Xll PREFACE TO THE SIXTH EDITION. 



of that fancy stock, he has lately made enquiry, 

 and is informed that the pea-hen, like the tur- 

 key, is confined a month by incubation. 



Two objects of practice, an ancient novelty, 

 and a present or actual one, have been omit- 

 ted in their proper place ; malt combs or 

 dust, as a food to increase milk in cows, 

 and the use of the symphytum asperrhnum, or 

 prickly comfrey, as a general cattle, horse, 

 sheep, and pig food. Feeding cows with 

 malt-dust is a very ancient, though never a 

 very general practice ; and it will be seen, in 

 the section on cows, that Mr. Cramp allowed 

 a very small quantity ; a caution to which I 

 should incline, from the great portion of dust 

 necessarily mixed with the combs. With re- 

 gard to the comfrey, from the nourishing 

 quality usually attributed to the root, I should 

 suppose the whole plant to be of a feeding 

 nature ; though I have generally observed, 

 that where quantity is so superabundant, qua- 

 lity is seldom or never, in any degree, com- 

 mensurate. Mr. Grant, of the Nursery, 

 Lewisham, Kent, appears to have- been the 

 introducer of this abundant and easily-culti- 

 vated article of cattle food, where specimens 

 may be seen and obtained ; and also at Mr. 

 Gibbs' Nursery, Brompton. 



