158 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



The China varieties, white and brown, are somewhat 

 smaller, but of a good size for market, and extremely produc- 

 tive. They are a profitable goose to keep. 



I had the pleasure of judging the geese at the World's Fair, 

 St. Louis, poultry show. Have never before seen so many 

 good geese in the showroom at one time, and the quality of 

 the winners was grand. It was very interesting to me to note 

 which section of the country produced the best geese, and was 

 surprised to find how little this big collection taught me along 

 this line. Will simply cite the Toulouse class to show you 

 how well the prizes were distributed. The winning old gan- 

 der was from Minnesota, the old goose from Pennsylvania, 

 the young gander from Illinois, and the young goose from 

 Canada. 



We did not make a success with geese because we have no 

 pasture for them, and it cost us too much to buy all their feed 

 from shell to marketable age. Our soil is light and sandy, and 

 will not grow a grass with a heavy enough sod. It pulls up too 

 easily. Below us, on the salt marshes, they are raised in large 

 numbers. 



Have never raised turkeys or Guineas, but know there is a 

 good profit in growing both of them, and, as I said before, the 

 large farms do not monopolize the trade. 



After we have started a flock of any thoroughbred variety 

 we want to know how good they are, and ask ourselves if we 

 have better birds than -our neighbors, who breed the same 

 varieties. Naturally, we think we have, and, just as naturally, 

 he prefers his own. There is a good opportunity given to 

 have an unprejudiced third party decide this question at every 

 fall fair in the country, and at winter poultry shows held in 

 most every city in your State. There is no place where one 

 can learn as much in a day about his favorite variety as he can 

 at a poultry show, where he puts his birds alongside the other 

 fellows and then studies out the strong and weak points in 

 each bird. A little of this experience will soon teach him 

 where to strengthen his flock, and the next year he will come 

 back determined to do better, and will be able to show better 

 birds. 



Even a local reputation of owning a wanning flock will ena- 

 ble a man to easily sell some cockerels for breeding, and also 

 a few surplus pullets each year at prices well above the market 



