SF 510 Hollinger Corp, pH &5 >F 510 .02 G3 Copy 1 Quail Culture from j(. to <£. Price 50 Cents. We are the LARGEST IMPORTERS and BREEDERS IN AMERICA. u/e have for sale all varieties of Pheasants, Peacock, Swan, Wild Geese, Quail, Wild and Fancy Water Fowls, Poultry, Wild, Bronze and White Turkeys, Pekin, Cayuga and Wild Mallard Ducks. WE IMPORT MORE PURE BELGIUM HOMERS for SQUAB BREEDING than ANY OTHER FIRM IN THIS COUNTRY and we sell BETTER BIRDS for LESS MONEY. "NUFF SED" Stamp for circulars, they tell the rest. CAPE COD SQUAB, POULTRY & GAME FARM, Box S. Wellfleet, Mass. Quail Culture from J{ to oZ: By Geo. M. D. Gardinier, Jr. Deputy Game Warden. two Qoms Received MAR 6 1905 Copyngnt tntry amss <4 xxc, m\ C«PY S. The entire contents and illustrations Copyrighted 1905 by Fanciers' Press, Wellfleet, Mass. he excuse offered for writing this book is as follows: For the. past eight years I have been breeding Quail with vary ing success until two years ago, when I struck the right trail, during the greater part of that time I have been nearly snowed under with letters ask- ing all manner of questions on the care and management of Quail, what to feed etc., until it took more of my time to answer letters than it did to care for my birds. At last I decided to write what little I know on the sub- ject and have same printed. Let me say right here there is nothing on the market in the food line like Cape Cod Pheasant and Quail Food for both old and young Pheasants and Quail. Yours frat'ly, Geo. M. D. Gardinier, Jr. Deputy Game Warden Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/quailculturefromOOgard Quail. Description of the Several Yarities. OW that the raising of quail in confinement is taking such a strong hold on the fanciers in general and is proving such a valuable addition to our large list of pets it is well that all needing same or thinking of taking up this branch of the game family should know the general appearance, habits, etc., of the several varieties. So in the following chapters I will try and de- scribe as to habits, color, marking, etc., in such a way that the amateur could pick out the different varieties, though in the sub-species he would have some trouble unless he had some birds for comparison or well acquainted with the plumage at the different seasons. I will start with the Bob-White, whose call is probably known to nearly every person, young or old, throughout the United States. Bob- White. Colinus Virginianus Common quail, is found in nearly every portion of the United States east of the Rockies. While they vary some in color in the southern states, the gen- eral appearance and habits are the same. They are found in coveys during fall and winter, while in the spring they mate in pairs, select a place for their nest and stay there during the nesting season unless disturbed, when they will find new quarters. The plumage of the common quail is very rich, especially in the male, and runs from a dull rich pinkish red on front and sides to greyish white with V shaped barrings of black brown on lower breast and under pails. The back is brownish-red; top of head black- brown, with white line starting at beak and running back through upper half of eye and nearly meeting at base of skull; throat white, surrounded with a narrow line of black; sides and back of neck white, spangled with black-brown. In female the white head markings are changed to brown, body markings duller. They build their nests on the ground in a fence corner, base of stump or some secluded spot in which they de- posit from 12 to 25 eggs, though as many as 38 have been taken from a single nest. They are white, quite pointed at one end and obtusely rounded at other, average size 1.20 by ■95- Florida Bob- White. Colinus Virginianus Floridanus This variety is found in Florida and resembles the common variety except in plumage, which is a little darker, general habits same, eggs smaller, av- erage size 1. 19 by .92. Texas Bob-White Colinus Virginianus Texanus. This variety is found in Texas, North- ern Mexico and Western Kansas. Color somewhat lighter than common variety, genera' habits same, eggs smaller, average size 1.17 by .91. This variety, which is by far the handsomest of the partridge family, is found along the Pacific coast from Washington, south to San Francisco. It is quite a bit larger than the quail. The head of this bird is adorned with a crest of two long, black, keeled feathers (about 3 inches long). Top of head is slaty blue, throat a very rich chestnut, running into a faint black at edge and bordered on either side by a narrow white marking nearly meeting below. Sides of head and neck and breast slaty blue, under parts and sides a rich purplish chestnut, barred with white and black, back dark olive brown, under part of tail