Goose

GOOSE. Anser. Of the eight sub-varieties of the goose family supposed to have descended from three distinct -wild species, the common gray or white goose, the Brernen or Emhden, and the Toulouse, are supposed to have coine from the gray-legged goose (Anger ferns), still found wild in the north of Europe. The following is a condensed account of some of the principal breeds of geese generally disseminated. The Bremen is a large, pure white goose, with brick-red legs and bill, first brought to this country from Bremen, in Holland. In England they are called den, from a town of the same name in Holland, where theirs were first obtained. They are said to be extensively bred in Geimany and I russia, and probably Austria. These geese are very large, weighing from twenty-two to twenty-six pounds, live weight, and occasionally full thirty pounds when in high flesh, as seen at exhibitions, and though so large, they are well tioned, hardy, healthful, and very showy. They are quiet and peaceahle. and take on flesh very apidly with extra feed. They also supply a perior quality of feathers in very large quantity. 'The male lays about the same ber 'of eggs as the common goose, but usually commences much earlier in the spring. The Toulouse constitutes the third sub-variety, and was brought to this country from the south of France. It is tinguished frcm the common gray goose by the uniformity and constancy of its color, which is alike in both sexes, and daiker than in the mon goose, and hy its very large size being as heavy as the hest. bred Bremen. They are rather short-legged, have round, compact bodies, and a large development of the dominal pouch, which, in the common goose, is a mark of considerable age, but commences its ance in this variety when but a few months old. Like the Bremen, they lay early in the spring, are very quiet, fatten readily, and have excellent flesh. Our common geese cross freely with the Bremen and the Toulouse, the first cross yielding birds nearly or quite as large as either parent, but the results of the cross rapidly degenerate by breeding among themselves. To keep up the size, the cross birds should be bred to one of the larger geese. The cross between the Bremen and the Toulouse is even larger than either parent, but deteriorates by breeding-in. The time of incubation of these three varieties is from twenty eight to thirty days. 'Hie continents of Asia and Africa have furnished us with the next family of geese, consisting of four sub-varieties, three of which are called China geese, while the fourth is known by the name of African or Flong Kong. These are all specifically, if not gener ically, distinct from those previously described. They are all distinguished by a large' knob or excrescence on the top of the bill next the head, that increases with age ; beak strong and high ridged ; their attitudes graceful and swan-like on the water, but stiff and usually quite erect on land; voices harsh, loud, and frequent; while their wings and tails are short, rendering it dif ficult for them to fly. Time of incubation, thirty-three to thirty-five days. There is gener ally great dissimilarity in size, the ganders being much larger than their mates. The three strains denominated Chinese geese are named the red legged, the black-legged, and the white Chinese goose. The first two have dark gray or brown plumage covering the wings, back, and shoul ders, the longitudinal stripe on the back of the neck almost black, while the front of the neck, breast, and flanks are fawn color, and the under and hind parts grayish white. In the red-legged, the bill, knob, and legs are red, while these parts are black in the black-legged, and this variety has usually a narrow white stripe surrounding the feather side of the knob. These brown Chinas are both beautiful little lairds, the ganders being about the size of the common kind, while the geese are smaller. The white Chinese goose is considerably larger than the brown kinds, less erect, a long, thin neck, bright orange-colored bill with large projecting knob, and leg,s but a little darker. It is often called the White Swan goose. All the Chinese geese are excellent layers, producing about twice as many eggs annually as com mon geese, commencing laying very early in the season. The fourth kind, usually called African or Hong Kong, is colored the same as the brown Chinas, with bill, knob, and legs a dull black, while in size it has no superior. It is also distill gnished by a large fold of loose skin under the throat that increases with age, called the dew-lap. The Ameri can wild goose (A nsel. Canadensis) is too well known to need a descrip tion. It is a, distinct species. In a state of domestication the female does not breed until two years old. The gander will mate with the common goose, but their young are mules, and will not breed. Some flocks in the country are so thoroughly domesticated that they do not require to be pinioned, though it is generally safer to remove the first joint when young. There are several purely fancy varieties of geese that are kept to some extent, as the Barnacle goose, the White Canada or Hudson Bay goose, the Brant or Brent goose, the White fronted or Laughing goose, the Bean goose, and the Egyptian goose. It should be known that geese may be profitably kept on any farm where there is a pond or running stream of water, and plenty of grass range in summer; on this they will pretty much get their living. Where more confined they soon kill the grass by biting close, tramping, aud especially from their dung. At night they must have a clean, dry piece of ground upon which to rest, and in winter their quarters must be both dry and warm. The late C. N. Bement, who gave much attention to geese and other farm fowls, wrote upon their management, from which we extract: In selecting a situation for a goose-house or pen, all damp must be avoided; for geese, however much they may like to swim in water, are fond at all times of a clean, dry place to sleep in. It is not good to keep geese with other poultiy; for when confined in the poultry-yard they become very quarrelsome, harass and injure the other fowls; therefore it is best to erect low sheds, with nests partitioned off, of suitable size, to accommodate them; and there should never be over eight under one roof; the large ones generally beat the smaller, in which case they should, of course, be separated, one from the other, by partitions extending out sonae distance from the nests. Nests for hatch ing should be made of finc straw, of a circular shape, and so arranged that the eggs can not fall out when the goose turns them. From thirteen to fifteen will be as many as a large goose can conveniently cover. The ganders remain near

