432 THE BREMEN GOOSE. 



Fowl. Some of the keenest epicures have declared that the flesh 

 of the Bremen Goose is equal, if not superior, to that of the 

 celebrated Canvas-back Duck. There is assuredly some comfort, 

 not uncombined with ease, in carving a bird that weighs seven- 

 teen pounds, and taking a slice from the breast, so long as to 

 be obliged to cut it into two, that one-half may cover no more 

 than the width of a common dinner-plate. 



The Bremen Goose inclines to commence laying at an earlier 

 period than this northern latitude favours, which is in the latter 

 part of February. To give the young fair play, it is not ad- 

 visable that hatching should be finished before the first of June. 

 The mode of prevention used by my father is as follows : 



The whole of the breeding stock, male and female, are put 

 into a dark room say about the twentieth of February and 

 kept there until about the tenth day of April. When in 

 durance they are well fed once a day with corn, and allowed 

 sufficient water all along to drink. Once a week they are 

 allowed to get out for one hour, to wash and plume themselves, 

 and are then shut up again. While thus confined, they lose 

 the inclination to breed, and do not assume it while they 

 are kept shut up ; but, in eight or ten days after they are set 

 at liberty, the disposition returns, and they commence laying. 



The mode adopted by my father to bring the broods of Gos- 

 lings forth in one day, is as under, and has been followed by 

 him for many years, with unvarying results. In 1840, he had 

 four Ganders and ten Geese for breeding purposes. At that 

 time, he had as many as thirty milk Cows in one stable, the 

 large door of which opened upon the farm-lane. Directly in 

 front of this door, he had his boxes, or nests, in which the 

 Geese laid their Eggs. These boxes I will describe in course. 

 The man who had charge of the Cows, had also the care of the 

 Geese, and he worked by the following instructions. First : 

 the Geese were to be carefully and properly fed. Secondly : 

 the Eggs were to be removed in the most gentle manner, every 



