Abstract
Dr. Earl Hanebrink, Chairman of the American Pigeon Fanciers' Council, has announced a partial list of the speakers for the annual conference, to be held in St. Louis at the Ramada Airport Inn, July 25-27' 1980.
"These conferences were started just ten years ago," said Hanebrink, "as a means of supplying information and services to aU people in the pigeon hobby, to fill in some of the gaps between the existing organizations. This year's program should be especially interesting and serve that purpose well."
It is probably unfair to point to any one speaker as a "headliner", but there is no other way to describe the work that has been done at Cornell University, investigating the horning ability of racing pigeons. The latest report from Cornell, titled "Orientation in Pigeons", will be presented by Dr. William T. Keeton or Mrs. Irene Brown. This will mark the fifth appearance of the Cornell researchers in this series, and each time they have come with almost unbelieveable discoveries to tell us more about how pigeons find their way home. (See "Can Pigeons 'Hear' Their Way Home" elsewhere in this issue.)
The ever popular subject of performing pigeons will be addresses by Roger Baker, Rose Bud, Arkansas, in his talk on "The Performing Roller".
Presentations of the pigeon hobby in other countries have always attracted great attention in the past, and this year there will be several slide shows to illustrate the wide variety of ways pigeons are enjoyed throughout the world. "Roman Pigeon Lofts in Europe" will be explained by L.F. Tharp of Saucier, Mississippi. A tour for Racing Pigeon enthusiasts will be shown by La Verne E. Shumann, Sr. of Davenport, Iowa, titled "Visiting Foreign Lofts." Dr. Le. E. Hummel of Bonne Terre, Missouri, will talk about "Pigeons in Czechoslovakia and Hungary". And Dr. Wilmer F. Miller of Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, will show "A Visit with a Pigeon Breeder in Brazil". Dr. Miller spent a year in Brazil, setting up a laboratory to conduct studies in the inheritance of blood types in cattle.
A perennial favorite among fanciers of all kinds is "Doctor Pigeon", William F. Hollander, Professor Emeritus of Genetics, at Ames. Dr. Hollander will give an up-date to his 1978 presentation of the booklet, "Pigeons and Doves in Research", prepared by the Research Committee of the American Pigeon Fanciers' Council. The title of his talk will be "Trends in Laboratory Research with Pigeons and Doves". Another paper in the
scientific persuasion will be "Structura Stress Relieving of Pigeons" by John H. Tomlinson of Gulfport, Mississippi, 2 newcomer to these conferences.
Interest in many of the more unusua show pigeons has had a big boost ir America, and this is reflected in the pm gram. William Hawkinson of El Monte. California, will show and tell about "Vien· na White Shield Tumblers". And Guetei Wenzel of Grant Park, Illinois, wil demonstrate the fine points of Reverse· wing Pouters and five varieties of Germar Trumpeters.
In the field of color breeding and genetics David Rinehart of Tallmadge, Ohio, will present "Bronze Confusion' and presumably lead us out of confusion (won't you' please, Dave?). Mr. Rinehart has asked us to tell all the stalwart members of "Pigeon Science & Genetics Newsletter" that this redoubtable publication has gotten a "second wind", and it will be in the mail shortly. Johnnie Blaine of Hutchinson, Kansas, has agreed to be on the program, but his topic was not known at the time of this writing.
Regular attendants at previous conferences will recall that Ralston Purina Company serves as host by providing a sumptuous feast on Saturday night. As you probably know, this company is the world's largest maker of animal feeds (and pigeon feeds), and its world headquarters is in St. Louis. The Purina Farm Show, performed by many talented people from the headquarters, has always been a delight to the pigeon people after dinner. If you like pretty girls, corny jokes and banjo playing that is beyond comparison, you won't want to miss this part. The cost to registrants - nothing! It's all part of the package.
How much is the package? You pay only $5 .00 for yourself and $5 .00 for anyone else in your party, for registration. This entitles all to attend the conferences, the banquet, the ladies' day on the town, and all. In this day of inflation, when have you had such a bargain? In addition, the Ramada lnn has set up special rates for the pigeon conference people. Be sure to tell them you are with the APFC Conference, when you reserve rooms, to get the special rate.
Additions to the program will be announced in the next issue. Advance registration may be made by sending your check for $5.00 per person to Mrs. Thelma Snyder, Sec.-Treas., 2421 Old Arch Rd., Norristown, PA 19401. That's up to July 1. After that, hold it, and register at the door. But make your motel reservation with Ramada: 1-800-228-2828•