Breeding and Management. 63 



GREEN FOOD, &c. When a hen carries material to the nest 

 and works freely with it, she will probably lay soon ; therefore a 

 little moist sugar must be added to the egg and bread, and a 

 little green food, such as winter lettuce, watercress, groundsel 

 if ripe, not otherwise or the leaves and stalks of broccoli- 

 should be given. 



A little beef -suet and a piece of raw apple should be placed 

 between the wires of the cage for the birds to peck, and if 

 a hen has a difficulty in laying her eggs, or seems thick, dull, 

 and husky, put a few drops of castor oil on a piece of sponge 

 cake, soaked in sherry and squeezed partly dry first, 

 and either place it between the wires or put it in the egg- 

 drawer; this will generally give relief. 



In the middle of February, when ordinary green food is 

 difficult to procure, a good substitute may be obtained by 

 putting into a pan or vessel of any kind, long and not too 

 deep, a quantity of rape-seed sowing-rape, which ought to 

 be procured of a seedsman, and not runch-seed, or spoiled 

 turnip-seed, which is very frequently sold by grocers in 

 country towns for that article, and which is injurious to the 

 birds spread it equally over the vessel, then pour in a 

 quantity of water, sufficient to float the seed well, and place 

 it where it will get the most light and heat; a greenhouse is 

 the best place, but a kitchen window, especially with a south 

 aspect, will do quite well. This, of course, is merely a make- 

 shift for the beginning of the season, as plenty of green food- 

 is procurable in the month of May. When it is tolerably 

 well grown it can be cut out in pieces, roots and all, and 

 placed in the breeding-cages ; it is best to put it in a small 

 cup or salt-server in water. The birds eat it readily, and 

 appear to like it. With this treatment the hen will rarely, 

 if ever, be egg-bound. I have known fanciers, in the spring 

 of the year, when green food is very scarce, feed their young 

 birds with dandelion- leaves. Where such food is resorted to 

 it is essential that it should be immersed in lukewarm water 

 over night, especially if the weather is frosty, otherwise its 

 use will be attended with fatal consequences. 