black. Female lighter and crest shorter. These birds breed along the Pacific coast region in the high mountain ranges and not below 4,000 feet. The nests are made on the ground of dead leaves under a bush or some tuft of grass. Eggs number from six to twelve, of a cream ground color with reddish tint, average size 1.36 by 1.02. Plumed Partridge. Oreortyx Pictus Plumifuus This is a sub-specie and is found in the Sierra Nevada M'ts. from Oregon southward through California. Though its plumage is not so rich as the Moun- tain Partridge its general appearance is the same, general habits same, eggs larger, average size 1.40 by 1.02. Scaled Partridge, Callipepia Squamata Sometimes called Blue Quail and Mexican Quail, is found in New Mex- ico, Arizona and Texas, down into Northwestern Mexico. The head of this bird is mounted with a short, full, soft crest of brown tipped with white, throat, head and back bluish-purple, shading into an olive- brown on wings and lower back, neck and breast orange-brown. Feathers on neck and breast are sharply edged with black, giving the scaled appearance. The feathers near the breast lose the scaly appearance. Female nearly like male. They nest in a slight depression under a bush. Eggs are buffy white, dotted with specks of light brown, and from 8 to 16 in number, average size 1.24 by .94. Chestnut-bellied Scaled Par- tridge. Callipapla Jquamata Castanoyastris. The general appearance of this bird is like that of the Scaled Partridge, but the. color is a little deeper. It is found in the lowlands along the Rio Grande, while the Scaled Partridge inhabits the table lands. General habits same, eggs lighter, average size 1.15 by .94. California Partridge. Callipapla Californica. In the lower portions of California 10 and Oregon this bird is very abundant. It is also found eastward nearly to Col- orado valley.- It is sometimes called Valley Quail. The crest of this bird is black, about i 1/2 inches long and curves forward instead of backward, as in the mountain variety. The forward part of head is of a whitish color, finely marked with black lines, back part smoky brown. There is a white line running from bill under eye and back a little, then run- ning around the throat marking, which is a black brown. There is also a short white line on either side of head just above eye, neck same as back of head, with dark edging on feather and pen- ciled with white. Fore breast slaty- blue, under parts yellowish brown, deepening into golden brown, feathers edged with jet black, sides ashy, pen- ciled with white, black and ash. Fe- u.ale duller in color. This variety is not so particular as to its nesting place as the others, but gen- erally builds its nest on the ground, near a stump, rock, etc. Has been known to nest in trees, also in chicken rests. Eggs eight to twemy-fcr-r in number, of a creamy white ground, 'mmm^,, 1 1 marked with blotches of old' gold. . Av- erage, size - 1 .2$ by .94;; -■;.: :\ Valley Partridge, ' Callipepla Californica Vallicola. There is no noticeable difference be- tween this bird and the California Part- ridge. It is found in the interior re- gions of Oregon, California and south to Cape St. Lucas. Plumage not so dark as the former variety, general hab- its same, eggs same. Oambel's Partridge, Callipepla Gambeli. Is found in Southern Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Western Texas and Northwestern Mexico. It is also known as the Arizona Quail. It has a black crest similar to the California variety, forehead black with fine white lines on feathers, back of head chest- nut, separated from forehead by white line bordered with black, throat black outlined with a narrow white line, breast ash, running into white, under parts black-brown, shading into creamy white penciled with brown and ash near vent, sides rich chestnut penciled with black, white and ash, upper part of tail ash, sides and back of neck ash penciled with black-brown. Female lighter, 12 with black part underneath changed to gray-white. They nest on ground as the other varieties and lay from eight to sixteen creamy white eggs marked with blotches of chestnut-red and light drab, average size 1.27 by .98. Messena Partridge. Cyrtonyx Montezumae. In some sections they are known as the Fool Hen or Quail. It is found in New Mexico, Arizona, Western Texas and Western Mexico. The head mark- ings of this bird are quite hard to de- scribe and once seen will not be con- founded with the other varieties. Top of forehead black, running into a short, soft crest of brown, sides of head and small patch under bill marked with black lines (about 1/4 inch in width) on a field of white, which starts over the eye and runs in a circular form around under chin. Breast black-brown, very thickly spotted with white, middle line of breast and under parts mahogany, running into a black as it approaches the vent. The back is a mixture of white, black and yellow-brown. Fe- male has no head markings; back same as male; breast purplish cinnamon, mottled with black and white. Ne&t on ground, in clump of grass or in brush, eggs eight to fifteen in num- ber, pure white, average size 1.21 by .90. Most of the above, in regard to the localities where found, size and color of eggs, was taken from Davis' Nests and Eggs of North American Birds, which is without doubt the best work treating on these subjects. 