Goose

mon geese, commencing laying very early in the season: The 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 distin guished by a large fold of loose skin under the throat that increases with age, called the dew-lap. The Ameri can wild goose (Anser 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, and especially from their &pg. At night theymust have a clean, drypiece 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 poultry; 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 some distance from the nests. Nests for hatch ing should be made of fine 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 he 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 placed 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 freventry 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 under 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 be 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 kill them. All authors seem to agree on the proper food to be given them. which is coarse barley meal, bruised oats, bran, crumbs of bread 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 flat effect we have moistened it with boiled milk, and occasionally added chives chop ped fine. It is our opinion, however, that more gosling's are killed by over-feeding than by starv ing.. A person who is curious in these affairs informed us that he had 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 common 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 first a looseness, or diarrhoea, for which Main recom mends hot wine in which the parings of quinces, acorns, 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 by 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 hanging 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 be 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 from 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 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 days on a paste of Turkey figs, stamped and beaten up with cream; their livers would thus be 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.