AQUATIC FOWL. 139 



laying to fifty eggs. If well cared, you may have three clutches 

 in the year. The care necessary, is good housing and feeding. 



You will readily perceive when a goose is about to lay : she 

 carries straw to make a nest ; when that is observed, she should 

 be confined, lest she lay out. If you induce her, by confinement, 

 to lay her first egg in any particular place, she will be sure to 

 deposit the remainder of her clutch in the same nest. Her inclina- 

 tion to hatch is indicated by her remaining in the nest longer 

 than usual after laying. The nest to be of straw, with a finer 

 lining, say dry hay, or moss, and be sure it is sufficiently deep to 

 prevent the eggs rolling out. About fifteen eggs is thought a 

 sufficient clutch. The less the goose and her eggs are tampered 

 with the better ; she sits from twenty-seven to thirty days. The 

 gander never molests her on the nest, but acts as a sentinel to 

 repel intruders. It will be necessary to see that the goose be fed 

 while hatching, as, if she find a difficulty in providing food, she 

 may be kept too long off her nest, and perhaps at length desert it. 

 The goslings will not require food for twelve hours after leaving 

 the shell; their food may be bread, soaked in milk, porridge, 

 curds, boiled greens, or bran, mixed with boiled potatoes, given 

 warm, but not hot. Do not allow them to be subject to rain, or 

 cold wind ; keep them for at least forty-eight hours, after hatch- 

 ing, from the water, which would be likely to bring on cramps. 

 Geese do much better where they have access to water, and, from 

 feeding on aquatic plants, the expense of keeping is comparatively 

 light. Although so fond of water, if you wish to keep your geese 

 well, you will have to house and bed them at night, clean, dry, 

 and comfortably. Grass is essential to the well-keeping of geese, 

 their favourite being the long, coarse, rank grass, rejected by 

 cattle, of which little use could otherwise be made, and therefore, 

 through the goose, is turned to profit. The stubble geese are 

 long in estimation, from feeding on the dropped corn, and various 

 herbage, amongst the stubbles. The goose is easily kept, but if 

 intended for market, they require, in addition to green food, some 

 boiled potatoes, mixed with bran, given warm, but not hot ; and 

 will be found a profitable portion of the farming stock. To fatten 

 goslings for market, give potatoes, or turnips, bruised with barley 

 or oatmeal, at least twice a day. 



Mr. Cobbett says, the refuse of a market garden, would main- 

 tain a great many geese, at a very small cost, but, in addition to 

 the green food, they would require boiled or steamed potatoes, 

 given warm; or oatmeal, peas, beans, or maize, beat up with 

 boiled potatoes, carrots, or turnips. An objection has been made 



