186 THE POTATO. 



the colder months of the yea 1 : the young chickens may 

 have at least ono feed a day of potato, malt sprouts, and 

 ground oats, mixed crumbly; and ducklings may be 

 allowed considerably more. In fact, the latter, when at 

 liberty, will do well for the first few weeks of their exis- 

 tence on potato and bran alone, so long as the mixture is 

 not too sticky. 



Potato Water, Peelings, etc. The water in 

 which potatoes are boiled should never be used for live 

 stock; it is distinctly injurious to health, and when poured 

 off, it will be found that the potatoes contain ample mois- 

 ture within themselves for the proper mixing of trie meals 

 that are added to them. Householders who have small 

 flocks of hens should never boil the potato peelings along 

 with the other house scraps, but separately; and when 

 the proportion of the former is large, bran or malt sprouts 

 should always be used. In summer time fowls in con- 

 fined runs are better without potatoes, excepting in the 

 case of birds put up for fattening, and even then the pro- 

 portion used should be less than that advised for winter feed- 

 ing. The potato as a food for poultry is as little understood as 

 maize, and consequently its value has seldom been realised 

 by the general run of poultry-keepers. The latter must 

 understand that it is deficient in flesh and bone-making 

 material, and contains no fat or oil, but is rich in starch 

 (which is warmth-giving and fattening) and water. Its 

 deficiencies can, as we have pointed out, be supplied, 

 when the potato becomes a most economical and whole- 

 some food. 



