224: SKETCHES OF RURAL AFFAIRS. 



rally their own perquisite, and they had every induce- 

 ment to attend to the welfare of this profitable stock, 

 which yielded them a good return in pocket money. 

 But in our own day, small farmers, as a class, have 

 almost disappeared, and the land is principally in the 

 hands of men of capital, who seldom rear more poultry 

 than will supply their own tables. Hence our markets 

 are not so regularly supplied as they ought to be, and a 

 large proportion of the poultry sold in London is ob- 

 tained from France. At the present time, indeed, there 

 are to be found, even among our nobility, many poultry- 

 fanciers, who study and cultivate the finest varieties 

 as a matter of pleasure. And it is to be hoped that 

 this example will spread more widely among the middle 

 classes. 



It would be matter of regret if so pleasant and pro- 

 fitable a task as the rearing of poultry should be suffered 

 to fall into neglect. At a very trifling cost, many a 

 cottager might be provided with the means of keeping 

 ducks and fowls, to be cared for by his wife and children. 

 In the case of farm-labourers the practice is often ob- 

 jected to, as tempting men to pilfer from their employ- 

 ers the necessary food for the fowls ; it could, however, 

 be granted as a privilege to persons of tried honesty, 

 as a means of increasing their little store. There are 

 also many other families who might be profited by the 

 keeping of poultry, if good methods of management 

 were followed, and understood. Some of these will be 

 explained as we proceed. 



Every one who knows anything about poultry, is 

 aware that they want shelter from inclement weather. 

 This shelter is sometimes found in the cottage kitchen, 

 or in the ordinary outhouses of a farm ; but it is most 

 convenient to have a place purposely for poultry, and 

 devoted to no other use. Even the humblest cottager 

 may contrive some little shed for his fowls, if he has 

 common dexterity to use the materials which are plen- 

 tiful in country places ; and as warmth is very necessary 



