HOUDAN CHICKS WITH BARRED PLYMOUTH ROCK MOTHER.(Photograph by C. E. Petersen)
OUR DOMESTIC BIRDS
IN AVICULTURE
JOHN H. ROBINSON
GINN AND COMPANY
BOSTON · NEW YORK · CHICAGO · LONDON
COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY
JOHN H. ROBINSON
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
413.9
The Athenæum Press
GINN AND COMPANY · PROPRIETORS · BOSTON · U.S.A.
PREFACE
Ten years ago aviculture had hardly been thought of as a school subject.To-day it is taught in thousands of schools, and in some statesinstruction in poultry culture is required by law. This rapid change insentiment and situation has resulted from a combination of causes. Whenagricultural colleges established poultry departments, it was found thata large part of those applying for admission to them had neither thepractical knowledge of poultry nor the general education that theyneeded to do work of college grade. About this time also the interest innature study began to take a more practical turn, and attention wasdirected to the superiority of domesticated to wild animals and plantsas material for school studies of the phenomena of physical life. Addedto these special causes was a general cause more potent than either:great numbers of people had reached the stage of experience in variouslines of aviculture where they realized keenly that a little soundinstruction in the subject in youth would have been of great value tothem later in life, saving them from costly mistakes. To these people itseemed both natural and necessary that the schools should teach poultryand pigeon culture.
Developing as the result of such a combination of causes, the demand foran elementary textbook on poultry came with equal force from countryschools, where poultry might be kept on the school grounds as well as byevery pupil at home, from city schools, in which all instruction must beby book, and from all types of schools and conditions of life between.Had there been only the extreme classes of schools to consider, thenatural way to supply the demand would be with a special book for eachdistinct type of school. The idea of one book for all schools, [Pg vi]fromwhich each might use what seemed to suit its requirements, was dismissedas impractical while so large a proportion of teachers were but slightlyacquainted with the subject. It is believed that the plan of making anelementary reading course for general use, and a secondary book of amore technical character for use where practice courses are given, isthe best solution of the problem under existing conditions.
In this first book the object is to tell in plain language the thingsthat every one ought to know about poultry, pigeons, and cage birds; toteach fundamental facts in such a way that they will be fixed in themind; to excite interest in the subject where none existed; and todirect enthusiasm along right lines. While the demand has been almostwholly for a poultry book, pigeons and cage birds are included, becausethey are of more interest than some kinds of poultry and better adaptedthan any other kind to the conditions of city life.
In regard to the time that should be given to this course, one period aweek for forty weeks is better than a period a day for forty days,because the average person, young or old, retains a great deal more ofwhat is read or heard about a diversified subject if