The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-02-08
'CASARIEs AsTRAvELLERs.
No Easy Task 10 Get Them From
Germany TO New York.
First che Buyer Mast Fesi the Guiie OF
the Peasant Breeders-Then the
birds Must Have the Closest Attcn-
ton ON shipbosrd-Periis of Disease
and Rats at Sea.
IN. Y. SUM-

"The Sun published recently story
about canary bresding In Germany" said
the hesd..of large bird importing firm
In this city. 81 Wondered whom saw 1t
whether the average reader would have
the slightest idea OF thu amount Of work
implied In the transfer Of the birds from
the German breeders to the American
owners of pet oanaries. It's long story
and as full Of problems ~ modern
novel. OF course, go,d many Of the
German birds 60 to the English market,
and IL is comparatively a simple matter
to ship them so short q distances. A large
proportion OF the bsss singers, the Cam
penini birds, stay In Germany: for the
Germans are such music fovea that they
will pay siIty or seventy dollars for
canary, more quickly eysR than the
Americans who are supboe1d to b %
lavish with money. sun, bhe United
States afford the best bird market In the
world and, the number OF ordinary grade
canaries shipped here each season l.
point, and the New York importing firms
have large staff Of employees working
Tor them abroad. We have about thirty
travelling men who 60 back and forth
between Europe and New York. Then,
too, We have q few travellers In South
America and Africa. but our chief trade
10 In oanaries, and Is carried on with the
great German exporting house, Whose
shipments we distribute.
f"These German firms employ scores Of
pickers, who 90 from village to village
thorough the bird breeding districts,
selecting the singers. The picker's job
isn't any snap, can tell you. He has
to be as shrewd as a weasel; for the
breeders are up to all sorts OF tricks, and
will try In every possible way to get
around him. and palm of old. sick, or
silent birds on him. The hardest propo-
sition he ds 10 in distinguishing the
sexes Of the birds. The oolors in the head
feathers are the indication. and some Of
the breeders are adopts at dysiug feathers
It's clover picker that doesn't bring In
at least few female oanarles. for which
he has paid sopgster prices 1t takes
years OF experience to teach q man even
moderate proficiency in this feature Of
the buying. Through the summer and
fall the picker's work isn't so very bad.
His route lies far II the lines of railway.
andshe does tremendous amount Of
tramping; but he Is well known. along
the way, and Hospitality entertained. and
the weather 10 usually good. After the
winds and storms, especially among the
Hartz Mountains. where the best oanarics
are tired. are SINH ply terrific and the snow
lies on the paths, four or i've feet deep
The cold Is In tense, and many piekers
have been badly frostbitten. q fe v even
dying from the exposure. Still, the holt
day season must be pro vided for, and the
birdf, after the summe r sales, are scarce;
60 the picker ust search every nook and
corner Of the breeding district to supply
the dem snd Of his house. He starts out,
early in the morning. taking q helper
with him. TO carry his cage crates. This
helper. after the cheerful custom of the
Fatt erland, 10 usually woman. and
mere often than not, an Old women. The
two travellers buffet their way through
the snow and storm, and the greatest care
Is exercised In protecting the birds car
ried with them from cold. The little
wicker cages are first packed In straw,
then covered with thick linen, and
finally wrapped In heavy woolen blank
cts. Frequently, in extreme weather,
pickers have been badly frostbitten, be-
cause they have taken of their grestooats
TO wrap about cages holding birds Of
special value.
"Ihess cages, by the way, provide q
distinct industry for German peasants, In
the bird district. They !are made by the
poorest CLASSES, who whitile them by
hand. In the long winter evenings, and u
clever hand can make fifteen In an even.
ing. They sell for about three cents, and
are always In demand. Many of the
breeders contract to sell all their birds to
a osrtain firm. In that case, the picksr's
work 10 slightly ightened; for he doesn't
have to ann against petition, and
need only wIes tie to foil the wiles of the