1112 



THE PEOPLE'S FARM AND STOCK CYCLOPEDIA. 



There are two varieties of the China geese the Brown and 

 the White but they are really the same thing except in color 

 of plumage. The China geese are not so large as the Toulouse 



and the Embden, 

 but they are bet- 

 ter layers, while 

 their reputation for 

 early maturity, 

 hardiness, and for 

 quality of feathers 

 is quite up to 

 that of the larger 

 breeds. 



The very finest 

 market geese are 

 produced from a 

 cross between the 

 Toulouse and 

 Embden. These 

 cross-bred birds 

 grow larger than 

 either of the thor- 

 o u g h-b reds, and 

 their flesh is remarkably fine. All the geese should be pure 

 Embdens and the gander a pure Toulouse. These cross-bred 

 geese should never be kept for future breeders for they produce 

 young of inferior size and quality. 



Three geese can be mated to one gander, and the same 

 breeding stock kept for several years. Keep breeding geese 

 thin in flesh, they will lay better and their eggs will hatch bet- 

 ter than when kept on a full feed of grain. The best breeders 

 turn out to pasture as soon as the snow is gone, and after the 

 grass is well up feed nothing. After the geese are turned out 

 to pasture they can get along without shelter, but it is a good 

 plan to have a shed somewhere near the water. 



Geese commence laying from the latter part of February to 

 the middle of March, and lay from twenty to thirty eggs before 



EMBDEN GOOSE. 



