HOMING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 58

HOMING NOTES.

By Mausta Mealy.

After several months.' denrivation from l-acing we ar? a^a'n on the threshold! of expectancy — r fact -which •is 3'.iflSc:«nt t< make tiia pigeon ent'hvisia-st nearly b^sid himself Vision* of trophies, firsts, atul conquest new are sufficient to n.alre 'om li'Sarly live with their little aerial prodigies just now. It is the tlioughtful. calculatirnr fanciei who w ; ll come o-v" at the top, not the haphazard mob-fl«or, A-ho trusu io quantity irrespective of quality md condition No n attei how blue the bloci .recess cajiuot po.3ibly ho the lot of thoi.* who do not cbvots thei. bcist efforts t ) bring out a biid's highest ciualities. It i = patience, pe>. severance. attention, and observation that will bring you to the fore. It is the man wdio makes the bird. Ther. is an old savins that " Money mak>3S t-hc maie to so": not so in .pugeon raoin«. You may spend a fortune and still be lefc in the background. Tv"hat is bo don"? to gain Ji3 zsniith of oui ambition? A^aia I «-ay, what is thsre not to bs cor.« 3, for reply is ahno-t unansW£rsbl<, foi =;O many" phasas pressnt thsins-ilvos. No one treatment m3i>£d out will sn'.l th'? various tamparajnents of all orr bi.;ds. They must be studied individually, net collectively. It .is the man whe studies tho varioxia -mbods, ch&raoteri&'.ics, and state of his p'geqn that we must look to for sucees. Training will have fcrrcn freaiy indulffe'l in cWifrg the past few woeks to arcuee the old instin<its of the lyre's to fly off their surplus flcs-h, and to trip w'.th. rcadiaesr on their return. Depend upcoi it. euccee-. will not be yours üb'.c -- \ ou leave no sto::o xuiTnrn'ed in accomn'i-hinsr the abov points. Most of us will ha^ie allowed oi«r pr'rds a. life of freedom during iln winter months. Pos-~ibly th 3 tath outs!o> will haie been almost a standing dVn. Leave it out a usual, and on. their return from a .'raining stage the first, pace they will make for fo allay tfosir thi.i*fc will b? to ths bath. This is undoubtedly ons of the first nreca.utioni you mils'-, rake. The tender-heai"ted indi- . vidral will gh =i his (cam a li#ht mi3al before despatching th»m to theit training: '" Dan't "' is mv advice. Th 3 pina:s of hunger will induce them .o hap sreadiiy, and lot the reward be some tasty morse's for making g-cod th.?ir return. Delicacies have s fascination for mo-t of U£ : so wit/i o':a- hire's. A mixtv.ro of hemp, millft, canary, linsscd. rice, and th 3 like regularly given will, after a few timss, act lik^ n-a^io on. their fastidious maws. Th-pro it io f hinj; Hire rajrular treatment to induce regular habits. 'M<:^t of v.is have, or shoci'xl have, soraa pecuiia!' way of announcing mealtime. It may bD a. whistle, ths rattle of a tin, tb" noisy scattering oi corn in lbs hoppyr, a peculiar call, or the like, which ir>d.ic&t;s feedinar t : nie. ' _ Th«s must bs followed with rnfailing regularitx to ensure instant, trapping. Reme-mber short races in bh-ao days of kern competition de.pertd largely upon trapp'nx. What a number of juv*>nil c s at tho game think that two car three tos-os at the race point duiring 1 th' 3 week means certain success ! Doss it sound rationail to fatigue your competitor prior to the iao?. days? Old trained b : rd* do not r squire- it; but I do say if they are fit. and well early 'a* the week, and the weather js fiairlv favourable, send th«m to Palmeraton or Hampdeji, about 30 or 40 miles from home, on. Tuesday or Wednesday. It will hay.-> that magio efF«ct. a brisk, short waik will have on jou just befcre braakfast.