342 Home Production of Poultry. 



nocultural" establishment, artificially incubating and rearing 

 fowls, keeping 12,000 hens in close quarters, feeding them 

 exclusively on horse-flesh, with a consumption of fifty horses 

 jper diem, and realising 40,000Z. a-year for myriads of eggs sent 

 to the Paris market. In short, " M. de Soras," whose rumoured 

 marvels drew visitors from Russia, America, and other countries, 

 is now an exploded hoax. Near Beauvais, there does reside 

 a gentleman who annually raises 5,000 head of fancy poultry, 

 which he disposes of for breeding purposes ; but the poultry- 

 breeding of France is universally conducted on the old farm 

 system, with certain peculiarities in method which deserve our 

 notice. 



Mr. Geyelin tells us that the system of hatching differs entirely 

 from what he ever saw before, and in some parts of France forms a 

 special trade, carried on by persons called Coupeurs or Hatchers. 

 " These hatch for farmers at all times of the year at so much per 

 ^g^, or purchase the eggs in the market, and sell the chickens 

 as soon as hatched at from threepence to sixpence each, according 

 to the season of the year. The hatching-room is kept dark, and 

 at an even temperature in summer and winter. In this room a 

 number of boxes, 2 feet long, 1 foot wide, and 1 foot 6 inches 

 deep, are arranged along the walls. These boxes are covered 

 in with lattice or wire work, and serve for turkeys to hatch any 

 kind of eggs. Similar boxes, but of smaller dimensions, are 

 provided for breeding fowls. The bed of the boxes is formed of 

 heather, straw, hay, or cocoa-fibre ; and the number of eggs for 

 a turkey to hatch is two dozen, and one dozen for hens. 



At any time of the year, turkeys, loJiether broody or not, are taught 

 to hatch in the following manner : — Some addled eggs are emptied, 

 filled with plaster of Paris, and placed in a nest ; after which 

 a turkey is fetched from the yard and placed on the eggs, and 

 covered over with the lattice : for the first forty-eight hours she 

 will endeavour to get out of her confinement, but soon becomes 

 reconciled to it ; when fresh eggs are substituted for the plaster 

 of Paris ones. They will continue to hatch without intermission 

 from three to six months, and even longer ; the chickens being 

 withdrawn as soon as hatched, and fresh eggs substituted. After 

 the third day the eggs are examined, and the clear eggs with- 

 drawn, which are then sold in the market as new-laid, but as 

 they may be soiled or discoloured from having been sat upon, 

 they clean them with water and silver-sand, to restore their 

 original whiteness. The turkeys are taken off their nest once a 

 a day, to feed and to remove the excrements from the nest ; but, 

 after a while, they cease self-feeding, Avhen it is necessary to 

 cram them, and give them some water once a day. Atone place 

 \ye observed sixty turkeys hatching at the same time ; apd we 



