The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-10-16
BILE l3ERMAI I3lY
sTRoNaER AflD MORE MELo1ioUs
lin AFiY oTHER VARIErY.

In the HNE8 Eoumtnlns Every Year
A1most An CInsses OF People There
Are an the BusIneas-
Nearly al the canaries imported into
America are from Germany. a Green
I Wich street bird dealer OF NeF York
Imports from GO.O0O to 10000 canaries
year. and estimates the total Ameri-
,an importRtiOns Of the melodious lit
1 De creatures at about 100000 annually.
Every thing considered the German
cannry birds are more satisfactory to
/ most people than those bred anywhere
I else. They are not so hardy In this
country perhaps as the American
bred; they are not so large and good
looking as the English or Scotch va
rieties, nor 50 freaEiIy showy as those
raised In Belgium. But OF an canaries
the German bred sing most satisfaetO-
rly, and as ninety nine In hundred
buyers OF birds Eant them for their
songs. the bulk Of the business Is In
German birds.
The canary was first found wild In
the Islands of the same name. though
the bird or the bird from the islnnds
nobody knows. Today, though canarS
birds still fy about In freedom among
the tree branches OF the Canary and
the Madeirn Islands. many thousands
more are bred IN Germany tlan any
where, probably than everywhere. else.
And for some reason most German
canaries are bred in that part of Ger
many known as the Harz mountains.
Perhaps there IS climatic reason Tor
Harz mountain birds to be stronger
Snd more melodious than others; per-
Saps the breeders there learned the
business better than other breeders
$50 years ago when the birds were
drst taken to Europe; perhaps It just
happened SO. At all events, there are
not only more Harz mountnin ca
naries than any others. but they are
the best in everything but size, color
md freakishness; st. Andreasberg,
whence came the famous full roller
Songsters, Is In the Harz mountains
Inasmuch as the Harz mountain
breeders have to supply the demand
for canaries In all parts OF Germany
and some other European countries as
well as the chief part of the American
demand, it is probable that nearly a
year. Oddly enough, while tho raising
of canaries is one OF the leading indus
tries OF the region, no one is under
canary breeding. Nearly all classes of
people breed canaries-the butcher, the |
baker and the cnndlestick maker; the |
farmer, the blacksmith, the miller and |
all. The most extensive breeder |
known to the Greenwich street Inn
porter breeds only 700 or 500 a year,
while many breed only a few each, SO
there must be thousands and thou
sands OF breeders.
The German canaries begin to reach
this country early In August, and the
shipments continue NIL through the fall
and winter, the heaviest of them COM
ing In November and December, Just
IN time for the birds to be useful us
holiday presents. Importation stops in
March for the year.
The birds reach this country at ages
ranging from n few months TO year.
The younger ones have not been taught
to sing of course, and really are not
wanted by American dealers as rule
Tor teaching them to sing is a tedious
operation. No importer likes to refuse n
of young birds with the
demand as great as it is, however, for
ear some other dealer will get them.
As practically every bird breeder In
he Harz mountains has some other
way of making Il living besides hatch
ng, rearing and selling canaries,
which are thus a byproduct, they are
bred just under the roofs. in
he attics. and there kept till they have
earned to sing. Different breeders /
dopt different methods of teaching the
birds.
Many n breeder keeps in his posses
ion as long as it lives one especially
.ood singing bird: the young birds hear
lis song and Initiate It Others prefer
he canary organ, a queer whistling I
instrument whose motive power Is a
tream OF water from n pipe acting
u little water wheel. This mechan-
cal melody producer IS kept going con-
InuOusly when birds are being taught &
D sing, and the fact that 1t never gets q
lred or falls asleep gives it one value
ot possessed by the living bird. {
Some breeders use both the living
Ird and the canary organ. only run
ing the latter when the former refuses a
, sing. q
CanarIes are bred In every country o.
EUROPE, but mostly for domestic con-
mr. ION. English cannries are much o
han the German birds. one rich D
colored cayenne pepper fed e
a canary being twice or thrice
i, - Ct the average little St An.
reasaerg roller. Not only do English
red cannrics. for some unexplained 81
Jason, tend to grow larger than the O.
erman breed. but, and for an equally "a
tile understood reason. their song, d
Tough loud and voclferous enough, is ei
1t nearly so mcIodious as the German g
rds' song. s.
A famous English variety is the Al
anchester topEnot, n canary with a &c
est or topknot The feather foot Gu II
Try is another variety and those who