14 Care and Management in Confinement. Though quail have been kept in con- finement by a limited few for a number of years back, nothing has been done towards the advancement of this game bird until the last five or six years. I think the first pair of Quail that were ever kept in confinement, that there is any record of, was in the year 1794. Quail are as easy to raise in confine- ment as the Pheasants and if anything easier, as they are of a more docile nature, then being smaller they require less food and room, an item worth con- sidering. In fact, you can keep ten quail in the same space and on the same amount of food that it will take to keep a Plymouth Rock hen in a good health- ful state. As far as I know or can learn, they are subject to no disease. If you are just starting into this branch of the fancy, first of all get all the informa- tion in regard to the houses, aviary, their care, etc., and know the require- ments of your birds from start to finish, then you will have little trouble in rais- ing same. The people who buy their stock first, putting it in any old place, knowing nothing in regard to tfrefi re- quirements, seldom make a success"* Select a good place for their house and aviary so you will have a place in which to put them after you get theni. It should be built on high, dry ground. If such cannot be had you can -get nearly the same results by filling the inside of aviary and under shelter with gravel and digging a trench around the outside of same. The aviary should be as large as you can afford and have room for, but one io by 16 ft. by 5 or 6 ft. high will com- fortably accommodate twenty-five or thirty birds. It should be built of 2 by 4 stuff," using a twelve-inch board around the bottom, sinking same two or three inches in the ground. Above the board use either one foot or foot and a half one-inch netting. The rest may be cov- ered with one and a half inch mesh, but of course the smaller the better, and at the same time will keep out the bothersome sparrows. As to the height f the aviary it makes little difference, but don't have it less than four feet. ( )n the width end you should build your shelter, which must be water tight, built full width of aviary, about o A* six feet deep, five feet front and three feet back, siding back and ends up tight so as to be free from draughts. Leave the south side open. You can make a door in either side next to shelter. Quail are very hardy and can stand the cold all right if their quarters are free from dampness. It will be well to set out some small evergreens or other shrubs in aviarv. Put some evergreen boughs in front of the shelter to keep snow out in winter. Have the ground higher under shelter so as to keep it dry and cover same with litter, hay or straw. If you will put a little brush or evergreen boughs in also, it will add a great deal to their comfort. The above can be erected at a small cost and can be used for both summer and winter quarters, but find I get better results by pairing up my birds in the spring and removing each pair to a small pen about 4 by 6 by 3 ft. high built on the same plan as the larger ones and covering- same with one-inch mesh netting, make a place foi them to nest under by turning a small box about one foot square upside down, in one side of which an opening has been cut about 4 in. square. When The Head of a Male California Mountain Quail. 17 they show signs of nesting watch the hen bird very closely and as soon as she is through laying, remove the eggs and put in an incubator or under Bantam hen, of which the Cochin breed is the best, being good setters and excellent mothers. Of course the quail will hatch their own eggs, but she will teach the young birds to fear you and conse- quently you will not see much of them. When hatching with Bantam hen, fix a nest for her under the shelter of one of the small inclosed yards as described before. Dust both her and the nest well with some good insect powder before setting. Keep feed and water in pen so she can eat and drink when she wants to. If you are going to hatch in an incubator (which will be very inter- esting work) start your machine up at 102 and run so for the first seven days, Run balance at 102 1/2 to 