Canaries: Their Care and Management

Before Alexander Wetmore became the Secretary of the Smithsonian and one of the foremost ornithologists of the twentieth century, he wrote this practical handbook for American canary keepers. Published in 1916 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it captures a moment when keeping songbirds was a beloved domestic pursuit across the nation. Wetmore guides readers through every aspect of canary husbandry: selecting healthy birds, designing appropriate cages, crafting nutritious diets, and understanding the molting process that leaves canaries momentarily bedraggled before their golden feathers return. The chapters on breeding offer careful instructions for encouraging pairs to nest, while health sections diagnose common ailments and prescribe time-tested remedies. Particularly fascinating is Wetmore's discussion of 'color feeding', the careful administration of foods intended to enhance the vivid reds and yellows of plumage. This is more than a care manual; it is a window into an era when a singing canary in a front window was a common domestic pleasure, and when the USDA spoke directly to citizens about the creatures in their homes.