary
birds raised in Germany are said to sing
better than any others. While very beauti-
full birds are raised in England. in song they
are surpassed by the German cauaries
German dealers claim that canary birds
bred from imported parents in the United
States are poor singers, owing to the warmth
of our climate.
About two-thirds of the 100000 canary
birds exported annually from Germany to
the United States are imported by a Ger
man resident Of this city. AT Braunlage. 10
the Harz. this man has a factory, which is
capable Of turning out every day the mate
rial tor 100 bird cages. 1t Is given out to
peasants, who make the cages at home. The
birds are shipped to this city via Bre-
men, accompanied by attendants. Each at
tendant has under his care about 1000
birds, each in it's wooden cage. As each
bird must be fed aud cared for regularly
the attendants are kept busily engaged
One of these attendants has already crossed
the ocean more than 100 times in charge Of
birds. There are thirty such en-
ployeS. Inc local house olspo5es OF
these birds-the finest among them
being the Andreasberger Harz canaries-in
New Orleans, Charleston, San Francisco
aud other American cities, as we'll as in
Canada. Moreover, buyers are sent
throughout the United States to obtain
American birds and animals, and also Mexico
and Cuba for parrots These are brought
to Germany by the canary attendants upon
their return. In this manner this same per-
son annually imports into Germany from
the United States about 5000 Virginia
cardinal birds, 5000 nonpareils, 2, 900 indigo
birds and 500 knocking birds. He also i'm
ports from San Francisco many sea lions
for geological gardens in Europe.