103. If the temperature rises to 104 or 105 when hatching don't be alarmed, for this rise in temperature is caused by the heat given off by the hatching birds. Do not take out of machine until eggs are through hatching, then remove to brooder, which is warmed up to about 95 and gradually lower the tempera- 18 ture as they grow older. It is better to govern the temperature by the birds. If they huddle together give more heat. If they spread out, gasp and are uneasy, turn down. If everything is all right they will lie down and soon be fast asleep. Young birds raised in a brooder will, if handled carefully, be very tame, and will stay so if nothing is done to frighten them. They will also be free from lice. Have a dish of fine sand in the brooder from the start, but don't give them any food until forty-eight hours old, then feed some prepared game food or make a mash of equal parts of bran, cornmeal and fine middlings, adding about 5 per cent, fine sand, mix to a crumbly consistency with the yolk of raw eggs. Feed all they will eat up clean every two hours. Don't leave any in feed trays to get sour. After the fourth or fifth day add about 5 per cent, beef scraps and a little finely cut green stuff. Four feeds per day will be enough now. Scatter a little millet in some litter between meals, from the start. Keep clean, fresh water before them always and clean out dishes often. After youn'Qf birds are one month old feed three times a day and feed whole or cracked wheat as soon as they will eat same for their evening meal. We put up our own game food, which contains seeds, grain, animal food, grit, etc , and find we get better results with same. As soon as the young quail can get along without the heat of the brooder or shelter of the Bantam hen remove to the large aviaries, where they are to re- main all winter. After the nesting sea- son is over put all your breeders back in the large aviary and feed twice a day, in the morning a mash and evening a grain mixture of equal parts of wheat and buckwheat and ten per cent, cracked corn. Use about 15 per cent, beef scraps (ground) in their mash, feed a, little green stuff such as lettuce, cel- ery, etc., keep water, grit and charcoal where they can get at it, also some dust for them to dust in. In the winter feed the mash warm and add a little clover meal, also add more corn to the grain mixture. A good animal food may be had by exposing to the flies a piece of fresh meat, placed in a box or crock in some moist bran and as soon as eggs are laid, cover with bran. You will soon have a nice lot of magots, which 20 make excellent animal food. As to the variety you will keep, it makes little difference as the require- ments are about the same, though some will stand more dampness than others. The California variety are the handsom- est, but the common quail is a very pretty bird and the one most seen in confinement. The Quail Fancy is a very interesting study and once taken up is not often passed by for something else. Any one thinking of taking up some variety of bird or animal to breed will do well to at least give this hand- some bird a trial and will never regret having done so. In conclusion will say if you will make a success of the Quail Fancy, re- member these few things: Feed good, sweet food, keep your water fountains clean and filled with fresh water, see that there is grit and dust box handy, have your buildings water proof and free from draughts and dampness and send in your name for at least a year's subscription to the Pheasant and Squab Journal, which will keep you in touch with the doings of your brother and sister fanciers, and its advertisements will tell you where to buy good stock from reliable dealers. 21 Useful Quail. HE ornithologists of the De- partment of Agriculture have been making an investigation of the economy value of the bob-white, as a result of which it is now announced that that bird is "probably the most useful abun- dant species on the farm." Field obser- vation experiments and examinations show that it consumes large quantities of weed seeds and destroys many of the worst insect pests with which the farm- ers contend, and yet it does not injure grain, fruit or any other crop. It is fig- ured that from September 1 to April 30 annually, in Virginia alone, the total consumption of the weed seeds by bob- whites amounts to 573 tons. Some of the pests which it habitually destroys, the report says, are the Mexican cotton- boll weevil, which damages the cotton crop upwards of $15,000,000 a year; the potato beetle, which cuts off $10,000,000 from the value of the potato crop; the cotton worms, which have been known to cause $30,000,000 loss in a year; the chinch bug and the Rocky Mountain lo- cust, scourges which leave desolation in 22 their path and have caused