when sitting, and seem to watch them as a kind of sentinel; and woe be to man or beast that dares approach them. They seem very anxious to see the young ones, that are to be born, make their appearance. Incubation lasts from twenty eight to thirty days, and not two months, as some state, and the goose should have water plated near her, and be well fed as soon as she comes off the nest, that she may not be so long absent as to allow the eggs to cool, which might cause her to abandon her task. After twenty-eight or twenty-nine day's incubation, the goslings begin, • but frequently at an interval of from twenty-four to forty-eight hours, to chip the shell. Like turkey chickens, goslings must be taken from under the mother, lest, if feeling the young ones unJer her, she might perhaps leave the rest of the tardy brood still unhatched. After having separated them from her, they must be kept in a basket, lined with wool and covered with cloth; and when the whole of the eggs are hatched, may he returned to the mother. The male seems to evince the same solicitude for the young as the mother, and will lead and take equal care of them. ' On the second day after they are hatched they may be let out after the dew is off, if ,the weather is warm, but care must be taken not to expose them to the scorching rays of the sun, way and succeeded well. Grass seems to be their natural food, and by following nature in all cases with dumb animals, and more especially with fowls, we have generally succeeded best. After they are three or four weeks old they may be turned out into a field or lane containing water. If their range is extensive they must be looked after, as the goose is apt to drag the gos lings until they become cramped or tired, some of them squatting down and remaining at even ing, and are seen no more. After the goslings are pretty well feathered they are too large to be brooded under the mother's wings, and will sleep in groups by her side, and must be supplied with good and renewed straw to sit on, which will be converted into excellent manure. Being now which might ki.11 them. All authors seem to agree on the proper food to be given them, which is coarse barley meal, bruised oats, bran, crumbs ofbread soaked in milk or curdled milk, lettuce leaves chopped fined, or crusts of bread boiled in milk. In this country Indian meal moistened with water is generally given; but in our experi ence we have found it too laxative, and to counteract the effect we have moistened it with boiled milk, and occasionally added chives chop ped fine. It is our opinion, however, that more goslings are killed by over-feeding than by starv ing. A person who is curious in time affairs informed us that he bad been most successful when he let the goslings shift for themselves, if the pasture was good. We tried a brood that able to frequent the pond and range the cemmon at large, the young geese will obtain their own living; and if favorably situated, nothing more need be allowed them excepting the vegetable produce of the garden. We have, however, found it a good practice to feed a moderate quantity of solid food to the young and store geese, by which means they are kept in a grow ing and fleshy state, and attain a larger size; the yOung ones are also forward and valuable for breeding stock. Besides, feeding them, especially in the evening, on their return, attaches, them to their home. In relation to the diseases of geese, colds and fogs are extremely against geese; therefore, when young, care should be taken not to let them out but in fair weather, when they can go to their food without a leader. They are particularly subject to two diseases; the tirst a looseness, or diarrlicea, for which Main recom mends hot wine in which the parings of quinces, acornt or juniper berries are boiled. The second is like a giddiness, which makes them turn round for some time ; they then fall down and die, if they are not relieved in time. The remedy recom mended hy Main is to bleed the bird with a pin or needle, by piercing a rather prominent vein situ ated under the skin which separates the claws. Another scourge to goslings are little insects which get into their ears and nostrils, which fatigue and exhaust them ; they then walk with their wings banging down, and shaking their heads. The relief proposed is to give them on their return from the fields, some corn at the bot tom of a vessel full of clear water; in order to eat it, they are obliged to plunge their heads in the water, which compels the insects to fly and leave their prey. It is the same with the goose, says Main, as with every other bird that is fattened up; that moment must be laid hold of, when they come to a complete plumpness. or they soon get lean and die if they are not killed. Meal and skimmed milk will soon do the business; after ranging in the grain stubbles but little else will be required. These are called green geese, and are most esteemed by the epicure; they will then he about six weeks old, tender and fine. Steamed potatoes, with four quarts of ground buckwheat or oats to the bushel, mashed up with the potatoes, and given warm, it is said, will render geese, cooped in a dark place, fat enough in three weeks. The French method of fattening consists in pluck ing the feathers frorn under the belly; in giving them abundance of food and drink, and in coop ing them up more closely than is practiced with common fowls ; cleanliness and quiet being, above all, indispensable. The best time is in the month of November, or when the cold weather begins to set in. When there are but a few geese to fat ten, they are put in a cask, in which holes have been bored, and through which they thrust their heads to get their food; but as this bird is vora cious, and as with it hunger is stronger than love of liberty, it is easily fattened, provided they are abundantly supplied with the wherewithal to swallow. The Romans considered the liver of the goose a great dainty, and to increase its size they fed them sixteen da,ys on a paste of Turkey figs, stamped and beaten up with cream ; their livers would thus he brought to table, each weigh ing three or four pounds. Equal parts of the meal of oats, rye and peas, mixed with skimmed milk, form an excellent feeding article for geese and ducks. The grand object of preparing, not geese only, but all kinds of poultry for market in as short a time as possible, is effected solely by paying unremitting attention to their wants ; in keeping them thoroughly clean, in supplying them with dry, soft, and green food, water, exer cise ground, etc. They should be fed three times a day.