228 FARMING FOR LADIES. [cHAr. x. ! 



cannot be hatched in less than thirty days. I 



The eggs are smaller than those of any breed i 



but the bantam, and she is the best foster- i 



mother, for she will be content to remain j 



quietly in the yard without draggmg the ! 

 young things through the grass. They may 



be brought up precisely in the same manner '\ 



as turkey chicks ; and if an ant's-nest should ] 



be found, and a shovelful of it tossed to )! 



them by the gardener, it will be a most desir- I 

 able addition to their food. 



Notwithstanding what we have said of the 



injury which they commit in gardens, we must i 



admit that if allowed to go into them when { 



the fruit is gathered, they also destroy great | 



quantities of insects ; and, as the little chicks ! 



when very young are incapable of doing mis- \ 



chief, it may be as well to permit their entry ' 



for an hour or two each dry, sunshiny day. i 



The eggs are speckled, and are considered i 



so rich as to be preferred by many for the ! 



greater relish of their flavour. The flesh ! 



also partakes somewhat of the flavour of the j 



pheasant, with more of that succulence in | 

 which the latter is deficient ; the bird is there- 

 fore highly prized as an excellent dish at the 



