DUCK. 



fungus, appears to be the best preventative at 

 present known. Sir W. Burnet has recently 

 invented another process. for rendering wood, 

 cordage, and all descriptions of woollen, free 

 from the effects of dry rot, which has lately 

 been tested and found very efficacious by go- 

 vernment. I understand the active matter in 

 Sir William Burnet's solution is sulphate of 

 copper. ( Willictis Dom. Ency.) 



.DUCK (Dutch Ducker, to dip; Lat. anas}. 

 There are many varieties of ducks described 

 by naturalists, but only two are to be found in 

 our farm-yards ; namely, the common duck 

 and the Muscovy duck. The common duck is 

 a useful and economical bird, requiring -little 

 care. It is perfectly independent, if there is 

 only a pond or mud hole to dabble in ; for 

 moisture is its element, and it cannot thrive 

 without it. One drake is sufficient for eight or 

 ten ducks. Duck hovels should be kept very 

 clean and warm, with a row of boxes inside 

 to induce the duck to lay her eggs in them ; 

 otherwise in the laying season she drops her 

 egg in the- water, or on the bare ground, or 

 seeks by-places, where, the eye of the vigilant 

 housewife cannot penetrate. For this reason, 

 it is better not to let them out very early in the 

 morning during the laying months, which are 

 March, April, and May. Their hovel should 

 be 'well secured from the entrance of foxes, 

 polecats, weasels, &c., and it should be de- 

 fended from wind and weather. Ducks " feed 

 themselves" a great part of the year, as they 

 are gross eaters; loving every sort of garbage, 

 such as offal, earthworms, caterpillars, sweep- 

 ings of barns, residue of breweries, slugs, toads, 

 spiders, and insects. In this particular, they 

 are admirable gardeners, effecting more in one 

 night than two gardeners could perform in a 

 week towards clearing a garden of slugs, snails, 

 and caterpillars. The waters which ducks 

 frequent should contain no leeches. If a pond 

 has any leeches in it, put in a few tench, which 

 will soon devour them. The herb henbane 

 should also be carefully rooted up from the 

 neighbourhood of ducks and poultry in gene- 

 ral, from its poisonous qualities. A duck lays 

 from 50 to 60 eggs between the months of 

 March and May, which are as nourishing in 

 their quality as hen's eggs. The duck is not 

 naturally inclined to sit, but let her always sit 

 upon her own eggs if possible. It is observed 

 that they do not like sitting upon strange eggs, 

 and that they even suffer pain by it. Let her 

 nest be remote and quiet from alarms. While 

 the duck is sitting, her food should be placed 

 near her, and doled out sparingly. They sit 

 closer if not fed too profusely. The food 

 should be very moist. The young ducklings 

 are hatched in a month, and then the mother 

 should-be put in a coop for some time, or she 

 will carry her brood immediately to the water, 

 and tire them ; besides which, many perish 

 with cold. They should be allowed to get 

 strong first. Many housewives prefer setting 

 duck eggs under hens and hen turkeys, in or 

 der to prevent this; but if the duck is secured, 

 the end is answered. Let the ducklings have 

 dishes of water near the coop to dabble in, 

 and feed them when out of the egg-shell with 

 54 . 



DUCK. 



bread crumbled in milk, for a few days. Nettle- 

 leaves boiled tender and chopped very small, 

 made into a paste with barley meal, is also a 

 warm, wholesome food. When the duck- 

 lings gain strength, give them plenty of raw 

 potherbs well chopped, mixed with soaked 

 bran, barley, mashed potatoes, mashed acorns, 

 or fish, if near the coast. Ducklings intended 

 for the table should not be allowed to swim 

 about much ; it keeps them lean. Early ducks 

 are valuable. They should be confined to their 

 hovel or to a coop during the process of fat- 

 tening, and fed there for one month upon oats 

 and water in clean troughs. It is of no use 

 giving them musty oats: they will no more 

 fatten upon musty oats than we can thrive 

 upon musty bread. Do Rot try to fallen them 

 either upon garbage. It gives the flesh a bad 

 taste. Boiled rice is a nice delicate variety 

 of food. The fine, white Aylesbury breed are 9 

 the most profitable and the handsomest duck. 

 They are also the earliest in laying and setting. 



I will give a recipe for salting ducks, as they 

 are done in Brittany: it is economical and 

 excellent food. Two days after the welWatted 

 ducks are killed, cut them open at the inferior 

 part, and draw away the thighs, wings, and 

 ilr>h of the stomach and rump. Put the 

 whole, with the neck and tip of the rump in a 

 tub of salt, with a little nitre and a few bay 

 leaves mixed in it, to give the flesh a fine red 

 colour. Cover it up in the salt a fortnight; 

 then cut the fowl in four quarters, lard it with 

 cloves, and put it into a pot or pots, with some 

 spice. 



Duck feathers are very profitable, and, 

 mixed with those of the goose, make good 

 pillows, &c. The feathers should be plucked 

 in May and September, while the duck is yet 

 warm after death. Dry the feathers in bags in 

 the oven after the bread has been withdrawn, 

 and repeat the process several times. See 

 FEATHERS. 



DUCK, THE MUSCOVY (Jnas Moschata), 

 a native of South America, is a gaudy-looking 

 large bird, often introduced into our farm- 

 yards, but not much approved ; more for show 

 than use. Their flesh is not so good to eat as 

 that of the common duck, and the drake is 

 very tyrannical in attacking the poultry, and 

 causing an uproar in the peaceful homestead, 

 besides spoiling a superior br.eed. 



DUCK, THE WILD (Anas boschas, Linn.), 

 is rather less in size than the tame duck, but 

 differs little in plumage ; it weighs usually 

 about 2 Ibs., but has been known to reach 3|. 

 In-shore shooting of wild ducks is considered 

 to be legitimate sporting about the middle of 

 August, when the flappers, or young ducks, 

 have begun to take wing. The last Game Act 

 in England has a clause to prevent wild-fpwl 

 being killed from the last day of March to the 

 1st of October, and this applies equally to 

 shooting and taking them in decoys. The wild 

 ducks pair in the spring, build thei* nest 

 among rushes near the water, and lay from 10 

 to 16 eggs. ( Willich's Dom. Ency.) For descrip- 

 tions of the numerous species of the wild 

 9uck found in the United States, see Nuttalt's 

 Ornithology of Water Birds. 



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