The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1899-05-13
GRAND MARA1s. MINI. MAY IL. 1899.
SELECTING CANARIES
The Best Singers Picked Out by
X Men with Trained Ears,
Large Numbers Of the Birds Shipped
to This Country from Germany
Each Year - How They
Are Handled,

whoever has tried to buy canary
knows how hard it is~to pick good
singer. There are, however, men in this
country who are not only able to dis
tinguish between the birds that sing
and those that do not, but who, guided
by their ear alone, can pick and classify
canaries according toquality and'range
of voice, even when hundreds of cana
ries are singing together.
In an East side establishment in New
York, where on an average 1000 cana
ries are kept the year round, two of
these experts sit daily in 'front.' of huge
stack of little willow cages, in which
are more than 7aQ birds sometimes.
With wonderful ease, and most thor
oughly and expeditiously, did the ex-
perts conduct this competitive exam
nation. First they picked out the. good
singers, and put a distinctive mark on
the cage of each of them; then, with the
use of other marks, they separated them
into distinct classes, according to the
quality and style of their song The
price of these good singers varies, many
not being worth more than three dol
lars each at wholesale, and few, on
the other hand, selling as high as $50
each.
In most large bird stores there is an
: exercise room in which are hundreds Of
loose canaries. After long confinement
the birds must have a chance to use
their wings, or, as one of the bird men
says: "Dese leetle birds must go leetle
free. Und SO we ledt dem shtay in desc
leetle room sometimes five or six
Teeks"
The item of food, where many birds
are kept, is an important one. In the
East side esta blishments 900 bags, or
nearly 10000 pounds, of rape seed
alone are needed each year. This repre-
sents an expense of over $4,000 for one
kind of food. No American rape seed,is
used, because it is said to be lacking in
oil.
Hartz mountain canaries are spe-
cialty of this establishment, and the
proprietor says thatneafly all the birds
are brought to Alfeldt from little towns
and hamlets scattered over the noun
tains, and thence shippedfto New York.
Few people have any idea Of the ex-
tent OF the importation of cansries into
this country, and, perhaps, fewer still
are. aware that nine-tenths of the bust
ness is done through the port of New
York. The shipping season begins in
July and continues until April, and It is
Fl estimated that during the present sea-
son about 100000 birds will be imported
OF which 1870 900 will be males and 70, 900
females. Practically all these birds will
come from Germany, although it is true
that some thousands of special breeds
will come from England and Holland.
The most satisfactory bird is the
Hartz mountain canary. They are
hardy, surprising the American-bred
canaries in this respect. The natural
song of the Hartz mountain canary is
varied by the occasional notes of the
nightingale or other trained singers.
Some of the best German breeders keep
a nightingale or q trained canary in
the room to which the small birds are
sent, and this improves the voice of the
young birds greatly.
An old German named WolfschlaR
teaches canaries to SIM by the use of q
machine of his own invention which
pumps air through series Of tubes sur
rounded by water. In this way notes
are produced which are extremely like
those of the best canaries. He has been
engaged in this business for years and
has an established trade, some of his
machine taught birds selling for as
much as $40. Most experts and bird
fanciers, however, think that the nat
ural method is the only sure way in
which canary can be Taught.
Among the breeds of canaries which
are importedare the Belgian, the Dutch
and several varieties Of English birds,
including the Norwich, the Manchester
copy, the London fancy, the gold. and
silver spangled Lizard canary and the
Scotch fancy canary. The Norwich
canary IS not extensively imported, but
is a general fayoritesin England. It
has been bred in the city of Norwich
for more than q hundred years, and
is remarkable for its brilliant plumage
( VI ASuO1SA CAAQWssf At4S SCAcId1iy GILL
coded the most beautiful Of all oanaries,
. but its song is notas good as that Of the
Hartz mounta canary * z$
The Manchester. copy is the giant Of
: the family. It is notable both for it's
great size and the peouliar crest which
usually adorns its head. No frst-class
specimens Of this, bird are imported
England herself taking the pick Of all
the birds Of this variety at prices rang
Ing from s25 to $3.50. s= 5s .s'ss'
s The Belgian canaries constitute the
-Four Hundred Of these adhered song
sters, and not many Of them are found
in this country. The full loods have
brilliant plumage, but none Of them
has the great variety Of tones possessed
4 by the Hartz noun tain 'bird G(iincin-
patti Commercial Tribune.
Smallest OF Known Flowers.
The smallest flower known to the
botanist is said to be that Of the yeast
fcS IT, ~.