September 12, 1865. ] 



JOUBNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



233 



enclosed by a range of sheds about 500 feet long, and ia called 

 Uie farmyard ; the space in front of tbcse sheds will bo divided 

 into separate courts, for the proper clasailication of fowls. 

 Hero are also the manure-pits, draiued into liciuid manure-pits 

 iu front of each section of vegetable land, and ponds which are 

 supplied with the rain water drained from the buildings. Behind 

 the sheds are pig-styes, and vermin nurseries. The sheds will 

 be used for preparing the food, as stores, and as killing, pluck- 

 ing, and dressing-rooms for poultry. 



In this establishment is about to bo tested wliether poultry 

 can bo raised, partially artificially, on a very extensive sciJo, 

 and we hope soon to furnish more details. 



Those who have advocated the rearing of poultry in large 

 quantities, have frequently referred to the extensive establish- 

 ment of " M. de Soras," as proving that such a wholesale 

 rearing was not only possible, but profitable. The conderaners 

 of such rearing met the evidence by denying its existence, and 

 roundly asserting that " M. de Soras " is a mythical personage. 

 Mr. Geyelin has settled the dispute, by proving that each body 

 of disputants ia right, and each party wrong. 



There is no " M. de Soras," but there is a vast poultry- 

 rearing establishment. It is at Angy, near Mouy, Beauvais, in 

 Picardy, and the proprietor is M. Manoury. Mr. Geyelin has 

 visited the establislnuent, and says — 



" I was received with every courtesy, and informed that he 

 knew of no such name as M. de Soras, nor of any establish- 

 ment of the kind, but that he devoted his time to rearing some 

 6000 head of poultry per annum ; ho neither fed them on 

 horse flesh, nor supplied the markets of Paris, that he sold none 

 but pure breeds, and those to gentlemen and fancy poultry 

 dealers ; nevertheless, that his system of hatching, rearing, 

 and feeding was so different to that adopted by others, that it 

 might possibly have given rise to those exaggerated reports ; 

 after which he conducted me over his establishment, and ex- 

 plained most minutely the system he has adopted. I have also 

 visited all those places in France so justly famed for their poultry, 

 and from which those celebrated breeds of Houdan, La Flrche, 

 and Creve Cceur are obtained, where also I met with the utmost 

 courtesy in my inquiries, though I had been informed that the 

 farmers never explained or showed their system of poultrj'- 

 rearing to any one, which possibly may be true as regards their 

 countr\'men." 



Mr. Geyelin then details what he saw iu France, of " natural 

 and artificial incubation," from which details we will make one 

 short extract. 



" Amongst some places I visited, in company with two of 

 your shareholders, may be mentioned the farm of Madame La 

 Marquise de la Briffe, Chateau de Neuville, Gambais, near 

 Houdan, where we observed twelve Turkeys hatching at the 

 same time ; here, also, we witnessed the rearing and fattening, 

 which will be alluded to hereafter. In another place, that of 

 Mr. Auclu'', of Gambais, a hatcher by trade, wo observed sixty 

 Turkeys hatching at the same time ; and we were informed that 



during winter and early spring ho had sometimes upwards of 

 one hundred hatching at tho same time, and that each Turkey 

 continued hatching for at least three months. At tho farm of 

 Mr. Louis Mary, at St. Julion do l'"au(,'on, near Lizieux, in 

 Calvados, I saw a Turkey that was then sitting, and had been 

 so upwards of six mouths, and, as I considered it rather cruel, 

 the hatcher, to prove the contrary, took her off tho nest, and 

 ]>ut her in the meadow, and also removed tho eggs ; tho Turkey, 

 however, to my surprise, returned immediately to her nest and 

 called in a most plaintive voice for her eggs ; then some egga 

 were placed in a corner of the box, which she instantly drew 

 under her with her beak, and seemed quite delighted. More- 

 over, I was informed that it was of great economical advantage 

 to employ Turkeys to hatch, as they cat very little, and get 

 very fat in their stato of confinement, and, therefore, fit for 

 the market any day." 



We have not space to devote to the very useful and interest- 

 ing particulars Mr. Geyelin gathered relative to fattening, feed- 

 ing, killing, and dressing poultry in France, but we must 

 extract what he says on 



" CTILISINO THE WASTE mODCCTS. 



" Poultry Manure. — In Franco, as well as in our own country, 

 most eminent chemists have proved by analysis that poultry 

 manure is a most valuable fertiliser, and yot for a want of a 

 proper system iu housing poultry, it has as yet not been ren- 

 dered available to rural economy. The celebrated Vanquelin 

 says that when tho value of manures is considered in relation 

 to the amount of azoto they contain, the poultry manure is one 

 of tho most active stimulants; and when, as a means of com- 

 parison, the following manures are taken, in parts of 1000 it 

 will be found that — 



Horse Manure contains 4.0 parts of azote. 



Guano as imported ...., 41). 7 do. 



Guano, when sifted of vegetables and 



stones .OS.g do. 



Poultry Manure 83. U do. 



"In France, as in England, the poultry manure is left to 

 accumulate in the poulti7-homes, to the loss of farmers, and to 

 the detriment of the health of fowls. 



" The Feathers are carefully collected and sorted, and when 

 well dried sold to dealers. 



" The Intestines are boiled, tho fat skimmed off, which is sold 

 separate ; the intestines are then minced as food for poultry, 

 and the liquid is used for feeding pigs. 



" The Combs and Kidneys are sold to pastrycooks — tho first 

 for decorating, and the latter for flavouring pies. 



" The Head, Neck, andFeet are sold to hotels, restaurants, &e., 

 for flavouring sauces, or boiled down to make chicken jelly." 



The foregoing are extracted from Mr. Geyeliu's " Report to 

 the Poultry and Egg Company," whoso establishment at 

 Bromley, Kent, is now completed, and of which Mr. Geyelin is 

 the manager. That report is highly interesting, and will 

 gratify any lover of poultry who peruses it. 



A GOOD BEE-HOUSE 



I HATE sent a sketch of my bee-house, wliich is the best 

 covering for bees that I can find, and very convenient for super- 

 ing, &c. It is made of half-inch boards, except the floor, which 



screwed to the floor, as shown by the sketch of the end. As to 

 flat-square straw-hives I intend making some in readiness for 

 next spring. My plan is, to make a square frame, work the 



is IJ inch thick. It is closed-in all round except the front, 

 7 inches of which is left open. The ends of the front part of 

 the roof are fixed, but the back board and back part of the 

 roof are moveable. The back board is kept up by two hasps 



straw round it, and then screw a board on to tho frcrae fer the 

 top. Information as to the size which they ought to be (inside 

 measure), would oblige — A Bucks BEE-KEKrf:R. 



[Mr. Woodbury's frame-hives are 14j inches square by 



