168 Impost hume. 



tor the latter, must be sufficient to make 

 tliem thoroughly fat ; indeed, I prefer a 

 goose fattened entirely in the stubbles, grant- 

 ing it to have been previously in good case, 

 and to be full fed in the field ; since an 

 o^rer-fattened goose is too much in the oil- 

 cake and grease-tub style, to admit even 

 the ideas of delicacy, tender firmness, or 

 true flavour. But when needful to fatten 

 tliem, the feeding-houses already recom- 

 mended, are most convenient. With clean 

 and renewed beds of straw, plenty of 

 clean water, and upon oats crushed or 

 otherwise, pea or bean-meal, the latter, 

 however, coarse and ordinary food ; or 

 pollard ; the articles mixed up with skim- 

 med milk when to be obtained, geese will 

 fatten plea,santly and spec*dily. I know no- 

 thing of the imposthume, said by our elders 

 to grow upon the rump of the feeding goose, 

 and tlirough which she perpetually, like 

 a bear, sucks her own fat, and w^hich 

 thence must needs be exsected. Nor am 

 I, however ardently attached to the wri- 

 tings of antiquity, sufficiently classical, or 



