110 VARIOUS, AND QUALITY OF FLESH. 



BARLEY, in any form, should never be used to fatten 

 aquatics, ducks or geese, since it renders their flesh 

 loose, woolly, and insipid, and depriving it of that 

 high savoury flavour of brown meat, which is its va- 

 luable distinction ; in a word, rendering it chickeny, 

 not unlike in flavour, the flesh of ordinary and yel- 

 low-legged fowls. OATS, whole or bruised, are the 

 standard fattening material for DUCKS and GEESE, to 

 which may be added pea-meal, as it may be required. 

 The house-wash is profitable to mix up their food, 

 under confinement; but it is obvious, whilst they 

 have the benefit of what the pond affords, they can 

 be in no want ofloose food. 



Acorns in season are much affected by ducks 

 which have a range ; and in former days residing on 

 the borders of a forest, I had annually great num- 

 bers fattened entirely on that provision, to such ex- 

 cess, that the quantity of fat was inconvenient, both 

 in cooking, and upon the table. Ducks so fed are 

 certainly inferior in delicacy, but the flesh is of high 

 flavour, and is far from disagreeable. I have also 

 occasionally ate of them fed on butchers' offal, when 

 the flesh resembles wild fowl in flavour, with, how- 

 ever, considerable inferiority. Offal-fed ducks' flesh 

 does not yet emit the abominable stench which issues 

 from offal-fed pork, and with which the dining tables 

 of London, are so frequently and satisfactorily per- 

 fumed. 



The Goose. 



A GANDER and five geese comprise a single breed- 

 ing stock. The goose sits upon her eggs from 



