Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-09-02
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THE 3 GERMAN CANARY
STRONGER AND MORE MELoDIous
81 THAN ANY OTHER VARIETY.
Nearly n Million of the birds Bred
In the Harx Mountains Every Year.
Almost All Classcs of People There
Arc In the Rusineas.

Arc In the business.
! Nearly all the cannrles imported into
(.America nre from Germany. A Green.
witch street bird dealer of New York
imports from 10000 to 10000 cannres
ia year, and estimates the total AmerI.
lcan importations Of the mclodious lit.
tie creatures at about 100000 annually.
Everything considered the German
canary birds are moro satisfactory 10
most people than those bred anywhere
lelsc. They are not SO hardy In this
country. perhaps, rs the American
bred; they are not so large aud good
looking rs the English or Scotch va.
irieties, nor 80 frcaklly snowy us those
raised In Belgium. But of all cnuarles
the German bred sling most satisfacto.
irily, and rs ninety-nIne In n hundred
buyers Of birds want them for their
songs, the bulk of the business Ia In
German birds.
/, The canary was first found wild In
the Islands Of the same name, though
whether the Islands were named from
tho bird or the bird from tho Islands
nobody knows. Today, though canary
birds still fly about in freedom among
tho tree branches Of the Canary and
tho Madeira Islands, many thousands
more arc bred In Germany than any.
where. probably than everywhere, else.
And for some reason most German
Scannrles arc bred In that part OF Ger.
many known rs the Hnrz mountains.
Perhaps there Is II climatic reason for
Harz mountain birds to be stronger
and more melodious than others; per-
Ihaps the breeders there learned tho
business better than other breeders
200 years ago when the birds were
first taken TO Europe; perhaps 1t Just
happened SO. At all events, there nro
mot only more IIarz mountain en-.
narles than my others. but they aro
the best In everything but size, color
and frcaklshness; st. Andreasberg,
whence came the famous full roller
songstets, Is in the Harz mountains.
4 lnnsmuch rs tho Harz mountain
breeders have TO supply tho demand
for canarics In all parts of Germany
anu some other European countries MS
we'll rs the chief part OF the American
demnndA II Is probable that nearly n
million birds arc bred there every
year, Oddly enough, while the raising
of cannrles Is ono of the leading indus
tries OF the region, no one Is under
stood to be devoted exclusively to
canary breeding. Nearly MI classes of
people breed canarles-the butcher, the
baker and the cnndlestick maker; tho
farmer. the blacksmith, the miller and
all. The most extensive breeder
known to the Greenwich street i'm
porter breeds only 700 or 800 n yenr,
while many breed only few each, SO
there must he thousands and thou
sands of breeders.
/, Tho German canaries begin to reach
this country Gnrly In August, and tho
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 as
holiday presents Importation stops in
March, for the year.
The birds reach this country at ages
ranging from II few months TO II year.
Tile younger ones have not been taught
to sing of course, and really are not
wanted by American dealers us n rule,
for teaching them to sing is tedious
operation. No importer likes to refuse u
consignment Of young birds with the
demand rs great rs 1t Is, however, for
fear some other dealer will get them.
| AS practically every bird breeder in
the Harz mountains has some other
way of making living besides hatch.
ing. rearing and selling canaries,
which are thus byproduct, they are
generally bred just under the roofs, In
the nttlcs. and there kept till they have
learned to sing. Different breeders
adopt different methods Of teaching the
birds.
/ Many breeder keeps in his posses.
lsion as long as 1t lives one especially
good singing bird; the young birds hear
his song and initiate 1t. Others prefer
ithe canary organ. a queer whistling
instrument whose motive power is
stream of wafer from pipe acting
ion little water wheel This mechan.
iical melody producer Is kept going con.
tinuously when birds are being taught
to sing. and the fact that II never gets
tired or falls asleep gives It one value
mot possessed by the living bird.
Some breeders use both the living
bird and the canary organ, only run.
Ming the latter when the former refuses
to sing.
/ Canaries are bred in every country OF
Europe, but mostly for domestic con-
sumption. English canaries are much
larger than the German birds. one rich
orange colored cayenne pepper fed
English canary being twice or thrice
the size of the average little st. An.
dreasberg roller. Not only do English
lbred canaries. for some unexplained
treason. tend to grow larger than the