TIIE GENESEE FAEMER. 



15 



FATTENING POULTKY. 



In no otlier couutry is &o ]auch poor poultry 

 sent to murket as ia America. Half a dozen of the 

 best geese that we daily see exposed for sale iu this 

 city ^ould hardly afford "goose oil" enough to 

 relieve a cow choked with a turnip! It is so with 

 all our poultry— a good fat turkey or chicken is 

 the exception ; and in New York the same com- 

 plaint is made. Immense numbers of poor misei-able 

 trash are forwarded from all parts of the country. 

 These have to be disposed of at very low rates — gen- 

 erally four or five cents per lb. less thau those well 

 fattened, well dressed and properly packed. There 

 is, however, a change for the better. Farmers are 

 beginning to realize that it pays to take a little 

 pains in fattening and preparing their poultry for 



market. The prices this year are full two cents 

 per lb. higher than this time last year, and this is 

 attributed mainly to the improved condition of 

 tlie poultiy. Still there is great room for improve- 

 ment. An extensive firm in New York in speaking 

 of the demand for poultry at Christmas and New 

 Years says: ''During the holidays the largest, 

 fattest and handsomest of all sorts, particularly 

 turkeys, will be expected ; and for these good 

 prices will in all probability be obtained. Scall- 

 awags will provoke sneers in the market, and 

 draw scowls from the unfortunate owners." Ifar- 

 per^s Weekly has a comic picture illustrating this 

 idea, and hitting the boarding-house keepers at thb 

 same time. "We have had it engraved for the 

 Farmer, We trust none of our readers will send 

 any "boarding house poultry" to market. 



ABOUT CHRISTIVEAS TIM^K. 



Mr.OobUer. — "Ain't you going to eat anything?" 

 Mrs. Gobbler.—"' No, I ain't going to fatten my- 

 Belf up for other people's benefit?" 



Mr. Gobbler.— '^ Why, you fool, you're only in- j you'll come to." 



juring yourself; you'll be sold for 12 cents a pound, 

 that's all. But I see what will be the end of you 

 — you'll be eaten in a boarding-house, that's what 



