396 THE RURAL EFFICIENCY GUIDE STOCK 



Chinese. This is a practical variety for those who raise a limited num- 

 ber of geese. They are the smallest, also the noisiest of any variety. The 

 females are excellent layers, averaging from fifty to sixty eggs a season. 

 They can, no doubt, be bred up to become paying for their eggs alone. The 

 young mature early and are quite hardy. The flesh is of the finest quality, 

 being decidedly superior to other geese. 



The Gray Chinese are the same color in both sexes, being a brownish 

 gray on the upper parts and running into a lighter shade on the lower parts 

 of the body. Like the Africans, they have a knob at the junction of the bill 

 and skull. The Gray Chinese are smaller and more brown than the African. 

 The White Chinese are pure white. 



Canadian. These are the wild geese that are so common to the country. 

 They are among the best known of our domestic geese although more wild 

 and harder to confine. They cannot be held in check without removing the 

 outer joint of the wing. These birds are hardy and easy to rear. They are 

 a fine table fowl. The females are good layers. This breed can be told by its 

 black head and neck and the white stripe nearly covering its feet. The back 

 is dark gray, breast light gray, becoming darker as it nears the legs, the 

 plumage from the legs to th.i tail is white. 



Egyptian Geese. This is purely an ornamental variety kept for show 

 purposes. They are the bantams of the goose tribe. The males are very 

 quarrelsome. Two can seldom be kept in the same pen as they will fight to 

 death. Their color is chestnut, gray, buff and black. There are but few of 

 them in the country. 



Management of Geese. 



The conditions necessary for the successful raising of geese are almost 

 entirely different from those necessary for successful duck raising. Geese 

 require a much larger space than ducks. They need free range and water. 

 There are many places on the farm that are useless for cultivation that could 

 be turned into profitable runs for them. They will thrive on farms that have 

 branches, streams, or unused springs on them. Farmers who profit by this 

 add considerably to their annual incomes. Geese need very little care and 

 attention in comparison with other poultry. If they have plenty of pasture 

 on the farm and water, they will take care of themselves. 



Water. When running water is not available, geese should be watered 

 in dishes deep enough for them to wash out their nostrils. This prevents 

 the insects and dirt from bothering them too much. 



Housing. All that is necessary in the way of houses is protection from 

 wind and storms. Cold weather does not ever inconvenience geese when they 

 have a dry, well ventilated place to rest. Any shed-like structure is sufficient 

 that is about six feet high in front and three feet high in the rear, built any 

 width and length that is large enough to accommodate the birds. Each mem- 

 ber of the flock should have about ten square feet of floor space. It is ad- 

 visable not to have a shed over twelve feet wide as it is liable to be damp. 

 The house may be built of cheap lumber and covered with tar paper, or made 



