110 PIGEONS. [No. 



and Lincolnshire, and the effect of turnips and oil cake. 

 In America they always take the fowls from the farm- 

 yard, and shut them up a fortnight or three weeks 

 before they be killed. One thing, however, about 

 fowls ought always to be borne in mind. They are 

 never good for any-thing when they have attained 

 their full growth, unless they be capons or poullards. 

 If the poulets be old enough to have little eggs in them, 

 they are not worth one farthing; and as to the cocks 

 of the same age, they are fit for nothing but to make 

 soup for soldiers on their march, and they ought to be 

 taken for that purpose. 



PIGEONS. 



181. A FEW of these may be kept about any cottage, 

 for they are kept even in towns by labourers and arti- 

 zans. They cause but little trouble. They take care 

 of their own young ones ; and they do not scratch, 

 or do any other mischief in gardens. They want 

 feeding with tares, peas, or small beans ; and buck- 

 wheat is very good for them. To begin keeping them, 

 they must not have flown at large before you get 

 them. You must keep them for two or three days, shut 

 into the place which is to be their home ; and then 

 they may be let out, and will never leave you, as long 

 as they can get proper food, and are undisturbed by 

 vermin, or unannoyed exceedingly by lice. 



182. The common dove-house pigeons are the best 

 to keep. They breed oftenest, and feed their young 

 ones best. They begin to breed at about nine months 

 old, and if well kept, they will give you eight or nine 

 pair in the year. Any little place, a shelf in the cow 

 shed ; a board or two under the eaves of the house ; 

 or, in short, any place under cover, even on the ground 

 floor, they will sit and hatch and breed up their young 

 ones in. 



183. It is not supposed that there could be much 

 profit attached to them ; but they are of this use ; they 

 are very pretty creatures ; very interesting in their 

 manners; they are an object to delight children, and 



