VII.] FOWLS. 107 



France they sometimes pick turkeys alive, to make 

 them tender ; of which I shall only say, that the man 

 that can do this, or order it to be done, ought to be 

 skinned alive himself. 



176. THESE are kept for two objects ; their flesh 

 and their eggs. As to rearing them, every thing said 

 about rearing turkeys is applicable here. They are 

 best fatted, too, in the same manner. But, as to lay- 

 ing-hens, there are some means to be used to secure 

 the use of them in winter. They ought not to be old 

 hens. Pullets, that is, birds hatched in the foregoing 

 spring, are, perhaps, the best. At any rate, let them 

 not be more than two years old. They should be kept 

 in a warm place, and not let out, even in the day-time, 

 in wet weather ; for one good sound wetting will keep 

 them back for a fortnight. The dry cold, even in the 

 severest cold, if dry, is less injurious than even a little 

 wet in winter-time. If the feathers get wet, in our 

 climate, in winter, or in short days, they do not get 

 dry for a long time ; and this it is that spoils and kills 

 many of our fowls. 



177. The French, who are great egg-eaters, take 

 singular pains as to the food of laying-hens in winter. 

 They let them out very little, even in their fine 

 climate, and give them very stimulating food ; barley 

 boiled, and given them warm; curds, buck-wheat, 

 (which, I believe, is the best thing of all except curds;) 

 parsley and other herbs chopped fine ; leeks chopped in 

 the same way; also apples and pears chopped very 

 fine ; oats and wheat cribbled ; and sometimes they 

 give them hemp-seed, and the seed of nettles ; or dried 

 nettles, harvested in 'summer, and boiled in the 

 winter. Some give them ordinary food, and, once a 

 day, toasted bread sopped in wine. White cabbages 

 chopped up are very good in winter for all sorts of 

 poultry. 



178. This is taking a great deal of pains ; but the 

 produce is also great and very valuable in winter ; for, 



