496 



NEW ENGLAND FAKMER. 



Nov. 



THE BBBMEN, OB EMBDEN GOOSE. 



These beautiful geese were originally from 

 Holland, and were introduced here by Colonel 

 Samuel Jaques, of Ten Hills Farm, near Boston. 

 The appellation of "Embden" has been obtained 

 from the town of that name in Hanover. Be- 

 yond their great size, and the uniform clear 

 white of their plumage, Mr. Bement says he is 

 at a loss for any sign of a specific difference be- 

 tween these and the common goose. In figure 

 they are alike, and the bill and legs are of the 

 same brick-dust hue. 



The quiet, domestic character of the Embden 

 geese causes them to lay on flesh rapidly ; they 

 never stray from their home, the nearest pond 

 and field satisfying their wants, and much of 

 their time is spent in quiet repose. 



Col. Jaques said of this goose, — "As quality of 

 flesh, combined with weight, is a main consider- 

 ation, I wish to mention that the flesh of the 

 Bremen goose is very diff'erent from that of any 

 of our domestic varieties. It does not partake 

 of thai dry character which belongs to the other 

 and more common kinds, but is as tender and 

 juicy as the flesh of a wild fowl ; besides, it 



shrinks less in the process of cookii g than that 

 of any other fowl." 



Mr. James Sisson, of Warren, Ehode Island, 

 says of them, — "Their properties are peculiar ; 

 they lay in February ; sit and hatch with more 

 certainty than common geese ; will weigh near- 

 ly, and in some instances quite twice the weight ; 

 have double the quantity of feathers ; never fly; 

 and are all of a beautiful snowy whiteness." 



The Manufacture of Coal Oil. — The man- 

 ufacture of kerosene and other oils from coal is 

 generally supposed to be very profitable, and so 

 it probably is, though we doubt whether such 

 fabulous sums have been realized from it as 

 many imagine. A Mr. Gould, of Rochester, 

 N. Y., has written a letter concerning this branch 

 of manufacture, which a correspondent informs 

 us abounds in misstatements and fallacies, the 

 writer showing his entire ignorance of the sub- 

 ject. Mr. Grant assumed that a bushel of Penn- 

 sylvania cannel coal, costing five cents, yields a 

 gallon of crude oil worth thirty-five cents. This 

 seems a large margin to pay for transportation, 

 cost of labor and fuel in retorting and distilla- 

 tion, but in point of fact coal suitable for making 



