Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-03
Our Infant Canary
Industry
BY Frederic J. Haskir

| ~ ovSty Icason 10 DeucVe snAJ tnle snip
ment will bc followed by more and larger
ones. The result Ia condition bordering
upon panic in newborn industry Of
which many Americans have never heard,
and demand for a protective tariff on
| canaries.
1t you havo little canary in your
home, and you adopted him before the
war, he is very likely German bird; il
he Is war baby he is doubtless an Ameri-
can product. For since the war began
| we have for the first time been raising our
own canaries.
In recent years, the United States has
imported over half n million OF these
birds annually, most of them coming
from Germany, where canaries, like every
thing else, are produced in quantity and at
rock bottom cost Canary raising in
| Germany II = cottage industry, carried on
by children and farmers wives in the
mountains. For this rcason the price
placed on the birds has always been low,
80 low that while the canary is regarded
| AS luxury, still il is within reach OF most
people. Its cheapncss as much AZ its song
Us the secret OF the canary's popularity.
WAR CUT OFF SUPPLY.
When the war cut of the main source
of supply, American fanciers and amateurs
took up canary raising az n commercial
proposition. They could not raise the
birds at twice the German figure, but they
had no trouble in disposing Of their stock,
for everything else had gone up. Customers
unquestioninely paid fifteen dollars for
birds such AZ had once brought FIVE.
At the request OF canary breeders Of
this country, Representative MacGregor
of New York, has presented a bill to stop
the avalanche of German biards by placing
tax of five dollars on each imported
specimen. The tax proposed is really
prohibitive on all but unusually fine birds,
WHICH sometimes bring rs high as $500
each
Representative MacCrepor is especially
interested in his bill because he believed
raising song birds would be an excellent
vocation for disabled soldiers IL - work
requiring patience and skill in details,
but lame man. or one who had lost an
arm would be at no particular disadsant-
age in IL.
The most important phase of canary
breeding from the commercial standpoint
is TO develop singer. German birds have
always been cultivated with little regard
for beauty, but with close attention to the
voice.
AS soon as they are old enough 10 feed
themselves, hedglings that are carefully
any harsh or unmusical sounds, as cannries
are very initiative, especially when young.
An older bird with fine voice is employed
as teacher. and in some cases, where a bird
shows promise of ability, he is taught by
means of a flute or music box. ST. An
dreasberg canaries. from the Austrian
Tyrol. are considered the best singers,
and arc preferred as teachers. Some
times a nightingale is used instead, but
comparatively few canaries can achieve
its trills and soft tones.
After two 10 eight months musical edu-
cation, canares are ready To appear in
public. They are packed IN tiny wooden
cages. which are decidedly too crowded
for comfort, and shipped in large lots TO
the retailers.
Representative MacGregor says that
before the war II was not un common for
n lot of 100 importe birds &c include only
thirty or forty singers. 1t a not easy to
pick out a good singer in sush conditions.
Usually the customer who IL not wary gets
as nervous as the birds, and is easily per-
suaded To take a canary that hasn't
sung note while he is IN the room.
A bird that sings well is often not so
beautiful specimen rs one without a
voice But most buyers do not realize
this. and let the dealer pick out pretty
bird for them. when they really wanted
an accomplished one.
FEMALE BIRD NOT GOOD SINGER.
The female canary rarely has a voice
of any force or beauty, and for this reason
Is sold by the breeders at much lower
rate than the male. An unscrupuious
trader. however, will herd bis wares to-
gether and offer them all rs singers, per-
feet specimens, fine pedigree, healthy
/ - .tu. g.. fn
want. Reliable dealers do not, of course,
pursue this method of sale, but the ignor-
ance of the public IN selecting canaT1es
ha. gwen rise TO considerable trickery at
various stages of the trade.
A favorite old stunt of the breeders Is
to dye few commoner birds and slip
them in with load of canneries. Saffron
or analine dyes, spread on the wings of
a sparrow. deceives the qilible buyer
into purchase, and the trick is not learned
until Mr. Sparrow takes bath or two and
ch anges color.
RI Another trick sometimes put over by
fa nciers Is 10 produce red canary and
sell it as very rare type This tresk hrst
appeared in 1880, when dealer dosed q
sick canary on sweet paprika. The bird,
IL seems, was moultmg, and had cold
when its feathers came IN, TO The owners.
surprise. they were tinged with a deep
pink. lie tried the red pepper treatment
on ten other birds with the same result.
The red canary was an interesting ex-
pertinent, nothing more. The effect OF
the pepper lasted only until the bird
moulted again.
Moreover, the birds given the treatment
all became delicate and most of them died
in a short time, three years being long
life for red canary. Expert fanciers
say that besides being o trick, the feeding
of sweet paprika to canaries IN sufficient
quantities TO produce redness IS cruel
Still the red canary occasionally appears
and fools somebody who has never heard
its story.
Deceptions and tricks, 50 often resorted
to by foreign breeders, have long injured
the canary trade 1t is TO be hoped that,
If Representative MaeGregor's bill rs
approved, American fanciers viii aim to
raise the standard of the birds Mr..
Mac Gregor states that societies have
been formed ia this country TO teach people
the hest methods in breeding, TO improve
the birds by selection, and to bring them
to higher state of perfection IN beauty OF
form and plumage and in voice cultivation.
onsidering that the European birds
are raised largely by children, and that
people who buy canaries usually have the
vaguest ideas about caring for them, 1t is
no wonder that the life Of an imported