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CHAPTER XXVII. 



THE DOMESTIC GOOSE. 



'Tis the opinion of some that our Common Goose is a mon- 

 grel, as the Dunghill Fowl, made up of several varieties as the 

 Gray-leg, White-fronted, Bean, and Pink-footed Goose, to 

 each of which it occasionally shows more or less affinity. As 

 to the practical qualities of this Fowl, we may say, on the best 

 testimony, they are very considerable. Mr. Taggart, in a re- 

 cent letter to me, says, " Of all Poultry, Geese can be raised 

 with the greatest ease, in the shortest time, and' at the least 

 expense, provided you live in the country, or in a-village where 

 grass grows in the streets and alleys. I have only 'reared them 

 once, but I am certain Goslings can be brought up on grass 

 alone ; though, of course, they grow much faster, if better fed. 

 I fed mine well, on Indian-meal and milk, and sometimes on 

 corn this, in addition to good pasture and see the result 

 they are of common blood, and not remarkable for size. At 

 33 days old, one weighed 5 Ibs. ; at 47 days, 6 Ibs. 15 oz. ; 

 54 days, 8 Ibs. 3 oz. ; 64 days, 8 Ibs. 14 oz. ; at 93 days, 11 i 

 Ibs., when I killed him. For Eggs, Geese are no ' great 



shakes/ but, to use a Crockettism, ' they're on a grow/ " 



On this subject Mr. Dixon says : 



We apply the term, " Domestic" to the Goose, using only 

 " Tame" for the Duck, to signify a much closer intimacy with 

 and submission to the control of Man ; and, as a further contrast, 

 the domestication of the common Goose, like that of the Fowl, 