losses to the extent of $100,000,000 in some years. The report urges measures to secure the preservation of bob-whites in the coun- try. 23 Quail Culture. N writing the culture of quail we. give you our experience of five years. The first two years were full of mistakes and losses. We did not eive ^ up, but stood by the ship when she was sinking fast, and at last ran her on shore, fixed up her battered hull and started all over again. Finally we found plain sailing. It has taken time, money and pa- tience, but as we had plenty of time, lots of patience and a good financial backing, we haye at least got to the point where both ends meet and enough left to buy a cigar or two. But this coming season will see us with a balance on the right side of the book. That like all other experiments was not without its losses and discouraging periods, but Yankee pluck and good financial backing got there at last. Now that we have got this down to a profitable point we are going to see that others have the same chance as ourselves. Do you know there is money in rais- ing quail for market if nothing more. 24 Then there is the gun clubs, breeders and those that want them for pets, and all are willing to pay a good price for them. Anyone that loves pets would buy a pair of tame quail at a good price. I remember the first pair of Bob White we ever sold five years ago and got $10.00 for them from a gentleman who saw them hanging in a cage in our window. Quail roost on the ground in a circle, head out, and never on perches. So a quail house need not be had at all. But we found it of advantage to us to have houses built with the front open, that is, hinged at the top so when the front is opened it stands out like an awning. This house is 3 feet wide, 3 feet high in front, 2 feet in the rear and 12 feet long-, made of box boards one- half inch thick. This was our first house. We put boxes in for nests and used to drive the quail in every night. They used to lay in the nest and raise their young. We were very successful with them, but as we enlarged our stock we con- cluded to build our yards without any houses and accordingly we made yards 25 T 3 by 50 feet, 6 feet high, covered with one and one-half inch mesh wire and around the bottom, commencing at the top of the base board, we put a strip of Factory (cotton cloth) a yard wide all around on the four sides. This saves the birds from being frightened by strangers or stray dogs. From this method of yarding we have had far better results than ever before. Do not use 2-inch mesh wire for side or tops as they can get through that and always cover over the tops as well as the sides. In each yard plant shrubs and make it look as near wild nature as possible. The most essential thing in raising- quail is plenty of shade in the summer and shelter from the cold blast of winter. Quail can be fed the same as chick- ens, the only difference is the quantity and size of the food. The best food for quail is Cape Cod Quail Food, Kaffir corn, crack corn, wheat, buckwheat, hemp, millet, with plenty of maggots, dead flies, grass, lettuce, Cape Cod Game Bird Mash and Mica-Crystal grit, with a mash of corn meal, brand and middlins three times a week with 26 one tablespoonful of Cape Cod Game Food to each dozen birds. This mash is as necessary as any of the rest of the food for winter, only it gives them the animal food that they can get no other way, and it insures you getting fertile eggs and lots of them in the spring. Don't forget oyster shell. The birds need it to make egg shell. The quail are an industrious bird, being on the hunt from morning till night, looking for bugs, grasshoppers, worms, etc. When they have a large grass run it is unnecessary to feed more than once a day, the evening pre- ferred. When they get used to being fed at that time of the clay you will see them come from far and near, each one trying to get there first, then after they have had their supper will hop upon the poles or boxes and sit there as though they were at peace with all the world. Nothing will drive away a bad case of the blues quicker than to see a -flock of quail after their evening meal, sitting on the poles or boxes, picking their feathers, shaking themselves and whistling that call, "Bob White." When the birds are penned for the winter, do not forget green food. a >> 15 > to £ o 27 Clover hay is the best we have ever found — Cape Cod Brand — to substi- tute for green grass. It should be fed to them every other day. If the above method of feeding is followed closely the quail will be healthy, strong, vigor- ous and very prolific. Among a flock of quail there are al- ways some that are larger and hand- somer than others. The large females are always the best layers, so it be- hooves the owner to pick out the best of the flock