THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 147 



of the lever. The next thing to be described is the lever, A, upon the table, 

 the object of which is to hold down the legs as these are extended backwards. 

 This lever is padded beneath, and is furnished with a hinge at i, which ad- 

 mits of being raised at the end &, it projects beyond the edge of the table, 

 and has also a five pound weight suspended by the string I, which increases 

 or diminishes the pressure by being moved to or from the table. Through 

 one portion of the hinge an iron screw, m, passes beneath the table where 

 the end is secured by a nut. This screw or pin allows the lever to move 

 sidewise, whilst the hinge admits of its being raised or let down. A range 

 of holes, about one-third of an inch wide, is made through the table, to re- 

 ceive the pin of the lever, as this has to be placed nearer to or farther from 

 the slit c, according to the size of the chicken. The first hole is about eleven 

 inches from the nearest end ; the second, fourteen inches ; the third, seven- 

 teen inches. The last is adapted to very large cocks or even turkeys. 



POSITION OP THE FOWL ON THE TABLE. 



In figure 2, the position of the fowl when secured, lying upon its left side 

 upon the table, is represented, d being the wing-band, h the lever placed 

 over the legs, and a the place where the incision is made. The table is a 

 refinement in the art of caponing which we believe is altogether new, not- 

 withstanding the thousands of years which have elapsed since the operation 

 has been habitually practiced. The difficulty of making a subject, apparently 

 simple, well understood by persons to whom it is entirely new, is, we think, 

 a sufficient apology for the length of the details given. 



USEFULNESS OF CAPONS. 



In France and other countries, besides furnishing a luxurious food, capons 

 are made useful in taking care of broods of young chickens, ducklings, 

 turkeys, and pheasants, which they are said to do much better than hens, 

 owing to their larger size and thicker coats of feathers. The moment the 

 chickens are hatched they are taken from the hens and given to a capot,, 

 who rears them with all the care of a parent, often having a small beu 

 attached to his neck, the tinkling of which serves the purpose of keeping th. 

 brood about him, similar to the clucking and maternal sounds of the mother. 

 Should he show a disposition to treat the young chickens roughly at first, he 

 may be confined alone for a day or two in a dark place, after which if they 

 be put with him he will be pleased with their company and continue to take 

 care of them. The hen is cooped, and well fed until she regains the flesh 

 and strength lost whilst sitting, and then turned out to lay again. In this 

 way the poulterer is enabled to raise a large number of chickens from a few 

 liens. The capon generally brings double or treble the price of common 

 poultry. 



ANOTHER MODE OF PLACING THE FOWL. 



Figure 3 shows a different mode of preparing the fowls for caponizinsr, 

 which only requires a very little trouble to make. In the first place you con- 



