The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-09-01
Pigeons Of Pskin

Tn ST. Nicholas Alfred Shemeid teiiS
about the pigeons of Picking. The Cni-
nese have made pigeon-fying the ue
cor;no game that it is because they
ike any kind of playing for keeps.
Even in kite-fying, they fix little hooks
RI their kite strings and try TO pun
in each others kites, and count II iair
to keep any kite that drops into 'hen
wards. They will tell you that KITE
or strange pigeon that comes 10 your
Mace. il given up, takes away your
"family luck" So you must tear the
kite and keep the pigeon. But when
vou see the town handles sauntering
ont with their fans, and bird-cages TO
watch the noon kite flying, criticisins
tba focks and their tactics, and arguing
tho fine points of decoying, you guess
th.t "family luck has very little to DO
With their game.
To decoy strange pigeons. pigeon
keepers must first train their nocAS
to ..fly in spiral" that 49, 10 Use
stoadIly in circles without straylng Iar
from the home roof. Pigeons naturahy
; ev together in circles. Even wild pig
, oons wheel about in flocks before strag-
, Cling to the fields. Chinese maAe
.beir birds eager for circling by keep
t inc them shut up in wicker mouse
e hri,t on the ground around the dove
cote. and they cure their birds OF strag-
/, sling nv Melting them with pebbles
It when they try to alight anywhere eA
t, cont on one spot-the ridge-pole OF tne
d roof facing their wicker house. Inc
aock must alight here in bunch ant
le Immediately walk down to the caves
= This ;s done to bring any strang'
N nireon among them down WITHIN sign
ID ~ tho grain, which Is then scattere'
RS an the floor of the wicker house. ZIG
err oors are fed only after flying, for un
~ ,oss hungry they are lazy and unmar
he .no.h,e Their food is millet, sorghum
w seed or corn, which their keepers us
nd - cot as much work from them
es noss;b,e. When there is much nyin
he and calling down to do, they are usua
as ~ fed with millet, which Is SO sma
elf that it keeps them eating long VIM
To- without filling them. At other TIM
mt ,,,o,r food Is sorghum seed. Corn
not very good for pigeons, Dut TN
We .ro co fond of 1t that pigeon-keepe
Q a rsra,lv have it on hand to call the
kid down when they are already ieu
chinese talk Of three regions OF p
Get con flight; the sparrow region u
inc 100 the housetops; the GROW
: I a,on" where the crows pass over
o;tv at daybreak; and the eagie
as zion" In every flock are seve
hip strong-winged birds that VIII rise
his tho eagle region. These are the Ill
a,ers " which are usually sent up III
uch carving whistles, as a challenge
AXE thor f,ocks to join them. When U
yer have mounted to some neisn.
heayier-winged birds, or "low-niel
low arc sent up to meet them a
the stav-at-home birds are kept back 70
tho others down, which they do
rsr, av,np round the roof and clapping &
ouch wings. Pigeon whistles were IN e.
times put on the birds to scare a.
,,cn- bawka. Nowadays the hawks 90
: his mind them at all, but they are
useful for attracting stray pigeons,
way signaling, and for guiding the YOU
fact nireons when fiocks become mixed
weak In Peking' nocks a.e s.n' "
ested rise, at noon, ana JUS. ueiole su'''
nour Neighboring hocks always join,
thsir keepers then Try each 70