"Homing pigeons have wonderful ability to return to their homes, which is made use of for messenger service as well as for sport, Remarkable records of endurance and speed have been made by such pigeons. Pigeons kept for messenger service or racing should be carefully bred from a line of record performers. In selecting birds for a race or flight only those in prime condition and perfect feather development especially in wings should be used. Thorough training is an essential is as breeding in the successful management of homing pigeons. Only a little training should be given at a time and this thoroughly learned before longer flights are attempted. The distance that pigeons will fly in one day depends on the weather as well as on their breeding. Yong birds in good weather will fly about 300 miles in from seven to nine hours and flights of 600 miles in one day have been made by old birds. Squabs are raised only during the natural breeding season, in the spring. Matings are made about February 1 and broken up about June 1, the males and females being kept separate during the rest of the year." -- p. ii