to breed from, and sell the smaller and scrub stock to the market. It is best to buy your stock from reli- able breeders. While inbreeding can be carried on successfully for two or three years, we do not recommend it. It only costs a few dollars to get new stock ,and the result is always more satisfactory. In following the above rule in mat- ing you will find that the young will grow larger, handsomer and lay more eggs, and that the culls will bring you more than you can get if you allowed them to mate haphazard. We have always found it best to let the quail hatch their own eggs instead of hatching them under hens, as it does 3* •rt, a lot of work and there is away with a lot o tch . ng eggs where the profit ». i {eed each under hens you have ^ y° Ung °" e T:h£eo/a lead pencil. a stick about the size make it flat on one end, ben ta ^^fltatTo the"oun g birds. down the throats o Always use A 1 ^« four or five n ever use the fingers ^ nest> times a day until they days which they wfll Jo m fom {t You can see how much ^ would be to feed a very la g ^ of young broods by hand ^ old birds hatch tfi-joun o£ feeding !S all done > aye rr^^-^dandthepa- re „t birds wiU do the re^ heir ^ aUin t e hIrtts^ the wheat nest in the ^^ and bushes field, or m the hed B Tbe Wher£ the " ;:fSy" dden that unless nest is so carefully ^ bird one almost steps on t ^ will not move, but n oft - vou can then find ^ J in art , I{y0 "T a " t \rn hetilowing is a, frcial nests then California Valley Quail. 29 near perfect as I ever used and I have used several : Take a log and split it injialf, lengthwise, put one end on the ground, flat ways, and prqp up the other end about six inches from the ground. Then cover it over with straw, grass, hay, weeds, or anything that will make it look natural, but al- ways leave the high end open so birds can go in to lay. If you have no logs handy then take any old board ten or twelve inches wide and two feet long, put it up the same way, and be sure and always have them face the south. We always prefer to let the old birds make their own when and where they please, we never disturb them. In this way we have the best results. The fertility of quail eggs is about 96 per cent, with the exception of the first three eggs laid which are never fertile. The eggs hatch about the same per cent. The birds always mate in pairs and a female without a mate will be barren. Although we heard of a case of there being two pair and one male got killed in June, but both females laid and hatched young, she must have mated with the male before he died. It has 30 been tried several times to see if a male would take more than one female, but so far I believe it has been unsuc- cessful. Time and domestication may change this, as the pheasant in his wild state only has one mate, but in domes- tication he has three or four and have good results. There are two or three varieties that still continue to be true to one mate. So if the pheasant will mate with more than one female it is possible that the quail can also be converted to the Mor- mon laws of polygamy, let us hope so at least. The first food for young quail should be given about 36 or 40 hours after they are hatched, that is, it should be thrown into the pen so tfie old birds can get it to feed to the young until they are old enough to leave the nest and hunt for themselves. The food should be Cape Cod Quail Food and Cape Cod Game Bird Mash. They should be fed every three hours and only what they will eat up clean. Feed the mash every second day at noon. After they have been running around for three or four days give them a feed of maggots and dead flies 31 once a day. Give the maggots one day and the flies another. This food can be kept up until the birds are full grown. Don't forget to give plenty of green food, lettuce' leaves, millet and rape seed. In the mash for old birds in win- ter mix clover hay. They must have plenty of Mica-Crystal grit, quail size, and pure, fresh water in shallow, clean tins. The quail will lay from forty to seventy eggs a year and raise two broods if properly treated. Some quail hens will lay fifteen eggs and stop, others will lay twenty-three and then sit. If you go, at it the right way you can get a hen to lay from eighteen to twenty eggs before she will sit. Fright also has a good deal to do with -the number of eggs she will lay, also if she is moved to a strange place she will quit laying altogether. . A quail can cover about seventeen or eighteen eggs and make a good hatch. There is no contagious disease among quail that has yet made its ap- pearance. Occasionally one dies, but it is through neglect to give proper care. The best safeguard against disease is 32 plenty of fresh air and water, whole- some food in suitable variety, cleanli- ness. Follow the