156 THE TRADE IN EGGS AND POULTRY 



protection against cold. Of course, the eggs are graded, and we 

 cannot speak too highly of the beautiful way in which they are 

 packed. 



The fattening of the birds is not undertaken at the establishment 

 referred to above, but at the other three places, one of which is on 

 the borders of the city, near the barracks, and this we visited in 

 company with Mr. Hartmann. It is a huge place of about 60 or 

 70 acres, a large part of which is covered with buildings and fatten- 

 ing sheds. Here we were taken into cool chambers of great 

 capacity, where both eggs and fowls are stored. Refrigerating 

 machines made by Nicholson are employed, and everything is of 

 the most modern character. There are mills of the best kind for 

 preparing the food, and the whole place is lighted by electricity, 

 which is generated upon the spot. Outside there are great ranges 

 of sheds for fattening. In one large house, at the time of our visit, 

 there were no fewer than 15,000 chickens undergoing the process 

 at the same time. These are placed in cages five tiers high, and 

 are fed entirely from troughs, crammers not being used. Outside 

 are great ranges of houses for ducks and geese. These have open 

 sides, and are practically covered yards. The ducks and geese are 

 fed for ten or eleven days, as are the chickens, before they are 

 killed. Turkeys are not fatted,, as they are slaughtered as received 

 from the farmers. Upon the day when we visited this establish- 

 ment there were 2,000 or 3,000 guinea-fowls, and I must confess 

 never before to have seen so many of these birds at one time. 

 Large buildings are employed for killing the ducks, geese, and 

 turkeys, all of which are slaughtered at this place, and the provision 

 for the carrying out of the operations is upon a most complete 

 scale. In fact, it is self-contained to the fullest degree, for not 

 only is the food prepared upon the place, but there is machinery 

 for cutting the wood for making the boxes. It is a huge manu- 

 factory for chicken flesh. 



It would be impossible to describe, except at very great length, 

 this wonderful place, certainly the largest which I have ever seen. 

 A few figures, however, will indicate its magnitude. When in full 

 operation no less than 1,500 litres (1,312$- quarts) of milk are used 

 every day, and we may conceive what a large amount of grain is 

 necessary by the quantity of birds to be fed off. It may be ex- 

 plained that maize and barley are chiefly used for this purpose. 

 Upon the day of our visit 4,000 turkeys were killed, 5,000 geese, 

 and 5,000 chickens. There were on hand at that time 30,000 geese, 

 20,000 ducks, and 50,000 chickens, all of which would be dead within 

 the next week or ten days. As already explained, the turkeys are 

 not kept here, but nearly 50,000 of these birds would be ready for 

 despatch for the Christmas markets. So far as the quality of the 

 birds was concerned, the chickens were moderate and very well 

 fatted ; ducks were fairly good ; the geese very good ; and the 

 turkeys, on the whole, fair. 



On leaving this place, we felt our brains almost reeling with the 



