THE POULARD 57 



stomach, and the organ in which the eggs are formed 

 is removed. With a little care the slight wound soon 

 heals, and the mutilated bird is ready for the life of 

 a poulard. Let loose in the poultry-yard, it has 

 henceforth nothing to do but eat, digest, and sleep ; 

 sleep, digest, and eat. Leading such a life, the bird 

 soon begins to grow fat. Things go all the better 

 and quicker, however, if the bird cannot move freely, 

 cannot come and go at will ; for it is to be remarked 

 that no more than love of offspring does love of lib- 

 erty fatten those that feel its generous ardor. You 

 will ponder that later, my children, when you are 

 older. So they confine the poulards in coops. ' ' 



"What sort of coops V 9 asked Emile. 



"They are low cages divided into cells, with one 

 poulard to a cell. Crouching in its narrow compart- 

 ment, the fowl cannot move or even turn round. 

 Solid partitions bar the view except in front near the 

 feed-trough, and prevent its seeing its neighbors, 

 its companions in confinement, so that nothing may 

 distract it from its ceaseless work of digestion. The 







cage is placed in a room heated to a mild tempera- 

 ture, far from all noise and in a semi-obscurity which 

 induces sleep, so favorable to the functions of 

 the stomach. At punctually regulated hours, far 

 enough apart for appetite to be aroused, but near 

 enough together to prevent its becoming actual hun- 

 ger, which would impair the well-being of the stom- 

 ach and hinder the fattening of the bird, three meals 

 a day are served in the feed-trough. Eaw beets, 

 cooked potatoes, crushed grain, curdled milk, barley, 



