178 FOWLS. 



eye, indicates the sex of the bird; if on one side, it will be fe- 

 male ; if in the exact apex, a male. 



Do not attempt to turn the eggs ; the hen can do this best 

 herself. It is poor economy to place too many eggs under 

 one hen, though of course a large hen can cover more than 

 a smaller bird ; but the large brood often get trodden on by 

 the mother, and they are less healthy and vigorous, on ac- 

 count of being half starved during incubation. 



Yellow or brownish colored eggs are mostly produced by 

 hens of Southern breed, and the white alabaster egg, by 

 Northern breeds. There is a superstition among many farm- 

 er-wives, with regard to the number of eggs for hatching ; 

 they always choose an odd number, nine and thirteen being 

 more desirable than eight or twelve. 



The young chickens must be kept perfectly free from cold 

 or moisture, and fed for the first few days on rice boiled dry, 

 or Indian meal boiled and given not too moist. Water 

 should be placed in shallow plates. They should be kept 

 from the damp grass. 



BOILED FOWL. 



Put it into water that the chill has been taken off from, 

 after having trussed the fowl handsomely, and add to the 

 water a small piece of pork, that has been previously put into 

 cold water and boiled in a saucepan for half an hour ; skim 

 the water, and add it to the pot with the pork. Let the fowl 

 simmer, if it be large, an hour and a half. Make an egg 

 sauce, which serve in a boat. 



Boiled fowls are sometimes filled, after being trussed, in 

 the crop and body with oysters. In this case the oysters are 

 kept in by tying twine round, and placing the fowl in a jar, 

 which is put into a kettle of water, where it is boiled hard 

 for an hour and a half. Make a sauce, in a saucepan, of the 

 gravy which will be found in the jar, by kneading a little 