above and you will have no trouble with disease. We are often asked if there is a market for quail and do they bring good prices? Yes, there is always a ready market for quail, both live and dead and prices are good. Again some ask can I raise quail? Well, we don't know, but if you follow the rules laid down in this book you surely can. Do quail have lice and disease? Yes, they have lice, but not disease. How many breeders can I take care of and how many young will a pair raise in a season? How many you can take care of depends on yourself, from one pair to one thousand. One pair of breeders will raise about twelve and sometimes as high as twenty. What does it cost to start in the business? That depends on how much you want to invest. If you have a yard the quail cost from $2.00 to $12.00 per pair. You can buy stock as low as $1.00 per pair, but what are they? Either scrub or Southern stock which will not live in tfc'e North. It is best 33 . to pay a trifle more and get choice large hardy birds. Where can I get quail ? Give me the names and addresses of those that have all kinds of quail. There are sev- eral dealers advertised in this book whom we gladly recommend as being honest and reliable. The California Mountain and Valley Quail, Mexican, European and Cuban Quail can all be successfully raised in confinement same as Bob-White if directions in this book are followed. If any further information is wanted that is not found in this book, you can obtain it by sending stamp to the Author. LofC. 3.4 How to Plant Quail, O plant Quail is a very sim- ple thing to do and if you once start right you will have good success and your birds will multiply much more than if you put them out hap- hazard. Select the place that you wish to stock and spread out your grain, something that they will like and be sure that you have a bush or a hedge close at hand for them to run into when they are let loose, then sprinkle the food close to the bush or hedge, not over two feet away. When you have everything in readiness let it re- main over night and the next morning take your SEED BIRDS and put them in a basket, also take a pail of FRESH water and start out. When you have reached the spot selected for the first pair, catch them and soak their wings in the water UP TO THE SHOUL- DERS and let them loose and they will at once RUN to the bush or hedge and there they will sit and dry their feathers and by the time that they have dried their feathers they will have gotten over their fright, and will see the food and will at once com- 15 raence to eat. After they have eaten all they wish they will begin to mate and look for a place to build their nest and if they are not disturbed they will bring forth a goodly number of young, and should the season be a dry one they will nest the second time. The reason that we advocate the wetting of the wings of each bird is so that it cannot fly away as they woulil do otherwise and it gives the birds a chance to make love to each other while their feathers are drying and they will make the most of it, while on the other hand if they are turned loose all at once, and in the same spot, some of them are liable to kill themselves by flying against trees, or they are liable to die of fright and over exertion. In my 8 years of experimenting in quail I have found NO BETTER way to plant quail than the above and I know that if it is followed that you will get better results and be more pleased with it. Now a word in regard to getting the SEED BIRDS. Since the Lacy Law it is a hard matter to get birds and they cost from $7 to $10 per dozen the first part of the season, but after the first of January they go still higher and ■M are worth from $9 to $12 per dozen, but the best birds I EVER bought were purchased from the CAPE COD SQUAB, POULTRY & GAME FARM at WELLFLEET, MASS. They were hardier and stronger and better birds than I ever got before and they did NOT COST ME AS MUCH as other dealers ask. I could not ask for better treatment or better birds. Have you seen a copy of the P. & S. Journal if not send 10 cents for a sample copy. uhis journal contains advice on the care and management of {Pheasants from eyy to show room, Jfcow to successfully raise Squabo for the market. 2/ou can't afford to be without it. To all who send 50 cents and mention this book will receive the JOURNAL a FULL YEAR, regular price $1. FANCIERS' PRESS, WELLFLEET, MASS. We have the BEST FOOD for Quail, Pheasants and Ducks Ever put on the market. It is endorsed by the Editor of the Pheasant & Squab Journal, also by the writer of this book and THOUSANDS of breeders all over the U. S, and Canada. Price $3. per 100 lbs. Cape Cod Poultry & Pigeon Supply Co., Box 329. Wellfleet, Mass. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS III 003 255 213 4 i